Jill Konrath | Selling to Big Companies

More Sales Lessons from Dancing With the Stars

As last season's finale was approaching, I wrote an article on Sales Lessons from Dancing with the Stars.  With another season finished and Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi as the new champion, it's time for some more learning from this fun TV series.

That's why I was delighted when, from out of the blue, I received the article below from sales expert Deidre Newman of Easier Sales. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

 10 Sales Lessons from Dancing with the Stars

1. It’s not just about the judges; the viewers’ votes count too.
All good salespeople want to build relationships with decision makers (the judges), but great salespeople understand the importance of getting to know the viewers too—the assistants, secretaries, end users and employees who are part of the judge’s network. 

These people know the inside scoop on the prospect, such as why Len is in a bad mood today. They know the real “pains” within their organization and how those pains affect productivity. Take an interest in the viewers’ experience and they'll become your best fans. 

2. Listen and understand the decision-making criteria of the judges.
If judge Len keeps saying how important precision is and that he wants to see the dances as they are classically performed (without all of that "mumbo jumbo”) then give him classic and give him precision.

You may love the “mumbo jumbo”, but it is not about you, it's about the prospect. Listen carefully to what your prospects ask for and understand why it's important to them.

3. Dancing is a team effort.
When Christian injured his arm and decided to stay in the competition, he knew he could only succeed if his partner, Cheryl, could choreograph great looking dances that downplayed his injury.

She did. They went on to the finals and Christian thanked her publicly for her excellent work. Recognize those that contribute to your success and be sure to thank them.

3 Hard-Earned Sales Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks

The pathway to sales success is strewn with lost opportunities, embarrassing moments and downright stupid mistakes. In my opinion, one major difference between top sellers and average ones is their ability to turn these disasters into growth opportunities.

Painful though it might be, top performers revisit their gaffes to figure out how they can avoid similar outcomes in the future. Scarred, but not beaten, they gradually learn what it takes to be successful.

I know. I've been there. Over the years, I've had more than my share of blunders. And just the other day, some of my biggest ones came flooding back to me as I was driving to do a training program for a local printing company.

When I exited the highway onto Como Avenue, I was immediately transported back to my days as a Xerox sales trainee when I covered the 55414 zip code. It's where I learned many invaluable lessons that I still embrace today.

Lesson 1: How to Get Unstuck
After finishing the Xerox training program, I was assigned to follow Jim Farrell for several weeks to learn the ropes. But finally the day came when I was sent out on my own.

At 9 a.m., I pulled up in front of Quality Products to begin my cold calls. But I couldn't get out. I was terrified and tongue-tied, convinced that my sales career was over before it even began.

Prospecting: How to Create Instant Rapport

Calling Don Diggerman was always painful. Much as I wanted to do business with his company, I dreaded talking to him. I'd sit at my desk, staring at the phone, trying to figure out how I could avoid dealing with that man.

But it was just wishful thinking. The decision rested on Don's shoulders and unless I won him over, one of my competitors would get the order.

When I couldn't delay any longer, I'd close my eyes, take a long deep breath, and then slowly exhale. Over and over, perhaps twenty times or more. To the casual observer, it might have looked like I was meditating in the middle of the office. In reality, I was calming myself down before I called him.

You're probably wondering what was so awful about this man that caused me to go through all those gyrations. Was he abusive, ornery, or downright mean? Was he sneaky, manipulative or slimy?

No, this man was not an ogre. He was the nicest man in the whole wide world. Kind. Gracious. Warm. Everyone loved him - even me.

It was just that talking to him required a tremendous effort on my part. You see, Don was the slowest talker I've ever met.

When I'd catch him on the phone, I'd say something like, "Don, Jill Konrath calling."

"Oooooh, Jiiiiiilll," he'd say ever so slowly. "Howwwww niiiiiiiiice of youuuuuuu to caaaaaall. Weeeeeee've beeeeeeeen taaaaalking abooooout commmmming in for a deeeemooonstraaation, buuuuuut caaaaan't deeeeeciiiiiiiide if Tuuuuuuuesdaaaaay or Thurrrrrsdaaaaay is beeeeeettttter."

It took him forever to say anything - and it drove me up a wall. But he never knew, because I'd respond, "Donnnn. Caaaaaaaan weeeeee doooooo it onnnnnnn Thurrrrrsdaaaaay? It's beeeetter for meeeeeee."

Our entire conversation went at that speed - on purpose. If I'd talked to him normally, I would have scared him away. My goal-oriented behavior was totally out of synch with his laid-back, slow-paced manner.

Because I recognized this, I made a conscious decision to relate to Don in a manner that made him feel comfortable. Maintaining this calm demeanor was certainly not one bit relaxing for me though.
But, it wasn't about me. It was about my customer. I was treating him the way he wanted to be treated. And that's a good thing.

One Sales Strategy that Really Works

How do you capture the attention of corporate decision makers today? If you're not using educational marketing, you're missing out on a huge opportunity. 

Michael Stelzner used it to get 60,234 leads over a five year period. He's a small business owner ... a regular guy who stumbled onto this strategy that:

• Brought him high quality prospects virtually overnight.
• Established him as a thought leader in his market space.
• Kept on generating leads for years.

Using educational marketing, his company landed accounts such as Microsoft, FedEx and Dow Jones. Not too shabby a client base!

Today Michael is launching a series of videos on how he used these educational techniques to transform his business. 

You can watch his first video, "How to Generate Mass Interest in Your Business During Tough Times" right now.

It's worth it!  I just finished watching the 2nd one. Also excellent. (Note: He references my blog post on Trash Talk & Delete Buttons in it!)

Again, check out video now.