You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want!
– Zig Ziglar
Zig Ziglar is considered to be the one of the biggest authorities on Sales Training. Although no more, Zig Ziglar conducted many Sales workshops in his indomitable style. His Sales trainings and videos are still available on youtube and his podcast on iTunes.
I am a big fan of Zig Ziglar and closely followed his sales trainings, podcasts and books. This book “The Art of Selling” is one of the best books that I read on the topic of Sales.
So today, when I decided to review a book, I thought it best to do the review of “The Art of Selling” By Zig Ziglar.
Key Takeaways
- Sales is the Art of Persuading
- You dont Persuade by Telling, You Persuade by Asking
- Listening forms the Crux
- Intergrity is the foundation for great Sales
Important Part
Prospecting is considered to be the most important part of the Sales Process. Prospecting is basically finding out potential customers (Prospects). Prospects are individuals who have a need for the product, a desire to own the product and the financial capacity to spend on that product.
Zig recommends to remember the rule of ABP – Always Be Prospecting. Prospecting can be done all the time whether at office or outside. Prospecting begins when you show genuine interest in the other person. Prospecting starts with Everybody, right from potential customers on a database list to your friend or relatives.
One should be genuinely interested in the product that they are selling. If they do not have interest, they must not sell. Also they must have very high conviction of their product.
The Devil
Cold Calling is a dreaded term in Sales. Most Sales people indulge in Procrastination due to their reluctance in picking up the phone and calling a prospect.
Sales man should improve their Self-Image. Do Affirmation as a tool to remove the mental block and improve performance in Cold Calling. If you want to know more about Affirmation, please read this blog by me. You can also watch a detailed interview of Dandapani here. One must consider himself to be a expert in the product that they are selling.
How to improve Cold Calling?
- Remove self-doubt by creating tapes in mind of memories that shows your achievements, time spent with family etc.
- Focus on delivering benefit to the prospect
- Create an objective for the call. Do “Smile and Dial”. Determine “Why” you are making the call!
- Understanding that Cold Calling Skills improve with practice
- Do not rush into presentation. Request a later time to call and arrange.
- Improve telephone skills
- Dress up for your sales call. Even if you are working from home still make sure you dress up.
- Give a Pep-Talk to yourself / watch motivational or success videos.
- Planning your Calls relieves you from Anxiety during Calls
- Preparation for your call is very important
- Improve on Discipline and Organization
Get on a regular schedule and make an appointment with yourself to contact a prospect at the same time every day!
– Zig Ziglar
Four Step Formula for Sales
Creating a Sales Process or Sales System is critical in improving Sales Numbers. How do you start your Sales Pitch? What kind of questions do you ask? When do you close?
Zig Ziglar has created a 4 Step Formula for Closing Sales:
- Need Analysis: Use Effective Questioning to find out the underlying need or want
- Need Awareness: Use Effective Questioning to make the prospect aware of the need
- Need Solution: Suggest what the product can do to the prospect based on the need.
- Need Satisfaction: Ask for Order
Important Notes
Zig Ziglar encourages the Sales Professional to motivate the prospect to share their needs, wants, problems and interest.
The Sales Professional should use both Emotion and Logic. Emotion makes the prospects take action now, and logic enables them to justify the purchase later.
Using Open Door Questions to get more information about the customer. Use Closed Door Questions to seek clarification of an identified need. Use Yes or No Questions to get direct response.
End Note
I believe Sales is more about psychology and less about communication. In fact, the Salesperson should be doing the talking for < 25% of the time during his interaction with the prospect.
Salesperson should show genuine interest in knowing more about the prospect by asking Quality Questions. Salesperson will sound more convincing when it is backed up by Honesty, Integrity and Ethics.
I would recommend this book to anybody who is genuinely interested in learning the Art of Selling. This book will be extremely helpful to Individuals who are starting out their career in Sales.
“Ask. Listen. Sell.”
~RG~