Book Review – 4 Things I Got From Stephan Schiffman’s Book
I recently finished reading “25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople” by Stephan Schiffman. It’s a pretty short read and if you’re serious about selling, it’s definitely worth reading. In this post, I want to share 4 takeaways that I got from the book. The good thing is that regardless of the type of sales you may be in, I promise you that you will get value from this. And if you apply them I know you will get some results.
#1. Establish rapport before talking about anything else. – People buy from people they like and trust. If it seems like all you care about is closure, you’re not going to get much. And even if you manage to get a sale, there’s a good chance your customer will cancel. If you want to close and retain more sales, take some time in the beginning to talk about other things your customer might be interested in. If you see a lot of family photos, then ask questions about your children. If you see sports memorabilia, talk about it. Ask questions, let them talk, and listen. Don’t be fake though, be genuinely interested in what they have to say. If you could establish a relationship early, it will stack all the chips in your favor.
#2. Involve decision makers. – Always make sure all decision makers are present when you make your presentation. Not having them all there makes it easy to be ignored. Also, there is nothing worse than one of the decision makers getting second hand information. Usually what will happen is they will get second hand information and then when you try to sit down with them they already have a preconceived notion of your product. Don’t make the rookie mistake of trying to close a sale without all the decision makers present.
#3. Be a consultant, not a pushy cornball. – If you want to close more sales, all you have to do is solve your customers’ problems. There is an old saying that goes “Everybody likes to buy, but nobody likes to be sold”. If you present yourself as a pushy salesperson, you will repel almost everyone. It is much better to identify what their problem is and then offer them a solution. They won’t feel locked up and sold out, and you’ll feel better knowing you’re making a quality sale that probably won’t get cancelled.
#4. Always ask for references. – There is no higher quality lead than a lead that has a relationship with a satisfied customer. For example, if my brother gets a cold call or email about a product, he probably won’t pay much attention. But if I call him and excitedly tell him that I just received the same product and he needs to pick it up, there’s a better chance he’ll be interested. If nothing else, he’ll probably agree to at least meet for more information. Always, always, always ask for references. The answer is always NO if you don’t ask. Also, by staying in the reference market (which is a very hot area of the market), you will be able to keep and maintain a high closing rate.
As you can see from these 4 points, there is a lot of value in the book. It’s a quick read, so even if you don’t like to read, you’ll still be able to read it. And the good thing is that the tips are generic, so whether you’re in traditional sales selling real estate, or you’re in network marketing sharing your opportunity or product, the tips will work for you.
