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HTSS190 - What to do when you lose a sale or a deal - Scott Sylvan Bell

What to do when you lose a sale or a deal

This is a hidden conversation in sales to the extent most people can't answer it properly. What happens internally to you when you can't close a deal or you lost a sale. Nobody talks about this because they don’t know how to fix your problems. When you take the time to commit to fixing the issues you will get further in sales. You must be willing to answer tough questions and be accountable to someone. 

How to pinpoint a lost sale or deal 

There are plenty of places you can be influenced from to be a better closer. These ideas and concepts have come from therapy, other closers, notes, and well as conversations with salespeople who lost deals. Most sales trainers will say keep going and not give ways to fix your problems. 

Rejection in sales is normal and part of what you do 

When you look at sales rejection is part of the industry. Rejection is supposed to happen in sales. You are supposed to get better over time. Great sales trainers and coaches use their experience as well as others to help you with guidance. Even though rejection is normal yet it can hurt and does have lasting effects. Your problems with rejection are compounded by your personal life. When you lose a deal you can look at what’s going on in your life. You want to treat this information like a puzzle. Are there correlations to the problems you are having with closing deals?

The formula for rejection and regret  

If there was an overall formula for rejection and even regret it would be time, effort, energy, risk, money, or reputation. We all want to look good in front of others. You question your skills, your talents and your capabilities. When you are closing you have better relevancy internally. When you are not closing deals you will search for the approval of others. 

The enemy in sales is rejection

As you get better at sales your closing rate increases. Rejection happens 2x more than success for most salespeople. Closers get closer to 1:1 for rejection and closed deals in most industries. The best of the best closers have roughly a 25% chance of failure. 66% closing rate, 50% closing rate, and 33% closing rate are the targets for you. These are the three stages of sales sort to speak.

Why routines matter in sales 

Routines matter, what you say to yourself matters, what you do when you lose a deal matters. It's easy to blame others and when you do you lose control. Its easy to want to push aside what really happened and focus on other people or outside circumstances. There are times where its 100% your fault and a few times there is something from the outside.

Questions in sales and closing deals 

You have to get good at asking questions. Jim Camp had a process called 3+. Jim was able to use this technique in his discovery process. When you ask a question 3 different ways you can find answers people didn't think they would give you. There is a point where you are beyond training and have to put in the work. You can only practice so much and then you have to put into action. 

The questions to ask yourself when you lose a deal

The hard part of losing a deal is what most salespeople don’t want to face. You really have to look inside and ask the tough questions about yourself and your skills:

1. How did you prepare?
2. What questions did you ask in the presentation -
3. What rebuttals did you use?
4. What objections did you not call out early on – you stop a presentation instead of letting the idea reverberate “I get the sense” I get the feel”, “Maybe you can help me out here” target feelings emotions -
5. You ask for the sale 
6. You overcome objections -
7. You win or you lose

The 4321 sales process framework 

When you organize your thoughts is makes it easier to pinpoint the loss of a deal. This doesn't take away the feelings of grief or even magically make things better. You can get a sense over 10 calls where you are really struggling. 

• 4 things that went right
• 3 things that were ok
• 2 things you struggled with
• 1 thing you completely failed on

The end goal is to look at what went right more than wrong. You don’t bounce around. You find the things you are getting right first, this is the opposite of negative

You can go to: Howtosell.live/4321 and get your cheat sheet. 

How to determine if you met with the decision-maker

There are times when you lose a deal because you didn't do enough or even pinpoint where the potholes are for the buyer. When you meet with a person to make a sale you need three items to be complete:

1. A pain, risk, problem or pleasure

2. A budget

3. A timeframe or commitment

If you are missing any one of these three you will more than likely lose out on a deal. 

HTSS189 - Is sales a good career to get started in - Scott Sylvan Bell

Would sales be a good career for me?

A common phrase that comes up in Google is "Is sales a good career to get started in". This is something sales trainers and sales experts get asked as well. Know that sales is a great service to be involved with. You get to help people with problems and issues they face. 

Common fears about sales 

• There is always the fear about taking advantage of people – you don’t have to do this
• Living on commission
• Asking for the sale

What you get to take with you for life. When you know how to sell, you get whatever you want. 

