Sales is not a numbers game, it's a game of skill!

[Guest]

Maybe some people don't want to struggle, they want to hit the ground running, and that's why they hire trainers. That's why companies have managers, leaders and trainers, to instruct you to do what is required of you.

I suppose you have a point, but most trainers and managers really believe that at the end of the day they make a huge difference. Perhaps with some people they do, but I don't believe most do. They re-hash the same stuff over and over again. I think that in most cases they do more damage than good.

The "struggle" is important.

Perhaps this is the point, from the book and movie The Paper Chase that you are TRYING to make:

The first year of Harvard Law school is seen through the eyes of a student. The student develops hero-worship for the most difficult professor, Professor Kingsfield. He has to decide whether he has what it takes to succeed, and what his definition of success is.


Professor Kingsfield's opening comments to his class:

"In my classroom there is always another question, another question to follow your answer. Yes, you're on a treadmill. My little questions spin the tumblers of your mind. You're on an operating table. My little questions are the fingers probing your brain. We do brain surgery here. You teach yourselves the law. But, I train your mind. You come in here with a skull full of mush and you leave thinking like a lawyer."

Hart [student] to Kingsfield at the end of the year:

"You mean something to me and your class means something to me."

Prof. Kingsfield: "What is your name?"

The Jackass

 

[blaze1x]

Granted you need the proper skill to get the client. And many of us may need a refresher from time-to-time. But most sales people fail because they don't put forth the necessary effort.

When folks talk about smoke and mirrors, they are typically referring to motivational speakers whose effect wears off over time.

When I was a political organizer, I ran a crew of 30. We would run weekly trainings focusing on a different aspect of our sale. Each day I would ride with a different person. Some of them needed help with their rap - a little tweaking here and there. Others needed motivation to work instead of sneaking back to their room for a nap.

The best motivator we had was accountability. At the end of the day, each person would have to detail their whole day to a team leader. -- ok, where did you go first? Who did you see? Tell me the conversation. What's your plan of action? You need to do x, y and z. Then who did you see? .....

I was captive for a very short time and the thing described above is the thing I miss most about my brief time there. Motivation is one thing but when you're starting out selling a new product there's a whole lot of moving parts going on and I honestly believe that its a lot easier to fake a presentation until one truly understands what they're doing. So, until you master what you're doing, learning something by memory is really helpful while you're trying to become a closer/salesperson/wage earner.

 

[Guest]

I suppose you have a point

That may be the biggest compliment anyone can expect from you, LOL

Thanks and I see your points as well.

 

[The Rabbi]

I've been in sales for over 40 years, trained by the auto business and the real estate business. The insurance industry, from my experience, lacks sales training. The managers for the most part could care less if you succeed. They don't know about personal development.

We're all actors on a stage. How can you expect success unless you follow a proven script. Most sales people fail because they skip the ABCs, the core.

There are three basic sections to a sale.
1. Qualify (ready,willing and able and what they want).
2. Presentation - features and benefits, don't leave anything out.
3.Close.

It is also a numbers game. Not everyone who comes on the lot is really interested in buying.

Always remember, BUYERS ARE LIARS. Even the preachers.

By the way, I have yet to find a manager in any business who cared what happened to me, especially when my presence exposed their incompetence, and I have always been a producer.

There has been a lot of good info here. I am not disappointed by some of the postings. They are truly irrevelant from expected sources with big management backgrounds.

Success in sales requires ambition. It's not for everyone yet everyone gets hired.

 

[Guest]

I've been in sales for over 40 years, trained by the auto business and the real estate business. The insurance industry, from my experience, lacks sales training. The managers for the most part could care less if you succeed. They don't know about personal development.

We're all actors on a stage. How can you expect success unless you follow a proven script. Most sales people fail because they skip the ABCs, the core.

There are three basic sections to a sale.
1. Qualify (ready,willing and able and what they want).
2. Presentation - features and benefits, don't leave anything out.
3.Close.

It is also a numbers game. Not everyone who comes on the lot is really interested in buying.

Always remember, BUYERS ARE LIARS. Even the preachers.

By the way, I have yet to find a manager in any business who cared what happened to me, especially when my presence exposed their incompetence, and I have always been a producer.

There has been a lot of good info here. I am not disappointed by some of the postings. They are truly irrevelant from expected sources with big management backgrounds.

Success in sales requires ambition. It's not for everyone yet everyone gets hired.

Very wise Rabbi, very wise indeed.

 

[saieddie]

Maybe its just me, but the most successful people I've seen in insurance are always on the phone or meeting clients. The strugglers are mostly designation heavy and always at seminars.

 

[Guest]

Maybe its just me, but the most successful people I've seen in insurance are always on the phone or meeting clients. The strugglers are mostly designation heavy and always at seminars.

Partly correct.

First, that's why most of us here agreed that hard work and know how can create success.

As far as seminars go, statistics show that more often then not, sales increase after attending a sales or success seminar, at least in the short run for many and long term for those who continue to apply, attend more and continue their learning.

Learning and earning increase synchronously.

 

[saieddie]

There are more broke scholars than their are rich sales people.

 

[Guest]

There are more broke scholars than their are rich sales people.

Realistically they're are more rich salespeople than most people in general. 7% to 9% of the pie in the millionaires category goes to salespeople.

 

[Guest]

Great tag by the way:

Silence is golden - Duct Tape is Silver"