Selling

There Will Always Be A Place For Them

Garth Beyer

Businesses that price high and skip connecting with their customers will be sticking around.

People are gullible, they want the credibility that a well-known business has over private owners, no matter how exciting it is to interact with private owners.

My advice, when making a purchase of any sort (a motorcycle for example?), visit the businesses that overprice their material first. Get a feel for the product and ask the technical questions, then leave to visit a private owner.

That way you are more knowledgeable about the product and will see how much of a price difference people sacrifice to have the (illusive) credibility that a big business offers.

Buy from those who sell, not from those who manipulate.

Oh, and the best price comes from those who care about what they are selling, not just about selling it.

 

Stay Positive & Go Personal

Garth E. Beyer

Selling An Idea

Garth Beyer

Good ideas are easy. It’s doing them that’s the remarkable part.

In which case, you may not want to (or may have already done) and now you want to sell someone else on doing it – you want to sell them the idea.

Traditionally you do this by talking about the idea, by sharing every perspective, by shining light on every angle of the idea. Traditionally you sell an idea by focusing on the idea and less on the selling.

No more.

To sell an idea, sure, you have to tell someone about the idea, but that takes only a few minutes. (If it doesn’t, you may want to find a different idea.) The rest of the time is filled with how the idea will work and has worked before. It’s about getting someone to take the initiative and selling them their self-motivation to follow through, to take action with the idea.

Good ideas are easy to produce. Doing them is the hard part. But getting someone else to follow through, that’s bloody hell.

But worth it. Always worth it.

 

Stay Positive & Motivating. Selling. Same Thing.

Garth E. Beyer

The Catalogue Effect

Garth Beyer

There’s a problem with overserving, with overshipping, and with overcreating.

Do you know what a catalogue is? They used to be extremely popular because every week, month, or year, the catalogue would present everything new that is being sold. Yes, they would contain older products, but companies don’t send out catalogues to show you their old products, they send them to show you the new products.

A catalogue is the greatest 18th and 19th century way to overserve, overship, and demand overcreation. I’m going to let you in on a secret. The secret why catalogues have died off – it’s not because of the internet. No.

When people would receive catalogues, they looked at them to see what was new, but contrary to the seller’s belief, the consumer wasn’t looking to see what was new to buy it. The catalogue became a news source. All the consumer was left with after receiving a catalogue was wonderment with what the next catalogue could possibly contain.

Where does that leave the seller?

It’s neither positive or negative. The seller makes money as she always does.

The real person you should be questioning is the creator. Where does that leave her?

It’s a positive thing to serve, create, and ship with some form of regularity. However, when you overserve, overcreate, and overship, you produce the catalogue effect. Yes, people will value your work, but merely appearance wise. After you begin to deliver excessively, they will only be interested in what you will concoct up next. (Not what they will pay for next.)

 

Stay Positive & Creating More, Makes Your Audience Want More, But Not Spend More

Garth E. Beyer

Three Qualities Necessary To Be A PR Specialist

Garth Beyer

Organization. If you’re reading this and your desk isn’t organized, PR may not be for you.

Writing. If you haven’t written a press release, an essay, a research paper, a news article, a blog, a magazine article, a mobile article, an email, a text message, a script, a dialogue, a monologue, a poem, and any other writing products, then PR may not be for you.

You must know how to write in various forms for various audiences using various mediums.

Selling. Everything is sales. Particular to PR, you are selling your story. You better get used to it. Learn sales.

 

Stay Positive & More Qualities To Come, I’m Sure

Final Words From A PR Veteran

Garth Beyer

This is my final tribute to John Mose. There were two lines that hit home for me and I hope they will for you, regardless of your possible lack of empirical context.

The question many PR Professionals ask themselves is whether it is better to be a wizard on one specific beat, or talented on all areas. It’s the question between generalization and specialization.

“It’s good to be a generalist. Clients change all the time.”

Of course, he does mean that you need to be a specialist generalist. Yes, PR is tricky like that. Get used to it.

His last tip is a motto I’m not entirely sure of. Recently I’ve felt that I don’t write to explain, I write to explore. It’s this exploration, this story, that sells. I suppose it’s similar to John’s last word.

“You don’t want to explain it, you want to sell it.”

The First Hand Fails: This Is How The Second Hand Succeeds In Sales

Garth Beyer

Do you want first hand experience with the philosophy and tactics of selling?

I do!     Err, I did.

