Your Briefing:

It’s a jungle out there.

No. It’s even wilder.

Business in America has changed and continues to evolve so rapidly that even the most sophisticated entrepreneurs have trouble keeping up. Computers, modems and fax machines have accelerated transactions to the speed of light. Fiber optics and satellites have made the global village economy a reality, and everyone from the Japanese to the Brazilians have invaded and seized the markets in computers, automobiles, and consumer electronics, industries where America once ruled supreme.

The standard sales techniques of the ’70s and ’80s are no longer effective. Increased competition and cutthroat pricing demand a higher level of skill. They demand unconventional weapons and tactics. The new soldiers of fortune must do the unexpected if they are to stand out in the carbon copy, everyone’s-a-lookalike world.

Fortunately, staying ahead of the pack is easier if you’re a guerrilla. New brain research has provided the selling equivalent of night-vision scopes and laser-guided missiles. You may have to rethink your approach and reinterpret the rules, though never in an unethical or dishonest way, by doing the absolute last thing your prospect (or your competitors) would
expect.

Guerrilla selling means breaking with convention, using time, energy and imagination, instead of brute persuasive force. It means getting to know your customers so well that they refuse to do business with anyone else. It means the customer, not the salesperson, makes the major decisions about what gets sold, and how they want to buy it.

A small company in Tennessee manufactures screen-printed advertising specialties: hats, coffee mugs, the kind of stuff the Koreans make for one-third the cost. How do they even hope to compete? They obstinately refuse to honor a sacred industry tradition. With the distributor’s permission, they contact the end user directly to expedite artwork, color
selection, custom modifications, drop shipments and special arrangements. They
let the distributor worry about net pricing, terms and the rest.

And what do the distributors think about having a manufacturer work directly with their customers? They love it. Nobody else in the industry gives them that kind of fast, dependable service. Nobody in their right mind would dare usurp that hands-off-my-client industry tradition. That’s guerrilla selling.

Guerrilla selling takes advantage of recent breakthroughs in the field of psychology. It treats each potential customer as unique and special, then matches its tactics to the individual personality. While findings have revealed that there are, generally, seven identifiable personality types, a salesperson encounters three of these types most frequently.
Because these types can be identified in less than a minute, the sales
presentation can now be tailored to individual prospects, targeting their needs
and motivations with surgical precision. Some customers are more self-centered
or egotistical; others are more dependent and find satisfaction in pleasing
others. A third group prides itself on being the authority in each selling
interview. The guerrilla can appeal to each of these prospects’ dominant
motives, adapting to follow the most direct route to the buying decision.

Guerrillas move through their territory with complete confidence because they know their way around. They have "friends in low places" who feed them vital information, and they use the tactical advantage of surprise. Armed with the latest communications technology, they
stalk their competition form outside the corporate corridors. They will call on anyone. They are in control at all times, using subconscious messages to
build deep rapport, trust and respect in the minds of their clients.

Such tactics must be employed in the modern battle for the
business high ground. To survive in the new selling environment, whether you
sell products or services, you must exercise the ingenuity and boldness of a
veteran mercenary. You must become a guerrilla.

Chapter 1:
A Revolutionary Selling System

A Guerrilla Goes On Patrol

Today, Bob Miller’s business relies on the two most powerful
weapons in guerrilla selling: information and surprise. He never makes a call
without a referral, he never uses visual aids, he lets the prospect control the
interview, and when the prospect asks him to write up the order, he objects! He
is a fanatic about quality, and a maniac about service. He’s a member of an
elite corps of salespeople. Bob is a guerrilla.

He had always dreamed of being a successful businessman, but
fresh out of college he had no real experience, no capital, and no business
training. Graduating with a degree in engineering, he had a particular
interest in assembly methods, but one after another of the big companies turned
him down for a job. That made him angry. So he decided to take them on and
beat them at their own game. He decided to be his own salesman. Without
knowing it, he decided to become a guerrilla.

Unsure where to begin, he drives out to the industrial park
to research the market. He talks to receptionists. He talks to the guys who
unload the trucks. He talks to shift workers eating their lunch on the lawn. He
talks to everyone. He asks lots of questions: “What kind of business is this?
What do they manufacture? How many do they make? Who does their assembly? Why
do they do it that way? Where do they buy from? Who do they sell to? How’s
business? What problems have they experienced? Who should I talk to about
that?”

The next morning, he shows up at the loading dock at Corzex
Electronics with a box of doughnuts. “I was wondering if you could help me
out?” he asks. “Do you know anyone who has recently landed a substantial
production contract? Someone who might need contract assembly?” The shipping
clerk is particularly helpful. Miller fills a page of a wire-bound notebook
with names and phone numbers, facts and figures.

After a few days of cruising around and gathering information, he’s ready to make his first real sales call.

The First Phone Contact

Ring, ring. “Hello. Infrared Technologies.”

“Hello, is this Linda?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Hi, Linda. I was talking to Connie over at Corzex across
the street, and she suggested I give you a call. I was wondering if you could
help me out?”

“That depends, what are you selling?” Her tone makes
it sound like he’s doing something illegal.

“I was hoping I could get some advice. Your firm was
recommended to me by several people.”

Now, using the information he picked up from the shipping
clerk, “Could tell me who’s in charge of the assembly of the IT-350?”

“Well, that would be Mr. Carlson.”

“Is that Tom Carlson?” he asks.

“No. His name is David. He’s the Production Manager and
one of the partners,” she explains.

Miller makes some notes and continues, “The reason I ask is
that I have some questions about assembly methods I’d like to address to Mr.
Carlson. Can you confirm your address for me?”

“Sure.”

“I have: 1234 Industrial Parkway, Anywhere, USA, 23456. Is
that correct?”

“Yes it is.”

“Better yet, I’ll be in the area day-after-tomorrow. Would
you please leave a message for him and let him know I’ll stop by?”

“And what was your name?”

“Miller. Bob Miller.”

“I’ll tell him you called.”

“Thank you, Linda. I really appreciate your help.”

Now he takes a “Thank You” note card, and mails it to
Infrared Technologies, 1234 Industrial Parkway, Anywhere, USA, 23456, attention
Linda, thanking her for her help on the phone. He knows she’ll get the card
even without her last name because everyone knows who Linda is.

The First Office Call

Two days later, dressed casually, without an appointment, he
drops in to see the production manager. He greets the receptionist in the
foyer. “Hi. You must be Linda?” he says, extending his hand.

“Why yes I am.”

“I’m Bob Miller. Did you get my card?”

“Yes, I did! Thank you!”

“I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your help.
I came by hoping I could speak to David. Is he in?”

“Sure, I’ll tell him you’re here.”

A few minutes later, “Hello Mr. Carlson. My name is Bob
Miller. Thanks for taking some time to see me. I have a few questions I’d
like to ask about your assembly methods. Do you have a few minutes?”

“Sure, fire away. Would you like some coffee first?”

Carlson’s demeanor, body language and conversational tone
quickly tells Miller what he needs to do to get results with this pleasant but
possibly indecisive personality. “Sure. I’d love a cup. Black, thank you. Can
I sit here?”

“Sure. Make yourself at home.”

“For starters, what’s your biggest frustration with your
assembly line?”

“Why do you ask?” Carlson says, handing Miller the coffee.

“Well, I think I might have a terrific idea for you.”

“Ok, I’ll tell you one frustration I have; our demand is
seasonal. We don’t really have an assembly line. It’s too expensive to keep a
crew on the payroll full time.”

“What you’re saying sounds important. Do you mind if I take
some notes? Could I borrow a few sheets of paper, and uh, something to write
with?” Carlson hands him a legal pad, and his gold Cross pen.

More Information Gathering

Filtering the information that he has received from his
confidants, he asks his first real question. “You must mean demand for the new
IT-350 portable infrared camera,” he asks. Can you tell me about the problems
you’ve been having with that?”

“You’re familiar with the 350?”

“Not really, but I’d like to see one. Do you have one you
could show me?” With that, the production manager demonstrates the camera,
explaining its technical innovations and targeted markets. It’s primarily used
by construction crews to isolate leaks in the roofs of commercial buildings.

Then Carlson shows Bob through the assembly area, explaining
how the cameras are built step-by-step. The assembly room is meticulously
clean, and everything is neatly organized and clearly labeled. Bob takes
special notice of a set of schematics hanging on the wall, keeps asking
questions, and listens carefully to the answers.

“Do your wave solder joints hold up under the rough handling
this unit would typically get on a construction site? Wouldn’t they hold up
better if they were done by hand?”

“Yes they probably would, and I wish we could afford to do
it that way. What we really need is someone who could do that kind of custom
work on demand.”

Resisting the temptation to solve Carlson’s problem, Miller
asks another question.

“What kind of warranty is standard in your industry?”

“Usually three years.”

“With that kind of warranty, you must do a lot of warranty
repairs. How much does it cost to rebuild one of your cameras after it’s
failed?” Miller asks.

“That’s easy. All the electronic components are mounted on
a single printed circut board, so we just swap out the whole board. The real
expense isn’t in fixing the cameras; it’s the damage it does to our reputation.
In fact, we’ve got a bunch of circut boards sitting on the repair bench that we
haven’t had time to rebuild.”

“In round numbers, how much does it cost for each rebuild?”

“Well, they’re easy to repair. We could budget $50 each and
still be money ahead.”

“If you could buy the boards as a complete sub-assembly,
approximately how many a month would you need?”

“We’re shipping about 200 finished cameras a month, and
we’re still back-ordered. Our big risk is that we could develop a reputation
for poor service.”

Later, after several more questions . . .

“So if I understand you correctly, David, you really need a
sub-contractor who will do a fair amount of the development work, who really
cares about quality, and who will share the risk up front. Isn’t that what
you’re saying?” Bob asks. “Who else, besides yourself, would be involved in
making a commitment like that?”

Because of the many questions he’d asked, Carlson can see
that Bob has a thorough understanding of electrical engineering. “Tell me,
Bob,” he asks, “How long has your firm been doing contract assembly?”

The Presentation

Bob responds with one of three well rehearsed presentations
about his new business. This one is designed for Carlson’s unique personality
type.

“The truth is that Miller Research is a very new firm, and
I’d really appreciate any suggestions you could offer. By doing the critical
solder joints by hand, and testing everything three times, I’m absolutely
confident that we can reduce your failure rate. And, by distributing the
payroll costs over several clients, you are relieved of the risk of having a
large assembly crew sitting idle during the seasonal sales slump. And your
customers will stop cursing camera failures in the middle of their important contracts.”

“Sounds good to me.” Carlson interrupts.

The Guerrilla Objects

“Well, something is still bothering me,” Miller continues. “You
said you needed someone totally reliable, and I’m a newcomer. I’ll need some
of your time and a lot of your input to get set up for this. Because you’d be
one of our first customers, you’d have complete control over the schedules and
standards. Is that going to be okay?”

Carlson decides to act on faith. Something about this young
man impresses him. Perhaps it’s his genuine interest and honest concern. He
decides to trust his instincts.

“How soon could you get started on an order of, say 100
units?” he asks.

“How soon do you need them?” is Miller’s reply.

“By the end of the month.”

“There’s another problem. I’ll have to raise enough money
to buy an inventory of parts, and I’ll have to set up a dedicated assembly
area. That will take a few days. You wouldn’t want to do business with a
sub-contractor that was a complete start-up. Let me ask, on a scale of one to
ten, how confident do you feel doing business with us?”

“Well, Bob, I’d say about seven or so!” Carlson says with a
smile.

“What would you need in order to get it to a ten?” Miller
asks.

“I’d need to see what kind of work you do on the first 100
boards. We can get you started with the parts we have on hand, and can pay for
25% of the order in advance. Let’s see what you can do for us.”

And a Reward

“You’ve made a good decision, Dave, thank you.” Bob says,
standing to leave.

With that commitment in hand, he rents a small warehouse
space a few doors down from Infrared Technologies and launches his firm. The
next morning, in a Federal Express envelope, Mr. Carlson finds a brief letter
of intent, and a “Thank You” card. Inside are two tickets to that week’s
basketball game. Over the next few weeks, Bob Miller is in constant contact
with his new customer, and Dave Carlson spends a lot of time at Miller Research
as well.

The New Guerrilla

Without a brochure, without a business card, without even a
briefcase, our young guerrilla walked out with a substantial order and a client
that was ultimately worth several hundred thousand dollars to Miller’s firm. Today
Bob Miller’s company builds everything from robots to lasers. He still makes
his sales calls in jeans, and he never carries a briefcase. Or even a pen. His
guerrilla approach has made him a contender in a crowded field where cut-throat
pricing and off-shore competition are the norm. His customers wouldn’t consider
sending their work anywhere else.

Was he just lucky? Not at all. His prospecting, his
analysis and even his presentation were all carefully planned, and he’s been
“lucky” with those same tactics again and again.

Miller’s story isn’t unique. It’s been repeated again and
again in firms large and small, from Apple Computer to Xerox, by the young
renegade who sneaks in and, against all odds, gets the business. Guerrilla
selling comes naturally to the neophyte. That’s why a new recruit often outperforms
the veteran during his or her first few months in the field. Unfortunately,
naive enthusiasm is soon replaced by the corporate party line as the recruit
gets all the facts, memorizes the standard pitch, stops listening and starts
closing. Productivity plummets.

NaB & CaPTuRe

Now let’s take a closer look at exactly how Bob used
information and surprise to capture his first contract. Information means
learning as much as possible about the prospect’s needs, budget and ability to
make a commitment. Surprise means doing the unusual, the unexpected,
personalizing the presentation, giving the prospect control, and objecting to
the prospect’s buying signals.

The consonants in the two words “NaB” and “CaPTuRe” guide
you in the stages of a guerrilla sale.

Information

1. Need

2. Budget

3. Commitment

Surprise

4. Presentation

5. Transaction

6. Reward

Bob began by using one of several techniques of guerrilla
prospecting, called “Friends in Low Places.” By taking time to get to know
people involved in the industry, he could gather useful intelligence.

Bob turned a gate-keeper receptionist from an adversary into
an ally by enlisting her help, asking her to provide additional information. Consequently,
Bob was able to open the conversation with Mr. Carlson by asking informed
questions in a helpful way. By asking about the problems with the IT-350, he
gained immediate credibility and allowed Carlson to show off his new product.

The guerrilla sale began with the Need Stage, asking
questions to find out what the prospect needs or wants to buy before beginning
any presentation. This allowed Bob to qualify his prospect at the very start,
and to weed out non buyers quickly. This Need Stage required him to ask
open-ended questions to uncover key issues, and to carefully observe his
prospect’s behavior.

During this stage, Bob’s prospect painted a clear picture of
his wants and needs. The clearer the picture, the more our guerrilla is able
to satisfy those needs.

Like most prospects, David Carlson required a lot of
assistance to see his priorities clearly. Bob assisted this process by asking
questions and by not giving any answers. In this stage, he tried to say as
little as possible and encouraged his prospect to talk. He saved his good news
for the Presentation Stage where it will wrap up the sale. When he had a clear
idea of the product or service he can sell to fill that need, he moved on to
the Budget Stage.

In the Budget Stage, he found out if his prospect can pay
for the service. This stage also required a lot of questions. Some prospects
are reluctant to tell a salesperson specific dollar amounts, but Bob overcame
this reluctance by asking “approximately” and “in round numbers.”

Bob’s next step was to establish a budget based on the
potential cost of ongoing quality and service problems, rather than the actual
cost of building the camera’s circuit boards. This justifies the higher price
of using an outside contractor by protecting the companies most critical asset:
it’s reputation. This cost-benefit justification can be use later in the
Presentation Stage if necessary. By using the potential cost approach, rather
than selling on price, Bob changes the arena of competition and virtually
eliminates cheaper vendors from the running. If there’s an adequate budget, he
moves on to the Commitment Stage.

The Commitment Stage is where he discovers who has the
necessary authority, and when the prospect will be able to make a buying
commitment. Bob knew it was time to move on when the prospect asked, “How soon
could you get started on an order of, say 100 units?” in effect offering a
commitment.

Our guerrilla also confirms the key criteria for the sale,
“So if I understand you correctly, you need . . . ,” in effect closing the sale
before the presentation. He has to listen very closely and take careful notes
at this phase. The answer to each question provides additional information
needed to complete the picture. If he can deliver on these key criteria, he
can make the sale, and he can safely ignore everything else.

At the conclusion of the first three stages Bob knew that:

1. This
prospect had a need that he could satisfy;

2. This
prospect had a sufficient budget allocated for this expense, and,

3. This
prospect could commit to buy today.

Now he was ready to begin the Presentation Stage. This
presentation clearly shows how well Bob’s contract assembly service will fill
this prospect’s priorities and criteria, by relieving him of the financial
burden of a trained assembly crew, and improving the durability of the cameras.

At the Presentation Stage, Bob offered only those facts
which were relevant to the concerns that the production manager had expressed:
quality and availability of help (without having a full-time crew of his own).
In addition, he invited Carlson to participate in customizing the service
set-up so that he could get exactly what he wanted. Bob tailored his approach
and style to his prospect’s personality, and the prospect became convinced to
buy, based on his instincts. Bob knew that fairness, a caring attitude, and
sharing information and ideas were primary motivators for this prospect, and
that’s what Dave Carlson was seeing when he decided he could trust this young man.
Because Carlson had a primarily Pleaser type personality, Bob knew that he was
anxious to avoid the wrath of disappointed customers.

The guerrilla then began the Transaction Stage. During this
critical maneuver, Bob retraced his steps back to a minor problem raised
earlier, reminding his prospect that he was a newcomer, lacked a parts
inventory, and needed to fund his start-up. This gave his prospect the
opportunity to resell himself and ensured against buyer’s remorse. In effect,
when asked about writing up the order, this guerrilla objected! The prospect
actually overcame these potential objections for him.

Since the prospect had already decided that he wanted to do
business, he participated in collaborative problem solving and offered our guerrilla
more advantageous terms than he would have sought for himself. Because the
order for the first 100 circuit boards was the prospect’s idea, he will not
regret the decision later.

Then Bob moved to the Reward Stage, where he expressed his
genuine appreciation for the business, and did something extra, something out
of the ordinary that exceeded his customer’s expectations, sending the “Thank
You” note and tickets to the basketball game.

Continued Recon

All guerrillas depend on good reconnaissance, and from that
day forward, Bob tracked his customer very carefully. A sale is never complete
until the product or service is delivered in such a manner that the customer
will order again and again. He made sure the first order of 100 boards was delivered
exactly on time and met all the customer’s specifications. By tracking his
statistics on failure rates, he can monitor his quality and be certain that the
original problem raised by the production manager has been solved once and for
all.

Now he’s first in line the next time there’s a production
snag at Infrared Technologies, in effect, closing the sale before he opens it.
Soon they’ll have additional needs requiring an updated product or more
extensive services. Responding to customer priorities is critical to Bob’s
long-term success, and Infrared Technologies depends on him to deliver
consistently. Guerrillas build long-term customer confidence, and return to
sell them over and over again.

A Nine Word Credo for Guerrillas

These characteristics are shared by guerrillas all over the
world. They’re easy to remember because each word ends in “ent.” Memorize
them. Live by them.

1. Commitment

The guerrilla is deadly serious about serving customers,
making money, and building a future for themselves and their company. They do
not see selling as a step along the way, but as one of the most demanding and
highly-paid professions. When they lose business to a competitor, they hunt
down the cause and correct it. They will risk everything except quality, and
they treat every account as if their business depends on it, because it does.

If you’re not 100% committed to your customers, your product
and your organization, you’ll never survive as a guerrilla. Get out and make
room for someone who is. If it’s your own business, and you’d rather work on
R&D or operations, hire someone who thinks about your customers constantly,
and make them your designated guerrilla.

2. Investment

Guerrillas invest time, energy and money in deployment. They
know that they can’t win the battle if their ammunition is obsolete. Buy the
most current mailing lists, the most expensive directories, and the very best
office and communications equipment you can get. Don’t skimp on your
letterheads and stationery. Go first class. If your company doesn’t provide
business cards, print them yourself, by the thousands.

Yes, it sounds expensive. Planning and researching your
market, your competitors and your prospects takes valuable time. And it often
seems like a waste, calling on the same people again and again, being turned
down over and over. But the time and money you invest in those relationships
is a smart investment in the long run, if you manage it carefully. Be on the
lookout for opportunities to leverage your selling capital for a greater
return. For example, can the prospect give you an introduction to another
company, a referral, or a testimonial letter, as well as an order?

Rewarding customers for doing business with you is a
particularly conservative investment. Don’t expect overnight miracles. You
might not hear from them again for years. But just like your blue-chip stocks,
years from now they’ll be worth a fortune.

The average business in America invests only 3% of gross
sales in marketing. The guerrilla averages 10%. Re-invest 10% of your
commissions in your customers and you’ll leave the competition in the dark.

And do something every day to invest in yourself. Constantly
improve your knowledge of the product, the market and the customer. Read the
trade journals that serve your industry religiously. Subscribe to them all. Two
that we can recommend are “Inc.” and “Success” magazines. Ask yourself, “What
could I improve?” Ask your customers. Listen to their answers. Act on them.
Organize focus groups of customers and ask, “How are we doing?” If you really
listen, your customers will tell you exactly what you need to do to succeed.

3. Consistent

Poor selling done consistently will be more effective than
great selling done sporadically. The guerrilla who is consistent will outsell
the better armed, better equipped, better organized corporate regulars, because
prospects will trust them.

In the mind of the prospect, consistency is interpreted as
credibility, longevity and success. This creates a feeling of trust. Guerrillas
earn the confidence of their prospects, and soon prospects become customers.

Most buying decisions are made unconsciously, and modern
psychology has shown us how to reach into the unconscious mind of prospects: repetition
is the key. At the risk of repeating ourselves, we’ll say that again: repetition.

Repetition is required on two fronts: selling the message
to prospects and selling the message to the sales staff. Guerrillas repeat
their offer to the same people over and over again. Even when prospects say
“no,” and particularly when they say “yes.” They repeat their presentations
and their specials and their seasonal offers. They repeat their message and
their benefits.

And they repeat their sales training routinely. Weekly. Daily.
Constantly. The most successful sales organization in the world train and
train and re-train. They train the truck drivers and the telephone
receptionists and the service techs. Everyone hears the company’s mission and
values echoed in meetings, in the hallway, in the cafeteria, on posters in the
rest rooms.

Repetition. It’s how the world knows who you are and what
you’re about. By maintaining the same identity over time, guerrillas attract
business the others have left behind in their hasty retreat.

Do not capriciously change your prices, your products, or
your guerrilla approach. Just about the time you’re bored stiff with your
products, your presentation and your proposal, the community you serve is just
getting to know you, and associating your name with those needs. By being
consistent, the guerrilla becomes the second most likely source for their
prospects, and when the competition screws up, they automatically inherit those
customers.

Lee Iacoca started as a salesman for Ford, and part of the
reason he’s made Chrysler so successful is that he still sees his job the same
way: he’s selling cars.

4. Confident

Guerrillas know that they’re selling quality. Unless your
offering is top quality, guerrilla selling will only accelerate your demise. Guerrillas
believe in their products and their people. They depend on the rest of the
organization to deliver on every promise, every time, and then some. If they
can’t feel that kind of complete trust, they’re working for the wrong outfit. They
never bad-mouth anyone, even the competition. When something goes wrong, they
take personal responsibility.

In an exit-poll survey, 10,000 shoppers in 50 states were
asked, “Why did you buy that item here?” Of their responses, “selection” was
ranked forth, after third ranked “service.” Only 14% said price was most
important; it ranked 9th overall. The second most frequent answer was
“quality.” At the top of the list, ranked as the most frequently cited reason
for buying from a particular store was “confidence.” They felt confident that
their needs would be met and the dealer would stand behind their purchase. Guerrillas
do everything they can to communicate their own absolute confidence in their
company, their offering, and themselves. That confidence is contagious, and
spreads to prospects and customers.

5. Patient

Customers may not need your offering today, but they will
sooner or later. Needs are cyclical. For example, if you’ve just eaten a big
meal, you don’t feel much like having a pizza. Your appetite has been sated,
for the time being. But in a few hours, you’ll begin to feel hungry again. Guerrillas
are always on the lookout for the next need cycle, and strive to be there when
the need arises again. They keep calling long after the competition has moved
out and moved on.

Less than 4% of sales are made on the first call, over 80%
are made after the eighth call. So the guerrilla sticks with it. Every
contact makes some kind of impression, so it takes a lot of contact time with
prospects before they will be primed to do business with you. It requires nine
impressions of your company, your product, or your idea to move the mind of a
prospect from total apathy to purchase readiness. To develop a major new
account may take years.

6. Assortment

Guerrillas offer a wide variety of goods and services, and
can adapt their offering, their terms, even their delivery schedule to meet the
customers needs. The more flexible they can be the better. The old days of
Henry Ford, when “you can have it any color you want, as long as it’s black”
are long gone. The more options you offer, the more people you can serve, and
the more you can sell. But guerrillas also stick to what they do well, and
sell what they do best.

7. Subsequent

Guerrillas succeed by fighting for successive sales, and
concentrate most of their efforts selling to existing accounts. They wage
their sales campaign simultaneously on three fronts: The Universe, Their
Prospects, and Their Customers. Guerrillas marshal their resources to
concentrate primarily on the third group.

The first arena, The Universe, includes everyone in their
service area. Everyone.

Guerrillas invest 10% of their selling time reaching out to
this massive audience, at random, getting out the message, establishing their
identity in the marketplace. They strike up conversations with people on
airplanes and commuter trains (more on this in the next chapter). They get themselves
interviewed on radio talk shows. They leave stacks of business cards on the
counter by the cash register in the restaurant where they eat lunch. People
who have an embryonic interest will pick them up, and move into the next
sphere.

This next group is smaller, a subset of the first, and
includes all of their Prospects.

Guerrillas know that someone is a prospect if they have a
potential need for their offering, now or in the future. They needn’t have
met. They’re not in the guerrilla’s file box, yet. Guerrillas devote 30% of
their selling time to moving people from the Universe into the domain of
Prospects, by letting them know that they exist and gathering as much
information as they can.

Harvey Mackay, author of the best-seller, Swim With the
Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, shares the secret of his successful envelope
business: his salespeople complete a questionnaire of 66 items of interest on
every prospect. And not just business questions. Mackay’s people find out
your kids’ names, your church affiliation, even your favorite sports teams, and
they use this information to build a close human bond.

The third domain is the smallest, at the core of the other
two, and includes all of your Customers.

This includes everyone who has purchased anything from your
company, ever. Guerrillas invest 60% of their selling time in reaching out to
those people who have already bought. Yes, it’s unconventional. That’s why it
works. Existing customers are the most likely source of referral business, and
the only source of repeat sales. The smallest group has the most time spent on
it.

Guerrillas are in this for the lifetime value of a customer.
For example, a shopper spends about $100 a week in the grocery store, and on
any Saturday the store is crawling with customers. So what if someone gets
upset and goes somewhere else? Who cares? For the guerrilla, that’s the
fifteen-hundred-dollar question, because $100 a week, 50 weeks a year, over the
10 years that a customer shops in that store, is a lot of groceries. Assume a
profit margin of only 3%, and that’s $1,500.00 in pure profit walking out the
door. If someone stole $1,500 from your cash register, you’d be fuming.

Let’s look at some really interesting numbers. If someone
has a good experience with your company, they’ll tell three people. If they
have a bad experience, they’ll tell twenty. Word of mouth is one of the most
potent weapons in the guerrilla arsenal. Guerrillas use it with great care to
build and protect a reputation for service, quality, and excellence.

8. Convenient

Guerrillas know that they have to be user friendly. They
have to be easy to reach, easy to talk to, and easy to do business with. They
answer their own phone. They return their calls. They give out their numbers
at home, at the office, in the car, and carry a pager. They have the phones
manned at night and on weekends, even if only by an answering service. They
are in touch.

A true guerrilla would never hand the customer an order form
to fill out. They take care of all of the paperwork themselves. They do
everything immediately.

9. Excitement

Guerrillas are enthusiastic. They have a good word for
everyone. They are militantly optimistic. They never complain about the
weather, the economy, or the people they work for. Their passion spreads like
a wildfire. People love to do business with people who love their business.

These are the characteristics that guide the guerrilla’s
field tactics. They protect him from detection and assault. Post these nine
“ents” on the dashboard of your car. Sell by them. Live by them.

* * *

Now you’ve seen how a guerrilla secures a sale without the
traditional “pitch.” You’ve seen an overview of how to NaB & CaPTuRe prospects
once you’ve gotten an appointment. In the following chapters, you’ll learn
about unconventional sources of prospective customers, how to zero in on their
needs, priorities and criteria, and you’ll see how to deploy your selling
arsenal for an almost certain victory.

Good hunting, future guerrilla. Remember that your
prospects, your clients, and your customers are all allies. Your foe is
ignorance of prospects’ real needs. To a guerrilla salesperson, the
competition doesn’t stand a chance.

Chapter 2:
Guerrilla Prospecting

The Cold Call

Traditionally, cold-call prospecting means talk to as many
people as possible, ignore the turn-downs, and close, close, close.

“Good Morning, Mr. Jones, this is Jim Smith with Acme
Distribution.”

“UH huh.”

“We sell. . . which are the finest . . .and they. . .
(minutes later) So, I’m calling you today to ask you. . .”

“Zzzzzz. . .”

The guerrilla turns this traditional approach around and
gets the prospect to ask the questions, listen to the answers, and then ask for
a sales appointment. How?

“Hello, Mr. Jones? Do you know why I’m calling you today?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Hmmm, I have a memo here from my boss asking me to give you
a call, and I was hoping that you could tell me what it was about?”

“What was the name of your company again?”

“Acme Distribution.”

“What do you sell?”

“I’m not surprised you asked. We sell...”

Instead of charging toward the prospect head-on with bayonet
fixed, the guerrilla takes a hide-in-the-trees-and-take-a-clear shot approach
to prospecting. Most salespeople fall into habitual patterns based on what’s
worked for them over the years, and sales managers often depend solely on the classic
selling texts. But the buying public has become more sophisticated and more
demanding. They’ve seen the same playbook, and they know exactly what’s coming
next. They resent being treated according to the same old formulas. Everyone
has the same thing to say, and any possible competitive advantage is lost.

