1. Get The Customer To Sell You - You never sell them AND you never look like a sales person. We get commitment from customers before we proceed.

2. Eliminate Your Competitors - FInd out how others fail on each call and elevate the customer's view of your company. Sell the job BEFORE you give a price.

3. Diagnose Whole Systems - Service is not just doing repairs. Offer options to RENOVATE the whole system as well just a band-aid.

4. Create Bundles & Packages - Differentiate your services and company. Make it easy for customer to purchase more premium options.

5. Give Customers Multiple Options - Do this on every call starting with the most premium first to the most economical. So they are in control.

6. Inspire referrals - If they like your service they should be happy to hand over the friends because they love you so much.

Our sales system is NOT for people who follow the normal path. We are for those who seek something different that I guarantee you have not heard or seen before. (Unless you have been to our training)

Once you learn this system, your average call will increase to over $1,300 per service invoice and over $10,000 on equipment with happier customers who are buying more premium options. NOTE: You will not be selling the same thing you are now at higher prices, instead you will be selling services warrantees and renovations that you currently DO NOT sell right now for more.

We are NOT supported by manufacturers because we NEVER mention a brand name and will always refuse to do so. Our brand is truly you the contractor.

How many times have you heard your prospect tell you that they have a "rule" or "policy" when they purchase? You know something like, "We have a rule, we never make a purchase on the first visit from a sales person." Sometimes the rules that buyers have are dysfunctional and make little sense for you or them. Also, the rules are often broken when they meet the right sales person with the right solution. So then the rules are only often enforced when they either don't like the sales person or their solution.

As a professional sales person, you must have rules and policies as well. This is particularly true when you sell face-to-face and have to travel to your buyer's location or home. The amount of time spent with buyers and the time needed to travel to and from where they are makes having policies even more important.

Here are a few of my personal rules and policies that I hold myself to when engaging potential customers in my sales process:

My Personal Sale Constitution

1. I refuse to sell my services to people who don't want them or need them.
2. I find out how others failed because I won't make the same mistake they did.
3. I never stand in the way of the best solutions or the worst solutions.
4. I don't sell products; I sell service. All products are free with my service.
5. I never expect buyers to pay more for the same solution at a higher price.
6. I always present solutions that are different and better than competitors.
7. I present my solutions only once - to the right people at the right time.
8. I will not allow third parties to present my solutions. Only I will do this.
9. I provide choices to my buyer, not ultimatums.
10. I will never fax or email my proprietary solutions to a customer.
11. I am committed to only four possible outcomes of my presentation.
    1. Yes
    2. No
    3. Disqualify Myself - If my solutions are the same as others.
    4. Set a future date to get my final answer with a return visit.
12. I always find out what I did to get or lose the sale.
13. I return in person to get the final answer, not make follow up phone calls.
14. I always let customers know that I need their help getting more customers.

Can anyone add to this list? Please share some of your own personal "rules" or "policies" that you use in selling your solutions. Email your personal selling rules to jcrisara@gmail.com

Without a doubt, life today flies by at record speed and many of us get overwhelmed around the year-end holidays. I wonder if many people in sales business have thought much about the people who are at the center of whatever success they have achieved. I know I recently have. Those thoughts of kindness by everyone who has helped me have really stirred some great emotions inside of me.

Not Everything Has To Be 2.0

The principle of giving thanks is nothing new but it is always in style and appropriate. If you're not sure whether thanks is merited then I would err on the side of doing it anyway just in case it is. Here are some groups of people you could call to thank.

1. Clients -- Of course this is obvious but as a twist, don't just thank those who you like the most or who spent the most money. Why not call a few of the people who rejected your proposal as well. Why? Well, you could thank them for the lessons you learned as to why you did not sell the job and let them know that the experience in service them was valuable to you. Who knows, they may keep you in mind for the next project.

2. Competitors -- Yes, pick up the phone or drop in to say thanks to them for providing you the motivation to get up everyday and try to outsell them. Let them know you don't take losing any jobs to them personally. In fact let them know just how much more determined you have become to compete harder. Also let them know that you intend to outsell them in the future. This public proclamation will put the pressure on you and them and make this next year more fun than ever.

3. Your Family -- They are the ones who allow you to put in the long hours and late evenings in order to reach your goals. Let them know that you understand the price they have paid in terms of quality family time so that you could reach your dreams. In a quiet moment talk to your wife and each child in your household and let them know how much their patience and understanding has meant to you.

4. Anyone else -- Randomly thank anyone you run into who you feel is performing a great service. Let the warehouse guy or the waitress know how lucky their companies are to have such great, dedicated people working for them. Also let them know that you personally feel honored to be serviced by them as well.

How do you do this? -- Easy just pick up the phone or stop by and say this&

"I just wanted to call to let you know how fortunate I feel to have such a great (client -- competitor -- family member) like you. Not many people would (fill in the blank) like you have done for me. I just want you to know I am honored and thankful to have you as my (client -- competitor -- family member).

For your family and closest friends tell them you give hugs not handshakes and then reach over and give them a big ole bear hug. Also remember that the holidays are a great time to surprise the people you know that you may have forgotten about.

As you approach the next holiday, remember that in giving gratitude to people that you will get as much from this gift as you are giving. In fact, you will probably get even more. Well, enough talk. Get out there and get started there is no shortage of people who help you everyday. I know this is a lot of work but believe me it will be a labor of love.

By the way, thank you for reading this entire article of mine. I am obviously very fortunate to have you as an audience. Not a day goes by where I don't feel grateful to have you reading, listening or watching my thoughts. See what I mean? Let the thanking start right now.

The graveyard of lost sales is filled with assumptions that sales people make about their buyers. Where do we form these assumptions? Usually they are created in our minds, based on past experiences we have had with other clients. Assumptions are not based on reality. Our experiences in the past have no impact on the way your buyer wants to purchase from you at this moment.

Always challenge your assumptions about the buyer. Share your thoughts when you think you know something about them. Most likely, you will find out how wrong your assumptions were. Find out if your assumptions are correct, or better yet, don't make any in the first place. I

The only time that is real is right now. This is the only moment we can take action to create our future. Stay in the moment a maximize you opportunity to be effective right now and you will create the success that you desire.

Adams Hudson and I are tag teaming TODAY to bring you "The Magic Pill: A Prescription to Triple Your Sales Overnight."

Click here to listen to Adams discuss this coaching call

As Adams picks my brain, you'll learn:

• The 3 step process to the MAGIC PILL
• How to discern a customer's "code"
• A lesson so powerful that you HOPE your competitors never hear it.
• The 'range of solution' technique that blows everybody else's OLD methodology away

Plus, as always, Adams and I will be ready to answer your questions, too. This, folks, will be a POWERHOUSE HOUR. Find out why the Total Immersion Sales System is one of the hottest tickets right now in the contracting industry!

The call will take place on TODAY, Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at 1pm Central, (2pm Eastern, 11am Pacific), and last for ABOUT 1 hour. 
 
