The Hindu Business Line : Compete for inches in the contact sport called selling

Almost anybody can become a salesman. But it is tough to become a rainmaker, says Jeffrey J. Fox in `Secrets of Great Rainmakers,' from Hyperion (www.hyperionbooks.com) .

Who is a rainmaker? "Somebody who is believed to have the magic powers to make rain fall," defines Encarta. Rainmaker is also "an achiever of outstanding results in a profession or politics." He or she is the one who makes "the cash register ring," notes Fox. "Ka-ching! Ka-ching!"

The difference between the ordinary salespeople and rainmakers is that the latter sell more, both "in good economies and bad," regardless of competition. "They sell more despite internal company problems." How so? "By relentlessly doing things that ordinary salespeople sometimes do or never do." And the book is about the secrets of rainmakers.

One such is that they have `no competitors.' They don't mention a competitor by name, or use the word competition, when talking to customer. "Naming a competitor validates the competitor." Knocking the competitor "is tantamount to telling your customer that they are stupid for considering someone else." Instead, stay close to your customer, advises Fox. "Educate the customer."

Rainmakers have guiding principles, some of which you can adopt. Rainmakers take care of themselves though they work hard. They approach the customer this way, "If you don't do business with me, we both lose." While other salespeople `sell to live,' it's the opposite for rainmakers: they `live to sell.' Means, "Rainmakers are always in the game... Any time, all the time, it's selling time." They `compete for inches' like professional athletes, paying attention to `all the little things.'

Make a poster of this line from Fox: "Selling is a contact sport." Rainmakers know that it is `face-to-face contact' that makes sales. "Like other contact sports, selling is rough and tough. Customers can be brutal. Every other salesperson is fighting to get your customers and win the race to get new customers." Mantra of rainmakers is this: "Contact. Connect. Close."

A secret of rainmakers is that they know how every sale begins: "with a lead, an introduction, a referral." The corollary is that "75 per cent, or more, of referrals from good customers become new customers."

An amazing statistic is that "90 per cent of salespeople never ask for the order." Rainmakers succeed, by asking for the order, or for "customer commitment to an action that leads to an order." But why do the others stop short of asking for the order? "Because they fear rejection, don't know how to ask, don't believe they should ask, don't believe in their product, don't believe in their price."

Not all decision makers are plainly visible; some may be `hidden.' There may be 10-15 decision makers. So, rainmakers ask this `killer question': "In addition to yourself, who else is involved in making this solution happen in your company?" The second `killer' poser is: "And what might their concerns be about going ahead?" Answers to these questions are `the Rainmaker's road map.'

Contrary to common myth in selling, know that `Silence is golden.' Let the customer do 80 per cent of the talking, advises Fox. "Letting the customer talk, and listening hard to what the customer is saying, takes self-discipline. Listening also requires great questions." Pauses and silence are powerful selling weapons, instructs the author. "Be a sell guy, not a tell guy."

Compelling read.

BookMark@TheHindu.co.in