Raw Material — The Human Factor
by Gill E. Wagner
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5 Raw Material – The Human Factor Until you fully understand the raw material, how can you hope to build a system that works?
I’m a born skeptic. That probably comes as no surprise, since I’ve been saying over and over that you shouldn’t follow the advice of an expert without questioning its validity and modifying it to meet your own style, strengths, and so forth. I’m also an inventor and somewhat of a maverick – naturally drawn to doing things my own way, tweaking this or that, trying something new. With my company name “Honest Selling” and a new project called “Butts In Chairs,” this probably comes as no surprise either. And I’m an eternal optimist. Since you’re in sales, that probably won’t surprise you much either, because salespeople can’t survive in sales very long without believing that today will be better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today. But what might surprise you is that, based on my natural traits, I’m actually the last person you would want to hire as a salesman. If you were the president of your company and were hiring a new salesperson (someone who is supposed to produce as many closed deals as possible), whom would you rather hire:
Based on natural behavioral traits alone, Salesperson B should outsell Salesperson A every time, as long as he or she doesn’t have to invent the sales processes to be used. Fortunately for the not-so-organized salesperson, however, there are ways to avoid having natural traits negatively impact your success. How Can I Change What Will Likely Occur? In the movie “Minority Report,” Tom Cruise plays a cop who arrests people for murders they are about to commit. The plot is based on three seers – individuals who combine forces to see the future – being able to warn police of any upcoming murder, even a murder of passion that is not preplanned. Having this warning gives the police time to swoop in and prevent the crime before it occurs, and arrest the would-be murderer, even though he or she didn’t actually commit the crime. The twist in the story comes when Tom Cruise’s character learns that, in upcoming days, he will commit a murder himself – a murder of someone he doesn’t even know. As the movie continues, a unique question is raised: If the seers actually saw the future, then they saw what will happen. But since Cruise’s character learned about what they saw in advance, then hasn’t something changed? Armed with this new information, shouldn’t he be able to change the future by simply choosing a different path? Because he plays the hero in the story, the answer, of course, is “Yes.” Armed with the information, Cruise’s character had time to plan a different course of action, so, when the critical moment arrived, he did not commit the murder. You, too, have the chance to plan a different course of action – to change what would likely occur if you were to let your natural behaviors run amok. But to accomplish that goal, you first must acquire the knowledge you will need to predict the future. The Skeptic Becomes A Convert Several years ago, I took a DISC behavioral profile as part of a research project to determine what makes a good disqualification salesperson. Grant Mazmanian, president of Pinnacle Group International, was conducting the study, and I was one of about 250 people he tested. When I finished taking the exam, Grant processed it and sent me a copy, so I could learn from what it had to say. Being the skeptic that I am, as I read the report, I found myself saying, “This is just like reading a horoscope. Sure, a lot of it fits, but it would probably fit anyone.” As ironic as this may seem, one statement in the report actually summed up why I didn’t believe the report: “It may be hard to manipulate Gill.” So I read the report much like I would a daily horoscope – for the enjoyment factor alone – and promptly filed it away. About three years later, because of a common client, I was given the opportunity to talk to Grant about my results. He and I spent about 45 minutes on the phone, during which he told me everything he could deduce from reading what my DISC evaluation had to say. Throughout the conversation, I found myself laughing at how accurate the profile was, but being naturally skeptical, I was still not entirely convinced of its value. Grant is a pretty smart guy, and I’m sure he knew I wasn’t convinced – especially considering the report told him I’d be a tough tree to sway. So, as we were wrapping up, Grant asked, “Before we hang up, would you like to hear about your wife’s profile?” “But Cindy didn’t take your test,” I said with puzzlement in my voice. “Cindy didn’t have to take the test,” Grant confidently replied. “I know exactly who you married, because guys like you always marry girls like her.” I wish I had a recording of my response, so you could hear my cocky tone when I said, “Okay. Let’s see what you’ve got,” completely confident that I had him. I have never been predictable in my life, so this was going to be fun! Then again, maybe I’m glad I don’t have that recording, because the next 10 minutes were humbling, and I’m not sure I want to relive them. Even though I was laughing out loud, as Grant described dozens of behavioral traits that fit Cindy to a tee, my laughter didn’t disguise the embarrassment I felt as he described exactly how predictable I am. Even though it kills me to admit it, I am that predictable. And I am now convinced that behavioral analysis has immense value, because it showed me how predictable my behavior is, so I can take steps to change the behaviors that are getting in my way and leverage