 On the road one day with my then current boss reviewing my sales pipeline, funnel. I was a rookie, learning as much as possible from my mentor. He was a strong willed, scientific seller/leader. Scientific meant no gray when it came to selling. He used to say "Hoyt, your either going to close the deal or your not. Which is it Hoyt? The questions requires a binary response. Get good at that son so when I ask you if your going to close a specific deal I want to hear yes or no. There is no emotion in selling Hoyt. Just the facts." It was a lesson that I embraced and to this day have woven into my sales approach, tankdieselsales.com. Scientific selling to me means, asking all the hard qualifying questions all the time to the prospect so that you can get to a yes. If the yes is not coming move on. I did a BLOG on getting thrown out early. You may want to go back to that one and reflect. Getting throw out early means you are not going to close the deal so pack up and move onto a better qualified prospect. Don't fish where it's nice to fish, fish where the fish are. Do not waste your time on deals that are not going to close in your favor. So as the story goes, that day my boss shared that I needed to build into the CRM, salesforce.com at the time hard questions within each stage. If you can answer all the questions positively within a stage then you move to the next stage which is closer towards the sale. He shared, "be disciplined on this process Hoyt (he loved to call me by my last name) and watch your W2 grow. Remember Hoyt scientific selling is full of certainty. Learn to hate grey. Certainty will not let you down." The tankdiesel model is full of certainty. Do you selling through emotions? When your boss asks you if your going to close a specific deal do you answer through your gut and emotions or do you answer scientifically? If you answer scientifically then you are on the right track, the track that leads to successville.
“Our sales training creates a culture that delivers measurable results. For more information, call TankDiesel at (678) 665-1111.” tankdieselsales.com
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 Have you ever heard the saying, "imagination is the preview of life's coming attractions." I have and I believe it. There have been many times in my life where I have thought, wished, fixated, obsessed, etc. on something and darn, the hell if it did not happen. Powerful stuff. Imagination has no prejudism. In my personal sales putting positive imagination to work is healthy. Doing the footwork and then imagining closing the deal is healthy. Why not use my positive imagination to bring things to the forefront? If I believe that something positive is going to happen then I am attracting it to me. I put it out there in my imagination and work my plan A. I displace worry, which is anticipating a negative outcome with positive imagination, a preview of life's coming attractions. As I walk through my selling day, it can be tough to stay laser focused. So many things going on and so many critical deliverables on my plate at any given time. Day or night. So at times my mind will wonder. That is when I come back to my positive imagination. Remember it is key for me to keep my imagination positive. NO, NO, NO on the negative imagination. If negative, I come to a screeching halt and get my mind off of those toxic thoughts. This is a simple exercise for me but one that I am diligent in carrying out. Why? Because positive imagination promotes healthy thoughts within my mind. My healthy thoughts generate mental energy. I use this burst of mental energy to work on selling strategies. Out with the worry, in with the positive imagination. I want to thank my buddy for sharing this sales pearl of wisdom. It works and it's healthy. Do what you can and pray for what you cannot yet do. Put that imagination to work. Wear it out. Do you allow your mind to recklessly wander into thoughts that are an absolute waste of time and typically are focused around worry? If so immediately replace worry with positive imagination and watch out!
“Our sales training creates a culture that delivers measurable results. For more information, call TankDiesel at (678) 665-1111.” tankdieselsales.com  Every year since I was a young boy I have watched the 3 races that make up the Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes. Let me share a story. On the road in Louisville selling our services to hospitals with a bright young guy that worked for me. He was full of energy and I thrived off of it. He owned the KY territory and he asked if I wanted to visit Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby during my visit to Louisville that week. Hell yea I said, let's do it. As we were touring the grounds he said "Paul, every horse in the Kentucky Derby has a trainer. No horse prances into Louisville without a trainer and declares. "I have arrived, look at me!" He proceeded to school me. "The trainer is not there to make the horse run. Of course not, he is working with a world class thoroughbred. The horse knows how to run fast already. The trainer's goal is to assist in anyway possible to see if he can make the horse run faster. Shave off a few tenths of a second here and there, so the horse can win the roses and be #1. Paul, coach me, train me on how to be a better salesman"! Wow, I was blown away. He was coaching the coach. I admired that in him. He was willing to speak up and say candidly, I know how to sell, train me on how to sell better, more efficiently. "Don't be a stiff tie boss, coach me coach". I learned a valuable lesson on that beautiful sunny Louisville KY day. I hope that most everyone wants to be up coached, to be the very best that they can be. Find a coach, have them coach the heck out of you, bring out the best in you so you are elite. We completed our tour of the grounds and then we started our journey for him to be the best sales executive in the country by executing the tankdiesel system. Everyday I learn something new that keeps me sharp on my A game. In sales there is always more to learn. That is why I love the profession so much. A quote I read and want to share. "My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges, and trying to rise above them." Are you being up coached? Are you open to learning? Are you going after the big challenges?
