by Kirby Hasseman
I was working with a brand new sales rep the other day (don’t worry, we will have more on that soon), and she asked me a question. “What do you say when a prospect says ‘We already have someone who does this and we are super happy?'” she asked me.
This is a love/hate question for me. I hate it because whenever I am asked, the person asking is hoping for that magic response that opens all sales doors. This response is the ultimate objection over-comer. I hate the question, because I don’t think that answer exists. At least I don’t want it to.
I love the question because it reveals an important secret in sales. It reveals that much of what we have been taught about sales training (through movies and books) is a lie. Your job, as a salesperson (or entrepreneur, etc.) is NOT to convince people who don’t want to buy from you to buy from you. It’s not. That will be frustrating and a huge waste of time.
Your job is to help guide prospects who ARE interested in buying to buy from you. Your job is to serve them. Your job is to be a human.
So my response is simple when I get this push back.
“You already have someone and are happy? That is awesome. I respect that loyalty. I certainly hope my clients have that same loyalty for us! You have your number 1 option. But if you ever need another quote, another set of ideas, we would love to be your number 2 option.”
So…how do you sell to someone who does not want to buy? You don’t. Simple as that.
The fact is, with most products there are plenty of people who are interested in what you are selling. There is plenty of business out there to get. Doesn’t it make more sense to focus on those people that are interested? It’s a waste of time to chase people who (for whatever reason) are not. Oh, and as a side note, most people are so used to being “sold to,” that by simply being “a human” about it, you might actually win them over.
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by Kirby Hasseman
If you have been around me, listened to podcasts like this one, or read this blog, you might know that I think “busy” is the most over-used word in the English language today. I believe that because the word “busy” has become one of two things. 1. First it has become an excuse of why we can’t do things we really want to or need to? How could we possibly have time to work toward our dreams? We are too busy. 2. Second, it has become lazy speak. It’s just the answer you give…whether you mean it or not. So, as I said, I am not a fan of the word “busy.” But then I woke up this morning and thought about my schedule. I just got back from a two day road trip. I have another out of the office day on Friday. Today, in my schedule, I have 1 day to jam in 3 days of activity. My schedule was decidedly busy…and I was excited about it. That’s when I had a simple realization. You know you are doing the right thing, when you are busy and you are happy about it. If your schedule is full for the day and you are fired up to attack the day, it shows your passion. If you get to the end of the day wondering “where did that day go?” and you feel satisfied, you are probably working on the right projects. This is when you the word “busy” stops being an excuse. It starts to become an excited descriptor. When I started my business I used to say “When I’m bored, I’m poor.” It spoke to the idea that I was excited to be busy. It was important to my success. So start looking for those things that you are excited to tackle. These are the things that will keep you busy…but in a good way. Make sure you never miss an update. I know you are busy! But once a week, we send out our VIP newsletter with all of the content for the week in one place. You can get signed up for that here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Tis the season! What season? The holidays? Well, sure. But this time of year is Goal-setting season!
It’s that time of year that many people sit down and take a hopeful look to the New Year. I am a big believer in goal setting, so I encourage that. As a matter of fact, I ask that all of my team do the same. But there is one common mistake I see people making that (I think) is holding them back.
They don’t write them down.
Many people will tell you they have goals. Studies will tell you that writing them down has impressive results. But again and again, I run into people that do no write them down. Why not? I could rack it up to laziness. They just don’t want to take the time. Maybe. I could say it is a lack of belief. They just don’t believe the studies that tell you it works.
That could be it…but I don’t think so.
I think the reason people don’t write their goals and dreams down is one simple reason. They are afraid to fail. Once you write your goal down, then it’s out there. Once you get specific, there is a chance it might not work. Once you share it with someone, you might embarrass yourself. I think it’s that simple fact that is holding people back from writing down (and sharing) their goals. And when you don’t write down your goals, it holds you back from accomplishing them.
So let’s address that quickly.
First things first, big goals are not Pass/Fail. I talk about that here. You can set a goal that stretches you. You have to give yourself permission to dream a bit. In addition, when you write down your goal (and you get specific), you can start to think about “how.” How will you get there? What steps do you need to take? What are you going to DO to get there? These little steps are what will take you to your dream. So let’s start today and write down your goals.
