Bill Guertin | 800 Pound Gorilla Blog on SalesGravy.com

I used to think that every argument had a simple solution. One side is right, the other is obviously misguided and unreasonably wrong. All that’s needed is a little bit of applied reasoning, and the other side will come around.

So how do you explain the current national budget challenge here in the US, and how could we have avoided this big mess?

“As long as we have some Republican lawmakers who feel more enthralled with a pledge they took to a Republican lobbyist than they do to a pledge to the country to solve the problems, this is going to be hard to do,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington), co-chair of the special Congressional budget deficit committee, on CNN’s “State of the Union” program on 11/20/11.

“Unfortunately, what we haven’t seen in these talks from the other side is any Democrats willing to put a proposal on the table that actually solves the problem,” countered the other co-chair, Republican Jeb Hensarling of Texas.

The White House is trying to taze somebody to get them to move, but each side is apparently unwilling to give. “Avoiding accountability and kicking the can down the road is how Washington got into this deficit problem in the first place,” said Amy Brundage, a White House spokesperson. “So Congress needs to do its job here and make the kind of tough choices to live within its means that American families make every day.”

When we in our daily lives put off tough decisions — ignoring an overdue bill, putting off a trip to the doctor, waiting to start that retirement savings account — the pain of those decisions is rarely felt right away. To blame others’ inactions for a current problem doesn’t make the current problem any better.

One of the rules for becoming an 800-Pound Gorilla – a company or an individual that achieves dominance in their category and becomes next to impossible to compete against – is that they’re not afraid to do what others won’t. It’s easy to pawn off a tough problem to someone else; it’s smarter to address the problems early on and suffer the short-term pain than to sweep them under the rug until they grow to momumental proportions.

By admitting mistakes early on (i.e., Netflix), apologizing for things that go wrong and fixing them (i.e., Toyota), and taking the high road early vs. staying quiet and hoping it never comes up (vs. the Penn State football tragedy), 800-Pound Gorillas avoid B-I-G problems by making sure they never get to the B-I-G stage in the firs place. The pain is suffered in a controllable way. You take your own lumps, you let people know how you’re going to fix it, and the damage is minimized.

What “small” problem are you wrestling with right now that will most certainly rear its ugly head at some point in the future if it goes unaddressed? Is it financing? Cash flow? Declining consumer interest? Marketing trends? Is it your career growth or direction? Retirement options? Personal issues?

As witnessed by the federal government, the NBA, and many other entities embroiled in last-gasp negotiations, waiting for a resolution to happen by itself only makes the pain of resolution worse.

What is it you may need to address today in order to be more dominant and in control of your own destiny tomorrow?

Let me know what you decide to do.  The first step in moving forward is sometimes telling someone else that you’re going to do it.

– Bill Guertin is a speaker, author, and CEO of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a unique company that helps others improve their sales and service skills through dynamic learning programs.  Check out his book, The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales, or say hello to him on Twitter. 

You’re going out on a date.  A first date.  You don’t know your new friend’s tastes, budget, or anything about them, but you do know that you’ve decided to start off your evening by going out to eat.

You hit “Restaurant Row” in your city, and as you approach the many choices for eating out, a hundred different things go through your mind:

-          What does he/she like to eat?

-          Do I have enough money to go to the expensive place?

-          Do I want to get messy?

-          What am I hungry for?

-          Will the atmosphere be right?   Will it be too loud to talk?

-          Are we appropriately dressed?

-          Am I going to run into someone I don’t want to see?

-          Do they have enough parking, or are we going to have to walk a long way?

It’s a little snapshot of time, but in that moment, you’ll make a mutual decision based on lots of little things… and all those influences add up to the choice you’ll make in that moment.

This scenario is just like what your customer goes through when you call them about your product or service for sale.  A hundred different influences are acting upon your customer’s thought process at that moment in time, bringing them to a “snap judgment” – a quick conclusion about your offer:

-          They may have just ushered a bad sales rep out of their building

-          They may have just learned that their best client has dumped them for a competitor

-          They may have bill payment problems, shipment problems, or personnel issues

-          They may just have ended a “gloom-and-doom” meeting, a “come-to-Jesus” meeting, an insufferable budget meeting, etc.

-          They may have personal issues at home that are weighing heavy on them

-          They may be overwhelmed by all they have to get done in their day

-          They may have someone in their office that’s out sick, and everyone has to cover

-          They may be hiring new people, training new people, or re-educating their current staff on new tasks, and it may be frustrating and time-consuming

-          They may have learned about something that the company is considering that could impact them negatively

Just because they react negatively to you doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in your product!  Depending on the way their day is going, your product could literally be the FURTHEST thing from their mind at that moment.  They may not want to tie up their brain for something like your product, but it may very well be something they WILL be interested in talking about at the right time.

