Author: Carl Ingalls

Administrator for High Probability Selling Blog

The “Real World” Numbers Game

By Jacques Werth, President
High Probability® Selling

“Sales is a numbers game” is something most salespeople are taught from Day One on the job. The general concept is true.  Almost no one, however, asks what those “numbers” really are based upon.

In the insurance industry, most new agents are taught the “Standard Sales Formula – 100/10/3”. That is, contact 100 people, get 10 appointments, and sell 3 policies.  The salespeople who still believe in this will coincidentally report having a 30 percent closing ratio.  Sounds good so far?

In reality, less than 1 percent of the million plus insurance agents in the USA can consistently produce those results. It turns out that this “Standard Sales Formula’ is nothing more than a commonly held assumption.  Other industries have their own “Standard” bogus formulas.

Bogus numbers lead to bogus sales goals and unreal expectations.  These unreal expectations inevitably result in disappointment and discouragement.  On the other hand, ‘real-world’ numbers, based on ‘real-world’ sales activity in the field, can guide you through the sales process and lead to increasingly encouraging results.  The best salespeople *really* know their numbers.

Most salespeople, however, diligently and accurately track their numbers, hoping that the standard formula will hold true for them.  When they find that reality falls short of their industry’s commonly held assumptions, most of them stop measuring what is really happening.

Because they are no longer measuring, they don’t change very much of what they’re doing, with the exception of working on a few sales techniques, based on their current view of what’s not working. They expect their results to change dramatically, and immediately.  That’s not how the world works!

One of the three primary fundamentals of the High Probability Selling process is to meticulously track all sales activity, at every step of the sales process, from initial contact through to the signing of the contract.  By monitoring and measuring the results of each discrete step of the selling process, you can constantly refine your selling skills. The result is steady, gradual improvement, until you are producing optimal results and have become a Top Producer.

If you don’t monitor and measure your sales activity, you are typical of 98% of the thousands of salespeople we’ve observed over the years. Most of those salespeople struggle with their jobs every day. Without knowing exactly what you are doing, and how much you are doing it, the probability of improving your sales performance is extremely low.

Yes, sales is a numbers game, but only ‘real-world’ numbers apply. Keep statistics on EVERYTHING that you do- it’s easy, once you get into the habit. Now is the best time to start keeping sales performance records.

Your statistics will enable you to understand, tweak, and improve your selling skills. The result?

Some initial discomfort…and a dramatic improvement in your sales success.

Note added later:  here is an example of a prospecting-activity-record-2009-06-22

 

If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.

Until Next Time…Sell Well

Jacques Werth

Copyright 2007.

 

Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion

How Much Does It Cost?

By Jacques Werth

President, High Probability Selling

When the first thing out of a prospect’s mouth is “How Much Does it Cost?” how do you respond?

We get a few calls a day from people who ask the price of our sales training courses. Here is how we respond.
 
Do you want training for a single individual or a group?
 
Do you want the interactive Instructor Led Distance Learning Tele-Classes, or on-site classes, where you can look at an instructor in front of the room?
 
Do you want just the High Probability Prospecting course, which consists of nine, 90-minute sessions? Or do your want the entire course including both High Probability Prospecting and High Probability Selling, which consists of twenty-one, 90-minute sessions?
 
Note: We do not deviate from the discussion of price, but we do ask questions that focus in on what the prospect wants.
 
By that time, over 60% of the people who called about price are asking a lot of questions about how the courses are conducted, how much can they expect to retain and utilize, how much memorization is required (none),what kind of results can be expected, etc.
 
Very early in the conversation we get most call-ins to go to our website (almost 40% are already there) and click on the "sales training" pages where the pricing options are clearly delineated.  And, we answer their questions without trying to "build value."  
 
Our closing rates are very high.
 
The name of our company is "High Probability Selling." That means we do not do what we believe is logical, reasonable and really should work. It means that, we keep statistics, we know what works best, and that is what we do.

Do you want to hold on to your beliefs about what should work in selling, or do you want to learn, and gain the skills to utilize, what really works? 

If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.

Until Next Time…Sell Well

Jacques Werth – High Probability Selling

Copyright 2007.

 

Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion

 

Don’t Waste Time

By Jacques Werth, President
High Probability® Selling

Most customers make up their minds about your product or service within the first 30 seconds of a prospecting call. For this reason, you should avoid wasting your time on those who make a negative response as soon as you’ve made your offer.

Use your cold calls to eliminate those prospects who have a low probability of ever buying from you. A short, simple Prospecting Offer that describes who you are, and what you’re selling, is all you need to do this.

