What To Expect

Willie Sutton, a a famous bank robber back in 1920’s, was once asked by a reporter “‘why he robbed banks’, he replied, ‘Because that’s where the money is’. His answer led to what became known as Sutton’s law: When diagnosing a problem or considering an action, you should choose the most obvious answer or direction first”. 

This quote is a great introduction to Jeb Blount’s, Selling in a Crisis, which walks us through how to transform adversity into an opportunity, and, how to fine-tune our sales skills.

Crisis or no crisis, Blount’s read is filled with valuable information to help you slay that sale every single day of the week.

Blount’s read teaches us how to invest in ourselves, combat objections, and manage our emotions. More often than not, the best path forward is the most obvious one.

So without further a do, here’s my hot take!

My Hot Take

According to Blount time is the greatest equalizer. And, he’s right! Every person regardless of where you live, what job you have, what your name is, who your parents are will have exactly 24 hours each day. No more, no less. The key, Blount says, “is getting your priorities straight and priority one is protecting the “Golden Hours” for selling”. The best advice I can give you on time management is this quote from Frenchman Nicolas Chamfort – “swallow a frog in the morning if you want to encounter nothing more disgusting for the rest of the day”. So what does this mean? Basically, figure out the one thing on your to do list that you want to do LEAST and then make sure you do this task first. After you cross this item off your list every task or challenge for the remainder of the day will seem easy in comparison. It will catapult you into a day of success, checking tasks off your list left and right. Nine times out of ten that task you were dreading won’t be half as bad as you expected. 

“When it’s time to go home, make one more call.” This is a rule that I actually live by as well. Blount recalls that, more times than he could count, the “one last call” turned into a big sale. Statistically, the more people you talk to the more you will sell, do the math it just makes sense. Blount also advises us to get creative and think outside the box – “Prospect day and night, anywhere and anytime” he says, and, “always be on the hunt for your next sale”. Remember – when it’s time to go home, make one more call. 

Did you know that there are “7 disruptive emotions that weaken you and impede your ability to sell effectively in a crisis”. Personally, I think that these disruptive emotions will weaken and impede you ability to sell crisis or not. I think it’s important to be aware of what these 7 disruptions are because while “disruptive emotions happen without your consent” you can choose how you respond and react. Blount states that “there is a big difference between experiencing emotions and being caught up in them”. So here they are:

1. Fear 

2. Desperation

3. Insecurity 

4. Need for significance

• “The mother of attachment, eagerness, and emotional weakness… You were on top, you were doing well, and now you feel like you are begging people to meet with you, buy from you, and continue to do business with you. This can make you feel small and insignificant, causing irrational behavior”. 

5. Attachment 

6. Eagerness 

7. Worry 

There’s one somewhat brutal truth about emotions in sales (and in life), “the person who exerts the greatest emotional control has the highest probability of achieving their desired outcomes.” 

Three Action Items You Can Start Using TODAY!

Action item #1 – “Invest in Yourself”

• Something I’m sure you have heard before is how important both physical and mental health are for your overall well-being. While we know this to be true – why do we continue to neglect our health? 
• Lucky for us, Blount has a list of 8 easy, actionable things you can do to invest in yourself, your health, and ultimately your career:

1. Block out 15 minutes on your calendar every day for professional reading.

2. Listen to an audiobook while you take a walk or exercise. 

3. Take an online course on Sales Gravy University. 

4. Listen to motivational and professional podcasts. 

5. Spend 10 minutes each day in silence for spiritual contemplation or prayer. Get focused and anchor your mindset. 

6. Exercise a minimum of 30 minutes every day. It doesn’t matter what you do. Just get up, get moving, and break a sweat. 

7. Eat a well-balanced diet and never skip breakfast. 

8. Go to bed early and get enough sleep.

Desire is essential to self-discipline, because discipline is the act of sacrificing what you want now for what you desire most.

Action item #2 – According to Blount there’s good news – “there are a finite number of potential prospecting objections. Typically, you’ll experience no more than 10-15 objections with 5 or fewer of these making up 80% of the bunch”. Some examples of the common objections include: “Just email the information,” “I’m too busy,” or, “We don’t have the budget for that”. 

Here’s an example of how Blount would handle such an objection: 

Prospect: “We don’t have a budget for that”

Sales Rep: “That’s what most people say before they learn that our programs are budget neutral. In fact, your competitor XYZ company installed our software last quarter and it has already reduced their wasted advertising expenses by 31% which is a 400% return on their investment.” 

Homework Assignment: Now it’s time to build your own script” – “Start with your top five prospecting objections. Craft objection turn-around scripts that sound authentic and natural coming from your lips”. 

Action item #3 “There is a truth in sales: your stakeholder’s emotional experience as they walk through the decision journey with you is a more consistent predictor of outcome than any other variable. In other words, it’s how you sell, not what you sell, that matters most. The tangible features and attributes of product, service, software, or solution are less important than how stakeholders feel about you.” 

This point made by Blount reminds me of a startling statistic referenced in my “Pageant’s + Sales” article, “while the prospect will only retain about 7% of what you  say they’ll actually retain 100% of how you handle yourself.” To find out how your prospect perceives you ask yourself these 5 simple questions.

1. Do I like me?

2. Would I listen to me?

3. Do I make people feel important?

4. Do I get people and their problems?

5. Would I trust and believe in me? 

Alright, extra credit, one final question I want you to ask yourself:

6. Do you follow through on your commitments and do you always show up on time?

My sales queens and kings, now that you’re finished with this article I want you to do a little homework assignment courtesy of Blount – “stop for a moment and look at yourself in the mirror. That person you see standing in front of you is a real superhero. Your cape is woven from the basics and fundamentals of selling, the willingness to do the hard things that most people won’t… So lift your shoulders up, stick your chin out, and be proud. Look forward, not backward. Stay focused. Be persistent. Remain relentless. And always trust your cape”.