Business Growth

The Ultimate Sales Machine

sales-machine

By Chet Holmes.

Let’s summarize the book The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes. We will find there the 12 principles to improve a company strategy, sales and productivity.

The-Ulltimate-Sales-Machine
The-Ulltimate-Sales-Machine

You can find the full size MindMap here.

0- INTRODUCTION

  • Average to get a client: 100usd => 300usd in 15 yrs
  • Sales machine: not learning 4000 moves but 12 and doing 4000 times each
  • Implementation, not ideas, is the key to real success
  • Working Smarter not Harder
  • HAVE PIGHEAD DISCIPLINE & DETERMINATION
  • Market Data should be well chosen
  • Find the issues and tell prospects they have a lot of problems (losing money): motivate to action

1- MAXIMIZE PRODUCTIVITY

1. Be Proactive, not Reactive!

2. Brake the company down into “Impact areas” and help 1 hr meeting/week for each

  • Keep one pad for each to track progress and ideas

3. 6 steps to a great time Mngt

1- Touch it once

  • “Can I deal with this now ?” If not put in the todo list
  • Concentrate on what you are doing

2- Make lists

  • 6 most important tasks/day
  • Have a side list for the others (plan for a next day)

3- Estimate time for each of the 6 task

  • If one takes more than 6 hr: split it

4- Plan the (tmrw) day

  • Include reactive periods: 6h pro & 2h rea

5- Prioritize

  • Most important first
  • Salesperson: min 2.5h/d if mng clients 4h otherwise
  • Even reactive must do proactive tasks (less: think abt ideas etc.)
  • Examine how employees prioritize and plan their days
  • Group reactive tasks

6- “Will it hurt me to throw this away ?”

  • Throw what is no more necessary

4. Change email subject when the subject change & very descriptive

2- HIGH STANDARDS & REGULAR TRAINING

1. ONLY 10% has “the learning mindset”

  • Make it required & regular!

2. TAKE time to sharpen your skills, tools & resources: more predictive

  • ex Woodcutter
  • ex call back 3 times if rejection

3. 2 METHODS (ex banks)

  • Person to person: word of mouth
  • Structured training then go look at the person

4. STANDARDS

  • All employees perform each aspect of their job
  • Results are somewhat predictable because training and skills are consistent
  • Each supervisor would give a similar answer for each pb
  • Each employee would give the same answer for each pb
  • Client treatment is similar no matter department
  • All members know what is considered good perf

5. TRAINING

  • Sets standards
  • Makes money
  • Boost confidence and reduce stress
  • No training = guessing & training = confidence
  • Add block by block to reach greatness (follow up)
  • Repetition is the key
  • Improve moral: all the same spirit
  • Improve communication in the team
  • Must be practical

6. Standardize client interaction and follow-up procedures: more money

7. How to run training

  • What will be covered
  • How long it will take
  • How info will be covered
  • The objective of the session
  • Obtained skill or knowledge they will gain
  • Make it fun!
  • METHODS:
    1. Lecture Format
    2. Group questions: ccl you want them to make
    3. Demonstration
    4. Role-playing
    5. Hot seats!
    6. Group discussion
    7. Case studies
    8. Test before and after
    9. Spot quiz
    10. Workshop

3- IMPROVE THE COMPANY: WORKSHOPS TRAINING

1. On a weekly basis (and for any area)

2. The 3 Ps

  1. Planning
  2. Procedures
  3. Policies

3. Think like a big company even if you are little to become big

  • Act like you will hire 50 people/week
  • Document everything

4. Make employees debate about procedures they will then use

  • Everyone must participate

5. If you have a good staff you only need to bring your judgement

6. Unite employees: create a powerful vision at every level

7. Ask every person: 3 ex of how to improve some aspect of the company

  • Rank them
  • Each problem need to be discussed on a singular WS: Once solved make it a procedure => policy (document it)
  • Assign to-do’s for a specific person

8. HTD (ex: what else we can sell to the buyer at the point of sale ?)

  1. Appoint the person to lead the group
  2. Write the question on a whiteboard
  3. Each one writes them ideas on a pad
  4. Ask them ideas
  5. Ask people to Prioritize
  6. Rank them
  7. Implement:
    1. Get everyone to feel the pain
    2. Hold a WS to generate solutions
    3. Develop a conceptual solution or procedure
    4. Leader or top talent perform the procedure task
    5. Set a deadline to test the procedure
    6. Document step by step procedure process
    7. Have show and tell & role-playing
    8. Have another WS on how to improve
    9. Monitor the procedure
    10. Measure & Reward the Outcome: recognition more than money

8. Everyone will know how to react in each situation

4- BECOME A STRATEGIST

1. Tactic: method or technique used to achieve an immediate short-term gain

  • Ads, direct mail

2. Strategy: carefully defined and detailed plan to achieve a long-term goal

  • Overall impact, ultimate position to achieve

3. A brilliant strategist (1%): design and combine tactics with the long-term strategy in mind

  • “How many strategic obj can we accomplish with each tactic?

4. Strategies: ex magazine ads: chg name of salesperson & build rapport with leads

  • Education based marketing: setting the market’s buying criteria – ex furniture store: sell the store more than the product

5.