When a customer says no to you, what do you think? Sales superstars know that real selling doesn’t even begin until the customer says no. If you don’t believe me, just ask Mike Evans and Steve Tolkach. Both Mike and Steve were honored by the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) this past January for their ability in not letting “no” get in the way of their success.

Mike Evans was honored for bringing in the largest sale by the local SIOR chapter, a $105 Million deal!!! The deal involved two properties side by side with owners who did not like each other and were uncooperative when either one wanted to sell. Mike didn’t let their poor relationship get in the way. He got to know each of the owners better and found out what really made them tick. He then found a third party that was willing to buy both properties together. Through his facilitation and persistence, both owners agreed and closed the deal. It would never have happened if Mike Evans stopped when each of the owners first told him no.

Next up is Steve Tolkach, who won the award for closing the largest dollar value lease by the same SIOR chapter. The client wanted to move and had a requirement that the new location could be no further than 35 miles from the NJ Turnpike to facilitate their shipping requirements. Steve showed them all kinds of properties within the 35 mile target zone, but none of them met all of the client’s needs. In the end, Steve recommended that the client stay right where they are, 70 miles from the turnpike. They agreed and signed the deal. Steve did a great job in showing his client how the current location was really the best suited for their needs and how moving to within 35 miles of the turnpike at all costs would have been detrimental to their business.

What are the key learning points?

1. When a customer says no, they are simply telling you that based on the present state of affairs, they are not willing to say yes to the risk involved. Simply find out what else is important to them and see if you can re-frame your value proposition.
2. Many times a customer has a perception of what is really important to them. They will often take an individual issue and blow it up out of proportion. Your job is to get that perception out on the table and see whether or not there are other important factors they should be considering. Often, their perceptions will change when they see the whole picture for what it really is.
3. If there weren’t any no’s in sales, you wouldn’t have a job. The sale starts when the customer first says no. If it was easier than that and the customer always said yes, your company would be able to sell everything on the internet and save on your commissions. Sales people get paid the big bucks for doing the hard work. There are no shortcuts. Just ask any superstar. It’s true whether you are in sports, politics, business or sales.

Remember: “No” is not a rejection. Simply find out what is missing for the customer and provide it. -there is no magic about it…it’s hard work that makes the change!. As you can see, it is possible to turn a no into a yes. Successful sales people do it all the time!

Congratulations to Michael Evans and Steve Tolkach!!!

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The economy is bad. People are not buying. Business stinks and you can’t make a living these days. Do you believe that? If so, you need an attitude adjustment right now.

Remember this: As you sit there thinking about how bad things are, someone is buying something from your competitor. So stop thinking about how bad things are and make sure they are buying from you.

1. Stop thinking about how bad things are and call someone. Nothing happens without getting into conversation.
2. Remember that in every problem there is great opportunity. A down economy is full of opportunities.
3. Vendor loyalty is not as strong in a down economy. People need solutions. Give them a reason to switch.
4. Find out the challenges facing the person on the other side of the desk or phone.
5. Sell the outcome and not the feature.
6. Qualify your prospects better. Don’t waste time with people who have no need or for whom the timing is not right. A down economy only means there aren’t as many deals out there. But people are buying. You may have to work harder than before.
7. Strengthen your value proposition. In down markets, value propositions have to be stronger to get people to act.
8. Qualify your markets better. If you have the ability, sell to markets who are not affected by the downturn. If your market is effected, find and deal only with the people who appreciate what you have to offer.
9. Harden your soul. In down markets, the phone doesn’t ring as much. You have to be the rainmaker and uncover the opportunities. Rejection is often realized. Don’t let it stop you. Remember, you don’t get penalized for the no’s you receive in life. You only get rewarded for the yes’s.
10. Leverage all existing relationships and customers for referrals. Now is not the time to be shy.

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Who is Lawrence Tynes?  If you are a football fan, you know it was Lawrence’s foot that kicked the Giants into the Super Bowl. Okay, it was a team effort.  But at the end of the day, in overtime on a frozen field in Green Bay, the destiny of the entire Giants team rested on Tyne’s foot.  Lawrence Tynes is not the first field goal kicker to put his team into a championship game.  So why are we making such a big deal out of this one kick?  Because of the two field goals he missed earlier in the game.

Lawrence had two chances in the fourth quarter to win the game but failed on each attempt.  After the second miss, tv coverage caught Coach Coughlin giving Tynes a look that could have frozen the self confidence of anyone standing in the way.  When it came to a 4th down decision and a 47 yard field attempt, Coach Coughlin looked to the side line to see if Tynes was up to the task.  Problem was he couldn’t find him.  Tynes was already on the field without being asked and warming up.  Coach Coughlin figured that was as a good a sign as any and sent the rest of the field goal unit onto the field.

What’s the bottom line to this story?  Lawrenece Tynes failed twice before he succeeded.  After the second attempt, he put it out of his mind and used the negative energy to motivate himself to do it right the next time.  By making the field goal, he proved that nobody cares how you did prior to the moment at hand.  All they care about is what you do today and in the future.  Tynes is remembered today for the great kick he made at the end of the game.  Not the two misses he had earlier.  Of course, if he missed a third time, the story would be different. 

