Book Review – 4 Things I Got From Stephan Schiffman’s Book

I recently finished reading “The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople” by Stephan Schiffman. It’s a pretty short read and if you’re serious about sales, it’s definitely worth reading. In this post, I want to share 4 takeaways I got from the book. The good thing is that regardless of what type of sales you may be in, I promise you will get value out of this. And if you apply them I know you will get some results.

#1. Establish rapport before you talk about anything else. – People buy from people they like and trust. If it seems like all you care about is closure, you’re not going to get many. And even if you do manage to get a sale, there’s a good chance your customer will cancel. If you want to close and retain more sales, take some time up front to talk about other things your customer might be interested in. If you see a lot of family photos, then ask questions about their children. If you see sports memorabilia, talk about it. Ask questions, let them talk and listen. Don’t be fake though, be genuinely interested in what they have to say. If you could establish a relationship early, you will stack all the chips in your favor.

#two. Involve decision makers. – Always make sure all decision makers are present when you make your presentation. Not having them all there makes it easy to be ignored. Also, there is nothing worse than one of the decision makers getting second hand information. Usually what will happen is that they will get second hand information and then when you try to sit down with them they will already have a preconceived notion of your product. Don’t make the rookie mistake of trying to close a sale without having all of the decision makers present.

#3. Be a consultant, not a pushy cornball. – If you want to close more sales, all you have to do is solve your customers’ problems. There is an old saying that “Everybody likes to buy, but nobody likes to be sold to”. If you present yourself as a pushy salesperson, you will repel almost everyone. It’s much better to identify what their problem is and then offer them a solution. They won’t feel closed off and sold out, and you’ll feel better knowing you’re making a quality sale that probably won’t be cancelled.

#4. Always ask for references. – There is no higher quality prospect than a prospect who has a relationship with a satisfied customer. For example, if my brother gets a cold call or email about a product, he probably won’t pay much attention. But if I call him and enthusiastically tell him that I just received the same product and that he needs to take it to him, there is a better chance that he will be interested. If nothing else, he’ll probably agree to at least meet up for more information. Always, always, always ask for references. The answer is always NO if you don’t ask. Also, by staying in the referral market (which is a very hot market area), you will be able to preserve and maintain a high closing rate.

As you can see from these 4 points, there is a lot of value in the book. It’s a quick read, so even if you don’t like to read, you’ll be able to read it. And the good thing is that the tips are generic, so whether you’re in traditional sales selling real estate, or you’re in network marketing sharing your opportunity or product, the tips will work for you.

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