You can participate live by calling in.

Here's How to Join the Call:

• About 5 minutes prior to air time, Call 512-225-9381.
• Your Access Code is: 361044 
• You'll hear music a few moments before the time, a brief countdown, and the call will begin.
• When it comes time to ask your questions, the operator will tell you how.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE WORKBOOK FOR THIS COACHING CALL

Have a great day and we are looking forward to talking to you on this call!

With warm regards,

Joe Crisara

I received a desperate sounding phone call last week from a sales manager at a service company in the mid-west. He informed me that he thought our material was great and that he wanted to send several techs to our upcoming fall Total Immersion Summit and 5-Week after coaching experience but there was one problem.

When he tried to raise the prospect of his techs, sales people and himself attending to the CFO of the company he was given a host of reasons why then could NOT possibly invest in such a program at this time. He called me to ask if their was a "business case" for sales training that he could present to the owner of the company to convince him that the "Bean Counter" was a bit off in his thinking. I then thought about it for a few hours and came up with this e-book below. Enjoy it and use it by all means to sell your company's bean counter on this important message.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO IMMEDIATELY DOWLOAD THE PDF FILE

I have been asked by a few people I know recently about a term called the "pain funnel" and how to use it in selling your services. In short, the pain funnel is a term that is used that means to get your prospect to reveal the logical and emotional reason they are wanting to buy your solution. Many times buyers provide a false reason so they don't reveal too much about their situation thinking that you may use it against them to close the deal.

So to bring prospects through this funnel will reveal not just the surface reason and the logical reason but also the raw emotional reason why they are wanting to purchase your solutions.

EXAMPLE:

CUST: "Do you have any information on a new water heater?"

YOU: "A water heater! John, why do you think you need information on that?"

CUST: "Oh I may be in the market for a new one."

YOU: "Why not just keep the one you have?"

CUST: "Oh it's getting pretty old."

YOU: "Yeah John I know but my Dad is getting older too and we don't replace him, why take on this expense if your old one works fine?"

CUST: "That's the problem Bill I had to relight it twice this past month."

YOU: "Yeah but now it's fixed, why not try to get a few more months out of it?

CUST: "Bill if I don't get a new one soon my wife will divorce me!"

YOU: "WOW! I had no idea! So what should I do at this point?"

CUST: "Show me what you have so we can get moving on this right now!"

As you can see by the above sequence, the buyer shifted from just looking to insisting on moving forward now. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that this method of reverse selling gets the buyer to sell YOU instead of you trying to sell THEM.

As you can tell it reveals the true emotional reason why people buy AND creates a very strong commitment to take action to remove the core pain. In this case, it was losing a wife over the water heater.

Oh by the way, this method goes back thousands of years. It was actually acknowledged as technique popularized by Socrates. In fact this type of questioning is actually defined scholastically as the "Socratic Method" in academia.

Please fill in the form below to receive your Contractor's Sales IQ Test. Many have told me that they can see the problem they are having with creating a good sales result just by the process of answering the questions on this test. The fact that you may NOT be able to answer some of the questions will tell you everything you need to know about your company's ability to be profitable.

NOTE: We will never spam you or sell your contact info to a 3rd party.

Click here to sign up and attend a Total Immersion Sales Summit this fall

Click here to sign up and attend a Total Immersion Sales Summit this fall

You Might Want To Tell Your Staff To Sit In On This One...

Mark your calendar for THIS Thursday evening, August 6th!!

The Hour of Sales Power Returns!

This Thursday, August 6^th at 8 p.m. eastern time, $5 Million Dollar sales person Rick Picard and I WILL do a special Hour of Sales Power LIVE internet streaming TV event. (That's right you can watch it right on your computer screen!) In this meeting we WILL outline the entire Total Immersion Sales Summit Process so that you get an overview of the whole system.

Can you really afford to NOT hear what someone who sells $125,000 per week in residential HVAC equipment sales has to say about the process that made him a legend in the industry? 

Please join me for this complimentary 1 hour LIVE streaming video call that airs Thursday, August 6^th to attend this exciting event. As a bonus, you can call in after the show to ask any questions you like about Total Immersion sales system.

We will have a replay available for members of ContractorSelling.com in the Hour of Sales Power section of the site if you cannot be there! To become a member of the website click here so you can listen to the archives.

Here are the meeting details once more...

WHEN: Thursday, August 6^th

TIME: 8 p.m. eastern, 7 p.m. central & 5 p.m. pacific times

Here is the link below for you to attend the session LIVE for FREE...

http://www.contractorselling.com/public/353.cfm

NOTHING is being sold on this call - We will talk about the process that it takes to become a sales expert! This is not the time to function in fear -- this is time to embrace the best of YOU and all that your business has to offer!! Don't miss it! I'll 'see' you there!

With warm regards,

Joe Crisara - CEO

www.contractorselling.com

On Thursday, September 3^rd I will be giving a special presentation in Grapevine, Texas (Near Dallas) for HVAC Learning Solutions a Lennox associate. The name of my presentation is called "Turning Service Techs Into Service Champions"

Key points I will discuss are:

• Why revenue is a key indicator of great service
• "Next Level" service best practices
• Advanced repair/replace turnover strategies
• Looking under rocks&finding the right people
• "On-boarding" winners to excel
• "Off-boarding" losers that fail
• Train & coach your championship team
• Expectations, accountability, getting results

If you are interested in attending this meeting or the rest of the "Masters Of The Game - Change Management" conference click here for more info. Tell them Joe Crisara sent you.

Lennox Master Of The Game Conference Information

I am often asked why some people become sales experts while others who have been exposed to the same material, achieve mediocre or even downright poor results. The answer is less complicated than you probably think it is.

Everyone Starts Out Equally Bad

As you can see by the A chart illustrating the time-ability continuum created in a post at headrush.typepad.com "How To Be An Expert," everybody starts out in the beginning equally inept. Yes even the greatest sales performers had no clue when they first started out. Over a period of time as you can see above the more dedicated sales professional maintains their focus and dedication to the process. Their willingness to look for a better way even when they are already somewhat successful is the key.

Taking The First Step Is The Hardest Part

We all have regrets and wish we'd started sooner towards our dream of being great at something we love. We talk as if we lack the ability to begin because we have delayed taking the first step. Quitters often can't hack it because they feel as though they are behind others who started younger. Others claim they simply lack the verbal skills to become a great sales professional. They are missing the mark. According to studies, we can all become masters at anything as long as we are still breathing.

Great Sales Skills Take Hard Work

A born sales person or as some say those who have the, "the gift of gab" are not guaranteed anything. Great sales performers that appear to have God-given talent actually work hard at maintaining their focus, determination, perseverance and a burning desire to improve. 

