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Introduction: Simple and Obvious
This is a simple and
straightforward book about a practical and straightforward process for
turning more prospects into paying customers—customers who buy more, buy
more often, and at higher prices.
One of my clients, an
agent for a large insurance company, made this observation after being
taught this process and applying it in his work. “Some of the most
effective parts,” he said, “are stupidly simple and ‘duh’ obvious.
But,” he went on, “it gets results with real customers. I love it
because it’s simple, it’s obvious, and it works.”
According to one
account, several years after his historic discoveries, Christopher
Columbus was invited to a banquet where he was treated like royalty. By
then, trips from Spain to the Americas had become commonplace. A
shallow courtier, deeply jealous of the great Admiral, sought to
embarrass him by asking loudly whether, had he not discovered the West
Indies, there were not many other men in Spain who would have been
capable of the same thing. After all, the whole concept of sailing west
to reach east was so simple and obvious.
Columbus did not reply
directly but instead took a raw egg and invited the company to make it
stand on end. They all attempted it, but in vain. He then picked up
the egg and tapped it lightly on the large end so as to indent the shell
only slightly. Without a word, he left the egg standing on the
indentation. Once he had shown the way, it was easy.
Similarly, this
approach to professional selling is built on principles and insights
that, once unveiled, may appear simple and obvious. But don’t be misled
by the simplicity of these ideas. To underestimate their power and
effectiveness because of their simplicity would be a serious mistake.
I have chosen to
present this process in a practical and unpretentious manner, free of
fancy theories and fanfare. My purpose in writing is not to dazzle
you. My purpose is to make it easy for you to grasp the basic concepts
that underpin this amazing approach and to master the key stories that
make up this potent process. With those under your belt, you’ll be on
your way to greater sales in almost no time.
May you find success
and satisfaction as you learn to Double Your Sales with this honest and
authentic approach to professional selling. It’s simple, it’s obvious,
and it works!
Part I
Chapter 1: John’s Dilemma
John loved his business
but he hated his job. Actually, what he hated was the business side of
his job. No, to be honest, what he really hated was the selling part of
his job. And because of that, he was frustrated, personally and
financially.
John loved his business
because it allowed him to help great people do important things. John
was a philanthropy advisor. He helped affluent families figure out how
they most wanted to make a difference in the world, and then he designed
charitable giving strategies that meshed his clients’ philanthropic
goals with federal and state tax laws and with the needs of worthy
charities.
People who understood
John’s business told him he offered an extremely valuable set of
services, something that was sorely needed. His clients loved him and
gave him lavish praise, and the charities he worked with were very
pleased with his work. They steered lots of prospects his way, as did
other professionals in his area. John was seeing plenty of potential
clients; he just couldn’t seem to turn them into paying clients. They
said they couldn’t see the point of paying his fees.
John offered a
wonderful service. He knew his stuff. He gave his clients excellent
care. He had an outstanding reputation. He was a great marketer. He
had a steady flow of qualified prospects. He just couldn’t sell.
His financial
frustration at work was bleeding over into his home life. He tried not
to take his money worries home, but his wife was no dummy. She knew
their family was creeping closer and closer to the financial edge. But
she also knew that John didn’t need more pressure from her; he needed
confidence in himself and his ability to sell.
John had known for a
long time he was lousy at sales, but he couldn’t figure out what to do
about it. At first, like the lyrics to that old Paul Simon song, John
decided “the problem is all inside your head.” He just needed a more
positive mental attitude. He just needed to psych himself up more
before sales meetings. He just needed a few convincing “I’m a great
salesman!” affirmations to recite to himself while shaving and driving
to work.
He tried it and for a
time, it seemed to help. But as soon as the novelty wore off, reality
set in. John soon realized that a positive attitude, psyching up, and a
whole commute’s worth of affirmations weren’t going to improve his
selling skills. His frustration mounted.
It occurred to John
that he’d never been taught how to sell. That subject wasn’t covered in
college or anywhere in his professional training. “Maybe there’s a
course that could help me,” he thought. But the ideas of a sales
training course made John nervous.
John had gone to some
“sales training” sessions at professional conferences he attended, and
what he heard there made him pretty uncomfortable. Their approaches all
seemed based on shading the truth, creating artificial pressure, and
even manipulating prospects. Even if those techniques worked, he
couldn’t do that. It just felt so phony.
But as his desperation
grew his resolve to steer clear of those approaches weakened. “I have
to get real,” he told himself. “I can sit here on my high horse and my
family will starve to death, or I can get down and dirty and make enough
money to pay the mortgage.”
He asked some of his
professional colleagues if they had any recommendations. One of them, a
life insurance and annuities professional, told John about a sales
training course he had attended. He said it was the best thing out
there and probably the closest to what John was looking for.