But not the guerrilla. The memo from the boss says
something like, “John, call everybody on this page and tell them about our new
line.” The guerrilla encourages prospective customers to be on the
salesperson’s side from the first contact. Guerrillas create curiosity from
the first sentence, by being curious about their prospects. Then they convert
that curiosity into interest, and warm that interest into appointments. The
keys to guerrilla prospecting are reconnaissance and surprise.

A Million Dollar Guerrilla

Australian guerrilla Geof Cook sells commercial life and
casualty insurance, and writes over a million dollars in premiums every year by
ambushing Gold Coast real estate offices.

In sandals and beachwear, he strolls in and strikes up a
conversation with the receptionist. The front desk staff are told that all
walk-ins could be prospects, so his inquiries about the state of business, the
quality of housing in the area, and the principals names are all answered
directly. If possible, he asks to see the broker.

Here he shifts into a disarming conversation about market
prices and movements, gently probing and warming the brokers attitude. One of
the questions he asks is, “What is the one thing you find most annoying in
running your business?” The usual answer: “All the paperwork at closing.”

Then he offers the broker a service. He volunteers to
prepare all of the insurance paperwork for the broker whenever a building is
sold. In addition, he will issue an interim policy on the property that
protects the seller and the agent from liability in the event of damage to the
building prior to the new owner’s occupancy. And, he adds, his office will
issue this temporary coverage for nothing.

He only asks that the agent fax him a copy of the signed
purchase contract. This document provides all the information he needs: legal
description of the real estate, names and addresses of the parties, appraised
value of the building, and so on, that Geof needs in order prepare the
insurance details.

Then he sends a cover letter with a copy of the policy to
the buyer, along with a magazine-style article explaining the fine print of the
insurance, and a proposal explaining how they can continue the required
coverage on the building after the new owner moves in. All they have to do is
sign the last page, and it’s done. No hassles shopping for insurance.

As a courtesy he also sends copies to the lenders and legal
people, saving everyone time and money. This is more service than these people
have seen from an insurance agent in ten years.

This tactic puts him in touch with new prospects with an
immediate need, even before they leave their old neighborhood. More important,
he’s built a following of loyal brokers who fax him a basket-full of new
business every day. Combining information and surprise, he’s built a
million-dollar business.

Planning

Guerrillas never go out on maneuvers without planning
carefully because they know it’s one of the competition’s strategic weaknesses.
Have you ever had someone try to sell you something when they were completely
unprepared? How did it make you feel? Nothing dampens the enthusiasm to buy
like a clerk who fiddles with the knobs and switches, then scratches his head
in ignorance. Yet salespeople routinely walk into an important meeting
completely unprepared and unarmed, hoping that they’ll somehow wing it. They
shoot from the hip, then wonder why they miss the mark.

Planning can help you position your product in the market. Guerrillas
carefully aim their offering at a particular niche. Is it a Chevy or a
Mercedes? Is it K-Mart or Neiman Marcus? It may be defined by geography, or
by a particular industry. Guerrillas look at the competition, and try to
position themselves to capture the high ground.

Guerrilla prospecting consists of three parts: finding
prospects, approaching them, and securing an appointment. The prospect
typically becomes a client when the guerrilla completes the NBC stages of “NaB
& CaPTuRe”. The Need is verified, a Budget is established, and a buying
Commitment can be made.

Finding Prospects

The old cliché about “selling refrigerators to Eskimos” is
an insult to the guerrilla. For them, prospecting is based on the idea that it
is easier to find people who already want, need, or have to buy your product,
than it is to convince or persuade or pressure someone who doesn’t. They look
for obvious needs they can fill. Who is out there that already wants, needs
and has to have your product? A prospect is anyone who meets these three
qualifications:

1) they have a need,

2) they have a budget, and

3) they have the authority to make a commitment.

Unlimited Prospects

One day a young advertising sales rep was sitting at his
desk shuffling prospect cards when his manager walked in and asked sharply,
“What are you doing here? There are still two hours left in the day. You
should be out making calls!”

“I’ve run out of leads,” the new salesman responded.

“Hmmmm . . . I have a special list of companies that I
haven’t shared with anyone else on the crew. How would you like to work part
of this special list?”

“I’d love to!” said the salesman, jumping out of his chair.

The manager reached down, opened the lower left hand drawer
of his desk, and pulled out a thick book. Turning to the back, he ripped out a
handful of pages and handed them to the shocked young man.

“The Yellow Pages? I thought you said you had a special
list!”

“That’s right, and I don’t want to see you in this office
again until you’ve followed up on every one of them.”

“But . . .”

“Listen, the phone book is the last place most salespeople
look, and those who do start in the front. You’ve got every business there
from ‘Travel Agencies’ to ‘Zoos’, and if you can’t find someone in there who
needs advertising, I don’t need you.”

Flipping through the pages, the rep picked an ad for a
van-conversion shop just a few blocks away. The ad listed the name of the business,
the address, and the owners name, together with the types of vans they work on.
He decided to give it a try.

“Hi, I’m looking for Vic Andrews,” he said to the man who
greeted him as he entered the shop.

“You found him. What can I do for you?”

“I came by because of your ad in the Yellow Pages.”

“Really!” Vic said with a chuckle. “You’re the first person
who’s said that in years. I was beginning to think that ad was a waste of
money.”

“How much does an ad like that cost?” the rep asked, as if
he didn’t already know.

“I pay about a hundred dollars a month.”

“Gee, twelve-hundred dollars a year! I work in advertising,
and that seems like a lot of money to put into an ineffective media. What
other advertising do you do?”

Here was a prospect who had been in business for a decade
and had relied strictly on his Yellow Page ad and customer word-of-mouth. Here
was someone he could help. With the Need and Budget now established, he was
off and running. Within a month, the new salesman led the company in total
sales and nearly doubled the record for new business.

Reconnaissance First

Once you’ve found a prospect, get ready to do some homework.
Gather as much data in advance as possible. Any information may prove
valuable. We recommend recording your notes on blank 3x5 cards or special
sales prospect cards available from most office supply stores. Your firm may
have some other system such as a prospect record sheet. The most important
thing is to record it.

“Recon” is the one big secret to guerrilla prospecting. The
more information you have, the better your chances for making the right
approach. This also means regularly shopping your competition, reading their
brochures, flyers and catalogs, even memorizing their price list.

Warming Up the Cold Call

They’re called “cold” calls because of the shiver that runs
up your spine every time you have to make one. Most salespeople dread cold
calls for the same reason: fear of the unknown. Researching your prospects
will help you be more confident because information cures fear.

Do you remember Neil Armstrong climbing down the ladder of
the Apollo 11 lunar lander? Talk about cool! Eight hundred million people are
watching on television and he’s about to set foot on the moon. A fairly
unnerving situation, but not for Neil. He steps on the moon and calmly says,
“One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

There wasn’t anything special about Neil Armstrong, except
that he had spent fifteen years planning that one small step. He knew
everything that there was to know about that ship, every system and every
back-up. He’d been through hundreds of exercises and drills. He had far more
information than he ever really needed to complete the mission. That’s why he
was so cool. The more that you know about the situation going in, the less
reluctant you’ll be.

Building Enthusiasm

Information is also a great enthusiasm builder. Think about
a subject about which you know little or nothing. Like bee keeping or
exploring caves. When you take time to learn about these activities, they
become much more interesting. No doubt, there are hundreds of people who are
enthusiastic about these same activities. When you talk to them about their
interest, their enthusiasm is contagious. Caught up in their excitement, you
listen with interest to stories about how the queen bee signals her daughters
or stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone curtains.

To warm up to any product or service, you must first gather
information, and with it you will gain confidence and enthusiasm. Study until
you become an expert. Learn as much as you can about every aspect of your
product, your competitors’ product, and any other product that could be
substituted for your product. Learn about every possible application of your
product and every industry that uses it. This expertise will make you more
enthusiastic, more confident, and more anxious to tell others. It also makes
you more interesting to talk to, and more fun to do business with. It’s the
bunker that protects you from the depression that accompanies occasional
failure.

Warm up to your prospects in the same way, by getting to
know them ahead of time. By taking a sincere interest in them, they will be
much more likely to take an interest in you and your proposition. Use this dig
deeper technique, and you’ll never have to make another cold call in your life.

Five Steps to Finding Prospects:

1. Identify your “ideal” prospects, the people who are most likely to buy from
you.

Who are they? What do they look like? Where would you find
them? When do they need your product? Find out as much as you can about them,
their age, gender, income, education, hobbies, community involvement. This is
the first step in your intelligence gathering. Ask yourself what
responsibilities they have. What problems are they trying to solve? What’s
their potential motivation for entering into this transaction? Who do they
report to? Who reports to them? What are they using now? How much are they
paying for it? What do they like most about it? What do they like least about
it? Why would they want to improve? And how can you help? With this
information, the guerrilla can zero in on those people who have the real buying
power.

By profiling your ideal prospect, you’ll recognize them
better when you meet them in the community, on the commuter train, or sit next
to them on an airplane.

2. Get out in the field.

Scout around. Go to the best areas you’ve identified and
interview your ideal prospects in shopping malls, business parks, farms,
industrial centers, libraries, university campuses, airports, residential
neighborhoods, and anywhere else they are likely to be found. What do they do?
How do they do it? What problems do they experience? How could your product
or service help? This field work is the second part of your “recon.”

3. Use an unusual, creative or unexpected approach.

Get prospects on your side, in person or on the phone. Remember,
just like you, many people really enjoy helping others. Try the bumbling, Colombo
method. Ask them, “I was wondering if you could help me out?” Tell people
what you’re looking for and let them assist.

4. Ask a lot of questions.

We’re often so anxious to share the good news about our
business that we forget to build trust and confidence. The guerrilla
understates the case so the prospect will feel comfortable and invite them to
set a sales appointment.

5. Listen actively to the answers.

That means listening to both the content and the emotional
message, really hearing them. The objective is to build trust, to let
prospects know that we really care about them and their needs. Stop telling,
teaching, explaining and persuading. Stop selling. There’ll be time enough
for that later.

Door-to-Door Revisited

A computer retailer used guerrilla prospecting to
substantially increase his traffic. Watch as he follows each of the steps for
finding prospects, researching their needs, employing a creative approach, and
finally setting up an appointment.

He noticed that many of the people he talked to in the store
were parents who were curious about how computers were being used at school. He
recognized that they would be ideal prospects for low-cost word processing and
other educational computer applications at home.

Having identified this customer profile, step one, he
started asking every customer if they had children, and if so, where they went
to school and whether they had a computer at home.

He took a walk to the nearest high school, step two, and
talked with several teachers, asking for suggestions and advice on software and
gathering a number of endorsements. He then took a walk through the
neighborhood. At one house, he stopped to admire a beautiful rose garden. Almost
every neighborhood has a house like this one. Inside lives someone who is
usually very responsible, someone who has the time to take care of roses,
perhaps a retired couple or widow, who knows everyone on the block.

With pen and legal pad poised, he knocked. “Good morning. I
was wondering if you could help me with some information?” Step three. “I’m
doing some market research work with families regarding education in the home.
Could you suggest families in the area that I might interview?” Step four.

“Oh yes,” was the reply, “There are the Davidsons two doors
down. They have two very bright children, and then across the street are the Hamiltons.
Their boy just won an award in science.”

Writing hastily, the salesman asked, “And how old is the Hamilton
boy? Thirteen? Great. His parents must be very proud. What’s his name? What
kind of work do his parents do?” In ten minutes he had the scoop on every
house on the block, and two or three that looked especially promising. He
commented on the homeowner’s beautiful roses and thanked her profusely for her
help. Step five.

Referral Pipelines

Guerrillas develop several pipelines of people who have a
natural need for their product or service, or who can help the guerrilla find
these people in other ways. A guerrilla is always on the lookout for
referrals, and at each stage, attempting to discover more about them.

It helps if people refer you to their friends, associates
and family members. This puts you and your prospect on a common ground from
the beginning. But remember to look in the unconventional places.

“Good morning Mrs. Hamilton. I was just across the street
speaking with Mrs. Jeffries, and she suggested I speak with you. I’m trying to
arrange interviews with a few special families that have exhibited outstanding
academic achievements, and I understand that your son Tony recently won an
award of some sort?” Always finish with a question.

“Yes. He just won first prize in the science fair.”

“I’d like to hear more about that, because the company I
work for is involved in the use of computers in education, and I have a few
questions I’d like to ask you and your son. It will take about 10 minutes or
so. When would be a good time? How about seven, or would eight be better?”

“I guess seven, tomorrow’s a school day.”

“Thank you. Please tell Tony that I’ll be by at seven. My
name is . . “

Now the guerrilla has an appointment, but he doesn’t stop
here. Virtually every contact you meet can provide a referral, or useful
information of some sort if you ask the right questions.

“. . . And perhaps you can help me locate other families
like yourselves. I understand the Davidsons are doing quite well in school?”

“I don’t know about that,” she says, “Mark’s a classmate of
Tony’s and he’s more the athletic type.”

“Hmmm,” he says, writing all this down. “Anyone else?” And
so it goes. In two hours, he has three or four appointments with families who
he has reason to believe have a Need.

In this case, we’re looking for families who would use a
home computer and educational software. We almost always need to talk to both
parents to get a decision. If we find out the type of work they do, or take a
quick look around the house, or check out the car in the driveway, we can guess
a lot about their commitments and ability to buy.

The Whole Truth

A word of caution: the truth is one of the most devastating
tactics in the guerrilla’s arsenal. It will save you time. When someone asks
point-blank, “What are you selling?” don’t hedge. Tell them, “I’m selling
computers.”

“We already have three, so don’t waste your time.”

“Great!” Now you know two things: first, they’re not going
to buy, and second, they believe in the product you represent. Next step: “. .
.then perhaps you could refer me to another educationally minded family in the
area who is not quite so fortunate?”

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

In interviewing hundreds of salespeople, it was interesting
to find many of them did not bother to ask for referrals from their existing
customers, which, when you think about it, is not too guerrillalike. Guerrillas
constantly cultivate their customer list for referrals. The best time to ask
for referrals is immediately after you’ve delivered the product or service. There
is no better time. But you can ask for a referral at other times too.

Lou Pinder is one of the top distributors in the world for
the goal setting courses produced by Success Motivation Institute. After each
sale, he simply turns to a blank page in his legal pad, writes large-sized
numerals, one through six, down the left margin, and says, “Just like you, my
business depends on meeting people. Would you please give me the names of six
others who, like yourself, are interested in becoming more successful?” He
sits quietly with an expectant smile, pen poised. He gets six referrals from
almost every sale, and because his closing ratio runs about one in five, he
almost never makes a cold call.

How to Help Clients Give You Referrals

Many salespeople mistake a client’s hesitation to refer
others as a sign of unwillingness. The problem may simply be that they’re
thinking more about the new product than they are about possible referrals.

Who Do You Know. . .

A guerrilla selling life insurance in Los Angeles helps
clients suggest referrals by asking a simple question: “Who do you know who. .
. ?” is the question. The variations run something like:

“Who do you know who was recently promoted?”

“Who do you know who just had a baby?”

“Who do you know who just moved into town?”

“Who do you know who is getting married sometime soon?”

This line of questioning helps your clients recall people
who would be good prospects for you. You need to formulate the questions so
that they ask about people who typically buy your product or service. Even if
they don’t know someone who is getting married, your question may remind them
of someone who just had a wedding anniversary who might be in the market for
some additional family protection. The guerrilla lists any names volunteered
by the new customer.

Barbershop Prospecting

A barber in Detroit has a sign on the wall. “Ask me to
explain how you can make $25.” The barber tells his customers that if they refer
a friend to a particular car dealer, and the referral eventually buys a car,
the dealer will pay them $25. He then gives them ten of the dealers’ cards and
puts their name and phone number on the back. The barber gets a buck for every
card he gives out. This dealer outsold every other GM dealership in the United
States, several years running.

A Referral Tip

A computer salesperson jots a short “Thank you” note on the
back of one of her business cards, leaving it with her gratuity whenever she eats
out. She’s discovered that waiters and waitresses meet a lot of business
people, and she’s been introduced to several large accounts this way.

The Treasure Chest

After you’ve gathered some information, don’t let it get
scattered and lost. Keep some sort of organized information system for
tracking prospects. Simple is better. Staple that business card they gave you
to a 3x5 file card, and put it in a recipe box. Arrange the box with two sets
of divider tabs from an office supply store, one set for the months labeled JAN
through DEC, and another labeled one through thirty-one, for the days of the
month, then file the leads chronologically by planned call-back date, placing
today’s calls in the front, and roll them over daily. Each day begins with a
new handful of cards, the guerrilla’s calls for that day.

Now when the secretary says, “Mr. Buyer is out of town until
Tuesday,” you can respond with, “Would you please tell him to expect my call on
Wednesday,” re-file the card under the appropriate tab, and take your clear
shot when the timing is right.

Likewise, people who do not have a need today may develop
one in a month or a year. Use the roll-over technique to make sure you’re
talking to the right people at the right time. More on this in Chapter 11,
Guerrilla Tracking, but you should touch base with every past and current
customer at least quarterly, whether they buy or not. Maintain the human bond.
Talk about their favorite ball team, or how the kids are doing in school, or
how their new location is working out for them. Most important, keep the calls
on a personal basis, rather than just business. If you maintain the
person-to-person relationship, the business relationship will take care of
itself. Keeping in close contact with prospects and clients is a key to
business survival.

The Guerrilla M-16

Use modern guerrilla weapons if you have them. A computer
database, lead management system, or PDA can save hundreds of hours, but it can
also over-complicate your prospecting. If you automate your system, set it up
on a laptop that you can carry in the field. More on this in Chapter 12. Guerrillas
not only gather information, but they organize and manipulate it to their
advantage.

Old Customers, New Business

Pat is a guerrilla who brokers sailboats in San Diego. He
keeps a deck of 3x5 index cards in his pocket. He says to every customer, “I’m
just going to make some notes here so next time we talk, I can offer you this
boat at the same price or better, okay?” He writes down the model, the price,
serial numbers, and any other pertinent information. He also records the
prospect’s full name, address, and asks for the phone number.

He maintains a file box of everyone he talks to, and another
for every boat he’s offered, then, when an owner reduces the asking price, he
calls every prospect that has looked at that boat, or a similar model, and
invites them to the marina for a second look. Eight out of ten are at the
“still just looking” stage, but the second look, or the special price, may be
just enough to close the deal.

This broker knows the guerrilla marketing principle that one
of the best sources of new customers is old customers. For example, when he
has an especially beautiful boat to sell, he calls everyone he’s sold anything
to in the last seven years, knowing that sailors will often trade up if they’re
offered something unique or special.

When the yacht brokerage picked up a new line of smaller
sailboats, he rummaged through the shop files, pulling the file-copy invoice
for every customer, going back thirteen years. “You will not believe your
ears!” he said on the phone as he described the virtues of the new ten-foot
Sabot. Many of these customers upgraded their older dinghies to
better-quality, safer equipment. The result: he sold over 100 of them,
$150,000 in sales, in three months.

He also follows up on power boat buyers, reminding them when
they need to replace oil and filters. If they bring their boat into the shop,
he’ll even have it installed, free! This service approach makes him memorable
and results in considerable referral business.

It’s frustrating for the other salespeople in the marina who
stand around, waiting for their next up, only to have three or four customers
in a row come in and ask for the guerrilla by name. Of the scores of yacht
brokers in San Diego selling the same boats, this guerrilla outsells them all.
He single handedly produces as much dollar volume as any ten other salespeople
combined.

Unconventional Sources of Prospect Information

A trip to your local business library will be time well
spent. Investigate the trade journals that serve your target industry. Read
the ads. Look for feature articles about the movers and shakers. Then go to
directories like Dun and Bradstreet, or Contacts Influential. These volumes
will provide basic information, like the name and address of every business in
a particular area. They can tell you whether it’s a home office, a regional
office, or a branch office. You can find the name of the purchasing agent,
production manager, and other key people. You can even look up their credit
rating. That’s critical intelligence to have if you are going in to try to
close an eighty thousand dollar deal, and discover that you won’t get it
financed because they have a B-4 rating. Guerrillas save the expense of a
sales call by qualifying their prospects before they call.

With this basic information, you can call and ask them to
mail you a catalog, brochures or an annual report. Guerrillas recon similar
companies as well, particularly their prospects’ competitors, to develop a feel
for the entire field. Before entering a new market, they read several months
back issues of the industries’ trade journals to get a fix on current trends and
to pick up the industry vernacular. It’s amazing how dropping a few acronyms
can make you look an insider.

For example, check out the R.L. Polk City Directory at the reference desk. This book is divided into four sections. The white
section lists every household and every business alphabetically. An “H” in the
margin denotes a homeowner, and a star in the margin tells us that this entry
is new to this year’s directory. The yellow section lists businesses by category,
like a phone book. The green section lists every home or building at every
address by street name and number, and the blue section lists every phone
number in numeric order.

With this kind of information a guerrilla might already know
the name of the family who lives in that home with the rose garden, as well as
information about the companies with the most employees in the community.

Stalking a New Prospect

Let’s follow a guerrilla that has a note from his boss
saying “please call” with a only a phone number scrawled on it. Looking in the
blue pages, he finds that the number is listed to one “Consolidated
Amalgamated, Inc.” Turning to the white pages, under “C”, he finds the alpha
listing for “Consolidated Amalgamated,” along with the address, phone, and a
list of the company officers. John Q. Buyer is the President.

Turning now to the yellow section, we find the ad for
Consolidated Amalgamated, and discover that they’re a manufacturing firm,
selling foam mattresses for yard furniture. So far, so good.

Back to the alpha section, under B, we learn that Mr. Buyer
owns his home, is married, his wife’s name is Jane, and that he has three
children. Looking up the address in the green pages, we can find the names and
phone numbers of the Buyer family’s neighbors as well.

Now let’s say that our guerrilla is in the business of
selling siding for residential buildings. He can approach the Buyer family
confident that they have a genuine need and the economic resources to upgrade
their home.

Having sold the Buyers, he then sends a personal letter to
every other home owner within a ten block radius, including a snapshot of the
house, and inviting them to drive by and take a look at the installation,
perhaps touting the savings that the Buyer Family will experience, and
introducing himself. One sale leads to another, and another, and another, in
widening concentric rings throughout the neighborhood.

Dozens of companies produce cross-referenced directories. Investigate
them all until you find the ones that work best for your field. Also, consider
industry and association directories. If you’ve been effective penetrating a
particular industry, look for other companies of the same stripe. Many
associations make their membership directories available for the asking, or for
a nominal charge. The Gale Encyclopedia of Associations lists over 30,000
national and international groups, and is available at your local library.

Z to A - The Guerrilla Prospector’s Alphabet

When working any directory or manufacturer’s list,
guerrillas begin at the back of the book. Every salesman has good intentions
when beginning a cold-call program. They enthusiastically start with AAA
Awning or with Mr. Aaron, believing that eventually they’ll work their way down
to the Zzyx Zipper Company or to Mrs. Zimmerman. It just never happens. Cold
calling is not forever. Effective cold callers will soon be working referrals,
and the poor cold callers, if they haven’t found a way to get out of the
directories, will find their way out of selling. It is very likely that Mr.
Zimmerman hasn’t been called on by anyone in a long time!

Extra, extra! Read All About It!

Even the daily newspaper can provide a ready stream of prospects.
A New England securities guerrilla scans the daily want ads for people selling
big ticket items. He calls and asks, “I don’t mean to be too personal, but if
I might ask, what are you planning to do with the money?” He can often suggest
high-performance short-term investments where the advertisers can stash the
cash while looking for that larger boat, motor home or vacation cabin. These
short term investors often develop into long-term clients.

Other guerrillas look for feature articles that profile
organizations or businesses. The articles usually provide names, titles, and
background, but missing details can be quickly researched with a call to the
feature writer or editor. They can give you the up-to-date scoop on who’s
moving and shaking in your community.

Newlyweds

A company in Nebraska imports fine china from Hong Kong and
sells it to newly married couples. Because a majority of newlyweds stay in the
area where they were married for at least the first few years, guerrillas can
retrieve the “Marriage Licenses Issued” column in the newspaper from the
library, from six to nine months back. They then call 4-1-1 information for what is likely to be a new phone number. By offering a high-quality product
at very moderate prices, the firm is expanding into new markets all over the
country.

Centers of Influence

In most organizations there are several people who can help
you approach your prospect in an informed and innovative manner. Cultivating
these relationships will be worthwhile. A center of influence is someone
influential who has clout with other people. Their name adds credibility and
prestige to your offering. If they’re your customer, others would like to be
too.

Friends in Low Places

Never underestimate who can help you get the business. Guerrillas
know that the only person in the building who has a set of keys that will open
every door in the place is the janitor. They can tell you the who, what, and
where of a prospective company. But they keep owl’s hours. Anyone, anywhere
can help you find prospective customers, if you ask for help and reward them in
some way. Show up on the loading docks at 6:30 with coffee and fresh doughnuts
and talk to the delivery drivers. They’ll tell you what is being bought and
how much, from who, when, and the price they’re paying.

Gatekeepers

Salespeople often overlook the receptionist or switchboard
operator as a potential source of information. Worse yet, they often consider
them an obstacle to be overrun in their push to get to the decision-maker. Because
they control access to the powerful people, they can be formidable adversaries,
but they can also be mighty allies. The guerrilla always treats them with
great respect. They often know more about what’s going on than the CEO.

Influencers

Many sales involve more than one person: the marketing
manager, the chief engineer, a supervisor or a department head. While not
directly responsible for making the final decision, they may substantially
affect the outcome. Find out who they are when you are referred to anyone
inside a large organization. Make sure you have them on your side before
attempting the sale.

The best approach is to ask them for their expert advice. You’ll
uncover any problems they’ve had with other suppliers and isolate their key
criteria. Remember, what’s important to one influencer may seem trivial to
another.

Users

In large organizations, remember to talk to the people who
will be using the product before you make the sales call. You may be able to
circumvent them with the first sale, but if they’re dissatisfied later on for
any reason, your future sales will be foreclosed. The guerrilla talks to them
first, asking “What are you using now? What do you like most about it? What
do you like least about it?” The answers to these questions give the guerrilla
the performance specifications for their product or service, revealing the
criteria most important in the decision, from the users’ point of view.

An electric components distributor in Dallas approached a
group of assemblers who were eating lunch on the lawn. His questions unearthed
a simple complaint: “We get these switches in with five terminals on them, and
then we have to stop and cut three of the terminals off before we can use them.”

“Yeah, it’s really dumb,” a young women added. “They’re
paying someone to put those terminals on, then paying us to clip them off.” The
guerrilla brought the problem to the attention of the purchasing agent,
proposing a two-terminal switch that was cheaper, and got the order, and
captured the account. If you can win over the civilian population and keep
them on your side, the competition will get creamed.

The Spy

Guerrillas try to develop a relationship with someone on the
inside who can feed them information. This inside spy ideally should be
someone who has your best interests at heart. It’s best if it is someone who,
for reasons of their own, would like to see you succeed.

Friends in High Places

The actual decision maker may not be at the top of the
totem-poll. Bill in Chicago uses a two-call approach to sell long distance
telephone services. He first calls the regional headquarters listed in the
phone book, and asks for the name and phone number of the president or senior
vice-presidents of each division in his territory.

He then calls and asks for the office of the head person;
president, senior vice president, or regional vice president.

To the big boss he says, “I know I’m talking to the wrong
person, but I wonder if you can help me? Who would be the person in charge of
handling a telephone analysis?”

“That would be Mr. Traffic Manager.”

“Do you think he would be interested in new technology that
could reduce long-distance costs?”

“We’re always looking for ways to cut costs, but you’ll have
to talk with him about that.”

The second call is to the name supplied by the big boss. “Mr.
Traffic Manager? Mr. Big Boss gave me your name and suggested I talk to you
about cutting long-distance costs. I understand that you’re the one to work
with on a telecommunications analysis, and we have some technologies that Mr.
Boss thought might be of interest to you.” With an entree like that, the rest
is easy. “The analysis will take less than ten minutes, and I can arrange for
someone to come by on Thursday, or would Friday be better?”

You Oughta Be In Pictures

A guerrilla stockbroker cuts photos and articles out of the
business pages, then mails them to the subject with a brief note,
“Congratulations on your promotion! Let me know if I can be of service.”

FYI

And a guerrilla salesman in Texas clips articles that may be
of interest to prospect companies, and sends a copy to the executive as part of
a three-step prospecting system. “Enclosed is an article about opportunities
in (topic). I hope you find it useful.” He follows up a few days later with a
letter, “I hope you found the article about (topic) of interest. Enclosed is a
related item that you might find useful.” The third letter says, “I’ll be in
your area on Thursday, and would like to meet you. I’ll be calling to arrange
a mutually convenient appointment.” Eight out of ten executives he calls agree
to meet their pen pal face to face.

Anticipate Needs

Like the guerrilla milkman who expands his route by reading
the daily birth announcements. When the new mother comes home, she finds the
dairy’s delivery box sitting on the porch with a card congratulating the family
and offering a free gallon of milk each week for a month. Of course they can call
any time and cancel the service, or do nothing and accept this gift. As the
baby grows, so does his business, and several of his original gallon-a-week
accounts now have several siblings.

Oops!

A guerrilla who leases cars finds prospects by reading the
police blotter, calling those poor souls who banged up the family car in an
accident. “Perhaps we can help with your short term transportation needs.”

The Golden Gate

A real estate guerrilla in California hands a dollar and a
business card to the toll taker as he crosses the bay from exclusive Marin County
into San Francisco. “I’d like to pay for the car behind me as well. Please
give him this.” Nine out of ten times, the other driver calls, at least to say
“Thank you.” He’s sold several expensive homes as a result, and at 6%
commission, he can afford to drive back and forth across the bridge all day,
positioning himself in front of BMW’s, Cadillacs and Mercedes Benzes.

Going Up?

