The Sales Doctor makes a house call

His first book, "How to Master the Art of Selling," has sold more than 1 million copies, making it the best-selling book ever on the subject of "how-to" selling techniques. With his audio tapes, hundreds of thousands of salespeople (including me) drive from appointment (Tom prefers to call them "visits") to appointment with Tom Hopkins helping them turn their cars into classrooms.
The first time I saw Tom Hopkins live was at the Sheraton Hotel in Valley Forge, Pa., in 1982. I had just read his book and listened to the entire series of cassettes on "How to Master the Art of Selling Anything" and I was pumped. Tom held the standing-room-only audience in the palm of his hand for six hours. Every person in that audience will remember that day. And so will his audience in Charlotte this day.
Everyone in the audience was leaning forward in the buying position. Hopkins literally had them on the edge of their chairs the entire day. He is a sales wordsmith of the first order.
Hopkins delivered meat. Information you could take to the streets and convert to commissions - Tom prefers to call them "fees for services."
In fact, there were several words he recommended salespeople change in their jargon to take away the prospect's fear of buying. A few examples are:
cost or price = amount or total investment
down payment = initial amount or initial investment
contract = paperwork, agreement or form
buy = own
problem = situation or challenge
objection = area of concern
cheaper = more economical
He challenged the audience that to be better salespeople we must discover our areas of sales weaknesses and strengthen them. A 50-question sales skill evaluation was part of the seminar, and Hopkins promised everyone a computerized diagnosis in a few weeks. He donned a stethoscope to make his point. The sales doctor. The audience loved it.
Hopkins encouraged the audience of 1,000 to learn to accept rejection and failure as a part of the profession. He said, "When I fail, I look at what I did right, not what I did wrong." He challenged everyone to look at these inevitable events in a new way. He said, "I never see failure as failure, only as:
1. A learning experience.
2. The negative feedback I need to change course.
3. The opportunity to develop my sense of humor.
4. The opportunity to practice my techniques and perfect my performance.
5. The game I must play to win."
The benchmarks of his presentation centered around fundamental issues of sales and life's ethics. They are brilliant. They are simple. They just ain't easy.
* Selling is finding the people to sell and selling the people you find.
* A great sales presentation consists of three parts:
1. Tell them what you're going to tell them.
2. Tell them.
3. Tell them what you've told them.
* In sales, the objective is moving people to decisions.
* Failure is an event, not a person.
* Make people feel important.
* Build your business on truth.
* Listening is more important than talking.
* Get your prospect (future client) involved by asking questions.
* Learn the science of asking questions.
* Use tie-down (aren't you, isn't it, doesn't it) questions (questions that command "yes" answers) to confirm your prospect's agreement.
* Learn to recognize buying signals.
* Know when to ask for the sale.
* Take notes during the selling process, especially when the prospect is talking.
* Giving exceptional service will keep the people you serve in your camp forever, and get them to recommend their friends and associates.
* Do the most productive thing possible at every given moment.
* Have fun.
Hopkins also shared his philosophy on enthusiasm.
* Make sales your first love.
* Treat sales like your favorite hobby.
* People will say "yes" based more on your conviction and enthusiasm than on your product knowledge.
How do you attain and maintain enthusiasm? Here's Hopkins' five-step formula:
Step 1. Maintain your curiosity.
Step 2. Sustain interest in all you do.
Step 3. Have a never-ending thirst for knowledge.
Step 4. Believe in what you do.
Step 5. Your purpose in life must be more than money.
(I would dare to add a sixth - Don't dwell on problems. Concentrate on solutions.)
His enthusiasm is so real, it's contagious. Tom Hopkins burns with the overwhelming desire to increase the effectiveness, and the incomes, of the people who seek his teaching and want to become highly skilled, professional salespeople. I was fortunate to spend some personal time with Tom, and I can tell you his passion for training is straight from his heart.
I own every book and tape Tom Hopkins has written or recorded. He even has a series for children called, "How to Make your Dreams Come True." I urge you to make his training material a part of your library.
Tom Hopkins is the sales doctor. A man who has dedicated his life to helping salespeople develop a cure for the common close.
Next week: The importance of questions.