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.
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by Kirby Hasseman
“How could they say that?” We have all been there. We are in a conversation (or a situation) with someone we like, and then something unexpected happens. They do something, or say something, outside of what we think they should. It catches us off guard, of course.
Then what do WE do? We assume the worst.
We start with a litany of thoughts that take us down a rabbit hole. Thoughts start racing through your mind like…
She is just rude!
He has never really liked me!
This is why I don’t have friends! They never do what they say they are going to do.
You get the idea. Our brain takes off with the worst case scenario and creates an untenable situation for us and our offenders. But is any of it really true? Did they really mean to offend you? Were they really trying to snub you? They might have been.
On the other hand, it might have been a situation that was created only in your mind.
What if we do the opposite? What if we work to train ourselves to be intentional when our brain gets hijacked with this train of negativity? What if we assume the best? Many of your relationships are in your life for a reason. They are people who care about you…and you them. Most of them likely want the best for you, right? Why don’t we assume THAT?
Instead of letting your thoughts get away from you, stop.
Take a breath and replace those thoughts with something like…
I always know where I stand with her!
She always tells me what I need to hear.
I love that he looks out for me.
They are doing the best they can.
You get the idea. Don’t beat yourself up. The brain has a natural tendency to skew toward negativity. That ability has helped to keep us alive for thousands of years. But in today’s world, it does not often serve our happiness. So today, let’s break the negative thought train. Today, when something goes differently than you expect, do yourself a favor.
Assume the best.
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by Kirby Hasseman
One thing I know for sure…the energy in the room matters. You know it when you are in a room of excited, passionate, energetic people. The energy in the room is palpable. There is an intensity and purpose. There is often laughter. On the flip side, you know it when the energy is down. There is an unspoken hostility. You can feel the frustration and anger bubbling just below the surface. For me, it’s often almost hard to breathe, because the oxygen almost feels like it’s been decreased. You can feel it when you walk into the room. We all can. I would also submit to you that just one person can affect that energy. In a larger organization, that effect might be muted a bit. But it will still be there. In their corner of the company, one negative person can suck the energy out. It will affect the rest of their team. But in a small company, that one person can be a disaster. A person with a “bad apple” attitude can seep that attitude into every corner of the place. It will start by infecting the employees, and then it will make it’s way to the people you want to serve. Most of us have seen it happen. You have seen it in school, or in companies, or even in communities. So if we agree that: 1. The energy of an organization is palpable…and…2. That energy can affect the power of the organization…and…3. One person can change that energy for the good or for the bad… Then there is just one important question to ask yourself today. What kind of person will you be in your organization? We all have the ability to impact our organization. We just have to choose how we want to do it. Choose wisely. Make sure you never miss an update. Sign up here to become a part of our VIP list.