A life insurance agent in St. Louis carries a pocketful of
business cards, and when he boards crowded elevator, he faces the group and
asks, “I guess you’re wondering why I called this meeting? Like this elevator,
the price of everything is going up, and there’s a good chance that your house
is currently underinsured. I’d like to offer you all a free review,” as he
hands out his cards. The doors open, and he makes his exit.

Fashion Show

In Phoenix Arizona, an alluring young woman saunters through
the hotel restaurant at the lunch rush, modeling dresses and handing out
coupons for a 20% discount, each rolled into a scroll and tied with a bit of
colored ribbon. “My store is just across the street,” she says, “and this jump
suit I’m wearing is only $79.” Lovely. Ten minutes later she’s back, wearing
something different. The customers love it. So does the restaurant, whose
sales are up as a result of the fashion shows.

Extra Lettuce

In Ft. Collins, Colorado, a sub sandwich shop owner tucks a
$20 bill, wrapped in Saran, into every one hundredth sub they make. They’ve
built a loyal base of university students who are hoping to hit the jackpot,
and at lunch, people jockey for position in line, hoping to be the next lucky
customer.

Touchdown

A cellular-telephone guerrilla in Dallas takes 200 business
cards to every Cowboys home game and tosses them into the air by handfuls
whenever they score. About a dozen fans will pick up one of the cards and
call. It works so well, she’s now seen at many Dallas Maverick basketball
games.

Photo Op

Denise wanted to expand her accounting practice, so she
bought a two-by-three-inch ad in the small-town sixteen-page newpaper. She
arranged in advance for the printer to leave the ad blank except for a line
across the bottom inviting readers to file her business card for future
reference. As the papers came off the press, she and her husband stuck her
colorful photo business cards into the blank space with double-stick tape. Months
later she was still hearing from readers.

Stamps

Always use real stamps. Your materials are much more likely
to get through to your intended party than metered mail. Real guerrillas use
several stamps of smaller denominations. When appropriate, write on the
envelope, in longhand: “Here’s the information you requested.”

First Class

A new assistant in the Denver office of a consulting firm
was instructed to include a business card in every piece of outgoing mail. The
boss said, “If it has first-class postage on it, include a card.” When the
accountant gave her a handful of bills to mail out, she followed the rule to
the letter. A call came in: “This is the Personnel Department at Public Service
Company, [the electric utility] and our people down in billing gave us your
card. Exactly what kind of training do you do?” The contact resulted in a
contract worth thousands of dollars.

All Aboard

A guerrilla in the San Francisco Bay Area regularly walks
the length of the BART train waiting to establish eye contact, or see a
friendly smile from a well dressed business person before he’ll sit down. He’s
found that when he does, a conversation will ensue and he’ll be asked what he
does. He’s a tax accountant, a CPA, and most of his clients “paid no taxes
last year.” How interesting.

His brother guerrilla in Chicago uses the same “eye contact”
approach on the “L” trains there, and he recently reported it works in stadium
parking lots just before the big game.

A senior partner in an Atlanta advertising agency insists on
flying first class, because of the class of prospects he meets on airplanes. The difference in fares has been more than justified by several big-dollar clients he’s met on transcontinental flights.

The Screwdriver Call

A cash register guerrilla who works a route in the Midwest
walks into a mom & pop store carrying a leather attaché case. “Hi. I’m from (company) and they sent me by to service your cash register.”

“I didn’t call for a repairman.” says the owner.

“Oh, just routine maintenance, and it’s a free service. Now
if you’ll just take out the cash drawer, I can get to work.” He snaps open his tool-case and pulls out a screwdriver and a paint brush, removes the cover, clears the tape-path, lubes keys and gears, and strikes up a conversation.

“How long have you had this machine? Have you had any
problems with it? Does it always balance your cash? Does it print all the reports you need? Would you like to track sales by department, or by salesperson? How would you like to know how many customers you had each hour of the day so you could adjust your staffing, that sort of thing?” By the time he has the old machine put back together, he’s sold the proprietor a new one.

No Obligation

A guerrilla out in Honolulu was the company’s top TV
salesperson. The company’s marketing manager decided to drop in and find out
what was going on. When he got to the shop he was greeted warmly. “Are you
interested in one of our new color stereo sets?”

“Yes, I could be, how much are they?”

“First, you need to tell me where on the island you live. You
see, in some locales, for various reasons, the reception is terrible.”

Fumbling, the manager responded, “Huh, err, Waikiki.”

“Waikiki is the worst for reception. It’s hard to predict.
What we’re going to have to do then is have you take one home and try it for a few days and see how it works. No obligation, of course.” Of course the new set works just fine in Waikiki, and isn’t likely to be returned, but the “no obligation” trial relieves the prospect’s anxiety about getting stuck with poor reception.

Loner Set

A TV dealer in Seattle offers free pick-up and delivery with
their repair service, and a free loaner set: a 30” big-screen! (“Sorry it’s so big, ma’am, but it’s all we have left.”) Problem is, average repair takes two
weeks. No one seems to mind. The family gets spoiled, and three out of four
customers eventually take advantage of the generous trade-in offer.

Magic Carpet

Every fall, a young entrepreneur in Wyoming buys up carpet
remnants by the truck load. He takes out an eight-dollar classified ad in the University
of Wyoming newspaper, offering carpets pre-cut to fit the campus-wide 10 x 12
foot dorm room. Average mark-up: 500%. In the spring, he buys them back, for
a buck each, and hauls them away, saving the University Housing Department a
bundle and making a handsome profit for himself.

Hot Tracks

Campus Audio, also run by a student entrepreneur, sells
$100,000 a year in stereo-components out of a two-bedroom apartment. He gets
promotional albums from a record distributor, and offers them free to anyone
who wants to come over and listen to some music.

Accelerated Computer

Offering free classes on word processing, spreadsheets, and
desktop publishing has been the key to the growth of this Denver chain of
retail computer stores. A basement classroom is equipped with a big screen
projection monitor, and the walls are lined with work stations. Free
introductory seminars are hands-on. Three, sometimes four classes a day, seven
days a week, twenty or thirty people at a time, it’s a real traffic-builder. Within
the first two hours, computer novices have created a printed document that they
can put up on the refrigerator with a magnet.

“People wouldn’t bother to come in unless they had at least
some interest in computers,” the owner says, “but a lot of them are afraid of
the technology. By making the classes easy and entertaining, we kindle that
ember of interest into a burning desire to buy. The rest is easy.”

Big Sale

Three adjacent furniture stores compete for traffic in a Cleveland
strip mall. The store on the south end put up a huge sign: “Clearance Sale,
Everything Must Go.” The store on the north end put up an even bigger sign
that read, “Great Savings, 50% OFF.” The guerrilla in the middle hung a small
banner over his door that said only “Main Entrance.”

Parallel Lines

A life insurance guerrilla was striking out trying to sell
life insurance to students, so she decided to switch to casualty lines instead.
She would call on apartment dwellers, explaining that if there were a fire or
other disaster, their furniture and contents would not be covered by the
landlord’s policy. She suggested low-cost renter’s insurance for their
contents. While the commissions were very small, it was a quick and easy sale.
Once she had established herself as their insurance agent, the atmosphere of
the relationship changed, and she found her casualty customers frequently
asking her about life insurance. By using the casualty lines to open the door
and build a clientele, she became a top life insurance producer as well.

Getting Appointments

Now that you have a name, address and phone number, you have
to make an initial contact.

Your Mission

A guerrilla gets appointments by assuming cooperation and
demonstrating mutual concern. The mission is to help, assist, support, and
empower clients and customers. In getting appointments, a guerrilla is more
concerned with being human than in presenting a polished, professional image. The
guerrilla establishes the human bond before trying to create a business bond.

Take some notes here, and listen to how this guerrilla gets
an appointment:

“Mr. Prospect, I’m not really sure why my boss asked me to
call. Does your firm ever buy electronic components?”

“Sure. Our main business is servicing refrigeration
equipment, but we also build our own line of controls.”

“That’s very interesting, sounds like we ought to get
together. Do you have your calendar handy?”

“Yes, it’s right here . . .”

“What day are you looking at?”

“I’m looking at today.”

“UH oh, I can’t make it today. How about Thursday, or would
Friday be better?”

“Friday, I suppose.”

“Okay, and since I picked the day, you pick the time.”

You may want to copy these phrases on a 3x5 card and keep it
with you for the next few days until you become comfortable using them.

Turning a Cold Call Into a Referred Lead

When beginning your cold calls for the day, proper planning
will ensure you have to make only one. At the conclusion of your first call in
a particular area, ask, “John, I will be visiting other people in this area. If
you were me, who would you call on next?” Wait for John’s response.

When your prospect suggests a name, ask “Why did you pick
him?” Make that individual your next call and use the introduction from the
first cold call as a referral. This sounds like, “Harry, I was visiting with
John Jones of the ABC Company earlier this morning, and when I asked John who
else he thought I should show my product to, he suggested you. Let me ask, why
do you think he picked you?” Your new prospect will give you a warm reception
and qualify himself in seconds.

The Power of Guerrilla Prospecting

Gathering current, accurate information about your market,
then using it in unconventional ways to create an advantage, that’s the power
of guerrilla prospecting. Centers of influence are great sources of
information, but the best sources are the prospects themselves, their
environment and their behavior. The guerrilla reads the signs that lead to the
sale.

The more information you have about the position and
movements of your marketplace, the better your chances are for finding
prospects, making the right approach, and getting appointments. Information is
your most powerful weapon and surprise is your most lethal tactic. In every
industry we’ve analyzed, the top producers are not necessarily the best
presenters or the strongest closers. They’re the best prospectors.

Chapter 3:
The Mind Map

Why Do Prospects Act The Way They Do?

Good Question. Guerrillas in the ‘90’s know a great deal
about how the human brain operates. This knowledge gives them a real edge in
dealing with prospects.

We’ve done some homework to help you understand how your
prospects think, how they will react to you, and how they will make decisions.
We’ve outlined seven clearly identifiable personality types, or phases, and
carefully analyzed the three that you’ll encounter most often. We call this
summary the Mind Map, and it’s one of the most advanced weapons in the
guerrilla’s arsenal.

Most of us adopt one of these phases as our primary
personality type, but we may shift from one phase to another depending on the
relationship, the circumstances, or stress. Whenever people interact, they
invariably do so from one of these phases. Let’s look at an example.

A senior insurance salesman, and a guerrilla at heart, was
introducing a new voluntary retirement plan to employees of a northern California
county, but he couldn’t seem to stir up much interest. The plan was good, and
this sales agent had worked long and hard to get it approved by the county
government.

During the enrollment period, he sat in a small room in the
county office waiting for employees to come by to hear about the new plan and
sign up for it. In the first week, only five people came to hear the good
news.

The first employee was so shy she hardly said a word. She
sat with ankles crossed, hands folded in her lap, and listened quietly to the
presentation. She didn’t ask a single question or even offer her name, let
alone sign up. She seemed afraid of meeting any stranger. “My boss just asked
me to come over and pick up some literature,” she said as she left.

The next was aggressive, arrogant and evasive. She asked
pointed questions about dividends and rates of return, then stared out the
window as he answered. She expressed concern at “being sold a bill of goods,”
but she was certain she knew how to deal with salespeople. “I’d look like a
fool’“ she said, “if I jumped into something like this without reviewing it
thoroughly.” She took the prospectus and left.

A third employee was very polite and seemed to take a
sincere interest, nodding his head in agreement with everything. He was a
perfect gentleman, agreeing that it was a fine plan, and that he had a real
need. He even showed the guerrilla pictures of his children, and talked about
his hopes for the future. He was very apologetic in the end, but he didn’t
sign up. From his objections and questions, it was obvious that he really
hadn’t heard half the presentation.

The fourth was direct and distant, as if the only reason he
was there was that he’d been told to go. He wanted cold facts and figures, not
the warm picture of a comfortable retirement he was hearing. “How do I know
that this is the best plan available? What guarantee do I have than your
company will achieve this rate of return?” he asked. He challenged the company’s
reputation and the salesperson’s credibility.

The fifth employee was delightful. She seemed confident,
relaxed and genuine. She asked relevant questions, listened attentively, and,
to her ultimate benefit, she signed up. As she was filling out the forms, the
guerrilla wondered what made this person so different.

He asked other employees about her. Everyone who worked
with her commented on how good they felt when she’s around. She’s always fair,
they said, and she cares about people and their work, and she shows it. She’s
always willing to do her share, and more. The guerrilla was beginning to
understand. With her philosophy, he could see why she was able to recognize
the benefits of the new plan without feeling anxious about the salesperson.

He decided to follow her example. “If I were really
committed to being fair, caring and sharing,” he wondered, “what would be the
fairest way to get this information to all the county employees, to show them
that we care about their quality of life at retirement?”

That gave him an idea. It would be unfair, and perhaps even
unlawful, if all the employees were not given an equal opportunity to learn
about the plan, and a chance to accept or reject it. He raised this question
with the County Counsel. The Counsel agreed, and issued a memo to all county
employees.

To be fair, everyone would be required to attend a meeting
in an auditorium where they could hear the whole presentation and ask
questions. After the meeting they could either enroll in the new plan, or sign
a waiver saying that they had heard a complete explanation and decided to
decline.

With this new strategy, over eighty per cent of eligible
employees enrolled in two weeks. This tactic was repeated in other cities and
counties all over the state. His fair-for-all-concerned approach increased
sales dramatically, rocketing him to top producer in the company.

By observing one of the principles by which guerrilla
operate, this salesman was able find an unorthodox way to deliver his message
to a large number of prospects, and discovered greater personal and financial
success. He started to wonder if there was a way to be more effective with
prospects like the first four he had met. There is.

A Matter of Principle

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to be so much
more effective on the job? Or why some people are more successful in their
careers and more fulfilled in their personal lives? The difference lies in a
few fundamental principles that empower them to be more effective and use more
of their potential. Like the fifth county employee, some people seem to have
discovered these secrets.

They are the 20 percent of any sales force who produce 80
percent of the business. They’re the ones who are well thought of and have
satisfying relationships. They’re the ones who perform at the highest levels
and get the bonuses and the promotions.

Leading sales performers have two universal characteristics
in common: they operate out of high levels of personal maturity, and they
strive to unlock the potential of their prospects. They work to control and
direct their own thoughts, and they work to understand the thinking of their
client.

Success in sales does not depend on technical skills. Every
day we buy sophisticated technology from people who know less about it than we
do. It does not depend on hard work; we’ve seen many hard working failures. It
does not depend on native intelligence. Unfulfilled genius is a cliché. But
there’s a vast reservoir of potential waiting to be unleashed in our personal
and professional lives.

The greatest frontier of the Information Age is the human
mind. It’s difficult to scan a magazine rack or watch a weekend of TV without
encountering some new information on how we think. New findings are released
daily.

The Mind Map

We have summarized these findings into a model of behavior
and personality we call the Mind Map. It’s a graphic representation that
divides mind function into seven personalities which, because we shift from one
to another, we call phases.

This model is called the Mind Map because it’s a blueprint
of the seven personality phases. Using its insights is like putting your hands
directly on the control lever of your mind. It provides a powerful explanation
of the personalities you’ll encounter and how they relate to each other. This
map is used by guerrillas to quickly identify the personality phase of their
prospects, clients, and customers. In the following chapters we’ll be giving
you specific strategies to use with clients and prospects operating in each of
these different phases.

The Mind Map is based on the works of Swiss philosopher Jean
Piaget, the American sociologist Abraham Maslow, Nobel Laureate Roger Sperry,
Harvard professor Lawrence Kolberg, and psychologists Alan Skoonmaker, Vernon
Woolf and Vern Black, so it reflects the most current research in psychology
and behavioral science. It’s been adapted from the clinical environment for
business applications, and has been validated in hundreds of seminars and
workshops we’ve conducted all over the world.

It is, nevertheless, just a model, and like any good model
it’s an oversimplification. Even so, it is useful. Like a pair of binoculars,
a model allows you to examine things close-up, but it also distorts your
perspective and cuts off your peripheral vision. People are complex beings,
and it’s unrealistic to expect to dissect the total psyche in one book. That
is not our intent.

Modeling is a useful way to approach any complex problem. Like
a chart or a mission plan, the Mind Map is intended to help you navigate the
unfamiliar territory of personality in the hundreds of new people that you
meet.

When you understand this Mind Map, you will immediately
begin to decode the behavior of prospects and clients. As your comprehension
increases, so does your selling skill. People at different phases have unique
needs, wants and expectations. By observing simple patterns in their behavior,
you can anticipate the questions they’ll ask, the objections they’ll raise, and
even the type of information they need in order to buy. You’ll deliver your
selling ordinance with surgical precision.

Perhaps you’ve heard parents comment, “Oh, it’s just a phase
the kid’s going through.” Over the course of a lifetime we normally experience
all seven phases.

Guerrillas are Flexible

By moving from one phase to another at will, you’ll have the
capacity to deal effectively with anyone, under nearly any circumstance. You
will begin to see where personality conflicts are created, and improve the
atmosphere of these relationships. You can quickly move to a different phase,
gaining the psychological higher ground that produces greater results. You’ll
exhibit confidence and inspire it in others. As a result, you’ll have
relationships based on mutual trust, shared concerns, and open communication.

The AMORAL Phase

We all begin life as infants, and because the behavior of
infants is neither moral nor immoral, we call this the Amoral phase. In this
phase, the nervous system is preoccupied with processes that are physical and
reactive in nature, without consideration of ethics or morals, without concern
for the needs of others, good or bad. During the Amoral phase, infants have
little awareness of reality beyond their own bodies and their immediate
surroundings. They are totally unacquainted with the needs of others. This is
normal for very young children. It is not so normal in adults. You will,
however, occasionally meet a prospect who is in the Amoral phase.

The general characteristics of the Amoral phase are eating,
sleeping, crying, and mentally going away, passively watching the world go by.
The dominant needs are physical. Alternately, they will withdraw and shut down
to recuperate from the stresses of a world to which they are not yet fully
adapted.

Over a period of time, if a child experiences parents who
are themselves Amoral, that is, rough, brutal, or abusive, the child may adopt
the Amoral phase as their primary mode, and remain in the Amoral phase
throughout life. This child may have difficulty moving to other phases. Feelings
of anger, jealousy, insecurity or fear will dominate his thinking.

As adults, we all slip into the Amoral phase temporarily
when we need to escape or recover, and a certain amount of that may be healthy.
Some may sleep all weekend, others get drunk, and still others watch TV or slip
away to a basement hobby shop. Adults who are stuck in the Amoral phase are
not functional in society. They represent a small percentage of the general
population, but are usually diagnosed as psychopathic or sociopathic.

Guerrillas call this the “Leave Me Alone” phase, and it can
be triggered by unusual events or extreme stress. If you encounter a prospect
who is temporarily in this phase, gracefully end the conversation and attempt
another meeting. It’s impossible to have any kind of meaningful discussion
with someone who is temporarily shut down.

The EGO Phase

When infants discover that they are individuals, unique and
separate from their parents, they normally move out of the Amoral phase and
into the Ego phase. In it, children perceive themselves as the center of the
universe, and all other people are placed in their life to serve them. In
normal maturation, this phase develops around age two.

The general characteristics of Ego phase are possessiveness,
attention seeking, and a need for control. There’s a preoccupation with one’s
own needs and wants, without consideration for the needs of others.

Kids often get their Ego phase needs met by throwing a
temper tantrum. Parents call this phase “the terrible twos.” It’s during this
phase that they develop language, and with it, the capacity to ask for what
they want. They are also learning to assert themselves and set limits, and
learning how much they can get away with. They learn two very important words,
which they use frequently: “mine” and “no!”

The dominant needs of the Ego phase are material: my toys,
my book, and my mommy! They will push things to the limit just to see what
will happen. They can be loud, violent, even maliciously destructive.

A healthy Ego is essential for all functional adults. It’s
what motivates us to strive to have a better life. Ego is the resource state
from which we challenge convention and develop new ways of doing things that
defy the old rules.

Children who are chronically spoiled by their parents may
adopt the Ego phase as their primary mode of adult behavior. In their quest to
gain the attention and recognition they valued as a child, they stretch the
truth. As adults, they’re often perceived as demanding, self-centered and
egocentric, and there’s a reason for this perception: they are. They are often
overly critical, knocking everything and everyone, which, of course, are never
as good as they are.

All of us know adults who are stuck in this phase. In fact,
psychologists tell us that 30 to 40 percent of the population operates
primarily out of Ego. They’re pre-occupied with themselves, their things,
their ideas, their accomplishments. They’re very status conscious: my house,
my boat, my sports car, or territorially conscious: my corner office. “If you
take a pencil out of my desk again, I’ll break your thumbs!” They “break up,
just to make up,” going through endless cycles of conflict and resolution, and
may not realize that there can be very severe consequences for this behavior.

Excessive Ego behavior is socially unhealthy. Like the
screaming toddler in the aisle of the grocery store, these people get their way
by throwing a fit, making others uncomfortable with the intensity, and
eventually getting them to cave in. There’s a part deep inside all of us that
just wants to smack ‘em on the fanny and send them to bed without supper. Unfortunately,
if your prospect happens to be operating in the Ego phase, this is not a good
option.

Here the mind creates all the self-serving “gimme, gimme,
gimmes.” In Western society we exploit this mental phase; much of our
marketing is based on it. In fact, the Ego phase, “You-deserve-a-break-today”
marketing mentality is a multi-billion-dollar American industry. This phase is
best known to guerrillas as the “Do it my way now” phase. Your best approach
with Ego prospects is to be assertive, demonstrate your leadership and don’t
hold back. They want to know if you’re good enough for them to bother with. Be
smooth and positive. Let them know that you’re the best and that you represent
only the best.

The PLEASER Phase

At some point early in life, the mind learns that not only
is it a separate ego, but that there are other egos in the world as well. Survival
appears to depend on pleasing others.

The mind begins to maneuver to get along with other people.
This third developmental level is called the Pleaser phase because the most
common characteristic of this phase is the desire to please others in order to
survive.

The general characteristics of the Pleaser phase are
compliance, helpfulness and generosity. Children at this phase say “I love
you, Mommy,” about a dozen times a day. They may give an expensive toy to a
playmate or volunteer to wash the dishes. This
“I’ll-please-you-if-you-please-me” mode usually begins in children around age
seven or eight.

Developmentally, the child is learning the important social
skills of cooperation and mutuality. There is a basic understanding of the
concepts of sharing and teamwork, and a sensitivity to the needs and feelings
of others.

The dominant needs are psychological; they are motivated by acceptance
and approval. These needs are met through doing unsolicited favors, or if
they’ve fallen into disfavor, by being overly solicitous and apologetic.

As adults, a healthy Pleaser mode helps us create and build
relationships. It helps us to give recognition and approval to others when
it’s deserved. But it has an addictive dark side. The Pleaser phase may be
used to control others through manipulation or emotional blackmail. This mode
can grow into the mindless, you-can-do-no-wrong euphoria of puppy love. But it
is difficult to maintain, because it leaves the more basic needs of Ego and
Amoral phases unmet. After operating from the Pleaser phase for a while, the
mind notices that this relationship isn’t pleasing enough. They may mentally
slip back to Ego, throwing a “you-don’t-care-about-me-a-bit” fit, or withdraw
into Amoral.

Adults stuck in the Pleaser phase as their primary mode of
behavior may have difficulty setting appropriate limits and boundaries. They
don’t know when or how to say “no.” They may be syrupy and insincere in their
communication. They can be very difficult to work with because they make
commitments they can’t keep, or they avoid making decisions altogether. They
become yes-people, but fail to deliver in the end. They may respond to
unrealistic demands with a sound “can do” even when they haven’t got a chance.
They may overdo simple tasks, creating unnecessary complication, costs or
delay. Dishonesty takes the form of omission.

As prospects, they always offer coffee. In their anxiety to
please, they subjugate their own point of view, so it’s hard to know where they
really stand.

Some 30 percent of the adult population operates primarily
out of the Pleaser personality. This also has been the stereotypically
accepted role for females in our culture: the loyal secretary, the meticulous
housewife, or the devoted mother.

Your best approach with Pleasers is to be friendly, take a
real interest in them, and be somewhat assertive, since Pleasers tend to put
off making decisions.

The AUTHORITY Phase

 Some time in the teen years we realize that not only
are we separate egos, and that there are other egos, but that there are whole
systems or groups of egos we belong to. As we grow, the mind tires of trying endlessly
to please others or trying to fulfill the images others have for us. The
maturing mind now seeks the right way. As the mind becomes dissatisfied with
Amoral, Ego, and Pleaser behavior, it shifts to the Authority phase.

The general characteristics of the Authority phase is their
need for rules. Here, the mind looks to laws, books, experts and authority
figures to show it the right way to behave. This mind says, “I will learn how
to get along, how to become a good employee, a good supervisor, a good husband
or wife. I’ll learn the right rules and do my duty.” The mind may become
overly judgmental, reliant on the “one and only” right way, when there may be
many right ways.

During the Authority phase, we define our identity by
applying labels. “I am: male/female, white/black, Catholic/Protestant/Jewish,
Italian/Armenian, smart/dumb, talented/athletic,” or not.

The dominant needs of the Authority phase are social, so we
develop networks of people who fit our labels, who are like us, and by the time
we were freshmen in high school, we knew exactly who we could have lunch with,
who we could sit next to on the bus, and who we could invite to the Saturday
dance, and we didn’t dare violate those boundaries. Unfortunately, this phase
is also the source of the stereotyping we develop about other groups. The “us
versus them” mentality begins here, together with other forms of prejudice. Anyone
who doesn’t fit our model of what’s right (meaning like us) is wrong, and is
judged to be inferior and undesirable.

Authority phase people are the rule-makers in society, and
represent about 10 percent of the population. They’re the doctors, the
lawyers, and the teachers, the captains of ships and industry. They are our
leaders, our experts and our authorities. They are our “how-to” writers and
show biz personalities.

They are also our tastemakers, our cult gurus, and our
radio-talk-show-sex-therapists. We depend on them to tell us how to dress, how
to eat, and in general, how to live our lives.

The healthy side of the Authority phase is that it allows us
to live within structured systems, such as everyone agreeing to drive on the
right side of the road. Authority behavior becomes unhealthy when thinking
gets inflexible and rigid. There is nothing inherently correct about driving
on the right or the left side of the road; it’s just a handy rule. People who
operate out of Authority as their primary mode are bound up by policies, rules,
and structure. There is one correct way to do anything: their way. In
extreme cases, they’re moralistic, dictatorial, and intolerant. They often
become the arrogant know-it-all, or the pessimistic wet blanket who’s certain
“it can’t be done.” They also show up as perfectionists. They are generally
too rigid to deal with the complexities of life, for which there can never be
enough rules. Dishonesty takes the form of appeal to higher authority.

It’s been suggested that we should take teenagers right out
of high school and put them into the White House, the Congress, and the
Pentagon, while they still really do know everything!

Authority phase people are not satisfied for very long
because they’ve relinquished responsibility for their actions and
relationships, turning them over to the “experts.” Because of this, the
Authority mind often invents strategies that endlessly move most of them in and
out of the other phases.

Guerrillas refer to these folks “Your Honor” or “His
Lordship.” Your best approach with Authority prospects is to avoid friendly
gestures and stick to the facts. Appeal to systems, logic, and quoted sources.

The PRINCIPLE Phase

Around thirtysomething, usually after having been involved
in a stable personal relationship, we may start to recognize that there are
certain fundamentals that make life work, something more basic than rules. By
now we’ve created something enduring, something in cooperation with others: we’ve
borne children, built a house, or started a business. A recognition dawns that
these things are made possible by underlying universal principles. This is the
beginning of the fifth phase, The Principle phase. This is where guerrillas
originate.

The general characteristics of the Principle phase can be
summed up in three words: fair, care, and share. This phase begins with the
development of an acceptance of how people are, exactly as they are, and
exactly as they are not. Differences are celebrated rather than condemned, and
there is a suspension of the judgment characteristic of the Authority phase. A
corresponding acceptance of self develops as well, neither subjugated as in
Pleasers, nor elevated, as in Egos.

Your ability to maintain the Principle phase depends on your
ability to be fair, to communicate your caring, and to do a little more than
your share.

It takes a concentrated effort to develop a sense of
fairness, a real caring for yourself and others, and an ability to consistently
do your fair share of any task at hand. Since there are always exceptions to
rules, mature adults will get their needs met by following principles, not the
specific laws of Authority phase thinking. These principles are intuitively
obvious; they need no outside confirmation, and there are never exceptions to
principles.

As illustrated in figure 3.5, the move to the Principle
phase is a big one. It requires a major shift in thinking. Once a mind can
understand systems of rules and laws at the Authority phase, it can begin to
discern the more fundamental principles by which life functions. You’ll notice
that Principle isn’t positioned above Authority as you might presume. Rather,
it’s a lateral shift in perspective, away from the step-by-step, logical mind
to the creative mind. The jump to the Principle phase is a quantum leap. It’s
a move from the objective to the subjective, from the rational to the
intuitive, from the Left Brain to the Right Brain. It is a barrier most minds
never permanently cross.

Instead of a rigid, closed box, the Principle phase is
illustrated as a cloud with vague boundaries. The nature of the Right Brain
phases is more open and less definable than those of the Left Brain.

As with most of life, once a barrier is overcome, a great
gift awaits. The amazing thing is after you move into the Principle phase,
your memory, concentration, creativity, and intuition all begin to increase
dramatically. Even your interpersonal relationships are improved. And, you
become a much more productive, creative salesperson, a guerrilla salesperson. More
on this in Chapter 3, The Guerrilla Mind.

The principled mind begins to experience that there are no
real problems, only opportunities. You are able to control yourself and
influence others. You are now more easily able to tap your creative self for
better, more powerful selling. Your general health improves, and life takes on
a positive and beautiful growth.

At the Principle phase, you are on the road to becoming you
at your highest potential. All it takes is following a life of being fair to
all concerned, really caring about the people in your life, and being really
willing to do your share of whatever tasks come your way.