In the www.headrush.typepad.com artlicle author Kathy Sierra quotes from a book titled The New Brain. Author of New Brain, Richard Restak quotes Dr. K. Anders Ericsson on this very subject. Here are his thoughts:

"For the superior performer the goal isn't just repeating the same thing again and again but achieving higher levels of control over every aspect of their performance. That's why they don't find practice boring. Each practice session they are working on doing something better than they did the last time."

Challenge Your Assumptions

So the search for improvement and finding better ways is the key to maintaining your excitement through the years of practicing your selling skills. Instead of practicing what we already know we excel at, great sales people and other high performers go out of their comfort zone and challenge the assumptions they have made about what they know.

Poor Performers Stay On The Treadmill

The above logic really makes sense to me. I see sales people always sticking with what they know and avoiding the trial of new ideas and skills that they suck at. Therefore they continue to ride the same treadmill of mediocrity. Think about it. If the sales training you have taken was so solid, why aren't you improving your results year after year? Is it because you may be afraid to try something different?

As the article at http://headrush.typepad.com and the research by Dr. K. Anders Ericsson says, work on the skills that you struggle with, and eventually you will be a master at anything you are "bent" on doing well. You have to develop that burning desire inside of each of us to constantly improve. Stop thinking about what you have learned about sales as a destination. ALL sales training programs are a journey, YES even my program.

My hope is that even if you DO attend our Total Immersion Sales Training or join our www.contractorselling.com website, you will continue to seek other ways to improve as well. In the end my wish is that everyone who has the dedication to find new answers to new challenges become excellent as selling their services. Do you have the desire? Only time will tell.

In case you're living under a rock or you're just not a sports fan, you have probably heard about Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buerhle's perfect game on Thursday, July 23, 2009 against the Tampa Rays. What strikes me most about this moment immediately following a great catch by outfielder Dwayne Wise to preserve history, is the calm and cool demeanor that Buerhle displays after the catch. If you have a chance to watch the video again, look at Buerhle after the play. You wouldn't know he was only two more outs away from history by his poise and calm at that moment.

(CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO WATCH THE MLB.COM VIDEO REPLAY)

Mind Like Water

How many times have you seen sales people "over-celebrate" both success and failure? You and your sales team could learn a lesson from his "mind-like-water" state of mind. Just like throwing a perfect game in baseball, striving for perfection in sales takes concentration and the ability to eliminate distraction. Giving your success or failure too much credence is the sign of a loser. A real pro knows that if you just closed a deal, you are thinking, "What's next?" If you lost a deal, that same high performer asks, "What did I miss?" Either way in the life of a heavy hitter, opportunity is waiting around the corner.

Ability to Concentrate Is Key

Watch the video once more and look at how the fan, announcers and teammates are going crazy while he remains calm like the eye of the storm. Think about the sales calls where your people become distracted by tough buyers who are bent on out negotiating your sales person. Do your people "lose it" when faced with pressure? Or do they calmly respond with a question that moves them closer to getting a deal?

Having a Short Memory Helps

The funny thing about Mark Buerhle is that his last start against the Minnesota Twins resulted in him getting shellacked. Obviously Mark has the ability to remain "in the moment" and deal with the task at hand and not think about the past or the future. As sales professionals we could learn a lot from this performance indeed. Your sales team should know by now that thoughts of failure or success from the past have nothing to do with the situation you currently face. You must forget the past other than the lessons leaned and stay in the moment as well.

Can We Really Be Perfect?

I am really not sure if there is something like a perfect game in selling. Just like Buerhle, his perfect game included some hairy moments. You may even say that he was lucky in many ways. I think that top performers always look lucky, They always seem to get the "good calls." They make what others think is impossible look easy. Think about it this way. If you strive for perfection and fall just short of perfect but still win the game by getting the sale, you are still doing great.

Yes, in sales you don't have to be perfect to get the results you want, But you do have to stay poised, concentrate, stay in the moment and have the ability to respond in tough situations. Get your team to do those things and maybe, like Mark Buerhle, your sales results will go down as legendary in your sales team.

I've Got Bad News & Good News

First I'll tell you the bad news. Our Total Immersion Summit in August in Los Angeles is sold out. I am afraid I have to apologize to you, but we had one single company buy all the seats for that event.

Now Here Is The GREAT News

We have just added another special Total Immersion Summit event to our busy fall 2009 schedule. You can send people to our summit to increase your revenue and profit on these dates that still available:

v      LOS ANGELES, CA - Sept 13^th thru 18^th (El Segundo - LAX)

o        ELECTRICIAN'S OPPORTUNITY NIGHT - This class will feature a special new ELECTRICIAN'S ONLY opportunity evening session. We will go over information specifically for electricians to help them make better repair and renovation packages to boost the results from this class. This is the first time we have ever offered this bonus for a specific trade. Please note that other trades attending the daytime Total Immersion session will still receive the same quality training we have always provided.

CLICK HERE TO ATTEND THIS CLASS

v      WILMINGTON, DELAWARE - Sept 27^th thru Oct 2^nd (Held at Horizon Services)

o        SERVICE & SALES MANAGERS NIGHT - This class will feature a special evening SERVICE & SALES MANAGEMENT session in which we discuss the latest techniques and tips on how to keep the process moving after your training. Everything from compensation to coaching will be discussed. If you want to see some of the world's best practices for opportunity management you must attend this session.

CLICK HERE TO ATTEND THIS CLASS

v      LOS ANGELES, CA - October 18^th thru 23^rd (El Segundo - LAX)

o        MAINTENANCE CALL OPPORTUNITY NIGHT - This class will feature a special evening session where we discuss the opportunities for all trades who are selling repair and upgrade opportunities on maintenance or inspection calls. We talk about the specific approach to use to take these calls from just another "tune up" to a great opportunity. This is a "Can't Miss" session if you sell on this type of call.

CLICK HERE TO ATTEND THIS CLASS

v      SAN ANTONIO, TX - November 1^st thru 6^th (Held at Jon Wayne Air)

o        HVAC "TURNOVER" NIGHT - This class will feature a special evening session where we discuss how to turn repair and maintenance calls into equipment replacement or renovation opportunities. This is a "Can't Miss" session for HVAC people especially if you have sales people who would benefit from selling on repair turnover calls.

CLICK HERE TO ATTEND THIS CLASS

I'll See You This Fall

Which ever Total Immersion Summit is most convenient for you to attend, just make sure that you DO attend one of them. Can you really afford to go through another year with mediocre or just plain poor results? Remember that your marketing, management and operation efforts are completely meaningless IF YOU CANNOT SELL SOMETHING when you go one your next service or sales opportunity.

Call Me If You're Not Sure

Do you want a HUGE super surprise? Well then just pick up your phone and call me, Joe Crisara directly (YES I WILL ANSWER) at 847-833-7912 to discuss how this material will help you. If it won't then I will shoot straight with you and tell you to not attend. But for 99.9% of the rest of you, I will help you to discover why you should join us this fall to begin your rise to achieve "Superstar Contractor" status.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT TOTAL IMMERSION

See you this fall!

