“The Specialist” Sales and Management Training Blog

Hi everybody,

It’s that time again.

I’m sure my loyal readers saw yesterday’s tirade.

Sorry, but I had just about enough with the imposters! Now I have a question that a reader wanted to know the answer to. It was a good question. How can or should you use religion in sales? First off I have a problem USING religion as a tool in anything, much less sales. I have often been asked about my faith by a customer and proudly answer that I am a Christian without going any further. Religion, sex and politics are three subjects that are just not discussed in sales. Before you know what happened the sale is lost. However I have no problem letting a fellow Christian know that I also am a Christian. That is where I try to end it. I have seen some sales persons saying Amen after every comment someone makes. I strongly do not recommend that. In the eyes of “The Specialist” your faith is something deeply personal and should not be forced on unsuspecting customers. Remember, they just came to buy something. It is nice that you are proud of your faith, however there is a time and a place for everything.

Sometimes I feel like the “Dr. Phil” of sales.

This next reader has a friend that is ok in sales but apparently is horrible in social settings. He wants to help his friend. Ironically I know someone just like that. The problem with this person is that he wants attention so badly, he lies and exaggerates everything to the point of absurdity. This person also gives credit to no one and is all about himself. All I can advise this young person to do is stop thinking about himself so much and invest his time making deposits in other people’s lives. See how many people each day you can make feel better about themselves. Then shut up about it and make another deposit in someone else’s life. I will guarantee you one thing for certain…If you start making deposits in other people’s lives on a daily basis you will be amazed how big your own account will grow.

Happy Easter!

“The Specialist”

Hello everybody,

HBK asked a very interesting question that has a broad range of ramifications.

HBK wanted to know if it was alright to get close with co-workers if you had plans to become an executive manager one day? My first question to HBK is what exactly do you mean? If you are referring to dating your co-workers as I suspect you mean, in a simple word the answer is NO! Now there are exceptions to every rule. Why the answer is NO is simply because business and pleasure usually don’t mix very well. Once you are dating a co-worker despite the reassurances that nothing will change, trust me EVERYTHING DOES!

Any time there is any constructive criticism depending how things went the night before in your social life will determine the response you get from the other person. Of course then you have the favoritism thing to deal with, not to mention the acrimony that will exist when the relationship ends. Now, lets address the management side of this. How can you possibly manage someone you are dating? It is almost impossible. Again, there are exceptions to everything. I, as the loyal readers have figured out do not deal in the “exceptions”. I do everything in sales/management to give myself the optimum chance to succeed.

HBK, getting close to your co-workers, as you so coyly put it, is not giving you much chance to succeed. If you are asking this question you are obviously relatively new to the business world and you need all your attention committed to the task at hand. Sorry I couldn’t give you the answer you were looking for.

“The Specialist”

Hi everybody,

N-LO had a very interesting question this week. She has a new girl starting this week and would like to know how to get this young lady off and running with a good start.

Even though when I talk about management and motivation I constantly emphasize finding out why the employee has chosen your company or, breaking it down even further, why the employee is working for you personally. There is an exception. There is an order to all of this madness.

When a new person starts, your obligation first and foremost is to sell FUN! You must assure them that for the 1st month or so they can do no wrong. As long as they show up on time and do what is asked of them you are happy with their performance. This approach relaxes them and takes away their nervous jitters. It also opens their minds and gives you the golden opportunity to catch them doing lots of little things right. Of course, being the great young manager that you are, you will seize on this and lavish lots of praise on them, making the enviroment very pleasant to be around. Mix this with some fun and you have this young lady enjoying her new job and she is now off and running. There is plenty of time after this to motivate and find out what motivates them.

I hope this was of some help and can’t wait to follow her progress.

“The Specialist”

Hey everybody,

It is my favorite day of the week. I am actually honored to be able to answer and solve some of your problems. Thank you for the opportunity, and N-Lo, thank you very much for the compliment. It means a lot to me.

I am going to devote this Saturday to one particular question because it is involved and can possibly help a lot of people. N-Lo states she has male and female sales persons under her supervision and even though all the women are doing great the two male sales persons have a hundred excuses for not selling. Examples: There are no prospects, girls are better at sales then men…I think you get the picture. N-Lo, I think this is a management problem far more than a sales problem. There are some potential underlying issues here. For one, they may resent that they are working for a woman and coupled with perhaps some inexperience in your management, the situation is compounded.

Before I give you the solution to this and most management problems I want you to know that if these young men do harbor resentment because you are a woman, they probably will not work out. Lets run the ultimate test. There is a system I have been using since 1985 in solving sales and management problems that I will pass onto you. It is called the PRICE system. Each letter stands for something.

