Z: Drive 65

A couple of years ago I noticed that if I drove into work (about 25 miles distance) at 72 mph+ or at 65 mph, the time difference would really amount to seconds.

At about this same time, I had come across Aesop's Fable of the Tortoise and the Hare. We all know that the Tortoise won the race by going slow and steady. He never passed the Hare in the fast lane; he never switched lanes; he never worried about getting there on time; he just focused and squared up and kept his balance and was steadily working towards the finish line.

This got me thinking about my driving. I decided that I would drive 65 - or whatever the posted speed limit - and never any faster. (Now, I do naturally have a lead foot so I have not been a 100%'r at this, but probably a 99%'r).

One of the interesting things about consistently driving 65 mph is how many cars I pass up! And I am not discourteous if someone wants to go faster. I will speed up or move over. BUT - I drive 65. And I have tried to apply this to every area of my life.

Relax. Square up. Be slow and steady. Keep your balance. Think. Focus. There is simply no need to be rushed or hurried or frantic. Of course, there are times that necessitate haste, but these occasions are few and far between.

Drive 65 in all you do. Sell that way. Plan that way. Prepare that way. Communicate that way. And although it will take patience and some adjustment, it will be vital to you long-term, consistent success.

TI: Asking Questions

One rule of thumb to remember when asking questions in the Initial is: shallow to deep.

Always start with a very easy, simple question, usually about their business - "what do you do here?", then naturally move into deeper questions - "why did you choose Qwest?".

A focused effort to do this will yield great results. You will find that the conversation flows much better and the customer is much more at ease. This enables you to maintain control of the meeting instead of having it taken right out of your hands by the customer who just wants to feel comfortable.

Ask easy, simple questions first, then move into more thoughtful, complex questions. Every customer will appreciate it and respond more favorably to you.

P: Find to Close, then Close to Find!

Don't just find for finding's sake - don't find, to find.

In other words, don't prospect, or find, just to pat yourself on the back that you did your 30 calls. Find to close. Every call you make, every door you knock on, every person you talk to should be with the intention of closing the deal. This perspective helps you to be diligent, with the right focus, while prospecting.

Then, once you've closed a deal, find! Use that new customer for referrals. You can let them know from the very beginning that you intend to take such good care of them and provide such a valuable service that they would be happy to refer other businesses to you. During the sales process and after the close, ask for referrals - when the time and opportunity is right.

Don't find to find. Find to close, then close to find!

O: Plan the Night Before

I've tried planning the morning of.
I've tried not planning at all.
I've even tried the "plan-as-you-go" formula.
Nothing really worked until I planned the night before.

Yes, you will be tired. But, you will also wake the next morning with an incredible peace that you know exactly what you're scheduled to do.

Plan the night before. Plan each hour of your day. Know before you go. And not only will you have peace and confidence, but you'll actually be productive!

Planning, when done with the right focus, is absolutely essential to consistent success. DO NOT try to fake it or skip it. As Nike tells us: Just do it!

Z: Did You Give it Your All Today?

As your driving home, ask yourself: Did I give it my all today?

There is nothing quite as sweet as being able to answer yourself with a confident: Yes! I really did.

This confidence is absolutely necessary to consistent success.

Z: The Will to Prepare

It's been said that in order to "win", the will to prepare must outweigh the will to win.

What are some ways we can prepare:

1. Plan your day the night before
2. Know where you are going to find before it's time to find
3. Always have paperwork ready and with you
4. Take time to think before an appointment what objections could arise
5. Have a plan B - what to do with your time - if an appointment falls through
6. KNOW your pricing
7. Always have business cards on your person at all times!
8. KNOW the processes of office work so it's easy work
9. Find another deal to back up a big one in case it falls through
10. Regroup from time to time - for a few minutes throughout the day - so you are ready and rejuvenated to tackle the next part of your day
11. Actively maintain a desire to be prepared

TI: The Most Important Question

At the end of your first appointment with a propsective customer, there is one question that you cannot leave without asking. In fact, you must be preparing through the entire meeting to ask it. You can ask it in a variety of ways. Although you will usually ask it at the end of your discovery, you can really ask it anytime. But this question will determine how you proceed. The question is:
What will be the most important thing to you in deciding if it makes sense to switch to our service?

Here's a big secret - they will not always say price!

