The Message!

Happy Friday!

 

Do you send text messages?  Of course you do...a lot easier than talking sometimes...right?

 

Do you get those long voice messages on your phone?  People who ramble on and never really get to the point and then end the message by saying, "just call me". 

 

Do you remember when television shows would say, "We'll be back after these important commercial messages? Then you would get up to get a snack or use the restroom, totally tuning them out?

 

Our lives are full of messages...some more impactful and important than others.  To get clearer on what a message is, I went to Webster to see what they said; 

 

"A communication in writing or in speech.  An underlying theme or idea. 

A messenger's mission".

 

I was conducting training recently and asked the group what The Message was for them.  A more vocal participant shouted out,

"My sales pitch."  

 

While a little dated, that is the view of many sales people.  Just say the same thing, every time...with every client. 

 

The challenge with a canned sales pitch is you could throw strikes...or balls.  I have never liked the canned sales pitch approach.  Yes, you have to have a track to run on, but people are cynical enough as it is and if you sound like you are "pitching"...many of them will step away from the plate (ok, no more baseball analogies!).

 

So according to Webster, The Message should have three elements;

 

#1 - A communication in writing or in speech:  In writing, a brochure can relay the static attributes of your product, but you bring that static product to life with your dynamic presentation, client interaction and words that fit the "buying ear" of your prospective client.

 

In order for The Message to be a natural extension of you, you have to immerse yourself in the product. You have to understand how it works, where it is most effective (and ineffective), and how to translate that information to the client in a compelling and comprehensive manner - bringing it to life!

      

#2 - An underlying theme or idea:  The Message is about your product and its value to your potential clients. Your product and how it can meet the needs of your clients should be the core message. The theme should not be about the features - the recited list of all the things your product can do. 

 

The theme of The Message should be the benefits that those features convey that solve the problems or meets the needs of your clients.

 

"Mr. Jones, our product has a lifetime replacement guarantee (feature) which based on your previous experience with a another product that failed would be important and provide you with peace of mind (benefit of the feature)."

 

#3 - A messengers mission:  The message would also incorporate your personal mission. In Sales Crumbs from the Master's Table, Matt's mission was to "Help People Build Generational Wealth" and he conveyed that message to his clients very effectively. 

 

You have to do that as well.  Integrate your mission into your communication of the product, features and benefits. You have to create a comprehensive and compelling interaction that will resonate with clients and move them affirmatively into the buying phase.

 

The messengers mission is the blend of what you believe...not what you are trained or told to believe...about yourself, and your product.  It has to be built on sincerity, your knowledge and your experiences up to this point.

 

As time goes on you will build the intensity of all three of the three core elements of The Message. Eventually, you will be a walking extension of the product and you will no longer be selling...you will simply "be" the product. 

 

That state of being is Nirvana for sales people!  

 

Clients and prospective clients want to "feel" that you believe in what you are doing, what you are saying and what you are selling.  They want to believe...

 

The Message...

 

Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

 

Next Time: The Messenger!

The Message & The Messenger!

"Why is the Bible so repetitive?" I asked my father when I was about 9 years old.

 

"What do you mean?" he asked.

 

"Aren't Mark, Matthew, Luke and John all telling the same story?"

 

I had just left Sunday School at the church I grew up in.  My dad played piano (at 77...still does!) and answered,

 

"In order to understand, people sometimes need to hear the same thing...differently."

 

It is no different in sales.  The product you are selling is The Message and people do "hear" differently. The same product (The Message) has to be sold various ways to get people to buy.

 

Some want to touch it, hold it and interact with it - kinesthetic. 

 

Some want vivid descriptions and brochures and videos to experience the product - visual.

 

Some want to hear how the features will solve their problems (benefits) - auditory.

 

Along with the way they need to hear The Message (your product), there is also a need to connect to who is saying it...

 

The Messenger.

 

A great Message (product) may go unheeded unless there is the right Messenger. People who have natural affinities for each other can bypass many elements of the Relating (building rapport) process, because they already have things in common.

 

For example, if you are introduced to someone from your Fraternity (even at a competing university), it will facilitate a relationship. At some level, we all want to do business with people who are like us - it validates and tears down artificial walls of insecurity and vulnerability.  

 

That is what sets the stage for most sales to occur.

 

The concept of The Messenger draws across many lines but also transcends them. Gender, race, age, socio-economic, political similarities can create receptivity but if other powerful connections are present, it can transcend the differences in all of them!

 

That means a 49 year old Black man (that's me!) can sell a product to a 77 year old Cuban and become great friends.  Language and cultural differences weren't the connection, but they were also not a barrier.  What connected and transcended were our similar life experiences.

 

While race, culture, gender and other "overt" similarities can become a starting point, there are so many other things that connect us.  The most natural and effortless relationships are born from what I call verbal resonance - when two people "speak the same language".

 

You have likely experienced that even when there appeared to be stark contrasts between you as The Messenger and your prospective client. 

