The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople

Stephan Schiffman

• Publisher: Adams Media
• Year: 2008
• Print ISBN: 9781598697575
• eBook ISBN: 9781440501128
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Business General

Now you can join the hundreds of thousands of salespeople who have followed Stephen Schiffman's advice and watch your performance soar. Schiffman lets you in on the industry's best-kept secrets.

Learn how to convert leads to sales, motivate yourself and motivate others, give killer presentations, and keep your sense of humor.

This new edition includes:

• New examples using the latest advances in sales presentation technology
• Up-to-date cases of these successful habits in action
• Five bonus habits showing readers how to overcome mistakes, set sales timetables, and reexamine processes to shore up weaknesses

If you're a salesperson looking to succeed, this is the book for you!

Quick Reference Summary

HABIT #1

If it doesn't work, fix it

There's no sense in perpetuating a bad habit just because you've always done it that way. Step away, re-examine your process, and figure out ways to shore up your weaknesses.

HABIT #2

Communicate the message that it is sound business to trust you

Don't cut corners at the expense of your own credibility — it's one of your most powerful weapons. Develop leadership skills. Build mutually beneficial long-term partnerships.

HABIT #3

Ask the right questions

Ease in with simple questions that get the prospect talking about himself, then move on to the past, the present, and the future — complementing each with why and how. Use middle-ground questions when appropriate, but beware of overreliance on them. You must take responsibility for keeping the cycle moving forward.

HABIT #4

Take the lead

Tell the prospect where you are at any given point in the sales cycle. Don't be afraid to steer the conversation in the direction you want it to go. If there are questions or problems, you'll hear about them — and that's what you want! When in doubt, take the initiative in a calm, professional manner.

HABIT #5

Listen, learn, and lead

The smarter you are, the better able you are to lead customers where you want them to go. Information is power, so dig deeply. Mine your prospects' knowledge, and use it to create sales.

HABIT #6

Engage the prospect

Don't play ping-pong — work from the unique set of verbal and nonverbal cues your prospect will supply. Discuss that with which you are comfortable and familiar. Discuss the surroundings. “Lean in” when the prospect begins to talk about himself. Show care by really caring.

HABIT #7

Find key requirements

“Find a need and fill it” has its limits. For most of us, the day of relying exclusively or primarily on first-time customers has passed. Find requirements you can fill among those sought-after, qualified buyers who know full well that the choice is theirs.

HABIT #8

Know the sales timetable

Do you know when to make a concerted pitch? Work backward from when your customer needs your product or service. Figure in the time it takes you to deliver. Then add on your usual sales time.

HABIT #9

Convert the leads that “fall into your lap”

The sale you deserve? Maybe. But take the time to establish a relationship and find out what's going on. Then ask to set up an in-person appointment. Don't assume you've got a sure thing!

HABIT #10

Know how to make your product or service fit somewhere else

Does what you sell work in only one way? Or can you make it serve some new function?Can you present it in a different light?

HABIT #11

Pretend you're a consultant (because you are)

Don't improvise. If you need to take time out to come up with a workable solution, do so. Solving problems is the name of the game-and you have to listen before you can come up with a solution.

HABIT #12

Ask for the next appointment while you're on the first visit

This is perhaps the simplest, easiest-to-follow piece of advice in this book. Don't make excuses — make appointments!

HABIT #13

Take notes

Taking notes during your meeting with the prospect helps you listen, puts you in a position of authority, encourages your prospect to open up, and sends positive signals.

HABIT #14

Create a plan with each new prospect

It may be routine to you, but the prospect has never gone through the sales cycle with you before. Produce ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction to the Third Edition
• Introduction
• If It Doesn't Work, Fix It
• Communicate the Message that It Is Sound Business to Trust You
• Ask the Right Questions
• Take the Lead
• Listen, Learn, and Lead
• Engage the Prospect
• Find Key Requirements
• Know the Sales Timetable
• Convert the Leads that “Fall into Your Lap”
• Know How to Make Your Product or Service Fit Somewhere Else
• Pretend You're a Consultant (Because You Are)
• Ask for the Next Appointment While You're on the First Visit
• Take Notes
• Create a Plan with Each New Prospect
• Ask for Referrals
• Show Enthusiasm
• Give Yourself Appropriate Credit
• Tell the Truth (It's Easier to Remember)
• Sell Yourself on Yourself
• Start Early
• Read Industry Publications (Yours and Your Clients')
• Support Your Visit the Next Day
• Give Speeches to Business and Civic Groups
• Pass Along Opportunity When Appropriate
• Take Responsibility for Presentations that Go Haywire
• No One Wakes Up and Says, “I'm Going to Be Stupid Today”
• The Customer Isn't Always Right
• Be Honest with Yourself about the Nature of the Firm You Work For
• Tell Everyone You Meet the Name of the Company You Work For and What You Sell
• Keep Your Sense of Humor
• Quick Reference Summary
• About the Author
• Schiffman's 25 Sales Series