Episode 42: Sales People: Born or Made?

Visit http://JohnBlakeAudio.com to Learn How to DOUBLE
Your Enquiry-to-Sale Conversion with The Lead Flow You Already
Have.


 


The age-old question: are salespeople made or born?


From my experience, there is a definite answer—some people are
born with an innate talent for excellent sales.


Often, natural-born salespeople are questioned about their
process. How are they so successful? Can it be explained? For
someone wanting to increase their sales (and don’t think they’re
a born salesperson), your first step is to be willing to break
out of your comfort zone.


If you aren’t willing to improve, then you’re starting out on the
wrong foot. No one can teach the obstinate. However, if you begin
with a positive mindset, even those without a predisposition can
be great at sales.


Even I don’t technically have the personality for it. When I took
a psychometric test, I was classified as an introvert. That,
paired with other qualities, means I’m not predisposed to be good
at sales, but that’s just on paper.


This is exactly why I set up my business. When I first started in
sales, I didn’t have any help nor a mentor. These are things
everyone deserves to be successful, and I want to be the mentor I
wish I had at the beginning.


Over the years, I’ve excelled at sales because I studied,
practiced, and taught. The best thing about teaching others is
that it gives you a better grasp of the subject. Through
student-teacher collaboration, sales techniques can be refined
and improved.


Honestly, I’m just a person that believes in the process. Through
a genuine hunger for mastery, I’ve collected a series of
practices, teachings, and mentorships from the best in the
industry. Essentially, this is the reason I’ve found success in
sales—even carving a living out of it.


So, can anyone become a world-class, top 5% salesperson?


Let me give you an example. A man, the top salesperson for his
coffee company, contacted me recently.


In his mobile coffee franchise, its success brought a system, and
through it came scripts. Because of the stagnation, he chose to
leave it, and now he sells advertising in hotel lobbies.


So, there are interactive screens in these lobbies that persuade
hotel guests to plan their trips. They can easily find local
events, etc. to visit. For anyone taking a trip, these lobby
screens are an attractive asset for choosing a hotel to stay in.


And this man oversees selling hotels with these interactive
screens.


However, he was in over his head and had no idea where to start.
Without the familiarity of a system, he felt overwhelmed.


This is the problem most people have; they feel lost when
encountering an unfamiliar area. It’s necessary though. How else
can you find the right system where you fit if you don’t try new
things? It’s easier if you organize.


My question to you is: what is it that you’re doing to systemize
your process?


Also, how well are you paying attention to your front-end
engagement?  I’d say that there are 6-9 leverage points to
increase sales.


Let’s start with the stage-to-stage conversion. I’ll break it
down into simple ideas:


What is your conversation rate from inquiry to the first
appointment?

What happens in your initial conversion?

What happens in your initial chat conversation using social
media?

What does your initial email chat look like?

How are you enticing people to respond by email?



Your process needs to take all of these into account. The rate of
people converting from the first appointment to second (or even
straight to a sale) is what determines your actual strategy.


Your plan must consider what works and what doesn’t. Carefully
look at your conversion rate through each stage, from initial
contact to quote.


This is what separates a good salesperson from an excellent
salesperson: proper planning. If you don’t have the innate talent
for sales, this is exactly how you get better. In my opinion, the
person that plans well, using data and actionable goals, is the
most successful.


 


To DOUBLE your lead-to-sale CONVERSION with the leads you already
have, go to http://JohnBlakeAudio.com for his
exclusive, free, no-fluff, audio training and companion PDF
guide.


Inside you’ll get word-for-word email followup templates, phone
scripts, and more that you can put to use today.