the behaviors that are helping me to succeed. (For instance, if I’d have known 30 years ago that girls like Cindy always marry guys like me, perhaps it wouldn’t have taken me seven years to convince her to go on our first date!) No, “The RIPS” is not the name of a new band; it’s the name of my perfect sales team (although they have been known to occasionally sing at parties). There are four members of this team, each of whom has been selected because of different behavioral strengths. As is the case with any good team, no single team member has more importance than the others, because they all know that, to win, they must rely on one another and function as a group. Allow me to introduce my team. First, there’s Rachel Robot. Rachel is a great listener, perfectly organized and an implementer extraordinaire. Give her any task, and you can bet it will get finished and be fully documented. However, Rachel isn’t very clever, and she doesn’t do well with hypothetical situations, so don’t give her anything that isn’t spelled out in detail. Also, try not to leave Rachel alone at parties, because she’s not too comfortable in a crowd. Second, meet Ignatius Inventor – “Iggy” for short. The most common saying about Iggy is “He’s always thinking.” If you’ve got a problem to solve, especially a complicated problem with challenging obstacles, Iggy’s the guy for you. As good as Iggy is at solving problems, however, he’s equally as scatterbrained. So when it comes to following through on commitments and completing tasks, Iggy needs help. It’s also a good idea to keep Iggy’s “back against the wall” at all times, because urgency brings out the best in him, and to reign him in occasionally, because Iggy loves taking risks. Third, I’d like to introduce you to our team captain and the ultimate knowledge leader of our group, Patricia Prophet. Patricia knows everything there is about our products and services, and believes in them 100 percent. In fact, she can go head-to-head with anyone who says our stuff isn’t great – and will win the argument every time. One thing to keep in mind about Patricia, however, is that she sometimes lets her passion get in the way, so she often talks when she should be listening. And Patricia really doesn’t care whether you agree with what she has to say, which can occasionally cause problems with prospects, customers – even the rest of our team. And last but not least, meet Sammy Schmoozer – the life of every party. Do you remember the line from the “Cheers” theme song “Where everybody knows your name”? Well, if everyone knowing our company name is the lock, then Sammy is the key. That’s not to say Sammy doesn’t have his problems, however, because there are a couple of biggies. First, he often overpromises what our company can do, and that puts a huge burden on everyone else. Second, trying to get Sammy to fill out paperwork is like trying to get water out of a rock, which ticks off Rachel, because she’s anal-retentive about keeping track of what works and what doesn’t. Robot, Inventor, Prophet and Schmoozer (The RIPS). Each has strengths that are required for achieving success at selling, and each has weaknesses that will get in the way. But by working together, supporting one another and keeping each other accountable, The RIPS close 10 times more sales as a team than the four members could alone. Can Anyone Become Great At Selling? You may as well call me Iggy, because I’m the inventor at heart. As I said in the opening to this chapter, I am not a natural salesman. In fact, of the 250 people Grant tested in his study of what makes a good salesperson, I was one of the 14 anomalies who did not fit the model he identified. So, if my natural behavioral style is that of a scatterbrain, who doesn’t follow through on commitments and never finishes projects, how have I had a successful 25 years in sales? Tom Cruise’s character was able to change his future, because he learned what was about to happen before it occurred and made a conscious decision to act differently. The RIPS are an incredible sales team, because they know one another’s strengths and weaknesses and do whatever it takes to make sure weaknesses don’t cost them sales. I’ve had a successful sales career, because I know where I’ll excel, and I know where I’ll fall flat on my face – which allows me to make conscious choices to change my future. Anyone can become a top salesperson, but only by acquiring the correct knowledge. Much of what I know about myself comes from real-world experiences over time. But it wasn’t until my conversation with Grant that I realized how much time I had wasted. He told me in one hour what it had taken me 25 years to learn on my own. To change your future, and achieve success at selling, face the reality of who you are. Gain an understanding of the raw material, then apply what you learn to create your own version of The RIPS. I Know Who I Am – Now What? I hope you noticed that each member of The RIPS has certain strengths that are critical to sales. Specifically, those strengths are:
When you examine yourself closely, determine which of these descriptions fits you best, and which fits you least. If you could be absolutely natural – with no pressure from society – where would your strengths lie? Rank them in percentages, where the four numbers add up to 100 percent. For example, if I ranked my natural strengths, they would look like this:
While natural tendencies don’t change much over time, people still adapt to situations with which they’re presented. So in analyzing yourself, bear in mind that the way you behave may be different to your natural style. As someone with a natural robot trait ranking at only 2 percent, I’m at risk for getting nothing done. However, I’ve learned the hard way that I need to keep my horns down, or all my ideas for solving puzzles will go to waste. But keeping my horns down goes against my natural tendencies, so I’ve implemented various techniques to ensure that the stuff I start gets finished. For instance, I sold this book as part of a tele-seminar training program before it was written, specifically so I’d have a deadline to meet. (I really don’t enjoy giving back money, so, by preselling the book, I virtually guaranteed that I’d finish it.) I’ve also surrounded myself with a support team – people who hold me accountable to my commitments and who do the robotic tasks I hate. Every evening I tell a colleague what I accomplished that day, and what I’ll be accomplishing the next. Every morning, that same colleague jumps on me for yesterday’s broken commitments, then helps me figure out why I failed and how to avoid that failure in the future. And I delegate my mundane tasks to a fabulous implementer. Natural Verses Modified After listing your natural strengths using The RIPS as a benchmark, list them again, but account for the modifications you’ve made over time. What changes have I made? I’d put my rankings as follows:
Actually, to be fair, I’d probably lump inventor and prophet together and call it a flat 70 percent, because it’s totally situational. When I’m faced with a problem, I’m all Iggy, but once the problem is solved, I become Patricia Prophet. By the way, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that self-analysis can be very difficult, and that it’s something you should never stop doing. It wasn’t until my conversation with Grant – three months shy of my turning 44 – that I finally realized where my true strengths are. From that day forward, I’d be an idiot if my primary roles were anything other than solving puzzles and announcing the solutions to the world. Looking back over my career, from residential remodeling to computer programming to sales consulting, I have always been happiest when I had a puzzle to solve and an audience that would listen. (I can’t believe it took me 25 years to solve that puzzle!) Creating Your Perfect RIPS Sales Team Carefully analyze any top business producer, and you’ll find all four members of The RIPS on his or her team – even if it’s a team of only one. Whether these people used behavioral analysis, or simply acquired knowledge over time, they have each leveraged their strengths and shored up their weaknesses, so their teams include traits from the robot, inventor, prophet and schmoozer. Based on the self-analysis you’ve done to this point, you should have a clearer understanding of the traits you have and the traits you lack. Your mission then, should you choose to accept it, is to determine your available resources, so you can create a plan to improve over time. Determine Your Resources Because you are reading this book, I’m going to assume that you’re a salesperson at a company large enough to employ a team of salespeople. If that’s not the case, then the first part of what I’m about to say won’t be a perfect fit. However, I suggest you read it anyway, because it may stimulate an idea that you may not have otherwise had. If you’re part of a company, then by default you have a host of resources into which you can tap, because everyone at the company should have basically similar goals: “to do what is best for the company so we can keep our jobs, have financial security and move forward in our careers.” (Since you want to achieve success at selling, I’m going to assume you have similar goals, and that you care about the company’s success.) If you apply the normal curve to this statement about goals, then a few of your colleagues will share them exactly, a few will oppose them and everyone else will be in the middle.
Every person at your company, from the chairperson to the intern, is a potential resource for filling one of the roles on your sales team. Yes, even the current top business producer is a great place to start, because many top people love the ego boost they get from helping guide others to success.
Mentor/Protégé Two of the most effective ways to learn anything are to rely on a mentor you trust and respect, and find a protégé you can help. And in many cases, the latter is more effective, because mentoring requires a lot of writing – especially e-mail – and putting your opinions in writing is one of the most powerful ways to crystallize your thinking on any subject. So, to shorten your path to the number one spot, find someone you can mentor, and find someone who will mentor you. Strategy Here is a strategy for building the mentor/protégé relationships you’ll need to achieve success at selling. As with all preplanned strategies, you must have a sincere desire to both help and be helped, or you will be seen as manipulative in your efforts to create these relationships. Remember, it’s perfectly acceptable to have ulterior motives, provided achieving those motives does not come at the expense of one of the people who helped you along the way.
The truly interesting and wonderful thing about highly successful salespeople is they tend to want to help others. I’ve actually met only one or two in my life who wouldn’t readily share all their secrets with anyone who asks. So don’t be afraid to be the person who requests the help your top business producer will probably be glad to give. Teaming With Others Other salespeople at your company have different strengths than you, so get to know them, and consider putting together a targeted marketing campaign in which each of you performs tasks suited to your personal strengths.
