How to sell ourselves...without bragging!

A couple weeks ago I was doing a program at a university and we were discussing building a "personal value proposition". About halfway through the program a young man asked a great question...

"How do I sell myself without sounding like I am bragging?"

After he asked that question I looked around at the room and realized that a good number of the students were wondering the same thing.

These students were just a few short months away from graduating and moving into the workforce. They had attended this session to learn how to differentiate themselves in the job market.

As I answered the question I realized that the answer applies to sales professionals as well. These 3 tools will help us create our own value proposition in the competitive world of sales.

So...

"How do we sell ourselves, to our clients, without looking like we are the stereotypical sales people...show up and throw up?"

First...

We must have credibility in our field!

Bragging occurs when we display confidence without credibility!

Can you tell the difference when someone has been there and done that and someone who has been told what to say?

Of course you can!

Credibility does not only come with time/experience but it comes with a devotion to learning the trade. There are plenty of young, credible professionals out there because they realized that in order to compete, without a wealth of experience, they would have to learn their industry inside and out! They would have to learn their product/service inside and out! They would have to learn their customer inside and out!


The Second way to sell ourselves without bragging...


Sell in response to a question!



The problem with the "show up and throw up" approach is that we have no idea what the client wants or what their needs are.


When we ask questions we can identify their current situation and then we can provide solutions for that issue. It also gives us insight into the clients "hot buttons", which gives us the opportunity to tailor our responses to fit them perfectly.

Ex.

"So... Mrs. Shafer...at the end of the day, what are are you looking for in a supplier?"


"I am looking for a supplier that is going to be around for a while. A company that has the desire to be a consultant for our company for years to come!"
(p.s. While this is not a question...it is, what we would call, an inquisitive statement!)


"I completely understand...we have a number of clients that have been in our family for over 20 years and we definitely understand the impact that can have on the success of a company!"


So what did that accomplish?

1. We asked what she wanted/needed...

2. We identified what the "hot button" was...

3. We acknowledged her situation and addressed it...

4. We gave her reasons why our company meets her criteria...aka...we sold ourselves effectively!



The Third way to sell ourselves without bragging...


Is to have proof!


Selling ourselves using statements that are not tangible and that cannot be proven will only leave the client questioning the validity of our claims!

When we begin selling what we do or who we are, we must have proof for each and every value proposition we make!


We need to be able to draw it out!

We must be able to do the math...right then and there!


We will not make large strides in any sale unless we have the ability to prove "the value" on the spot!


Have you ever heard this line from anyone...


"It will be worth it...trust me!"


That approach does not work in sales. We don't make large-scale sales by saying...trust me!


The best sales professionals are the ones that say...


"This product is the best...and I can prove it!"



So...How does you style of selling stand up to this model?




How do we sell ourselves without bragging?

1. Be a credible source of information!
2. Sell in response to a question (or inquisitive statement)!
3. Have proof!

He was devoted...devoted to his craft!

Do you get up and go to work?

Do you work hard at your job?

Do you constantly drive to enhance your career?

Do you dream about perfecting your craft?



Before you answer this question...Let's take a look at what these words really mean...



Work- exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil

Job- anything a person is expected or obliged to do; duty; responsibility

Career- an occupation or profession, esp. one requiring special training, followed as one's lifework

Craft- an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, requiring devotion


Now... How do you view YOUR profession?

Is it work?

Is it a job?

Maybe a career?

Or...

Is it a craft?


In all honesty...I didn't give much thought to the differences between these until I heard about a young boy named J-Mac...

J-Mac (Jason McElwain) was diagnosed with Autism at 2 years old but that isn't why his story has reached millions...


J-Mac has been labeled with something else...a love for playing basketball!


From a young age, basketball became his love and his refuge!

When coming into high school J-Mac did not make JV basketball team but his love for the sport drove him to be a part of it any cost!

He soon found a way to contribute to the team and its success...he became the team manager!

J-Mac was the JV team manager and eventually became the manager for the Varsity!

In his 3 years as team manager he never missed a practice and only missed one game!

As his senior season was coming to a close...

with just one game left...

