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Preparing Yourself for the Big Sale

Preparing Yourself for the Big Sale

If you want to earn the big bucks in sales and achieve all your goals and dreams, you have to gain a mental edge. Gaining the mental edge is all about preparing yourself upfront, ahead of time to execute when the time is right.

Too many sales people think they are good enough to “wing it.” Many times salespeople pull up to an appointment after weaving through traffic, 5 minutes late, shoveling down their hot dog and washing it down with a Big Gulp while trying to wipe the mustard off their shirt. This is the surest way to the sidelines.

There is one word that stands out above all others as far as “what it takes” to make the big sale. This word is preparation. That’s right; preparation is the foundation of any level of achievement. You have to prepare yourself ahead of time if you want to gain the mental edge it takes to land the big one.

The following seven steps are key in preparing yourself with the mental edge.

1) Know your customer. Take time to research everything you can about the company and the individual you are going to see. Study everything you can about their products and services. Find out about the individual’s hobbies and preferences. If appropriate, go as far as finding out what he or she will wear for your meeting, what they like to eat, and about their family and children.

How do you find out?
a) Research the internet.
b) Ask the people that know them. This includes their assistant, receptionist, or the person who referred you. If the person has purchased from your company review previous sales files or ask other people who have dealt with them.

Learning as much as you can about the customer and their products and services will put you at ease and give you confidence because you will already feel like you know the person and their company.

2) Dress for success. Dress professionally, wear clean clothes, groom your hair neatly, and brush your teeth. Research has proven time and time again that you perform better when you look better. When you look better you feel better and the customer responds to the way you feel.

3) Be organized. Make sure you have reviewed your paperwork and presentation materials and neatly organize them so you can access them easily. The worst experience you can have is going into an appointment, open up your brief case, and start shuffling through stuff unable to find your information.

4) Know your stuff. Review your materials, know your products, practice and record your presentation, listen to it over and over again.

5) Get focused. On the way to the appointment, you need to totally focus on the end result you want to achieve. If you have a long drive, you may want to listen to an inspiring audio that has a positive message or of someone closing a sale or one of your own recordings. In the last few minutes of your drive, turn everything off, relax and focus on the ultimate outcome…securing the sale.

6) Imagine. I teach all salespeople to take at least 5 minutes to mentally prepare before every appointment. I recommend pulling over into a parking lot close to your appointment area or on the side of the road and taking time to visualize in your mind the end result you want to achieve. See yourself shaking your customer’s hand, developing rapport, giving an excellent presentation, and agreeing on a win/win situation.

7) Arrive 3 to 5 minutes early. Punctuality is important. You can lose sales because you failed to keep your appointment time. It is better to arrive early than late.

Following these steps will give you the mental edge that will help you make the big sale. Preparing yourself ahead of time is a small difference that separates the superstars from average performers.





Preparing Yourself for the Big Sale - To learn more about this author, visit Billy Cox's Website.

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David Barr
David Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website


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Billy Cox
(Visit Billy's Website) Internationally recognized business leader, author, and inspirational speaker Billy Cox energizes people to dream big, take action, and achieve results. His message comes from the authenticity and credibility of his own inspiring, all-American success story. Billy Cox now teaches the essentials that led to his own success – he has lived what he speaks. Billy pairs his powerful message with a high-energy, passionate, and down-to-earth style. People worldwide who hear him speak or use his books and audios are inspired to "raise their bar", take control of their futures, and achieve new levels of performance and results. A "no limits" person who knows how to win, Billy is a master salesman, a compelling motivator, an energetic leader, and is recognized by his peers as a leading authority on the undeniable power of human potential. Billy Cox teaches techniques proven over two decades of experience in sales, management, and leadership, and consulting. He has truly lived the American dream. Starting at age 17 as a part-time salesperson in a direct sales company, he worked his way to the top of every sales and management level available. By age 30, he had earned his first million dollars. Two years later, he became president of an international sales and marketing company taking on leadership of a nationwide team with over 500 sales associates. It was an enormous challenge, as sales were in a slump, down almost 50 percent. In less than three years, he and his team had turned the company around, increasing sales to record-breaking levels. Author of The Dream Book, You Gotta Get in the Game, and The All-Star Sales Book, Billy is dedicated to sharing the powerful and proven concepts and techniques that led to his success. Billy travels worldwide, helping individuals achieve their dreams and teaching organizations to reach peak performance. Whether it is a business executive group of 40 or a roaring convention of 4,000, Billy Cox motivates any group, blending facts, inspiration, humor, and conviction with audience participation. Customizing his talks for each group, he gains immediate rapport and leaves audiences energized and confident they can put their learning into immediate action. A partial list of Billy Cox’s clients include a huge range of global, national and regional leaders, including FedEx Services, Delta Dental, Century 21, Hertz, Hyatt, Konica Minolta, Nike Inc., Tyson Foods, North Texas State University, Allstate Insurance, Bertram Yachts, Manheim, Country Maid, Wilson, and Xerox Corporation. Billy considers his personal accomplishments just as important as his professional achievements. He regularly donates his time and talents to youth sports, community service work, and various charities. Billy and his wife, Susan, and their four children make their home in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas.

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