4 Sales Best Practices From the King of Sales, with Jeffrey Gitomer, Episode #67

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Few professionals in the sales industry are as influential as Jeffrey Gitomer, famously known as the King of Sales. Jeffrey is a world-renowned business coach, professional speaker, and the author of 13 books found on bestseller lists across the globe. He is a living example of how determination and desire can turn pipe dreams into reality. Jeffrey has developed a warrior attitude that can be connected to his own success and on this episode he shares his amazing mindset with you. I asked him to be my guest for this episode of #SellingWithSocial because I wanted to discover his sales best practices. Not only did he share his greatest insights, he did so with a level of ingenuity, honesty, and relatability that is not often seen. It’s a conversation that you don’t want to miss.

Having the Right Attitude Means Always Responding With a Resounding “Yes!”

Jeffrey and I start off our conversation by lamenting the fact that so many people go through life with a defensive or negative attitude. Too often people default to telling us what they CAN’T do rather than what they CAN do, especially when it comes to sales. Some of the best sales influencers Jeffrey knows always ask their customers, “Why don’t we try this instead?” rather than simply “No.” You’ll find that having a strong “Yes!’ attitude will greatly benefit both your professional career and interpersonal relationships.

What Should Be the Ultimate Goal For a Salesperson?

Gone are the days where the sales profession was only ever about making a sale with no regard to the impact it would have on the customer. This old guard way of thinking is often described as the “find the pain” sales tactic. It’s an antiquated practice and a disgrace to the sales profession. Unfortunately, that’s what many people still think of when they think of sales. Jeffrey is adamant about combating this mentality, which is why he tells people to consider finding the pleasure instead. The ultimate end goal for a salesperson is to identify with each prospect, become authentically relatable to them, and then use those connections to their advantage. It is only after that kind of connection has been made that a salesperson can convey and transfer the value message of a product or service to a customer.

Salespeople Should Do 3 Things - Attract, Engage & Connect

In the old days, when meeting with prospects you’d enter their office and look for something in common like “finding the big fish on the wall.” In other words, it was about finding commonalities between yourself and your prospect in order to build a sense of trust and connection. I asked Jeffrey, “How is a modern salesperson supposed to find the big fish when only 20-30% of meetings are face-to-face?” He responded by urging every modern salesperson to know the following about the other person prior to a sales call: their name, company, Linkedin profile, website, and basic Google search discoveries. If you’re not doing these 5 things you’re not setting yourself up for success. Another pro sales tip from the King of Sales... Use the company’s own language and content to get the attention of your prospect. Sometimes the big fish on the wall is something they’ve already produced and are proud of. These steps can be boiled down to 3 keywords: attract, engage, and connect. If you attract a sales prospect, engage with them on a personal level, and connect to things they perceive as valuable, your success rate will skyrocket.

Take Some Sales Best Practices From A 10-Year-Old Kid

What could 10-year-old kids and sales possibly have in common? Jeffrey explains to me that it’s the simple idea of a timeout. No longer relegated to elementary school classrooms, the psychological idea of a timeout can drastically improve your “Yes!” outlook on life and sales. It allows you to restart your thought process, break down what went wrong, and identify key changes to make during the next call or pitch. He also adds that injecting more fun and happiness into your sales routine will create an environment where sales best practices are easier to implement. Throughout his career, Jeffrey believes that people always want to interact with happy people. And if you’re asking yourself, “How can I balance professionalism and fun?” Jeffrey says you should always err on the side of being fun. Fun = relatable = more successful sales interactions.

Outline of This Episode [1:03] Jeffrey Gitomer, the King of Sales, is my guest for this episode of Selling With Social [4:15] Jeffrey shares his background and how he became the King of Sales [10:36] Having the right attitude means replying with a resounding “yes!” [14:18] Protection with harmony vs. protection of territory internally within a company [15:42] The perceived value of a customer & the ultimate goal of a salesperson [20:30] Everyone has a story. Find the heartfelt connections within those stories. [27:39] Turning childhood lessons into sales best practices [34:51] Review of the main best practices covered in this episode [37:02] Should sales influencers be writing content? Resources Mentioned Jeffrey’s website Jeffrey on YouTube Jeffrey on Twitter: @Gitomer Jeffrey on Facebook: @JeffreyGitomer Jeffrey on Linkedin Gitomer Learning Academy BOOK: Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness BOOK: The Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource, Revised Edition BOOK: Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude Jeffrey’s favorite book: Atlas Shrugged Another of Jeffrey’s favorite movies: A Thousand Clowns Social Business Engine Podcast - Bernie Borges Connect with Mario! www.vengreso.com On Facebook On Twitter On YouTube On LinkedIn

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