• How to ask for what you want
• Negotiation
• Better confidence
• Ability to speak in front of a crowd
• Talk yourself out of stations
• Up your income
• You get a better understanding of people

Sales is a great career, you can move to different positions and or locations:

• Industries
• Services
• Locations

Systematized sales processes can be used in multiple locations. Here is what you may have to put up with:

• The learning curve
• Management -
• Product changes -
• No set or guaranteed pay – there is the opposite and a huge upside
• Unethical people

Who sales is not for

• Liars, cheats and frauds – they will always be in the industry (that’s the list)
• 3%

Where can you learn

• Network marketing (MLM)
• Start small think in terms of a low dollar item
• Look a place good reputation
• 2^nd party sales – garage sales, FB market, craigslist

Focus -

HTSS188 - Overcoming money objections in sales starts with you - Scott Sylvan Bell

Overcoming your money fears in sales 

Most fears of rejection come in around money. You may be the cause of objections with your buyer. You have to be willing to ask for what you want in sales and that includes money.  Salespeople who don’t make money tend to make decisions for the buyer. If you wanted to look for a similar type of energy this can be compared to asking someone out on a date. 

You sell how you buy 

You sell how you buy or you buy how you sell really is your operating system. If you had pre-sales programming this is it. Your own internal money fears create your objections. You literally talk yourself into your greatest fears. Your buyers feel your fears, your buyers know your fears. Buyers hear it in your voice and it betrays you.   

Price reluctancy in sales is real  

You talk circles around your fears. Kids talk circles around things they want or people they are interested in. Salespeople may tell themselves "I don’t want to ask the buyer, the client or otherwise for that much money". Salespeople can build too much rapport to avoid getting to the money. Salespeople can ask endless questions to avoid getting to the money.

Tips to get over money fears:

• Watch closers talk about “the money”
• See how its “just the money” with no real energy – it's factual
• Role play at 10x to 100x your cost. If its 10k role play at 100k etc
• Role play saying price 100 times
• Be willing to talk about money early on
• Be willing to talk about money a few times in the sales process
• You can price condition – number, phrase, color – hypnotists do this
• You can use phrases like “I don’t want to spend all of your money, I just want to spend some of it” – focus
• Can we agree early on that I share with you what you need – yes, you might hear something that you were not expecting. If you need a 100K product ill let you know. If you need a 10k product Ill let you know. Im not scared to let you know what you really need. At the same time, ill let you know if there is something you don’t.

Place the blame for your own internal objections 

To begin with its your fault if you are not closing deals. You can buy into messages from the buyer. You can get caught up in what others are doing. Some of this is the buyers' fault since they are nervous and you buy into it. Some of this is sales fault. This can come from bad sales training. You do have Homework, go watch other salespeople present. 

 

HTSS187 - 50 Killer questions to ask prospects - Scott Sylvan Bell

50 Killer questions for your sales process

As a salesperson, you do have to get used to nervous energy, silence, and even pressure. Questions deliver all of these concepts and ideas. Whoever can ask the best questions can win. You should study books on questions. You should get good at interviewing as it will help your sales process. Questions and stories are the 2 most powerful forms of communication. You don’t have to answer a question but you do have to think about it. 

The downside of asking questions 

You don't want your conversations and questions to be an Interrogation. When you ask questions, "how" and "what" questions are better than "why" questions. The fortune is in the follow-up, that is the fortune is in the follow-up question. 

How to gather great sales questions 

You can go to google and a whole bunch of sites and gather as many questions as you can. Look for the ones that you are comfortable with and the ones that make you uncomfortable. Look for ways to work in the uncomfortable ones.

Some questions lead to conflict 

When you are new to sales all questions are uncomfortable, especially under conflict. Some questions are out of bounds. Look for people to be your mentor whether they know it or not. 3x5 cards they are not just for objections they are also for role play. You can write the best questions on the cards to find the right way to ask them. 

