The Golden Rule Of Salesmanship

I started thinking about the golden rule of salesmanship
the last time I got my hair cut. Let me explain.

I get my haircut every two weeks - it's been a habit of
mine for the last 20 years.

The person who cuts my hair now is Amir. I guesstimate
he's in his mid-20s. He's personable, enthusiastic and
usually gives me a good haircut.

His routine is to cut the hair, wash it, dry it and
finally style it.

Last week he has my back to the mirror so I couldn't
see what he was up to.

When he turns me around to face the mirror I almost
screamed.

The sides of my head are brushed forward and the top
spiked - I mean really spiked.

He said, That's the way he likes it.

Unfortunately he didn't pay for my haircut - I did.

He said it made me look 10 years younger.

A couple of shots of Botox would make me look 10 years
younger - but not his haircut.

Remember - I get my haircut every 2 weeks.

Do you think he has any clue what the lifetime value
of my business is?

And to boot - half his business in the winter is snowbirds
and guess where they're going now, you guessed right
if you said back up north for the summer months.

If I were Donald Trump I'd be tempted to say,
"Amir - you're fired!"

Well, I'm not Donald Trump so I'm going back to see Amir
on Friday for another haircut.

Before he gets his scissors working I'll ask him to read
this newsletter. Better yet, maybe I'll wait until he
finishes my haircut.

As a result of thinking about all of this I think it's
fair to say, at least in my opinion, the golden rule of
salesmanship is "Know thy customer."

When you know your customer it makes it easier for you
to give them what he wants. Don't ever make the mistake
of giving your customer what you want. It's not about
you, it's about your customer.

The customer writes the checks and pays your bills.

You can really shake up your thinking about the value
of your customers by doing some simple math. Calculate
the lifetime value of your customers. Determine what
each customer is worth over your lifetime.

As soon as you determine the lifetime value of your
customers you'll probably start treating them
differently - I know I did.

Now that I got that off my chest I feel much better.

Of course I don't look any better, so maybe I ought to
look into the Botox shots.

Always remember the golden rule of salesmanship -
"Know thy customer."

Telephone Tips
You Don't Want To Miss

I've often mentioned to you the importance of using the
phone as part of your sales process. Here's a resource
I suggest you take advantage of that can dramatically
affect your success using the phone, and help you
minimize resistance.

My friend and telesales expert, Art Sobczak is holding a
90-minute teleseminar,

"How to Easily Create Telephone Call Openings that
Stimulate Interest, and Avoid Resistance-(AND Get To
More Decision Makers, AND Have Success With Voice Mail)"

Wednesday, June 3, 1 p.m. Central

Go to: https://bbp.infusionsoft.com/go/MTS/JM/

Just a sample of what you'll get:

=> What to do before calls so you don't have to place
generic "cold calls"

=> How to ensure you're never "rejected" on calls

=> 13 actions and word-for-word opening mistakes sales
reps make every day that guarantee failure and resistance,
and what to say instead

=> Specific tips, strategies, and phrases to use with
screeners to be helped through, instead of pushed out

=> Why most voice mail messages are ignored, and create
resistance, and what to do instead, and much more.

You will also get a couple of bonuses for participating,
including perhaps the most valuable one of all:

Art will review your personal opening statement after
you go through the program, and provide his suggestions
for changes so you can maximize your success.

I could go on and on, but I suggest you go to Art's
site for more information, and you can actually listen
to a sample of what's in the program:

https://bbp.infusionsoft.com/go/MTS/JM/

Check it out right now!

Jim Meisenheimer

P.S. If you can't attend, you can still order the
recording of the program, which includes all of the
bonuses.

P.P.S. This is a No-Brainer!

Heads Up!

I'm putting the finishing touches on a project I've
been working on for the last 10 months.

It's dedicated to helping you sell more, even during
these challenging times.

And it won't be a budget breaker.

You're gonna like this . . .

Stay tuned for all the details.

Favorite Quote

If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't
thinking.

George Patton

Follow my Twitters here:

Keep up with Jim's Twitters, rants and raves
plus a whole lot more . . .

http://twitter.com/jimmeisenheimer

Success

Here's what success is. Waking up in the morning and
jumping out of bed to do what you love doing. It's
greeting everyday with gusto! Find your passion!

Start selling more today and everyday . . .

Jim Meisenheimer

21 years . . .

521 customers . . .

72.7% repeat business . . .

P.S. - If you're tired of doing price quotes, why not learn how to prepare winning sales proposals.

http://tinyurl.com/winning-proposals