“Our sales training creates a culture that delivers measurable results. For more information, call TankDiesel at (678) 665-1111.” tankdieselsales.com  Striving to be better everyday is excellent. What works for me, working with a partner. We hold each other accountable, making each other better in everything we do. Selling is a rewarding profession, however it requires a considerable amount of dedication and focus. In my younger years I did everything alone. I thought it was the right thing for me because I could be in total control. No one to run ideas by, disagree with me and of course hold me up if I was ready to go. Not a good strategy. Having a partner, mentor, trusted coworker is vital to my success. When two individuals are aligned with the same goal, being the top of our profession then things start to happen at an alarming rate. I cannot stress how important it is for me to work closely with someone on a daily basis. The energy, ideas, strategy, etc flows. Having two heads to come up with bright ideas is an excellent ROI. I wish I could have done this earlier in my career but I have a working partner now that I speak to on a daily basis and the routine works for both of us. We keep each other focused on our goals and push each other to be better each and every day. I can only push myself so hard, that is when my partner is there for the additional support. My partner share this with me all the time. "Want to go fast go alone, want to go far go together" Do you have a selling partner that you confide in on a frequent basis to push you to greatness? If so, excellent. Great resource, great choice. The learning is so much more deeper with another looking out for each other. Iron sharpens Iron.
"Our sales training creates a culture that delivers measurable results. For more information, call TankDiesel at (678) 665-1111." tankdieselsales.com  One day early in my selling career Lou Holtz former Notre Dame football coach was being interviewed and I remember one attribute he said to his listeners "there are many highly qualified football coaches in this league however none of them will out hustle me"! I learned from an early age that hustle makes up for a lot of other deficiencies. I may not be the smartest one in the room, however, that does not intimidate me. When you select me to do a job, I am all in. No one, absolutely no one will out hustle me. I believe you are born with the hustle DNA. I have not been successful, (occasionally) in coaching, teaching, instructing, instilling hustle into someone. You are blessed if you are one of the fortunate one's that hustle is your only gear. A majority of people rely solely on their big brain and as Lou says, "I will out hustle you"! My point is that I lean on hustle along with my other skills to get the job done. During selling I know that the competition is right on my tail. There is always someone trying to knock me down, take the sale from me and go to the ATM with my money. Wait! It's my deal, so I hustle after it with a ferocious attitude. Not many slackers are at the top of their game, not many CEO's are lazy, not many top sales executives make a lot of money by coasting. Take my skills and combine them with hustle and I have a winning formula that I can count on. I put a grain of hustle into everything I do. Are you giving it all you have every time you go sell and provide exceptionally high quality service? If yes, excellent. March on!
“Our sales training creates a culture that delivers measurable results. For more information, call TankDiesel at (678) 665-1111.” tankdieselsales.com  When I awake in the morning I have Faith in the gifts that God has blessed me with. I take those gifts which include Faith and go to Sweat Street. I work it, work it and work it. There is no better feeling for me than to go after it. Mentally or physically at times both. I can say that leaving it all on the table is not an option but a must. For me Sweating is a sign of effort. I sweat both mentally and physically when I set my sights on a goal. If I am going to make an effort why not give it 100%? In sales, I decide what the goals are, I put together sound strategies, make herculean efforts, stay laser focused and go execute with Faith. Imagine that. Faith over Fear! With hard work, strategy, pre planning, attention to detail, organization, timeliness, Faith and sweat I can then relax. Most sales execs would be exhausted but not me cause I have a well oiled plan. That is what a sound proven system has done for me. By mastering the tankdiesel system it allows me peace, joy, happiness and of course to serve people leading me to financial freedom. It's not work, it's fun and the return is amazing. These companies had Faith in their system and worked hard down on Sweat Street. Google, UTube, Amazon, Facebook, Bing, Baidu, Yandex. I love to reflect back on my work ethic and see that the harder I work a proven repeatable system the higher the return. The system is scientific no luck involved,. Full of certainties. Working smart hard is smart. I am running through life like a NFL running back. Are you going to meet me on the corner of Sweat Street and Success Avenue? If so, let's work our plans, have Faith and enjoy the trappings. "Our sales training creates a culture that delivers measurable results. For more information, call TankDiesel at (678) 665-1111." tankdieselsales.com  In sales, I need to ABC Always Be Closing. Look at this home. For me beautiful! I have always wanted to live in a beautiful castle. Currently as for me my home is my castle. I am a homebody so I love spending time in my castle. I strive to live in a castle like the one in the picture. And one day I will. Another definition for ABC is Accept nothing, Believe no one, Challenge everything. This is also sound advice however I love ABC Always Be Closing as my first go to. Not only in sales but ABC is used all through my daily life when appropriate. Let me share a quick story. When I met my beautiful wife I immediately said to myself "ABC". I am going to marry that woman, and I proceed to court her into a life long marriage. ABC is powerful and I use it all the time. Now lets talk about ABC in sales. WOW!! As I walk through my selling days, ABC keeps me focused on the end result. It is a barometer on how I should best use my time and resources. On a daily basis I am always moving towards closing "the deal." If so then I am being efficient for everyone that is involved in the sale. For me sales means serving people and that leads to financial freedom. One of my goals. So if I am to meet my goals then I focus on closing. No time to waste. When I wake, I do not forget to pray to God because he did not forget to wake me up. Secondly I grab my forecast off the night stand and thirdly and not lastly ABC. Are you ABCing it? If so, excellent. You are on your way to living in your castle if you so desire. The castle is out there, it is just waiting for me to take occupancy. As I mentioned, I am declaring it, someday I will!