A list of great sales questions 

Here are a bunch of questions to fit every type of personality, you may or may not like all of these. Pick and choose:

Lock in – how committed is the person to this task

• Why did you decide to reach out
• What finally lead you to take action with your __________ (problem . issue)
• When you think about starting this conversation what got the ball rolling

Pain, problem, risk, pleasure

Probing / outcome – here is where salespeople don't put in the work, so I am giving you a bunch of them

• Could you share with me what lead to this conversation – story
• What got you started in this process?
• What have you tried so far that has worked
• What have you tried that hasn’t worked
• What do you like about your product or service now?
• Why now, why today
• What are your short-term and long-term goals with this product or service?
• If there was only 1 problem I could solve for you, what would that one thing be? (magic wand variant)
• What are the must-have features for this project and what ones really don’t matter?
• What criteria will you use to determine your __________ (vendor, product or service)
• What’s important to you about the company you choose
• What is the ideal outcome you are looking for? -
• How much of a priority is this for you?
• The last time you made a decision like this, how was it made? – Will you be using that same process on this project?

 

Future based questions

• If we were to meet here a year from now what would help you say you made a good decision?
• If you look into the future a year from now what is your biggest opportunity with us, our product and or our service?
• What excites you most about working with us as we look to the future?
• When we do this work for you what concerns do you have for implementation?
• If we were to take care of this project for you what milestones would need to be met for you to find this project a success?
• When you take a look at your options what are the expectations you have for this product or service and would make you happy with the results?

 

Reversals

This can be a stall question or a qualification question – this is a Sandler technique

• I am curious why you asked that right now
• Because?
• Share with me why that’s important to you?
• I am not quite sure this is what you need, is this what you have been looking for?

Follow up questions

• Can you explain that to me in another way
• I heard you say _________ can you expand upon that a little more
• I am a little confused by that answer can you share with me what you mean by that?
• How is that supposed to work out?

Money / budget

• What kind of money do you have set aside for this project
• When we look at the budget for this were you thinking it was going to me $__________ or more
• In round numbers what are we looking for with a budget?
• Tell me when it hurst what number did you want to keep this under per month – JZ

Timeline

• What’s your timeline for implementation
• As we look at your timetable what markers do you have in place right now for this project?
• What kind of deadline are we working with?

 

Other decision-makers

• Who else needs to be involved in this process?
• Can you authorize a purchase like this?
• If I could do this right now and take care of this project who would need to sign off on it?

Closing questions

• What do you think we should do
• What comes next?
• Are we going to do business together or not? -
• Which one fits your needs the best?
• When would you like delivery
• Do you want option a or b
• Cash or credit card?

Referrals

• Who do you know that would like to get involved with?
• Who is the first person you think of when it comes to the same type of problems and issues that you have?

Cutting through the clutter questions – pitch and tone matter

• I get the feeling something else here is going on, can you fill in the gaps for me
• At this point, all of my cards are on the table and I feel like you are still holding onto a few of your own, care to jump in here
• If I shared with you that I don’t think you are really into me or this project would you agree with that statement

Bonus quesitons 

Upsells

Don’t stop at the initial sale – the resistance is gone

• Now that you have the best of __________ (product) would you like the insurance
• Can I share something else with you that would help you out?
• The extended warranty is only a few dollars more, which version works best for you?

HTSS186 - Sales systems and processes are required to be a closer- Scott Sylvan Bell

How sales systems and processes help you close more deals 

You listen to enough successful people it's all about systems and processes. This framework is used to get consistency in their life. You can look at interviews with billionaires and or highly successful people. They have a repetitious element for the most part. Most salespeople early on look at systems, processes, and routines as a detrement. 

Systems and constraints 

Look at management as a system even though there are constraints they help. Looking at the numbers is a system, using time is a system, setting up funnels is a system and having the right managers is a system. Look at how many systems are out there.  Some systems are better than others. Some systems are more difficult and time-consuming. You have to find the right ones to help you and push you. If you don’t have a system and process you have one by default – not having a system is chaotic and sporadic. 

Systems and processes are everywhere in sales 

The commission structure is a good example of a system. This is all about steps and actions.  look for where you do well and struggle. Look for the places where you struggle that can have the most impact. You have to work towards consistency. It will difficult in the beginning, what you need to know is most people give up. 

Why closers have systems in sales 

When you watch closers in sales it doesn’t look like they have a system. One of the most common concerns, when salespeople work with closers, is “it just feels like they are talking” that’s a closers system. Most salespeople say they want the freedom of random presentations and then complain about the results they get.In the beginning, you do have to learn how to use scripts, word tracks, and stories until they become second nature.

• If you work out and you want the max results you have to have a system
• If you drive a race car you have to have a system for max results
• If you do your taxes you have to have a system for max results
• If you do a diet you have to have a system for max results

How to figure out your system

You do need to take the time to figure your system out. You may have to ask people for help t find your way. 

