In the last post we talked about making first contact with your prospective big fish and how to make a positive first impression. Today we’re going to talk about feeling out the personality of your prospective big fish to match the right salesperson to the fish.
You need to do this in two steps:

1. Profile your salespeople’s personalities.
2. Match the right salesperson to your target fish.

There are essentially three different selling personalities:
·       Sage
·       Pal
·       Pit Bull
 
The Sage
This salesperson offers knowledge, experience, comfort and trust. They can make a concerned customer feel at ease. In order to be successful they need plenty of information, a demo of the product/service, references and case studies, if possible.

The Pal
Much like it sounds this is a salesperson that shines at building relationships. They can instantly relate to the prospective client and make them seem like old friends in no time. They work best with clients who are looking for friendship, information and in a similar peer group as the salesperson. This can include anything from age and culture to hobbies and nightlife. While, sharing experiences can be beneficial to creating a new relationship, your salesperson must always keep it professional and dignified. The resource’s this personality type needs is help pairing with the right client, entertainment (or schmoozing) budget and the right information to meet the client’s needs.

The Pit Bull
Obviously, this personality type is a little more aggressive than the others. They are all about business and the bottom line. While this may seem harsh to a lot of people, there is a set of business people out there that want the same thing and respect someone who can get down to business and the benefits of a partnership. This salesperson will need to be trusted with a little authority as they will likely be closing deals on the spot. They’ll need plenty of resources and access to products and services. They are best placed in environments where they can work independently, exercise their authoritative discretion and seal deals quickly.
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These can all be successful when each is used in the right selling environment. You can easily see how matching the right salesperson for the client can secure more big fish and for a longer period of time.

If you need help figuring out which of your salespeople fit into these three areas, try our FREE test drive and work with one of our amazing coaches to get your big fish plan in action.

I first heard the truism "People buy emotionally and justify with logic" from Tom Hopkins in what must have been the mid-70's.  He had gotten it from J. Douglas Edwards I suspect in the 50's and I frankly dismissed it as another tired, old, bumper sticker bromide that had little value to me or anyone in sales.  That was my first mistake.


When you think about that statement, if it is true, (and it is) what it means is that every time any human gives up anything to get something they want, it is always for an emotional payoff.  


Just because the payoff is in the form of a feeling or an emotion, it doesn't mean we recognize it or even see it coming when it happens.  Like putting water on a toothbrush either before or after you put the toothpaste on, has long since been relegated to a habit, one you no longer consciously think of when doing it in the mornings, many of our feelings or emotions are now habits of thought.

Diving much deeper into this conversation leads us to the book "Emotional Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman and I don't intend to get off track that way.  Suffice to say that in the nerve transmitters in our brain, what we think and what we feel are almost simultaneous and definitely connected.  What we think about leads us to what we feel and remember, many of our thoughts are habitual.

So one day I had this wild haired notion. I have lots of them and many just go away on their own.  Every once in a while one takes root and I have to chase it down to understand it.  In this case the thought was, "if we created computers in our own image, and the lowest level programmable operating system of a computer was the binary code, what would the binary code for a human be?"  Well fess up, that is not the kind of thought you want to move into an altered state and begin trying to figure out, is it?

Well, remember that bromide earlier?  "People buy emotionally and justify with logic?"  Apparently the binary code of a human operates at the emotional level.  So what 2 emotions would make up the lowest level of programmable human behavior?  And if I can find those two things, how does that help me?

The first answer, the binary code of human behavior is simply this; "People always move to a feeling of being loved or lovability, and always away from the fear of loss of love or lovability."  When we buy something, when we give up something we own in order to get something we want, it is always for the feeling of being loved or to avoid the fear of losing love.  Wait you say, that can't be.  I don't feel those things at all.  


It is easy to fight the notion when we don't recognize those feelings as motivation to action and it is almost impossible to ever recognize those feelings in the moment because of that other thing we talked about, habits of thought.  It doesn't mean they are not there, it simply means that we don't see them come and go.  However, once we accept that this thought / feeling / love / fear thing is going on inside our psyche, then we can begin the process of reverse engineering our thinking.  By observing our emotions, or our buyers emotions, we can actually begin reading what they are thinking.


So you tell me, is that a powerful thought or what.  How powerful a force for change can we be by simply understanding what our prospects are feeling and thinking?  Just for a moment, beyond revenue, into changing everything that is important to you from people you love to the community you live in how much more can you make this a better place to live.


Sales people spend their entire lives getting better at creating change, there is no one better prepared to lead the charge to create change that has real value.  Understanding the binary code for human behavior can step up the horsepower.  Use it in good health, and for healthy good.