Somewhere between not wanting to pay $250 dollars for a Seminar on selling and getting restless when I would read 200 pages of business/selling advice every day, I found World Financial Group. Better yet, they found me.

Side Note: Did you know that almost as many people who secondhand smoke end up with as many health problems and issues as someone who does the smoking? You can even agree that those who second-hand smoke, typically end up smoking. I never thought I could take such a terrible relationship and create an analogy out of it, but I am going to give it a puff, so read on.

The “I’m Gonna Make 500k a Year” Adrenaline Rush

It’s time to kick the adrenaline and excitement of selling out of your system. You can go to school, seminars and read as many books as you want on selling, but you still won’t be the best salesman. All that the knowledge will create is an adrenaline to sell, and when you go out to make your first few sales, you will most likely be unsuccessful>feel beat>not want to put the tad of extra effort to succeed>give up>go back to trying to be what your parents want you to be>and feel out-of-place the rest of your life. Unless…

You soak up the concept that I am going to share with you.

1. For the beginners in sales or those who simply want to learn the strategies of a salesman, this concept is perfect for you.

2. For those who are on the unsuccessful sales track that I presented above, this concept is the tad of extra effort you need to succeed in all your future sales.

3. For those who consider themselves experts in selling, congratulations on failing enough to turn your experience into something remarkable. This concept I am about to share is very much like your process — but in this concept, you don’t fail.

The concept: Become the second-hand smoker of sales.

I mentioned World Financial Group (WFG) and this will be the basis of explaining the concept you need to follow to skip failure in sales. If you have not heard of WFG they are a national seller of insurance, investments and financial advice.

I received a phone call from them about two weeks ago. The sales-field adviser in IL wanted to ask me a few questions related to my direction in life and thoughts about assisting families by providing financial advise. He told me one of my good friends recommended me for the position and he would like me to come to the office in IL for a presentation. (Remember, I live in WI now)

I thought to myself, “All the greatest leaders in history were at once involved with sales.” On top of that, if you can’t tell by the majority of the information on my website, I want to be a broker and financial advisor to families and individuals so this opportunity seemed like I could combine the two.

I went to the presentation in IL and really enjoyed the message and point of the company to help families with all financial variables, not just selling insurance. After the presentation I had a private meeting with the Field Advisor. During the meeting he began to talk more about the company and how it seemed that I would fit in and then he started asking questions about me. (Quick tip about me, when you meet me, you know immediately how much I love to talk) I began getting more excited, telling him about all my qualities that would be perfect for the company. I then started sending a torrent of questions about the company at him. I am not easily persuaded, I think things all the way through and I allow time between information intake and decision making when possible. He did not know this though…

75% of my excitement and energy came from the great position that I could place myself in, it’s a little bit of everything I want to be: My own business, financial advising, life improving, etc. The other 25% of excitement and energy came from acting like every other person that has walked through the door. (It is said WFG calls around 10,000 ‘friends of friends’ to come in and check a presentation out every month)

To shorten the rest of the story, I did not apply to become a WFG associate (yet). Instead, I wanted to check out the WI branch and see what they have to offer. To reiterate, I am going to check out the WI branch primarily because It seems like something I really want to do (75% of excitement and energy). It’s also another opportunity to learn selling techniques (25% of acting).

I Hope The Smoke Is Starting To Clear

You have just been given a very short summary of my experience. If I told you to go back and read it and tell me the selling techniques that were used on me, you could find at least 7. Don’t think so? Then let me pull them up for you.

1.  He networked. He used my friend whom I trust to gain my trust in him.

2. My friend and him had talked so he knew that I was ambitious and I made it clear when I answered his questions that I enjoyed talking about myself and my goal sand accomplishments. Quick personality background check.

3. I was recommended. Who doesn’t like knowing that they got recommended for something?

4. Presented the best qualities and mission of the company through a simple Powerpoint presentation. Exploiting the best parts of the job and not mentioning the money making aspect of it.

5. Square peg into square hole. How I fit perfectly into the picture.

6. Brought up questions the right questions. About me.

7. Answered as many questions as I threw at him (Trust me, I asked A LOT).

Multiply 7 by 3 and the Smoke Better Be Gone

7 x 3 = How many sales techniques were used in total on me. The reason I mentioned the 7 above is because that is all it took to get me in, I really wanted to become an associate (I still may). Once it was unveiled to me that the Field Advisor was selling me the position and that I was the prospect, I began playing my part even more. (25% acting). Later that evening, once my excitement began decreasing, I was able to note all that I learned from the endeavor. Once the 75% energy and interest began to dwindle, the 25% of acting started to provide me results and I discovered the other 14 selling techniques that were used on me.

