I have received a number of queries regarding to the content of my latest book, the 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling, and thought I'd clarify some of the issues raised.
1. What is the biggest difference between selling today and 10 years ago?
Three things have changed selling (and buying) forever – the internet, Smartphones, and social media. The internet sells trillions annually, and it does it 24-7-365. Customers can investigate, shop price, compare prices and values, and buy with one click – any place in the world. Social media is the largest one-on-one sales reference on the planet and, like the internet, it's keeping business (and salespeople) honest. And it's making smarter customers. Smartphones have created access. Ultimate and instant access. Apps are the new internet. And the combination of these three elements has changed the face and manner of doing business – forever.
Note well: You can only sell at your place – but customers can buy any place in the world – any time of the day or night.
What has changed is that salespeople have not changed. No personal website, no personal brand, no social media interaction, and not taking advantage of smartphone technology.
Advice: Get heavily involved with the internet. Make sure it serves your customers, not just your company. Get heavily involved in social media, and don't just post – respond to comments, concerns, and praise. Use your smartphone to study your marketplace, transact business, and post on social media.
As yourself this: Is it easier to find and do business with you, or your competition? Got an app? If not, invest whatever is needed in people and money to set and maintain a leadership position in all three areas.
2. Why "21.5" unbreakable laws and not more or fewer?
I started with more than 50 laws that I had written and compiled over the years, and after weeks of study and deliberation, I pared it down to 21.5 through combination and elimination. These are the hard-and-fast laws of selling. They cannot be broken, unless you're willing to lose sales. These laws form the foundation for your selling success and your personal success.
Caution: They are not rules. They are laws. Rules can be bent or broken, but laws remain steadfastly the same.
3. What are the biggest mistakes salespeople make today?
I have interacted with hundreds of thousands of salespeople. During my continuing journey, I have seen 3.5 flaws that are common to all weak salespeople. Not necessarily mistakes, like asking the wrong questions. Rather, blunders and errors in judgment and thinking that causes failure.
1. Lack of belief in what they sell, who they represent, and in themselves. Lack of belief shows up in your presentation and is evident to the prospect.
2. Lack of love of what you do. If you have hate or have no passion for or about what you do, you'll never give it full effort, and you'll always be looking for greener pastures.
'They don't pay me enough' will always be your mantra. Your attitude will suffer more that your sales. (If that's possible.)
Advice: Find a job you love before you're fired from the one you don't.
3. Blaming everything and everyone for what goes wrong or what didn't happen, rather that taking responsibility for what happened, and adding personal responsibility for making things happen. Advice: Responsibility starts in the bathroom mirror in the morning. Look, smile, and commit. Next, check your language. Negative talk is usually blame talk. Avoid it. Get a partner to stop you when you start. This is one of the biggest challenges in sales and life.
3.5 Weak resilience. Rejection occurs 74 per cent more than acceptance. Salespeople, especially those forced to make cold calls, weaken and bow out way too soon.