The RESPONSIBLE Phase

At some point, usually later in life, we finally recognize
the inescapable truth of cause and effect: that everything that we’ve ever done,
everything that we know, everything that we have, is the direct consequence of
the choices we’ve made during our lifetime. The mind that is able to apply
principles on a responsible basis enters the Responsible phase.

The Responsible phase is achieved by those who view
themselves as the cause and source of everything in their lives. This is not
simply an intellectual belief about what it means to be a responsible parent or
a responsible citizen. It’s a profound acceptance that “This is it, and I’m
responsible for how it turns out. This is my life. This is the body it’s
housed in. This is my family. This is my profession. This is my planet. I’m
in charge of my own life.”

The general characteristic of the Responsible phase is in
its name: responsibility. At this phase we accept accountability for our
actions and outcomes. Who we are and what we achieve are no longer attributed
to conditions of birth, bad luck, or our parent’s strengths or weakness.

It is the sense that I am my brother’s keeper. Not that I
am responsible for creating his pain, but that I can, in my awareness of it,
ease that pain. It is at this phase that we fully understand about sharing. Do
you recall as a child being told that we always leave the picnic area a little
cleaner than we found it? This is doing your share at this phase. It’s doing
your share of whatever the task at hand and a little bit more.

George Bernard Shaw summed up the Responsible phase in this
quote from the “Epistle Dedicatory” to Man and Superman:

“This is the true joy in life; the being used for a purpose,
recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of Nature instead of
a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that
the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as
I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly
used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live.
“I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is a
sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to
make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future
generations.”

The UNIVERSAL Phase

The transition between the individual phases of the Right
Brain are not distinct, but gradual. All three are aspects of each other and
are collectively referred to as the Principled phases.

Living a fair-care-share life continually for even a short period
of time causes you to sail up to the Universal phase. This is the phase of
those who have mastered life and represents the Universal Mind. Nearly
everyone has been at this phase at least once; however, staying there would be
exceptional. This is you at your highest potential. At this phase, people
fully integrate both their logical and creative minds, integrate themselves
with others, and integrate the mental, physical and spiritual realms of their
experiences.

The Universal phase is expressed by those who consistently
live by correct principles. They find peace and success in every aspect of
life, both the positive and the apparently negative.

The general characteristics of the Universal phase are
freedom, empowerment and ecstasy. This person maximizes freedom for everyone
by living and teaching correct principles, then allowing others to govern their
own lives and handle their own responsibilities.

Empowerment requires having direction and goals, but purpose
is a pre-requisite. As the world has become more and more industrialized, many
of us have lost track of our purpose in life. For many, the purpose of their
jobs is unclear, and how their jobs relate to the purpose of the company is not
apparent. People act powerfully when they know and understand the contribution
they make.

Universal phase people find ecstasy in every aspect of life.
This does not mean some kind of mindless euphoria or some kind of super
positive mental attitude. Ecstasy means fun, not frivolousness or idle amusement,
but rather fun in the recreational sense . . . recreation as in re-creation. Work
is more than fun for these people; it’s recreational.

In the Universal phase, there is a connection between
spiritual and temporal aspects of life. Body, mind and spirit work together in
harmony. You embrace and accept change as the inevitable consequence of
growth.

There are Universal phase individuals among us. They are
found in our churches and in our synagogues; they are also found in our
businesses, factories and schools. We often don’t hear of them, but we feel
the difference their maturity makes. Many of them stand out in history, not as
celebrities, but as catalytic figures who made superhuman contributions. In
our own time certain personalities come to mind, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther
King, Jr., Gandhi, Albert Einstein, perhaps Mikhail Gorbachev. These Universal
people include the great teachers and the great moral leaders who guide us to
new understandings.

The guerrilla constantly strives to operate out of the
highest possible phase. By basing all of their relationships on first
principles, they demonstrate leadership. This instills confidence in the mind
of the prospect. They will like you, trust you and want to do business with
you, because of who you are. Not your affiliation or your image, but your true
identity shows through, and they will stand in line to buy from you.

The Mind Map

The Inner Mind: The Primitive Reactionary Mind

The Amoral Phase of infants and certain adults who
act without any morality; those who simply shut down and go away when things
get rough. Best Approach: reschedule and exit.

The Left Mind: The Logical Linear Mind

 

The Ego Phase of children and many adults who see
themselves as the center of the universe; self-centered adults who are in
endless cycles of fighting and making-up. Best Approach: be assertive.

The Pleaser Phase of youngsters and adults who
survive by pleasing others, by being nice and doing good. This maturity allows
Pleasers to manipulate others to get their needs met. Best Approach: friendly
dominance.

The Authority Phase of young adults and others who
come to respect rules and agreements to govern their lives. On the down side,
these people become excessively duty bound in their urge to do things the right
way. Best Approach: give facts and logic.

The Right Mind: The Creative Intuitive Mind

The Principle Phase is found in mature adults who
know that their life works to the extent that the follow principles such as
being fair with everyone, really caring for others, and doing more than a fair
share of the task at hand. Best Approach: show you’re fair-care-share.

The Responsible Phase of mature adults who know that
they are the cause and the source of everything that comes into their lives. They
take full responsibility for the situations in which they find themselves. Best
Approach: stress community good.

The Universal Phase of maturity is expressed by those
who constantly reach their highest potential, by living a principled life,
balancing the right and left minds. This is the phase of one who finds peace
and success in every aspect of life. Freedom, Empowerment and Ecstasy are
their hallmarks. Best Approach: relax, just tell your story.

Chapter 4:
The Guerrilla Mind

Sell is a Four Letter Word

Suggest sales as a career to most college sophomores and
you’ll raise suspicious laughter. They’d rather pursue something more “professional,”
like medicine, law, accounting, or management. The truth is that many
salespeople earn more than doctors or lawyers, and the majority of Fortune 500
presidents started their careers in sales. It’s the fast-track to professional
leadership, income and prestige, because people who can generate business are
the life blood of any organization. They’re in constant demand. As it turns
out, sales is one of the most secure careers available.

Unfortunately, most people view sales as a temporary wayside,
like selling magazines in college or clerking in a retail shop, until they can
get a “real job.” Attracted by the income and the freedom, some stay on. They
either enjoy working with people or they find the challenge stimulating. A few
will eventually achieve substantial success, building their income through a
constituency of satisfied, repeat customers. Some spend their careers hopping
from company to company, following the latest technical fads or economic
trends.

Guerrillas are different. They’re on a mission. When you
ask them about their work, they glow with enthusiasm. We met one who works for
a plumbing supply house in Kokomo, Indiana. Not as glamorous as being a
stockbroker or a real estate agent, but he was genuinely excited about his
work.

“You know,” he says, “plumbing is the basis of all our
modern sanitation. It makes living in cities possible. Without it, we’d be
plagued by all sorts of nasties like cholera. I don’t think anyone wants to go
back to the disease ridden days of the outdoor privy with its crescent moon on
the door.”

Now there’s a man with a vision. He’s not just selling pipe
and porcelain. He’s building a future, making it possible for millions of
people to lead comfortable, healthy lives.

Another works in an appliance store. “My favorite lines are
these new audio-video systems that integrate a TV, a VCR and digitally
processed stereo sound. It blows people away when they really hear the decoded
soundtrack from a video tape, and it completely amazes them when they learn
that they can put that same movie-house experience right in their living room.
It brings families together.”

These guerrillas aren’t just thinking about the commission
or the next order. They’re driven by a sense of purpose. They’re excited by
the possibilities of their product, and they’re eager to share it with others.
Whether it’s architecture or advertising, hardware or hydraulic fluid, they
believe in their products and the benefits they bring. They protect the
interests of their employer and are sensitive to the needs of customers.

If this sounds a lot like the Principle phase, you’re right.
The guerrilla understands the principles of business, and knows that if they’re
fair to all concerned, really care about the people they deal with, and do
their share to present their products, their success will be guaranteed.

Three Things All Guerrillas Have in Common:

Operating consistently out of the Principle phase requires a
commitment to fundamental values that all guerrillas share.

Integrity

Guerrillas demonstrate integrity in all their dealings,
giving customers the facts, resisting the temptation to exaggerate benefits or
to fabricate small details. They are truly knowledgeable about the competition
and research constantly to keep their information current and reliable, staying
on the leading edge of business. They deliver on every promise made to the
prospect, and protect their employer from undue risks. It’s a balancing act,
weighing the interests of the customer against the interests of the company. Once
the high-wire of your integrity begins to falter, you are doomed to fall.

Initiative

Guerrillas must have the initiative to be a self-starter, to
set goals, and to manage their own time. They are comfortable approaching
strangers, secure in their own self-esteem, and anxious to share their
products’ benefits. They develop contacts everywhere, at church, at the
grocery store, at ball games, anywhere they can find people they can help.

Discipline

Guerrillas have the discipline to keep going, systematically
planning presentations and working their territory, consistently following-up
on past customers. They are not easily discouraged, because they know there
will always be someone who needs their product or service. They keep careful
records, and use the information they gather to generate more business. They
have their ups and downs, but their production is consistent because they are
systematic.

If this sounds difficult, don’t be discouraged. All this
actually makes the guerrilla’s job easier in the long run. Their integrity
makes others trust them, their initiative makes others respect them, and their
discipline makes others depend on them. In time, the guerrilla’s customers
wouldn’t consider going anywhere else.

Human Nature

Even guerrillas succumb to immature behavior, what we often
call “human nature.” Guerrillas have an objective; to make sales. But they
also share the same cognitive needs as their prospects.

In many jobs, a worker’s performance is hard to measure. Employees
can relax and work at whatever pace they’re most comfortable. But selling
performance is immediate and measurable, so you can’t afford the luxury of
acting in ways that make yourself comfortable at the prospect’s expense.

Trying to satisfy your own psychological needs may interfere
with making sales. When prospects indicate that they want you to behave in
certain ways, you will be more effective if you respond to their needs rather
than your own.

Guerrillas are Sensitive to Prospects’ Priorities:

Acceptance

Everyone wants to be accepted. Salespeople risk rejection
every time they call, and the fear of rejection is probably their major cause
of failure. The simplest way for them to side-step rejection is to avoid
calling on people and avoid asking for a commitment. Less drastically, they
can dodge feeling rejected by being cold, impersonal, or arrogant. All of
these actions reduce their productivity and actually increase their chances of
being rejected, by their employer.

Guerrillas know that people are the most receptive when they
are physically and psychologically at ease, so they communicate their concern
by striving to control factors that might distract the prospect. They’re focused
and relaxed in difficult situations. They avoid pressure tactics, and if the
timing of a call is poor, they re-schedule. They try to arrange calls,
presentations, and delivery at the customer’s convenience rather than their
own. The result is they are accepted, even welcomed by even the toughest
prospects.

Respect

Everyone also wants to be respected, but in selling, your
status is clearly lower than your prospects’. You come to them, and they have
the right to reject you, to make demands, or to insist that you defer to their
schedules.

Many salespeople feel uncomfortable with this difference in
status. They may try to build themselves up by boasting or putting the
competition down. This frustrates the prospect, and both parties become uncomfortable.

Guerrillas communicate respect for the prospect, the
competition, and themselves. Guerrillas are at ease with people of every
status, treating the cafe waitress or the hotel bellman with the same deference
they would offer the president of a major company. Their impartiality makes
everyone feel important and respected for the contribution they make.

Enjoyment

Naturally, everyone wants to enjoy their work, but perusing
personal interests at the customer’s expense can be disastrous. For example,
most investors want their stockbrokers to concentrate on achieving financial
goals. They want simple, understandable solutions to complex problems. But
many brokers find personal financial problems boring. They’d rather talk about
technical analysis, econometrics, or the impact of the Federal Reserve Bank on
interest rates. While these discussions may entertain the broker, they confuse
and irritate most investors.

Guerrillas are interested in their specialty, but they are
even more interested in people. Every account presents a new and stimulating
challenge. They ask questions, listen and learn from their customers, and
thereby serve them better. They study constantly, and pride themselves on
their ability to translate abstract technicalities into clear and relevant
language.

Relating

Everyone wants to be related to in ways that make them
comfortable, but the same actions that make salespeople comfortable may make
their prospects very uncomfortable.

If the salesperson likes to talk, they may frustrate their
prospects’ desires to talk. If they are more comfortable in an Ego role, their
prospects may feel inferior and resentful. If they need a great deal of warmth
from people, they will alienate Authority and Ego prospects whose psychological
needs are much different.

The guerrilla must, therefore, learn to relate to prospects
on their terms, even if they feel some discomfort. Guerrillas are like
chameleons, adapting to their surroundings, adjusting their pace, their focus
and their approach to suit each individual. Because they are adept at such
camouflage, they can move easily among a wide range of personalities. Guerrillas
also strive to be authentic. They would never attempt to be something they are
not, but rather present the side of their genuine personality that will mesh
with the prospect. This flexibility empowers them to be highly effective with
many different prospects, and for guerrillas who are operating out of the
Principle phase, it comes naturally.

Three Types of Salespeople

Many years ago, Dr. Alan Schoonmaker taught that salespeople
relate to people in different ways. Some are direct and assertive. Some are
warm and friendly. Some are detached and aloof. To illustrate these different
sales personalities, we will look at the classic Ego phase, Pleaser phase, and
Authority phase personalities outlined in The Mind Map. To demonstrate the
potential conflicts, let’s look in on the proprietor of a large retail florist
as he’s being called on by reps from a lighting and electrical supply house. Each
is trying to introduce their new line of energy-saving florescent lamps. These
are caricatures; very few people possess all the characteristics in the
extremes, but you’ll be able to clearly see each type.

Ego Salespeople

The Ego salesperson is competitive and high-pressured. They’re
driven to outsell their comrades, the competition, and even themselves, and are
often top producers. But their success is frequently short-lived, subject to
the “shooting-star syndrome,” because their style does not build the long-term
customer loyalty that is so critical in guerrilla selling.

They assume that people don’t want to buy and their job is
to wear down this resistance with arguments, pressure, and just plain tenacity.
Everything is a skirmish for the Ego phase, and they view the prospect as a
pawn in a win/lose game of “let’s-see-who’s-going-to-get-their-way-this-time.”

1. Recon and Initial Approach

The Ego wants to go where the action is, not sit around
gathering information about prospects, so their recon is generally performed
superficially or ignored. They prefer dropping in on cold calls to making
appointments. They act first and ask questions later, if at all.

Their approach is to fire the first shot in the battle. They
try to take control immediately to show the prospect who’s boss. They drop
names, like “Mr. Purchasing Agent, I was just across town taking an order from
another firm you may have heard of. I can’t mention them by name, but their
initials are IBM.”

Their diagnosis is superficial or non-existent. Egos assume
that they know what prospects need. This Ego-level lighting salesman starts
his pitch with, “Everyone’s interested in saving money, wouldn’t you agree?,
and [without stopping] this new line of watt-saver lamps is going to save you a
bundle in electric costs.”

2. Sales Presentations

Egos’ presentations are usually well organized and hard
hitting. But since the assessment is poor, the impact may land off-target. “For
each four-lamp fixture, you’ll save an average of thirty-eight cents a month,
and I counted eighty fixtures in your showroom. Only a fool would ignore that
kind of waste.” Great Mr. Ego. You’ve just told your prospect he’s a fool.

3. Handling Objections and Closing

Objections are rarely analyzed, and the response to them can
be long and argumentative. Instead of clarifying the prospects concerns, the
Ego phase will try to overwhelm them with facts, arguments, and personal
pressure.

“But we’re trying to create a warm atmosphere in our
showroom,” objects the prospect, “and we’ve experimented with a combination of
florescent and incandescent lighting until we finally feel we have the right
color balance.”

“And it’s wasting a lot of energy!” says the Ego phase
salesperson. “I figured you’ll save over $1,200 a year by switching to these
watt-saver lamps.” reiterating the planned presentation’s key benefit.

Getting the order is the Ego’s greatest strength. It’s the
ultimate victory, and not getting it is the ultimate defeat. So the Ego asks
for the order again and again, often putting words in the prospect’s mouth,
like “don’t you, wouldn’t you, couldn’t you,” and “wouldn’t you agree?”

4. After Sale Tracking

Following up, what we call tracking, is rare and
superficial. Once they have won, they want to move on to the next battle. There’s
little interest in a long-term relationship. Order in hand, they’ve claimed
their prize and head off for other conquests.

Despite these shortcomings, some Ego phase salespeople have
been extraordinarily successful. Their intense need to win and their drive to
influence people may compensate for many of their faults. People sometimes buy
just to get them off their backs. They can be effective in a selling
battlefield where there are unlimited prospects and limited competition. But
this kind of selling is very costly; it costs fives times as much to create a
new customer as it does to keep an existing customer. They’re most effective
selling simple products which require little analysis or user support.

Pleaser Salespeople

Most people would rather buy from someone who seems to care
about them, but excessive acquiescence can be a severe liability. You risk
rejection every time you make a sales call or ask for an order, and Pleaser
phase people simply can’t afford that risk. Consequently, they don’t make a
lot of calls, or they call only on people who will receive them warmly. They’re
amiable and friendly, but they may treat their calls as social occasions rather
than genuine attempts to get business. They assume prospects give business to
people they like, and have an intense need to be liked, but their prospects
often refer to them contemptuously as “professional visitors.”

1. Recon and Initial Approach

Pleasers focus on the person, not the business opportunity.
They concentrate on learning how to establish the best possible relationship
and may gloss over an objective analysis of the prospects’ needs. “I was in
the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by to see if there’s anything you need.”

Their approach is homey, affable, and much too long. They
enjoy pleasant conversation and suspect that getting down to business too soon
will erode their relationship. They may waste time socializing excessively. Our
electrical rep stops in without an appointment, and says, “Hi Don. It’s really
good to see you. Last time we talked you were packing your son off to college.
How’s he doing these days?”. . .

In diagnosing needs they gather a lot of information, but
much of it is irrelevant. They are sympathetic listeners, but they allow
conversations to wander. “Gosh, I’m sorry to hear that. He just barely missed
making the varsity? Tough luck!”. . .

2. Sales Presentations

Their presentations tend to be long and vague. They do not
get directly to the point and often omit important, but controversial topics. The
salesman’s presentation consists of, “The company is doing a promotion this
month on these new watt-saver florescent tubes, and I can get you a special
deal. With your kids in college I’m sure saving money must be important to
you.” This leaves the prospect spinning, wondering what the relationship is
between his college kids and the lamps. Such leaps of logic are typical of the
pleaser. They assume they know what will please the prospect.

3. Handling Objections and Closing

They listen carefully to objections, and their sympathetic
concern makes it easy for prospects to share hidden grievances, but their
answers go on and on, and they’re unable to create the sense of urgency
required to overcome stalls.

“Well, we’re really happy with the lighting we have right
now,” says the prospect, “and we won’t be ready to re-lamp the showroom for
another six months at least.”

“That’s too bad,” says the Pleaser. “I was hoping I could
count on you for six cases. You could buy them now and store them until you’re
ready to re-lamp, and take advantage of this special pricing. I sure hate to
see you miss out on this great deal. I’d even be willing to sit on the
paperwork for a while to buy you some more time.” This salesperson is so
anxious to do his prospect a favor that he didn’t even hear the objection. Obviously
the prospect isn’t interested in a deal on florescent tubes right now.

Getting the order is their greatest weakness. They simply cannot
push. They may not even ask for the order, and they rarely ask more than once.
Asking may turn a pleasant chat into an unpleasant confrontation. “Is there
anything else you need today?” they ask.

“No, we’re in good shape.”

“Okay, I’ll check back with you in a few months when you’re
ready to re-lamp. Sure would like to have your business.” The Level Three,
Pleaser phase salesperson leaves empty handed.

4. After Sale Tracking

Pleasers track better than the other types. They would
rather call on existing customers than risk rejection by contacting new ones. They
genuinely care about their customers’ welfare. They may be very good at
maintaining a portfolio of regulars, but they have difficulty selling new
accounts.

Pleaser salespeople satisfy a very important need: they
really care about their prospects’ welfare. Although their warmth and need for
reciprocal warmth will turn off extremely Ego and Authority phase prospects,
everyone else appreciates their concern, even if they don’t buy.

Pleasers are most effective selling commodity products (such
as coal, steel, lumber, and automobile parts) on a repeat basis. They lack the
forcefulness needed to get quick sales from strangers and do not have enough
objectivity to analyze complex problems. But they can build strong
relationships with customers who want good after-sales service.

Authority Salespeople

Not many salespeople are extremely Authority based. They
feel uncomfortable with the emotional aspects of selling, so they treat it as
an intellectual exercise, a “numbers game.” Their approach is logical,
fact-oriented, and no-pressure. Authority salespeople assume that people will
logically buy the product that best fits their needs, and ignore the irrational
factors that influence buying decisions.

1. Recon and Initial Approach

Their recon is usually excellent. They often spend too much
time doing analyses and planning, since they would rather plan than call on
people.

Their approach is impersonal and does not build rapport. Their
concentration on facts and data turns off many prospects. This electric supply
rep explains, “Our new watt-saver florescent lamp uses 17% less energy than
ordinary 40-watt tubes with the same lumen output.”

Their diagnosis of the prospect’s criteria needs is always
thorough. They listen carefully, try to get all the facts, and take the time
to organize them into a coherent picture, but they don’t learn much about
priorities and problems. “If you tell me what your average electric
consumption has been over the last three months, I can work up a pay-back
point.”

2. Sales Presentations

Their sales talks are factual and logical, but lack
emotional appeal. They tend to be drawn-out, tedious, and often sound more
like a professional lecture. “This energy differential is made possible by a
new phosphor coating, which becomes excited at a lower voltage threshold, so
the cathodes don’t have to burn as hot.” The prospect thinks, “Huh?” Great,
Mr. Authority. You’ve just told your prospect that he’s stupid.

3. Handling Objections and Closing

Authority salespeople analyze objections carefully and
provide all the information needed to answer the easy ones. However, they
can’t handle stalls and hidden objections. They do not probe effectively for
hidden objections because they don’t understand their emotional basis.

“I don’t think we want to tear up our showroom just now to
re-lamp. It would make a terrible mess,” objects the prospect.

“Yes, but the new lamps would pay for themselves in less
than eighteen months.” says the Authority, losing this argument and this
customer.

Closing is the greatest weakness of the Authority phase. They
assume prospects will make logical decisions, so they hesitate to ask and once
they are turned down, they rarely ask again. Stalling is so totally illogical
that they just can’t understand it. They walk away from procrastinators in
disbelief, empty-handed.

“Very well. Thank you for your time. Call us if you change
your mind.” Exit stage left.

4. After Sale Tracking

Authority tracking is systematic and meticulous, but
impersonal. While they see that orders are prepared and delivered properly and
that all services are provided as promised, they do not develop an individual
relationship with their customers. They pay close attention to the business
bond, but ignore the more important human bond.

“The last time we talked, on June twelfth, around 10 o’clock, you suggested you might be interested in converting to our watt-saver
fluorescent lamps. Do you still have an interest?” You can guess what the
answer to that question will be.

Although classic Authority phase people rarely succeed at
sales, most salespeople could use more professional aloofness. It would help
them to analyze prospects’ problems and their own selling styles. Indifference
becomes more valuable as the analytic elements of the sale increase. Authority
people usually fail at selling simple consumer products, but may be quite
successful selling capital equipment, industrial real estate, engineering
services, and other sophisticated items.

Principle Salespeople: True Guerrillas

1. Recon and Initial Approach

The salesperson operating in the Principle phases plans
carefully, applying guerrilla marketing principles to find the people who are
most likely to want, need or have to have their products. They marshal their
efforts in those markets. They are systematic, but not excessive, scheduling
their time in loose blocks, allowing them to be spontaneous.

Their approach is courteous, direct, and businesslike. They
care about their prospects personal as well as professional life, and
demonstrate they have done their homework. For the guerrilla, determining the
Need, Budget and level of Commitment are the most critical parts of the call. The
electrical rep opens with a businesslike statement of purpose: “Hello Mr.
Prospect. Thank you for taking time to meet with me today. I’d like to take
about 10 minutes of your time to make you aware of a new technology our company
has just introduced, one that might be able to reduce your energy costs. Is
this a good time for you?”

As Steven Covey suggests in his book, Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People, they “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” The
secret is that they ask a lot of questions and really listen to discover the
true needs under the superficial ones. Guerrillas seek out the real budget
behind the generalized “we can afford anything you can build” type of
statement. And guerrillas listen carefully to find out exactly how contracts
and purchases are made at each firm.

2. Sales Presentations

The Principle presentation is short and direct, relating to
the particular personality and unique needs outlined by the prospect in the
diagnosis. They’ve learned to ignore everything else. They focus on the
solution to the prospects’ problem as they have defined it. “Okay, as I
understand your need, the real problem is getting the right color balance on
your plants and flowers; is that what you’re concerned about?”

3. Handling Objections and Closing

Principle salespeople treat objections as legitimate
questions, probing for the underlying concern. They assume that the prospect
is an expert in their own field, and relies on their advice. “I know very
little about plants. When you say ‘color balance,’ what exactly does that
mean?” They create an atmosphere of trust and support that make it easy for
prospects to share their point of view. A true guerrilla seeks out objections
and responds honestly. Chapter Five gives several examples.

Guerrillas are always closing in. We saw a white
convertible BMW heading up to Lake Tahoe one weekend loaded for fun. The license
plate told the whole story; “CLOZ”. Guerrillas close up-front by understanding
the needs and the budget of the prospect. When they make their presentation,
they align it with something to which the prospect is already committed. “I’m
beginning to appreciate your concern. These watt-saver lamps actually have a
slightly warmer color balance than the ones you’re using, so red roses and pink
azaleas will look brighter, and the foliage will look healthier to your
customers.”

4. After Sale Tracking

Their tracking is meticulous, bordering on fanatical. They
reward every customer by doing something extra, something unexpected. “I’d
like to leave a set of four of these lamps for you to experiment with. Please
let me know how they work in your application so I can share your findings with
other customers.” They take personal responsibility for making sure everything
is delivered as specified, and that it works as expected. They consider this
service part of their commitment to the customer relationship.

The Guerrilla Challenge

Your own cognitive priorities can conflict with your income
criteria. Actions which make you comfortable may bother prospects. You must
therefore understand your own needs and adapt to the needs of each prospect you
meet.

Your personality can help you make sales as well. From
Principle, Responsible and Universal phases, all of the resources of the Ego,
Pleaser and Authority are available to you. The Ego phase provides that
indispensable drive to win, and the forcefulness to close again and again. It
helps you meet strangers and push for the order. The Pleaser phase helps you
build relationships and makes your influence and aloofness less irritating. The
Authority phase helps you analyze prospects’ problems and see the bigger
picture.

Guerrillas operating out of the Principle phase have a
compelling charisma. They can shift from Ego to Pleaser to Authority to
Principle phases as the situation requires. Most people look forward to being
with them. They are welcomed into the prospects territory with open arms. And
that makes the job of selling a whole lot easier.

Chapter 5:
The Needs Stage

Priorities and Criteria

A guerrilla in San Francisco suspected from the first
telephone conversation that this Bank of America vice president was a classic
Phase Four. Her condescending tone and direct manner said Authority. Meeting
her that morning confirmed it.

In the first few minutes, she openly boasted that she had
sent all the competitors running. In her own words, she was “unsalable.”

As a guerrilla, he could anticipate her reaction to
salespeople as well as her hidden agenda. He also knew what the best approach
would be. As a result of knowing more about what she really wanted than she
did, she became one of his best clients.

This chapter explains the Need Stage, first of the six steps
of NaB & CaPTuRe, the acronym which guides all guerrillas in the guerrilla
sales cycle.

The objective of the Need Stage is to verify, up front, that
your product or service matches, or is very close to matching, your prospect’s
needs. If there isn’t a match, the guerrilla asks for referrals and exits,
saving everyone’s time. A guerrilla closes at the beginning, right up front,
rather than at the end. The key to up front closing is actively listening and
diagnosing. Many salespeople assume they know what prospects need and are
impatient to start selling, but they don’t diagnose adequately. While they may
present their product in an attractive way, their presentations lack the
critical link between their product and the prospects’ wants, needs and
budget.

There are two major purposes of diagnosing: to get
information and to make prospects receptive to your ideas. People are hungry
for understanding. They think nobody cares. When you listen carefully and
show you sincerely want to understand, prospects will relax, talk freely, and
welcome your recommendations.

You must learn about your prospect’s problems, needs, the
resources available to solve them, other solutions being considered, and many
other facts in order to plan an effective personalized presentation, answer
objections effectively, and write orders. In addition you must uncover at
least one objection or problem. This will be used later at the end of the
Transaction Stage, and is necessary to complete the six stage NaB & CaPTuRe
Track.

The techniques used to acquire this information can either
develop or deteriorate your relationship. Prospects will trust you and look
forward to your presentation if they feel you understand and want to help.
Unless both objectives are achieved, a sale is unlikely. You cannot make an
effective presentation without this information, and you can’t create a desire
to buy unless prospects trust you and listen receptively.

By completing the Need Stage, the guerrilla avoids one of
the most common objections to making a buying decision: “I’m really not sure we
could use it, let me think it over.”

Meeting New People

Okay, you have scouted out a prospect and you have an
appointment. You walk into your prospect’s office, she rises to meet you, and
you extend your hand. Now what do you do?

For starters, give yourself space. When you walk into a
room, stop momentarily at the doorway and scan the room for a second or two
before entering.

Handshakes

Now comes the moment of the all-important handshake. The
handshake has been used as a greeting for longer than man can remember, and no
doubt, it originally meant, “See, I’m unarmed, you can trust me.” But over
thousands of years it’s evolved, and today it conveys a number of subtle
messages, each communicated by slight differences in touch, pressure and
force.

The most important thing to remember about the handshake is
to make sure that you get hold of the prospect’s hand correctly. Most “dead
fish” handshakes happen accidentally, because you’re looking the person in the
eye, walking, talking, and not paying attention to how you’re clasping their
outstretched hand. The guerrilla thing to do is to offer the open hand with
the palm turned down slightly, and then, at the moment of touch, push away
gently against the fleshy part at the base of the thumb until it’s made a good
contact, “web to web”.. Then fold your fingers gently around their hand. This
slight delay communicates confidence, and avoids the accidental limp wristed
slip-grip.