Look at it like this: The field advisor is the smoker and I just got done second-hand smoking.

I knowingly and excitedly became the second-hand smoker of sales. I just learned 21 techniques of selling in one session by becoming the prospect.

Why Learn From Your Failures When You Can Be The Failure Of Others

I do not at all support the fact of purposefully creating failure for other people. I do however promote experiences that teach both parties lessons that will improve each parties talents. In this case, I provided more selling experience to the WFG Field Advisor along with clearly showing what techniques worked best. (They really did work. As I said, only 25% was acted. He was the one who inspired and excited the other 75%) As my reward for my contribution to his increase in talent and experience, I got to second-hand smoke his sales techniques.

Every mentor in “Sales” will tell you to listen to listen to CD’s on reading and understanding people, read books on connecting with people, and browse examples of successful sales. All of this is what you should already be doing, but no mentor is going to tell you to go out and become a prospect.

I am telling you otherwise.

To only study the philosophy of selling is not enough, you have to become part of the philosophy. The best way is not to go out and sell — this will lead you to learn from YOUR failures. The best way is to go out and be the one who is sold to!

You do not need to be the primary smoker… I mean seller.

Stay Positive and Inhale The Benefits of Second Hand Selling

Garth E. Beyer

Interested in the 14 other sales techniques that were used? Email me at TheGarthBox@gmail.com with the subject line Sales Techniques

Business Networking

Garth Beyer

If you are into business or simply wanting to make connections with people who have similar interests as you, then you are out and about attending seminars, meetings, webinars, business brunches, team meetings and everything of the sort.

Now really, are you attending them? Or leading them?

In networking, you’re only as good as what you give away. – Mackay Maxim

When you go to a business gathering to network, you want to be on everyone’s mind. The easiest way to do that?

1 Give the best pitch

2 Promote the best product

3 Be the most energetic and outgoing

3.5 Act as if you are already a millionaire (And you will be…After you ignore these steps and pay attention to what you are going to read next)

The days of “Who’s Best” are long over. Sure I will take a glance over at the guy wearing the 500k ring, Rolex watch, and who owns the largest company, but that is not where my attention is. Nor is it anyone’s who is going to be successful at life — not just business. Because I saw a 500k ring, but not a wedding ring. I saw a Rolex watch, but I never noticed him look at the time, no doubt because he hasn’t any family he needs to get back home to or close friends to meet up with. Few men and women ended up owning the largest company and having everything else money couldn’t buy them (Faith, Friends, Family).

Until now… because they no longer follow the steps mentioned above.

And here we are.

“We were young, but we had good advice and good ideas and lots of enthusiasm.”
– Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Corporation

The days of becoming financially successful AND winning at all areas of life are here. The greatest companies, people, organizations you read and hear about now, are not only making the most money — but they are continuously leaving the largest POSITIVE impact on all of their buyers, friends, competitors, family, associates and most importantly, You. Simply by giving.

So how does any of this have to do with the time you are investing in business networking?

The question now asked when going to a business gathering to network is “what is the BEST (not easiest) way to be on everyone’s mind?”

1 Present the best ideas

2 Promote all of the products

3 Be the most passionate and influential

3.5 Act as if you can make everyone a millionaire (If you can’t do that, at least make them FEEL like a millionaire)

It seems to me that giving is the prime factor in all of the tactics. You are not only giving all of your mind, but also all of your heart to the wide variety of products. You are not remaining selfish but helpful by promoting products that you did not create. You are portraying and setting an example of the two biggest qualities of a leader rather than someone who just made a 30,000 dollar close. -And yes, if it were up to me. I would take being a leader to the 20 companies that I am networking with over making a 30,000 dollar sale- Lastly, you are networking to create success in others instead of yourself. Because “you can have everything you want in life, if you simply help enough other people get what they want in life” – Zig Zigler

Stay Positive and These Concepts Have Been Held True Since 1992

Garth E. Beyer

Business Bonus:To make the most of business networking when different companies come together to socialize and create a think tank, have a business card box upon entry. Everyone that attends will deposit their business card into the box. When the meeting is over, everyone will take a business card from the box (not their own) and will do business with the company on the card. Whether they call them to get a quote, refer a friend to their company, or use the company themselves, as long as it gives the other business person experience and an opportunity to prosper. It’s all about making connections and both benefiting from it.