Don’t give up.

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and his second book, The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market, will be published this fall by John Wiley & Sons.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla.

We’re terrified of cold calls.  Can we admit that?

There’s nothing that strikes fear in the hearts of men and women quite like the icy grip of the COLD CALL.  Even the name sounds like a bad B-movie: “You never know who’s on the end… of a COLD CALL!” (Cue terrifying shriek, bad music)  “Rated “R” for Run Toward Another Job Right Away.”

The reason we hate them so much is because we know how we feel when we RECEIVE them!

Think about your feelings when someone calls or visits you out of the blue looking for you to buy something.  You’re thinking about all the negative words that people use to describe salespeople, and don’t want to be thrown into that same category.  Right?

So here’s the secret:  Don’t sound like a salesperson!

Ask yourself:  What do salespeople say, do, and act like that turns you off?  Jot down a few of those things.  Then decide that you’re not going to do those things!

What can you do instead?  Here are a few ideas that I use in training sports ticket sales reps, but can be adapted for any selling situation.  Use these as idea-starters, inspiration, or read them right from the sheet, but make sure you understand the intent, and when you customize them, keep the intent intact:

-          “Hi… Sales department, please.”  (This is an indication that you’re a revenue-producing call, and the receptionist is almost always instructed to route MONEY calls to the sales department.  Be prepared to answer questions as to what you’re interested in ‘buying’, so the person can route you to the right desk!)

-          “I have the weirdest question you’ve had all day.”  (Choose your weird question from the several below, or make up your own)

o   If sales are down at your place, who’s the one that usually gets the maddest?   That’s who I need to talk to.

o   Who’s the biggest baseball (or your sport) fan in your office?  That’s who I need to talk to.  (When you reach that person, say: “If you thought Season Tickets would be a good idea for your company, who would you have to convince in order to get them?”)

o   When was the last time your company went out and did something FUN as a group?

o   Who’s in charge of smiles at your place?  The one who’s got to keep morale up, and keep employees happy.  Would that be you?

-          “Could you help out a starving salesperson today?”  (gets receptionist/gatekeeper smiling and on your side!)

-          “I have called all over, and I hope you finally have the answer I’m looking for.  Do you know who would handle (sales incentives/group outings/etc.) at your place?”

-          “Is the boss around?”  (informal, non-threatening, familiar tone)

-          “Hi… who’s in charge today?”  (wait for response) “Good!  Is he/she nearby?”

There are plenty more non-traditional ways to start a conversation, which I train in my 3-day Sales Dominance program for sports ticket sales teams.  These should get you going in the right direction.

Always remember that cold calling is a game – a serious, results-oriented kind of game — and if you inject more FUN into it, your voice will reflect that fun, and you’ll be more successful as a result.

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and his second book, The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market, will be published this fall by John Wiley & Sons.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla.

We all know who Bertha is.

She’s the ever-present Gatekeeper… the evil lord of the Decision-Maker’s precious  appointment book, telephone, and front door.  She eats unsuspecting sales reps for breakfast.  She’s been around the block, and knows what you’re up to.  You’re a Salesperson, and as far as she’s concerned, you’re the enemy.  She’s made up her mind; her boss’ office is the end zone, and she’s the entire Steelers front line.

When Bertha asks, “What is this regarding?”, we all know where she’s going.  She wants to get to the bottom of why you want to waste her boss’ time, and if she doesn’t get a satisfactory answer, you’re getting flushed like last night’s Taco Bell.

As a professional sales rep, it’s critical that you answer Bertha quickly and confidently. One hesitation – just one hint that leads her to believe you’re tentative, nervous, or don’t know your stuff – and you’re toast.  So Rule #1 of getting past Bertha is: Be Ready For Bertha.  Don’t count on your last-minute, off-the-cuff wit to pull you through; you must be prepared for questions like “What’s This Regarding?” and answer them with confidence.

(NOTE: Want to know my best responses to the question, “What’s This Regarding?”  Just E-mail me at bill@The800PoundGorilla.com with the words “BERTHA” in the subject line, and I’ll send ‘em right to you.)