Dominance is communicated by two elements: the degree of
grip, and the tilt in the handshake. If you intend to communicate dominance,
grip the hand firmly when you shake it, but avoid the bone-crusher. Excessive
pressure communicates insecurity. Pressing down gently with the thumb instead
will tilt the handshake down slightly on their side, and slightly up on your side,
putting them a tad off-balance, and creating a feeling of you being taller.

You can also use push-pull to communicate dominance, by
pushing your hand away slightly, increasing your personal space. If done
carefully, these techniques can telegraph subliminal signals that create an
advantage with a potential Ego Phase adversary, or neutralize differences in
age, status, physical size or gender.

You can put your Pleaser Phase prospect at ease by doing the
opposite. By tilting the handshake toward you, you can convey subordination,
friendliness, or the relinquishing of control. A simultaneous secondary touch
with the left hand denotes familiarity and history, even with strangers, and is
very effective when greeting Phase Three, Pleaser prospects. The most common
form of secondary touch is the two-handed handshake, which communicates
intimacy. The degree of intimacy is communicated by moving the touch further
up the wrist, and with someone you have known a long time, you would touch
higher up the forearm, at the elbow or even on the upper arm. If it feels
comfortable, and you want to make a new acquaintance feel like an old friend,
touch them on the elbow with your left hand while shaking hands with your
right. This ancillary touch can be helpful when being introduced by a mutual
third party to create an atmosphere of intimacy, in effect, bringing the
history of their relationship into yours. And the farther up their arm you
touch, the more familiar the message.

How you stand during your handshake is also significant.
Stepping forward with the right foot is the most common form, and communicates
parity, mirroring the forward motion of the prospect. For a change, try
stepping into the handshake with the left foot. Practice on a friend and you’ll
feel the subtle difference it makes. It makes them reach into your personal
space with their outstretched hand, and communicates a degree of warmth,
acceptance and trust.

Before taking a seat, always adjust the position of the
chair slightly, whether it needs it or not. You’re in effect taking control of
that little bit of real estate. If possible, arrange your chair so you can
directly face your prospect. And rather than flopping down in the seat, lower
yourself vertically onto the edge, then sit back, maintaining your balance.

Guerrillas are also known for their relaxed good humor, so
they never complain about the weather, the traffic, or the rough day they’re
having. They have something upbeat to say about the surroundings, the office
building, or the receptionist who greeted them.

The important thing to remember is that everything
you do communicates a message. By being aware of the messages you’re
telegraphing with your handshake and body posture, you can create the
emotional climate you want, rather than leave it to chance.

The Opening: Be Prepared to be Unprepared

The first thing you want to find out is what the prospect
had in mind when she agreed to this appointment. You want your prospect to set
the agenda for this meeting. Guerrillas resist the temptation to start telling
about themselves or their product. This is where you set the stage and
establish yourself as a real person, not an over-polished professional.

The guerrilla wants to find out what the client heard on the
phone, not what the guerrilla thinks was said or understood. An opening used
by a guerrilla in Chicago accomplishes this beautifully.

He sat down and began, “I didn’t get a chance to go by the
office this morning to pick up your file. What was it, specifically, that we
were going to discuss today?” The prospect replied with, “Well, you said that
your firm sold insulation and our heating bills are going sky high.” This
guerrilla interrupts with, “That sounds important. Do you mind if I take a few
notes?” and the guerrilla begins listening actively, as his prospect outlines
the meeting.

For the guerrilla, the big questions are: what does this
prospect really want, and what does he think he needs? These questions are
important because people buy what they want, not necessarily what they need.
This basic truth of human nature is often overlooked. Please don’t
misunderstand. You have a professional obligation to solve their problem, that
is, to satisfy their physical criteria. But people are motivated by wants, and
there may be little connection between the want and the need.

Order takers operating in the Pleaser phase sell only to
needs, while high-pressure Egos sell only to wants. The guerrilla creates a
major strategic advantage by selling to both.

Building Credibility

Guerrillas know that ultimately, buying is an act of faith
for the prospect. The decision depends on whether they believe in the product
and the salesperson. Even though the process occurs unconsciously, there are
four “C” factors that affect belief.

1. Consistency

The first factor people weigh is prior experience. Have you
been consistent with them in the past? And how so? If you tell someone that
you’re putting the information in the mail today, then it’s important that you
do just that. If you’ve been nasty to a co-worker, and you decide to butter
them up a bit because you need a favor, they’ll be suspicious from the first
kind word out of your mouth. Guerrillas are consistent.

2. Credibility

The second trust factor for a guerrilla is credibility.
What “story” are you presenting to your audience? Think about the way you’ll
be introduced, and the story you tell about yourself. Guerrillas never
exaggerate.

3. Congruency

The third trust factor is congruency. Do all the pieces of
your story and image fit together with your identity? You’d be suspicious of
someone driving an expensive sports car and wearing rags. Given an incongruent
message, people are far more likely to believe the non-verbal components of the
message: your posture, voice tone, inflection, and so on.

4. Common Ground

You can also build trust by establishing a common ground.
This is a very powerful rapport builder. When you’re away from home, have you
ever noticed how you feel when you see a license plate from your home state?
You spontaneously have something in common with these people.

Try to discover some small thing you share in common with
every prospect. Even the simplest commonalty will do, but it’s especially
effective if you share a common interest. Ask where they’re from, or where
they went to school. Are they sports fans? Do they have a special skill or
hobby, or a favorite charity? To arouse prospects’ interest, guerrillas talk
about what prospects are most interested in. Themselves.

Criteria and Priorities

Guerrillas know that people do not buy features and
benefits. They buy solutions to problems. The world’s best product or service
is worthless if it doesn’t satisfy a need. As a guerrilla, your task is to
discover your prospects’ physical criteria and demonstrate how your product or
service satisfies them. You’ll earn their confidence when you show that you
are meeting both their physical and emotional needs and that you can relate to
them on their terms. You must create a positive relationship before your
prospects will answer questions or even listen to your presentation. You won’t
be able to identify your prospects’ criteria, and they will not be receptive to
your solution unless you satisfy their priorities as well.

Satisfying your prospects’ physical criteria is far more
important than satisfying their cognitive priorities. In fact, satisfying
their priorities is only a means to this end. Concentrating on your prospects’
cognitive priorities while ignoring their physical criteria may increase your
popularity, but it will not lead to increased business. People buy solutions
to their problems. They do not buy from you because you are smart or nice or
clever.

Almost all salespeople repeatedly violate this principle.
They either concentrate on being a great person or focus on their products’
specifications. They talk about what their product is, how it works, and how
it compares with the competition, but not what it will do for their prospects.

Even experienced salespeople who take the problem-solving
approach tend to deal with criteria in a superficial way. They often address
only those specifications that are related directly to their product, and
ignore subtler, more important priorities.

For example, a computer salesperson might tell a prospect
that they need a faster, 486-based machine, with a 100 megabyte hard disk to
process a rapidly growing database. This may be true, but it doesn’t go far
enough. A computer is just a tool, and data is analyzed for a purpose.
Sensitive guerrillas get beyond the prospect’s data processing requirements to
learn why the database is growing so rapidly, and why this prospect feels it is
a priority. They strive to find out what the prospect wants the business to
become and how can they can help it grow. The actual physical specifications
of the new computer system, the criteria, will be determined later. You can do
exactly the same. Find out where your prospects want to go, and what obstacles
are preventing them from getting there. Then show how your product or service
can help them reach their goals.

Prospects face myriad challenges every day. They’re called
upon to solve problems with money and machinery, with engineering and
electronics, with communications and commitments, with designs and decisions,
with people and personalities. Whether they acknowledge it or not, they are
probably over-worked, over-stressed and overwhelmed. Demonstrate a sensitivity
to their situation, that you’ll be fair with them, that you really care, and
that your job is to share in solving these difficulties.

Things to Look For:

Many salespeople ask questions only about direct
opportunities to sell their products; they focus entirely on prospects’ direct
needs and ability to pay. This narrow focus reduces prospects’ receptivity and
prevents you from learning what they really want. You may be so intent on
discovering a need for one product that you overlook a much larger sale. The
more you know about your prospects, the better your chances.

If you focus too narrowly, prospects will feel you’re not
interested in their welfare. They’ll view you as another hustler, hungry for a
quick commission, and they will not be receptive. Guerrillas relate to them as
people, not just as potential buyers.

Evaluation of Proposals

Your prospect may have explicit written criteria for
evaluating proposals and for making buying commitments. Probe for these
criteria. Find out how proposals will be evaluated. If there is a formal
“Request for Proposal,” study it carefully before the call, make margin notes,
and ask some searching questions. Learn exactly what prospects want and how
they intend to evaluate these proposals. Your presentation must then
explicitly compare your product to their criteria.

You may learn that their evaluation process favors your
competition. For example, they may not care about some of your product’s
features, but are very price conscious. If your competition offers a cheaper
but less desirable product, then you’re at a severe disadvantage. Ask about
the rationale behind the standards. Ask why these criteria were established,
and try to add value to the proposal to make it more competitive. If you can’t
change the criteria, your competitor will probably will get the business.

Alternate Solutions

What other solutions are they considering? Doing nothing is
frequently an alternative; are they considering doing nothing? Are they
thinking of buying a totally different kind of product or a similar product
from one of your competitors? Learn as much as you can about their options.
Then convince them that your solution is better.

Fear of Buying

Prospects can be afraid of many things, such as buying
something they don’t need, being ignored after the sale, or offending their
bosses. They may be so intimidated by their problems that they can’t discuss
them openly.

As long as these fears remain hidden, you are helpless to
reduce their impact. Your job as a guerrilla? To help prospects discuss them
openly. The techniques presented in the next section will relax most prospects
and help them discuss their fears.

Listen Actively and Visibly

If prospects feel you are really listening, they will do
their best to help you to understand. They will open up, talk frankly, and
even forgive and correct your misunderstandings.

Listening is an active and visible process. You should let
prospects know how hard you are working to understand them. A few simple techniques
will increase the flow of information from prospects and your understanding of
that information.

Concentrate Like Crazy

Put everything else out of your mind. Forget your domestic
problems, your next appointment, expense reports, and hunger pains.
Concentrate on this prospect. Concentrate intensely. You will learn more, and
prospects will recognize and appreciate your concern.

Pause Along The Way

Silence may make you uncomfortable, but it’s part of the
required discipline of the guerrilla. If you are talking, the prospect can’t
talk. So pause frequently to encourage prospects to comment. And make those
pauses long enough. Many prospects are slow responders. A long pause gives
them a chance to organize their thoughts and then clearly state what’s on their
minds.

Let The Prospect See You Take Notes

Note-taking demonstrates that you are listening carefully.
It also helps you to see patterns. Facts may seem isolated when you hear them,
but a review of your notes can reveal unsuspected patterns. Record only the
important point. Do not become so intent on recording details that prospects
feel you are not relating personally.

Ask for permission before starting to take notes. A few
prospects feel uncomfortable about note-taking, and they will appreciate your
courtesy.

Maintain Eye Contact

Look at your prospects in a warm, non-challenging way. Let
your eyes show you are genuinely trying to understand.

The About-Face

One of the reasons for the public’s negative view of
salespeople is that they tend to do all the talking. You can’t miss the “Tell
ya’ what I’m gonna’ do!” stereotype. This all-too-typical loud-mouth, is a
blight on the profession. The guerrilla lets prospects do most of the talking
and uses the About-Face to keep the sales interview moving toward the order.

This purely guerrilla strategy involves asking questions in
response to a prospect’s questions and concerns. We call this strategy the
About-Face because it’s 180 degrees from the typical sales response. What does
an About-Face do for modern guerrillas?

While you are asking the questions, your prospect is doing
most of the talking. Your questions shift the focus away from you and flatter
your prospect. Your About-Face questions help your prospect to clearly define
and, perhaps, answer their own objections. Your questions help you gather
additional information to support your presentation, and they help you to probe
for your prospect’s cognitive needs and priorities.

Ask Three Times

Prospects rarely give a straight answer up-front.
Guerrillas know the counseling principle of three. That is, it will probably
take three questions along the same line to get to the prospect’s real intent.
Their first two answers generally arise out of Authority phase, and are
intellectual, factual, logical answers. The third answer is usually an
emotional response which reflects the prospect’s true intent.

The reason for this is simple. The prospect reasons that
since you took the time, had the patience, and showed enough interest to ask
three times, you sincerely want to know. Maybe the prospect can trust the
honesty of your questioning.

Here’s an example of an About-Face: The prospect says, “I
need top quality. Can you give me a high quality product?”

Your response is, “When you say ‘high quality,’ exactly what
specifications do you require?”

By asking this kind of question you’ll find out a lot more
than if you launch into an explanation about your quality control. When you
think that you know what your prospect needs, watch out.

“The Price Is Too High”

Notice that this common objection is a statement not a
question. This is true with most objections. The prospect is trying to tell
you something rather than ask you something. That’s why guerrillas never
answer objections. They don’t require answers. The prospect is looking for a
response, however.

The guerrilla responds by asking, “When you say ‘too high,’
what do you propose?” or, “When you say ‘too high,’ relative to what?”

There is no way for you to know what the prospect means by
saying “The price is too high.” There’s a big difference between a statement
and an objection. The statement “the price is too high” may be the prospect’s
way dealing with an issue totally unrelated to you or your product. This is
not necessarily an invitation to compromise. Using an About-Face gives
validity to the prospect’s statement and lets you hear what was meant. Take
the key words, the subject nouns or verb, and reflect them back in a question.

“Your price is too high.”

“Too high. . .?” (pause, expectant look)

“We’re going to have to talk about lowering your prices if
you want my business.”

“Okay, and when you say ‘your business,’ what exactly do you
have in mind?”

“I want to throw all of our catalogue business to you.”

“By ‘catalogue business,’ how much are we talking about?”

“About $10,000 a month.”

“‘Ten thousand a month?’ So, we are talking about a whole
different price list then?”

“Yes, and another thing. . .”

Now the guerrilla has gotten to the real issue, volume
pricing. A less courageous salesperson would have tried to answer the
objection by pitching quality or service or competitiveness. It requires
boldness to ricochet the objection back to the prospect for clarification.

Some more examples of About-Faces with prospects include:

“Your deliveries are too slow.”

“What does ‘too slow,’ mean for your firm’s needs?”

“I’m really unhappy about this situation.”

“When you say ‘unhappy,’ what does that imply?”

“Does this come in blue?”

“Why is blue of interest to you?”

“How wide is it?”

“Why do you ask about the width?”

“I’m concerned about it fitting in our storage area.”

“Great! Let’s measure the space very carefully.

“We really like your firm, and we are giving you top
consideration for this new contract. When can we see your proposal?”

What is this prospect trying to say by “top consideration?”
Who knows? The guerrilla does an About-Face:

“First of all, thank you. Let me ask a question. When you
say ‘top consideration,’ what do you intend?”

The Exception to The About-Face

If a prospect asks the identical question twice, answer it
quickly with facts, figures, and logic! You’re dealing with a pure Authority
type.

Universal Criteria

There are a few things that everyone is interested in.
Virtually everyone is interested in saving time, saving money, and reducing
headaches. Because these criteria are universal, the guerrilla strives
constantly to satisfy them as a matter of course, whether the prospect has
indicated they are important or not.

Time

Consultants preach the gospel of competing in time. We have
instant coffee, instant oatmeal, instant everything. Prospects have been
conditioned by technology to expect instant results. They don’t want to wait
on hold. They don’t want to wait until “sometime this afternoon” for someone
to return their call. They don’t want to wait until next week to get a
delivery. They don’t want to stand in line. They want it NOW.

So the guerrilla is constantly looking for ways to shorten
cycle times, to respond to the customer more quickly, to satisfy this need by
cutting a day here, an hour there. Guerrillas always respect the prospects’
time, and never waste it. Guerrillas never keep people waiting if it can be
helped, and when it can’t be helped, they keep the delay under 20 minutes or
re-negotiate the appointment. People will wait about 20 minutes before they
reach the threshold of impatience.

Guerrillas are quick and decisive. Guerrillas call instead
of writing, use fax instead of mail. If they say they will call at ten, they
wait until the stroke of ten o’clock, creating the impression that they conduct
all of their business with the same split-second precision. Prospects will be
more likely to keep appointments and commitments with them in the future.

Make a point to be exactly on time for the first meeting or
interview. Establish the time frame when you set the appointment, letting the
prospect know about how long the meeting will take, and verify it very early in
your conversation, and then stick to it. And if you can get your message
across in three minutes instead of the 30 you’ve scheduled, they will always
appreciate your efforts and tend to move things along more quickly in their
dealings with you in the future.

Money

Prospects want to save money. It’s the name of the game in
business. Anything they can do to cut costs makes their business more
profitable. The guerrilla keeps this in mind, knowing that most of his
competitors sell on the basis of price. But there are many other ways a
product or service can influence the customer’s bottom line: cost of handling,
storage, inventory, financing, or the impact it has on other areas of
operation, like extended terms that free up cash - these can often cost-justify
paying a higher price. The following chapter The Budget Stage, expands these
ideas.

Headaches

Prospects also want to make their life less complicated.
They want to reduce headaches. Countless firms pay a premium price for their
office supplies because they can get everything from one vendor who delivers
and bills them monthly. Some firms have sued to cancel multi-million dollar
contracts because a supplier was one day late with a critical part, forcing
them to close down their line. It happens. Prospects dislike detail,
paperwork, and complications. They want it to be simple and easy. The
guerrilla constantly tries to make it easier for them to do business. No
hassle. No paperwork. No problem.

Frito Lay has cornered the mom-and-pop-store market for
snack foods by having their salespeople take care of product inventory,
stocking and rotation.

A dry cleaner in Wichita put in a drive-thru window, gave their
regular customers numbered laundry bags, and directly bills their credit card.
No worries. From pizza to pencils to plastics, “We deliver” has become the
battle cry of guerrilla operators.

Priority Words

The key to the prospects’ emotional needs are found in their
Priority words. These words can give you the key to how this individual is
going to make the decision. Priority words are the ammunition guerrillas use
to defend their proposals against the competition, and the prospect will provide
a clip-full if you really listen.

If you really listen, people will tell you exactly what they
need and exactly what they want from you. You might have a hundred good
reasons why they should do what you’re suggesting, but their decision will
ultimately hinge on three of four factors that they feel are compelling.
Guerrillas always sell to these priorities. The priority words will tell you
what those factors will be.

Priority words are found in the prospects’ answers to
questions like, “What do you want in a _________?” (car, house, computer) or,
“What are you looking for from your ______________?” (insurance company, real
estate agent, stock broker). Listen closely to the answers, and jot down the
key words, the adjectives and adverbs that describe their priorities. Then,
probe those issues, using the same words to frame your question.

For example, consider a familiar situation like buying a
car. The priority question here is: “What do you look for in a car?” Your
answer will contain your priority words. Your priorities for buying a car
might include “style, comfort, and good gas mileage.” Let’s look at the last
one. What do people mean when they say “good gas mileage”? Twenty,
thirty-five, fifty miles per gallon? It depends! And the guerrilla has no way
of knowing whether their 28 mpg highway will be perceived as an economy car or
a gas hog. But if they describe it in terms of “having good gas mileage for
such a comfortable car,” matching the criteria words offered by the prospect, it’s
much more likely to be perceived in a favorable light.

To illustrate this further, a guerrilla selling printing
might ask, “What do you look for in selecting a printer?” The prospect’s
response will reflect the priorities used to make that choice. Whatever
factors are mentioned will be significant to the decision, and everything else
can be safely ignored. The prospect might say, “I look for good service and
timeliness. I also carefully check the quality, and of course price is always
a factor.”

These words, the subject nouns, “service, timeliness,
quality, price,” are this prospect’s priority words, and we will note them
carefully.

An important thing to keep in mind about priority words is
that you don’t know what they mean. The guerrilla has no idea exactly what
this prospect means when he says “service”. What’s “service?” For you it
might mean you’d rather stand in line than be waited on by someone who’s rushed
and surly. His standards and expectations might be very different from your own.
But the guerrilla really doesn’t have to know, because the prospect does. He
knows what that word means to him, and the guerrilla knows it’s meaningful, so
if you use it in your presentation, he’ll translate it for you and attach the
appropriate value.

If the guerrilla explains that their shop offers quick
turnaround, that may have meaning for the prospect, and it may not. But if the
guerrilla says, . . .”we pride ourselves on providing really first rate
service; you can count on us to service your account,” that’s going to
communicate, because that’s a priority word. He knows what it means, and the
guerrilla knows it’s important to him.

The same thing is true of the priority for timeliness. What
does timeliness mean? At this point, it really doesn’t matter, because he
knows what that means for him. And because he offered it as a priority word,
it’s likely to trigger a positive feeling that will play a role in his
decision. Even if you don’t really know what meaning they have for him, you can
get his attention and evoke a positive, receptive state simply by using his
priority words.

As a printing salesman, the guerrilla gets his attention by
saying, “I represent a printer whose service is impeccable and the quality is
the highest I have seen. Their price isn’t cheap, but if I understand you
correctly, you wouldn’t want a cheap printer. The turnaround on the job is
always timely. Would you be interested in doing business with a firm like
that?” How can he say no?

Notice the use of the words “service”, “quality” and
“price”. When you echo your prospects priority words you will see their
attention focus. They may nod up and down, and their face will flush a bit as
they relax and become receptive. Priority words are powerful rapport builders.

No Mind Reading Please

Two points. First, don’t try to second guess what they mean
by their priority words. And second, don’t try to substitute your own
vocabulary for theirs. You run the risk that your choice of words won’t have
the same meaning for them as they do for you.

Ultimately, the guerrilla is going to have to be prepared to
deliver what those things mean, but we are not quite ready to do that yet. In
order to sell printing to this individual, you’re going to have to prove that
the service is good to whatever standards he has for that. You’ll have to
prove that you can deliver on a timely basis, and in order for you to answer
that question, you eventually have to find out what his deadline is. You’ll
have to demonstrate the quality is going to meet his expectations, and you may
have to ask him for samples of other work he has had done so that you can
establish what that standard is. Certainly, you are going to have to come to
some agreement on the price.

What priority words do is give the guerrilla the keys to
unlock the prospect’s decision-making strategy. Now we know exactly where to
probe and expand. But at this point, you can engage their interest simply by
asking the question “What do you want in a ________?” listening for the nouns,
the criteria, and then systematically assuring them in advance that you can
deliver those things.

Forget It

Guerrillas also know that they can safely ignore everything
else. They can forget about telling all about this great, new press that
they’ve just installed. The prospect doesn’t care. The guerrilla can forget
about telling him that, “Yes, we do black and white, we do paper plate, we do
four color process, we do separations, we can do the camera work,” and all
that. It just doesn’t matter.

But if you can find out what he means by “service,” and what
particular kind of service he wants, and then demonstrate that you can do it,
he’s going to buy it every time. If you can address what he wants based on
what he has told you, and confine yourself to those issues, then you’ve
simplified the task for both of you.

Home Sweet Home

A real estate guerrilla might ask, “What do you want in a
new home?”

The prospect responds with, “We’d like someplace warm and
cozy, that will give us some privacy.”

“What is it about being cozy that is important to you?”

“This city is just so cold and impersonal, we don’t have any
room to entertain, and there are times when we just want to be totally alone
together.”

Now it’s time to verify our understanding of their
priorities. “So what you’re telling me is that you want something private,
away from the city, perhaps out in the woods or in the country. You want a
place that feels small and cozy, but with some room to entertain friends. Is
that right?” Always finish with a question.

“Yes, but not too far from the city. We still have to
commute.”

The Magic Selling Questions

Some helpful questions for isolating emotional priorities
include:

“What is the biggest discomfort you currently face?”

“What role do others play in creating this problem?”

“What other problems do you have with that?”

“What other ideas do you have?”

“If you could have things the way you wished, what would you
change?”

“How would this affect the current situation?”

“Why would you want to change?”

“Do you have a preference?

“Is there anything else you can tell me?”

The answers to these and similar questions will provide the
keys to your prospect’s motivation.

“How does cozy look to you?” Now the guerrilla makes the
transition from subjective or emotional priorities criteria to physical
criteria, asking the prospect to define their feelings into physical
specifications.

“We’d like to have a fireplace in the living room, and picture
windows that open onto a great view.”

“And a deck, with a spa, where we could barbecue or just
relax alone.”

“Okay, I’m beginning to get the picture. Maybe two
bedrooms, two baths. Well insulated. Maybe a fireplace in the master bedroom
as well?”

Criteria Words

The prospect will also have a set of physical specifications
that the product or service must meet, as in “it absolutely, positively has to
be there overnight,” or “I’m looking for a dress in a size seven.” These
criteria must ultimately be met in order for the prospect to be satisfied. The
guerrilla listens for these criteria words as well, and notes them throughout
the interview. Three very powerful magic questions for isolating criteria
words are:

“What are you using now?”

“What do you like most about it?”

“What do you like least about it?”

These answers tell the guerrilla what they have, what they
want to keep, and what they want to change, while avoiding a direct query into
their problem.

Once guerrillas have isolated the prospects’ key criteria,
they concentrate on those issues, and they ignore everything else. Other
criteria may be introduced as the conversation continues, but the guerrilla
concentrates only on those priority words and criteria words isolated by the
prospect.

The guerrilla understands that people do things for their
reasons, not yours. You may have a hundred good reasons why they should buy
this particular mountain home; price, location, good roads, rapid appreciation,
close to schools, shops, recreation, and you know what? They couldn’t care
less. No matter how good your reasons may be, ultimately, their reasons will
prevail. The guerrilla saves ammunition by aiming at the priorities and
criteria defined by the prospect’s answers.

Progression

It’s also useful to isolate the steps this prospect follows
when making a decision. People have a methodology, or strategy they follow
when making decisions, and this strategy or progression, is unique for each
prospect, but they tend to use the same progression whenever they make a
decision. The question that you can use to elicit progression is to ask, “How
did you decide. . .?” For example, a real estate agent might ask, “How did you
decide to move into the house where you live now?” then listen to the sequence
of steps.

“Well, first we narrowed the search down to a particular
neighborhood where we wanted to live, then we checked all the listings, marking
each address on a map. Then we looked at each one until we found the one that
felt right.”

This answer reveals not only the criteria, but the
progression of their house-buying strategy. If you lead them through the same
progression, it makes it easy for them to buy from you. Start by “narrowing
down” to the particular neighborhoods they liked best, then pull out a map, and
start “marking.” Like a familiar chair, following their progression puts you
in the selling “groove”. It fits their nature and their temperament. Besides,
they’re going to buy the house their way anyway. If not from you, then from
someone who makes them feel comfortable. So you might as well match their
strategy. Listen for the structure of the process they follow when making a
similar decision, and then systematically structure your case using the same progression.

Does That Compute?

Sometimes the customer doesn’t really know what they want.
Let’s take the case of a computer salesperson. If you ask the question “What
do you want in a computer?”, and the response you get is something like “I
don’t know” or “I’m not sure,” there are additional things you can do to get to
their criteria. You can ask, “What are you using now? What do you like most
about that?” or “What’s the exact problem you’re trying to solve?”

“What are you doing now?”

“We are doing everything manually.”

“What do you like most about doing that manually?” he asked,
repeating the prospect’s words in an About-Face.

“I like the idea that we have in-house control. I like the
idea that I can get the reports quickly.”

Now we’re getting criteria language: control, in-house,
quickly. If you can show her that your computer will do it more quickly, give
her better control, and still keep it in-house, she’s going to buy the
computer. And she really doesn’t care how many K’s of ram it has, or how many
megabytes the disk drives will store, or what its CPU clock speed is, so long
as they are in “control.” You can ignore the rest, because when you elicit
their criteria, you’re asking for a value judgment, and the progression will
reveal the way they make judgments in that particular context.

You also have to keep in mind that priorities, criteria
words and progression are sensitive to the context in which they’re used. They
are non-transferable. The way they make decisions about buying office supplies
may be very different from what they look for when they go shopping for real
estate.

Some additional questions for isolating criteria include:

“What is your main objective?”

“What are you doing to deal with that situation?”

“What are your plans for the future?”

“How do you plan to get it done?”

“Can you tell me more about that?”

“Is there a deadline?”

The answers to these questions will provide the performance
specifications for your proposal. Whatever else this new home may have going
for it must satisfy these physical criteria.

Criteria and Priorities

You’ll notice that the guerrilla, in addition to satisfying
physical criteria, is also satisfying emotional priorities as well. There are
two major categories of emotional priorities. General priorities common to
nearly all prospects, and specific priorities, unique to each type of
prospect.

 

Surveys consistently show that customers want salespeople to
relate to them in a certain way which can best be described as a way of being:
being fair, caring and willing to share. Guerrillas are familiar with these
principles since they form the bases of being at Phase Five, Principle.

 

Five Questions for Every Guerrilla

This becomes a three-way test: “Am I really being fair? Am
I showing that I care? Am I willing to do my share, and maybe more? The
following seven questions will help you evaluate how well you are relating to
the prospect’s general priorities.

1. Do I ask questions which show I really care?

Prospects want this most of all. They want to do business
with people who respect them and genuinely care about their welfare. The most
important message you can communicate is “I care!”

When you communicate a sincere concern, prospects will
forgive many errors. If they get the impression that you’re only interested in
the commission, it doesn’t make much difference if you do everything else
right. They will not trust you and they will not buy.

Consider the way people choose a doctor. Most of us have no
way of knowing how competent a particular physician may be. Instead, we choose
one who takes a sincere interest, who asks lots of questions, who is careful
and complete in his or her diagnosis, and who shows empathy for our discomfort
and pain.

2. Do I really listen to the answers?

Prospects want to be understood. People are hungry for
understanding; they need a sympathetic listener. Many lawyers and accountants
spend more time listening and advising people on personal problems than they do
working on purely legal or accounting matters.

In order to demonstrate that you’ve really heard your
prospect, summarize their answers by restating. Be explicit and complete.
Consult your notes.

“What I heard you saying is. . .”