The “P” is for PINPOINT… pinpoint the problem with these two young sales persons.

The “R” is record the information (example: the desired result is for them to talk to x number of prospects a day, and sell x number of them). Are they not talking to enough prospects or are they not selling them after they talk to them or both? Pinpoint the problem then record the results.

The “I” is to involve them in the solution. Let them know you are recording the data for each phase of their employment. Show them what good behavior is and what unacceptable behavior is.

That brings me to the “C” in the equation. Inform them of the consequences of the desired results opposed to the consequences of the unacceptable results.

And finally you have the “E” for evaluation. Let them know that you will have a meeting with them in two weeks or whatever time frame you feel appropriate and then DO IT! Evaluate their performance. If there is an upswing in results give plenty of praise and continue forward. If the results do not get better or go backwards you can either completely start over with them or you can talk to them about a career change.

Once you put “The Price System to work you will find out that your professional approach to them eliminates the gender excuses. I hope I was of some help if you have further questions understanding the Price System don’t hesitate to ask again for help. By the way, you are this weeks winner. Don’t forget to e-mail “The Specialist” with your mailing information.

“The Specialist”

Hi everybody,

I was getting ready to wrap up the week when I received a comment I had to respond to NOW! I have no one else to blame except my self because I encourage your questions and comments. Mrs. Anonymous says she is the most negative person in the world but despite all that she has lead her region in the country for 4 straight years. She also went on to state that she was a WINNER.

Mrs. Anonymous, for now I will refer to you as Mrs. Negative, you are confusing some issues here. 1st, just because you are perceived as negative does not mean that you are. By making the statement that you are a winner speaks volumes about how YOU perceive yourself. Quite frankly that is all that matters. 2nd, there have been many people who have been very successful in sales with a negative persona. Remember opposites attract. You happen to be one of the very few true professionals that adapted your personality to your own sales style. The mere fact that you let “The Specialist” and all of our readers know that you have led your region 4 years in a row also tells me how much pride you have in knowing you are truly one of the best! Now that you are not Mrs. Negative anymore I will refer to you as Mrs. Anonymous. You have had many great accomplishments, don’t lose sight of the fact that a true professional takes advantage of the gifts that have been bestowed on them, and always insist on being the very best YOU can be.

Thanks for your great comment.

“The Specialist”

Hey everybody, I hope your week was as good as mine!

Before I start I have an announcement to make. Starting tomorrow and every Sunday there will be a post on “ethics and morality” in sales and management. A much needed topic. So remember, every Sunday will be “ethics and morality” day!

Okay lets start with some questions. I am sure you realize that I cannot possibly answer everybody’s questions. I try and pick the cream of the crop or at least some of the most interesting ones. One of our faithful readers Glenn had a couple of questions that, because of his newness in sales, I thought I would address. The first one Glenn wanted to know was why he felt so “great and invincible” after a sale? I discussed this in an earlier posting and it is very easy to understand. Whether it be sales, basketball, bowling or anything that is achievement based, when one makes that shot or gets that strike or closes that sale, not only is your adrenaline flowing at a higher than normal rate, but you did everything almost perfect to achieve that accomplishment. Why wouldn’t you feel great and be on top of the world. That is why in sales it is imperative to immediately find someone else to talk to right after the sale so you have a much better chance to succeed. It is no coincidence that after a basketball player makes a shot the team tries immediately to feed him the ball and get him another shot. His chances for success are much greater. So are yours!

Glenn also wanted to know how to get rid of nervousness in front of groups of people. The example he used was doing a solo in front of about 40 people. Well the one sure way of getting rid of nervousness in anything is the formula for acquiring self-confidence…by the way that is another one of the “8 basics of success” and soon I will be spending a couple of weeks going over all of the 8 basics. Very valuable information. For now Glenn, the best quick fix I can give you is mingle with the audience before you go on and make some friends. While you are doing your solo, focus your eye contact on those people. Even if you suck! Because they like you they at least will be compassionate with their response. Sorry Glenn, that’s the best I can do on such short notice. Good luck I’m sure you’ll do just fine!

Chris had two great questions, in fact he is the winner this week for the free gift for the best question of the week. Chris wanted to know how he could get his body language, posture and voice inflection all in sync. Chris, I am not as big as you but I have trained a lot of people much bigger than you and before I give you the solution I want you to know that the good news is you recognized that your small talk is your strength. We have a lot to work with here. What I recommend is that you smile a lot, slow down and with your sense of humor practice making the jokes on YOU! In other words, practice the art of poking fun at yourself and people will automatically be drawn to you. In regards to the posture and voice inflection, what I did and found to be very helpful was practice in front of a mirror. What a difference it made. With technology available today you can even video your practice sessions and you will be amazed at what you see.