With warm regards,

Joe Crisara

All Talk No Involvement -- Some think that through the sheer force of their words, the buyer is expected to spend their hard earned cash. It is as if they are in love with the sound of their own voice as they drone on and on without pause.

Occasionally they stop to scrape the "white stuff" that gathers on the sides of their mouth from talking so much. What they don't know is that what they are scraping is actually solidified spit! Yuck! Here's a hot tip. Give the buyer a chance to tell you what they really want, and then shut up and give it to them.

What Should Your Presentation Do?

The presentation of solutions to your customers should serve a purpose in the sales process. Is your presentation hurting or helping you sell your service? The following should help you evaluate whether you are making a "good" presentation.

Here is the role your presentation must play:

-         Create solutions that no one else has thought of.

-         Differentiates you from the pack of other contractors.

-         Creates packages and bundles to make it easier to decide.

-         Gives customers options for the way they want to purchase.

-         Your unique solutions should prove your expertise.

-         Make your prices seem fair and worth the investment.

-         Persuade your customers to take action after seeing it.

-         Using the options as a negotiation point of reference.

-         Eliminate the desire for having to shop around with others

-         Creates status, quality and integrity in you and your company.

 Well, does your presentation cut the mustard? If not, then take a deep breath and go back to the drawing board. Your results don't lie.

Just as you should take your eyes off the stock market you should discontinue focusing on the construction guys or side jobbers.  Start focusing on your technicians and the options they are offering each customer.  Are they offering 6 options on every call?  Did they offer a premium option all the way down to a band-aid repair?  Were the prices margins spread evenly or were there big jumps from one level to the next?

Ask them if they connected with the customer?  Can they tell you what the customer does for a living? The name's of their children?  The pets name? How long have they lived in the home? What are their hobbies?  Do they like to travel? Have they gone anywhere they would recommend? I could go on and on with questions.  If you have a shortage of calls coming in or are competing with on price, the technician who bonds with the customer better will win 9 out of ten times in an economic turn down.

For years we have been helping service contractors with new information to help you improve your sales. Now we need your help with improving our marketing message to service contractors like you. We at ContractorSelling.com have many plans to improve our website and our services to you in 2009. I am writing you to get your opinion on one question. 

What should be our new tagline at ContractorSelling.com?

Which tagline appeals most to you as a Plumbing, HVAC or Electrical service contractor? Please answer the survey from your point of view as a service contracting professional as to which tagline would create enough curiosity and desire to join our website. 

If you would take a moment (about 18 seconds, actually) and respond to this survey, I would be grateful. If you don't have time or you just don't want to, I understand (but it would be helpful - don't make me beg, okay?)

Click here to choose which tagline you think is best

Let me take the time right now to thank you in advance for indulging us in this exercise.  Not a day goes by where all of us at ContractorSelling.com don't think about how fortunate we are to have great followers like you as our friends.

I came across some interesting information in the course of doing research on a ContractorSelling.com members only article I wrote recently. The article is on the science of smiling and what creates the perception of authenticity and trust in a smile. I ran across this interesting item called the "Spot The Fake Smile Quiz." The quiz shows you a series of videos and asks you to judge which smile is authentic or not. If you want to know the science behind what makes one smile so authentic, trustworthy and persuasive and the other clown like then Click Here to login to the website and read it.

I took the quiz and and found it to be very interesting. Maybe you could use it for a sales meeting. The funny thing is that I couldn't stop smiling myself when i took the quiz. What does that tell you about the power of the smile?

I just re-recorded the vocal mix on the Total Immersion Theme Song. Yes, that is me singing all the parts. I wrote this song about 6 months ago. Give me your feedback whether you like it or not by emailing joe@contractorselling.com

The "fear of loss" results in many salespeople accepting stalls like,

"I want to think it over."

Or "Call me next week."

Many would rather hear these tired phrases above rather than the word "no" from their customer. They choose not to deal with it right now and so they leave the call feeling that at the very least they were not rejected.

They must realize that a customer RARELY rejects them, but rather their offer, value proposition, company, etc. Choosing to take weaker stance and accept this out of fear of losing the sale or upsetting the customer is pointless. You cannot lose something you never had, and it is highly unlikely that you will upset a customer.

And so what if by some remote chance you upset a customer. You can always apologize in a soft, remorseful and nurturing tone and emphasize you are simply trying to understand so as to provide the most accurate and complete information possible in order to help them make an informed and intelligent decision.

Fear shows up in sales people in many ways:

-         Doubt

-         Lack of Confidence and Conviction

-         Poor Self-esteem

-         Ego-strength

-         Ego-drive

To work on your mindset and attitude each and every day is really a pretty simple choice. Given the distractions in life, like people who are consciously or unconsciously trying to knock me off my game for whatever reasons, I know if it is going to be it is up to me. After all, happiness is a choice and I choose to be happy. From there I can do anything. Stop allowing your irrational fears to stand in your way.

Before making your next presentation, reiterate that you are just as okay hearing 'no' as you are 'yes'. Telling a customer this usually lowers barriers and resistance which will lead you to success.

To me, the definition of selling is to provide a solution that is directly "on code" with solving a problem your customer has. In essence to find what people need and want you have to understand how they think.

Be a Student Not a Teacher

To do this you must learn about your customer. Okay so you know they have a problem, but have you learned how much they know about it? Also from who and where did they get this information? How do they normally purchase things like this? When were they hoping to solve the issue and were they hoping the outcome would be more permanent or temporary? This is just the tip of the iceberg. The list of what you might need to find the "on code" solution for this buyer could go on forever.

Find The Right "Code"

Focusing on why they need this solution, what they know about it, where they learned it, what they have heard about your company, when they want the issue resolved and who else is involved with the decision are a great start to being on code.

Well after much waiting and wondering, he is here. Julie and I are proud to announce a welcome addition to our family. His name is Wyatt Crisara and he was born at 7:01 p.m. on Monday, February 16^th here in Los Angeles. He weighs 11 lbs. and is 24" in length. To say the least, Julie and I are overcome with joy.

The event of the birth felt like the hand of God touched us in a special way. The only way I can describe the feeling is one of "Pure Joy."

The funny part was that even up to an hour before the birth, Julie and I were talking about the business and all the challenges we face in getting the seminar filled up and re-modeling the website. After the birth, neither of us has mentioned or are even tempted to talk about work. Our priorities changed in a hurry. Now all I can think of is all the activities we three will no doubt begin over the next 50 years. I am sure the little guy will teach me some life lessons and I am eager to learn.

Yes, I know that for myself starting over again at age fifty can bring many challenges. Will I be around long enough when he gets older? Will I be active enough to play a game of catch with him? Will his friends think I am his grandpa? I choose instead to not think about the future with Julie, Wyatt and myself. This time I will live in the moment, older and wiser. Taking each second in like a breath of air to enjoy and sustain life. Thinking of right now and how at this very moment I can be the best dad for him. That is where I choose to steer my thoughts.

