Welcome TO YOUR ULTIMATE FENCING RESOURCE


SELLING FOR THE NON-SALESMAN

Last Tuesday night, my wife Linda told me innose to smell the,
no uncertain terms that I had to go sleep on"guy-who-just-finished-a-project-and-is-despe
the family room couch. Not only that, butrate-for-the-next-one"  from  a  mile  away.
she did it again on Wednesday and again on
Thursday.If on the other hand, you work to stay in
touch with your network just for the sake of
Don't worry though, it's not what you think.staying in touch, you'll find it easier and
What happened was we adopted a dog (a 2 yearmore natural to shift into selling mode when
old beauty that we named Abbie) and I sleptthe opportunity arises with one of these
next to her for a few nights to keep herpeople.
company.
Do be systematic. Whether it's white papers
Knowing that a new dog was coming soon, Iyou distribute, colleagues you call/email,
made a call last month to a company thatbusiness meetings you attend, E-Newsletters
sells "invisible fencing" -- a system thatyou write, or some combination, you need to
keeps a dog on the property via an electronicschedule these events into your calendar. In
collar. We set up an appointment, and amy experience, if you don't have a specific,
couple of days later, a woman named Marie"relationship communications plan" (and if
showed  up  at  the  house.it's not on paper, you don't have one), this
kind of thing becomes the walking definition
Although my 6 year-old son Jonathan wasof  "back  burner."
initially disappointed to discover that Marie
herself was not invisible, she was anDon't apply the filter too tightly. If,
excellent  saleswoman.like Marie, you're making sales calls today
with the intention of closing sales today, it
From her big smile as she stepped out of hermakes sense to try and figure out who the hot
car, to her clear interest in talking aboutprospects  are  now.
me rather than just her company, to the
fistful of invisible fence ground flags thatLong term rapport building however, takes the
she presumptively handed over as she steppedopposite approach -- staying in touch with
in the back door, I knew right away that Ilots of people over a long period of time,
was  dealing  with  a  pro.knowing that any one of them could ultimately
be (or lead you to) a sale. When you're that
But even then, it was only after she leftfar back in the chain of events that need to
that I realized just how skilled she was.take place, it's hard to predict who is
Because despite my not having been "ready toultimately going to lead you to the promised
buy" when she arrived, after we spent an hourland. So stay in touch with a lot of people,
or so talking about the weather, my kids, mynot just the ones who seem likely to bring
house and of course, her product, she walkedyou  something  today.
out with a sale. And, interestingly enough,
I  never  once  felt  pressured.A  true  story.  .  .
Think about what she accomplished. SheOne of my newest clients came about as a
arrived stone cold at the home of a prospectresult of my sending a congratulatory e-mail
(Marie was not even who I spoke with on theto the founder of a local company, after
phone), and was immediately faced with havingseeing him profiled in a weekly business
to build rapport and close the salepaper. He and I had spoken briefly about six
simultaneously. Not an easy thing to do.months earlier, he'd been getting my
Spend too much time on rapport and risk goingnewsletter ever since, and I just thought I'd
home with a new friend, but no sale. Pushsay  hello.
too hard on selling and risk having me walk
away. It's a thin line to walk and only aTen minutes after he got my e-mail he called.
real  sales  expert  can  do it consistently.We met the next week, and before I even had
a chance to go back to my office and write up
I don't mind telling you that I'm not one ofa  proposal,  he  and  his  partner hired me.
those experts, and frankly, I couldn't walk
that line if it were a mile wide and paintedWas it a fast sale? I suppose so, but the
on the ground in bright red. By the time Ionly reason it happened so fast and the
get to the point of closing a sale, I needmeeting went so well was because by the time
months (not minutes) of rapport-buildingI walked in the door, we already had a long
history to compensate for my sellingterm relationship. The rest was just working
ineptitude.out  the  details.
The good news here is that you don't need toBottom Line: One way or the other, you've got
build rapport and close the sale at the sameto close sales to make money. And the way I
time. I've got nothing but respect and awesee it, that means you've got two options:
for the Marie's of the world who can, but ifYou can either get really good at selling,
like me and many other professional serviceor. . . you can build connections that are so
providers you find yourself challenged instrong, that the closing takes care of
this area, it's perfectly effective toitself.
separate the two events (did somebody say
Relationship  Marketing?).Michael J. Katz is Founder and Chief Penguin
of Blue Penguin Development, Inc., ( a Boston
With that in mind, I offer three suggestions:consulting firm that helps clients increase
sales by showing them how to nurture their
Don't wait until you need the sale. If theexisting relationships, and that specializes
only time I hear from you is when you arein the development of electronic newsletters.
trying to close me, or when you want me toHe is author of the book, E-Newsletters That
give you some referrals, you're going to haveWork.
an uphill battle. You don't need a dog's



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