"Our sales training creates a culture that delivers measurable results. For more information, call TankDiesel at (678) 665-1111". tankdieselsales.com  Ever lose a big deal, a critical deal, a deal you worked your butt off for? I have many times. However, I keep swinging but man o man it's painful to lose. It is like a shot to the heart. Losing flat out stinks. No other way to put it. However, my Dad shared, " when you lose you need to grow through the pain not go through the pain". It took sometime to wrap my brain around it, but it was the solution for me to move forward in my selling career. I wanted to use the pain of the loss to better my selling skills, so I did. Every time I lose I do an AAR, After Action Review. A military term used in the US Army. What did I do well and what could I do better for the next sale? I used the AAR exercise in every company that I have worked for. I am confident that the following life science companies use AAR or something similar to increase their selling successes. Genentech, Pfizer. Merck, Amgen, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb. Not only do I want to grow through the pain I want to shine in the face of adversities. Lost sales causes difficulties in many areas and I have learned over the years to shine during those difficult times. To do this I needed to grow through my pains. Taking a proactive approach to learning and growing through difficult times has paid off for me in more ways that I could ever imagine. Lastly, I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past. No reason for me to dwell on my losses, learn from them and dream about selling success. Sounds like a good plan to me.
"Our sales training creates a culture that delivers measurable results. For more information, call TankDiesel at (678) 665-1111." tankdieselsales.com  Let me share a life experience. I was speaking with my son's Godparent Shanan the other day. I was venting that some close friends were not returning my calls. This was going on for at times 6+ months and it was bothering me. In my mind I was searching for reasons why they would not call me. What a waste of my valuable time. To be exact it was 3 of them and I could not get a return phone call to save my life. When I started to share this concern with Shanan he quickly stopped me and shared the Bill Gates garage story. He said "Paul, when Bill dropped out of Harvard he could not get his former classmates to return his calls. They had no use for him anymore. The same maybe true for you. What you thought were close friends have no more use for you now that you are venturing into your own successful business. They are looking out for themselves, they don't care about you. Get that into your head Paul. Bill did not let the distractions become a disruption. He kept plowing ahead with the building of Microsoft. Now when they call him he does not even remember them". Great story and lesson for me to not let anything derail me from my dream of building TankDiesel into a powerhouse. TankDiesel is built to serve others in reaching their dreams, one being financial freedom. What a great purpose. Those friends, so I thought, who will not call me back are now in my rear view mirror. I have deleted their contact info. The garage is where I will be until I am done, and of course I will never be done building tankdiesel. Shanan thanks for the great share.
'Our sales training creates a culture that delivers measurable results. For more information, call TankDiesel at (678) 665-1111.' tankdieselsales.com  One day earlier in my career I was having a bad selling day. I was working for an IBM Baxter company called IBAX. We competed with EPIC, Cerner, McKesson. I lost a deal that I had worked on for 18 months. Long term selling cycle. Selling hospital information systems worth upwards of $5M+. You had to be patient along with never taking your eye off the ball. I should have won the deal but I was not willing to do the uncomfortable. There is a saying that I have in my office. "You cannot find what you do not seek. You cannot grasp when you do not reach. Your dreams won't come up to your front door. You have got to take a leap, if you want to soar." I was not soaring, I was coasting. Doing just what I needed to to get by. Well losing a $40k commission made me do a self assessment. The answer was to turn up the volume. Selling requires 100%+ dedication to processes that work. I realize that I could not skate by and become the best selling executive in the nation. Time to do the uncomfortable. Slow down, strategize, cold call for leads. Oh how I hated to prospect. I needed to cover all my bases. I decided to learn Miller Heiman blue sheets and work the hell out of my opportunities. That is tough work. Invest in the process and watch the returns. Get up early, take care of myself, full body, mind, spirit. Follow up with all my prospects on a daily basis. Dig into the weeds and cover all the bases so that I win every deal I enter into. I started working around the clock. I was kickin it man. Every part of selling for me is not fun but I realized that when I lost that deal I got exactly what I put into it. I am a true believer that what I put out is what is coming back. My efforts are ferocious and herculean at times but that is what it takes to be the best sales executive in the nation. Are you doing the maximum to succeed? Are you going outside the comfort zone and doing the uncomfortable? It is hard work, not all fun but the results lead to a large bank account. Strategic, disciplined selling leads to success and for me success has its rewards.
'Our sales training creates a culture that delivers measurable results. For more information, call TankDiesel at (678) 665-1111.' tankdieselsales.com |
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