Organizing a team can be a lot of work, but the right team can produce many more sales as a group than the same individuals could collectively produce on their own, so it’s usually worth the effort. And, once you’ve gone through the process from beginning to end, subsequent campaigns become much easier to organize and implement. Creating A Virtual Team What if you don’t have a team of salespeople to help you? How can you still achieve success at selling? Other than when it’s been part of solving a sales puzzle, I haven’t made a cold-call (an uninvited call to see whether a prospect wants what I’m selling) in about three years, because forcing myself to implement a repetitive task is worse than getting a tooth pulled. That doesn’t mean, however, I don’t have cold-calling as part of my overall strategy for finding new clients, especially when I’ve created a new service or program. It simply means that I recognize this is not a strength of mine, so I’ve delegated the task to others. Literally hundreds of great salespeople have recognized that their strengths are similar to Rachel Robot’s – they’re great at implementing repetitive tasks – and have started their own telemarketing companies. Many of them have very reasonable fees, and most are willing to use whatever style of cold-calling you prefer, and whatever offers you provide. You can find them on the Internet quickly using any of the top search engines. (Or, if you want a recommendation, feel free to contact me.) If you want to become the best salesperson possible, then you must think like a top business producer: No obstacle is too big to overcome, and no idea is too ludicrous to consider. I know many salespeople who would never consider paying a telemarketer to dial the phone. In fact, when I suggest the subject, I often get a response such as, “I suggested hiring telemarketers to my boss, but she refused to pay for it, because she’s already paying me to find those leads myself.” Bottom line, your boss is absolutely right. You are already being paid to identify leads and close business, and paying someone else to do part of your job is not your company’s responsibility – it’s yours! So think outside the box a bit – think like a business owner instead of an employee – and create a plan to outsource your cold-calling, if that’s an area of weakness. Find someone who will help, then do the math. If paying this person to find your leads makes financial (and emotional) sense, then get to it. Let’s face it. If you’re getting paid on a commission basis, then you’re basically a business owner of sorts anyway, because if you don’t produce a result, you don’t get paid. So, if you’re a virtual business owner, why not act like it? What external resources can you leverage to find and close more business while producing a positive return on your investment? Until you take the time to answer that question, you’ll never know how good the answer is. Acquiring That Which You Do Not Have So you’ve learned all about yourself, and found company personnel who can help you accomplish your goals. You’ve built your internal version of The RIPS, and designed and implemented your targeted marketing campaign. And you’ve outsourced those tasks that aren’t strengths for any member of your team. Now what? The answer to that is simple, and is, in part, the reason I know you’ll be successful at becoming the top business producer at your company. By buying and reading this book, you’ve committed to educating yourself, and that is the most important key to accomplishing any goal you set. That which doesn’t grow, dies, so never stop learning and never stop stretching your wings. One by one, over time, tackle your weaknesses and turn them into strengths. Eventually, you’ll not only have the best sales system you could ever want, you’ll be adept and comfortable at implementing every aspect of it by yourself. The Other Side – Understanding Your Prospects In Chapter 2, I discussed gaining control by giving up control, where you focus on learning how your prospects are likely to behave and then changing your methods to meet what you learn. In Chapters 3 and 4, I covered interviewing prospects to better learn about them, and influencing them by communicating simply and clearly. So far in this chapter, you’ve learned how to analyze yourself to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and how to use what you learn to change your future for the better. The final piece of the puzzle is to apply what you’ve learned about human behavior to better predict your prospects’ behavior, and be more successful than ever at securing appointments and closing deals. Getting In: Why So Many Experts Disagree Alan Weiss, author of “Million Dollar Consulting,” claims that writing articles and books, as well as speaking in public, is the absolute best way to make millions, and that “hunter” methods, like cold-calling and cold-letter writing, simply will not work. Anthony Parinello, author of “Selling To VITO,” says the surefire way to reach decision-makers is to send cold-letters, then follow up with phone calls and voice-mail messages that mention your letters. He also says that cold-calling executives without first sending the letters is a waste of time. Jacques Werth, author of “High Probability Selling,” claims that cold-calling is the lifeblood of sales, that you are wasting your time leaving voice-mail messages, and that you should never mention previously sent material when following up on the phone. Each of these guys is an authority in his field. Each has achieved great levels of success using his methods. All have my admiration for what they’ve achieved and my respect for their insights. But because of the conflicting opinions, I’m left wondering who is right. Your Prospects Are Right Your prospects hold the answer to that question. And, just as the experts have a wide variety of opinions, so shall your prospects have a wide variety of answers. From Fortune 100 decision-makers to one-horse entrepreneurs:
My point is, no one thing works with all prospects. Getting appointments with the highest number of decision-makers possible is not about choosing one method and following it ad nauseam, it’s about implementing multiple methods and figuring out which method works best for each prospect or group. To achieve maximum prospect response, your marketing plan must incorporate strategies that appeal to the variety of prospects to whom you are trying to sell. I chose the three experts above, because, by combining their methods into one integrated plan, anyone can achieve maximum prospect response. The [Your Name Here] Sales System: Raw Material In your mission to improve yourself, you must understand the raw material – yours and everyone else’s – then leverage what you learn to change your future. Key steps to creating The [Your Name Here] Sales System are:
Everything you need to become the best salesperson possible is available within you or within others. If you study the raw material, you can learn how to use it to its fullest. <TOC Previous Chapter Next Chapter > Tired of reading on-line? Buy the book. (All profits support the HSPA’s mission.) |