Once they give you an answer, it is very important to qualify and/or quantify it. For example, if they simple say: "service." You would then ask: "What do you mean by service?" When they say: "I just want to be sure that the service is reliable." You would say: "So if I can show you some ways that our service is reliable, is that what you're interested in?"

If they say: "price." Then you should always start high: "When you say price, would you say that if our price is 10 -15% higher but we're able to provide you with some of the extra benefits we spoke about today, would that be worth it to you?" Or you might say: "What kind of price would be worth it to you?"

After you get 1 or 2 repsonses, try to get one more. The when you leave with 2-3 responses of what is going to be the deciding factors in them making a decision to go with you, you can ask, in whatever way is comfortable for you: "If I'm able to address "1, 2, and 3" (restate in their words what these were), is there any reason we wouldn't be able to do business?"

By asking this question, you will, with almost perfect certainty, be able to know if this is prospective customer will become a new customer.

O: Planning WHERE to Prospect

Take the time to plan where you will prospect. This takes two major obstacles out of the way:

#1 - Not knowing where to go
#2 - Wasting time looking for the "perfect" spot

Too many reps get in their car and spend way too much time looking for the perfect group of businesses calling their name. It is much better if you are always observing as you drive from appointment to appointment. Or, if you are new, you may actually plan time - separate from prospecting time - to go looking.

"Know before you go" - plan ahead, the night before, where you will prospect the next day. Then you don't have to spend your valuable finding time finding a place to prospect, you'll spend it finding new customers!

P: Cell Phones & Prospecting

Try turning your cell phone off when you prospect. It is a major distraction. When you spend time knocking doors or picking up the phone or networking, you need to be focused. Anyone important will leave a voice mail. Keep your eyes on the prize - don't let that ringing or buzzing get in the way of your most important activity! Turn off the phone and reap the rewards.

Z: Quality vs. Quantity

Too often we seperate quality from quantity and vice versa. But we need to understand the true quality includes perfect quantity.

Should a father not think so much about how much time he spends with his children as long as the time he spends is rich and rewarding? Should an athlete not worry about how many reps he does when weight training as long as the effort he puts forth is his best effort?

No - there must be a balance.

We should not allow our quantity to falter as we focus on quality. Nor should we allow our quality to suffer in search for quantity. True quality includes perfect quantity.

O: Agenda

Using an agenda will quickly set you apart.

Find a copy of an agenda you like. Whenever you set the initial appointment, ask for their email, or fax, and let them know you will be sending them an agenda with a date and time reminder as well as a brief outline of what you will be discussing with them when you meet. BUT, be sure you do not forget to reference and follow it on the appointment!

If you forget to send the agenda, state a brief verbal agenda at the beginning of any appointment.

Using an agenda shows that you are a professional and not a sloppy salesperson who will just try to wing it. (That sends a subconscious message that you are about to waste their time.) But with an agenda, you send the positive subconscious message that you are organized, thorough, and efficient. Therefore, they will be more naturally inclined to listen to you. It also helps you to maintain control of the meeting.

Send an agenda for any size prospective customer. Absolutely for the big ones, and even for the little ones - they are the ones that have never seen this before. It's an excellent first impression!

P: Qualified Appointments

Don't settle. Qualify!

When setting appointments, you don't want to be so excited that someone finally said "Yes" that you settle. You're not desperate, you're just a little needy.

Setting appointments with prospective customers is your bread and butter. If you can just get in front of a willing listener you know the chances are very high that you can benefit their business and therefore win it. BUT - you must be careful not to sell yourself short by wasting your time with those who don't mind wasting yours.

So, what do you do? You qualify! Here's how:

After you set the appointment, if you haven't already got this information in your conversation try this: "I appreciate your willingness to meet with me tomorrow. In order to be the best prepared when we meet, can I ask you a couple of questions about your current service?" Then ask: "How many lines do you have? Who is your provider? Are you currently in a contract?"

The answers to these 3 questions and their willingness to give you this information will greatly help you know if this a qualified appointment - one worth investing your time into.

One last question should be: "Will you have a copy of your most recent phone bill so we can understand exactly what services you're being billed for?" Again how they respond to this will help you know if this appointment is worth your time.

Qualify! Don't be so desperate you take any and every appointment.

TI: Opening Statement

Are you effectively setting the tone of your first appointment with each customer?

Starting off with an impact statement, or something that appropriately sets the tone for the first appointment is vital to you controlling that meeting to the advantage of yourself and the customer.