I am blessed with this great opportunity to leave a legacy of integrity, kindness and charity with Wyatt being the one to spread these core values long after I am gone. I am indeed blessed with an embarrassment of riches with Julie who is the best life partner and now this little package.

If you are struggling financially or if you are awash in the day-to-day petty emergencies in life. Take a look at the picture above and keep your challenges in perspective. My take on this last couple days is that life is filled with second chances and that we all need to stop wondering why we get them and start using them. Live your best life right now. Stop worrying about the fantasy of the past or the anxiety of the future. I think that is a lesson that little Wyatt can teach all of us..

The above video clip always makes me burst out in laughter. Do you remember when the TV show "Seinfeld" was a huge hit on NBC's "Must-See TV" every Thursday? I have probably watched every episode at least 2 or 3 times. The one episode, (shown above and at the end of this article) that really stands out for me more than all the others is the episode where George Costanza decides he's going to do the opposite of what he would normally do. The episode was called "Opposite George."

Looking At the Truth Straight On

Basically, instead of always lying to himself about how good things were going in his life, he decided that he gotten to the miserable place he was now, by the actions that he had taken. He finally owned up to his failures.

The Decision To Make a Change

Upon this discovery he decided that from now on, in order to make his life change for the better, he would do EXACTLY the opposite of what he had always done his entire life. Up to this point, his life was typified by economic and personal struggles. He was a man that couldn't keep a decent job and was also dismissed by every woman he approached as a schmuck.

He decided to break from the past by doing the EXACT opposite of what he normally would do to see if it would make a difference in his career and lifestyle. He began his "opposite" theory as he was sitting in the diner with the gang. That's when he sees a gorgeous women sitting at the counter having lunch who just happened to glance at him for a moment. Normally he would never approach a woman like this because of the obvious rejection he would suffer.

Instead he does the opposite and walks up to her and states the truth emphatically.  "Excuse me, I just happened to notice you just looked at me." he began chatting with her. He went on to simply state that he's a short, bald, out-of-work guy who still lives with his mom and dad. What do you think the result was? She immediately introduces herself to him and decides that she wants to go out with him. Finally he has success!

Later, George uses this same technique of "do the opposite" to land himself a sweet job with the New York Yankees. During the interview, instead of kissing up to Owner, George Steinbrenner's rear, the way everybody else probably does, he instead tells his potential new boss how much the team stinks, and why Steinbrenner's every decision has been flat-out dumb. "Hire this man immediately!" Steinbrenner screams. "That's the kind of attitude we need around here!"

So here's my point. Every time George did the opposite of what he would
normally do, what logic and common sense would dictate, and what everybody else would probably do, he experienced "quantum leap, life changing, success."

Do The Opposite Of What Your Skeptical Mind Tells You & Click Here

You Must Change What Isn't Working

You know what? In many ways this thinking is the same key to being a successful plumbing, electrical or HVAC service contractor.  It just makes sense that the best decision to make in order to increase your sales, cash flow and profit, plus get new, happy clients to call and refer you, is the EXACT opposite of what your competitors are doing now that brought you to this point.

For instance, let's say that you see your buyer could really use an extended service plan that you offer. You know they currently neglect their system and you want to see if they would have any interested in hearing about it. Let's look at the different ways you could approach the buyer with this.

The Way Everybody Does It - Ask if they WOULD be interested

YOU: Hey Bob, would you like to hear some information about our extended service plan? It offers some really great benefits that would be perfect for you.

THEM: No, I appreciate your offer, but not right now because money is tight.

The Way "Opposite George" Would Do It - Ask if they WOULD NOT be interested

YOU: Hey Bob, I noticed that you chose not to purchase the extended service plan even though it would have saved 15% over the past year. I just want to confIrm that even though it would have paid for itself last year, you have no interest in this?

THEM: What are you talking about? I never even heard of this. Could you fill me in on what this program is all about? (Success at last - You have created interest by doing the opposite!)

The Paradigm Has Shifted

As you can see by this small exchange above, George was actually genius in his approach. Doing the opposite can make a big difference. How can this approach apply to lowball competitors? Can it really apply to buyers who want cheap prices? Will it change your thinking about your marketing, managing and presentations? In short, you bet it will. This principle applies to every part of our business.

Can you really argue with the simple truth that if you follow along and simply do what others who struggle are doing, you will get exactly what they are getting? Why not pull a "Costanza," do something different and join us along with the most successful contractors in the country?

There are contractors who are actually MORE profitable in this down economy as they pick through the bones of contractors who have failed. That's right, after the dust has settled they now attract the ex-customer and ex-employees of those companies who are bleeding or who have fallen.

Ultimately where there are problems there are opportunities. Isn't that why you started a business in the first place? I hope to see all of you this spring who are bold enough to take action and walk the road toward success.

Click Here - Attend a Spring 2009 Total Immersion Sales Summit Now

I am like most professionals in the sales industry. Even when I'm spending time with my family, (waiting for my newborn baby boy to be born) my thoughts drift away towards the work I do. I love teaching sales people how to sell and coaching sales managers to get results. In fact, I would say that my obsession with learning the "best practices" of the selling industry is a borderline addiction.

The Magic Of The Changed Mind

There is just something about the magic that happens when a buyer is resistant to making a purchase and then not 20 seconds later, they have changed their mind. Like magic the sale is closed. You can literally see the transformation of the buyer. They go from trying to distance themselves from the sales person, to complete compliance, and then purchasing. I will confess to you here and now, that I live for those situations.

So here are my final questions to you...

Are you just a part of the crowd that's watching the show from the side?

Or, are you a magician who can change the minds and assumptions of buyers?

Perform the magical "Ah-Ha" moment for your customer about the service you provide and your results will be the oohs, ahhhs and applause reserved only for the best performers. 

Have you ever watched a football team where the coach refused to look at the truth? If you are not a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, maybe it is your team that has this issue. Perhaps the coach of your team has fallen in love with some of the more unproductive players and cannot see the writing on the wall. Successful coaches in football or in sales are never afraid of facing the truth no matter how hard it was to look at it.

The Vacation Is Over

I think a lot of people who sell their services have taken a vacation from reality and are a lot like these losing coaches. Instead of adjusting themselves to meet the challenges of this new year, they have given themselves a free pass and blame their lack of results on competitors, politics and yes I know you're as sick of hearing it as I am, the economy.

Stop Believing In Negative Outcomes

Live in the moment and stop fantasizing about gloom and doom scenarios that have not even happened yet. The national news media is playing the public as chumps. Many of you are unaware of how you are being persuaded by them each day. They do this to get you to watch what will happen next. Just tune into their channel at find out more while they reap the rewards of your pain through ad revenue. If either the Steelers or the Arizona Cardinals believed the media, they would have been at home watching the Super Bowl as they were both not picked to be in the "ultimate game."

Can We Get Real?

