A Bucket Full of Holes

Posted on May 1, 2008 by Ari Galper

  From time to time, my live chat staff passes me intriguing messages from visitors on our website.
 
  This is one came in from John last week:

   “I have a role play interview coming up on Tuesday. During the role play, I'm expected to make an appointment as a result of a cold call on the phone. My problem is, how do I let go of the agenda of making the appointment, when without one, I'll be out of the interview without an offer. I understand that uncovering the truth is important, but since this is an ARTIFICIAL situation, I was hoping you could help me with a few suggestions.”

  I don’t respond to most of the random messages that come through my website because hundreds come in every week. I spend most of my time with private Unlock The Game clients.

  But this message was interesting. As I read it, it hit me that there was an underlying mindset conflict that needed to be addressed head on.

  So I analyzed it carefully and came up with some insights.

  I hope John reads this email before his Tuesday interview.

  I’ll tell you why in a moment.
 
 This poor guy is being asked to pretend he’s making a real call in front of a sales manager. This manager is probably looking for typical “salesperson” characteristics like:

  - A strong one-way sales pitch

  - A “take-no-prisoners” attitude

  - A strong aggressive voice

  - A relentless pursuit of the sale

  Oooh, that makes me cringe.

  The only way John is going to get the job is if he demonstrates what his interviewer expects.
 
  To his credit, he’s obviously studied some of the free material on my site.

  His intuition is telling him that getting to the truth of whether or not there’s a fit makes more sense than just trying to “close” a prospect.

  But he doesn’t see the profound clash between his interviewer’s expectations and what his gut is telling him to do.

  If he gets this job, he’ll probably be forced to behave in ways which conflict with his new beliefs about approaching people over the phone.

  He’ll probably end up chasing prospects and playing the “numbers game”.

  He’ll end up having to swallow rejection.

  I’ve seen this happened to thousands of well-intentioned sales people.

  Let’s look at John’s viewpoint and uncover the issues he’s struggling with.
 
   By asking me for a “few suggestions” John thinks he can put some Unlock The Game “patches” on old school selling and somehow make the combination work.

   That kind of thinking is like trying to fill up a bucket full of holes by pouring water into it.

   Trying to change conventional sales thinking, with a few “tips or suggestions” just won’t work. To make a fundamental shift in mindset, a person needs to be open-minded and willing to “let go” of entrenched sales habits.

  A supportive environment and community of like-minded people who are open to change is needed to make that transformation.

What John Can Do

   He could join the crowd and continue clinging to old school sales guru thinking. That’s what most people do.

  Alternatively, he could totally root out his old school attitudes and behaviors.

   He could be true to himself. If he believes that focusing on the prospect’s truth makes more sense than railroading people into a “yes”, he needs to commit to developing the necessary skills to do just that.

  John has to make a living, like the rest of us. I respect that.

  If he wants to, he can “play the game” with his interviewer to get the job. Once he’s working, he could use the Unlock the Game approach with his prospects over the phone.

  He’d probably have to do it quietly at first. Later on, after he gains more sales traction and proves that what he’s doing is working, he can let his manager and peers know what he’s been doing.

  Some people might think I’m suggesting that he be a “phony” on his new job by “going covert” in this new work setting.

  It’s just the opposite.

  The truth is that “going covert” would allow him to clear a little private space for himself.

  Then he could cultivate his new skills in peace. Sooner or later, he’d be ready to play an open hand.

  If John wants to master this new approach, he’ll need support.

  And we’ll be here to help him.

  He would be welcome to get that support as a member of the Unlock The Game Inner Circle.

  Thousands of sales people have successfully “come out on the other side” by choosing this path -- and their results and peace of mind is proof of that.

 To your success,

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Sales Language: "Follow-Up" -- Good or Bad?

Posted on April 15, 2008 by Ari Galper

   If there is one phrase that exemplifies the typical sales person the most, it's the phrase "follow-up".

  You probably use that phrase instinctively, without even thinking about it, especially when you call your prospects after your initial conversation with them.

 Until now, you probably never questioned that phrase.

  But I bet, if you've only been exposed to traditional sales thinking, then my guess is none of the sales books you've read or CDs you've listened to, ever explained why "follow-up" is a phrase that should be banned from your vocabulary.

  You see, the traditional "sales gurus" would think it incomprehensible to question that phrase -- because they only operate from a sales mindset of what they themselves have been exposed too.

  When you begin to understand that your enemy to making the sale is actually hidden pressure within the sales process -- then you start looking for ways to remove that pressure.

  Now I'm not talking about overt sales pressure you might experience on a used car lot.

  I'm talking about covert pressure imbedded in the words and phrases you use with your prospect.

  And you very well know, that it's human nature to retreat, physically and mentally, when pressure comes our way.