“If I understand you correctly, . . .”

“So, in other words you need. . . and you need it by October
second.”

Take time to hear them out, even if the conversation seems
irrelevant to your business. Prospects will look forward to your next call and
will do everything possible to keep you coming back. They will provide the
information you need, and they may even buy your products when a competitor’s
are superior.

3. Do I give my prospect control over the sales meeting?

Prospects want you to care, but they also have a higher
need, protection. Most of us fear being out of control, not being in charge of
our own lives. We clam up when we suspect we’re being manipulated or forced,
and in a sales meeting we’re particularly on guard. A guerrilla way to
sidestep this feeling is to find at least one objection in the Needs Stage and
invite the prospect to end the meeting right there.

“UH oh, we’ve got a problem, it doesn’t come in green.
(pause) Am I finished here?”

It doesn’t matter much which phrase you use as long as the
prospect gets the message that you’re willing to have the meeting end if the
question you’ve raised is crucial. We’ve never seen anyone end the meeting at
this juncture. Here’s why.

You’ve been actively listening to your prospect for some
time now. You may be the only one who has ever listened this way. By now, the
prospect understands that you do care, their needs are more important than
yours, and now you’re showing that you’re fair. Maybe green wasn’t so important
after all!

4. Do I act professionally?

You are not a peddler. Concentrate on their priorities,
communicate sensitivity and concern, but also command respect for yourself as a
professional. Remember being professional does not mean having all the
answers. It means having a lot of questions and actively listening.

Honesty and directness are important parts of this
professional image. Do not be defensive about being a salesperson or pretend
you are making a social call. Prospects feel more comfortable if you clearly
communicate that you have called to do business. If you appear comfortable in
your role, prospects usually will feel more comfortable with you.

5. Do I relate to prospects on their own terms?

Prospects and customers really do believe that they are
always right, and even when they’re wrong, they’re still the customer. They
believe you’re obligated to sell on their terms, and they resent salespeople
who don’t. Essentially, all prospects want you to communicate: “You’re the
boss and I’ll do whatever I can to make you comfortable.”

Prospects particularly resent someone like you trying to
satisfy your needs at their expense. It doesn’t matter whether your needs are
to be the star, to get a warm reaction, or to avoid emotions. Prospects are
just not interested in your attempts to make yourself comfortable. They expect
you to cater to their comfort.

Since all types of prospects want you to adjust, you must
understand the specific needs of different types of prospects as well.

Priorities and The Mind Map

People with well balanced, mature personalities relate to
others naturally. Regardless of the circumstances, they behave in ways that
make others more comfortable. They exhibit flexibility. Because they are comfortable
with themselves and their role, it is easy for them to adjust to the needs of
others, and to adapt to a variety of situations. However, psychologists and
sociologists tell us that less than 15 percent of the adult population is
consistently operating from the Phase Five, Principle or higher.

To help you identify the specific priorities of the
prospects you are most likely to encounter, we will look at Phases Two, Three,
and Four, the classic Ego, Pleaser, and Authority personalities in depth, and
how they respond at the Need Stage.

These profiles will help you understand how you should adapt
to each type. Most prospects will have more balanced personalities, and you
will need to modify your approach accordingly. For an overview of all seven personality
phases, refer to Chapter Two, The Mind Map.

Ego Prospects

The characteristic cognitive priority of Phase Two, the Ego
prospect is status. For them, everything must be the best! They are fiercely
competitive, and must win at everything: business, golf, even cocktail parties
are life-and-death contests. They are compelled to make more money, lower
their handicap, and score more points at parties than anyone else.

When they meet a stranger, they want to know: “Am I better
than he is? Do I make more money, own a larger house, play better golf?”

Classic Ego people are ambitious, tough, aggressive,
overbearing, close-minded, anti-intellectual, and insensitive. Since
everything is a contest, they can’t afford to think about other people’s
feelings. It would distract their attention from the only goal that really
matters: winning.

Since winning is so important, Ego people may cut corners.
They would rather not lie or cheat because it taints their victory, but a
tainted victory is infinitely better than losing. Because they will do
anything to win, they assume others do the same. As a result, they often
distrust others.

Ego people are impulsive and individualistic. Taking
orders, accepting advice, or following procedures compromise their need for
control, and are therefore a kind of defeat. They insist on doing things their
way and may break the rules to do so.

They are afraid of sacrifice, afraid of weakness in
themselves, and of being a Pleaser to other people. When two Egos meet, it’s
war. Both feel, internally, “It’s either him or me.”

They dominate Phase Three, Pleaser people. Pleasers
naturally accept a submissive role, and Ego people despise and bully them.
Some Ego people deliberately surround themselves with people they can easily
push around.

Authority people frustrate them. They cannot stand being
ignored, and Authority people ignore everybody. The Ego people then become
more aggressive, causing the others to withdraw further. Eventually, Ego
people give up and look for their own kind of people.

Ego Reaction to Salespeople

Ego prospects distrust salespeople and are afraid they will
be exploited or defeated. However, many Ego prospects like having salespeople
call. They are stimulated by the battle of wits with other Egos and enjoy
bullying the Pleasers.

Their unspoken questions about you include: “Are you good
enough to get my business? Are you a top producer? Do you earn as much as I
do? Are you tough enough to slug it out with me?” Their status-consciousness
makes them insist on dealing only with top people. They want the manager, the
vice-president or even the president to handle their account.

Ego prospects generally buy from Ego salespeople. They
despise and abuse Pleaser salespeople but occasionally will “throw them a bone”
to build up their own egos and to keep them coming around. They are
intimidated by Authority salespeople, so they dislike and avoid them.

Most Effective Approach for Egos

The guerrilla approach for the Phase Two, Ego prospect is to
show them how your product will give them the competitive edge. This is their
number one priority.

Satisfy their criteria by showing them that your product is
the newest, most advanced, state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line whatever available
on the planet today. Price is usually no object. They want the best.

Ego prospects respond to smooth leadership. Wear your best
suit. Have your meeting in the lobby of a posh hotel or the best restaurant in
town. Let the glitz show.

One guerrilla offered to meet his Ego prospect at the
airport, then hired a limo and driver to drive them both to the prospect’s
offices. A guerrilla real estate agent showed his out-of-town prospect an
apartment complex by flying over it in a Lear Jet.

You must prove that you are tough and competent without
being challenging. You can play into their need for status and attention by
using the formal form of their name, using their titles, and complimenting them
on every opportunity. Be careful. Don’t get caught being naive about
criteria. Instead of “Gee, that’s a nice boat,” always qualify your
accolades. “Those Cal 29’s are really comfortable, but, without a spinnaker,
they’re a bit sluggish in light air.” Or only compliment part: “That’s a great
ad, good use of contrasting color.” These half-compliments imply a greater
depth of knowledge than you may actually have.

Pleaser Prospects

The characteristic priority of the Phase Three, Pleaser is
approval. They desperately want love, acceptance, and understanding. They’re
warm, friendly, and sincerely interested in people, happy to be part of a group
and enjoy all form of socializing. They are good listeners and are sensitive
to other’s needs. However, since approval is so critical, these prospects
rarely make buying decisions for fear of being criticized.

Pleasers are cooperative and compliant. They go along with
other’s ideas because they want to be liked. They are givers. They want to
help people, especially those who reward them with gratitude and affection.

All these traits make the Pleaser popular. However,
classic Pleaser prospects are so insecure that they constantly seek
reassurance. Their demands can become so emotionally exhausting that people
withdraw. This increases their insecurity and requests for reassurance,
causing further withdrawal. This cycle may continue until the relationships
break down.

Their insecurity makes the Pleaser an easy target to
exploit. They may go along, even when they suspect they are being taken for a
ride. Pleaser people are afraid of being alone, of rejection, and of all forms
of conflict or competition. They are also frightened by hostility, especially
their own. They want to believe they feel warmly toward everyone.

Jealousy is also a serious problem. They feel hostile
toward anyone who may come between them and the people they like, but they feel
guilty about these feelings.

They usually relate well to other Pleaser people. Both
satisfy the other’s needs, but both may suspect they are giving more than the
other, and ask for more than the other can give.

They will allow Ego people to bully and exploit them. The
resentment builds until they can no longer suppress it, then they lash out in
very destructive ways like the meek wife who, after years of abuse, murders her
tyrannical husband.

Phase Four, Authority people really frustrate them.
Pleasers want to get close, but the Authority people remain aloof. They chase
them for a while, then give up and look for someone friendlier.

Pleaser Reaction to Salespeople

They are the easiest to call on. They will not reject you
openly, and many Pleasers enjoy meeting new people. They are chatty and
pleasant, but they can also be covert. They are hesitant to openly discuss any
issues involving conflict or problems with other people. They may create the
impression that they have the authority to act when they do not. They make
promises and stall, rather than risk disappointing you by saying “no.”

Their unspoken feelings about you are: “Do you sincerely
care about me? Do you really like me, or are you just being nice to get my
business?”

Most Effective Approach for Pleasers

The guerrilla approach with the Pleaser is to be patient,
take time to establish a relationship, and let them know you like them.

Satisfy their need for approval by taking time to ask about
their family, their vacation, or their new potted plant. They may be so
preoccupied by their socializing that they forget about business, so gently
turn the discussions to the business at hand.

Pleaser prospects generally buy from people they like, and
are fiercely loyal to their friends, actually buying inferior products or
paying higher prices to give business to particular people.

Like the buyer in a department store in Hawaii who kept a
hot pot of Kona coffee brewing for her visitors. Even if you’re not a coffee
drinker, you better sip a bit and comment on its rich flavor.

They need to be encouraged and motivated, and appreciate
your efforts, provided they believe you are pushing them for their own good.

Authority Prospects

The classic Authority prospect is afraid of intimacy,
dependence, and unpredictability. Their characteristic cognitive need is
control. They are more comfortable with things, ideas, or numbers than they
are with people. In fact, one of their major reasons for avoiding people is
that they are not as predictable as numbers or machines.

They do not understand emotions and try to avoid them. They
suppress their own emotions and ignore other people’s. They are shy, aloof,
impersonal and incommunicative.

Authority people like order and predictability. Their
desks, homes and checkbooks are arranged perfectly, and they can be severely
upset by minor deviations from their customary routines.

They are independent, but in a different manner than Ego
people. They have even less need for people, but do not want to flaunt their
power. They readily accept the impersonal jurisdiction of rules and procedures
but avoid people who attempt to control them directly.

Authority people are open-minded about impersonal issues.
They like facts and logic, and they pride themselves on their objectivity. If
someone challenges their position, they do not respond angrily. They try to
look at the facts objectively and will change positions if the data requires.
They will argue for the hell of it.

They generally work in fields requiring objective,
impersonal analysis, such as chemistry, physics, engineering, accounting, and
management sciences. They enjoy this type of work and are most comfortable
with the people who enter these fields.

Their relationships with other Authority people are
comfortable, but distant. They enjoy each other’s minds, and neither makes
demands upon the other.

They generally buy from Authority salespeople. They dislike
the other types, particularly the Ego people. They hate to be pushed and
pressured. They regard them as poorly informed, emotional bullies and try to
avoid them completely.

Authority people feel contempt and hostility toward Pleaser
people. They regard them as illogical and emotional, the two most deadly sins
in their book. They resent Pleaser people’s demands for reassurance and
approval and are frightened by their attempts to get close.

Authority Reaction to Salespeople

Authority prospects distrust and dislike salespeople in
general. They regard the entire sales process as an imposition, and do their
best to avoid it. They feel they can objectively analyze their own problems
and make their own decisions.

Their major question about you is: “What are the facts?” but
their unspoken criteria include, “Are you logical and objective, or are you a
`typical’ salesperson? Will you give me the data I need to make a decision
without intruding on my privacy, or will you try to push me into buying
something I may not want?”

Most Effective Approach for Authorities

The guerrilla approach to the Authority is to show them how
this is the most logical choice, considering the alternatives.

Satisfy their need for control by letting them decide minor
matters whenever possible, like the most convenient time to meet or where to
have lunch. Give them plenty of time to review proposals and contracts. They
have a high capacity for information and detail. Make sure everything is
exactly right.

With Authority prospects, the guerrilla must remain
detached, logical, and impersonal. Let the facts speak for themselves. Keep
your personality out of the interaction. Quote third party authorities.
Support your position with figures, percentages, charts and graphs.

The Core of the Guerrilla Approach

To make sales you must satisfy prospects’ needs. There are
two types of needs. Criteria needs are those which your product can satisfy.
Priority wants are the ones you satisfy through your relationship with the
prospect.

Criteria are far more important than priorities. The core
of the guerrilla approach to sales is identifying criteria, then demonstrating
that your product can solve them. You cannot identify or satisfy criteria if
you are not sensitive to priorities. Prospects will not answer your questions
or listen receptively to your proposals unless they feel comfortable with you.

All prospects want you to care about their welfare, listen
to their problems, provide continuing service, act confidently and
professionally, and relate to them on their terms. However, these terms depend
upon prospects’ specific needs.

Chapter 6:
THE BUDGET STAGE

Universal Money Issues

Money! There are few things more difficult to talk about,
especially with strangers, and particularly with salespeople. People get weird
about money. It seems to have some mystical quality that makes otherwise
reasonable people anxious and crabby.

It seems nobody ever has enough money. “We can’t afford it”
is perhaps the objection salespeople most often hear. Money is the very next
thing guerrillas discuss once they’ve found a need. They must confirm that the
prospect can afford their product or service. Guerrillas are careful never to
present solutions that the prospect can’t afford. By dealing with the money
issues at Stage Two of the NaB & CaPTuRe selling cycle, guerrillas defuse the
“we can’t afford it” objection before it turns up.

Priorities and Pay-backs

Having isolated Needs in Stage One, guerrillas turn the
money issue to a tactical advantage by operating in the arena of priorities
rather than costs and pay-backs. If guerrillas can show that a proposed
investment in a product or service is a higher priority than some other planned
expenditure, then the money can be found.

Few of us keep a hundred thousand dollars lying around, but
if you were just diagnosed as having a brain tumor, and needed an operation
which would cost one hundred thousand dollars, you’d find the money. You’d
make it a priority.

“You can’t always get what you want,
but if you try sometime,
you just might find,
you can get what you need.”
--Rolling Stones, 1971

Getting prospects to tell you how much money they have to
spend is crucial if you want to sell honestly and professionally. Prospects
are often reluctant to reveal how much they have to work with, or even what’s
allocated in a corporate budget. The reasons are not all that obvious. One
may have to do with the cognitive need to stay in control. Ego phase prospects
keep their budget close to the vest. As in a poker game, they may feel that
showing their hand puts them at some disadvantage.

Prospects may fear paying more than they might otherwise
have to, so they hold back this information, waiting for the salesperson to
name a more competitive price. We’ve heard potential home buyers complain about
salespeople, “I didn’t want to tell him how I was going to finance it. I felt
it was none of his business. I just wanted him to help me find the right
house, but he kept asking how I was going to get the money.”

A guerrilla would ask something like: “Is there a reason why
you’re hesitant to share this information?” and listen carefully to the
answer. Guerrillas need to know a specific dollar amount, and may need to
explain to the prospect that to get the best possible bargain they must be
completely frank about finances.

Discovering Your Prospect’s Budget

Guerrillas know that people buy priorities, not price. If
they tell you they’re buying strictly on price, they’re being less than
completely honest. Priority is based on a combination of factors including
quality, service, warranties, convenience and even the individual personality
phases involved. The most important factor of all is the pain you’ve uncovered
in the Needs Stage.

The guerrilla never sells on price alone, but justifies the
expenditure based on benefits. The guerrilla uses this combination principle,
focusing on the key factors of need, priorities and criteria, using the
progression the prospect will eventually use to justify his or her purchase to
others.

Wish List

You are a professional, and your intent is to do business,
and your prospects may not be clear about their own priorities. For example,
parents wander up and down the aisles of a toy store at Christmas, clutching a
carefully crayoned Santa letter. Their budget is only some vague upper limit.

A guerrilla clerk would start by creating the human bond:
“Hi, my name’s Janet. You folks look like you could use some help. There’s
over 10,000 toys here and it’s all a bit intimidating.”

Now she moves to the Need phase. “Tell me about your
children.” She listen carefully, noting their names and ages on a 3x5 card,
asking lots of questions about their interests and play habits.

“Of all the things on this list, which do you think your
child wants Santa to bring the most?”

“Tell me about the toys they have now.”

“Do they have a favorite?”

“Are they artistic or more athletic? Do they play mostly
indoors or outdoors?”

“Which ones do you think they would play with the most?”

“Do they have a brother or sister who will share with
them?”

“Do you feel it’s important that toys have an educational
value? If so, here are a couple that would make a good choices. Let’s start
here.”

By focusing the conversation on the underlying criteria, the
guerrilla helps these parents sort out their conflicting priorities, so they
can eventually justify spending the money. And as every parent knows, we
always spend more at the toy store than we budgeted.

Just Ask

It’s absolutely fair to ask your prospects, point blank, to
share their justifications and budgets with you. A guerrilla might ask: “Jim,
when you solve this problem, how are you’re going to tell Mr. Big about your
decision?”

You may be able to discern spending priorities from other
readily available data. A guerrilla we know who works in an advertising agency
carefully analyzes the annual report of a prospective client looking for sales
data and trends. She also scans other publications seeking ads for competitive
products being launched, and based on her knowledge of what those ads cost, she
can extrapolate what the competition is already spending. By applying some
simple formulas to these numbers, she can deduce a competitive advertising
budget for her client, and justify her position based on the company’s historic
performance.

The Budget Rangefinder

When you do ask, it’s better to do it in easy stages. “Off
the record,” one guerrilla begins, carefully setting his pen down on the table,
“what kind of budget do you have in mind, in round numbers?” Your objective is
to soften up their defenses by breaching the topic in general terms.

“Somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000.”

Once they’ve told you where the target range is, aim closer
and closer to the bull’s-eye.

“Closer to $10,000 or closer to $15,000?”

“Closer to fifteen.”

“How close?” By asking for progressively precise figures
you make it easier for the prospect to share the specifics. But this still
might not give you the whole picture.

What’s the Problem?

Guerrillas know the power of defining the budget in terms of
a problem that must be solved. A computer software salesman might ask, “How
much business do you lose because of problems keeping track of your past
customers, approximately?”

“What might it cost, ultimately, if things remained as they
are?”

“Can you estimate how much it would save if you could solve
this problem? Can you give me a rough estimate?”

The prospect scratches his head, “Gee, I have no idea.”

“Well then, let’s take a look.”

The standard guerrilla response to “I don’t know” is,
“Guess.” You must get a number. Do not be satisfied with a vague, “We’ll find
the money” response.

Finding Funding

Often, spending the money isn’t the issue; it’s finding the
money. Prospects are often unaware of the costs involved, let alone the
alternatives for paying. Guerrillas explore their thinking in this area by
asking:

“What financial alternatives have you considered?”

Guerrillas may get a straightforward, “We’ll pay cash,” or a
direct, “We’re just looking,” or something in between. If they simply can’t
afford the purchase, the guerrilla may resort to, “UH oh, we’ve got a problem,”
and exit stage right. But true guerrillas are more tenacious, and more
creative. If your prospect looks as if they may not have the resources, deal
with financial options right up front. When they realize that they may be able
to afford the purchase after all, he or she will be more forthright about
sharing their wants and needs.

Guerrilla Financing Alternatives

Many companies have discovered the value of extending credit
to their customers. Major retailers often generate more profit on the credit
card interest than they did on the original merchandise. The guerrilla is
careful about introducing the idea of credit. Prospects may be gun shy of
signing up for another credit card. Instead, offer it as an afterthought, “And
of course, if you anticipate being a regular customer, we can open an account
for you, and you pay nothing until July.”

Bridge to these issues gently, stating them as information
rather than as a question. “If you have credit established with another
company, or perhaps a major credit card, that would be enough to qualify you
for our revolving charge.”

Giving customers more time to pay is another tactic. “Our
competitors are on COD, but we can give you 30 days to pay, and can extend that
an extra 30 days if necessary.”

Suggest ways for prospects to start using your products and
services, even if it’s a small start. They may become larger companies in the
future, better able to afford enormous orders. There is no need to place a
major order right now. A minor order will be just fine, thank you.

Thinking into the future is a guerrilla concept that has
been used from computer companies to tennis shoe manufacturers who provide
their products to high schools. By establishing their user habits now, in a
few years, these students will then be buying these products for the rest of
their lives.

Building Future Sales

Here are more proven, yet little-known guerrilla ideas to
help you make many sales in the future:

1. Get them in your club.

Companies like Costco and Sam’s Club have demonstrated the
multi-million dollar sales potential of offering memberships to students,
seniors, active military, veterans, people with children, government employees,
homeowners, business owners. The possibilities are endless. Invite them to
become members in your Preferred Customer Club. Free. Members get a discount
and are notified about sales several days before the general public. Give them
a special parking lot or a special check-out aisle.

2. Educate your prospects.

Offer low cost or free workshops and seminars related to
your products. Teach potential buyers how they can use a cellular telephone,
or how to get the most from a fax machine, satellite dish, or modem. Titles
like “Programming Your New VCR” can draw a crowd. Camouflage these with care.
Keep them under an hour in length. Serve refreshments. Emphasis must be on
real content. This is not a sales presentation in disguise. Prospects with a
genuine interest and a real need will qualify themselves.

These forums are particularly useful for high tech items,
including the obvious ones like computers and new software, and the less
obvious like microwave ovens and programmable coffee makers. By answering
often-asked questions in advance, guerrillas reduce new-user frustration and
pre-empt demand for product support later on.

3. Invite them in.

Rent or lease, at little or no cost, your equipment, your
office, or your showroom space to prospective clients during your off hours.
Soon these prospects will get spoiled and decide they need equipment of their
own. Others will feel more at home there and be inclined to buy from you.

For certain capital equipment, leasing or renting can be
very attractive options to outright buying. Companies can directly deduct the
lease payment cost in the current period, rather than having to depreciate the
item over time. There may be investment tax credits, R&D credits, or other
tax advantages as well. Because the codes change constantly, check with your
CPA.

4. Get Creative

Creative financing is the norm in the real estate industry.
With the current average price of a home in the U.S. at nearly $150,000, and
interest rates often running in double digits, very few first-time buyers can
come up with the down payment or meet the monthly mortgage. Yet houses somehow
get sold. The guerrilla uses many of the same creative financing tactics.

Help your customers arrange for subleases or timeshares to
ease the financial burden for first time or new start-up clients.

5. Start Small

A guerrilla might suggest that they start off with low end
products and offer a generous trade in for more high end future purchases. A
real fair-care-share guerrilla might even suggest the client start off small,
by buying Volumes I and II, and later add III, IV and V, rather than buying the
whole set at one time. Having two volumes is infinitely better than none at
all.

6. Start Big

A prospect might be encouraged to make a large purchase in
order to take advantage of a volume discount, but taking delivery in phases as
the payments are made. A butcher who runs a shop in Kentucky often suggests
his prospects organize a group of neighbors to split up a side of beef and
share the savings.

7. Planned Obsolescence

Another guerrilla option is to suggest that prospects sell
or rent older, outmoded machinery or software to smaller start-up competitors
and upgrade their own operation to the state-of-the-art product that the
guerrilla represents.

8. Take it to the Bank

Guerrillas are also ready to assist prospects applying for a
bank line of credit to finance their products. In the future, these credit
lines will become an important asset of the prospect’s firm. Far sighted
guerrillas arrange these credit lines in advance, offering “pre-approved
financing” to customers who fit the required profile.

Unique Money Issues

To help you identify the specific money issues of prospects
you are most likely to encounter, we will look again at Phases Two, Three, and
Four, the classic Ego, Pleaser, and Authority personalities outlined in Chapter
Three. As in the last chapter, these will be caricatures; very few people
possess all the characteristics of the extremes. However, these examples will
help you understand how best to talk about money with each type.

Amoral Prospects

For many of us, money is one of the two or three critical
areas of life involving genuine, responsible maturity. Rather than face these
areas head on, some people just temporarily duck and hide, hoping that the
issue will solve itself. Should such an Amoral shut down seem to be occurring
with your prospect, it’s time to verify that this has happened. You might
repeat your last question to the client: “Exactly how did you plan to pay for
this?” If you can’t get a definite answer, reschedule the appointment.
Perhaps you just happen to be meeting at a bad time. Who knows? Your client
may have just received a letter from the IRS about last year’s tax return.
Retreat to base camp.

Ego Prospects

Ego prospects are as miserly and selfish about money as they
normally are about other aspects of their lives. Like the Cadillac in the
trailer park, these people’s spending priorities can seem out of place. They
will only part with their money in order to impress, to appear to be the
“best.” They’re not really interested in how much time a cellular phone will
save them, but they are concerned that it be top-of-the-line, and better than
the one that their colleague bought last week.

When the Ego phase prospect spends money, you can be certain
that the biggest payoff is emotional. Guerrillas need to show that their
products and services will help the prospect “win” in the never-ending struggle
to succeed and beat everyone else. This can be a factor even when the product
is purchased for the good of a large organization and will benefit many others.
You must demonstrate competitiveness.

Pleaser Prospects

Pleasers usually have the least fiscal responsibility. They
have the most difficulty with budgets, and even balancing their own checkbook
is a real chore. They enjoy buying things, especially for others, and they
often act impulsively. Their intent is customarily benevolent, but they may
overlook the harsh economic realities in their quest to seem charitable. The
guerrilla should show how this purchase will make life more convenient for
others, or how much their benefactor will enjoy it, or show how it will make
the world a better place. You must demonstrate compassion.

Authority Prospects

The Authority phase is as fond of budgets as the Pleaser
phase eschews them. Authority people find comfort and satisfaction in the
exactness of dollars and cents. These are people who will spend an hour
looking for the missing 13 cents on the monthly transaction report. They do
not buy image or adoration; they are interested only in results. Guerrillas
sell them on performance specs, savings stats, pay-back cycles, and attention
to the penny detail. You must demonstrate competence.

Principled Prospects

Mature prospects at the Principled phases are looking for
the overall benefit to the firm, to the public and to themselves, in equal
proportions. They want you to give more than you’re required, and provide a
level of service few other salespeople will. The guerrilla sells them by
sharing this broader perspective. You must demonstrate concern.

A guerrilla who works for a Computerland store often pulls
out his wholesale price book and shows the figures to his customers. “I just
wanted to share this information with you so you can understand how aggressive
we are on our pricing. You get the machine you really need, you save your firm
a lot of money, and you still have the support of a big name company like
Computerland.” That man is a guerrilla.

The Bottom Line on Money

When you know your prospect’s need for your product and your
prospect’s ability to pay, you have completed Stages One and Two of the
six-step guerrilla NaB & CaPTuRe Track.

A note of caution: Do not go on to Stage Three until you
have completed Stage Two. It’s a waste to spend any more time with prospects
if you can’t find some creative way for them to pay. You must clearly
establish your prospect’s budget and financing options before you go on to the
Commitment Stage. The only way to get this information is to ask for it.
Remember, the vice president of purchasing isn’t necessarily the only one who
may have the answer.

When talking about money, guerrillas take care to form their
questions in a non-threatening way. They use phrases like “approximately,” “in
round numbers,” just between you and me,” and “off the record.”

Guerrillas attack money matters head on, with frankness,
openness, and creative options, and help their prospects better understand
their own needs and financial priorities. This flank assault gives them the
tactical advantage of knowing that finances will not suddenly become an issue.

Chapter 7:
THE COMMITMENT STAGE

Handling Objections and Summarizing

The third stage in guerrilla selling is to get a commitment
to buy. With the completion of this Stage of the NaB & CaPTuRe track, the
guerrilla has closed the sale before making a presentation. Once your
prospects are committed to solving the problem they’ve articulated, all you
need to do is tell your story.

By the end of this stage you should know that your prospect
has a need that you can fulfill, has the budget to make the purchase, and has
the authority to make some kind of decision today. This stage also includes an
“NBC Summary” of the three Stages covered so far. If your selling cycle
requires more than one call, the required commitment may simply be the
scheduling of another meeting with someone else, arranging for completion of
paperwork, or setting up a training session with end-users.

Handling Objections, Guerrilla Style

The guerrilla must find at least one problem or objection
that he or she will use to test the intent of the prospect. For the guerrilla,
this objection provides an opportunity to turn the control of the conversation
back to the prospect.

“So, as I understand you Jim, you’re looking for a high end
office desk in a mahogany finish?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What is it about the mahogany finish that’s important to
you?”

“Mahogany has such a rich look, especially in an office.”

“Well, we’ve got a problem. It doesn’t come in mahogany.
Should I leave?”

“Well, no, not exactly, how about a dark walnut?”

“No problem, but are you sure the dark walnut will create
the rich look you wanted?”

“Yes. Perhaps a walnut, or even a dark oak.”

“You’re sure?”

Guerrilla salespeople actually welcome objections for
several reasons. First, it gives them the opportunity to give control back to
the client as we’ve seen. Next, consider that people will not object unless
they’re seriously considering your proposition.

The worst thing that can possibly happen is that you go
through your whole thing, then get to the end and ask, “What do you think?”

And they say, “Well, no.”

Then you say, “Well, maybe there’s something that I didn’t
explain, or something that you don’t understand?”

“No.”

“No? Well, is there some difficulty with the company?
Perhaps there is some problem there?”

“No.”

“Well, maybe it’s me. Did I say something or do something
that offended you in some way?”

“No.”

Now you’re really stuck! You can’t go anywhere from there.

That’s why guerrillas welcome objections with open arms.
The first reason to welcome objections is that they are usually buying
signals. They indicate that you are being taken seriously, but that the
prospect still has some question or some criteria that hasn’t been answered to
their satisfaction.

Another reason to welcome objections is that they present an
opportunity to close. Objections are telling you, essentially, “Well, if you
can satisfy these criteria or if you can solve this problem, then we’ll go
ahead with it.” Because most people want to say “no” before they’ll say “yes”,
an objection is one stage closer to making the sale. By accepting and dealing
with prospect objections, you’re giving them a chance to fulfill that
psychological need for control of the situation.

