77 Enlightening Quotes from Sell or Be Sold by Gant Cardone
Sell or Be Sold by Gant Cardone is a book worth reading.It's especially beneficial for salespeople but many of the techniques that he teaches can be applied in different areas of life.so this book will benefit you even if you are not a salesperson.I have read two books by Grant Cardon: Sell or Be sold and The 10X Rule.I learned a lot from both of them.
Here are the quotes i love:
''Selling impacts every person on
this planet. Your ability or inability to sell, persuade, negotiate, and
convince others will affect every area of your life and will determine how well
you survive.''
''It is said that the number one
reason a business or an individual fails is undercapitalization. Not so! The
truth is, businesses fail first and foremost because their ideas weren’t sold
quickly enough and in quantities great enough,and therefore they ran out of
money. No business owner can build a business without understanding this
critical element called selling! Think of any action in life, and I assure you
that there’s someone at one end or the other trying to influence the outcome.''
''The whole subject of money is
full of false data, most of which are passed on by people who give advice on
money, but don’t have any themselves.When I was starting my first business,
almost everyone told me how difficult it was going to be, how much money it
would take, how risky it was, and how few businesses make it. None of these
people had ever actually started a business themselves, but they had plenty of
advice for me.''
‘’Even if selling isn’t your
career, you should be a professional seller in order to get more out of life. I
tell attendees in my money seminar, “If
you want to get rich, learn how to sell.” I became a professional at selling
when I was twenty-six years old, after years of research and intense study on
the subject.’’
‘’Whenever I commit myself to any
line of action, I get immediate results. When I’m not committed all the way, I
find that results are delayed or nonexistent. If I’m committed 100 percent to
the customer before me, I get results. But when I’m with one customer and
thinking about another customer or wishing I had a better customer, I’m unable
to make the best of what I have. Commit and commit all the way.’’
''To the degree that you aren’t proud of the job you’re doing, you won’t
be successful; and the degree to which you are successful will determine how
proud you are of your career. The career you are in is not the problem—your commitment
is the problem! ''
''Most people never commit like fanatics, and therefore they never become
fantastic.''
‘’How does one gain the skill of
prediction? You have to start looking at everything that’s happening, observe
it accurately without emotion or blame, and make a note of it. The ability to
predict comes from assuming responsibility for what’s going on around you and
believing you can control it. You have to pay complete attention to and record
encounters; then you’ll start to see a finite set of patterns.When I started
recording my phone calls and making notes of every exchange I had with
customers, I immediately tapped into my ability to perceive patterns,and then I
started being able to predict. It was so easy and so fast. I carried around an
‘objections’ notebook and wrote down every customer objection.Later I would
study my notes and start to see that most of my customers were making similar
comments. My awareness was raised and I was able to come up with solutions. ‘’
‘’The only reason a person
doesn’t like what he’s doing is because he doesn’t know what he’s doing! He
isn’t winning, and that’s because there’s something that he doesn’t know. The
doctor who can’t save lives won’t like being a doctor.The teacher who can’t get
her students to learn will sooner or later become disenchanted with teaching. A
salesman who can’t close deals won’t like selling. Therein lies the only reason
you would not like being a salesperson. When you don’t understand something,
you aren’t in control, and when you aren’t in control, you aren’t going to like
what you are doing!’’
‘’The greats can predict, a skill that comes from committing,
observing,and preparing solutions. To the degree that you can predict, you can
respond appropriately. Prediction is the great trait of the great
salespeople.The more you’re able to predict with accuracy, the more you’ll be
prepared to handle situations. It’s like driving: If you know what the other
drivers are going to do, you can avoid accidents. It’s not just about driving
your own car. You’ve got to be able to predict what other drivers will do.
Using the tool of observation will help you learn how to do this.’’
''I know salespeople who know the
game but are not completely and absolutely sold on their product, service, or
company. Because of their lack of conviction,they are not consistent producers.
You’ve got to be absolutely convinced that your product, your company, your
services, or your ideas are superior to all others….You have to be 100 percent certain
that what you’re selling is better than all other options. The fraud can’t get
consistent results because he is not completely sold on his product.''
