How never to fail again
One of the greatest fears of salespeople is failure. Early in his career, the late David H. Sandler, founder of the Sandler Sales Institute, created a mechanism that prevented him, or any salesperson who uses it, from ever failing again. The following adaptation of "You Can't Teach a Kid To Ride a Bike At a Seminar," by Sandler and John P. Hayes explains Sandler's technique the up-front contract.
Hayes recalls a magic moment in the book where Sandler recounts how the up-front contract was born. One day the thought occurred to Sandler that all he really needed to do was establish an agreement with a prospect to see if they had anything to discuss. That took the pressure off trying to close the sale. If they agreed they had something to discuss, they could continue to determine if they should do business together. If there was nothing to discuss, however, no harm done. There was no need to try to sell the prospect.
By establishing the agreement or contract before Sandler tried to sell his services, he could call on anyone and never risk failing. Sandler couldn't fail trying to get an up-front contract. Either he got a commitment to continue or he didn't. If he did, all the better, and if he didn't, Sandler was out the door, no regrets. Suddenly, selling became more of a game than a risk or a challenge. If you think of selling as a game, then you'll find it appropriate to use the up-front contract.
Every sport uses one. Before a baseball game, the umpire calls the managers from the opposing teams to home plate and they discuss the rules of the game. They agree on what's foul and fair and what makes a home run, and review any unusual circumstances about the ballpark. Later during the game, if a batter hits a ball behind the catcher, up over the screen and into the crowd, there's no argument that it's a foul ball. Why don't salespeople take the same approach? What could be more honest than to establish a set of rules at the beginning of interacting with a prospect?
And the up-front contract, or better yet, a series of up-front contracts, will save time for both you and the prospect, and help you make more money in sales without offending anyone. By always arriving at an agreement up front, you and the prospect can avoid misunderstandings, as well as the rhetoric and posturing that often occurs during the selling dance. An up-front contract improves communication and greatly enhances the profession of selling.
Here are some samples of how to form up-front contracts:
First up-front contract: When you meet your prospect (either on the phone or in person), say something like this: "Jim, let's set some ground rules for our meeting. I'd like to have the opportunity to ask you some questions about your business, and I'd also like you to ask me anything you'd like about my product. Is that O.K. with you?"
Second up-front contract: "As we ask and answer each other's questions, Jim, we may decide there isn't a fit between what you need and my product. We may decide it doesn't make sense to spend any more time together. If we reach that point, are you comfortable telling me that?"
Third up-front contract: "On the other hand, if you see that my product makes sense to you, we can decide to move forward. O.K., Jim?"
Fourth up-front contract: "When we finish today, Jim, we can set up the ground rules as to how you and I will proceed. Is that satisfactory?"
See how it works?
Sandler discovered that the more often he used up-front contracting in sales calls, the less need there was to make a presentation. Why? Because when you create a series of contracts, prospects can experience how your product or service will fulfill their needs. As you develop the contracts, you gently guide the prospects to see that your product or service can eliminate the problem or provide the solution.
By establishing up-front contracts, you're not guaranteed to get every order. However, setting up such contracts will guarantee you control of the selling process every step of the way. As a salesperson, you'll get in the habit of never making a move without knowing in advance what will happen when you do.
Even small items require an up-front contract. For example, your prospect asks you to call back on Thursday, but you don't know why. Gently say, "Sally, I'll be happy to call you on Thursday. What will happen when we talk on Thursday?" Before you give up control of a selling situation, take the opportunity to get an up-front contract.
Up-front contracting won't be easy because it's asking you to change your behavior. At first, it's going to feel awkward, but the more you use the technique, the faster you'll master it.
One final word: The most important up-front contract you will ever make is with yourself. It's the contract that says nothing will drive you out of sales. The only way you can break that contract is to quit. Don't.
President of North Carolina-based Buy Gitomer, Jeffrey Gitomer is also the author of "The Sales Bible," and "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless." He can be emailed at salesman@gitomer.com