For example: I appreciate your time today, Bob. My goal today is simple. I'd like to see if there is at least one way to benefit your business. If there is, I hope to earn your business and become your new provider. Do you mind if I start by asking you a few questions based on the agenda I sent over? (The agenda will be discussed in a later post)

With an approach like this, you show respect, but you maintain control of the meeting. And with that control - not ever to be taken advantage of - you set the stage to effectively ask questions and find out in what ways you can benefit their business. It's that simple.

So - are you beginning with an expectation-setting, interest-piquing opening statement?

Z: Trim the Fat and Produce!

This does not mean: Get rid of the extra pounds and fresh vegetables. It means to get rid of the excess - whatever that means in your daily task list - and produce, meaning to sell!

Trim the fat and produce! Put aside the things that don't matter, be more strict in the budgeting of your time, get rid of any unnecessary "to do's" and just sell. Create. Generate. Multiply. Produce!

This little couplet has helped me to simplify and always focus on selling. Ask yourself this question: Will this activity lead to a sale? If not, do it later. And then focus on what will. Like finding! (see yesterday's post).

Trim the fat and produce!

P: You are a FINDER! That's it.

You are not a salesman. You are not a prioritizer. You are not a closer. You are a finder! A full-time, full-fledged finder! Once you realize that, and practice it, you will begin to experience consistent success.

When looking at your day, ask yourself, how can I organize my time so that the majority of my time is spent finding? Put off, until after hours, those things that are the details of the job. Then fill in all the other time with finding. Cold calling, door knocking, networking, asking for referrals while on any appointment, etc. Ask yourself: Am I moving mountains in order to find the most business I can?

And then when you find, qualify! Don't waste your time with those who are not ready for you or your service. When you spend the majority of your time finding, you are entitled to spend your selling time only with those who are truly interested.

You are a finder - that's it.

P: 3 Daily Goals

When prospecting for new business, there should be 1 goal - to find as many new opportunities as possible. The best way to do this is to focus on 3 sub-goals.

#1 - Time spent prospecting
#2 - Number of calls made
#3 - Number of "Initial" appointments made

It is not wise to focus on 1 or 2 of these. You should do all you can to reach your goal for each of them. This balanced effort will bring the best and most consistent results.

For example - I have found that for me, that I should prospect for a minimum of 2 hours a day, make at least 20 calls (whether on the phone or outside "door knocking"), and set at least 2 appointments.

Now - this is really important: The most important goal of the 3 is setting 2 appointments. But, if I set 2 appointments in the first 20 minutes, I do not stop! I go the full 2 hours. (And obviously more whenever possible) Why? Because there will be days when I go for 2 hours and set none. When that happens, I do stop at the 2 hour mark - unless I have the time in my schedule to keep going - but if I don't, I know the next day I may very well set 4 appointments in that time frame.

It is obviously important to track your efforts, or to ask your manager what the average ratios are in your business, so you can base your efforts on something. Otherwise, just GO! and start tracking your efforts so that you will soon know what works for you.

But the important thing is to focus on each of the 3 goals in order to accomplish the main goal. Then you can never go wrong!

O: Time Management Takes Focus, Desire, & Self-Discipline

Time management - the science of planning and organizing the hours of your day is not just an exercise of prioritizing.

We've already been taught that to effectively plan each day, we first make daily goal(s), then we make a list and prioritize, and then set time frames for each. But when carrying out our plan, our desire to accomplish our goals must result in a focused and self-disciplined effort.

Things will come up. They will easily distract you from your plan and your goals.

Act immediately on those we often call "fire's". But anything else that arises should NEVER override your plan. This can be very difficult especially when these things really are important. But important is not the same as vital. Neither should a spark be confused with a fire.

It is also wise to "plan" time to regroup, to reflect, and to relax. Even if these are simple 5-10 minute blocks a couple of times a day, they can help us to recommit to our daily goals and regain our focus so that we are not overcome by the rigidness of managing and disciplining our time.

TI: The Deal is Won or Lost...

In sales, I refer to the 1st discovery meeting with a potential customer as the "Initial Appointment" (abbreviated to "The Initial").

This is absolutely the most pivotal moment in the sales process. The deal is quite literally won or lost during this small window of time. When approached with a simple plan, a salesperson can, and should, leave this meeting with an almost perfect understanding if, and when, they will be able to close this account.