What is your personal sales record? What is the most that you have ever earned in sales? Write it down right now.

Now, what’s your record breaking goal? Write that down. Also, write down when you want to accomplish that goal. Now, put that record breaking goal and the date in front of you so that you see it everyday. Let me give you the three steps that will guarantee that you will break the record.

First, you must know it in order to break it. Sales records are developed, recorded in the books and then broken. Someone in your sales organization, business or in the same industry is the top earner. Find out what their check is per month and set a goal to break it. I broke records in every single network marketing company that I was involved in. How? I set the goal of being the top earner and the date of when I would achieve it. I got focused and did it!

If there’s no one for you to compete with in your industry, then strive to beat your own personal record. What is your personal sales record? What’s the most you ever earned? If you’re an independent contractor, what’s the highest 1099 filed? Find it out. Look at it, cross it out and commit to breaking that record. This works for anyone in sales and marketing.

Secondly, you must own it. Create a check of the exact amount that you want to earn by a certain date and put it somewhere so that you can see it everyday. One of my students wrote out a check for $7,000 and dated it three months out from that date. She posted a copy of that check everywhere so that she challenged herself everyday to break that record. She actually earned a check that was seventeen percent more than what the amount was on that check. Take action today and write down the exact amount you want earn 90 days from now.

Thirdly, understand that records are made to be broken. When Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile, within the next three years over twenty other people did it too. What happened? Did legs and feet get different? No. The mind believed that it was possible. Because one person did it, everyone else knew it was possible. Well, guess what? You can do it too. Find out the record numbers in your company or within your own sales and commit to breaking them by a certain date. You can do it! Don’t let any tell you that it’s impossible.

I’m in full agreement with you that you CAN break records. There is no doubt about it! Just set the date and break the record. Go for it!

Strategy #16 Champion Tip: Determine the most that you’ve ever earned on one sale and strive to break the record. Write out a check with the date that you believe that you will break that record and put it in a place so that you see it every day.

So, how do you handle that type of situation? You follow-up and maintain contact with them. You likely have their email address, phone number and mailing address so just keep them posted on what you are doing. No, don’t pester them. Just keep them in the loop. There’s a lady that tried to sell my wife some cosmetics, but Christie just wasn’t interested at the time. Since the initial presentation at the department store, the lady has mailed postcards to Christie to let her know about upcoming sales. She followed up with her after the initial presentation, and Christie has invested in the products from time to time.

Strategy #14 Champion Tip: Take the time to follow-up with your customer and prove to them that you believe in your product and you are dedicated to building your business.

Isn’t that awesome? That’s what happens when you commit to opening up long-term relationships with clients. It actually happened with me and my current broker. I didn’t
use his services initially, but he kept sending me information and caught my eye with some of his promos. It was nearly four years before I engaged in any type of business with him. I saw that he was committed to his business and believed that he would be just as committed to my business with him.

Are you committed? Will you quit? If you are going to quit in whatever product or service you are doing right now, just please quit now for the benefit of the other ethical, moral
champions involved in sales and marketing. Please quit now and let those who have a right to earn huge income do it when they have an ethical and moral product and/or service. BUT if you are truly committed to the process, then take action and start implementing the strategies that you have learned in this book to radically increase your sales ration and open up hundreds of long-term relationships.

Strategy #17 Champion Tip: Stay committed and follow-up on the relationships that you have opened up. You will build trust with them through your commitment of opening up long-term relationships and earn the right to do business with them.

These are two powerful words: Shut-up and listen. After you ask your open-ended, positive closing questions, you have to be silent. The cool thing is that if you rearrange the letters in the word “silent”, you will get “listen.” Further proving that the two go hand-in-hand. When you are actively listening, you are focused. You are not distracted or multi-tasking while your potential client is speaking. Multi-tasking equals multi-failing in this situation so don’t do it. You have to respect the client’s words and listen to what they really want in order to successfully close the sale and open a relationship.

Strategy #13 Champion Tip: Shut-up and listen to really hear the needs of your client and close the sale.

In my situation, I negotiated a great price with the realtor due to the fact that we did like something really great about house. But let me show you how the “You’re right about that” strategy would have worked for the realtor. After I told the realtor my thoughts about the view, he should have said: “John and Christie, you’re absolutely right about that. That is a gorgeous view and the sunsets are absolutely spectacular.”

Why would it benefit the realtor to make that statement during the sales process? He would have enhanced the one very thing that we absolutely loved about the house. Let me give you another example. You are in car sales and your buyer just drove the new BMW 5 series. You
can tell that she absolutely loves the car, but has some price objections. After the test drive, you ask her “What do you like best about the car?” She says something like “I love the way that it drives.” Your response begins with “You’re right about that.” Then you expound upon the unique driving style of the car and what she really likes best about it.

You see, we are moving through the successful sales process:

Opening

Presentation

Asking, “What do you like best about it?”

Listening to their answer

Agreeing with the buyer with “You’re right about that”

Focusing on the strengths of the product, service, business, etc.

Closing the sale with the paperwork that you have already prepared

Ultimately, creating a long-term relationship

Strategy #12 Champion Tip: Use “You’re right about that” enhance what the buyer really likes about the product.

Open-ended means that you are stating a question in a way that it is going to encourage a full answer. You aren’t going to allow your potential customer to get away with saying something like no, yes, uh-huh or any other answer that doesn’t give the opportunity to know exactly what they are thinking about your product, service, business, etc. This type of question also clearly lets the business prospect know that you are finished with your presentation, and it’s their turn to ask questions or voice concerns.

