Overcoming Bad Habits to Become a Wildly Successful Salesperson

It’s time for you to be really honest with yourself: are you afraid of hearing “no” when you try to sell – and is that fear preventing you from becoming a great salesperson? In this episode, our guest is Warren Greshes, an expert in the areas of sales, personal and professional development, leadership development, and employee motivation. He has addressed corporate and association audiences all over the world, and Bridgestone/Firestone, Hewlett Packard, Monsanto, and Coca-Cola are among his many corporate clients. He has also spoken in front of some of the world’s largest and most prestigious organizations, including The Million Dollar Round Table, The National Association of Realtors, and Sales and Marketing Executives International.

In our conversation, Warren reveals how to be a successful salesperson, and how most people are not good at sales because they are afraid of rejection. He breaks down why activity goals are more important than sales goals and why you should never walk out of an appointment without a conclusion. Warren encourages you to stop thinking about the sale itself and instead focus on the client’s needs and how your product or service will benefit them.

Transcript

[00:01 – 07:39] Opening Segment

• Warren shares his background and work

A world-renowned expert on sales, leadership development, and employee motivation
• How to become a great salesperson

Stop being afraid, start believing in your product or service

[07:40 – 28:22] What You Need to Be a Successful Salesperson

• Most people are not good at sales simply because they’re afraid someone’s going to say no

The key to being successful in sales is to have a positive mindset and believe in your product
• It’s important to remember that you’re not just selling paper goods – you’re selling service as well

• Salespeople need to be motivated to keep up the activity necessary to reach their sales goals

How and why dialing the phone is one way to generate activity

[28:23 – 42:23] Salespeople Must Be Aware of the Changes in Social Media

• Make sure to have goals, write them down, and set realistic goals

• Salespeople have to be aware of how technology has changed

Social media is not selling; it is marketing
• The main goal of social media should be to get your company’s name and product out there

Build name recognition and marketing for your company
• Sales should be approached in a way that shows respect for the customer by providing quality and value

[42:24 – 51:10] Closing Segment

• Understand your unique selling point and what sets you apart from other salespeople

• Warren on the rapid-fire questions

• Q&A: What type of salesperson should I be looking to hire?

Practical Pointers

To be successful in sales, you need to be either the cheapest or the best - and you’re much better off being the best, because someone else will probably sneak in and be even cheaper.

Activity goals are more important than sales goals. By boiling things down to the activities that you alone can control - like making sure that you dial the telephone a certain number of times a day - you are much more likely to make the money you want without getting dejected whenever a potential client says no.

Never walk out of an appointment without a conclusion. If the answer isn’t either yes or no, you need to schedule a date and time for the follow-up during the initial call or appointment. That way, when you try to follow-up, you can truthfully say that your potential client is expecting your call.

If someone says “We’ll call you,” they’re lying. Instead of just hanging up, tell them, “It’s not your responsibility to call me; let’s schedule a time and I’ll call you back.” It takes chutzpah to do it, but you’re showing that you’re going to make their life easier… and it works 95% of the time, too.

Show notes

Guest Bio

Warren Greshes

Warren Greshes is an expert in the areas of sales, personal and professional development, leadership development, and employee motivation. He has addressed corporate and association audiences all over the world, and Bridgestone/Firestone, Hewlett Packard, Monsanto and Coca Cola are among his many corporate clients. He has also spoken in front of some of the largest and most prestigious organizations in the world, including The Million Dollar round Table, The National Association of Realtors and Sales and Marketing Executives International.
Warren Greshes has produced audio and video programs in the areas of sales, success and customer service, including the award-winning, "Supercharged Selling: The Power to be the Best." He is also the author of several books, including "The Best Damn Sales Book Ever: 16 Rock Solid Rules for Achieving Sales Success!"
Warren Greshes has served on the board of directors of the National Speakers Association, and in 1998 was awarded their highest designation when he was inducted into the Speaker's Hall of Fame.

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