• Use one already built and stick to it
• Pay someone to build one for you
• Try to come up with one on your own

The challenges are:

• We fight for autonomy
• We don’t like constraints and being told what to do
• We get bored
• Without guided practice, we get off track

A few examples of systems in your personal life – high examples :

• What time you get up -
• How you work out
• The food you eat
• How much sleep do you get
• The training  you are willing to take 

HTSS185 - Why is sales so hard to implement and learn - Scott Sylvan Bell

Why is sales so hard and why cant I just be a closer?

The question of sales difficulty comes up often. This happens in all services and all industries. Sales is a business decathlon it's not just one event or topic it's multiple you have so many things to look at. The more expensive the item the more things to remember. Low ticket items are easy to sell, there is no real risk. The more the investment, the more the risk. As you start in your sales career you have to get the basics down. 

How to get started in sales 

Most salespeople find some sort of job start early. It can be mowing lawns, selling candy or even a paper route. If you are thinking of getting into sales you are going to get a glimpse of what it is like. If you have been in sales get ready to nod your head for a few reminders. Look at all of the things you need to know how to do when it comes to sales for bigger ticket items. As you look at the list of what you need to know it is overshadowed by the list of:

• Bad training / coaching
• Bad information 
• Poor implementation or becoming stagnant 

Jon Benson uses the line "Its not your fault but now that you know its your responsibility". Find the best sales training you can pay for tat the time. Figure good sales training will make your money back at some point. You have to get good at figuring out skill and:

• Emotions
• Inadequacies
• Personal conflicts
• The right product for your buyer

There are so many things to know, it's not just about personality and communication. You can work years to master these skills and always work to improve them. Here are the 10 items you must know how to do to be a master closer:

1. Keep a strong mental state – this isn’t always easy. Boundaries
2. Deal with rejections – a pile of it and just when you think its done, you get more
3. Put up with office politics – you have haters on the outside… haters on the inside. Some of your worst haters are managers that have never done sales
4. Give a good presentation (content mastery) scripts, delivery, conversations, interruptions
5. Ask questions and answer questions – getting good at knowing what to say and not to say
6. Tell stories – good stories, emotional stories, sales stories.
7. Know about the product, service, competition, rules – this is the in-depth knowledge that people cant have off the net or from a book – this is what you get paid for
8. Overcome objections – you have 5 major objections for most industries and then their hybrids. It's not just the 5 major it's really a combination of 25. You have to get good with the base 5
9. Deal with delivery and timelines – you have to know when and where and also negotiate to make it happen with vendors, staff, and even legal issues.
10. Deal with upset clients – not everything goes well

Every one of these items could be an episode in itself. Every category could be broken down into more categories. Just in objections alone you can look at:

• 3 bids 
• Buying criteria 
• Personal beliefs 

HTSS184 - Sales rep failure and sales failure reasons - Scott Sylvan Bell

Sales rep failure rate and sales failure reasons

Being a salesperson can be weird. Most salespeople fail more than they close. Some salespeople want something they cant have early on. What the salespeople want is a career without failure.  Most industries have an average of 20 – 30% closing rates. This means 1/3 appointments are closed. The better salespeople are 2/3 sales deals closed.

Getting past fear of failure 

Failure is part of life. The more risks you take the more failure you can face. It's your job to fail often and figure out how to make things work. As you fail you are supposed to learn. There are a few ways for you to get past failure and the feeling of it:

• Take notes
• Fail, beyond the training
• Know that attempts are tests 
• Read biographies of successful people

How to get through failure in sales 

Salespeople can be seen as unusual.  Salespeople look at going into the fire, taking the bullets, and then running out with a client on their back. Plenty of people have a fear of not doing well in the face of adversity. People freak out about being told “no” but they don’t know that the key to getting to the yes is figuring out what people don’t want. Read “Start with no from Jim Camp” and Never split the difference from Chris Voss. 

Getting through a sales slump 

If you want to get to the next level in sales and or have success in business you can look at sales as a bell curve. You can become obsessive about routines and processes.  It’s a closing rate measurement contest not who you are. The only way you can get better is by putting in the reps. The pattern for success in sales is this:

New content – role play – fail – role play fail less – fail – role play – fail less – role play = comfort = close.