Chris, your next question was exciting and I can’t wait to help you with it but I need more information. Chris is getting out of the Navy… and by the way, THANK YOU for your service to our country… and he has an opportunity of a lifetime in a management position with a sales company. He wants to succeed but only has a month to prepare himself. Chris, my 1st piece of advice is to STOP what you are doing and take a deep breath. Even though your mentor is gone until April, “The Specialist” is here daily to guide you through all of your problems. Even when your mentor gets back “The Specialist” will be a form of continuing education in sales and management. DON’T read all those books! Consistency is one of the most important things in management. I will recommend three books, all very short that I based all of my management expertise on since 1985. If you will e-mail me I will forward the names of these three treasures. Please keep me updated on your progress, I will be anxiously awaiting the news.

The next question came from someone listed as N/O, and they wanted to know how to live under the expectations of peers and employers. Easy, be true to yourself! Set your own realistic goals and attack them. If you do this not only will you live up to your own expectations but you will surpass anyone else’s. The 1st person you have to please is YOURSELF!

Rhea wanted to know how to feel comfortable with small talk and not worry about offending someone. Good question Rhea. When you are just learning you just very well might offend someone. Show me anyone that is doing something for the very 1st time that has never made a mistake! Impossible. We have all done it. What I can tell you is that if you really focus on the individual that you are speaking with they will always drop clues. For instance, if it is their hair they may be playing with it. If it is their nails they may position their hand almost in a pose type position. If it’s their physical conditioning they may wear a shirt that personifies their pecks or biceps. I think you get the idea. Their is a lot involved in becoming a professional salesperson. People that have watched me sell think it is so easy until they try it. They don’t realize that all the things in these blogs I do naturally down to the very last one.

That’s all the time I have tonight, thanks for your questions and comments. Remember, I love hearing your comments and hearing your questions. The success of this blog is predicated on your interest and YOUR involvement. Also remember Sunday is now “Ethics and Morality” in sales and management.

“The Specialist”

It is Saturday night and I decided to make Saturdays “open forum day”. Every Saturday my blog will answer any questions I did not address during the week. I will also select the best question during the week and if you leave an e-mail address, “The Specialist” will contact you and send you a special FREE gift! We have some good questions so let’s get started.

Bob wanted to know if everyone was suited for sales or was it about the situation they were in and the management that surrounded them? Great question! First off the simple answer is YES, everyone can be taught to sell. I personally have trained heroin addicts, 79 year old people, 15 year olds, white, black, Asians (that had no command of the English language), shy people, people with speech impediments and even a person whose whole body had been burned and was just one big scale. Male or Female The list goes on. So again the simple answer is yes.

However, I think what the real intent of the question was can anyone be trained to have a career in sales? Based on the philosophy of “The Specialist” the answer is a resounding NO! Like any other profession one must have an aptitude for the position. More importantly, one must possess certain unique qualities like in any other profession, like a love for interacting with people and helping others, a tremendous sense of humor and such passion for the work that they are willing to work on all of the specifics to make it come to fruition. If you don’t have the physical attributes of a world class athlete no matter how much you love sport it’s just not going to happen. Remember, just because you don’t go to school for 8 years for selling it is still one of the most technical professions in the world and takes years to become a TRUE PROFESSIONAL!

The second question is from a regular. JD wants to know if “The Specialist” does any personalized training? Just go to STRANGER AT THE DOOR you will see what’s available. Thanks for asking.

Jeremy has perhaps the most interesting question of the week. Jeremy, if you will leave your e-mail address, you have a free gift coming. Jeremy wanted to know what he could work on each day to improve in sales. To answer your question I believe with all my heart that if you spend each day practicing saying nice things to people and making them feel good about themselves (sincerely), and I mean from the maintenance man on up I feel you will see a dramatic change not only in your relationships with others but also in your salesmanship. It may seem fake at first but soon it will become a habit. I guarantee you will also feel terrific inside. What a feeling! An advanced tip for everyone that reads these blogs is that when you do say something nice about someone BE SPECIFIC!!!. All the amateurs and fakes say things like “Oh you look nice today” Pick something specific out and the recipient will see that you really had to mean it to notice something that specific. It takes work and it is a learned skill that becomes part of your life. Soon you will be on your way to becoming a REAL professional salesperson! I will do my best to try and keep track of you so good luck!

That’s all the time I have tonight. Thanks again for your input.

“The Specialist”