Now imagine that you are selling a fine, expensive home, and
think about some of the objections you’re likely to encounter. All salespeople
are likely to run into objections about price. So let’s look at several ways
to deal with the “price is too high” objection.

1. Budget Stage before Commitment Stage

First of all this objection should have been dealt with in
Stage Two, The Budget Stage. However, there are times when prospects insist
that they have enough budgeted for your service, only to find out in the
Commitment Stage that their budget somehow shrunk as they “really thought about
it.”

2. Keep Breathing

Now, remember that objections are buying signals, so the
first step is: don’t panic. Take a deep breath and re-focus your attention on
the prospect, then relax. They are actually considering the consequences of
this investment and wondering if it’s justified. They have, at least mentally,
bought the house. It’s not the house you need to sell at this point, but
instead, their ability to pay for it.

3. Clarify

The next step is to clarify the objection because you really
can’t answer an objection until you’re certain that you know exactly what it
is. Number one on the list of dumb things that salespeople do is to offer an
eloquent answer to the wrong objection, leaving prospects feeling pushed and
pressured. Instead, clarify the objection by listening carefully and asking
questions. You’re listening for clues that will reveal their important
priorities and criteria.

The better your understanding of the central issues, the
easier it will be to answer the objection. Ask questions and probe with
phrases like: “Let me make sure I understand exactly what’s on your mind here.
Are you concerned about its re-sale value?”

Then paraphrase their thinking. Use all of the active
listening skills you’ve been learning as you’ve been undergoing this guerrilla
training.

4. Verify

A lot of salespeople tend to jump in with a standard
counter-pitch that may be completely inappropriate, instead of responding to
one individual’s particular criteria. Guerrilla salespeople never make the
mistake of trying to bury the objection in a pile of additional evidence. They
never say, “Yes, but it’s such a nice house and the pool is so beautiful and
it’s the best rated value by the Realty Board” and on and on. If the central
issue of their objection is never addressed, this only serves to strengthen the
buyers’ position and makes them feel pushed and manipulated as well.

You might ask, “Well, let me make sure that I understand
what you are saying. Do you mean that you can get a less expensive comparable
home somewhere else, or do you mean that it’s not worth that much to you to
live in such a lovely home; perhaps it’s a matter of finances. Can you tell me
which is it?”

“Well, I think that I could get a better price buying direct
from an owner.”

Now, that’s a different objection. Price objections can
take many forms. You want to make sure that you clarify the objection and hear
specifically what it is that they are actually objecting to.

5. Rephrase

It’s useful at this point to verify by restating or
paraphrasing the objection. This is one of the smartest things you can do
because it lets them know that they’ve been heard and understood, and that it’s
okay for them to take that position.

“Well, I can understand why you might feel that way. The
homes we represent do include a sales commission.”

This posture avoids a head-to-head confrontation on the
issue and actually strengthens your rapport at that critical time when you need
it most. It puts you both on the same side of the fence, looking at the
facts. You can also use this opportunity to soften the objection just a little
bit by feeding it back in language that is not quite as strong. “There are
always a few percentage points included in the price to cover the cost of
marketing the house.”

Feel, Felt, Found

A guerrilla way to remember to rephrase is the “feel, felt,
found” approach. The general form is: “I understand how you feel. A lot of
people have felt that same way. But once they found out how beneficial this
is, then they feel differently”.

For example, the real estate salesman might say, “I
understand that you feel some concern about getting the best possible price on
your new home. Every client we’ve had has felt the same way. When you
consider the value of our service and our firm’s warranty on the house, and the
other financial options we’re offering, you will have found that it really
represents a fair and unbeatable price.”

Overcoming Objections

Guerrillas are careful not to over-react when they’re
attacked. They know that most objections are really questions in disguise, so
they stand their ground and simply answer the issue by providing the
appropriate information. But sometimes an objection must be overcome and
subdued. Guerrillas hold a black belt in overcoming objections. Like the
judo master, they re-direct the attack away from themselves and their
offering.

1. Content Reframing

This tactic is based on changing the value of the content by
putting it in a slightly different context. Just as placing an everyday snapshot
in an intricate gold frame elevates the prestige of the subject, the guerrilla
can shift people from one point of view to another.

This essentially amounts to evoking the feeling associated
with a particular item or issue, then swapping it for a different, more
positive feeling.

Let’s say that someone is looking at an expensive sports
car, and says, “I can’t see myself driving a car like this; it’s kind of racy
and frivolous.”

First you can respond by saying something like, “Well, I
certainly couldn’t see myself in one that had spoilers or racing stripes on it,
or something gaudy like that,” in order to acknowledge the objection. Then you
go on to say, “But having the quick acceleration and power that this car has is
more than just a frivolous thing; it’s really the safety of being able to get
out of somebody’s way quickly. This car handles better and performs better on
wet and winding roads, and I certainly don’t consider my safety to be
frivolous.”

Now look closely at the structure of that response. First,
we gave them something to object to that wasn’t on the car, like the racing
stripes, then we went on to change the implication of the content. The fact
that it’s a sports car doesn’t mean that it’s frivolous; that means it’s safe.

2. Context Reframing

But the guerrilla can also answer objections by altering the
context of the objection, looking at the same issues from a different vantage
point.

Wilson’s four-year-old came to him one afternoon and was
just beaming! He had, for the first time, put his shoes on all by himself, and
he was very excited. And of course Wilson, proud papa that he is, looked down
at them and said, “That’s very nice, Aaron, but you’ve put them on the wrong
feet”. Aaron considered his Daddy’s objection for a moment, then instantly
reframed it by saying, “But Daddy, these are the only feet I got!”

Context reframing is just that: looking at things from a
broader perspective. What may seem objectionable at first glance may make more
sense in the long run. In dealing with our car buyer who’s concerned about the
high price, the salesman might say, “Well, this car definitely costs a lot more
than a Ford or a Chevy or something similar. In fact, it’s about twice the
price on the sticker. But if you think about buying a car in the short run,
then it’s better to buy a more expensive car because you can finance it over a
longer period of time and keep your payments down. You’d actually be spending
the same money each month and driving a much nicer car. It takes more time
before you own it, but in the long run you wind up owning something you can
still drive, instead of a pile of junk that has no equity.

“If you think it’s cheaper to pay $220 a month for three
years to drive a Ford, opposed to $220 a month for five years for a BMW, look
at a five-year-old Ford and compare it with a five-year-old BMW. Check their
value and the shape they’re in. You’ll discover that it’s much too frivolous
and expensive to buy a cheap car. You can’t afford it.”

Remember that your overall motive in reframing the objection
is to create that emotional experience for them now so they can take that
feeling into account while making their decision.

3. Isolation

People often buy things in spite of certain shortcomings.
Sometimes it’s smart to isolate those objections, particularly if you sense
that they’ve really already made a decision. Isolating the objection will tell
you when their decision is made and signal you to close. Probe, ask questions
here, and try to smoke out any additional hidden objections. “Is there
anything else that you had any questions or problems with that I can answer?”
Sometimes people can get stuck on one objection after another after another
after another. Other times they’ll raise smoke-screen objections. Maybe they
are trying to conceal the fact that, well, they really don’t have the authority
to make this decision after all, and they’ve kind of been leading you on. Now
it’s easier for them to just say “no” than it is to admit that they’ve gotten
themselves in over their head. So, isolate the objection by asking, “Other
than that, is there any other reason you wouldn’t want to go ahead with this?”

4. Just the Facts

And then finally, and only then, attempt to answer the
objection by presenting additional proof, or taking some other tact --
negotiating a price, offering a discount, or offering some additional service
to overcome the objection. Very often, as soon as an objection comes up, all
the salesman sees is a red flag. They think “OH-oh, there’s a problem here!”
And they’ve heard this objection before, and so they jump in trying to answer
it. That’s not very smart because people, when their objection is attacked
head-on like that, are going to retrench and become even more defensive.

5. It’s Just Like

You can sometimes use reframing to answer objections that
otherwise have no good answer by drawing an analogy, comparing this situation
with some similar situation. Maybe they’re complaining about the delivery
time, and maybe there is nothing you can do about that, so you might draw an
analogous situation and ask them, “Have you ever been in a situation where you
had to wait longer for the right thing, and it wound up being the best
decision?” See if there is some other place in their experience where they’ve
been in a similar situation, and use that experience to answer the concern.

Three Types of Objections

What’s the best way to handle an objection? The answer is
simple: it depends. There are several ways that guerrillas answer objections,
and it depends on the type of objection that they’re dealing with. We’ll
consider the three most common varieties: The RFI, the Stall, and the
Half-baked Objection.

1. RFI

The most common objections you’ll run into is the RFI, or
request for information objection. RFIs are actually questions in disguise.
Either the prospect has some as yet unanswered criteria, or he’s checking to
see if a particular term or item might be negotiable.

Here are examples: “Well, I don’t like the color.”

What is the question he’s asking? Can I get other colors?

“Gee, we need it sooner than that. We can’t wait two weeks
for it.”

What is the question he’s asking? Can you deliver it more
quickly?

“The interest rate is too high.” He’s really asking “Do you
think there might be some other way that we can finance this?”

“We can’t pay cash for it all in advance like that.”
Perhaps there are other terms available? Are the terms negotiable?

Handling the RFI

To handle RFI objections, mentally convert the objection
into a question, then just answer it. Stop, think for a second, what is the
question that they are asking? And rather than try to handle it as an
objection, answer it as if it were just another question, and it will usually
evaporate. Eighty percent of all the objections that come up will be requests
for information objections.

Guerrillas make a written list of the most common
objections, and then convert each one into a question. Place each one on an
index card, together with the answer, and practice with them until you’ve
memorized each one. This will help you recognize RFI objections when they come
up, and you’ll be prepared with an answer. Guerrillas working on the telephone
will write their most common objections on 3x5 cards, and put the answer on the
other side. Then they slip the cards into the plastic sleeves of a flip-up
photo album. The name for each objection shows at the edge of each card, and
when the prospect objects, they simply flip up the right card and read the
appropriate response.

2. The Stall

The second most common objection you’ll encounter is the
Stall. “I need to think about it. I never make a decision without sleeping on
it.” Or, “I need to discuss this with my (wife or) husband.” People raise
stall objections for one of two reasons: either they really do not feel
comfortable with what they’ve seen so far, or there’s some hidden condition
that they haven’t told you about. Maybe they lack the means to pay, or the
authority to act.

Handling the Stall

Stall objections are best faced head-on by asking “If the
time were right, what would you need in order to be able to move ahead with
this?” When the prospect stalls, it’s usually motivated by some psychological
need, but it’s usually not what they’re telling you they need, which is more
time.

If they still hesitate, you might summarize by saying “I’m
sure that someone in your position and with your experience can make a simple
business decision like this. Why don’t we just go ahead now?” Your objective
here is to either get them over the hump to the Commitment Stage, or elicit
their real objection.

You might offer them some special incentive to make an
expedient decision: “This is the last one we have in stock”, or “The price is
going up next week”, or “I can only offer this concession if we can settle this
matter today.” If their intentions are genuine, this little extra nudge will
be enough to coax them through. If not, then at least you know what you’re
dealing with in the way of an objection.

3. Half-Baked Objections

The third type of objection you’ll hear is the Half-baked
Objection. This is usually a far-fetched or petty issue, designed to draw
attention away from something else. It’s a common negotiating tactic to
nit-pick the offer and make the other party’s concession seem less valuable.
Prospects will sometimes use this tactic to wring a better deal out of a
salesperson. Perhaps they want to try to negotiate the price, so they find
some minor flaw. These red herring objections are an attempt by the prospects
to regain control of the interview for reasons of their own. It may be because
they feel a bit pushed and pressured and just need to exert some influence on
the situation.

Vera, a friend of ours, was shopping for a new refrigerator,
and asked us to recommend a reputable dealer who would give her a good deal.
We made a call to the sales manager of a chain of appliance stores that we had
done some training for and asked the manager if he would do a favor and
accommodate a friend. He made an appointment for Vera to come in. After
settling rather quickly on the model and color she had in mind, Vera pulls out
a copy of Consumer Reports, and starts raving about high mark-ups in the
appliance business and how these stores were making entirely too much profit on
these poor, unwary consumers. Forty-five minutes later, she finally signed the
order, for $38 dollars more than the dealer-cost price that the manager had
originally offered, on condition that they deliver it.

Later, Vera confided in us that even though the new ‘fridge
was exactly what she wanted, she still felt a little bit railroaded, even
knowing that everyone had her best interests at heart. Her string of
half-baked objections was her way of regaining some control in what she
perceived as a pressure situation.

Handling the Half-baked Objection

You can counter the Half-baked Objection and still avoid a
confrontation by offering your counter-argument as an opinion, rather than as
fact. You could say “Well, in my opinion, this is the very best value on the
market.” Or you could say something like, “That may be true, but I feel that
the price is very reasonable.” Since you’re describing your own feelings and
opinions, it in effect, makes your position irrefutable. You can then afford
to let them push you around a bit, but not too much. Remember, people are
suspicious of being sold.

When to Answer an Objection

When is the best time to answer an objection? As early as
possible! Guerrillas often answer objections before they’re raised.
Guerrillas feel it’s more effective if they raise the objection themselves.

Look again at that list you made of your regular
objections. There are always a few that you can bet you’re going to get.
These are the ones that come up over and over again. Now, try to incorporate
them into your regular presentation. Some salespeople prefer to let sleeping
dogs lie, but then you run the risk of them waking up unexpectedly and biting
you on the backside.

Preemptive Strike

When guerrillas raise their own objections, they have a
tactical advantage: they own the objection, and it’s always easier for you to
answer your own objections than it would be for you to answer someone else’s.

Let’s say, for example, that people always object to your
price because you sell a premium line. It’s always better to expect that
objection to come up, for you to take that objection as your own and bring
attention to the issue, then answer it. If you raise the objection, it’s your
objection and you own it. If prospects raise the objection, then they own it,
and they’ll feel a psychological responsibility to defend that position. But
if you raise the objection and then answer it immediately, they have no investment
in its defense.

Anticipate the most common objections: price, terms,
delivery, whatever, the ones that come up all the time. Work them out in
advance, and then incorporate them into your presentation.

Invert the Objection

And finally, and this is a guerilla favorite, you can invert
the objection. Just reverse it. And if that sounds like a contradiction, it
is sort of, but it’s probably the single most persuasive way that you’ll
discover on how to deal with objections, particularly, real objections.

A good example was a man in one of our classes who was a
salesman for a local manufacturer of prefabricated, wooden frame, replacement
windows. Their pricing is very competitive because the windows are
manufactured locally, and don’t have to be shipped it in from
gawd-knows-where. This man had been calling on a contractor who was putting up
a complex of condominiums at a resort in the mountains, and had specked in
windows from a competitor. The salesman offered a comparable product, and the
local price was almost a third less, but he just could not get this man to even
consider doing business with him.

A a few weeks after the seminar, he told us how he went back
and used this strategy for handling the objection. First he started by
clearing the air with the prospect; he walked into the developer’s office and
said, “Listen, I’ve been calling on you now for six months trying to get you to
buy our windows, and there must be something you feel very strongly about
because I’ve already shown you how much money you can save. Would you just
level with me and share what your real objection is? What is it about our
product that is a problem for you?”

“All right,” said the contractor, “I don’t like your windows
because they are hard to open and close.”

So, the salesman followed the procedure and repeated the
objection verbatim: “When you say, `They’re hard to open and close’, what
exactly do you mean?”

“I mean, they’re hard to open and close. They fit real
tight in the frames and it takes a lot of muscle to open and close them. I’m
not real happy about that.”

“Okay, I can see that, because it’s true that our windows do
fit tight in the frames and they’re a little bit harder to open and close than
some of the others. I can see why you would say that.”

Then he isolated the objection, pacing the prospect’s key
criteria. “Other than being hard to open and close, is there any other reason
why you wouldn’t use our product over the competitors, given the difference in
the pricing?”

“We spend a lot of money on the finish carpentry in these
units, and if you look at the joints, you’ll see that we’re real sticklers for
precision. I just wouldn’t feel right putting in some cheap window that didn’t
fit right.”

“Well, I certainly can’t argue with that,” said the
salesman, “and I appreciate your passion for turning out a quality product
that’s tight and energy efficient. It’s only fair that you would want to give
your customers the very best.” A perfect About-face.

What he did next was sheer guerrilla. Rather than
responding to the charge of being a cheap product, he reversed the context:
“So I’m sure you understand that the tighter the fit, the closer the tolerances
have to be. The same is true for our windows and frames. That snug fit is an
indication of our precision and quality, and it’s exactly the reason why you
should be using our windows, regardless of price.

“While it’s true that our windows are slightly harder to
open and harder to close, most of the insulation value of a window is lost to
infiltration of cold air around the frame. When you consider the insulation
value you normally lose to infiltration, our tighter two-pane window is more
energy efficient than their three-pane. It takes a little more effort to open
them in the spring, but when you close them for the winter, they close tight.
If precision is one of your design parameters, you should definitely be using
our windows.”

He walked out of the office with a quarter-million dollar
order.

Allow for Differences in Personalities

Each type of prospect requires a different approach. No
matter how persuasive you are you can’t use the same tactics with all
prospects. To help you identify the specific issues of prospects you are most
likely to encounter, let’s look at Phases Two, Three, and Four again, this time
to help you understand how best to talk to the classic Ego, Pleaser, and
Authority personalities when they raise objections.

Ego Prospects

Make sure you understand their objections before answering them.
They resent answers that reveal a lack of understanding. Your responses should
be forceful and confident since they react positively to clout. However, do
not contradict them directly or imply that they do not understand. If they
feel that accepting your position would cause them to lose face, they may
maintain a position which they know is illogical.

Pleaser Prospects

Listen carefully and probe gently for hidden objections.
Pleaser people hesitate to say things that might offend you (such as doubts
about you or your company). They are often indecisive and shy of making
mistakes but may be afraid to admit it.

Many of their objections are really requests for reassurance
even though they may be disguised as questions about the product. Provide
reassurance about your product, your service, your company, and your concern
for their welfare. If they feel you care about them, they will be less afraid
of making mistakes.

Authority Prospects

Make sure you understand exactly what each objection means
even if you have to ask several questions. Authority people like precision,
and they will respect your attempts to get it.

Your answers should be impersonal, factual, and logical.
Provide specific evidence whenever possible. These people are particularly
impressed by the research of impartial organizations. If you suspect a hidden
objection, do not probe too openly. Answer emotional objections indirectly
because they dislike discussing feelings. Ask “What do you think?” rather than
“How do you feel?”

So, don’t be afraid of objections. Instead, like a
hard-core guerrilla, learn to love them. They tell you why prospects are not
buying. Then you can overcome a prospect’s resistance and close the sale. And
remember, a true guerrilla always identifies at least one objection to use
later to complete the six steps of the NaB & CaPTuRe track.

The Two Parts of a Buying Commitment

There are two parts to make a buying commitment, the “Who?”
and the “When?” The answers the guerrilla seeks are:

1. You, 2. Now

The “Who?” is finding out the internal process and the
players involved in purchase decisions. If your prospect has the authority to
make the decision, so much the better, but if this type of purchase requires
the approval of another person or a committee, you must find out who and what
may be involved.

The second part, the “When?”, pinpoints the time that the
decision can be made. If it can be made today, wonderful. If not, when does
the committee meet again? Can your prospect schedule a committee meeting?

Who?

One guerrilla always begins the “Who?” step with: “Jim, can
you explain to me exactly how your company makes purchase decisions like
this?”

Another begins with, “Who else, besides yourself, is
involved in making purchase decisions on products?”

Or, “Can you describe for me, in general terms, the buying
process at your firm?”

When?

You can open the “When?” by asking: “Jim, assuming I
represent a service which will solve the problem you’ve just explained, within
your budget, when do you see your firm using this service?”

Or, more directly: “Jim, if I had a product that would fill
the need you were telling me about, at the price you just told me, could you
make a decision today?”

The guerrilla must get a specific date. An answer like
“soon” or “as quickly as possible” is not adequate. You want to avoid the “I
like to think these things over for a while” objection. If you get a vague
answer, suggest a time “soon” when the decision will be made. Something like,
“When you say `soon,’ do you mean perhaps today?” Or respond with, “Since both
of us are professionals and work with schedules, can you tell me specifically
when you say, `for a while,’ do you mean this afternoon, or that you want to sleep
on it overnight, or do you mean some day next week?”

“Fine. Which day next week?”

NBC Summary

When you have found at least one objection and have gotten
an answer to the who and the when, of the Commitment Stage you’re ready to
begin the summary of the first three stages.

Begin with: “So, what I’ve heard you describe is a real need
for. . ., And, you have $10,000 in your budget to solve this need. And you can
make a decision today.” Referring to your notes, you describe the need
uncovered in Stage One which matches your product, the budget you heard in
Stage Two, and the decision process with a date, like today, uncovered in Stage
Three.

Having completed the NBC Summary, you’ve effectively
“closed” this prospect and have subdued the most common buying objections
you’re most likely to hear when you start to write up the order: no need, no
money, no hurry, no authority. With Stage One, you’ve overcome the “no need”
objection. With Stage Two, you’ve made sure your prospect can afford your
product. And with Stage Three, you’ve made sure you are talking to the right
person who can make a buying commitment today.

Congratulations! You’ve just made the sale. Now all you
need to do is describe your product in a way that demonstrates your understanding
of their needs. Personalize your presentation to the appropriate personality
phase. This is fully discussed in Chapter Eight.

After your NBC Summary, your prospect will probably ask to
hear more about your product. Great! If you’re sure you’ve heard your
prospect’s NBC, you’re ready to go on to Stage Four. If you haven’t, do what
you must to hear it.

Home Free

In the guerrilla sales track you now have completed the
first three Stages. In addition, you’ve a uncovered at least one objection,
one problem where your product or service does not exactly fit. You’ve even
offered to end the meeting because of it and you have been asked to continue.
Before you go on to Stage Four, the Presentation, you need to one more part.

The guerrilla refers to written notes and asks:

“Is there anything that I’ve overlooked? Are there any
other questions you’d like to ask me?”

“Yes! When are you going to tell me about your product?”

Chapter 8:
The Presentation Stage

Desire and Motivation

Guerrillas know that they must gear the sales presentation
to the prospect’s personality. The key idea in The Presentation Stage, the
fourth stage in NaB & CaPTuRe, is that people buy what they want, not
necessarily what they need. And guerrillas know that it’s emotion that puts
the motion in motivation.

Naturally, that means your next objective is to create that
want, the motivation for them to act on your suggestions, and an active desire
to want what they need. They may accept your position, they may agree that you’re
right, but unless they’re willing to act, you might as well scrub the mission.
You must create an emotional momentum strong enough for them to overcome their
natural fear of signing the order and buying what you are selling.

Satisfy the Criteria

The NBC Summary has laid the foundation for your
personalized presentation. Your job now is to show how your product matches
the Need uncovered in Stage One, within the Budget outlined in Stage Two. You
also know that your client can make a Stage Three Commitment today. Only a
powerful desire for your product or service secures that commitment. The
commitment may be the final order or contract, or it may simply be a
confirmation for another meeting leading to the sale.

Organizing the Presentation

Your presentation is not a haphazard bunch of ideas and
recommendations. It must be clearly structured to cover all your points in
logical order. There are three major parts to a guerrilla presentation: the
opening, the body, and the summary.

You can use the classic “Borden Formula” to organize your
presentation: “First I tell them what I’m going to tell them. Next, I tell
them. And then I tell them what I told them.” That is, in the opening, let
prospects know what you will discuss, next it is discussed in the body, then
the information is summarized.

The Opening

The opening lasts approximately a minute, and should outline
your presentation. Your prospects should know where you are headed.

Even if you tell people that you will discuss three points,
they may not keep track of all three or see how they fit together. If the
points are written down where your prospects can see them, they will feel more
comfortable and will follow your presentation better. As all guerrillas know,
points made to the ear and eye are 68% more effective than points made to the
ear alone. Show and sell.

As an example, a real estate’s opening statement might be,
“I’ll begin by reviewing your current housing needs. We’ll see how much space
you need and what kind of extras you’re looking for. Finally, I’ll discuss the
cost of homes of this type.”

The Body

The body supplies the details. In this case, the agent
would discuss individual homes in the area and why they would fill the
prospect’s “wish list.”

Each point is carefully explained, developed, and discussed,
organized in a logical progression. To make their presentation more memorable,
guerrillas discuss the most important point last, the second most important
first, and the least important points in the middle.

Guerrillas mark the presentation with clear transitions, so
their prospects never get lost. A transition for the real estate presentation
might be, “We have seen how this house might work out. Now let’s look at
another.”

The Summary

The summary pulls things together and recommends a specific
course of action. Based on the criteria you’ve been given, it should be clear
by now what the obvious choice would be. This is the guerrilla’s clear shot.
Couch your suggestion as an opinion or as a suggestion, then ask for
confirmation. “In my opinion, based on your family’s needs and financial
considerations, I’d suggest that the house on Mapleton Drive seems to be the
best fit. I don’t know, what do you think?”

Your summary also prepares the prospect psychologically for
Stage five of NaB & CaPTuRe, the Transaction Stage, so important that it
merits a chapter of its own. You’ll find it right after this one. This stage
is the punch line. Your presentation creates the emotional momentum and the
desire to buy. You exploit that desire in the Transaction Stage.

Communication Styles and the Mind Map

Guerrillas tailor their presentation to fit the style of
communication that the prospect has been using. Different prospects have
differing personalities to be sure, but they also have different ways of
receiving and processing communication. Like tuning in a radio, the apparatus
of the presentation must be properly aligned with the prospect in order for
them to receive your message clearly.

These differences can be summarized in four categories:
General/Specific, Options/Procedures, Internal/External and
Options/Procedures. We will explain each of these dimensions in depth.

General................................... Specific

Guerrillas adapt their presentation to the appropriate level
of detail for each individual prospect, and this dimension of communication
describes the need for explanation and tolerance for specifics. People can
fall anywhere along this scale; some have already made up their mind and would
rather not be confused with the facts, while others need large quantities of
data and information to make their decision. This spectrum between the general
and specific is one of the easiest to recognize. As you listen, pay attention
to the level of detail that your prospects use in their conversation, and
contract or expand your presentation accordingly.

General Communication Style

You can recognize the general style because these people are
most comfortable talking in sweeping generalities. They are impatient with
minutia and tend to see things in terms of the big picture, the long term, the
overview. Ego prospects often fit this description. If conclusion jumping
were an Olympic event, these people would be gold-medalists. They can be most
abruptly recognized by their monosyllabic answers to questions, like, “How’s
business?”

“Great!”

“How’s your family?”

“Fine.”

“How was your vacation?”

“Good.”

On a particularly talkative day they might say “I don’t
know.”

Getting any real information from generals can be like
pulling teeth. They are notorious for making assumptions because in the
absence of hard data they will fill in the details based on their general
understanding. When outlining their needs to salespeople they’re often vague
and incomplete. Be careful when dealing with general prospects because in
their haste to make a deal, important details may be brushed aside. Above all,
they hate paperwork, so you have to follow through on the particulars yourself,
but then, guerrillas always do that anyway.

Specific Communication Style

The other extreme of this scale is the specific, often seen
in Authority prospects, who are very precise in their communication and have a
very high capacity for and need for detail. Their conversation is peppered
with specifiers like place names, references to particular dates and times,
percentages, quantities and distances. They look at the short term, the close
up, and have difficulty understanding the big picture or seeing the overview.
Be very careful dealing with specifics because the intent of their
communication is often obliterated by all this “detail fog.” You have to be
absolutely consistent when selling Authority prospects because they’re alert to
the tiniest omission or contradiction.

General vs. Specific

You run into problems when you put a specific and a general
together because it’s difficult for them to communicate. If their need for
detail is exceeded, the more general Ego prospect will simply stop listening
and daydream about something else. The opposite is true for the more specific
Authority; unless they have every little bit of information filled in, they
have trouble coming to a conclusion. Pleaser prospects usually fall somewhere
in between. They pay close attention to personal details like peoples’ names
and birthdays but take a more general approach to impersonal issues like
specifications and statistics.

The Most Effective Approach with Generals

One of the most frequent fatal mistakes salespeople make is
overloading their prospect with irrelevant detail. To communicate with the
more general Ego, be direct. Do not explain your evidence or your rationale.
Go directly to the bottom line, and if they need a more complete explanation,
they’ll ask for it.

To persuade the general, summarize your evidence into
capsule form, using charts, graphs or maps. Pictures help a lot with these
people, and the more concisely you can present your case, the easier it is for
them to understand and accept it. Talk in terms of five-year appreciation
rates, community or neighborhood trends, and long-range goals.

To motivate the general, align your proposition with their
long term plan. Show them how it fits into the big picture. These people
enjoy making decisions, especially big decisions. Give them two or three
alternatives and ask them to choose.

The Most Effective Approach with Specifics

Specific Authority prospects need all of the salient facts
and then some. To communicate with them, be thorough, complete and very
precise. Explain your reasoning and the evidence that supports it before
drawing a conclusion. Show them how your product will perform in exact terms,
using dollars, percentages, and dates.

To persuade the specifics, break your proposition down into
incremental commitments. These people hate to make decisions, especially big
decisions, so give them a series of little decisions to make instead. You can
tie them down on the color, then the quantity, then the shipping method, and
finally the delivery date.

To motivate the specifics, include all the supporting
documentation you can get your hands on: computer printouts, brochures,
specifications, blueprints, everything. The Authority may not read it all, but
has an emotional need to feel like he’s getting the whole story.

Phase Shift

We’ve studied the work habits of hundreds of professional
salespeople, and we’ve learned that one of the hallmarks of successful
guerrillas is the ability to shift from the general to the specific in their
presentation. They take the general needs of their prospect and apply them to
the specific priorities and criteria that are most relevant. Then they
translate them into general terms a lay prospect can understand. Because the
guerrilla’s communication fits them like an old shoe, prospects are comfortable
making the required decisions and commitments.

Options................................... Procedures

Another dimension the guerrilla can consider is the need for
order and structure. Think in terms of a scale with options at one end, and
procedures at the other. Keep in mind that a person can fall anywhere along
this scale, and their position on one scale may be completely unrelated to
their position on the other scales.

