Sales Tools

Happy New Year!

If you were asked to name the three most powerful tools in selling, what would you include? Please explain WHY after each.

Please base your answers only on your own success and/or your own experience--not that of others or from something you heard or read. -Gary A Boye

Not knowing WHAT you mean by a sales tool, I'll wait till you CLARIFY what you're looking for...

Phone, Car, and Computer.... the reasons are obvious... IF that is what you're looking for in "tools".

Much Aloha... :cool: -rattus58

I would expect that almost all answers would be derived from what each member interprets "tools" to mean. Therefore, Phone, Car, and Computer is as readily acceptable as intangibles that some members might view as tools. For that reason, it should not be necessary to clarify. Your response was most welcome.

Anybody else? -Gary A Boye

Perseverance - gotta be willing and able to accept a "no" and keep moving forward.

Ingenuity - creative thinking and a willingness to share & use outside information that may seem (at least on the surface) to be inapplicable.

Sincerity - less than sincere is unacceptable today, and customers have too many options. If you can't be sincere - about your product/service as the right solution, and about the needs of the customer - remarket your resume... -BradfordLMoore

While I agree with you that these are necessary, I'd consider them personality/character traits... not tools.

Much Aloha... :cool: -rattus58

I agree - they are traits. Unfortunately, they lie dormant and therefore, like a tool, must be used intentionally.

I have encountered very few who are able to persevere, to be creative (ingenious) or to be sincere without some level of conscious effort. For some, these things may come more easily, but intentional and consistent application will make all the difference. -BradfordLMoore

Everything we do in life, takes conscious effort, take away your heart beating and breathing. Perserverence and sincerity are either part of your makeup or can be learned. Like a diet, it has to become habit. You quit smoking by developing a habit, and if you consider them to be tools, then you have to use them consistently by habit.

As far as sincerity goes, I don't think you should have to force yourself to be "SINCERE". I think honesty is a natural tendency for most and sincerity in my understanding of the word is a similar trait.

I DO have pinned in my Briefcase a old manila folder that I have in Green Colors underlined in Red, Smile, Be Sincere, Take the First Step.

I don't know if it became habit, or I followed what I thought were choice words from Mark Victor Hansen and adopted them for myself, but it's been 40 years now I've had that damn thing pinned in a briefcase... :)

Aloha... Tom :cool: -rattus58

Awesome stuff, Tom. I love the insights, and the alternative viewpoint, as it's forcing me to reconsider. Though I am inclined to stand firm on the idea that without practice and intentional use, these three traits (perseverance, ingenuity and sincerity) will atrophy and die, I also agree with your take that forced sincerity is of little or no use at all. It's in those instances that I would recommend re-marketing one's resume...

Continued success!
Brad -BradfordLMoore

Gentlemen, so that we do not get hung up on interpretations, it's OK for the word "tools" to strike different chords among different folks.

One of the (unfortunately) too often ignored aspects of sales education consists of knowing the distinctive and varying mind patterns of those people who make their living in sales. To know more about them, and how various individuals interpret and think, is to know more about the various types we compete against.

To learn about sales without learning about salespeople only half prepares us.

So please let's accept the interpretations of others. -Gary A Boye

Thank you.... on your other topic... creativity... this is one that I BELIEVE you need to work at. When I think of how people have used that word to describe others, it's usually because they have done something different, bold, or possibly even outrageous.

I think above all things, to be creative, as you suggest, DOES require constant conscious effort, attention, study, and help from others you might associate with.

You hear some creative ideas on here from time to time, and though some of these things might sound off the wall occasionally, trying everything at least once will at least give you a new perspective and as you see how it works, you can then modify it.

When you talk about creativity, tell me how does one become creative. What process would you employ to be different? Where do you draw your ideas from? How do you measure creative worth in an idea?

Thanks in advance... Tom :cool: -rattus58

I have heard Creativity in selling defined as redefining the role our product plays in the customer's life or business. It could also be classified as Innovation.

Would you gentlemen agree with that? -Gary A Boye

Of course. But don't you think that there is more to it than that?

Much Aloha... Tom :cool: -rattus58

There are many tools in the toolbox that can be pulled out at any one time. I do believe that the first tool that I use is my listening skills. Hearing the actual meaning the client is trying to convey.

The second too for me is asking questions that allow the client to give me gifts. These gifts allow rapport building and the relationship to grow while informing the client I understand the issues that surround him or her.