Rule #2 is: Play Her Game.  This is her turf.  In order for you to win, she has to believe that SHE’S in control.  You won’t beat Bertha; your best bet is to win her over, which leads us to:

Rule #3: Treat Bertha Like She’s The Decision-Maker. You don’t know how much the Decision-Maker counts on Bertha to help him or her decide what to do.  Many bosses ask their assistants what they think about certain vendors or product lines.  They often ask their assistants questions like: “What’d you think of that person that just walked out the door?”  Most every Bertha has an opinion, and even though they may not take their advice, they listen to their responses, and it does influence the Decision-Makers’ thinking.

One of the other things to consider is that Bertha may actually be a better prospect for what you’re selling than the Decision-Maker… in which case you’re better off getting to know her in the first place.

In many of the sales training programs I conduct, I’ll ask one or more of the executive assistants that work at their own company to come into our class.  I conduct a brief interview with them, Oprah-style, and ask them what sorts of things impress them from the many salespeople that call them in their role as gatekeeper for their boss.  I’ll also ask them to tell the group what really gets them angry, and tell a story or two about someone that really blew it with them on the phone, and will now NEVER get through to the boss, no matter what.  We’ve heard some pretty amazing stories!

I also ask them, “What single piece of advice would you give to your sales reps here in the room when they’re dealing with gatekeepers like you?”  Here are the four boiled-down responses that are most common:

-          Recognize them as someone with a brain, not as something to “get past” in order to achieve their objective.

-          Speak to them as a human being.

-          Don’t lie to them.  (They eventually find out, and it’s not pretty!)

-          Give them respect and courtesy.

As I teach in every sales training program I conduct with teams across the nation:  Sales is a game – play to win!

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and his second book, The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market, will be published this fall by John Wiley & Sons.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla.

Incredible as it seems, Charlie Sheen may be more successful after his crash-and-burn drama with CBS than as the star of the nation’s most popular TV comedy.

How is it that Sheen, a former (?) drug addict and binge drinker, with children in his home of former wives and girlfriends, and two live-in playgirls to which he is not married (!), has “risen” to this level of notoriety?

In my recent book, “The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market”, I outline 12 characteristics of those companies and individuals that command an “unfair share” of the attention in a given marketplace.  These characteristics of “800-Pound Gorillas” have been studied and adapted by many companies since the book’s publication.

We in America enjoy building up our heroes, and then take great delight in tearing them down, which is a partial explanation of how Charlie Fever has succeeded to date.  Here are the real reasons why he has become the dominant player in the news, on Twitter and Facebook, and seemingly everywhere else:

-          He’s Quotable. Outrageous quotes have always dominated the media’s interest, but no one has done a more masterful job of creating so many quotable moments in so little time as Sheen.  When asked in an interview if he was on drugs at that moment, Sheen replied, “I am on a drug.  It’s called Charlie Sheen.”    Who would have thought that “tiger blood”, “winning”, “Adonis DNA”, “fire-breathing fists” and “my big, beautiful warlock brain” would have spawned so many posters, T-shirts, and copyright lawsuits?

-          He Thinks Bigger Than Anyone Else. Three million dollars an episode?  That’s what Sheen believed he was worth to the creators of his “Two and a Half Men” TV sitcom.  When he didn’t get it, the fireworks began.   The concert promoters at Live Nation have now announced the Charlie Sheen nationwide live appearance tour, where Sheen will get to tell his side of the story in person, to audiences who care enough to spend their hard-earned money to find out.  You’ve got to admit, he’s a big, bold thinker.

-          He Rattles The Cage. Outrageous?  Shocking?  Yes, and all on purpose.  Sheen knew he was negotiating from a position of strength, and used the leverage he had to wage war against his employers.   Instead of agreeing to a measly $1.8 million per episode, he chose to fire off to the media – at first on live radio, then several taped TV interviews –  about what jerks they were.  He knew it would cause a stir, and he knew he had the leverage to be able to pull it off.

-          He Does What Others Won’t. We’re somehow fascinated when someone actually tells us about their illicit, illegal activities with such bravado.  We’re oddly amused to learn that each of his two live-in girlfriends don’t mind having the other around.  Who tells their boss off like that and gets away with it?  That’s the stuff of 800-Pound Gorillas.  He knows that other people don’t live like he does, and chooses to live out loud in a way that’s uniquely Sheen.

-          He’s Passionate. If nothing else, Sheen has taken this “cause” of his and brought a degree of passion and energy to his communication that hasn’t been seen in Hollywood, Washington, or anywhere else in recent memory.

You may not like him (I don’t), you may not agree with who he is or what he stands for (check, and check), but the massive exposure that Sheen has created for himself has indeed put him in 800-Pound Gorilla territory.