‘’I have been accused of asking
astronomical prices for some of the products I’ve sold.The critics thought that
I was asking a high amount in the hope that I’d get more than the product was
worth…But the truth is, I’ve never asked a high price just for the sake of
starting high. I decide on a price because I’m so convinced of the product’s
worth that I would pay that price myself to have it!’’
‘’One time I put a house up for
sale and the best realtor in town told me it was worth maybe $6 million. I told
her to put it on the market at $8.9 million because the location was
irreplaceable, and I believed it was worth that much. I was 100 percent
convinced that the house was worth that price because I could have actually
made sense of paying that price myself. I sold the house two months later for
almost the asking price, and everyone in the neighborhood loved me.The new
owner went on to sell the same piece of property a year later for $10 million.
It wasn’t until after I became convinced of the value that others agreed with
me.The conviction that you have regarding your product is more important than
the conviction that others have about their facts and figures.’’
‘’A sale is made when your
conviction and belief about something are stronger than another’s, at which
point they give up some of their conviction. That’s the moment when the sale
becomes possible. I’m not even talking about a product or service at this
point. I’m talking about the conviction of the individual himself. The real
issue becomes who is more sold on what he believes to be true. Who is the most
believable and the most convincing? It will always be the one who is most sold!’’
‘’Look at photography, flight,
space travel, e-mail, the Internet, and on and on. All of these things were
considered impossible once upon a time—until someone became sold on them being possible.Why
is it that some people do things that others wouldn’t dream of doing? It’s because
they are sold on the idea that it needs to be done for some reason. To the degree
that they are sold and become unreasonable in their quest, they will succeed.’’
‘’If you want your marriage to
work better, then convince yourself that you have the best spouse on the
planet. How is your spouse the best? What sets him or her apart? What makes
that person unique, different from any other human being on this planet? What
are you sold on? She burns dinner, she looks terrible in the morning, and she’s
got big ugly feet! Setting the negatives aside, look at what sold you on her in
the first place. Sell yourself on her all over again. Find the plus points and
ignore the imperfections. Get back to being sold and doing the things that you
were doing early on and watch the change. You’ll be amazed to see what happens.
Suddenly she isn’t burning meals anymore, she looks great in the morning, and
she’s gone out and gotten a pedicure and a nice pair of shoes.’’
''Every product I’ve ever sold, I first bought myself and was proud to tell
people that I owned it.Obviously, you can’t buy every single product that you
sell, but you’ve got to be willing to buy it.You have to be so sold that
you use your product, consume your product, and would sell the product to your
loved ones. Otherwise you’re just a mercenary selling whatever for the highest
fee.''
‘’Look, if you are completely
sold, you won’t concern yourself with the money. You’ll buy the product! There
is no exception to this rule ever! ‘’
‘’If the price gets too cheap,
people won’t see any value in the product.Additionally, if price alone were the
reason people buy, then the company wouldn’t really need salespeople and that
would be a problem for 25 percent of the population.Success will always take a
professional salesperson who takes the time to sell features and benefits.’’
‘’Price is almost never the issue
for buyers, even when they say it is. More often than not, the real issue is
love and confidence. Do I love this product? Because if I do, then I’ll pay
whatever it takes. Is the buyer 100 percent confident that this product will get
him what he wants? Will this service do the job?....People will give their
right arm for love, and they’ll give their last dollar for a real solution.’’
‘’Most salespeople make the
mistake of offering something for a lower price when faced with price
objections. This is an incorrect solution based on the false belief that price
is the reason people don’t buy things.When you move the customer down in price
or offer him something cheaper, he’s less likely to want that next product if
he didn’t want the first one. This will cause the buyer to think that you have
no solution and that he’s just wasting his time. By moving him up rather than
down in inventory, you’ll get him thinking in terms of value, and you’ll find
out whether his objection is valid or not.
If he believes that his girl will love the gift and he really wants to
make her happy, then showing him something more expensive will actually get you
closer to a sale. Remember, he wants to make good decisions. At this point
he’ll either demonstrate that the first product was the wrong choice by the
simple fact that he’s now looking at the more expensive option, or he’ll tell
you that he needs to move in the other direction with something that costs
less. Either way, you’ve now got him shopping with you, not negotiating with
you. You could even show him a completely different line or product with the
knowledge that you could always move back to the original. You want to exhaust
your inventory, not your price!’’
''The buyer would rather pay more and make the right decision than pay
less and make a mistake.''