If the prospect doesn’t want what you’re selling, end the call and move on to the next prospect. However, be sure to call the prospect again in about four weeks – with a different prospecting offer.

 

 

If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.

Until Next Time…Sell Well

Jacques Werth – High Probability Selling

Copyright 2007.

 

Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion

Being “Right” vs. Being Rich

By Jacques Werth, President

High Probability® Selling

As a former turn-around manager and consultant, with a Masters in Financial Management, I went into eleven failing businesses and made ten of them highly successful. What did the failing businesses have in common? Top management tended to diligently defend their management methods, the ones that had brought them to the brink of failure. In other words, the managers subconsciously chose being right over being rich.

At each failing company, I established mandatory sales training programs, incorporating the sales process that eventually became known as High Probability Selling. All salespeople were required to participate in the training, except the top two or three. It was optional for the top performers.

What was the common thread among these diverse sales organizations? Only about half of the salespeople were willing to change their sales beliefs or methods. Those that did quickly increased their sales volume and their compensation; those that did not soon left those companies.

Undoubtedly, some of the people who would not, or could not, learn a new sales process just did not have the "right stuff"- the attributes, talent or motivation to become a highly successful salesperson. But, most did. They just refused to change the way they sell. I have never been able to figure out why a large percentage of salespeople, those who have the right attributes to become successful, get stuck in false beliefs about "what works" in sales, and reject any other way of thinking.

One of the challenges we face in teaching High Probability Selling is that most salespeople believe that they need to improve their ability to persuade people to buy an expensive product or service that they did not already want. In other words, they believe that a salesperson is supposed to convince other people to change their minds.

According to our research, only a tiny fraction of salespeople can consistently get prospects to change their minds. Not sure? Just think about how difficult it is for you to convince yourself to do something that you do not already want to do.

When you utilize the High Probability Selling process, you will only meet with prospects that already want your type of product or service. You will do business with them on the basis of Mutual Trust, Mutual Respect and Mutual Commitments. Are you capable of that kind of change? Are you ready?

So, where do you stand? Are you fulfilling or exceeding sales projections?

If the answer is "No," ask yourself "Why?" If you question whether your product or service, and its positioning, is the problem, just look around.

Are there other salespeople in your industry earning a very nice living? If not, move on. If so, you’d better make a major change in what you are doing.

Don’t fall into the trap of "being right" instead of being rich.

 

 

If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.

Until Next Time…Sell Well

Jacques Werth – High Probability Selling

Copyright 2007.

 

Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion

How Can You Tell If a Salesperson is Lying?

By Jacques Werth, President
High Probability® Selling

Q: How can you tell if a salesperson is lying?
A: His lips are moving. (just joking?)

Do most prospects believe what you say? If your answer is “Yes,” you are probably already a very successful salesperson. If your answer is “No” or “Sometimes,” you face skepticism, doubt, and occasional hostility on a daily basis. It’s not fun and not very rewarding.

What causes prospects to doubt and challenge much of your "pitch"? How can you overcome distrust quickly, efficiently, and effectively?

Self-doubt leads to mistrust. When salespeople doubt themselves, others quickly sense it and become doubtful.
Uncertainty creates mistrust: If you’re afraid to say "I don’t know," and try to cover up your uncertainty, others sense it and become skeptical.

Over-eagerness engenders mistrust: If you try to compensate for feeling anxious by being inappropriately cheerful, others become wary and skeptical.

Feeling defeated often leads to defeat: If you expect "just another rejection" when you approach a prospect, prospects sense it, and will likely reject you.  Begin developing genuine self-confidence. Learn techniques for disrupting your personal negative thought patterns and replacing them with positive expectations. Learn to stop sabotaging your own success.

How do you get people to believe and trust you? By being genuinely trustworthy, with prospects and with yourself. Are you? If the answer is "No," you need to learn to trust yourself. 

 

If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.

Until Next Time…Sell Well

Jacques Werth – High Probability Selling

Copyright 2007.

 

Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion

Don’t Ask for the Order

By Jacques Werth, President

High Probability® Selling

This may seem confusing, since traditionally the whole idea of selling is to get an order from a customer. But if the order is a natural outcome of the conversation between prospect and seller—that is, if there is a mutually acceptable reason for doing business from the start—then your primary concern should be to draw up the prospect’s Conditions of Satisfaction, for price, delivery, features, etc.  After each item ask, “Is that what you want?” Then, each item becomes a “close.”  This automatically creates a series of two-way commitments and the order is the natural end result.

If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.

Until Next Time…Sell Well

Jacques Werth – High Probability Selling

Copyright 2007.

