| Before fighter pilots can fly in combat,
they have to demonstrate expertise in tactics, technology, and hands-on flying. Extensive
hours of study, simulation and practice missions must be accomplished before they are
designated "M/R" – MISSION READY.
Simply put, they're not trusted to fly with other wingmen
until they can fully trust themselves!
In business and life, before you can be trusted to execute
a mission with others, you too have to become Mission Ready. You have to trust yourself to
win!
You have to Prepare!
You have to Train!
You have to Sacrifice!
This process isn't easy nor is it fun. But in life, the fun
starts after you've paid the price to turn into a winner. Arnold Schwarzenegger once said:
"Nobody ever got big watching me lift the weights!" Have you lifted your weights
today?
In sales, you have to practice your cold calls, study the
competition, plan your schedule, and discipline yourself to follow the right processes
that will lead to a sale. You, and no-one else, have to lift the weights and develop sales
muscles! This is how you develop your Inner Wingman.
When you trust your inner wingman, you become confident,
and confidence motivates you to take action. Success is all about taking action! People
who lack confidence are often afraid to take action. They fear change, failure, and
rejection. Fearful people have a survival mentality, but confident people have a winning
mentality. Confident people are enthusiastic and passionate about winning. They have
positive attitudes and when it comes to business, customers love to buy from salespeople
that are positive and TRUSTWORTHY.
If you don't trust yourself, neither will your customers!
So, before you start complaining about how difficult your
job is or how teamwork is lacking in your organization, ask yourself if you've done the
heavy lifting necessary to build trust in yourself. Here are 10 steps that will help you
be successful in sales:
Sales Mission Preparation
1. Attitude (Plus Action) Determines Altitude –
Get your mind right! Know your objective for the call and
get focused on the task. Enthusiasm breeds confidence and confidence absorbs fear. Fear is
the greatest deterrent to sales success. It prevents you from taking risks; prospects
never buy from a fearful salesperson. Focus on the mission, which is always about the
customer.
2. Gather Intelligence –
Study their website, press releases, current vendors, and
your competition. What clients do you currently have that are in their industry? What
questions do you need to ask that will help qualify or disqualify this lead? How can you
differentiate yourself from the competition?
3. Contingency Plan –
Ask yourself the ‘what-if' questions. What if they
challenge me with price? What if they are currently engaged with another vendor? What if
they ask for a referral? Have answers to objections BEFORE picking up the phone or walking
in to see the client!
4. "Chair Fly" –
Mentally rehearse the call. The mind doesn't know the
difference between a real event or an imagined event. Envision the call in your mind
– delivering your value proposal, asking the right questions, and rebutting her
concerns. Don't just envision the call going perfectly. Envision the mistakes and
objections and mentally rehearse them in your mind until they are perfect.
5. Brief the Mission –
Review and Confirm your objectives, point of contact,
questions, rebuttals, clients, intelligence, and contingencies. See step 1 again, strap in
and take-off!
Mission Execution
6. LISTEN! –
Listening allows you to learn about the prospect and
facilitates trust. Ask questions, but remember it's always better to base questions on
research you did prior to the meeting. Remind yourself to relax. Don't forget to
smile…and let calm and confidence direct your flight path.
7. Document –
Have a pen handy (or a quiet keyboard if on the phone) and
record every detail. You can't expect to remember everything. You'll need this
intelligence to refer to next time you make your call to follow-up. Make sure you come up
with a follow-on objective/plan for what to do after the call.
8. G0/No-Go Decision –
You need to know when to press on with a call, and when to
abort it. Don't get shot down! When your objective is met or when you feel the prospect is
no longer willing to listen, end the call. You may need to for the ‘environment' to
change before calling again.
Mission Complete
9. Debrief the call –
Review the positives & negatives. What went right or
wrong? What were the lessons learned? Why did they happen? How can you/your training be
improve or revised?
10. Follow-up/Follow-through –
What's the next step? Don't just follow-up…be a
trusted resource! Exceed expectations – send information/articles/referrals to your
prospect than can help them. Be on time and on target for the next step in the sales
process. Finally, stay in touch with your clients. A friendly 30 second call to ask about
their family and just say hello is a great way to maintain your professional and personal
relationship.
In business & life, nobody is flying your jet but you.
You're ultimately in control. The best wingmen are those who can execute their own
missions with skill & confidence, while maintaining trusting relationships with the
wingmen in their lives who they can turn to for help. |