The third tool for me is having the ability to answer questions, concerns or objections on the way to gaining the ownership exchange.

With each of these there are many smaller tools that are used in conjunction that allow for the completion of the above.
　
-rich34232

No disrespect.... I consider these also to be SKILLS as you have pointed out in your first sentence.

Much Aloha... Tom :cool: -rattus58

It would seem to me that real life examples would serve to differentiate whether these skills are best translated as tools.

Listening, questioning, and answering questions are very fundamental to selling at most levels. At novice levels, for example, they probably could not be described as "powerful" as in the topic title, but they would often be present.

On the other hand, examples might demonstate the power. -Gary A Boye

You could say questioning is a tool. Effective questioning is a skill. Combined they make up a process. A hammer is a tool. Effective use of the hammer is a skill... a technique... you could hammer them with questions... skillfully....;bg

John, what are the names of your children?

John you have some very beutiful and energetic kids. How old did you say they were?

John, would you like to buy some life insurance on your kids to prepare them for the future?

John, have you ever considered establishing a legacy gift for your children? This is a lifetime gift you can give your children today while they are young, healthy and carefree, a gift that will be with them always and to possibly the benefit of your grandchildren as well.... Am I making you feel old ;bg

Yes / no versus a discussion or questions that help encourage more information... Well Billie is 7 and Jon is 5.

Aloha... :cool: -rattus58

I think one of the keys in this entire debate was just touched on by our friend from the Aloha state: a tool or a skill - no matter how we might choose to name it - is worthless unless it is artfully and consistently and confidently applied. The "art" of listening won't mean a thing unless those things we hear translate to better questions, better information (in the form of "gifts" as Mr. Rich34232 pointed out), and, in the end, better results.

I could pick up a paint brush tomorrow and use my considerable skills to try to paint something that would look like a portrait. However, since my skills have never been used, practiced, or honed in that area, we'd get something that looked like the typical kindergartner hyped up on too much Ritalin got loose with the paints.

The proper training, coaching and practice of the skills that will bring about a work of art - a portrait, a bookshelf, a restored classic vehicle, a closed sale - doesn't occur accidentally. We have to apply ourselves, our craft, and work at it diligently every single day to be good, and work our way to great.

Much success,
BLM -BradfordLMoore

rattus. why would you consider skills not a tool in the toolbox? They are very much a tool.The sharper the skill the better stocked toolbox.
Everybody listens but not everybody hears what is stated.
I think you have answered that they are a tool with your anaolgy a few threads ago confirming they are a tool and using them becomes more proficient. -rich34232

First off, I've sorta had to adjust my thinking without admitting it outloud... so keep the lights down.

On the other hand, the distinction between tools and skills seems to becoming blurred and subject to semantics. So here is my question, what's the point if its semantics?

What you do in sales determines your result. What you choose to employ is a skill... picking the proper tool.

In my opinion of course.... :)

Much Aloha... :cool: -rattus58

Well reading thru the whole thread it looks like it's turned to a debate on the difference between tools and skills. I read the title and will respond to what I feel the original poster meant. My take, he was refering to what works when selling. I would view tool/skill the same here. Correct me OP, if I'm wrong I appologize and ignore my response below.


I agree with Perseverance being top on my list. Just adding to it a little "gotta be willing and able to accept a "no" and keep moving forward with the same energy you started the day with. If you're running low on fuel energy wise, you're wasting your time. The customer will see this in your face. Another important thing was recognizing how many hours I had in me per day. For me the number is appx 5, but that's only me. Everyone's different. //Recap - If you can't hear no 100 times in one day and keep the same smile you started the day with, you're probably wasting your time//

Another tool/skill for me is having the gift of gab. I also read people very well so that helps. There's so many tools it would be hard to rate the top three. I'll just touch on three.

My third would be your appearance and energy. As mentioned above in perseverance, your energy is as important as your hygiene and dress attire.

This is face to face, knocking on doors ya know. What would it be called on this forum? Face to face cold calling :cu -Justin Time

Having started this discussion with my original post, I read all of the fine answers and interpreted their contexts.

It's really fair to say that I started out with a deep belief that the three most powerful tools in selling are:

CONVICTION
INTENTION
PREPAREDNESS

I have not altered my belief and I don't think that I ever will. I do hope that newcomers to sales will align with those beliefs, and make them their very own--to the point of forgetting where they heard about them. -Gary A Boye