Want to know the rest of the story on what makes an 800-Pound Gorilla?  Find out at www.The800PoundGorilla.com.

You have a prospect who’s genuinely interested.  They’re asking all the right questions, and you’re responding perfectly.  All seems to be going well, and it looks like you’re about to close the deal.

All of a sudden, your prospect says, “I’ve got some other pressing things that are going on right now, so I have to go… but I have all your information, and I’ll call you back later.”

ARGGH!  What happened?

Most, if not all, conversations that end abruptly like this are out of our control.  We can do our very best job and not be able to make the deal happen.  But what more can we do to assure a positive outcome (a sale) without sounding pushy, overbearing, or insensitive to their other obligations?

Here are a few responses that I teach in my “Sales Dominance” Program for Sports Ticket Sales (which you can easily adapt to your own product or service!) to overcome this situation and move it to a positive end at that moment:

-          “Well, as hard as it is to reach people by phone today, if we can just get it done right now, it would only take a few moments, and we won’t have to go back and forth with phone tag.  We’ll probably SAVE ourselves some time in the end!”

-          “I’ve got a lot going on too, but if we can just get it done right now, it won’t take but a few moments, and I’m LIGHTNING FAST on the computer!  Would that be OK with you?”

-          “We can do that, but I can’t guarantee that these same seats will be here when we get a chance to talk again.  There’s 10 other people on the phones selling the very same area we’re talking about right now.  All I need is a deposit so I can put your name on them, and we can work out the rest later.  How does that sound?”

-          “OK… but if where you sit is important to you, I should make sure you know that I can’t hold the seats we’ve been talking about unless I have a deposit… and the longer we wait, the less attractive the seats become.  Can I get your credit card information for the deposit, so we can hold these seats now, and take care of the rest of the details later?”

-          “Well, this IS where you want to sit, right?  The thing is, I can’t hold any seats unless there’s at least a small deposit on them, and we’re selling seats here every day.  Do you have just another moment or two to wrap this up so that you’re sure to have these seats we’re looking at right now?”

[These are the TAME responses… for three more bold, out-there, how-could-you-ask-that sorts of answers to the “Call Me Back Later” stall, just E-mail me with the word “BOLD” in the subject line, and I’ll send those to you right away.]

For the person that simply HAS to end the call now, here are some tips to make sure the end result is as positive as possible:

-          Make sure that you set a date and time for you to return your call. Simply saying “I’ll call you back later” or “Let’s talk next week” isn’t specific enough, and may lead to weeks of phone tag.

-          Ask for their E-mail address, so you can send them a reminder for your follow-up call.  Those who are busy will truly appreciate that you’re sending them an E-mail reminder, and by seeing that E-mail, you’ll have far more people who will remember that they’ve agreed to talk to you on that date and time.

-          Do what you promised you’d do. You’d be amazed at how many people SAY things they’ll do, and never follow up!  Be sure to actually CALL on the date and time you arrange.  By being punctual and keeping your word, you’re earning their trust and showing how much you respect them, their time, and their potential business.

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla.

Leon was a businessman. He was also an avid hunter.

Born and bred in the Oxford hills of Maine, Leon had walked many a hiking trail in his hunting days, but was tired of wearing shoes that hurt his feet. So he took a pair of shoe rubbers from the stock of his family’s clothing store, had a shoemaker cut out a pair of seven and a half-inch boot tops, and stitched the whole thing together.

At just 31 ounces, the new hunting boots were lightweight and waterproof. They worked so well that Leon ordered up 100 pair for sale in the winter of 1912, and all 100 pair were sold. There was a problem, however; the rubber was not strong enough to hold the stitching on the tops. Ninety of the first 100 pairs were returned as defective.

Disastrous? Most people would think so. But “Crazy Leon” gave every customer that returned their boots a full cash refund, and instead of abandoning the idea, he fixed the problem and upped the order from the manufacturer.

The next year, L.L. Bean was selling his new “Maine Hunting Shoe” as a sideline to the family business. By 1919, Bean’s mail-order operation became so big that he moved to a larger building, on the second floor of the Freeport Post Office.

Bean’s extraordinary business ethics brought him scores of new customers, and the wording of his “incredible guarantee” has stayed the same since it first appeared in the 1916 catalog:

NOTICE: I do not consider a sale complete until goods are worn out and the customer still satisfied. We will thank anyone to return goods that are not perfectly satisfactory. Should the person reading this notice know of anyone who is not satisfied with our goods, I will consider it a favor to be notified. Above all things, we wish to avoid having a dissatisfied customer.