J-Mac's coach said "J-Mac...I'm gonna try and get you in this game! I can't make any promises but I will try!"

The entire school had heard rumors about J-Mac getting to play in the last game of the season, so hundreds of students piled into the gym for the game. They carried cardboard cut-outs of J-Mac's face and cheered for him throughout the game!

Finally, it came...

With 4:19 left in the final game of the season (Senior Night) J-Mac was put in the game!

This was his time! This was his chance to show everyone what heart and drive can create!

Unfortunately, J-Mac missed his first shot!

The crowd sank...praying that J-Mac would score just one point in his first, and final, game!

Then...he lined up for a second attempt...


It was good! A 3-pointer! The stands exploded in a roar!


Then his next shot...ANOTHER 3!


And his next...ANOTHER 3!


No one could have imagined that in the final 3 minutes of the game J-Mac would score, an astonishing, 20 points!!!

That's right...J-Mac was 6 for 10 from the 3-point line and was the high scorer in the game!!!

As the final buzzer went off the fans rushed the floor! He had done it!


The game was an amazing story but its what J-Mac's dad said after the game that caught me by surprise...

When asked if his son's performance surprised him, he had this to say, "Not at all! Tons of kids play basketball but for J-Mac...it was more than a game! It was his craft! Shooting the basketball was an art to him! He saw it as an opportunity that needed constant attention and polishing! When you devote as much time to your craft as he devoted to his...you would experience what he did...Greatness!"

What a statement!!!

So...how do you view your profession?

Is it a job or a craft?

Is it a career ... or ... is an art?


Click Here To Watch J-Mac's Story (ESPN Special)

"This isn't a young man's game or an old man's game...this is an eagar man's game!"

After graduating, it became increasingly harder to catch up with college friends. I am off doing my thing...they are off doing their thing! Its just, flat out, difficult to maintain the depth of relationships you had while in school.

In trying to fix the issue I make it a point to grab lunch or dinner with my friends at least a couple times a month. This gives us an opportunity to catch up on things and chat about what's new...

Most of my friends love to refer back to the "good ole days" of college and talk about what was...

I do have one friend though, that loves to talk business...and what will be! He loves to pick my brain about what's new and I love to grill him with questions regarding his business!

Needless to say...it is always a blast connecting with Robert!

Robert has been in the chemical/oil industry since he graduated and has really made a name for himself in this short time! He, like myself, decided to go into business with his family which gives us another topic to discuss.

We have both acknowledged the task at hand when it comes to stepping out of the shadow of the family name and creating an identity for yourself. We have also recognized that our scenario is not unique to the family business.

Attempting to create an identity is a challenge many young professionals face...

The other reason I love talking with Robert is he has one of the most positive perspectives on life and business that I have ever seen! The guy can recognize a tough situation but focus on the positives better than anyone I have ever seen!

I asked him the other day, "Rob...how's this economy effecting you and your business?"

He quickly fired back with, "I love it! I can't keep people away!"

Not sensing any sarcasm in his voice I wanted more details, "What do you mean? Why is a bad economy a good thing for you?"

He said, "because...in a bad economy people are shopping around! They are looking for value! My current clients aren't going anywhere because we bring a ton of value and the prospective clients are climbing aboard because they see us as a diamond in the rough! They recognize what we bring the table in the short run and long term!"

What a great way to look at this issue?

As we were finishing up lunch today I asked him, "So do you think age and experience play a major role in predicting success?"

He sat there and thought a second, "I would be lying if I said it didn't make a difference but I will say that it is not the difference maker! This isn't a young man's game or an old man's game...this is an eagar man's game!"

Wow! That is the truth!

He could really send me an invoice for a comment that powerful!

It is an eagarness to work...an eagarness to grow...an eagarness to improve...but most importantly...It is an eagarness to compete!

The young professionals that will succeed are the ones that love the heat of battle! They love disproving the current beliefs! They love setting the new standard!

The sad thing is that I think some people feel safe surrounding themselves with people who are self-labeled "victims" because there is minimal ownership in a group like that. With no ownership there is no call to action!