Let's get real. We all have weaknesses and strengths. Your frailties are just opportunities for improvement if you can just put your ego on the shelf and admit you have these weaknesses. Stop ignoring the cold facts. Perhaps you can't handle objections. Maybe you talk too much. The first step in any recovery program is to admit you have a problem. Then the healing can begin. Take a page from the playbook of the Steelers and face the truth to become "Sales Super Bowl Champions."

About the author: Joe Crisara is CEO of www.ContractorSelling.com  - Copyright 2008, ContractorSelling.com - May be reproduced without change, with proper attribution and brief bio. Notice of when and where article is to appear to joe@contractorselling.com

We have announced our SPRING 2009 Total Immersion Summit Dates

We will be in Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia and Los Angeles, California so far.  We have already pre-sold about 50% of our available seating to coaching members so don't delay if you want to attend.

Reserve your seat for only $500 with the nothing to pay until the start of the summit.  

PLUS, if you sign up before March 15th, 2009 to any one of our spring classes and you will save $150 off the regular price.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW

Last week, on the day after Christmas, I was driving home from the San Francisco bay area where Julie and I were visiting family for the holiday. Not 20 minutes after getting on to U.S. 101 south, I saw the flashing lights in the rear view mirror imploring me to pull over. YES! I was speeding. I was going 80 mph in a 65 mph zone. I asked myself, "Why did I feel the need to break the law and the speed limit, when I had plenty of time to get home? Where was I going so fast?

Why Do We Speed?

Why do we love to drive so fast? You might think the added danger would stop us but no, for seemingly no reason at all we keep going faster. Why do we feel the need to go faster? The average citizen who would never break a law, think nothing of breaking a speeding law.

The weird part is that most speeders know they go faster than the law allows but they feel immune to the law. In essence, feeling that speeding laws only apply to drivers who are inept and who need to have a speed limit.

I'm Slowing Down, Why Don't You?

Before this ticket I had gone over 7 years without getting a citation. So I am hereby resolved to slow down and to stop speeding. Sales people would also do follow this example and slow down too. Not just on the road, but also on their next sales call. Sales people, like highway speedsters, feel immune to the laws of selling.

That law is that if you don't slow down and listen, clarify and understand what your client wants, you will crash and burn at the end of your call just like a speeder on the road. Good customer service is never fast or rushing through a presentation. Take the time you need to connect with your customer and you will have the satisfaction of providing the kind of service that will differentiate you from the rest of the traffic.

I just returned back here to my home in Los Angeles from a 2-day trip to attend Adams Hudson's historic "5 Heads Are Better Than One" audio tele-seminar in Montgomery, Alabama. Over 600 service contractors registered to listen to this event featuring five of the most quality service contractor marketing and sales brains in the world.

Members of ContractorSelling.com can listen to all five segments with each expert inside our member's only part of the website as we will post the material this upcoming week. We will include some of the free gifts from these experts as well as an audio download link for you to use on your mp3 player.

What Did I learn From Two Days In Montgomery, Alabama?

My trip to Alabama of course was not only for the purpose of doing a tele-seminar with the group. We could have done this via telephone. I went there to see what I could learn from this group that I could bring back to give to service contractors looking to improve their business.

Here are just a few of the lessons I learned from this trip:

1. Ask and you will receive -- Adams asked all five experts, who normally would charge over $30,000 for this time, if they would participate at our own expense by flying from all parts of the country to attend this event LIVE. Nobody blinked or even asked him why. We just did it.

LESSON LEARNED: If you want something, never assume you can't get it. Stop assuming that people always need to get paid to help you. Just ask.

2. Add value to your meetings - This of course put the pressure on Adams to make our trips worth our time. He certainly did that and more. He gave us a tour of his facility and operational system on the first day. (I will post an excerpt of this video at ContractorSelling.com) Then on day two he put us all up in his wonderful lake house located in the pristine woods of secluded northeastern Alabama. A magical, peaceful and serene setting which was perfect for contemplation. We all then consulted each other about how to improve our services to service contractors. We all received great world-class insight and advice from each other about our businesses.

LESSON LEARNED: We all need to take a break from the normal day-to-day activities and work on our business. I would recommend going somewhere away from your office and planning for next year and beyond. Invite those who could help you. Ask your marketing assistant, accountant, manager, key employee or anyone whose commitment is key to your success into your inner circle. They should all be invited to attend and invest their own time in helping to plan for their success. Book a hotel room or rent a vacation home in the woods so you won't be disturbed. Have your own company "Super-Meeting." It will more than pay for itself.

3. Make it personal -- Part of our meeting on the second day included everyone sharing their heartfelt story of how they got to where they are now. Everyone was very honest in including all of their failures and successes and what we have all learned from both. It was gratifying to learn that nobody is perfect and that everyone has overcome some huge obstacles to get to the "expert" status they now enjoy.

LESSON LEARNED: Have everyone tell their personal stories and what they can do in their business role to reach their personal and professional goals. If all of your key people had their dreams come true, your business would benefit immensely from the success of everyone who is tied to it.

Finally, I want to thank Adams Hudson and everyone at www.HudsonInk.com for including us at ContractorSelling.com in this powerful group. Also thanks to all the others including these fine people who made our two days dynamite:

Drew Cameron of www.HVACSellutions.com who develops HVAC sales people

Tom Peric of www.thegalileo.com  author and Public Relations Specialist

Steve Coscia of www.coscia.com a contracting customer service expert

ContractorSelling.com is approaching its 3-year business anniversary.  And, like a kindergartener moving from finger painting to pencils, we are ready to become a dominant force for service contractors who want to increase their revenue and profit.

Looking back through the past I see the many mistakes as well as the successes of running our business. Of course, making mistakes is a natural part of any business as long as you learn from them. However, I think we have the biggest blunders out of the way now and are ready to move forward. 

Looking to the future is exciting for us because of our potential to help so many contractors achieve the wealth and success they have always dreamed of. We are poised to become the "new mainstream" for progressive service contractors looking for an easier and more effective path to success.   

Here are the "10 Commandments" or lessons that we have learned from the past years of coaching, teaching and creating success for service contractors:

1.             Always be available to speak live and in-person with our clients.

2.             Never take on "toxic clients" no matter how much we need the business.

3.             Always be different than the traditional mainstream contracting trade media.

4.             Always admit mistakes, and act fast to fix them.

5.             Always keep the website current, up to-date and relevant to current trends.

6.             Always post content that if used, our clients will certainly profit.

7.             Use live real-time coaching experiences to create original content.

8.             Always use the results our clients achieve as a barometer of our success.

9.             Always keep an open mind to new people and challenge old ideas.

10.         Always have fun in doing the work I love which is to help others succeed.

How many of you have a list of lessons learned like this? I would recommend that you start to construct one right now. After all, if you fail to learn from your experiences, you are learning to fail instead. Make your 10 Commandments and send them to me and I will post them for our members so we can all share from each others experiences. Email your list of 10 Commandments to joe@contractorselling.com   

Would you buy from your tech or sales person? Before you buy into excuses like customers who are holding back on purchasing because of the economy, find out if you would purchase from your sales person or tech if they were presenting their services to you.