The point is as long as you have today and tomorrow, you can always rewrite the books and build success.  Successful people fail more often than they succeed.  It is the successes we remember most.  If you don’t believe me, can you remember the teams in your favorite sport that came in second?  We tend to only remember the champions.  Learn from your mistakes and make today and tomorrow count.

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As we look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving this Thursday, we should take time to reflect on our successes this year and the gaps we need to fill in order to increase our sales success next year.  When it comes to sales, there are 3 areas to look at which can produce immediate results.

1. Calling on the Right People—-So often, sales executives spend way too much time calling on people who either don’t have a legitimate need or the power to make a decision.  Since time is a limited commodity for all us, you should be dedicated to spending it only with people who value what you have to offer and can either make the decision or be influential in the decision process.  Sometimes, sales people call on the wrong people because they are not comfortable on calling higher level executives.  Or, they may just be calling on people whom they feel comfortable talking to regardless if there is a valid business opportunity available.  We do this for various reasons.  Take some time to think about this and see what causes you to spend time with people who are not empowered to help you reach your goals.  Identify the personal block you are facing in this area and commit to a set of actions to overcome these blocks.  The results will amaze you.
2. Having the Right Conversation—-Sales executives often limit their opportunities because they are playing small with their customers.  They are having conversations related strictly to product features vs. outcomes.  Outcomes focus on results the customer is after.  This type of conversation will often lead to additional opportunities.  Feature related conversations revolved around a limited set of products/services and often are commodity driven  Strive to elevate your conversations to a higher level playing field.  Doing so will create additional opportunities, revenues and commissions.
3. Ensure Enough Activity—- This is huge!!!  Sales Executives have great goals, yet their activity levels don’t often support the goals.  Weak pipelines lead to weak negotiating positions.  The best way to bolster one’s sales revenues is to increase their sales activities.  We are talking about impacts—how many times you are in front of your customers.  An impact can be a phone call, e-mail, newsletter, presentation, etc.  Sales are all about timing.  You need to have enough activity to support your sales goals.  You also need to have enough activity to be in front of the customer at the right time when a need arises.  Start asking yourself if your activities are strong enough to support your 2008 goals.  If not, what are the gaps and what do you need to do differently?

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News Flash — Barry Bonds is indicted by a federal grand jury on perjury charges; and A-Rod resigns with the Yankees after opting out of his contract despite the Yankees swearing they will not resign him.  How do these events relate to sales? 

In Bonds’ case, he violated one of the common traits you will see in all millionaires (The Millionaire Mind); the ability to get along with people.  Besides lying to a federal grand jury, Barry’s problems go back much farther than that.  He always carried himself with a great deal of arrogance. He was consistently rude to people and seemingly did not care about his fans.  While there are exceptions out there,  most people you speak with do not have something nice to say about Mr. Bonds. 

On the other hand you have Jason Giambi, who was implicated in the same steroids scandal. Jason is free of any court action and is still performing with the support of baseball fans.  He acknowledged and apologized for his role in the scandal.   He knew he was neither above the law nor the court of public opinion.  He knew he had to address the issues with the public and get along with the public in order to move forward. 

All of us have to get along with our customers.  Yes, we may still succeed if we are arrogant and not listening to our customers.  But remember, when you do not get along with others, they just can’t wait for you to slip up. 

As for A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez), his situation brings out two key points.  First, whenever you hear someone say this deal can never happen, remember that everything is negotiable.  When A-Rod opted out, the Yankees said they would never sign him again.  There were other financial implications involved which we will not get into now.  So the question is, what brought the Yankees back to the negotiating table?  That’s where point two comes in….NOTHING REPLACES PERSONAL CONTACT DURING A NEGOTIATION!!!

A short time after opting out of his agreement, A-Rod and his wife decided that they really wanted to remain in New York after all.  So, A-Rod reached out to Warren Buffet, considered by many to be the savviest investor of all time, and one of the richest people in the world.

Buffet’s simple piece of advice to A-Rod was to call the Yankees directly and go meet with them in person.  Once contact was made with the Yankees through an intermediary, the Yankees agreed to meet with him on one condition…that A-Rod’s agent, Scott Boras, who is known for his ruthless negotiating style, may not be present during the meeting.  So, A-Rod gets on a plane with his wife Cynthia and goes down to Tampa to meet with the Steinbrenner brothers. In one day, they nailed out the parameters of the deal!!! The Yankees felt convinced about A-Rod’s genuine desire to play for the team,and yes, they did offer him a boat load of money.  But wait!  The final offer was the same as the original offer they were going to give him, but never had the chance.  A-Rod was lucky to get a second chance.

You want to increase your success?  Then learn to get along with people.  Remember that nothing is more valuable than a personal relationship and a face- to-face visit.  And finally, never put your needs ahead of your customers.  It will always be received as pure arrogance on your part and create a perception of not caring. 

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