The only prblem is that a true "victim" is someone without control...we have control!

Our mental health is determined by how much we feel we control in life!

How much ownership do you take in your success...and your struggles?

I hope a lot!

...because it is only when we accept responsibility in the result, that we are given the power to improve!

Thanks for the powerful insight Robert...keep up the good work!

"What is the point of knowing how to text when you can just pick up the phone and call them?"

First let me say that earlier this morning I received 30 minute tutorial from my dad on today's newest form of social media...Twitter!

Yes...you heard that correctly! He tutored ME on the uses of Twitter!

Now to tell you a little bit about my dad...he has always run at my pace (sometimes even faster) when it comes to the newest tools, technology, social media, music etc.

Needless to say...he is a lifelong learner!

In all honesty, I have always taken his "youthful" demeanor for granted! I just assumed that most people were as driven to see through the curve as he was.

Ohhhhh how wrong I was!

I didn't realize just how unique his style of learning and growth was until I attended a training session we put on in Houston in the first half of last year.

We were about three days in and my dad was speaking to a group of about 15 senior managers and he was addressing the ways that we can, in the sales profession, leverage the many forms of communication to improve our business.

He had no idea the resistance he was about to face with his next comment (and neither did I)...

"Ok...let's dive into some of the ways we communicate with our customers....email, phone, text messaging..."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" a guy yelled out from the back of the room...

"Text messaging?!?! That's rediculous! Why would you ever text message a client when you can call them or email them?"

My dad quickly seeked clarification from the gentleman and asked..."I'm sorry...what is about text messaging that seems so innappropriate?"

The manager said, in a VERY convicting voice, "Honestly?!?! I mean...how unprofessional is sending a customer a text message?!"

(Knowing my dad's style and his confidence in me...I knew he was going to throw me into this at some point)

He said, "Ok...How many feel that text messaging is ineffective or innappropriate?" The majority of the room raised their hands! "How many of you know how to text message?" Only 5 (out of 15) raised their hands.

"Ok...so let me ask you a question...Is our generation getting bigger or smaller in the workplace?"

The group answered, with some reservation, "smaller."

"What generation is getting bigger?"

The group quickly pointed at me (I'm 24) and said, "His"

My dad responded by calling on me...

"Jason...what form of communication do you use the MOST? If you were to need to get a hold of your fiance or your freinds...how would you go about contacting them?"

I said very directly..."I would text them!"

My dad, in a very calm voice, said "So if our workforce is being taken over by individuals like my son back there and they communicate through text messaging...why don't we know how to use it? Why do we feel that it is innappropriate? Do we feel that they should adapt to our style of communiaction or should we learn how to use their form of communication?"

The room was very silent for a second...

My dad, then added "I am not saying we need to stop calling customers and only text them. I am just saying that it is a tool that we must know how to use! We must have it in our bag! If a customer says text me...we need to be able to. If we don't then we immediately lose credibility with that customer. They will go to the young guy across the street that they feel they connect with."

I was sitting in the back nodding the whole time...

How true is that? Would we, as young professionals, rather do business with someone who can relate to us... or someone who is so old school that they communicate via "pony express"?

I don't bring this story up to encourage you to text because I am assuming you do...

I say this to make all of us aware that we have an immediate advantage if are well versed in all of the forms of communication...because so few of our, more experienced, counterparts are using these tools!

We should be masters at programs such as... LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.

Why?

...because they are crucial tools for creating a following!

Would we rather have a couple clients pushing our brand or have a following of thousands spread across the globe?

I heard an interesting fact the other day... If MySpace was a country it would be the 5th largest (population) in the world!

You mean we could have access to that many people from our computer?

Exactly! So why not learn how to leverage these tools to help grow our business?

These forms of communication may be an advantage today...tomorrow they will be a must!

Start creating a FOLLOWING now!

What is the world coming to? Watch this and find out...


p.s. We will be addressing the application of these tools throughout many of our upcoming blogs and articles! If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at Jason@aplayersonline.com .

