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A Second Chance
Mike Carroll is a seasoned professional. He sells an incredible amount of residential replacement equipment every year. He had met me years ago at an industry meeting, he was happy where he was, and our barn was also full. I kept in touch with him, he came by our place 4 or 5 years later, said he was ready for a change. We asked if he had given notice, he had, and the game was on!
He sold over $1 million the second year with us, then 1.4, 1.8, on up to a career high of 2.25 million. (Mike asked me not to make a big deal about that, didn't want it to sound like he is bragging) Not bragging, just validating what I am about to say. Besides, I am writing the article, not Mike!
Here is a guy who continually sells in the upper levels, he called me a couple of weeks ago, told me we're never to good or too old to learn something. I asked what he had learned that day; here is what he told me.
He was on a call, looking at a replacement unit. Mike always starts by finding out some emotional thing, because people buy emotionally, justify it later with logic. He asked this customer (who was his senior by 2 or 3 decades) where he was from. He opened up a fountain where he shared with Mike how he had been raised in Missouri, and how things had changed a ton since he was young. Mike agreed, and a conversation started that lasted 45 minutes as to what was different, both better and worse, than what he had grown up with.
After almost an hour, Mike thought he should move back to business, asked him how he would like to finalize the paperwork, cash or financing. He said, not so fast, my wife has not had a chance to tell you where she is from, how she grew up. So started another 45 minutes (you had better not interrupt) of how she had grown up on a farm, had to walk 3 miles to school in the snow, uphill, both ways! You get my drift.
So Mike's point: he got a second chance. A second chance to bond, to develop that emotional connection, which is essential to doing business today. When she had finished, they looked at Mike, said what do we do next? He said, I need your autograph here, or something to that effect. He had the right to ask for the business, because he had gotten into their lives.
We think we sell by telling, the person who says more sells more. The opposite is true, we sell by listening. Talk less, listen more, sales will go up. Profits will go up. Momma will be happy.
So Mike then asked me, how many times do we get a second chance? Rarely do we get the opportunity to correct our mistakes, it is rare. Mike was grateful that he had a good enough relationship with that couple to get the chance to talk to the wife about her upbringing, she could have been offended and offended people don't buy. Mike said "just because she sat there quietly, doesn't mean she didn't have something to say. No one had asked her!"
He learned a valuable lesson: spend whatever time it takes to cover the emotional side of the sale, the rest will come.
So I hope this finds you in a relaxed mode after Christmas. I hope this year is an even better year for you than last. I know this for sure, it is a clean slate right now. You have a full year ahead, why not resolve to do something more, better, different than last year? It can be if you plan on it. So put together a business plan for this year. Yes, one of those things that gets pushed aside every year. My son Jon says it takes 30 days to develop a new habit. He also says that if you take action within 24 hours on a project (any action, just forward motion), you have a 95% chance of success. Every day you delay makes it harder to succeed.
So take action, move forward on your goals, and above all else, listen to that customer, listen them into an order.
Thanks for being part of my company this last year, we had a fantastic year, doing what we love doing. We'll talk later.
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