“Crazy” Leon’s promise of a lifetime guarantee on all products redefined America’s notion of
customer service. The fact is, L.L. Bean was genuinely surprised when any of his products failed, and went to great lengths to make sure deficient goods were corrected. Today, under the leadership of Leon’s grandson, the L.L. Bean Company has 3,800 full-time employees and generates $1.2 billion in sales.

What’s your guarantee to your customers? Is it in plain view for everyone to see? If you have one, do your customers know what it is? Are all of your employees aware of it? And if not, how many customers are you losing to someone else’s guarantee of satisfaction?

You might say, “People know us. They know they can always bring something back if it’s not working out.” If it’s not written out somewhere, I’ll guarantee you this: somebody out there has got something you sold them, doesn’t like it, and is unaware of your generosity.

In today’s commoditized world of selling, there are fewer things for people to differentiate one company from another. Removing risk from a transaction by backing it completely—and making sure the customer understands your offer—is a powerful differentiator. It’s also, by the way, one of the very best generators of positive word-of-mouth.

Is it crazy? Maybe. But without a guarantee, where would Leon’s company be today?

And with a well-crafted, well-promoted guarantee, where could your company be tomorrow?

You think you’ve got change going on in your workplace?

The astronomers of the world just laid off an entire planet.

The International Astronomical Union has rewritten the rules on what constitutes a planet, and have downgraded Pluto to “dwarf planet” status. Under the new IAU guidelines, other dwarf planets now include the asteroid Ceres, the newly-discovered 2003 UB313, and potentially dozens of others. It is the first time the solar system has been altered since Pluto was added in 1930, and will mean the rewriting of thousands of textbooks, charts, and maps.

Many people have expressed surprise and outrage over the decision. Apparently the former ninth rock from the sun has a fan club.

Jennifer Vaughn, spokesperson for the grassroots Planetary Society, isn’t surprised. “Pluto is a planet we’ve known all our lives and suddenly it’s gone,” she said in an Associated Press interview. “People see it as a bit of a cultural loss.”

Have you ever felt that way about a change?

A loss is felt. People are sad about losing a part of what they know. Some are quick to adopt the new, but sentimentalists turn to the comfortable, the familiar, the way it used to be.

When Major League Baseball began inter-league play during the regular season (American League vs. National League teams), baseball purists screamed. When Napster made downloadable music on the Internet available to everyone for free, the rock band Metallica sued them, creating a huge public spectacle. When a new fossil discovery disproved the existence of Allosaurus, the dinosaur books had to be rewritten.

The truth is, we’re just not going to stop discovering and stretching. As we expand the borders of our knowledge and imagination, we’re going to places we’ve never been, discovering new things, and changing the status quo in the process.

Today, inter-league baseball games draw thousands of additional fans, especially for cross-town rivalries like the Yankees and Mets. If it works at the box office, you can bet that it’s here to stay.

The “digital sector” of music, which includes music downloads, cell phone ringtones, and subscription radio, is today valued at more than 3 times the value of the entire recorded music market, according to IFPI, an international music trade and licensing organization. Napster knew where the future was, and Metallica was holding on to the good old days.

Can you relate to that? Is there change going on in your world right now that you’re resisting?
No matter what you do, how you do it, or who you do it with, it’s important for you to understand and accept that change is inevitable. It’s OK to be a little sad to see the old go away, but there is excitement and challenge in new ways of thinking.

You may not fully understand all the change that’s going on around you. Be patient.

If Lars Ulrich, the drummer and founder of Metallica, had thought his decision through just a bit longer, he would have seen that it was better to become partners with the digital world than to fight it. Imagine how much money the band lost by digging their heels in the dirt instead of figuring out a way for the new to work for them.

Sentimentality is all right, but you can’t let it stand in the way of the growth that is the common ingredient in all success. It is in change that new worlds can be discovered, new efficiencies proven, and new thinking tested.

Your new reality may be the best thing that’s ever happened, if you take the time to understand it and try it on for size. Remember, the old ways were also the new ways at one time, too.

Maybe you think everything should stay the same.

If that’s how you think, imagine living with the sound quality of the original telephone, the picture quality of the first TV, or the enormous size of the first Univac computer. Someone had to go out on a limb and change something to improve on it.

You can be sad about change for a little while. But don’t let it consume you so completely that you can’t see the good that comes from new thinking.

As Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office in 1899, Charles H. Duell reportedly quit his job, stating that there was no need for additional patents. “Everything that can be invented,” he wrote, “has already been invented,” and the Patent Office should simply close and go away.

Perhaps he was just being sentimental too.