HOW TO SELL TO AN IDIOT Selling to customers looking to get the most bang for their buck is a difficult feat. The only customers tougher than hagglers are the ones so uninformed about what they are buying, they don't even realize when they are getting the deal of a lifetime.
In How to Sell to an Idiot, authors John Hoover and Bill Sparkman show you how to ignore your own inner idiot and start selling more by doing less of what doesn't work and more of what does. Along with a wealth of proven sales guidance and effective techniques, you'll learn how to:
- Use idiot-proof planning and preparation to make prospecting far more effective
- Use idiot-speak to connect with prospects and gather vital information that makes selling easy
- Spice up your sales pitch for faster closings and larger sales
- Wring referrals out of clients like water from a sponge
- And much more!
"Selling is an act of compassion. Sales professionals must believe that their products and services will improve the quality of their customers' lives. Hoover and Sparkman get that. Selling must also be fun-for the salesperson and the customer. How to Sell to an Idiot makes it clear that the first laugh of the day must be at ourselves."
—Roger P. DiSilvestro, former Chairman and CEO, Athlon Sports Publishing and coauthor of The Art of Constructive Confrontation
"How to Sell to an Idiot hits the bull's-eye. Great practical steps that will help anyone in sales reach the goal line. Truly a creative approach with fresh new ideas delivered with humor."
—Charles S. Dreyer, Director of Sales-Southern California Coastal Region, K. Hovnanian Homes, a Fortune 500 company
"How to Sell to an Idiot provides an entertaining and creative look at the formula for sales success. Insightful and fun, you'd have to be an idiot not to add this book to your resource library!"
—Chip Cummings, international speaker, marketing expert, and author of Stop Selling and Start Listening
Table of Contents:
About the Authors ix
Preface xiii
Introduction xvii
1 Step One: Be Prepared or Be the Idiot 1
Need and Intent 2
Mental Preparation Made Simple (or Mental Prep for the Simple) 3
Choosing In: The Cure for Cluelessness 4
Simple versus Easy: The Inner Idiot Rears Its Ugly Head 5
Preparation and Passion 7
Preparation and Product Knowledge 8
Preparation and the Written Plan 9
Planning Is Not Procrastination 10
Preparation and Motivation 11
Preparation and Personality 12
Chapter One Summary 16
2 Step Two: Connect with the Clueless 19
Idiotspeak 20
Your Story 21
Your i-Customer’s Story 23
Who versus What 23
Personality is Job One 24
Components of Connection 29
A New Skill Called Connecting 30
The Great Balancing Act 31
Takers versus Exchangers 32
Chapter Two Summary 33
3 Step Three: Confuse to Clarify 35
Confusion as a Tool 36
Surgical Questions 37
The Right Questions Trump the Right Answers 38
Set the Stage and Play the Part 40
From the Mouths of Babes 41
Personality-Based Questions 42
Big Success Comes from Small Steps 45
Chapter Three Summary 48
4 Step Four: Play the Match Game 51
Put it in Reverse 52
Bring it Home 54
Matching Means More Selling, Less Talking 57
The Next Step 57
More Lessons from Children 58
The Match Game and Personalities 59
Chapter Four Summary 63
5 Step Five: Showtime 65
Entertainment versus Boredom 67
Entertainment versus Filling Needs 68
Be Energized 71
Razzle-Dazzle Them 73
Presenting in Style 75
Presenting with Structure 75
Presenting with Technology 76
Rehearsals 76
More Lessons from Children 77
Personality-Based Entertainment 78
Chapter Five Summary 82
6 Step Six: Ask for the Business 85
CECO 86
Asking is Action 88
Ask with Confidence 89
Let Go of the Outcome 92
The Secret to Closing 93
The ABCs of Listening 94
More Lessons from Children 96
Personality-Based Asking 98
Chapter Six Summary 101
7 Step Seven: Circle Around and Make Another Pass 105
Get Out There and Fail 106
Learn to Love the Lessons 107
Turnaround Questions 108
Objections 111
Don’t Be the Monkey 115
More Lessons from Children 116
Personality-Based Objections 117
Chapter Seven Summary 119
8 Step Eight: Annoy Them a Little and Ask for the Business, Again 123
Teaching the Customer How to Buy 124
Failure Is Your Friend 126
Pesky Persistence 127
Stalling 128
It’s in the Cards 134
More Lessons from “Never, Never, Never”-land 135
Personality-Based Annoyance 135
Chapter Eight Summary 138
9 Step Nine: Appreciate 141
The Selling Cycle 142
Make it Memorable 145
The Battle for Mind Share 145
The Present 147
More Lessons from Children 147
Personality-Based Appreciation 148
Chapter Nine Summary 151
10 Step Ten: Get a Referral 153
Fear Not 154
Build Champions 155
Get Some Help 155
Get Them Talking 156
Get an “A” for Asking 157
More Lessons from Children 159
Personality-Based Referrals 160
Chapter Ten Summary 163
11 Step Eleven: Follow-Up 165
No Competition 166
We Have Seen the Competition and It Is Us 167
Put Follow Up into Your mix 167
Time Has Nothing to Do with It 168
Pre-Sale, Pre-Delivery, Post-Delivery Follow-Up 169
It’s Research 169
When? 170
More Lessons from Children 171
Personality-Based Follow-Up 171
Chapter Eleven Summary 175
12 Step Twelve: Practice 177
Don’t Succeed at Being Average 178
Be Impatient 179
Perfect Practice 180
Dangers of Perfection 181
Caring Equals Change 182
Flat Tires Need Changing 183
What are Friends For? 184
Final Lessons from Children 185
Personality-Based Practice 186
Chapter Twelve Summary 189
Index 193
About the Author :
JOHN HOOVER, PhD, is an organizational behavior specialist, author, consultant, popular speaker, and seminar leader. A former executive in the Disneyland Entertainment Division, he has consulted with such clients as Boeing, Delta Air Lines, Hilton Hotels, IBM, Motorola, and Xerox. He is also the author (with Roger DiSilvestro) of The Art of Constructive Confrontation: How to Achieve More Accountability with Less Conflict, from Wiley.
Visit www.constructiveconfrontation.com or www.idiotworld.org.
BILL SPARKMAN is one of America's top sales trainers and motivational speakers. His approach to business and life has thrilled audiences since 1987. His "clipboard" style of educating was developed after a successful career in the world of sports as a player and coach. Fire up your sales team; Bill makes learning fun!
Visit www.billsparkmanthecoach.com.