Oh…and let me know how I can help! Start today by becoming our VIP! Sign up for our VIP list here.
by Kirby Hasseman
When I am not sure what to write about, and more importantly, what to think about, I think about what makes me grateful.
As I have said before, you cannot be negative or angry when you are grateful. So when I am stressed, or anxious or frustrated, I take a deep breath and go through this exercise. It usually only takes me a few minutes to get my mental state back on track.
Here are a few things that go through my mind when I do this.
1. My wife: I am incredibly lucky to have Amy in my life. She truly does make me want to be better. As I think about blessings in my life, she is at the top of the list.
2. My girls, Skylar and Jade: These two make me super proud. I love the young ladies they are growing into. Their journey has just begun.
3. My family: All of my family have been super supportive of me throughout my life. I am forever grateful for that.
4. The Hasseman Marketing team (yes that includes Robbie too): I can’t believe the great group we have put together here. Last night we had our holiday party…what a fun group. I am excited about what we are creating together.
5. My Coshocton County friends: What a great group of people! These are the folks that would help me out (in an instant) if needed.
6. My Promo industry friends: These folks inspire me to be better in my profession.
7. My heroes that inspire me: Though I don’t “know” these people, I watch them from afar and they get me fired up to do better in many areas of my life.
8. My health: I am so blessed to be healthy.
9. My home: Speaking of blessed, I love the place I have to rest and relax.
10. The giving spirit of Coshocton County: It’s so cool to see this small community rally together whenever there is a need.
11. Newpointe Community Church: I feel like this church has come to Coshocton just when it was needed. It’s been great for me for sure.
12. Local Leaders: I totally love the level of collaboration that is going on in Coshocton County right now. It’s at a level I have never seen. As a side note, our own Port Authority Director, Tiffany Swigert was in Washington D.C. this week. Here is a clip of her talking with Leaders there. You can hear her at about 1:06 in.
13. Industry leaders: The marketing conversation has been elevated (or at least it is being elevated) because the leaders in the industry are helping to make it happen. Let’s keep that going.
14. My puppies: When they are not pooping and peeing…they are fun.
15. The Drone: I am happy we tracked the drone down after a recent adventure. You can see that adventure here. As you can see, this is a woefully incomplete list. But it’s a start. It’s a place I can go to get my head back on straight. What does your list look like? Make sure you never miss an update! It’s time to become a VIP! I would be grateful for that. Sign up here.
by Kirby Hasseman
This time of year, everyone is looking for the perfect gift. And if not the perfect gift…an easy one. So if you are looking for a low cost, last minute gift for someone on your list, let me submit these to you. Fan of Happy: This is the book I initially wrote for my daughters. During their most challenging teenage years I decided that there were lessons I wanted to share with them. The problem is, they didn’t want to hear them. So I started writing them down to share later. What I came up with was 110 personal development lessons that are appropriate for just about anyone. If you like the style of writing (and the lessons) from this blog, you might enjoy this book. Delivering Marketing Joy: This is a book I wrote for anyone who is charged with marketing an organization. There are tons of books written on social media, marketing tactics, email marketing and more. But one of the most powerful (and long lasting) forms of marketing is Promotional Premiums (or promotional products or SWAG), and unfortunately there are not a lot of books on how to do Promo right. This is that book. There are chapters on trade shows, direct mail, promo with social and many include case studies from all over the country. If you know someone that wants to up their marketing game, this might be a cool gift for them. The Written Goal: Finally, for those last minute gifts, you could check out my friend Sam Kabert’s book called The Written Goal. I am a big believer in goal setting and the power of “writing it down” so I am excited to check out Sam’s take on it. I also know the amount of time, energy and work that goes into writing a book! It’s an awesome undertaking. Great job Sam. So those are a couple of last minute gift ideas that can help you (or the person on your list) start off their New Year right! Make sure you never miss an update! Become a VIP. What does that mean? It means we send out one email per week to catch you up on content for the week. It’s a great way to stay motivated. Sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