  As pressure relates to selling, what happens is your prospects throw up their mental "wall" when they feel you're not connecting with them or understanding the truth of what they are thinking.

  And when you come from a mindset of focusing on "going for the sale" instead of going for the TRUTH -- of whether the sale exists or not -- then it becomes virtually impossible to detect  words and phrases you use that contain sales pressure.

  So why is the phrase "follow-up" so counter-productive to selling and what pressure-free replacement can you use in its place, to get to the truth of what's on your prospect's mind?

Why The Phrase "Follow-Up" Works Against You

  Using the phrase "follow-up" works against you because it triggers subtle pressure by creating forward momentum that you hope brings YOU closer to what you want, the sale.

  But what if your prospect isn't ready to go down your sales path?

  If he's not, then you're calling to "follow-up" becomes transparent for "let's move you down my process so I can make the sale".

  In most cases, that's in direct conflict with what he's wanting to do when you call.

  You see, when you expand your mindset to understand that it's infinitely more pragmatic to get to the truth of whether your prospect REALLY wants to buy from you, then you cut out having to endlessly chase until you find out the sale was never going to happen.

  That's a painful state of realization that most people in sales discover AFTER stressful cycles of thinking their sole mission is to chase prospects in order to make a sale.

  Selling certainly doesn't have to tangle you up in a web of frustration.

  Now that we know that your NEW goal of the truth makes better sense than chasing and exerting pressure to make the sale happen, here's what you can use to connect with your prospect to help them feel safe telling you the truth of what they are thinking:

  "Hi John... I'm just giving you a call to see what your THOUGHTS might be since we spoke last about your [enter their problem here]... and to see if any questions may have come to mind?"

  Notice you aren't trying to get him to think about moving forward, possibly triggering resistance if he isn't ready?

  Instead you're going BACK to the previous discussion you both had together.

  Now, you'll find that if your initial conversation was focused on a problem that affects him, and you entered that conversation with a mindset of being humble and a "problem-solver" -- instead of a "salesperson" -- then in most cases you'll hear the TRUTH of what he's thinking.

  But if your initial conversation started with a sales pitch that didn't allow him to feel you care and really understand the depth of his issue as it relates to your solution, then he may simply say "No none at this time."

  Hmmm... that certainly is telling isn't it?
 
  How well your prospect really trusts you and feels comfortable with you, directly correlates to your ability to make more sales without having to be someone you're not.

  There is a slew of other counter-productive phrases that you may be using unknowinglythat puts you in the wrong place with your prospect.

  You can learn more about those phrases, begin to expand your mindset toward success without sales frustration -- and join a like-minded community of successful people who believe trust is the key to business success here:

  http://www.UnlockTheGame.com/InnerCircle

  To your success,

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Whispers in the Airport Lounge

Posted on March 27, 2008 by Ari Galper

Dear friend,

  I'm just sitting here in the Quantas Business Class lounge waiting for my flight to leave from Sydney to Los Angeles.

  It starts boarding within an hour or so.

  This is my bi-annual 2-week trip back to the US each year that I take to upgrade my direct marketing skills and to visit my sister and dad in Los Angeles.

  When I moved to Sydney a few years ago, my wife Michelle agreed my travelling back to the US twice a year made sense as a way to consistently invest in my long term marketing skills.

  I'm going to be attending Yanik Silver's Underground Online Seminar in LA and then Dan Kennedy's and Bill Glazer's GKIC Superconference in Nashville.

  Now what prompted me to write you this is the conversation I mistakenly overheard by two guys sitting about three sofa couches away from me.

  I was sitting here catching up on some personal reading  that I set a aside for this trip and my ears perked up when I started over-hearing their conversation -- which wasn't hard to do since it was particularly quiet in the lounge.

  They were clearly both in sales because they were discussing a deal they were trying to close and most likely were partners in a business or worked for the same company. 

  They were saying things like "We need to make a stronger pitch...", "We need to show them more value", "We've got to figure out how to be more persuasive" -- in other words, we've got to sell better.

  You could sense the frustration in their voices.
 
  It was a feeling like they weren't doing enough to make their potential client see things their way -- and they were blaming themselves.

  And you could tell they probably invested a lot of money and time in this deal.

  It's almost like they pulled every trick out of their "sales hat" -- but from their view, which clearly was about changing their potential client's position to theirs, they were stuck.

  Now you could imagine as I was hearing this, more than a few opinions entered my mind about their situation -- that if implemented, could probably help them see the truth of why they were stuck and what to do about it.

  And boy did I want to step in and hang out with them for a while, but there wasn't enough time.

  Because in the next 15 minutes or so, my flight was going to be called and I wanted to get this out of my mind so it didn't stir inside me the next 13 hours on the plane.

  So what I'll do here is briefly share with you why I believe they are "stuck" and why most likely, it's their own sales mindset that's the culprit.

