Did you develop your sales skills on your own or through other means?

Your comments are welcomed?

I think like most people I learned both ways. Mostly, through reading sales books and training seminars.

Also, I think you learn alot from watching other people.

Speaking of I would like to get in contact with other people who sell advertising. I feel I still have alot to learn in this area. I am somewhat new to this. I used to sell cars and I was a hotel sales manager for 4 years. This isn't coming to me as easy as other types of sales have.

I think I have put together little parts of all who I admired.

I read the materials that Avon provided me in the start up kit for new representatives and I also took most of the online training classes and Webinar classes available to me. They are really helpful. I need to take the rest of them!

If you sell complex high-ticket stuff, check out Jeff Thull.

If you want to sell to big companies check Jill Konrath

Either way, check Sharon Drew Morgen

If you plan to do phone work, check Ari Galper

What they have in common is that they look at sales from a totally new perspective. This is not the old fashioned peddler-type high-pressure selling. It's neat stuff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bald Dog

What they have in common is that they look at sales from a totally new perspective. This is not the old fashioned peddler-type high-pressure selling. It's neat stuff.

Have you found any top rated or best selling books on selling authored in the last twenty years that featuring the old fashioned peddler-type high-pressure selling? I haven't but that style of selling is used in a lot of comparisons and I can't see why.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Houston

Have you found any top rated or best selling books on selling authored in the last twenty years that featuring the old fashioned peddler-type high-pressure selling?

All the books that talk about handling objection, which is a different way of saying "Today I'll walk away with your money whatever it takes."

Handling objections is basically saying, "I don't care what you want. I'll sell you something even if it kills you!"

But I may be overly harsh... a tad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bald Dog

But I may be overly harsh... a tad.

I think you're being a bit harsh in the sense that every salesperson tries to deal with and overcome objections. They may not do it in the traditional format, but rather to address anticipated objections within their presentation to prevent the objection in the first place, whether that presentation takes the format of a traditional presentation, is worked into a questioning sequence, is addressed in a solutions proposal, or whatever.

I've yet to see a selling model that doesn't address the issues the traditional model tries to address, from presentation, to overcoming objections, to closing. They may look different, they sound different, they may have a different format, and they may feel different, but they all seek to do the samething--show a prospect why they should consider a particular product or servce to address a need or want and culminate in a sale.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bald Dog

All the books that talk about handling objection, which is a different way of saying "Today I'll walk away with your money whatever it takes."

Handling objections is basically saying, "I don't care what you want. I'll sell you something even if it kills you!"

Yes, Bald, I think you might be a tad bit critical! I have three comments:

1. I don't believe overcoming objections (I prefer the term "handling objections") is no unethical or manipulative. It's really about giving prospects the information they need to make the correct buying decision.

2. Many objections prospects give are only fake objections (I call them "smokescreen objections") that merely mask the real objection. Salespeople can only deal with the issues they know about and understand, so a wise salesperson will investigate objections to determine the validity and accuracy of the objection.

3. In general, prospects love the status quo (they resist change, even if change is in their best interest). Many objections merely cover up the salesperson's resistance to buy because buying something is a form of change. A salesperson has to make it easy for the prospect to dismiss the status quo long enough to be open to change.

The best to you!

Skip

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bald Dog

If you sell complex high-ticket stuff, check out Jeff Thull.

If you want to sell to big companies check Jill Konrath

Either way, check Sharon Drew Morgen

If you plan to do phone work, check Ari Galper

What they have in common is that they look at sales from a totally new perspective. This is not the old fashioned peddler-type high-pressure selling. It's neat stuff.

I didn't find anything from Jeff Thull, Jill Konrath or Ari Galper that I would call a totally new perspective but I'm also not comparing their work to outdated sales training methods. Sharon Drew Morgan's work is such a totally new perspective that I don't think most people understand it.

Did you develop your sales skills on your own or through other means?

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