A Lesson in Scottsdale

Unfortunately had to fly home from beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona to iced-over Dallas on Tuesday. The only good part about was that I was going to see my beautiful fiance and that I was coming home with a wealth of knowledge from the previous two days!

We were in Scottsdale for the TTI (Target Training International) Winners' Conference! TTI creates some of the worlds greatest, professional assessments...and after this week, there is no doubt in my mind why they are so good!

The leadership within TTI is some of the best I have ever seen!

It is a powerhouse team of driven, vibrant, excited individuals that are always pushing to take their business to the next level!

My dad has been a distributor for TTI for about 12 years now and this particular weekend he would be given the opportunity to open the conference with a keynote. My dad has always said that this was one of his big 3...one of the 3 audiences he has always wanted to address.

The other two being the NSA Convention (National Speakers Assoc.) and Promise Keepers (a Christian organization that focuses on men and their walk with Christ)

When my dad was asked to speak at the TTI conference he asked if my stepmom and I would attend it as well! We were thrilled for him and thrilled to be attending the conference! As much as I expected to learn a ton, I never thought that I would learn so much from one specific comment!

In the program following my dad's, the founder of TTI (Bill Bonnstetter) addressed the audience! He was talking about the direction that TTI was going and the growth that was in progress. It was one of the more powerful programs I had ever heard!

As much of a high-content program as it was, it was Bill that intrigued me!

The founder of a very successful organization, that was celebrating its 25th Anniversary, was sharing his thoughts of what it took to be succesful in his industry. He was brilliant! He was obviously a lifetime learner, that you could tell was ALWAYS trying to get better...and always trying to make his company better!

It was about 30 minutes into his hour-long presentation when he said something that I will never forget!

He said, "We have stiff competition but I urge each of us to not be negative...we just need to be better!"

Wow! How great is it to hear a statement like that?!

We must not be negative...just be better!

Now, the sales application of this is apparent! How much more successful would we be if we stopped taking jabs at the competition and started focusing or providing our customers with more value?

Many of us have been tempted to throw a competitor under the bus to gain business...and let's be honest here...many of us have let it go further than a temptation! We've done it!

Even though it is more in line with this blog to explain my point through business analogies...I am going to atke it another direction!

Let's talk about our recent election...

ohhhhhh nooooo...here he goes on politics...

Don't worry...I will not go into my political stance!

I just want to discuss the pattern of politics and the way campaigns are run these days!

I have grown up in an age where an election is like battle ship...which side is the least damaged by the other's attack! The one brutally beaten wins over the mortally wounded! It really is a beautiful thing (beware of heavy sarcasm!)

In our recent election I got to the point where I voted for the one I disliked the least! Now how sad is that?!

I am voting for the leader of our country and I admit to not really being satisfied with either party!

Why do you think that is?

It is not because they are bad people...its because they have brought out every piece of dirty laundry out for the world to see! Any and every imperfection and mistake is now the headlining story...not their ideas of how to better our country!

When did winning by default become more appealing than winning through character and insight?

The campaigning was entirely based on the idea that if we destroy the other side then they will HAVE TO vote for us!

The negative side of that is that at the end of it...a good number of people are uncertain if EITHER choice is the right choice!

I use the election as an example but we face that exact same scenario in our sales careers! How do we handle it when we are in direct competition with another company or another salesperson?

Answer: We do so by focusing on why we are the right choice not why the competitor is the wrong choice!

Thank you to Bill Bonnstetter and the TTI team for showing me that a true professional succeeds through customer focus...not through competitor focus!

The Man's Shop

It's called The Man's Shop! It is a men's specialty clothing store in Arlington, TX and it has built a business around selling much more than designer clothes. I have been a customer of a, well known, men's clothing store for many years and they have always been good but I recently found myself considering moving my business elsewhere.

Why would I leave a company that is great at selling clothes?

Without giving you the name of my past provider, I will tell you that I do not have a bad thing to say about them! They have always done a great job at selling clothes! They have the answers I need about the clothes I want! They run a very solid business and I see them being around for a while.

The only problem...

I have been going to this store for about 4 years and they still ask me, "Hello sir. Is this your first time visiting ________?"