The closing deal Framework

How do you think and think about yourself? This question can be for your looks, your abilities, your skills and so much more. Your external belief in yourself has an impact on your sales process. The worse you feel about yourself the tougher it is to close deals. 

7 rules of sales failure

1. You must want to really close deals – opportunity in the future
2. You must learn to be ok with failure and problems with losing deals
3. You must be willing to look back at deals to dissect them
4. You must be patient – you need
5. You must see that in the long term sales is cyclical
6. You must be ok with no as much as or more than yes
7. He or she who asks, gets – you only get from life what you ask for

The 7 skills closers have

• Self-image
• Rapport
• Presentation
• Questions
• Objections
• Negotiation
• Delivery

 

7 skills all closers have  

HTSS183 - Everyone wants to be a closer until the unexpected - Scott Sylvan Bell

Everyone wants to be a closer until they have to put in the work 

Every time you solve a problem you create a new one, this is true and life and business. This is a lesson you must understand. Once you get this sales does become easier. Sales failures and sales slumps are a normal part of the job. There are times where people say they want to be in sales and that they want to be a closer until they have to take aciton. 

Different ways to think about sales 

Think about this, you sell a product and or service and its new to the buyer. They know what life was like before they bought but they don’t know what life is like after. You need to build comfort, consistency as well as commitment. Salespeople don’t know how to do this, they think its all bout the price. You must be able to resolve the issues of the past, present, and future. You don't want to be an emotional punching bag for someone so they feel better without them taking action. 

Tough conversations in sales 

Tough conversations are something you must learn how to have. Most salespeople are scared or upset and or angry buyers. You must get past the worry and or fear of tough conversations with your buyers. Angry and upset people will still purchase goods and or services. You can have candid conversations with people about their fears and or worries. 

Turn problems into opportunities in sales 

Whatever "problem" your new product or service creates should have an opportunity to fix it.  Every problem should be looked at as an opportunity. Most salespeople get caught up on one side of the coin. Here are just some of the problems you can, will or may face.

• Other salespeople who are knuckleheads – they don’t practice, they don’t know their product, they sell on price, they call and dump on the closer, they need help with mommy or daddy close the deal.
• They have to deal with the office who doesn’t care about deadlines, promises made – by all means they get paid by the hour and hate closers
• They get difficult clients – and close them -
• They have to answer questions – and do it well
• They have to close – and ask for the sale
• They have to deal with post close issues – products, services as well as logistics and or vendors
• They have to deal with paperwork – lots of deals = lots of paperwork
• They have to deal with upset clients – not everything goes right with set up, processes and delivery
• They have to deal with haters – show me a closer and I will show you a line of haters
• They have to deal with managers that don’t get sales (accountants, HR and managers don’t understand closers) office staff love pliable salespeople – they don’t ask, they don’t push and they don’t get.
• Closers learn how to say what they are thinking in a way that’s bold – it drives insecurity in others so it creates problems

Walk sales into the horizon and the future 

Not everyone has it in them to deal with what closers create, in fact managers say “why cant we go back to the way it used to be". Closers are future-facing and move forward. Closer know when they meet closers, closers also know when they meet posers. There is a feel to someone who can and will close deals. There is also a feel of those who cant. Its in their actions, their voice and their overall persona. Game recognize game.

Everyone wants to be a closer until office politics

Closers will say what they are thinking, they don’t take crap from managers – they know they are the prize and can get a new job now (they take the arrows in sales meetings and don’t care)

HTSS182 - The only shortcut in sales is hard work - Scott Sylvan Bell

The only shortcut in sales and business is hard work

There are no shortcuts in sales except the work you put in. Sure on a Wednesday on a full moon where you stub your toe getting out of bed there may be an exception. Some training isn’t quick, its slow. You have to put in the repetitions. There isn't such a thing as instant learning. Everyone learns at a different pace, some people may be faster or slower than you. Your learning comes from your life experiences. 

You must put in the hard work to learn how to sell 

It's all about the reps you put in. You have to get multiple items down in order to sell. Sales is like a business decathlon. You have multiple items you must get good at. In Happy Gilmore its said "Its all about the hips “go with it, feel the flow”. In sales its about taking a path of learning what needs to be done to close the sale. 