  You see, their mental view of selling is clearly focused on getting their prospect to see things THEIR way.

  When you think from that position it disconnects you from your potential client's view of the world, which IS more important than yours.

  Because your ability to draw a short line from your thinking to theirs is the quickest route to determining if you're a fit or not.

  If your line is long and going in different directions, your prospect is going to feel you don't truly understand their needs from THEIR perspective.

 And if there is one thing I've learned from coaching thousands of sales people and business owners over the years, it's that the most direct route to building trust with a prospect -- getting to the truth of whether the sales really exists or not -- is connecting directly to their current problems (not future ones) so they feel understood.

  And by getting to the truth early on in the sales cycle, you completely avoid feeling "stuck" and blaming yourself that you should be better at selling.

  NEW SHIFT: The sale is lost at the BEGINNING of the sales process and not at the end -- contrary to the mantras of the traditional sales gurus.

  Things those guys most likely did:

  1. Entered the deal focusing on THEIR goal of trying to "close the sale" for their purposes of "winning" a new account

  2. Focused on presenting, pitching and telling the benefits and features of why the prospect should choose them

  3. Never thought of converting their benefits and features into "problem-statements" that their prospect could connect with  and directly relate to

  4. Followed a linear traditional sales model that assumes if they take the next step, their prospect will follow

  5. Unknowingly applied a level of sales pressure along the way triggering their prospect to put up a "wall" to protect themselves from being sold to

  Things those guys could have done:

  1. Entered the relationship not making any assumptions and conveying that their goal was to help solve specific problems and not to persuade them to make a decision (this takes the pressure off)

  2. Focused on going deep into the world of their prospect, almost as if they worked side-by-side, so that they could see the world from their prospect's point of view

  3. Used languaging and phrases that replaces pressure-based sales and abstract language like "follow-up" and "value"

  4. Allowed their prospect to create the "next step" so they don't feel taken down the road to be "closed'

  5. In every conversation with their prospect, being sensitive to subtle pressure being conveyed over the phone or in-person, prompting acknowledgement by saying "does that make sense?", and listening closely so that they feel sincerely cared about

  The world has changed, trust is a rare commodity -- learn how to create it and you'll never have to worry about being "stuck" on a deal again.

  Gotta catch my flight...

  Feel free to post your comments below.

  To your success,

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Perry Marshall Digs Out The Truth Behind Phone and Internet Selling

Posted on March 4, 2008 by Ari Galper

  The other day, I was taking my usual walk around Watsons Bay, a scenic peninsula near my home in Sydney, and my Ipod skipped to a recording that Perry Marshall and I did a while back.

  As I started listening to it, it hit me that this is a recording that needs to get out to the broader business community.

  If you don’t know who Perry Marshall is, he’s considered the authority on Internet Marketing -- based on an approach of treating a visitor or prospect as a human being, not just a sale.

  Sound familiar?

  Yes, Perry and I are pretty much on the same wavelength about our business philosophies -- treating people as human beings and not as targets to take advantage of.

  Unfortunately, that way of conducting business is still a rarity these days as more “go for the quick buck” entrepreneurs proliferate, but it’s certainly a solid place to be – especially if you’re someone who believes creating real trust with others is the key to long term success.

  This call you’re about to listen to if you wish, contains new insights about my selling philosophy, useful strategies of what to say in certain selling scenarios, and even elements of my website that make it much more successful than other’s in my field.

  Perry is a sharp yet sometimes skeptical Internet Marketer, so he didn’t hold back in grilling me (he usually doesn’t) on every position that I took – and I revealed a lot more than I normally would about the inner workings of how I run my business.

  There are also deep insights into my Unlock The Game Mindset revealed, giving you strategies to implement in your daily selling life.
 
  Grab a pen and notepad, there should be quite a few “nuggets” of ideas you can take from the call to apply to your business.

  Here it is:

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YouTube Video -- The Story Behind Unlock The Game

Posted on February 25, 2008 by Ari Galper

   If there is one question I get asked most often, it’s “What’s your personal story behind your Unlock The Game sales approach and what was the defining moment that brought it to life?”
 
  Seems lot’s of folks naturally lean towards a no-pressure sales process, but not many have been able to articulate the framework for doing it, including a principled-based mindset with sincerity-based words and phrases to back it up.

 The defining story starts with a fateful conference call that I led about seven years ago when I was managing a team of 30 sales people.

  This conference call, with a very large potential client, started out as the “dream sales call”...until something dramatic happened when I accidentally hit the “mute” button instead of the “off” button at the end our call.

 That’s when I listened into a secret conversation that I wasn’t supposed to have heard – that fateful conference call was the beginning of Unlock The Game.
 