Sales managers and owners of companies send their key people out to customers every day and have never experienced what their customers do. It seems obvious but one way to find out what a customer is seeing is to ask your tech to sell a repair to you. Would you buy from him? What does his confidence level and passion look like from the customer's point of view?

Does he call you by name or never address you? The difference between a high performer and someone who sucks is evident by their posture and confidence in what they are offering. Put yourself in your customers shoes and find out what is REALLY going on before you lose an employee who just may be able to be turned around.

Are you selling parts or service? Here is an experiment that I want you to do with your sales people or techs who are struggling. Have them take their most recent opportunity and tell them to make that presentation to you. When you hear the presentation, listen for the verbal packaging or lack of it.

One of the most dangerous things you can do is to show, talk about or even mention the parts when you sell solutions. Let me repeat. NEVER mention the parts or equipment when you present your solutions. What do you say then? Simple, just talk about what your solution DOES and not what it IS!

For instance, instead of saying you have a "bad transformer," say instead, "We have an electrical fault in the voltage conversion system." Emphasizing what the parts do, not what they are always creates value. Also, explaining the parts to customers in the stone-age might have been okay, but in this day of internet information you are just giving the buyer what they need to shop for the parts online.

Remember that even though they may find the parts online that the parts cannot install themselves. It takes a professional plumber, electrician or hvac tech to install them, test the operation, the design, the installation and to possibly find upgrades or recalls that a novice would not be aware of.

Remember that your people are selling services not parts and equipment. If you hear your people making the parts a major part of what they talk about, then they WILL struggle. Tell them that parts are a MINOR component of the solution you offer your customers. Your service is 90% of what should be talked about.

The final debate between Barack Obama and John McCain was a real head spinner. I watch most of the night listening to their references to "Joe the Plumber" as a "normal" plumber working for a company that he wants to purchase that EARNS over $250,000 per year. In fact they mention "Joe" 21 times in their discourse.

For the record, I am a plumber whose name is Joe too and I felt like this was a dream sequence on an episode of the twilight zone. Every time they mentioned "Joe" I woke up like they were talking to me. I sat there with a confused "AFLAC Duck" look on my face most of the debate wondering a few things.

1. Does this "Joe" know that he gets taxed on his NET profit and not his GROSS?
2. Could he really afford to purchase a company earning $250,000 NET yearly?
3. Would his biggest concern really be to avoid paying taxes on his earnings?

4. CLICK HERE To Share What you think "Joe's" Greatest Challenge Will Be

I have dealt with thousands of plumbers who call me every day, attended seminars, conferences with me and are members of our website and I have NEVER had one tell me they were concerned that they were afraid of paying taxes on their earnings windfall.

I believe these politicians need a reality check and should know what plumbers are really worried about. For one thing they have done plumbers across our country a disservice by implying that plumbers routinely and easily earn over $250,000 per year. Plumbing contractors who NET that much are few and far between.

Imagine your next customer armed with the myth that you earn a quarter of a million annually while he is struggling to pay his bills and feed his families. Here you are trying to sell him on unclogging his sewer for $700. It won't be pretty. The consumer already thinks that plumbers make too much, so this just confirms it in their mind.

Let's send a message to consumers, "Joe" and Washington. Take a moment to check off what YOU think "Joe's" greatest challenge will be after purchasing his new business in these uncertain economic times. What will "Joe" REALLY have to worry about? I think the results will speak for themselves.

CLICK HERE To Share What "Joe's" Greatest Challenge Will Be

I am saddened to bring you the news of ContractorSelling.com follower Brad Patton, a 43 year old plumber who worked for a coaching client of ours, Radiant Plumbing in Austin, Texas. Brad passed away Thursday, September 25, 2008 in Pflugerville, Texas from injuries he received in an automobile accident.

Julie and I considered Brad who was a weekly coaching client of ours, a dear friend who always had the highest respect for us and our program. In fact, just from the coaching and without ever attending a seminar, Brad would regularly create high revenue each week and was well on his way to becoming a superstar plumbing tech.

I met Brad in person over the summer as Julie and I dropped in to visit the Radiant Plumbing company in Austin, Texas. He was floored and shocked by our appearance. The respect and gratitude he showed us that day made the both of us feel very special. He treated us like we were royalty and he couldn't stop thanking us for our help in making his work a joy.

Brad was to attend our Total Immersion Summit this past month for the first time. He remarked how excited he was about finally attending but mostly about spending the week with us personally. Julie and I had both planned on taking him out for dinner and looked forward to chatting with him as well. He unfortunately never made it there because of these untimely circumstances.

I am writing this for two reasons. One is I would like you all to please pass on your condolences to Brad's wife Paula by going to his Legacy Guestbook and sharing a few kind words with her. As you can imagine, she is taking his loss hard and could really use the support. Click here to write a few words of encouragement or to say a prayer for him.

Secondly, I would like all of us to learn a lesson from this tragedy as well. How many of us take the next day we live for granted? Brad was a smart, honest, uplifting and caring young man. He was the kind of person that lit up the room when he walked in and made you feel better about yourself. I never heard him complain or whine. He was on the road to greatness until this detour. Stop waiting for good things to happen and go out and take control while you still can.

Seize the day now and live your dreams. If you think about each day possibly being your last one, someday you will unfortunately be correct.

Living in Los Angeles Julie and I run into some celebrities from time to time. Last Thursday we were sitting in a booth for lunch at the local diner and who was sitting next to us but Jason Alexander (George Constanza) who co-starred in the comedy show "Seinfeld." Above is a picture I took on my i-Phone when he got up from his booth. No Jerry, Kramer or Elaine were not there.

Over the past 6 months we have seen Stevie Wonder in the same diner, Chris Rock shopping at Nordstrom's and Saturday night Live's Norm MacDonald and Tracy Morgan as well. Such is life in La La land. What does this have to do with selling? Nothing other than life goes on.

Watching the latest in political news has been very interesting lately, particularly from a viewpoint of savvy sales professional. I want you to keep in mind that my intention to write this from a purely neutral non-partisan point of view and that I am not endorsing either the Democratic or Republican party.

In short, I am particularly floored by the ability of Republican Sarah Palin and her strategists to turn around the flow of what seemed at first to be many seemingly insurmountable objections. I am proclaiming her as the "Queen of Objection Handling."

The initial reaction of the public to her candidacy for Vice President was to say the least overwhelmingly negative. There were many objections from her inexperience to the revelation of her daughter's pregnancy to her support of the "bridge to nowhere."

At first, I must admit that I thought she was dead meat. But then I saw how she masterfully handled those objections and then actually started to cast doubt on her competitor's intentions to slam her. She redirected the media and effectively shifted the focus on everything but her own weaknesses. How did she do it? Here are the plays she ran from the "sales closers playbook" that she used to turnaround the objections she faced.