 

Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion

Attitude and Expectations Shape Your Communications

By Jacques Werth, President

High Probability® Selling

Your attitudes, beliefs and emotions guide your tonality and manner of speaking. That’s one of the things we focus on in High Probability Selling.

We describe the best attitude to be "neutrality." It’s where we treat the prospect with respect – but not deference. It’s what Eric Berne, author of “Transactional Analysis,” described as Adult-to-Adult Communications, and we describe as “non-judgmental” or “neutral” communications. If your expectation for your relationships is Mutual Respect, your sales results can improve to an amazing level.

It’s relatively easy to learn, and it can become the natural way for you to speak. If you focus on an attitude of neutrality while you are telephone prospecting or calling customers, you can quickly become someone who gets respect, automatically.

 

If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.

Until Next Time…Sell Well

Jacques Werth – High Probability Selling

Copyright 2007.

 

Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion

Taking “No” for an Answer

By Jacques Werth, President

High Probability® Selling

In this technological age where the world is changing at a more rapid pace every day, speed has become of the essence.  Consequently, sales techniques that worked 20 years ago are now obsolete. It is no longer profitable to spend a lot of time persuading and convincing customers to buy a product or service that may not suit their immediate priorities.  It pays instead to focus on selling to those customers who have the greatest desire for what you have to offer – now.  Good timing is more important than ever, but the definition of good timing has changed.  


If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.

Until Next Time…Sell Well

Jacques Werth – High Probability Selling

Copyright 2007.

 

Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion

The Changing Face of Sales

By Jacques Werth, President

High Probability® Selling

In this technological age where the world is changing at a more rapid pace every day, speed has become of the essence. Consequently, sales techniques that worked 20 years ago are now obsolete. It is no longer profitable to spend a lot of time persuading and convincing customers to buy a product or service that may not suit their immediate priorities. It pays instead to focus on selling to those customers who have the greatest desire for what you have to offer – now. Good timing is more important than ever, but the definition of good timing has changed.
 
 

If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.

Until Next Time…Sell Well

Jacques Werth – High Probability Selling

Copyright 2007.

 

Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion

 

How to Persuade Prospects to Buy – Elsewhere!

By Jacques Werth, President
High Probability® Selling

Selling is often dubbed “The Art of Persuasion”. When was the last time a salesperson talked you into buying something that you didn’t want? When was the last time a salesperson hard-closed you into purchasing, before you felt ready to buy? 

We’ve asked dozens of CEO’s the same questions, and they all believe that they’re immune to sales persuasion. Yet, they’ve told us that they expect their sales forces to persuade, convince, manipulate, and do whatever necessary to increase their market share. What’s wrong with that picture? 

Salespeople, from the VP of Sales on down, will try to live up to the CEO’s expectations. Most salespeople believe that their job is to do whatever it takes to increase sales within the (sometimes ethereal) ethical standards of their company. 

Example:

The CEO of a Fortune 100 company told me that he is certain that his salespeople must be better persuaders than his competitors’ salespeople: “That’s their only function.” His Marketing and Sales VPs are charged with providing the most convincing sales presentations, documentation and marketing materials in the industry. “It’s all about them subtly imposing their will,” he said. 

Is that strategy working? Two of his three biggest competitors have better growth rates than his company’s. When I asked him to explain that fact, his response was, “Our people aren’t executing well enough.” 

What’s the problem? 

The top 20 percent of most sales forces is out there every day bringing in up to 80% of a company’s business. The typical CEO’s belief is that the 80% that aren’t selling much just have to work harder. That’s simply not true. They need to work effectively. 

The Top 20% usually sell without using any persuasion or manipulation. The Top 20%, either instinctually or deliberately, have refined their selling styles in such a way that they deal honestly and cooperatively with their prospects and customers. They’ve largely eliminated persuasion, cajoling, and convincing from their selling repertoire, since they’ve discovered it doesn’t work. 

The Solution

We studied hundreds of the top 1% of salespeople across dozens of industries: We found that most of the top salespeople had developed remarkably similar sales processes. We observed and documented the styles, nuances, and selling techniques that successfully bring prospects through the sales process all the way to Closing. Our discoveries evolved into High Probability Selling system.

“The Art of Persuasion” is not an effective way to sell. When was the last time a salesperson talked you into buying something that you didn’t want? It’s unlikely that persuasion convinced you to buy before you were ready, and it’s unlikely that it will work with your prospects, either. Don’t “persuade” your prospects that they’d prefer to do business with the competition.

If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.

Until Next Time…Sell Well

Jacques Werth – High Probability Selling
Copyright 2007.

Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion

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