‘’Never buy into the talk of the mediocre
salespeople around you who believe that price is the most important issue or
who promote the idea that if the price were lower they could sell more! Just look
at their results and then disregard their advice.’’
‘’If the buyer who’s saying it’s
too much money found out that he had a disease and was going to die, but this
product would save his life, what would he do?He’d find the money, buy the
product, and save his life. Why? Because he’s completely sold on the need! If
the need is important enough and he has confidence in the cure, if the love is
great enough, price will not be an issue.’’
‘’The same buyers who use price
as an objection will often go out and spend even more money, not less!
Remember, many times when a buyer says, ‘It’s too much money,’ what he’s really
saying is, ‘It’s too much for this product’!’’
''Did you know that there’s enough money circulating on this planet for
every human being to have a net worth of $1 billion? One billion dollars! Are
you getting your share? If you’re not, it’s because you’re thinking in terms of
hard work and limits, not in terms of abundance.''
‘’I reflected on times when I’d
been out shopping for a product and took forever to decide on that one
particular item. But once I finally made a decision and bought it, I found
myself buying another eight items on the way out of the store. This phenomenon
is common among consumers. Once the flow begins, the buyer becomes more open to
making more purchases. It is my belief that the consumer is actually using the
second and follow-up purchases to support the rightness of his first decision.’’
‘’Once the customer decides on a destination
and purchases the perfect cruise vacation, the climate is right for the travel
agent to step in and offer additional products. There are accommodation upgrades
from an inside deck cabin to an ocean-view suite, the island tour excursion
package, travel insurance, airfare upgrades, and on and on. Because the
customer has taken the plunge and bought the first item, he’s going to want to
be right about his first decision, making him available to purchase additional products
and services in order to support that initial decision.’’
''Your prospect, regardless of what
he says, always wants more, not less. Believe it or not, people love to spend
money, and the more money they spend, the more they enjoy spending it and the
more they will enjoy their decision. Show me one person who has ever come in
under his or her budget when buying a home, car,furniture, equipment, clothes,
a vacation—anything. That person doesn’t exist.Consumers want to take home lots
of things, not just one thing. They want to brag to their friends and neighbors
that they spent the most money and bought the most expensive thing. People
love showing off. If they didn’t, there’d be no market for sports cars and
designer clothing.''
‘’Good or bad, we like to buy and
we like to be seen buying. Therefore, the second purchase reinforces that the
first purchase was the right decision. Second money is easier to get than the
first money. People will tell you, ‘Don’t get greedy; don’t complicate the
close, just finish it or you might blow the deal with your attempts to get the
second money.’ Nonsense. That kind of thinking is for the little, mediocre
salespeople of the world, not for you! Second money is for those who want to
take their game and their income to the next level and want to do it in half
the time….This is a monster technique that works like magic. All a salesperson
has to do to unlock the door of second money is get over his own fear of
blowing the deal by asking for it!’’
''I never consider that I am selling a product, but I do consider that I
am helping a person make the right decision. I have sold fish, cars, clothes,
real estate, videos, jewelry, investments, and even ideas. I found that I did
best when I was interested in the individual—the 'human being' who wants to
enjoy life and solve a problem by buying my product.''
‘’Take interest in the client
instead of interest in selling him something. When a buyer goes out looking for
a product, he doesn’t care how much you know about the product, he only cares about
himself: His time, his money, and doing the best thing for himself. He cares
most about himself at this time; you and your product are way down on his list
of concerns.
''[To be a successful salesperson] you have to be interested and you
have to know how to communicate. Not talk, but communicate! True communication
requires finding out what is important to people so you can identify what they
actually want and then deliver it. What do people value? What is important? Why
is it important? How do they want to be spoken to? What is going to cause them
to take action?''
‘’Just talking about your product
is not communicating, since there’s no exchange of ideas between you and the
buyer. In sales we’re interested in communication that gains access to information,
which can be turned into action.To gain information means that your
communication should include lots of questions. What do you want this product
to do that your present one doesn’t do for you? What would your present product
have to do so that you would be satisfied with it? On a scale from one to ten,
how would you rate what you are using/own now? What would make it a ten? This
type of (interested in you) questioning will help you discover what the buyer
wants, what he needs, and,most important, to what he assigns value.