At one point about a year and a half ago I visited the store a couple times over the span of two weeks (we were trying to get suits picked out for a friend's wedding). I spoke to two individuals on a Monday and came back on Tuesday and spoke to the same two...as I walked in they asked, "Sir, can I help you with something today?"

They had NO IDEA who I was or why I was there!!!

Ok...so I have to be honest...at that time it did not bother me at all!

It was like a bad relationship! Sometimes you don't know you are in a bad relationship until you get a taste of what a good relationship is like. That was the case when I found a great relationship at The Man's Shop!

My fiance's parents had been pushing me to visit the store for a while (they have been good friends with the owner for quite some time) so I decided to swing by this past Saturday to see if they could help me with attire for my wedding in July.

As I walked in I had really already made up my mind to buy my clothes from my old store...I was just doing this because my fiance's mom asked me to (Just being honest...sorry Wally!)

Little did I know that my mind would change within 5 minutes of being in the store!

I walked in and asked for Brandon (which I was told to do) and told him that I was sent by the Moore's to discuss potential wedding attire.

The first thing Brandon did was he walked me over to a file folder and began taking notes...

Now these weren't notes of what type of clothes I needed, colors, or even measurements (he recorded those later).

He began asking questions and taking notes on details such as...

- Where in Mexico are you getting married?
- How do you spell Caitlyn's (my fiance) name?
- Who's your best man?
- How do you know Matt? (he began using my best man's name immediately...why...build trust!)
- When did you graduate from TCU?
- What is your degree in?
- etc.

I was caught off guard! Wally (owner) and his team were more interested in my needs than what I might spend!

They realize that people love to buy but hate being sold!

For the next hour they answered any and every questioned I had. They were not sales people...they were clothing consultants!

As I left I still couldn't believe the difference in The Man's Shop versus other stores I had visited.

And it only got more impressive as I pulled up in front of my fiance's house!

As I was walking up the driveway my fiance's mom just got off the phone with Brandon. He was calling to tell her thank you for sending me!

WOW! Small things make a big difference!


I now pledge my allegiance to The Man's Shop and will recommend them to anyone looking for a great store with an even better motto...

"We don't sell clothes...we sell relationships" - Brandon Baker

Thanks to The Man's Shop (www.TheMansShop.com) for a wonderful experience!

A Master's Mentality

A couple weeks ago my fiance and I flew down to Rockport, Texas to meet up with my family and spend a couple days fishing together. The four of us fished as a group at the start of the week but on Friday my dad and I decided to go out with a guide. The girls did not go on this trip because the trip would be 100% wade fishing (standing in the water while fishing) and I would have a better chance at winning the lottery than getting my fiance to go wadefishing. As we showed up to the dock that morning, I would have no idea of the life lessons that were around the corner!

Before we get into these lessons, let's flashback a bit...

We have a boat for a couple years now and even though we love to fish out of our own boat, we still go fishing with a guide a couple times a year. We hire a guide for the same reason you would sign up for a seminar...its a learning experience. On this particular trip my dad wanted to do a little research and find the local "expert". It wasn't long until we booked the saltwater fishing legend, Jay Watkins www.JayWatkins.com .

It was a unanimous conclusion throughout Rockport that if we wanted the best, Jay was the one!

We stepped out on the dock, that day, walking up to the boat as if we were about to get golf lessons from Tiger Woods...nervous, yet eagar to learn!

From the second we stepped on the boat the seminar began!

Jay educated us on anything and everything that had to do with fishing...but the real lessons came when we started fishing.

Our first stop was a shoreline where the bait fish were jumping as if they were allergic to the water (this is a good sign that fish were in the area). We shut the boat down and began to pile out. We began wading down the shoreline and it didn't take long to realize that the fish weren't there. As opposed to trying to force something to happen or waiting on our luck to change, Jay said "Let's load em up boys...we have a ton of places to hit today!"

I looked at my dad as we walked back to the boat and whispered, "We were only there for like 10 minutes...at this pace he is going to run out of spots in a couple hours!" My dad just looked at me and shrugged (I think he realized I would end up eating my words by the end of the day).