John checked out the
course’s web site, which promised remarkable results with minimal
effort. The cost of the course plus travel expenses was pretty high,
but John reasoned that if it increased his sales, it would be worth it.
“Maybe it can work for me,” John thought. He had to do something,
anything. He talked it over with his wife, crossed his fingers, and
registered for the course.
John realized in the
first thirty minutes of the workshop that he’d made a mistake, a big,
expensive mistake. He knew he could never implement their “program;” it
just didn’t fit who he was. He knew he could never talk to people and
treat people the way they were teaching.
He shared his feelings
with his wife that night on the phone. She said she understood, but
encouraged him to stay for the second day and try to get something
worthwhile out of the course. After all, she reminded him, he’d already
paid for it and couldn’t get his money back.
The next day was
miserable for John. The more he heard of their “program,” the more it
grated on him. And if this was the best out there, now what was he
going to do? The plane ride home was nearly unbearable. Hope was
fading fast . . . .
[To be continued.]
Part II
Chapter 2: Three Simple Secrets
Key Points
·
If
you develop friendships with prospective customers, they will buy
from you and they will buy more from you.
·
The
secret to strong and lasting friendships is creating and nourishing
credible stories of a shared future.
·
It’s
easy to develop friendships with prospective customers once you
understand how stories work.
Chapter 3: How Stories Work
Key Points
-
Story is our native language. It is the water we swim in.
Thus, the best way to communicate with prospective customers is
usually through a story.
-
Stories affect us
differently, as expressed in this quote:
Tell me a fact and
I’ll learn.
Tell me a truth and I’ll believe.
Tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.
--Steve Sabo
-
In the Double Your
Sales approach, stories are part of a graceful and elegant
interaction. This approach is a dance, not a march; it’s a
conversation, not a sparring match.
Chapter 4: Mr.
Analytical and Mr. Intuitive
Key Points
·
When
it comes to selling, the side of the prospective customers’ brain
that is in the dominant role at any given moment of the sales
meeting will determine what type of information you should offer and
whether they are likely to buy.
·
You
must learn to recognize when you are speaking to Mr. Analytical or
to Mr. Intuitive, and you must learn how to shift prospective
customers from one side of their brain to the other.
·
This
ability is an art, not a science, and it will come to you quickly
and naturally as you start to use the Double Your Sales process.
Chapter 5: The Whole and The Sum of the Parts
Key Points
·
This
process works best as an intact whole, but many of its parts have
great stand-alone value in other selling processes and in other
applications.
·
This
process is intended to be only one part of a company’s business
development system. If other parts of that system are weak,
you may need to invest in other programs.
·
Our
specialty is helping you close more business when you sit down face
to face with prospects and potential repeat customers.
Part III
Chapter 6: The
Banana/Lettuce Story
Key Points
·
Managing the expectations of prospective customers is one key to a
successful sales meeting.
·
Prospective customers usually come to a sales meeting in analytical
mode. You need to meet them there and then gently move them to
intuitive mode.
·
When
you tell The Banana/Lettuce Story, you outline what you expect to
accomplish in the meeting; you inquire as to what prospective
customers need and want from the meeting; and then you create and
describe aloud a consensus agenda based on both sets of
expectations.
Chapter 7: The New Me Story
Key Points
·
The
New Me Story humanizes and personalizes you, and makes you more
credible and approachable.
·
The
New Me Story is a key step in shifting the sales meeting to the
right, intuitive side of the brain where buying decisions are
initially made.
·
The
New Me Story utilizes the traditional story arc and follows a simple
pattern:
o
Step one: “ the old me.” This is who you used to be.
o
Step two: “ the transforming event.”
Something happened that rattled your world.
o
Step three: “ the response.” You initially reacted badly, but then your better
self took over and you changed, becoming a much better, more
qualified, competent person.
o
Step four: “ the new me.” As a result of your response
to the transforming event, you are now more capable of helping
prospective customers solve their problems.
Chapter 8: The Who Are
You Story
Key Points
·
The
Who Are You Story allows you to connect with prospective customers
on a human-to-human basis.
·
The
Who Are You Story has three components: 1) Who are you as a person?
2) What is your experience in this area? 3) What brings you here
today?
·
The
three keys to a successful Who Are You Story are authentic
curiosity, good listening skills, and a sense of purpose and
direction.
Chapter 9: The Worry
Story.
Key Points
·
In
The Worry Story, your prospective customers share with you the
concerns that led them to come to see you.
·
In
most cases, you should seek to uncover several substantial worries,
or at least one very large one for which you can offer solutions.
·
Unless prospective customers have significant worries they are
willing and able to share with you, you probably don't have a
customer.