  Here’s my story:

   To your success,

  

Bait and Switch, Selling and Telling the Truth

Posted on February 6, 2008 by Ari Galper

Dear friend,

  The other day, Sharon who is my long-time trusted “gatekeeper” covering our live chat box on our site, sent me this chat conversation she had:

  Now normally, any leads that come from our chat box (which by the way, is a major profit channel for our business), are handled by one our staff members. And if the lead turns into a large opportunity requiring my input, then I’m made aware of it.

  But this particular day when Sharon had this chat conversation, all of our team members were busy on the phones and I just happened to be available for a few minutes, so I decided to call this person back to see what they had in mind.

  As always, as I picked up the phone to call him, I kept my mindset in check by not making any assumptions about where the call might go.

  So I called and reached him on the phone and the first thing he says to me is, “Ari, I’ve been on your site for an hour now and have listened to your audio seminar and just love your philosophy of not pitching, being authentic and creating a conversation rather than trying to just ‘close’ someone.”

  So I’m thinking to myself, “Well, here’s someone who really ‘gets it’ and will truly be a success story if he decides to come on board with our program.”

  After a few minutes of talking about how much he resonates with the Unlock The Game Mindset, he starts pitching me his company’s online marketing services.

  I was a bit startled by the “flipping” of the direction of the conversation, especially since he gave me the impression that the idea of “pitching” was exactly what he was trying to get away from.

  He said “You really NEED to have a conversation with my manager because you don’t know what you’re missing in terms of how we can help you grow your online business. We have all the latest technology of how to bring you more visitors to your website that I’m sure you don’t have.”

  He continued on without allowing me to say a word “...It will only be a 10 minute call with us, you really don’t know what you’re missing.”

  As he was saying all of this, he was raising the volume of his voice and accelerating the momentum of his speech, putting immense pressure on me -- making me feel like I was being “cornered” with no where to go.

  After he paused for a moment, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and asked him to give me some examples of the online technologies that he says I was “missing”.

  He started listing them one-by-one.

  As it turns out, I’ve been using everything he said I was “missing” for the last few years in my business.

  (I’ve been online for 7 years now, so I’m pretty up-to-date on the latest internet breakthroughs).

  After I told him I’m already using everything he listed, instead of backing down, he started to get more aggressive trying to “overcome” the fact that we were obviously not a fit.

  He started using aggressive sales tactics designed to make me feel like if I had any decency, I should close my business and start again: “Ari you have no idea what we can do for you...you just aren’t understanding what I’m saying...we have a “guru” on staff you need to talk to...we work with your competitors and you’d be making a BIG MISTAKE by not talking with us.”

  He keep going and going and getting more aggressive with every word -- creating a massive barrier between us and making me feel very agitated.

  Finally I said to him “Look, you began this call with saying you hate people who try to pitch you and you want to learn to break away from being rejected on the phone. Yet, you continue to do EXACTLY what you are trying to get away from. You aren’t LISTENING to me. You’re talking yourself into trying to make me say ‘YES’.”

  Hoping that would knock some sense into him, I waited to see if he’d back down so we can at least end our call in a pleasant manner.

  Not a chance. He came at me even HARDER.

  I was completely shocked by his in ability to connect with me.

  It was like he was a ROBOT given instructions to pursue his mission regardless of the casualties along the way.

  Finally, I decided I had been as reasonable as I could and I said to him “You know what, I’m going to hang up the phone if we can’t end this in a pleasant manner.” Which is something I haven’t done for years.

  After I said that, he tried to overcome that “objection” also.
 
  I hung up the phone, feeling a pain in my stomach....that’s how much this call affected me.

  Here was someone coming from the completely OPPOSITE mindset of what I teach in my program.

  And someone who really needed to “detox” to come to his senses, so he could understand what he was doing to other people and how many sales he was losing because of it.

  Here’s the world he lives in:

  - Feeling completely comfortable having a hidden agenda while pretending to be really listening
 
  - Being numb to the destructive manner in which he is treating other people

  - Happy to “dominate” his conversations because that’s how he thinks selling should be

  - And no qualms or ethical struggles with using a “bait and switch” tactic, giving me the initial impression that he was interested in making a change in his sales approach, then using that as a technique to get me to listen to his pitch.

 Sad isn’t it.

  In a day and age when what we need most is trust and connectedness between other human beings, here’s someone whose been trained to completely disregard that in pursuit of his own goal.

  People like him (and there are thousands of others just like him) continue to buy the books and tapes of the old-school sales “gurus” who continue to teach that it’s perfectly acceptable to treat your prospects as puppets to control and take advantage of.

  Funny thing is, we have hundreds of old-school trained sales people making the transformation into the Unlock The Game way of sales success all the time.

  And they have two things in common:

  1. They are open-minded

  2. And are willing to “let go” of their old notions of what they believe selling is

  Those two, what I call “success ingredients”, are what it takes to experience tremendous sales success while at the same time creating genuine trust with others...and feeling a lot better about yourself.

  To your success,

  

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