As we got back to the boat my dad asked Jay, "How long do you stay at a spot when you feel it might not produce?" Here was lesson 1...

Jay said, "Not long! As a professional, you don't wait on change...you make things change!"

That was the moment I knew this would be a trip that might not only impact the way I viewed fishing, but would change the way I viewed success!

Jay then cranked up the boat and headed off to our next spot. As we pulled up to the shell reef he was constantly telling us what he was looking for..."Yep! There's bait here boys...water looks good...current's perfect...Let's do it...let's go bend these rods boys!"

My dad and I were eating this up...we couldn't get enough of this guy!

We began wading down one side of the reef and casting to the other side. Jay was constantly walking and changing his "area of attack" (refer back to lesson 1...create change!). After about 5 minutes we heard Jay say, "There he is boys!" ...as his rod was beant down! (this would be a phrase and a sight we would experience over 100 times that day).

"Move down here boys...they are right over there!"

I proceeded to cast it right where he said (lucky I guess) and he looked at me and said...

"That's it right there! Hold on! You're gonna get 'er with that cast!"

He didn't even finish his sentence when I got slammed by a big trout!

This guy was rediculous!! He was like Babe Ruth calling his shot but saying..."I am going to hit a home run to the guy in the green shirt, row 12, section 114!

I finally had to ask him..."How do you know know where these fish are going to be and when they are going to bite?"

Jay looked at me, chuckled, and said " If you spent thousands of hours out here like I have, you would be able to do it as well! It's not a God-given ability...it's a learned skill!"

I think too many times we see someone that is exceptional at what they do and we try explain their degree of success by saying that they are gifted or just lucky. A couple thoughts on the perspective...

1- That is just a way to justify why we aren't as good as someone else. "I could be as good as Tiger if I could hit the ball 350 yards!"

The statement should go like this...

"I could be as good as Tiger if I put in the hundreds of thousands of hours of blood, sweat, and tears, on the driving range like he has!"

Now, some of you might be thinking..."Talent does play a part in success!". First, let me say that I agree with you...BUT...

Talent is only the "wood"...it takes a great deal of work, preparation, resiliency, and patience to build a beautiful home!

2- It takes away from the hard work the individual, like Jay, had to put in to be so good!

ok...Back to our fishing trip...

We had caught 30 or 40 fish at this spot and we were still catching them when Jay said...

"Load 'em up boys! Nuff playin with these kids...lets go find their parents!"

(just for the record...the fish weren't small but when you are a true professional "small fish" aren't good enough anymore...you begin looking for the "Big Fish")

We got back into the boat and headed to a few more spots but Jay treated them like the first spot we went to...10 minutes and no BIG fish..."Load 'em up boys!"

That's when we hit a shoreline where the next life lesson took place...

We piled out of the boat and began wading down the shoreline...

We couldn't have been more than 20 feet away from each other and we were casting into the same vacinity but Jay was catching 5 fish to every 1 we caught!

How can this happen?

We are standing right next to him, casting to the same spot, fishing with the same bait, and he is catching 5 fish to every 1 we catch!!!! I asked my dad..."How is this possible?" His answer would be my next lesson...

My dad said..."Jason, its simple! Its just like sales! If you put an amateur in the same territory as the professional, the professional will beat him all day long! Its not the water...its the process at which he works the water!"

After about an hour of fishing this shoreline we decided to head in and call it a day!

I figured the lessons would end at that point...since the fishing did...

ohhhh how wrong I was! The next lesson left me speachless!

On the ride in my dad asked Jay, "So Jay, do you ever have a problem with clients fishing your spots?"

Jay said, " Nope. They aren'y MY spots! If they are in a spot that I regularly fish then I'll go to another one. I don't have 6 spots...I have hundreds! Anyone who gets mad at you for fishing in their spot is relying on the location...I rely on my ability! If you know how to fish and what to look for...you have endless options!

WOW!!! I still cannot stop thinking about this fishing trip! The lessons I learned, that day, will stick with me for a lifetime!

Thanks Jay! It was one of the most memorable fishing trips of my life!!!