1. The Mirror Play -- When she faced questions about her inexperience from the competitor, instead of answering the objection, she put "the mirror" in front of the opposing candidate and instead asked. "How much experience does he have?" Using the mirror play she shifted the focus away from one of her weaknesses and on to something different, diffusing the importance of the subject matter. Imagine if your buyer would ask you why your price is so much higher than your competitor. Using this technique you would confidently admit this is true but then ask you buyer, "What corners are they cutting to make their prices so low?" Using the mirror on your competition is a great way re-start the sales clock again and regaining control.
2. The Pre-emptive Strike -- Before the press revealed that she had a daughter that was pregnant out of wedlock, she revealed it first. This is an old sales objection handling strategy that most heavy hitters all know works very well. There is a truism that states, "He who says the objection first, wins the objection." In sales this can work for you early in the process as well. Imagine if your price is higher than your competitor and you know this going in. Using this strategy you could say something like, "Bill, if the investment in my services were higher but my services and quality were better, would that eliminate me before we even got started? Of course your buyer would want to hear more.
3. Shift The Focus -- The Democrats have hit Palin hard on several issues like her contradictory views on governmental entitlements, birth control and many other issues. Instead of answering specifically on these issues, she has reframed her answers to include key words like, family, hockey mom, and the glass ceiling. She has "shifted the focus" from her views of these issues and redirected the public's attention on her character. Essentially, she is making the election about WHO you would rather have in office as opposed to WHAT we can do to solve our problems. In selling you can do the same thing. If the customer asks about a specific feature of your product, it is a great move to ask the customer about the importance about your service and their trust in you instead.

Will Sarah Palin "close the deal?" I'm really not sure if she will or not. However, I do know that she extended her sales pitch for quite a bit longer. Instead of getting thrown out in the very beginning, she has kept the process going forward. And THAT is the final lesson you can learn from her approach. You are not finished until you are told to leave.

Remember, like Sarah Palin, you are still alive if you don't bail out. Let's watch this fall to see if you the public are buying what she is selling. Also, let's look for techniques that she uses to turnaround objections to her. One thing for sure is that this will be fun to watch. AND if she does pull it off, it might be the best sales job we have ever seen.

After just completing two straight weeks of Total Immersion training at Jones Services in Goshen New York, Julie and I are back here in Los Angeles and ready to get back to providing you with more content at ContractorSelling.com. I have a few observations from this road trip I'd like to share with you before I get too far into this week.

1. I am amazed at the power of the average person -- Among the over 40 attendees in New York was an installer who is becoming a service tech named Doug. I really didn't know any of the attendees before meeting them and Doug really impressed me on the first night with his ability to pick up the material instinctively. In fact, I thought he was a high powered sales person and was amazed to find out later that he was an installer and had never sold before. It made me wonder how many years would have gone by until he found that he had a natural instinct for selling.
2. It even works in Idaho -- If I had a nickel for every time I heard that "this won't work" in my area, I'd have a room full of nickels to say the least. Two students Derrick and James from Idaho who attended the first week reported that they sold over $17,000 EACH their first week back. The truth is that the universal principles and science of persuasion work everywhere in the world, even Boise.
3. Bill Jones & Deb Quinn are unbelievably awesome hosts -- These past two weeks in New York were originally not scheduled. It was the shear will power of Bill and Deb from Jones Services that we even came out to Goshen, a small farm town where you could literally hear the cows mooing in the background of the seminar. Bill & Deb single handedly filled the house to over capacity because of their belief in our Total Immersion System. They got on the phone with their contractor friends and kept twisting arms because they believed it was the best thing to help contractors they knew to stop their suffering.

Julie and I want to thank Bill & Deb and all the people at Jones who made these two weeks our most successful summits yet. Julie and I certainly receive the "red carpet" treatment which included plenty of great meals and a food "tour de Goshen." Again Bill and Deb thanks. 

I have from many who are in the service contracting industry and I have found a real mixed bag as to the state of our economy. Some are having more success than ever and others are willing to blame the economy for their lack of success.

I asked my good friend Rick Picard who sells HVAC equipment in Rhode Island. Rick has sold a little over $3.25 million dollars for the year so far and uttered this statement when I asked him how the economy was affecting him...

"I refuse to participate in the recession." Said Rick

He went on to say that if he started to blame or give credit to anything other than himself for his results that he is in effect releasing control of his future to something he cannot control. "Responsibility for my results is an honor and a privilege that I would not want to give up," he continued, "Why would anyone give up the ability to make a change that would make them more successful?"

The lesson is clear. When you start to look outside of yourself for your poor results, that very thought is the first mistake you have made. Top sales people simply have the ability to respond differently when faced with resistance. Losers, duck tail and quit, get angry at customers or just get depressed instead of taking new actions to pull through.

ATTEND TOTAL IMMERSION IN ATLANTA OR LOS ANGELES CLICK HERE

A recent experience that one of my clients went through when purchasing hardwood floors for an apartment she owned, had a lot of great lessons learned for all of us. Apparently the company she hired was a master at LOSING value when they performed their work. She hired the company on the promise that they would do a complete job from end-to-end so the customer doesn't have to worry. The following is the litany of things that were done to lose value with the buyer after the sale.

1.  Delay The Start Of The Job -- She hired them to start on a Monday and of course they still had to finish another job they had started from the weekend. The buyer waiting patiently for the crew to arrive received no phone calls about the delay. They just didn't show up. After several calls to the company she received a call tell her that the work couldn't start until Wednesday.

2.  Put The Customer To Work -- When the crew got there, they were appalled at all the furniture my client had and told her that she had to move the furniture herself. They said for insurance reasons that they couldn't help her. So my client a petite woman spent most of her day sweating, swearing (under her breath) and pushing furniture around so they could start the work.

3.  Didn't Take Care Of The Details -- The crew dutifully installed the flooring and had to rip out some trim and then reinstall it. When my client asked if they would touch up the baseboard they told her that they don't do painting. When she asked if they knew anybody who did paint they told her they had no idea. (Great cross marketing opportunity eh?) She wound up doing it herself but she confided in me that she would have gladly paid someone an extra $1,000 to $1,200 to do it for her.

You see screwing up a good client is as easy as 1-2-3! My client said that if anybody ever asked for a company to do hardwood floors that she would NEVER recommend that company. On the contrary, she said that she would be sure to mention the company as someone you should NOT hire.

I find the above situation stupid, ironic and just plain funny. I would bet that the flooring contractor above is probably struggling to make a profit as are most contractors. If he had at least give placed a value on the above items and gave the options for them in their presentation they probably could have charged an extra $2,500 to $3,000.

If they had given an "On-time start the job guarantee" plus charged to move the furniture and also gave an option for finishing the painting of the trim they probably could have put an extra $2,000 of pure profit onto the job. Which I am sure is $2,000 more profit than they made to begin with. How much opportunity do you squander by saying we DON'T do a particular job? Remember that good opportunity is as easy to screw up as 1-2-3!