Additionally, asking questions demonstrates your interest in the individual,
and people want to know you are interested in them, not just in a sale.’’
''When I suggest you ask questions,
it is not done with the intent of manipulation. This strategy has been greatly
misused by sales trainers over the years. You are asking questions to find out
more about how to help the human being in front of you rather than how to
manipulate that person.''
''Never forget, people buy products, and it’s your job to sell people on
your product, not to sell your product to people.Caring about people is senior
to the products and the processes you use. Be genuinely concerned that your
customer is getting the right product. Make the individual more important than
the individual sale, and you’ll make more sales.Be interested in what the
person is trying to accomplish and what problem he’s trying to solve, and treat
people as individuals.''
‘’ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS agree
with the customer.
This is the single most important
and the most commonly violated rule in all of selling! If you want agreement,
you’ve got to be agreeable with your customers.This vital rule must not be
confused with the old saying, ‘The customer is always right,’ because customers
aren’t always right. If you’ve ever been with one, you know what I’m talking
about. The point is, right or wrong, agree with the customer. Agree as you
write the deal; don’t disagree and fight the deal! You can never expect someone
to agree with you if you’re disagreeing with him. It will almost never happen.
People are attracted to products, ideas, and people that represent the things
with which they’re in agreement. This is a fact of the universe!’’
‘’Most people think that it takes
two to have an agreement. But the truth is, it only takes one to agree, because
once one opposing party agrees, there is no longer any disagreement. The
salesperson who wants agreement must give agreement to the customer before
agreement can be achieved. Even when a buyer is making ridiculous claims or
exaggerations,agree with him. Just because you think what he’s saying is
ridiculous doesn’t mean he thinks it’s ridiculous. If he thinks something is
black and you think it’s white, you’re both right. However, if he thinks
something is black and you want to get the sale, you’d better agree with his
reality that it’s black. If he thinks he should wait and think about it and you
disagree with him, you’ll solidify his need to wait and never get him to close.
However, if you simply agree with him that thinking about it is a good idea and
let him know that you agree, he’ll be more attracted to you and move toward
you, not away from you.’’
‘’Agree, acknowledge,make the
other party right, and then close the deal…. AGREEING is THE ROAD TO MORE
SALES! This needs to be drilled and practiced because people are inclined to disagree
in order to satisfy their gluttonous craving to be right.’’
‘’A client tells you, ‘It’s too
much money.’ Now it’s for real! ‘I agree it’s a lot of money. Everyone who
invests in this product agrees that this system is a big investment when
they’re buying it. That’s why you should get it installed so it can start
making you money right away.’ ‘A new roof is a lot of money,’ the customer
objects. ‘I agree it’s a lot of money,’ you reply. ‘Your new roof is going to
last for thirty years and there won’t be any more leaks or costly repairs. You
will have to do it sooner or later, so let’s get it done now.’ ‘The bedrooms
are too small,’ the buyer says. ‘You’re right,’ you agree.’ That’s one of the
first things I noticed, too. What do you think can be done about it?’ Agree and
then offer the buyer an opportunity to find the solution before you offer one
to find out how much of an objection it actually is. ’We never make a rash
decision!’ the customer says. ‘And I agree with you,’ you say. ‘To make a rash
decision would be the wrong thing to do, and I wouldn’t want you to do that.
However, you have been thinking about upgrading for some time now. You’ve used
the same computer system for ten years and it’s time to update it. If you would
have done it nine years ago, it would have been rash, but now it just makes
sense.’ Agreeing with the customer is senior to all other rules in selling!
‘’
‘’If the buyer never gets a chance to see what you’re offering because
of an earlier disagreement, then know that you’ve made an error by not allowing
the buyer to see your product or service in the proper light. All you’ve done
is put their focus on the disagreement rather than on your product.’’
‘’I’ve been in hundreds of
selling situations where the entire process started off with the buyer limiting
the amount of time I had. I love this because I immediately tell them the time
they offered me is more than enough….I’d rather have ten minutes than no
minutes! By first agreeing with them, you can then move on with your presentation.
Nothing will soften a buyer more than an
agreeable salesperson.’’
‘’There’s no easier way to
instantly end an argument than by agreeing with the opposition. A friend of
mine who’d been married for seventeen years said that the magic formula to her
relationship was telling her husband, ‘You’re right.’ Who can argue with that?