Chapter 10: The Hidden
Waterfall Story
Key Points
·
The
Hidden Waterfall Story is a story of somebody who messed up and as a
result got into trouble.
·
If
prospective customers internalize The Hidden Waterfall Story, it
will cause them to acknowledge a problem they don’t recognize or own
a problem they are denying.
·
You
should have a Hidden Waterfall Story for each of the 10-12 problems
that you and your company can solve.
Chapter 11: The Consequences Story
Key Points
·
The
Consequences Story is told by prospective customers as they imagine
a future in which their worries and concerns have not been properly
addressed.
·
The
Consequences Story invites prospective customers to take ownership
not only of their problems but also of the failure to address their
problems.
·
The
Consequences Story is one of the most important pieces of the Double
Your Sales process because it drives home the dangers of not taking
action.
Chapter 12: The
Benefits Story
Key Points
·
The
Benefits Story is the flip side of The Consequences Story. It
is told by prospective customers as they imagine a future in which
their worries and concerns have been properly addressed by your
products and services.
·
To
create an effective Benefits Story, you must first provide a simple
but credible assurance that you can answer their concerns and solve
their problems.
·
The
Benefits Story must be their story, not yours. You guide it
but they tell it. It doesn’t count if you say it. It
only counts if they say it.
Chapter 13: The Kind of Like You Story
Key Points
·
The
Kind of Like You Story describes a previous customer who had similar
problems to these prospective customers, who used similar solutions
to the ones you are proposing for them, and who enjoyed a happy
outcome.
·
The
Kind of Like You Story is told sparsely and simply, inviting
prospective customers to picture themselves in the story.
·
The
Kind of Like You Story reinforces the point that the way to avoid
the ramifications identified in The Consequences Story and enjoy the
positive results described in The Benefits Story is to use your
products and services.
Chapter 14: The How We Do It Story
Key Points
·
The
How We Do It Story is a narration of your process for delivering
solutions to your customers.
·
The
How We Do It Story backs up your claims that you can fix these
prospective customers’ problems.
·
You
must have a process, especially if you sell products. Without
a process and a How We Do It Story, your product will shortly become
a commodity.
Chapter 15: The Investment Story
Key Points
·
A
good Investment Story helps prospective customers connect the cost
of your goods and services to something they understand from their
experience. It gives personal meaning to the dollar number.
·
The
key question in developing your Investment Story is “How can I
present pricing information to prospective customers so they have a
context for weighing value versus cost?”
·
A
good Investment Story creates personal relevance for the investment
that prospective customers are about to make with you. It
helps them see that investment within the larger canvas of who they
are and their worries and concerns. It creates a context
within which information about the cost of your goods or services
can resonate both intuitively and analytically with them.
Chapter 16: The Dress
Rehearsal Story
Key Points
·
The
purpose of The Dress Rehearsal Story is to intentionally turn the
sales meeting “analytical,” and thus bring Mr. Analytical squarely
into the conversation, giving you the opportunity to influence your
prospective customers’ left-brain thinking.
·
There are at least a dozen variations of The Dress Rehearsal Story.
To decide which version of The Dress Rehearsal Story to use in a
particular situation, ask yourself “What feels comfortable to me?”
and “What will get these prospective customers to examine their
decision from the analytical side of the brain?”
·
Besides solidifying the buying decision and addressing concerns, the
Dress Rehearsal Story is also a good time to check on how well you
communicated during the meeting.
Chapter 17: The Next
Step Story
Key Points
·
The.
Next Step Story is a conversation and an agreement with prospective
customers about what happens next in your relationship.
·
The
Next Step Story is low-tech and blatantly obvious, but unfortunately
often overlooked.
·
The
Next Step Story makes sure, regardless of what decision prospective
customers made—yes, no, or maybe—that everyone knows where you go
from here.
Part IV
Chapter 18: John’s
Discovery
The house was dark and
everyone was asleep when John got home that night from the sales
training course. His body and his brain were tired, but he didn’t feel
much like sleeping. He wished he could just disappear for a week while
he tried to figure out what to do with his business and his life.
There was a pile of
mail for him on the desk by his computer. “More bills,” he muttered to
himself. “That’s all I need right now.”
But among the envelopes
was a small parcel from Amazon. “That’s funny,” he thought, “I haven’t
ordered anything from them lately.”
He checked the
address. Sure enough, it was addressed to him.
Curious, he opened the
package. It was a gift from Steve Wright, his best friend from
college. Steve was always thoughtful and tried to stay in touch, but it
wasn’t like him to send books.
John looked at the
book, “Double Your Sales: An Honest and Authentic Approach to
Professional Selling.” “Double your sales, huh?” he said to
himself. “I could sure use that. I wonder what Steve saw in this?”