 

That is the essence of sales - the power of connection.

 

That will be our subject for the next few daily crumbs...the power of...

 

The Message and The Messenger...

 

Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

 

Next Time: The Message and The Messenger!

Hold the Elevator!

The Elevator.

 

There is that "moment of truth" when the doors open up and you secretly pray...

 

"I hope it is empty".

 

Be honest...would you rather be squished up against the back wall, testing the weight limit that's posted prominently on the side panel with 20 people...

 

or be alone with a stranger for 35 floors?

 

That's a long 3 minutes.

 

You look down at the floor...pretend to look at your phone (which isn't working anyway!)...anything not to engage a conversation.

 

Did you just waste a perfectly good opportunity?

 

Perhaps...but in any event, you should always be ready with an elevator speech.  The summary of who you are and what you do...in 3 minutes or less.

 

You should have an elevator speech that outlines your industry, your role, and your mission.

  

"Hey Brandon, what do you do for a living?"

 

"I help people achieve success in their lives".

  

"How?" (I am glad you asked!)

 

"I am an author, inspirational speaker and coach. I utilize these gifts to help people break self-imposed limitations and live a life of passion and purpose. My mission is to help millions achieve success...one at a time.  What do you do?"

 

Be proud of what you do!

 

Do not hesitate to sow the seeds of opportunity - eventually, you will "happen" into someone who needs what you do, or can help you. Tell your story in short form everywhere...then expound when the opportunity warrants.

 

Most people, even sales people, shy away from the stage of self-promotion - which is really only another name for branding.

 

I know people that pass out business cards to everyone they meet. Yes, that could be overbearing or obnoxious, at times, but there is is a law of large numbers value to that exercise. 

 

Sure, most people view it as intrusive and throw the card away, but some will engage a conversation and open the door to an elevator speech - an opportunity.

 

What if you used the dozens of "small talk" conversations you have each week, to engage the person in a two-way street of "What's My Line"?  Sharing a brief opportunity to network...to connect.

 

Many of these conversations will not be very fruitful, professionally (albeit cordial, personally), but every so often - magic happens!

 

Beyond your elevator speech, there are places where your brand should be evident - your email signature, your business card, and your website. Anywhere you are, the brand should shine through!

 

What image do you want to convey?

 

In the 30 seconds of a business card, or the 3 minutes of an elevator ride you have to let people know who you are and what you do and why you are different.  You have to cut from the clutter of ordinary and create a USP - Unique Selling Proposition.

 

The companies you work for or represent spend a lot of money on positioning and branding...their USP.

 

What about you?

 

What is the brand within the brand?

 

Define it, refine it, and then promote it!

 

Each contact with a potential client and current clients should reflect a piece of your brand. The next time you are by yourself and see someone running, you will push the button that opens the doors to let them in...yes, you will...

 

Hold the Elevator!

 

Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

 

Next Time: The Message and The Messenger!

Stick to the Script! part 2

Another Michael Jackson tidbit...I used to imitate him years ago (you really didn't see that coming!).

 

I didn't look like the 2000's MJ, but I was a spot on ringer for the "Off the Wall" & "Thriller" version.

 

Did a pretty good singing and dancing rendition of Billy Jean...yes, Moonwalk and all!

 

I used to get paid to do parties and one time a gig wanted me to sing live at a party.  Not a problem...especially for $200 and all the shrimp I could eat!

 

Performance night and the conditions were ALL WRONG!  Floor was slick and I thought I might fall.  The sound system was awful and I couldn't hear the music.  In spite of all the drama, the show must go on...right?

 

Needless to say...I was awful.  I couldn't even take the money...yeah...that bad!

 

One thing I learned that night, is no matter how much people loved Michael Jackson, a bad imitator will still get booed...there...I said it!

 

From that point forward, I was always mindful of the conditions...and practiced, practiced, practiced!

 

Before you begin telemarketing are you mindful of the conditions and ready to perform?  Are you confident so that you are smooth and natural?  If you are prepared and practiced, you are 90% of the way to success! 

 

If you are not...you will get booed...or worse!

 

In various surveys there are many reasons people "boo" telemarketers, but the ones you can control can make a difference in how effective you will be;

 

Sounding scripted - Think back to the last few calls you got (that you answered) and how annoying it was to have the person sound like they were reading a script from the computer. While that is likely the case, practice can make you smooth and effortless in delivery...

 

That has to be your goal.

 

Being rushed - We understand that you have only a few moments to get attention and gain interest, but to speak at 100 mph is not helpful. Find a pace that allows you to be smooth, understandable and relay your core purpose for the call in 20-25 seconds or less. Carefully constructed scripts can work wonders in that time.

 

Not gaining agreement. In sounding scripted and being rushed, the telemarketer does not gain agreement to move forward beyond the initial 20-25 second window. They continue to speak (or read) in a fast tone for a minute or more - feels like a lifetime.

 

When they finally take a breath to ask a question, what is the prospects most common answer? That's right... "No".