Let me give you a few examples for those of you that sell real estate: “John and Christie, what did you like best about the home?” do you see how that question empowers the buyer to not only answer the question fully, but also to focus on the positive things that they like about the house first? What you are doing is you are extracting, developing, and building from them a positive response. What if you would have said this instead: “John and Christie, what did you think about the home?”

That’s a horrible question! Why? Because most people “think” negative. You never want to ask anyone what they “think” about your product, service, business or whatever your selling. Those are weak words and don’t empower the buyer to do anything other than to complain.

After you ask the open-ended, positive question, you just listen to their response and then build off of that response to handle their questions and concerns. I already let the cat out of the bag in which it is likely obvious to you that the real million dollar closing question is “What did you like best about it?” You will just replace the “it” with whatever you are selling.

The next few strategies are short and sweet and tie together so make sure that you are taking notes and not skipping ahead on the reading.

Strategy #11 Champion Tip: Always use open-ended positive questions at the end of your presentation to empower your buyer to answer the question fully and in a positive manner.

Instead, use words like “I believe” or “When you invest in the package” or “What did you like best about it?” Did you see the flip switch there? The language went from questioning the sale to empowering the buyer to invest in the product/services. Every word that you say during your presentation has to be focused on closing the sale and opening up the relationship.

These are the top four closing/opening phrases that you must use at the end of your presentation:

• Let’s recap
• Let’s summarize
• Let me tie it all together for you
• With that said, do you have any questions?

No, you don’t use all of them at one time. You can just use one phrase to sum up your entire presentation for the customer.

Many of you have seen me use these same phrases in e-mails and at live events when I present my product offer from stage. It’s a closing strategy that brings it all together.
If you don’t have a recap after your presentation, you often lose key points in the mix of things. It’s also a great way to transition from your presentation to your close not matter what you are selling or who you are selling to.

I highly suggest that you record every single presentation that you do so you can listen to your words and hear what you sound like. You will be able to determine how effective you were in not only tying everything together, but also using positive keywords. Don’t make it so obvious to the client that’s listening. Just stick a recording in your briefcase so that you can hear yourself. Believe me. After you do this a few times, you will pick up on everything that you said that may have jeopardized your sale or relationship with the client.

Strategy #10: “With all that said, let’s recap. Let’s summarize. Let me tie it all together for you.” You are preparing for your closing and confident in what you have just presented.

What if I would have responded with a defensive mindset? “I don’t need their money anyway. I would rather keep my products, because they aren’t going to use them.” The chances of that person tying into my company resources and investing at a later date just flew out the door. Who wants to do business with someone that gets so defensive over another person’s decision not to do business at that time? More importantly, why would that person refer you to anyone else that is looking for the product/service that you have to offer with an attitude like that? For most people, it’s easy to get hot under the collar when a buyer is talking bad about a business that you believe in, but always remember the importance of opening those relationships. You can remain strong in your convictions about your business without completely ruining the sale. Just focus on the question or concern and address it with the reasons that you stand behind your product. You can even say something like, “That’s an excellent question.” If they say, it costs too much, then simply say, “I see you’re concerned about value?” Instead of giving off the feeling that you think they are just being cheap. Strive to satisfy their questions with your belief. Remember, if you don’t believe in what you are selling, then stop trying to sell it to others.

Strategy #9 Champion Tip: Maintain an offensive mindset that’s full of energy, excitement, focus and strength. When questions arise, get excited. Stand behind your business product/services and allow your belief to drive you to handle all questions and concerns.

I know that I can sell product that I believe in, and I mean anything – real estate, high-end cars, furniture, nutrition, kitchen cabinets, anything under the sun, etc. Give me a sales presentation to do, and I will outsell the number one salesman, I guarantee it. It’s not based on my knowledge of the product. The end result of the sale is all about my belief in myself, the product and the sniper sales process. I’m confident that I can show the plan, handle the objections, close the sale and open a relationship with the prospect. It’s not difficult. You just have to be laser-focused!

That’s why most salespeople never achieve any success, because they never get to the point. They just go on and on and on and on and on and on. Excuse my language, but I call it diarrhea of the mouth. By the time the salesperson is finished, the client has already decided not to invest in the product. All that useless information is highly ineffective and completely unnecessary.

You have to out-listen your competition. Since you know that most sales professionals talk too much, just make the decision to out-listen them. Listen to that potential client’s
questions and concerns like you are being told the biggest secret in the world. You have to have ears like Dumbo tuned into every word that they are saying. Of course, your ultimate goal is to outsell your competition, but you have to out-listen first and then your sales will skyrocket.

Strategy #8 Champion Tip: Become a sniper and focus on your target. Out-listen to outsell your competition.

Too many people in the sales process are worried about everything when they enter the room – “Will the client think my product is too expensive? Are they going to hate my presentation?” Stop it! Lose that mindset. If you’re questioning the value of what you are selling and you have to constantly defend it, then stop selling it. You have to fully believe in what you sell. That’s why I can sell personal self-development, I love it and I believe in it. It’s my product, and I use it daily.

Allowing yourself to become defensive when faced with objections, questions, or concerns in the sales process will decrease the likelihood that you will close the sale or open a relationship. You should embrace questions and concerns. Think about the last big investment that you made. Did you have questions and concerns? Of course, you did. It would be foolish not to ask questions or raise objections about a product or service that you are going to invest your money in. If you expect the questions and handle them with an offensive mindset, then your potential client will acknowledge that and feel comfortable doing business with you.