By ending silly arguments, one can move on and enjoy the important things in
life.Customer service problems can be handled the same way. When you get a complaint,
go ahead and agree with the complaint. ‘You guys screwed everything up!’ the
customer shouts. ‘I agree with you, sir,’ you say. ‘Let me figure out how to
correct it for you.’ But if you tell him
he’s wrong, you’re only adding gasoline to his fire of disagreements.’’
‘’When a salesperson understands
what’s going on in the mind of his customer,he’s just stepped into an area that
only a professional would delve into. The unspoken thoughts of the customer are
an interesting field where you’re no longer looking at what the buyer said;
you’re looking at what he didn’t say.You’re looking at what’s going on
behind the scenes in the customer’s mind.When a salesperson is willing to go
there, that’s the point where he transitions from a painter to an artist! All
my studies in sales over the last twenty-five years have involved the mind of
the customer, not just his money.’’
‘’Great salespeople understand
the buyer’s distrust, accept full responsibility for it, and never take it
personally.I always assume that the buyer doesn’t trust a single word I say to
him. He might not even believe that my name is what I say it is, which is why I
create something that buyers know they can trust because they can see it. When
I’m talking about the product, I provide everything I say in writing or support
it with printed materials. If I’m telling a buyer that the piece of property is
44,000 square feet, I’ll show him the documentation that supports my statement,
and this will start to show the prospect that I’m trustworthy—that I know what
I am doing. Then he’ll lend credibility to what I say in the future!’’
''Make it easy for the buyers to do
research while they’re with you instead of at home or at their offices when you
can’t be there. If the buyers want to look up their own information or
research, encourage them to do so.After consulting with thousands of companies
on improving their sales processes, I’ve often encouraged business, management,
and salespeople to make all competitive advertising available and fully
displayed in their offices so that the buyers don’t have to go out and look at
what the competition is offering;instead, they can do so without leaving.''
''I believe that the true essence of selling is not just getting the
sale, but the sincere desire to help. I also believe that a spiritually aware
person will ultimately be a better salesperson than someone who’s just
interested in compensation.I believe and have validated in my life that if you
give enough in life, life will give back to you. It’s the same in sales as it
is in life. I don’t mean giving the lowest price, or giving products and
services away for free, but giving the most attention, the most energy, the
best attitude, and the highest level of service.''
''Give all of you to a prospect,
not just a part of you. Give all of your attention,all of your energy, all of
your suggestions, all of your information, and then find some more of you to
give! Exceed expectations and go all the way with him and then a bit further.
Withhold none of you and give yourself without reservation.As a customer or
client, I don’t want to have to ask a salesperson for something. I want him to
offer it. I want him to predict what I need and offer it to me. I want to be
provided with what I ask for and everything else that will help me to make a
decision. This shows me that he wants to take care of me, is thinking like me,
and is actually predicting my expectations and surpassing them all at the same
time. Deal closed!''
''To be a professional and get
professional results, you have to know what you’ll do and say in every situation.''
‘’Most people incorrectly estimate the amount of effort it takes to get
the results they want. When it comes to taking action, never think in terms of
balance;always think in terms of massive amounts of action. Assume in the case
of action that more is better and less is nothing. Whatever you think you need
to do to get the job done, increase the amount far more than you think is
necessary,and you’ll get results beyond your wildest expectations.’’
''Decide to produce something and produce it in massive quantities, and
you will win in life. Production results in happiness. This is a basic truth in
every religious, economic, and ethnic group on this planet.''
''If you want one thing, take massive action equal to at least ten
times what you think it will take to ensure that you attain that one thing.
If you do that, you won’t have to hope, wish, cross your fingers, or pray for
what you want. What you want—and far more—will come to you when the right
amount of action is created!''