Momentum in sales takes effort 

You have to put in the effort to make gains. Most salespeople say that they want to close deals but they don't want to put in the work. You will have wins and you will have losses – as you grow the losses are more than the wins. There will be a flipping point where the wins are greater than the losses. Natural talent isn’t normal, it actually hurts naturally talented people more to fix. Anyone who sells an instant fix isn’t really telling you the whole truth. You can train for a weekend, your sales pump up and then go down. It's all about the repeittion. 

Why you must use a sales system 

What system are you using? How is your system working for you? Do you do the same thing every time? What do you tell yourself? How is the conversation going in your head? How committed are you to your own personal improvement? These are just a few questions you could ask yourself to get going. You dont want to be a graduate of the:

• Wild E coyote school of sales
• George Costanza school of business

Negative content and the positive rebound

Its you against you first in sales, it's you against everyone else second. Who cares what other people are doing? if they are liars, cheats, or frauds it will catch up to them at their worst moment, it's not your worry or your reputation. It sucks when you are at the bottom looking up and it seems impossible.  Dr. Alan Baranrd likes to use the phrase "it's impossible unless". How can you use this phrase to your advantage? You can look to movies for inspiration. In Batman Returns Bane threw Bruce Wayne in the deep hole. Bruce Wayne had to decide he was going to get out.

The hard work in sales 

If you really want to make an impact in sales you can start with consuming positive content. You will also want to Role play not just a little but a ton. You can encourage others as it costs you nothing and opens up new receptors in your brain. Gratitude is one thing you can do as well you can start with a gratitude journal. 

Coached failure is faster than learned failure 

You can move faster with Coached failure get someone to help you do it better, faster and easier. You have to put in the work and the effort others are not willing to do. You will learn on your timetable and not others. 

Be willing to do what others will not:

• Go online – buy courses
• Read books
• Interview experts 
• Keep track of your numbers 

 

 

 

HTSS181 - Building confidence in sales calls - Scott SylvanBell

Confidence in sales – the 7 steps of confidence

There is a path, this isn’t automatic, it takes time, energy, and effort. You must put in the hard work to be a closer in sales. This means you have to practice, drill and rehearse. Another way to say this is role play. Your personal life has an influence on your business life. Daily struggles can turn a closing streak into a losing streak. You can over time find your confidence and keep it until something knocks you off your feet. 

Restore shaken confidence 

Your confidence can get shaken. Your confidence will get shaken, this is part of personal and business life.  Losing confidence is normal and happens to everyone, it's how you deal with it. When you have confidence and when you lose confidence think through what you tell yourself and what you say to yourself. 

You can model confidence 

You can use an NLP technique and do what others have done. This "modeling" is a way for you to borrow the traits of those who are confident. Look at people who are confident, what do they do. You can model confidence by people watching wherever you go out and when you do things. 

How to get your confidence back 

There is a recovery period associated with The timetables for recovery are different for everyone. How you think about your wins and losses matters. The bigger the change in your life the larger the possibility of having shaken confidence:

• No sales – getting told no
• Sales slumps 
• Break up 
• Deaths
• Personal image issues
• Not hitting personal goals
• Feeling stagnant
• Losing something
• Being overweight
• Missing a deadline

Why confidence in sales is so important

Confident salespeople with a bad message cant sell. Someone with confidence and a strong message can sell anything. It is important to have confidence in the sales process. Here are 7 steps to confidence. 

1. Choice – you get this choice. It's all about what you tell yourself
2. Clear – You have to get clear on what you want
3. Commitment – Once you know what you want you to have to make a commitment
4. Capable – this comes from repetition
5. Consistency – Repetition over and over again
6. Certainty – When you are certain people around you know it
7. Confidence – Confidence has a feeling
8. Compound (Bonus) – This is a force multiplier – follow up 2^nd greatest feeling iwn the word

If you disagree how would you put the list in order, what would you change, how would you say it? What is your recipe?

 

Ways for you to grow your confidence

1. It's you against you in sales first -
2. Know there are haters that love to bring you down -
3. What you intake matters – food and ideas books/ podcasts
4. Exercise
5. Read -
6. Motivational content
7. Encourage others – good job, keep going
8. Stay away from negative people
9. Make a journal of what you are thankful for – gratitude
10. Awesomeness swipe file – episode 144