The Sales Buzz:

I have decided not to continue this blog. It has been a wonderful experience. Please visit my website, www.propres.com.

Thank you.

Ray

Think about the most outgoing, personable, confident person you know–the one who is always the life of the party. Let’s put her in a solitary job that requires little or no interaction with people, but lots of paperwork.

Now think about the person you know who organizes his sock drawer, parks in the same spot every day at work and always takes lunch alone at 12:30 precisely. Let’s plunk him on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

My point is this: We all have unique strengths and talents. Marcus Buckingham talks about just that in his book, “Go Put Your Strengths to Work.” So does Nate Booth in “Tiger Traits: 9 Success Secrets You Can Discover From Tiger Woods to Be a Business Champion.”

Don’t waste time trying to be something you are not. Instead, identify and nurture your strengths. Think about the tasks or jobs that give you the most gratification or the situations in which you are most productive. What do you enjoy doing? What have you learned to do very easily?

When possible, work in your zone. Play to your strengths. Sales positions are not all the same. Find the one that’s a fit for you. We’re not all alike, but we all have equal potential for success.

Which of these two sentences is better (Don’t worry; it’s not a grammar quiz)?

1. My product will increase your profitability.

2. I can help you put more money in your pocket.

I hope you went for the second choice. More money in the pocket is tangible, and entrepreneurs like that.

When you are selling, always think about word choice because it can affect the outcome. Words have a positive or negative impact. For instance, smart is a good word to use. It conveys a certain streetwise savvy.

You could say, “This is a smart decision” or “People have found this to be a smart solution.”

Hard-nosed is another good word with positive implications. It conveys that the potential buyer has a sensible mentality. You could use it by saying, “Hard-nosed buyers really find this works for them.”

Here’s another little pop quiz. Which sentence is better?

1. My product will help you run your business.

2. My product will help you run your company.

In this case, the first choice is better. To an entrepreneur, business has a more positive implication.

Words do matter. Just ask any husband or wife after a spat or a child who just got sent to her room for using the wrong one. Think before you speak.

Nobody’s game is perfect.

Just ask the New England Patriots after their stunning loss in this year’s Super Bowl. Even with a perfect record going in, they managed to lose the big one.

And that surprising loss can teach us this lesson: Don’t always be so sure of yourself. You can’t learn and grow if you’re absolutely sure your method of selling is the only way. Everybody’s game needs tweaking now and then.

Even if you’re getting good results, you may be surprised to find out that another method works even better. Or maybe you’re frustrated by bad numbers, but you haven’t tried anything new. Maybe it’s not your service or product. It could be the way you’re presenting it.

Whether you are selling by direct mail, e-mail, in person or by telephone, have two or three scripts ready to use. Try each of them out enough times to get results you can compare. Be sure to make each script different in a significant way so that you can zero in on what buyers like and don’t like.

Remember, there is no such thing as perfect–in football, in life or in sales. Put on your scientist hat today and have some fun experimenting!