Coffee’s For Closers!

Anyone that has ever taken a speech class, a communications 101 class or has made it through the sales training sessions of more than one retail establishment has probably heard the old communications dictate that says you should

1. Tell them what you will tell them
2. Tell Them
3. and Tell them what you told them

Well this month, I am living the paradigm with a slight shift in verbage that dictates that you should

1. Sell them on what you will sell them
2. Sell them
3. and Sell them on what you sold them

Looking at the two groups of phrases put together on a single page, it looks pretty obvious, but it strikes me that I have never heard anyone ever say it before.

If you haven’t heard anyone say that before either, drop me a comment. Its rare these days when anyone ever comes across an original thought or even a small innovation in the sales process.

I have been working on selling sales leads. 

Rather fitting for a site that has a tag line of Coffee’s for Closers don’t you think!

The thing is that to sell someone sales leads, you do have to instill in them the confidence that the leads you will generate and ultimately sell them are worth anything. 

1.  Sell them on what you will sell them

Then you have to actually gather up the leads and sell the things over, exchanging ownership and exacting just compensation.  No small accomplishment these days, almost as difficult as the actual sale even.

2.  Sell them

Then after you deliver, you have to confirm with the client and insure that they recognize the value and the timeliness of the sales leads that you have just sold.  You have to go in for that good strong close, re-establishing the personal connection that brought you the business and the sale in the first place.  The last thing you want is a cancellation, reversal, refund, rebate, discount request or a bad referral.  You have to go back and sell them all over again to insure that there is no buyers remorse and no buyers blame that the leads were crap to begin with.

3.  Sell them on what you sold them

In just a few days, I officially put my sales hat back on after a 3 year hiatus.  I started this website for some friends that work in sales several months ago.  I thought the site was a great idea back then and still do.  They got caught up in the day to day sales chase of things and haven’t really found the time to write.

I am heading to Las Vegas in pursuit of the infamous leads.  The Consumer Electronics Show is not an easy place to go to close a sale.  That doesn’t mean that its impossible or that you shouldn’t try to close a sale there.  But there are literally a million people, lights and whiz bangs and noises everywhere, scantily clad women, alcohol and more foot traffic congestion than St Patrick’s Day in Savannah.  (Similar number of people, except they get to fill up a town instead of a convention center). 

Then there is the rest of Las Vegas.  More drinks, gambling, shows, scantily clad women, tourists etc.  Its just plain difficult to get someone’s attention there and keep it!

I’ve tried lots of tactics there over the years.  Closing before the show, planning to close at the show, wining and dining till the wee hours in the morning, just to get up after an hour of sleep and hit the show to start all over again.

This time, however, I have the amplified power of social networks behind me.  I know how to reinforce a sale with social networks, keep in touch before during and after the show, and prevent those leads from getting cold.  So this year, I am going to the show to simply gather leads.

Gather as many Leads as I can gather in about 3 and a half days.  I’m heading out there packing my laptop, an air card, a camera, a video camera, a voice recorder and the ever important business card scanner.  The goal is to gather the leads and then organize, disperse, (even sell), those leads to close them over the next several weeks to come.  One thing that is a truism about the movie Glengarry Ross, there is power in leads.  Power not only in the use of the leads, but in controlling the leads themselves.  I’m going to work those leads from every angle imaginable!

Coffee’s for Closers’ is the product and brain child of two guys that have been in the sales field for a combined 15 years. Two salesmen, who believe that we are in one of the greatest professions, see ourselves as professionals and like to help others as they grow in the sales profession.

We have stories, we have advice, and we have ways of dealing with the everyday stress and negativity that comes with our “chosen profession”. We wish to share some of these with you in hopes to inspire you, make you laugh, make you mad, and maybe help you along your path down the ever changing sales highway.

The team: Tim K and Dave M. : Friends, professionals, peers, and business partners. There are many others in the background that will help and provide many things to help us.

Everyone counts on the support that comes from the many minds in the background. With the information that we are able to provide we can become that support for you.

We have many other goals that we have set. We share some of these as mutual goals and some that each of us will tackle on our own.

This was designed with you in mind and we hope that you are able to use.We will be adding a forum soon so that we can get more interaction with all of you.

Thanks-

T.K. & D.M.

If you don’t know the quote, watch the video first.