| How do you know it's time to upgrade your selling | | | | passing that amount over to me. |
| skills? That's not an easy question to answer. | | | | Victor was not a newbie salesperson. His office |
| Chances are your sales prospects and customers | | | | had plaques showing he was salesman of the |
| will know before you do that it's time for an | | | | month 11 times during the past 12 months. Victor |
| upgrade. | | | | proceeded to tell me that the very attractive |
| My wife and I are having dinner at one of our | | | | leasing number displayed on the showroom car |
| favorite restaurants. Our server meant well but | | | | would be increased by $200 a month. It was just |
| he didn't do well. | | | | a big waste my time. And speaking of time, it's |
| He was sweating profusely when he took our | | | | time for Victor to upgrade selling skills. |
| drink order. I couldn't stop thinking about the | | | | You see in both of these instances I recognized |
| beads of perspiration on his forehead and cheeks. | | | | the need for the upgrade before the server and |
| I kept hoping those droplets of sweat wouldn't | | | | the auto salesman did. And what about you? How |
| find their way into my glass of Cabernet. | | | | will you recognize it's time for you to upgrade |
| His shirt tails were hanging outside of his belt, and | | | | your selling skills? |
| he just didn't look professional. Look, I wouldn't | | | | Maybe it's time if you haven't attended a sales |
| want a dentist dripping sweat on my face while | | | | training program in a while. |
| he's replacing a crown and neither would you. I | | | | Maybe it's time if you haven't read 12 sales books |
| certainly don't want a server dripping his beads of | | | | during the last year. |
| perspiration into my drink and onto my food. This | | | | Maybe it's time if you haven't set aside a block of |
| guy needs to upgrade his skills. I'll spare you the | | | | time to assess all the skills required to do the |
| details of what I would recommend. | | | | work that you do. |
| Here's a different tale. | | | | You see, you can't be the world's greatest |
| Another person who should consider upgrading, in | | | | salesperson if you're employing undesirable selling |
| this case, his selling skills. | | | | skills. |
| In three months my auto lease will expire. I really | | | | Here are some questions for you to think about. |
| like the car I'm driving, in fact I have leased five | | | | Do you fill your sales presentations with lots of |
| cars from the same manufacturer over the last | | | | "Ahs" and "Ums?" |
| 15 years. So I start thinking, maybe it's time for a | | | | Do you tend to ask close-ended questions instead |
| change. I visited another dealership. My wife and I | | | | of the more valuable open-ended questions? |
| walked into the showroom and immediately | | | | Do you routinely make sales calls without having |
| observed six salespeople walking around and | | | | written sales call objectives? |
| gazing at us - because that's what most car | | | | Do you think your solutions are more important |
| salespeople do. | | | | than you sales prospects' problems? |
| So Victor introduced himself to us. I explained | | | | When you look over your shoulder, are you selling |
| that I still had three months left on my lease and | | | | or solving problems? |
| I'm just looking to get an idea to see what else is | | | | It's real easy for any of us to become |
| available. He was happy to show me several | | | | complacent. It's more difficult to upgrade your |
| models and told us he could probably pay off my | | | | selling skills. The key is to focus on your |
| lease so I wouldn't have to wait three months | | | | Continuous Personal Improvement (CPI) without |
| until my lease expired. I asked him if that would | | | | being sidetracked by the daily distractions and |
| increase my lease payment? He told me it | | | | interruptions. |
| wouldn't. | | | | Finally, I think one of the biggest mistakes most |
| You know of course, when something sounds too | | | | salespeople make is to believe their |
| good to be true, it usually is. The plan was for me | | | | self-development is their company's responsibility. |
| to call Victor the next day with my existing lease | | | | Self-actualization, self-assurance, self-confidence, |
| account number. He would then call the leasing | | | | self-improvement, self-reliance, self-realization, all |
| company to find out what the lease payoff | | | | have one thing in common - SELF! That's you! |
| amount would be. So far so good. Victor never | | | | You can't delegate your self-improvement to |
| called. In fact, I called him twice and left | | | | someone else. It's your responsibility. So don't be |
| messages on his cell phone. | | | | too quick to dismiss the need for an upgrade to |
| I finally called his sales manager, 2 days later, and | | | | your selling skills. |
| left him a message. Victor finally called. Of course | | | | Imagine coming to a fork in the road. One sign |
| he apologized - he said he had been very busy. | | | | says self-destruction. The other sign says |
| This luxury auto dealership had a reduced monthly | | | | self-development. Robert Frost made these |
| lease payment number prominently displayed on | | | | words famous. "Two roads diverged in a wood, |
| the hood of the car. It was a very attractive | | | | and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that |
| number. Now I was born at night, but not last | | | | has made all the difference." |
| night. There's no way this dealership could absorb | | | | Your self-development will make all the difference |
| making the payment to buy out my lease without | | | | in the world for you too! |