Respectfully submitted,
​Michael D Goodman

​In the last post, we talked about how to learn about your big fish and prepare for the first contact you’ll make with them. This first contact is essential to your success. You need to instill confidence in them. They need to know you can fulfill exactly what you are offering on time, at a good price, and at the quality, you promise.
Today we’ll actually go through the big approach and how to make that perfect first impression. Before you put together your approach plan, you need to choose which big fish you’re going after. Take a look at your notes and the research you’ve done about prospective fish. Then decide which one will be the easiest approach to start out with.
There are a series of things to go through in choosing which fish to start with. They are:

• Position Your Business
• Compile Your Hit List
• Select the Best Target

Position Your Business
You need to position your business to make the first move by listing your revenue streams, your operational procedures, where your fish is initially positioned, your big-customer research, and putting it all together.
Compile Your Hit List
Start with a list of all the companies you’ve been considering. Then narrow it down to the ones who know could use your products or services. Don’t overlook obvious choices, whether they are big or small. Even small companies could be big fish in the future.
Select the Best Target
Once you’ve got your list narrowed down, you need to decide which one is the best fish to start with. You need to consider a couple of things:

• Which have the most purchasing resources to spend?
• Does their company vision complement yours?
• What are their employee incentive programs as they relate to your products/services?
• What’s the company’s real need for you?
• Will the partnership lead you off-course?

Now you should have a target in mind to start with. It’s time to plan your approach and execute that plan.
Here’s the step-by-step plan to help you make a good first impression:

1. Build and analyze your database. Divide your leads into three different categories: hot leads, great fits, and secondary leads.
2. Send out introductory mailings to your target to introduce yourself, your company, services, products, and vision. They need to be short, clean, and concise.
3. Follow up with your first phone call 2-3 days after they would have received the mailings. During the phone call find out whom you need to be speaking with in the future and try to set up a meeting with the right person.
4. Follow up your phone call with another mailing that thanks them for taking the time to speak with you and offer more details about your products/services. Use this letter as an opportunity to set up a meeting to do a presentation.
5. Follow up the letter with another phone call a couple of days after they would have received the letter. This phone call is to help you further develop your relationship with the prospective client. You should also be able to set up a presentation meeting with them.
6. Call again a week later if they haven’t agreed to a meeting or presentation. Ask if they received your creative letter (the second one) and if they have a minute when you can stop by and introduce yourself in person.

Now, don’t be upset if you don’t seal the deal right away. Some people simply take a little longer to woo. This can all be a little intimidating at first, but when you know you are offering a quality product/service, you can’t go wrong.
Once you’ve gone through this process and made first contact (and hopefully a good first impression) it’s time to put your best face forward, which means sending the right salesperson to seal the deal.
If you need help putting together your approach and making a good first impression, try our FREE test drive to work with a coach and have access to a wealth of great resources and tools.

In the last post we started our series on catching big clients, or “fish”, that will sustain your business over the long run. Today we’re going to take that a step further by talking about how to understand and think like a big fish company and how that can help you plan your approach and find success.

Before you can start the process of landing big clients, you have to make sure your entire team is onboard with your approach and vision. There are six keys to finding big client success. They are:

1. First Impression: You must remember you have one shot to land a big client. If you make a mistake, they aren’t going to consider you again. Never give them a reason to doubt your abilities.
2. First Priority: Your fish must always feel like they are your first priority. Returns calls and emails immediately and find solutions to their problems or questions as quickly as possible.
3. Flexible: You need to be flexible in your negotiations. If they need a special service or for you to customize a product, say yes for the benefit of the long term. A little hassle now will be a big pay off later.
4. Long-term: This goes along with the last one a bit. As you are approaching and negotiating with big fish you need to think about the long term benefits for your business. If you go for a ones-time big score you will lose their interest.
5. Have Fun: Work should be fun, even when trying to land big clients. In fact, this should be the most fun. You are sharing your vision with new people and including them in your future success and likewise. People simply work better in a fun, happy environment. Your passion will also be contagious and pull the fish into your vision even more.
6. Help Them: If you take just a little bit of time and offer your clients ways to save money or time by introducing them to potential business partners, this will show you really are invested and interested in their business. Strive to find balance between your business needs and your client’s needs.

There are also a few tactics you can use to bring in a big-company vision to the people on your team. You can:
·       Post these six keys for all to see.
·       Put together a performance based incentive program.
·       Conduct frequent team meetings.
·       Use a “right now” policy that dictates big fish calls be answered immediately.
·       Offer awards/recognition for big-company ideas and executions.
·       Put together a training and certification program based on the six keys above.
 
These 6 keys and tips will help you instill a big-company mindset through your company which will help you be more prepared and more likely to land your big fish. Once your team is thinking this way, you’ll be unstoppable.

If you need help putting together an incentive program or other way to push your team toward the big-company mindset, try our FREE test drive to work with one of our coaches or check out our resources and tools.
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