Preface
I was 23 when I got into sales. My first job was selling windows for a national window company. They sat me at a desk with a little black phone, handed me the phone book, and said “ok, call people and sell them windows”. Then they explained “first thing is first, set up some appointments to go visit people”. “Visit who?” I asked! “Who do I call? Who wants to buy our windows” The answer that echoed to me form across the room was disappointing… “There’s the phone book - Start with A”. Thank God it was just a local phone book.
It was years later when I got hired with a large call-center that I received my first ounce of REAL training. How to sell… What to Say… How to Say it. They taught me to use features and benefits in succession… Give them a feature, and immediately follow up with a benefit. Just repeat this over and over. At the time, these were advanced sales skills… At least to me.
I remember reading that big companies such as Xerox and IBM would send their Sales force to be professionally trained. I remember wondering why none of the companies that I worked for (to date) had sent me to any formal sales training. I also remember asking myself over and over again how I could possibly become better at my chosen career.
As I moved from one job to another, I started paying attention to things. I would find the best seller in each job and listen closely to what he’s saying, and how he’s saying it… To the inflection in his voice… To the words he chose.. And then I would ask a lot of questions. I would often take time out to do this when I should have been working, which caused me many disputes with management. At some point… I decided it just wasn’t enough.
THE PROBLEM: Unless you work for some large corporation – Fewer and fewer companies are investing in sales training for their Sales force… And those who make an attempt to train their sales staff often provide very basic sales skills
So came the time for me to train myself. I started paying for professional training classes with my own funds. I started buying every sales book I could get my hands on. I bought audio tapes and listened to them day in and day out… And after time, some of it started sinking in. My sales skills started developing and I became a much more persuasive individual.
With so much confidence in myself, I took on opportunities as an independent salesperson with a heating and ventilation company. I was introduced to the world of DIY “Do It Yourself”..
THE SECOND PROBLEM!: Sales skills alone, just aren’t enough. You need a heck of a lot more than mere sales skills to be a well-rounded professional.
I had to create lead-lists; book appointments; plan and perform sales presentations; persuade them to buy; negotiate the offer; close the deal; and build a referral network. It may not seem like a lot, but I found it to be overwhelming for just one person.
With my new-found sales skills, I sought to teach myself everything I could about being a successful independent salesperson. Very little assistance in the matter was provided by the company (and as I moved to other positions later, I found this to be a growing trend).
I decided to spend years researching methods and techniques of honing every skill necessary to be the Perfect Sales Pro, and I wrote it all in one book entitled “The Master Sales Manual”. I wrote the book as a training guide for myself. This book – Communication Skills – is the second in a series of books designed to help the average salesperson train himself to become The Perfect Sales Pro.