John read Steve’s note:
“Dear John, I heard
through the grapevine that you were having a hard time turning
prospects into clients and were looking for help. This book has totally
turned my business around and I’m guessing it might be exactly what you
need right now. I think it’ll be right up your alley. Friends forever,
Steve”
John turned the book
over and reviewed the back cover. “Impressive testimonials,” he
thought. “From 45% to 90%? Eighteen in a row? And even doctors can do
this? Maybe Steve’s on to something here.”
John opened to the
Introduction. “Simple and obvious. Hmmm. And it works?” He was
curious. He settled into his chair and started to read.
“Well, sure, that makes
sense.”
“He’s right, that is
pretty obvious.”
“Hey, I knew that.
Wonder why no one ever said it like that before?”
“I love the diagram.
Makes it easy to follow.”
“I think I can do
this.”
“Wow, that’s exactly
what happened to me.”
“I really think
I can do this.”
The pages flew by.
When John paused to look up at the clock, it was long past midnight and
he was more than halfway through the book. His body was tired, but his
mind was racing, making plans for his upcoming prospect meetings.
“It all makes sense
now,” he thought. “I can see where I was messing up, and I understand
why the program I just attended won’t work for me. It’s not who I am or
how I operate. But this approach, this is how I want to treat my
prospects so they become my clients. Steve said this turned around his
business. I think it will do the same for me.”
Now that he knew where
to find the answer about what to do next, John could finally relax and
go to bed. He was exhausted but very encouraged. “I’ll finish the book
in the morning and then go online and find out how to get more
training. This is definitely what I was looking for.”
John slipped into bed,
kissed his wife gently so as not to wake her, and turned over.
“Thanks, Steve,” he
whispered. “Friends forever indeed.”
Chapter 19: What’s
Your Next Step?
As you’ve learned already, The Double Your Sales process is
a 12-step program for professionals who are sick and tired of losing
sales. It’s a proven remedy for those seeking to recover from poor sales
results. It’s powerful medicine for salespeople who want to boost their
business by being themselves, telling the truth, and helping customers
address their real concerns.
The Double Your Sales process is not for everyone. It’s not
for those who believe a salesperson can’t be honest and authentic and
still “close the deal”; who believe customers must be pressured by
artificial urgency; or who believe they already know all there is to
know about selling.
But since you’ve read this far in the book, odds are that
the Double Your Sales process is right for you, that it makes
sense to you, and that you’re considering how to put it to work for you.
If that’s the case and you’d like to learn more, let me
invite you to take the next step. My company, SunBridge, teaches
professionals how to implement the Double Your Sales process in their
work with prospective customers. We offer three convenient training
alternatives:
·
The
live, on-site, intensive two-day Double Your Sales
Professional Seminar is for those who want the best possible
experience as they learn this process, and who are looking for the
quickest and most effective path to implementation. The Seminar is
taught by me personally or by another seasoned master of the Double
Your Sales process. The Seminar consists of instruction, examples,
exercises, activities, rehearsals, and interaction that will
absolutely have you using the process with skill and confidence at
the end of two days. It includes, at no additional cost, a
two-month group coaching module by live telephone conference calls
to help you stay on track, follow up after the Seminar, and fully
implement the Double Your Sales process in your business.
·
A
self-study training program on audio CDs and workbook, Double
Your Sales Self-Study System, is for professionals who like
to get their training at their own pace in their own place. It
includes written assignments and worksheets to make the Double Your
Sales process immediately a part of your customer engagement
system. The program includes, at no additional cost, a two-month
group coaching module by live conference calls to follow up and
support your implementation of the process.
·
The
Double Your Sales Group Workshop is for organizations that
want us to create and present a customized, dedicated seminar to
their sales professionals. In addition to all the benefits of the
live, intensive Double Your Sales Professional Seminar, as noted
above, this format allows us to focus on specific issues and unique
situations faced by your group. In addition, a customized follow-up
and implementation program will ensure that all participants
successfully implement the training they receive in the workshop.
You can learn more about these options and order or sign up
for our training, services, and products by visiting our website at
www.DoubleYourSalesNow.com.
If you want to discuss Double Your Sales training for a
group, or you’re interested in intensive one-to-one coaching with this
process, please email us at
admin@DoubleYourSalesNow.com or call us at
407-593-2386. We’ll
be happy to talk about how we can help you, a small group of
professionals, or your entire sales organization become masters of this
powerful process.
So now the ball is in your court. If you’re ready for an honest and
authentic approach to professional selling, and if you’re ready for more
customers and bigger sales, we’d love to help you DOUBLE YOUR SALES.
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