USE YOUR SHIELD…Travis Leach grew up in a very dysfunctional environment near Lodi, California. His parents were drug addicts. By the time he was 16 he had dropped out of school, was working at McDonald’s, and was angry most of the time. Predictably the job didn’t last very long… he blew up at an abusive customer and was fired. The same thing happened at his next job… a video store. Every time adversity showed up, Travis blew up. Then he got hired by Starbucks and everything changed.
At Starbucks, Travis received extensive training on dealing with customers. They told him what to say, how to say it, and showed him how to deal with those situations he had previously been unable to manage. That was six years ago. Today at age 25 he manages two Starbucks stores, oversees 40 employees, and is responsible for revenues in excess of $2 million per year. What happened? What turned it all around? The training Travis received changed his life… it all came down to one simple statement… “Your apron is your shield”. Travis learned that when he visualized his apron as his shield he was protected. After that, nothing that ever happened could get through to him.
So what is your “shield” in Sales? What “apron” do you wear that protects you?… what keeps you strong and helps you move forward in every situation in your business?
Here is your ACTION STEP…here’s an important truth…every Salesperson has an apron that they wear. The shield that protects you are your words…the Scripts and Dialogs that you use. Just like Travis, when you know what to say and how to say it, you are protected. Most people resist using a canned presentation because “it doesn’t sound like me… it sounds scripted”. I agree, that’s not the way to go. A great Script or Dialogue is one that “sounds just like you”. There is an approach that is surprisingly simple. Here’s how to make that happen
Step #1. Identify the words that best express the message you want to communicate. That’s your shield.
Step #2. Put on your apron. Internalize the message you want to communicate… DON’T WORRY ABOUT MEMORIZING IT. Just learn the basic message.
Step #3. Practice saying it in YOUR words several times. Don’t try and wing it.
Step #4. The next time this situation comes up, have a conversation using what you’ve learned.
The most important part of this Sales Tip is to remember that YOU DON’T HAVE TO MEMORIZE ANYTHING… just learn the message you want to communicate and then deliver it in a conversational fashion. The “apron” you wear… your “shield”…is simply“All The Right Words”, practicing how to say it, and then delivering it in your own natural style. Just like Travis… everything will start to work out the way you want. Start by putting on your “apron” today. NO Excuses.
Look at our store and see how “All the Right Words” will give you the right answers in your customer conversations. Everything covered! Prospecting, Sellers, Buyers, Objection Handling and Closing.