 

Would you rather spend 20-25 seconds gaining agreement to proceed or a minute and be shut down?

 

Not sounding professional. While the phone can be a non-personal medium (particularly, when you are calling a total stranger!) you can still convey enthusiasm and professionalism without the presence of an attitude or being an "over-the-top" Sham Wow salesman.

 

Your demeanor should be that of a professional marketing valuable services. You have to be friendly, non-threatening and not "robotic".  Use pauses and powerful inflection points to get attention and build interest. 

 

It seems like a lot of skill until you build confidence which can only come from practice and experience. Funny thing, I look at vintage footage of Michael now and think, "I must have been crazy to think I had his talent"...

 

I didn't, but that didn't stop 1000's of people from clapping and cheering me on as I "did my thing".

 

The phone will be the same for you.  You may not feel today that you have what it takes, but 1,000 dials later, you will have clients...promise.

 

Some of them will clap and cheer as you have helped them with a need or desire...they will tell others about you and your audience will grow.  If you...

 

Stick to the Script!

 

Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

 

Next Time: Hold the Elevator!

Stick to the Script!

I beat Michael Jackson (you didn't see that coming...did you?).   I was in the Wizard of Oz before he was.  It was 4th grade and I played the Cowardly Lion.  I was good too.    Stole the show!   When it came time to say, "I do, I do, I do, I do believe in ghosts", I was on the mark...and hilarious!  On the very first performance, I actually got a standing ovation after delivering those classic lines.   Something about the applause was intoxicating, empowering...and unexplainably overwhelming.   The next performance, I added a couple of extra "I do's" and did a little spin of my yarn tail...impromptu ad-libs that garnered my second standing ovation of the day!   Ms. Westrom pulled me to the side at the end of that performance and sweetly held my hand and told me I was doing a fantastic job...but   "Stick to the Script"   When you are prospecting for clients, particularly to set appointments to actually demonstrate the product live, it is vital you Stick to the Script.  Ad-libbing creates the opportunity to lose control or have a longer conversation that might not end in the Desired Outcome.   As we introduced last time, there are 4 key elements that make up a powerful script;   Attention is the compelling proposition. Your great product means nothing if you have not gotten their attention before you begin to show your wares. Even Moses had the burning bush that drew his attention before he heard The Voice!   You have to be engaging but not too dramatic (or sedate).  That is one of the things people hate about telemarketing -  that P.T Barnum carnival barker tone of an offer that is being relayed in a "too good to be true" tone will result in a hang up.   You likely have one or two sentences...make them compelling...get their attention!   Interest is the captivating proposition. It makes the call personal to your prospect. I work with companies that give their sales people orphaned accounts.  To gain interest, the sales person tells them they have "an important update to their current account that requires attention" to gain interest.   If it is not a current client, then you will have to address a problem/desire that is specific to them. Years ago, I owned a mortgage company and I prospected often to secure new clients. My approach;   "Mr. Jones, Henry county real estate records indicate that your current mortgage rate of 6.75% is 2 points higher than national averages".   That was his rate and it was 2 points higher...   Desire is the continue proposition. Within the science of prospecting, you have to be brave enough to leave "dead space" in a call for their response so they can tell you their desire.   People don't like telemarketers that never come up for air - you have had that call before...right?   At some point, you have to allow them to express desire...or disinterest. If Attention and Interest are properly cued up, then Desire should follow. To continue with my mortgage example;   "The purpose of my call is to help you begin the process of lowering that rate and your payment by as much as $600 a month?" Do you have a few minutes to review your options?"   (Pause)   Now they own the call - the next move is theirs - I had to turn it over sooner or later...right?   "That is none of your business!" (hang up!)    but some said,    "I have a few minutes...what can you do about it?"   Ahh, the science of prospecting!     Desire will not always be explicit but can be implied through statements from the caller. It can come in many forms such as clarifying inquiry - "Who are you again? What company do you work for? How did you get my information?"   These types of caller statements still leave the door open. You have to be nimble and quick to offer convincing responses that allow you to continue. Here is the where The Desired Outcome takes over from your point of view. You will have to make validating and credibility statements to gain enough trust for them to take the step that you want them to take.   Be prepared to give what is needed.  Stick to the Script to get your Desired Outcome.   Action is the completion proposition. You now have to get a commitment from the caller based on the Desire Outcome. Once that is done, the call is successful! Be flexible but firm in the next action steps and don't allow ambiguity such as "Let me think about it" or "Send me a brochure" or "What is your website?"   If you can't pin down specifics, you are probably better letting them go. You can twist arms for appointments but that will lead to a mountain of "no shows" and cancellations. You have to be aggressive in applying the science, but not to the point of futile exhaustion.   The script is best constructed using your "artful" personality and natural idiosyncratic tendencies - you do not want to sound disingenuous or robotic. To be repeatable and compelling it has to be your "authentic voice" but is also has to...   Stick to the Script!   Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Next Time: Stick to the Script! part 2