‘’Salespeople wait for people
they don’t know and even call people they don’t know, while completely ignoring
their known lines of influence. This is one of the most violated basics that
salespeople overlook in their careers…I once contacted a guy from high school
that I used to get into fights with when we were teenagers. I called him up and
told him that even though twenty years had passed, I still thought about him
often and had laughed at how we’d been enemies. Not long after that, he came
into my office and bought my product from me. Speaking from experience, I can
tell you that it’s easier to sell a past enemy than it is to sell someone
you’ve never met. Don’t deny your power base.Work it! ‘’
‘’Existing customers are the
easiest sale to make, and I always prefer them over a brand-new prospect. I
know what turns them on; I have a relationship; I have their trust; and they
know me, the company, and the products I represent! Even when an existing
customer has a complaint or a problem, that’s just a great opportunity to turn
the complaint or problem into another sale.’’
‘’Find a restaurant where
qualified people go to eat and show up there every day until you get to know
the scene. Visit that one place and become known there before moving on to
other locations. Get to know the owner and the waitresses until they know you
by your first name. Then you’ll get to know the patrons. Go to the places where
potential customers congregate at lunch and be seen by them. Personally, I like
to go to the pricier restaurants because they attract the better-quality
customers.’’
''Never let anyone convince you that people won’t pay more for a great
attitude and great service. The ability to be positive at all times, whether
you’re winning or losing, is the one thing that will ensure you’re a winner in
the end. Attitude is senior to it all! I love positive people and find them
irresistible. When you are positive, people will find you irresistible.''
''When you have the ability to
change people’s attitudes in a positive way and make them feel better than they
did before meeting you, you’ll no longer need to rely on your product being
superior!How you act toward others will be how they’ll act toward you. Your
attitude precedes everything that happens to you in life. If you think about
car wrecks,you’ll have car wrecks. If you hang around with negative people,
you’ll start to get negative. Hang around people with problems and you’ll
attract problems.''
''Guard yourself against other people who may have the agenda of
affecting you negatively.''
‘’The litmus test for a great sales
process is the question, ‘Can we advertise to the public what we want our
people to do?’ If you can’t answer yes to that, there is something wrong with
your selling process.’’
''Always position yourself to
present a proposal. Our goal is to present to 100 percent of those we greet,
and to do so within forty minutes of contact. People need information to make a
decision.
''The best advice I can give you about success in any field is to make
being successful an ethical issue, not a financial issue or even a technical
issue. Almost all people claim they want success, but most people approach it
as only a possible option. Approach anything as an option or a maybe, and I
assure you that it will NEVER be yours.''
''One of the major reasons more people don’t create success for
themselves is because they never commit to it. They leave it to the economy,
timing, and other happenstance that they have no control over.''
''Be honest, brutally honest, with yourself, and take complete
responsibility for the outcome. Don’t let your coworkers console you that it’s
all right, the customer wasn’t ready, they didn’t have the money, they are
cheap, they are a difficult group to sell, they never buy, they can’t make
decisions, our product is too high, we don’t have the right inventory, the
economy sucks—please stop it.You are boring me and killing yourself by not
being honest.''
‘’This is not a choice or
something you either want to do or don’t want to do, nor is it something you
have or don’t have time for: YOU MUST USE SOCIAL MEDIA.’’
‘’Handle immediately. The sooner
you handle the complaint, the easier it handles. Respond immediately and
reasonable people will appreciate you making them a priority. Don’t respond
with the intent for them to remove a post or criticism, but rather respond by
addressing their concern. ‘Wow, I saw what you posted online and I wanted to
call you right away and see what I could do to handle it. I had no idea. Tell
me about what happened. What can I do to resolve it?’ Most people, when handled
correctly, will then retract the post or post how great you are.’’
‘’The buyer of the twenty-first
century is in a hurry. My goal is to do as much selling as I can in the
shortest period of time possible. Shortcutting will only cost you more time.
Spending more time with your client will NOT ensure a sale, but in fact will
negatively affect your closing ratio and gross profits. Spending quality time
and knowing what your buyer values will save all parties time.’’
''The best salespeople …are those who are great at following up, staying connected,
staying in touch, and using creativity to keep their sold and unsold clients
thinking about them.''
''Nothing is happening to you; it is happening because of you.''
‘’When you are faced with a
prospect or client who gets emotional and demonstrates an emotional outburst
with you, know that you are getting close to making the sale. Never take it
personally, never react to it, and never become emotional, as a response. You
must know that when people get highly emotional,typically they are getting
close to completing the transaction. The key is to stay rational, calm, and
collected when others get emotional, and persist no matter what is thrown your
way. Emotions are one of the most overrated things there are.’’
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