Options Style Communication

You can recognize the options prospect as soon as you walk
in their office. This is the prospect who has nine file folders open on the
desk, is talking on the telephone, writing a letter and carrying on a conversation
with you, all at the same time! These folks are multi-modal and are often
good at handling multiple demands and simultaneous tasks. They organize their
work as a set of alternatives, and if they’ve got five things on their list of
things-to-do-today, they may start with item number three and work on that for
a while, then jump to item one, make a dent in that, then go to number five,
and so on. They are notorious for starting projects and not finishing, so you
have to follow up carefully on any commitments they make. Ego and Pleaser
people most often exhibit this pattern.

Procedural Style Communication

The procedural prospect, on the other hand, organizes tasks
as a checklist, to be accomplished sequentially, step-by-step. They’ll start
with item number one, and work on it till it’s finished. Then and only then
will they go on to number two, and if they get interrupted in the middle of
their procedure, they have to start all over again. This is very stressful.
Perhaps you know or have worked with someone like this. They’ll say things
like, “Look, I can only do one thing at a time!”

These styles of communication can be either a resource or a
liability, depending on the demands of the situation. A receptionist who is
highly procedural will be resentful if she’s typing a letter and your entrance
interrupts her routine. It drives her crazy. She loses her place and has to
start over, and it’s very stressful. So the guerrilla has to learn to stand
quietly and watch until she stops to reach for a document, or otherwise
interrupt her procedure. Then the guerrilla approaches and asks his question.

The Most Effective Approach with Options

Similarly, guerrillas adapt the presentation to follow the
organizational strategy of the prospect. To communicate with the options
prospect, be flexible. Nothing turns the options prospect off quicker than a
canned pitch. Be prepared to follow them on a roller-coaster ride up, down and
around the issues. A carefully planned presentation is of particular value
here, even if it isn’t followed sequentially, because like a roadmap it helps
you get the conversation back on course.

The Pleaser is moderately flexible in an effort to gain
acceptance while the Principle prospect is genuinely open to alternative points
of view. He or she may interrupt with questions or comments, and you must give
them something of a free reign in directing the conversation.

To persuade the options prospect, spell out several
available alternatives, showing how your suggestion is the best available
option.

Guerrillas motivate options prospects by giving them a set
of alternatives to choose from, and asking them to make a choice. Be careful
not to give them too many possibilities, particularly if they are also
general. You may launch them into paralysis by analysis.

The Most Effective Approach for Procedures

Authority prospects are often highly procedural. They
follow the known course and are not pioneers. There is one right way to do
everything: their way, and any deviation violates their need for order and
correctness. To communicate with these people, your carefully prepared
presentation must be followed step-by-step. If you digress, use an “as I was
saying,…” transition to get back into your outline. It helps if you give them
a copy of your notes. If you can present from an outline, checking off each
issue as you cover it, so much the better. This taking-them-by-the-hand
approach makes it possible for them to follow your train of thought.

To persuade the procedural, structure your case as the
only logical way to proceed, given the evidence. If you can lead the
Authority to a logical conclusion, based on the facts, it’s easy for the them
to go along with your deal. Also keep in mind that Authority prospects people
resist change, so talk in terms of “progression”, “evolution”, and
“improvement”, rather than “new”, “revolutionary” or “breakthrough”.

To motivate the procedural, give them a demonstration or
show the before-and-after pictures. If they follow some routine, find out what
it is. If they re-order on some regular schedule, make sure you’re in touch
with them on exactly the same day each month to take their order. Whatever you
do, be consistent.

Internal vs. External

Another dimension that you can listen for is their
motivational frame of reference. Prospects differ in the strategies they use
to maintain their motivation, and one of the most important dimensions is the
locus of the feedback they depend on for their decisions. Do they look for it
internally or do they look for it externally? This distinction will help you
communicate in a way that will build powerful motivation.

The basic form of the question that answers this is, “How do
you know when what you are doing is working?” or “How do you know when what you
have bought is doing a good job for you?” For example, a guerrilla might ask
her house hunting prospects, “Based on your experience, how do you know when
you’ve found the right house?”

External Frame of Reference

Externally motivated prospects tend to respond with
something like, “I want a place where I don’t have to be embarrassed if clients
come to visit.” Or they might say something like, “The view is really
important, and has to be impressive, maybe on a lake or on a golf course,
someplace where we can entertain.”

These prospects are fixing their frame of reference
externally, on the outside world, on what others might say or feel. The
impression the house will make is an important consideration for externally-motivated
buyers. They base their decision on factors found in the environment.

Authority, Pleaser and Ego prospects tend to be
progressively more external, respectively. The Authority is concerned with
whether it’s “right” according to their internal rules and outside experts, the
Pleaser is concerned with whether it will make other people happy, and the Ego
is concerned with whether it will make them look good.

Internal Frame of Reference

Someone who is internally motivated is referencing values and
standards within their own being, their sense of comfort, their gut reaction,
their conscience, their intuition and judgment. They base their decisions on
factors inside themselves, a vision, a feeling or a voice inside their head.

The internally motivated prospect might respond to the same
question by saying, “You just know when it’s right. You get a feeling when you
first walk in. Is it cozy? Is it solid? If I’m going to spend five or ten
years in a house, it has to be comfortable.” This prospect might be interested
in the same house as the externally-motivated buyer, but for very different
reasons. Her relationship with the agent will be different as well.
Principle, Responsible and Universal phases tend to be progressively more
internal, respectively. The Principle concerned with whether it’s
fair-care-share, the Responsible is concerned with whether it will achieve his
personal goals, and the Universal is concerned with how it fits his vision of
the world.

Most Effective Approach for Externals

This is important, because people who are externally
motivated, the Authority the Pleaser, and particularly the Ego phase, are in
fact dependent on information input, statistics, and testimonials; they have to
have that stuff in order to make a decision. They want you to tell about your
proposal, make suggestions, even prescribe a particular course of action. You
can use third party reference, demonstrations, recommendations, and more, and
they expect you to provide it.

Presenting to an externally motivated prospect, the agent
could make comments like, “This house has the biggest trees on the block”, and
“I can just see your friends will be green with envy when you move in.” The
externally motivated want input and feedback. They want the agent to say “I
think this is just the place for you.” To sell the external, tell your story
and offer third party testimonials.

Most Effective Approach for Internals

Internally motivated prospects may be motivated independent
of what’s going on in the real world. These people really don’t care what you
think, (or anyone else, for that matter). With them, you have to ask about
their opinions, feelings and values. “What do you think of this view?” or “Can
you imagine curling up in front of this fireplace with a good book?”

Use questions to help them access their own internal
judgment because that’s the scale they’ll use for weighing the evidence and for
making that decision. Their ears believe most what their own mouth says. It
makes them uneasy if you try to load them up with rave reviews. Not only do
they ignore it, they resent it.

For someone who is internally motivated, the guerrilla
accesses their motivational mechanism by saying, “Well, I’m sure that you
understand your family’s needs better than I do, and I’m really dependent on
your feedback as we tour different properties. I’d like to be your Realtor,
but ultimately you have to live with your decision.”

Motivation and the Mind Map

Internal..................................................................................
External

Universal Responsible Principle Authority
Pleaser Ego

Figure 8.1

Figure 8.1 demonstrates where the various phases of the Mind
Map fall on the Internal/External scale. Guerrillas will keep these
differences in mind when concluding their presentation.

Guerrilla selling also means maintaining an awareness of
your own motivational style. Externally motivated salespeople often mistake a
rejection of their product for a rejection of them personally. They are overly
focused on external evidence. Internally motivated salespeople think they’re
doing great when they’ve actually missed the boat with their prospect. They’re
preoccupied with their own thoughts and judgments. Pleaser, and particularly,
Ego salespeople need regular praise, recognition and feedback about their
work. When performance is sub-standard, they need to be reminded what the
expectations and rules are. They will be the ones who strive to win the
contests and the awards. They interpret information as instructions. They
want participation and input from others on their work.

Authority salespeople are somewhat external and somewhat
internal. They will let the weekly sales figures speak for themselves when it
comes to recognition. They require careful coaching in the beginning, but once
they decide that they know the rules they become somewhat self-managing. After
a careful training period, they need to be given a free hand with only periodic
checkups. They do not want to be told how they’re doing; for them, you’re just
restating the obvious. They are not as interested in recognition or awards,
but they will work very hard to meet standards and goals, particularly those
that they’ve set for themselves.

Which are you? Are you motivated by what others say or
think, or by your own gut feeling? Guerrilla selling means adapting to the
motivational needs of your prospects, and striving to appreciate both their
feelings and intuition as well as the external feedback on the tote board.
Over-reliance on one at the expense of the other can lead to disaster.

Initiative in Your Prospects

Another dimension to watch for is your prospects’ level of
initiative. Do they take the initiative to make things happen, or do they wait
for others to get things started?

Proactive vs. Reactive

Proactive prospects like to be in control and make things
happen. They tend to jump in with both feet. They have a bias for
experimentation over analysis and tend to act first and ask questions later.
Reactive prospects prefer for someone else to do the driving, and take them
along for the ride. They have a bias for analysis over experimentation, and
tend to ask questions relentlessly rather than act. Principle phase prospects
are often highly proactive, and Ego prospects often fit this description in the
extreme. Authority prospects are more reactive, while Pleaser prospects may be
reactive in the extreme.

The Proactive Style

The proactive prospect wants to take the lead, to be in
control, and in severe cases, may resist the initiative of others, including
you. In selling, follow their lead and treat everything as if it were their
idea. These people are go-getters. Inaction makes them uncomfortable. If you
promise to send a brochure or catalog, get it out the same day, and expedite
everything. They prefer to try your product out, but if it doesn’t work the
way they expect it to the first time, that’s enough. They’re ready to deal
with someone else.

With proactives, any actions on your part will be
well-received. They respect people of like mind and are happy to push things
along. They make great allies within an organization because they tend to
ferret out any resistance to a project they’ve started. Be careful if you meet
one of these who is also internal. He may make commitments he can’t keep.

The Reactive Style

At the other end of the scale we have the reactives. These
prospects are not motivated to start things, but instead rely on the
initiatives of others, so take the lead and make suggestions and
recommendations. Be prepared to sell the reactive Authority prospects with
facts, figures, and test results, and take the initiative to offer samples, do
a trial run, or in some other way get the ball rolling. Pleasers are afraid to
rock the boat; they prefer the status quo and may be resistant to change. For
the Pleaser, who tends to respond to the opinions and recommendations of
others, be prepared to present testimonials and references, or get the spouse
involved.

Reactives may perceive your initiative as being pushy, but
they will react to it, either positively or negatively. They require constant
attention, checking back, and prodding along, or the momentum of the sale will
be lost.

Proactive...................................................................
Reactive

Ego Principle Authority
Pleaser

figure 8.2

Figure 8.2 shows how the most frequently encountered
personalities fall on the proactive/reactive scale.

Constellations of Styles

Guerrillas carefully analyze the constellations of needs
when developing their presentation. The guerrilla may zip off a quick deal
memo to the Phase Five, Principle C.E.O. who is internal, general, and
proactive, immediately after the initial meeting.

Then the guerrilla then takes the time to write a carefully
worded cost/benefit analysis for the Phase Four, Authority production manager
of the same company who is externally motivated, specific, and reactive. A
“Thank You” card goes to the Phase Three, Pleaser division manager who is
specific, externally motivated and reactive, itemizing all the little things
done to facilitate the presentation. Another short note is sent to the Phase
Two, Ego sales manager who is general, proactive, and externally motivated,
congratulating him on the success of his idea. In this way, guerrillas
cultivate a favorable motivational environment for their product or service.

Tie Everything to the Prospects’ Priorities

The first three stages (NBC) give you insight into
prospects’ priorities and criteria, and you’ve been listening carefully to
diagnose their preferred patterns of communication. Now the guerrilla uses
that information to match the presentation to the prospect.

If the prospects are considering alternative solutions, show
how your service or product is superior, not in a general sense, but as a
solution to their particular want or need. Many salespeople ignore
competition. They talk only about their own products, leaving the comparison
to the prospect. Guerrillas know that if the prospect makes the comparison, it
will be less favorable than if they make the comparison themselves. Guerrillas
invite comparison, because they’ve researched the competitors thoroughly. State
exactly how your product does a better job, but make sure that you do not
appear to be knocking the competition. That tactic offends some prospects. A
guerrilla tactic is to talk up the competitor, then show how their own product
is superior. A guerrilla banker might begin by reviewing with a prospective
loan applicant about the normal loan process and various standard fees and then
how this bank offers better service at more competitive rates. This
information could be verified by a competent third party source like Consumer
Reports.

When you directly relate your product or service to your
customer’s wants and needs and show how it’s superior to the competition, your
job becomes much easier. When they understand why they should buy, they also
will have more confidence in you. They recognize that you are not just making
a canned presentation or “letting the product speak for itself.” You are
working with them to solve their problems. Guerrillas are world class
problem-solvers.

Features, Advantages, Benefits, and Pain

Prospects are much less interested in your product than in
how it can relieve them of some want, need or pain they’re experiencing. They
want to know what it can do for them; how it will solve some problem, eliminate
some discomfort. They care about its benefit, not its great features.

The Difference

A feature is what it is, an objective and observable
characteristic; it’s always the same regardless of whether one buys or not.
For example, features of a resort hotel might include 200 rooms, a full service
restaurant, and two heated pools each with adjoining spas.

An advantage is what the feature does, the function that it
performs. The heated pools provide a place where guests can exercise,
socialize and relax, that’s what they do. But that’s not the end of the
story.

A benefit is the payoff of the advantage or the value a
feature provides to the prospect. Year round use means that guests can relax
or exercise any time they want to. Conventions can be scheduled any time of
the year and attendees will be more relaxed and more receptive to the new ideas
they will hear. Benefits solve problems; benefits relieve pain.

Benefits are defined by the prospects’ needs. The same
service will offer different benefits to prospects with different priorities
and criteria. For the physical fitness buff, the heated pool may mean
exercise. The couch potato types may like the relaxation aspect of a heated
pool and spa.

These benefits will be more appealing to the prospect if you
dramatize them.

“Sure it costs us a bit more to heat our pools year round,
but after a day of conference activity, you know how great it feels to swim a
few laps and lounge in a warm spa under the stars.”

But what about intangibles?

As with all products and services, even intangibles have
features, advantages and benefits. For example, the features of a life
insurance policy might include a double indemnity clause for accidental death,
a waver of premium, and common carrier triple indemnity.

An advantage is what the feature does, the function that it
performs. The double indemnity pays twice the face amount of the policy should
the death be other than “natural causes.” Waver of premium means if the
insured is unable to perform his or her normal job, due to an accident or
illness, the monthly payments will be waved. Triple indemnity means the policy
will pay three times the face amount if the insured’s death occurs while on a
bus, boat, train, or plane.

Remember though, that a benefit is the value of the
advantage to the prospect. Waver of Premium means the owner doesn’t have to
worry about keeping the insurance in force if there’s an accident or prolonged
illness.

Because the same product or service with the same features
will offer different benefits to different prospects, the guerrilla adapts the
Presentation to cover selected features that offer advantages that are relevant
to this prospect’s criteria, and benefits that satisfy his priorities.

“You know how awful it would be if a drunk driver hit you on
the freeway and you were laid up for a month or so. One of the things you
wouldn’t want to worry about is your life insurance payment. That’s what
waiver of premium means.”

Get it in Their Head

The guerrilla paints a word picture of the prospect using
the product, benefiting from it, and enjoying it. It’s essential that you
involve your prospect’s senses and imagination. By directing feelings in a
particular direction, you create a favorable motivational climate for your proposal.

Future Pacing

The guerrilla achieves this by using a transition that takes
the prospect across time frames. For instance, right now, reading this far
into the book, we’ve covered a lot of information, and you may find that you
experience a little bit of difficulty piecing it all together and integrating
it.

However, you’ll find that when you go into the field
tomorrow, or back to your office, that these situations will come up, and
things will suddenly connect for you. Almost intuitively, you will find
yourself applying guerrilla skills in your interactions with people, and you
won’t even have to try. You’ll be surprised to find it happening for you
automatically because you now have an enhanced awareness of peoples’ needs, and
you’ll feel more confident and better prepared to respond in appropriate ways.

Stop reading ahead and look again at that last paragraph.
Read it carefully. This is an example of a transition across time. It
provides a glimpse into your future, and it’s a technique that we’ve used
throughout this book to maintain your interest and to motivate you to
continue. You must sell - employing this tactic and generating an impressive
increase in your income. Clear enough?

The first step was to set the context in what you’re
experiencing right now, and then shift the context into the future using word
pictures. Remember that before you can move your prospect to a new
perspective, you must start with them within their current perspective. The
guerrilla starts out with the prospect in the here-and-now, and then gently
eases them forward into the future.

Finally, the guerrilla attaches a particular feeling to the
experience they’d like the prospect to feel. It’s this feeling that will
clinch the decision, so the guerrilla will attach a feeling that’s positive and
supportive of his proposition.

Three Ways to Create Motivation

There are three ways you can use this tactic to connect
positive feelings to your proposal, or to defuse negative feelings that might
obstruct the sale.

1. Confront the Monster

Read carefully how this guerrilla real estate agent
eliminates indecision by referring to the doubt the prospect is probably
experiencing:

“Buying a house is a big decision, and it’s real scary for a
lot of people. It’s probably the single largest investment they’ll ever make.
And you’re probably asking yourself, `Gee, am I sure about this? Is this
really the right house?’ And of course you’re not sure, and you might not be
able to answer that question today. But I’ll tell you what; six months after
you’ve moved into this place, and you’ve got all your furniture in here, and
you’ve trimmed up the lawn and painted the eves, this house is going to be
gorgeous. You’ll feel very, very proud. Who can blame you? You’ve added
your own touches and made it your home. That’s when you’ll know that you’ve
made the right choice.”

The Presentation Stage moves them from the present into the
future through a mental experience of living in the house and feeling good about
it as a result. The guerrilla painted a beautiful, rosy picture, then put the
prospects into it. This gives them the benefit of knowing what it will look,
sound, and feel like, so they can consider those factors in their decision
right now.

2. Share Personal Experience

The second way to apply this tactic is to use your own
experience to demonstrate the outcome you’re going for:

“When we bought our first home, I remember how difficult it
was to make the decision, and how uncertain we felt because the house we moved
into seemed to have a lot of things wrong with it at first. But in just a few
weeks, it felt like home sweet home. Even now that we live in a much larger
house, in a much nicer neighborhood, I still get nostalgic for that little place
on 18th Street.”

In this case, you’re using an example of how you felt under
similar circumstances to draw a parallel.

3. Third Party Testimonial

The third, and by far the most common variation, is to use a
third party example: “A couple that I worked with a few years ago was
absolutely certain that they were making a big mistake. The house and the yard
were somewhat larger than they really wanted, and it came with payments to
match. But right after moving in, they discovered that they were expecting a
baby! Now their little girl has her own bedroom, a sunny playroom, and a nice,
safe fenced yard. Even though it was a financial stretch, they were really
glad they hadn’t settled for less.”

Notice the liberal use of the descriptive phrases: “big
mistake”, and “absolutely certain” (acknowledging their feelings of
uncertainty), then shifting to positive feelings, “sunny playroom”, “safe
fenced yard”, and “glad that they hadn’t settled for less”. The guerrilla
appends these positive feelings to the specific features of this house to
motivate the prospect to buy now.

Even when they really want to buy, prospects will have a few
butterflies when it comes time to write up the paperwork. This tactical
communication respects the emotional uncertainty that your prospects are going
through in their struggle to make a decision and helps overcome any emotional
resistance they might have. People hate making decisions, especially big
decisions. This approach gives them the emotional momentum to carry through
the Transaction and Reward Stages.

By the end of this stage, the prospect will want to ask you
to write up the order. The guerrilla creates such a strong desire that at the
end of the Presentation Stage, clients will get out their checkbooks and start
writing.

KISS = Keep It Short and Simple

A guerrilla can be specific without going into long stories
or giving excessive detail. Details bore and confuse prospects. Many
salespeople go into excessive detail because they’re afraid prospects will not
understand. Remember, your goal isn’t to tell the prospect all you know; it is
to get the order. The shorter and simpler your presentation is, the better
your chances for the sale. By concentrating the presentation exclusively on
the criteria and benefits outlined by the prospect as priorities, the guerrilla
makes the job easier for everyone.

Prospects rarely get upset if a presentation is shorter than
they expect. You may believe you have to cover every point, but most prospects
just want the highlights. If the prospect wants to continue over the allocated
time, remind them that your time is up, but you will be glad to continue if
they insist. This maintains the integrity of the time frame you promised in
the beginning.

Avoid Buzzwords

A sure way to blow the sale is to make the prospects feel
stupid by using terms they may not understand. Nearly all prospects are
irritated and confused by jargon. You may think that using the buzzwords of
your field demonstrates your knowledge and sophistication. Usually it just
kills the prospects enthusiasm. Stay with what the late advertising great Leo
Burnett termed “shirt-sleeve English.”

Illustrate with Stories and Props

With the possible exception of the Authority, abstractions
and statistics do not move people. Stories, pictures, and examples do.
Selling a home with an installed security system, a guerrilla would not cite a
host of crime statistics. Guerrillas would have ask their prospects to imagine
a burglar breaking in and hear their children screaming.

A guerrilla who sells houses in Orange County measures her
prospects furniture, then makes life-size cardboard cut-outs of each piece.
When the couple responds positively to a house she’s showing, she pulls out the
cut-outs, and begins laying them out on the floor, “just to see how things will
fit.” She knows she’s sold the house when they have agreed on the best
location for the TV set.

Unfortunately, visual aids are often neglected because
salespeople do not know how to use them effectively. Do not rely on them to
sell your product or service. Use them only after your NBC Summary. The more
senses you can appeal to, the more effective your presentation will be. Let
prospects see it, touch it, hold it, or sit on it. If at all possible, let
them pick it up and feel its weight.

End with a Bang

Your summary should be dramatic and memorable. Your entire
presentation should build toward the summary in exactly the same way a good
play builds toward the final curtain. This is when your prospects’ desire is
at its peak, and they are most likely to order.

Adjust to Prospects’ Personalities

By now, you should have a very clear idea which phase of the
Mind Map your prospect is operating from. Now you can modify your presentation
style to tune into their priorities and criteria based on their personality.

To help you identify the specific presentation issues of
prospects you are most likely to encounter, we will focus on the most common
personalities and look at how you might adapt to the Ego, Pleaser, and
Authority personalities. Naturally, you wouldn’t have gotten this far with
shut down Amoral types. With Principled prospects, just tell your story;
they’ll understand that you are fair-care-share.

Ego Prospects

Egos tend to be impatient and do not enjoy listening to long
presentations. Be brief, well organized, and avoid excessive detail. Never
stretch the truth with them. Exaggerations will increase their natural
skepticism and give them a chance to attack you. Remember that for the Ego,
everything is a contest, so don’t become flustered if you’re attacked.

Don’t try to anticipate and respond to every possible
objection. That would make your presentation too long. When you are talking,
you are in control, which makes them uncomfortable. So keep it short.

It’s important that you maintain your clout with Ego
prospects. They may interrupt frequently with objections or questions. Do not
fight the interruptions or evade their points, but do stay firmly in control of
the presentation. Reinforce their self-esteem by acknowledging their right to
interrupt by saying, “That’s a good question,” or “I’m really glad you brought
that up.” Then respond directly. If you lose control, they lose confidence
in you.

Pleaser Prospects

Pleasers respond well to authority as long as it’s combined
with warmth and personal concern. Show your interest in an authoritative, but
not particularly forceful manner. Relax and share control. Encourage a
dialogue. If they digress, gently bring them back on track

Authority Prospects

Authority people like details, and want specific evidence to
support your points. Your presentation should be detailed, impersonal,
factual, and somewhat longer than with Egos and Pleasers. Prepare fact-sheets
or handouts in advance. Put the bulk of the details and evidence in the
handouts and check them carefully for accuracy. They read material very
carefully and are intolerant of errors. They are likely to ask questions about
the handouts, so make sure you understand every point. If they pump you on a
minor point and you do not respond satisfactorily, it may destroy your
credibility and the sale. If you don’t know the answer, say so and tell them
that you’ll make a phone call right now to get the explanation they need.

Your Personality

Finally, adjust your presentation to take advantage of your
own personality. If you tend to be an Ego personality, exploit your natural
power, but do not overwhelm prospects. If you are primarily a Pleaser
salesperson, use your natural warmth and sensitivity, but make sure your
presentations are forceful and well organized. If you tend to operate as an
Authority build on your diagnostic and organizational strengths, but shorten
your presentations, appeal to feelings, and communicate more warmth.

Guerrillas always ask themselves if what they are about to
do or say is fair for all concerned, will it communicate that they sincerely
care, and will it be apparent that they are always going to give more than the
competition. This bit of internal questioning will safeguard you as a
Principled salesperson.

Remember, everything you do communicates some message. By
targeting the communication needs of your prospects and responding in a way
that fits their wants and needs, you make your proposal easy for them to
understand, accept, and act upon. That’s the hallmark of a guerrilla
salesperson.

Okay, now you’ve reached the end of your personalized
presentation and you’ve shown how your product matches your client’s criteria
and priorities. Time for you to shift your posture and take a deep breath as
you move into the Fifth Stage of NaB & CaPTuRe.

Chapter 9:
The Transaction Stage

“Are You Really Sure?”

As you begin the Fifth Stage of NaB & CaPTuRe, clients
sometimes stiffen, “UH oh, here comes the order blank.” Many customers dread
this moment; they feel as though they’re losing control even if they really
need the product and can afford it! Understanding this, guerrillas move deftly
into this new stage, ending the Presentation Stage, with something like:

“Well, that about sums it up. Do you have any questions?”
The prospect now feels a little more relaxed.

“No, not really.”

“Is there anything else you’d like me to take care of?”

“Not really.”

“What do you see as the next step?”

“Well, don’t you have to write up an order?”

“Do you want me to write up the order?

“Well, yes. I do.”

Music to the guerrilla’s ears! Your prospect is now a
client. And this new client just asked you to write up the order! With that,
the guerrilla fills out the order form, writes up a contract or prepares the
financial paperwork. Now the guerrilla hands the form to his new client for
his or her “approval.” Never “signature.” Never “okay.”

As the new client is about to sign, beginning the
Transaction Stage, the guerrilla softly interrupts:

“You know, something’s still bothering me, remember back
there, when you said you wanted mahogany? Are you sure walnut is going to be
okay?”

What the guerrilla wants to hear is something like: “Yes,
in fact, walnut is really going to be much better. It will be cheaper than
mahogany and probably fit in better with the rest of the office decor.”

“Are you really sure?”

“Yes.”

In order to begin the Transaction Stage, a guerrilla will
recall at least one problem or objection, and stress genuine concern about it.
You must ask again if the concern is going to be a problem. In so doing, not
only are you again turning control over to your client, but you’re preventing
buyer’s remorse.

Buyer’s remorse usually occurs a day or two after an order
is written up. The new customer gets nervous about the purchase and calls the
salesman stating he or she really needs the furniture in mahogany. By capping
the issue now, the guerrilla pre-empts this potential problem.

This technique can be used almost anywhere in the six stage
guerrilla selling track. It can be used anytime the guerrilla senses the
prospect may feel a loss of control. The guerrilla begins with: “Something’s
bothering me,. . .”

But If They Don’t Ask, Close

 By now, you realize how much people try to put off
making decisions, especially big decisions. A study was conducted involving
40,000 people across the United States. The survey was held to learn
Americans’ attitudes about decision-making. A whopping 97% of the people said
that they hated to make decisions, even simple decisions like, “What would you
like for breakfast, dear?”

Ever invite a friend to lunch and find out he’s got
decidophobia?

“Hey let’s go out to lunch!”

“Oh, all right, where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know, where do you want to go?”

“Well, you decide.”

“No, you decide.”

People hate to make decisions, and the bigger the decision,
the more they hate to make it. That’s why restaurants have daily specials.
It’s for all those folks who can’t deal with a whole menu full of options. So
what if the prospect doesn’t ask you to write up an order? Now what do you
do? If they don’t, you must ask them for the order. If your prospects’
answers are anything other than “write up the order,” you must flex your mental
muscles and ask for it directly. This is traditionally called “closing.” But
guerrillas know that if the sale has not already been made, a great close won’t
save the day. There is an enormous difference between wanting and buying. A
great close will not result in an order unless the prospect wants, needs and
can afford your product or service. The close is the push that some people
need to take the final initiative. They know they’ve done everything right
when the prospect closes the sale for them.

When to Close

The best time for the guerrilla to close is all the time.
Guerrilla selling is recognizing when to close and knowing that closing is best
done on choices, challenges, and changes.

Close any time there is a choice or decision to be made, and
that’s more often than you might think. Someone buying a car has to consider
the make, the model, the color, the special equipment, the price, and
ultimately the dealer. The car buyer will make over 400 individual choices
before finally driving away. Close early and often, especially on little
things. Because people hate making big decisions, close on the small ones.

Always try to close after answering a challenge or an
objection to your proposition. If they accept your answer, they will be
receptive to making a commitment. Guerrilla salespeople automatically finish
their explanation with a closing question, like “Did I answer your question
adequately?” or “Is that clear now?” Check and make sure that the objection
has been answered.

Also close any time there are changes in your prospects’
body language or changes in their answers that could be interpreted as buying
signals.

Five Types of Closes:

There are five basic closes and an infinite number of
variations. They all have the same objective: to give the prospect an
opportunity to say: “Yes, write up the order.”

1. The Rx Close

The first is called the Prescription Close. You carefully
probe, ask questions, summarize the problem, then prescribe the solution.
“Well, based on what you’ve told me, I would recommend … Here’s what you’re
going to need.” If you have the kind of relationship with this prospect where
he respects you as an expert, you can do that. He’s laid out all his criteria
and said, “This is the problem I want to solve.”

“Okay, well, you’re going to need one of these, one of these,
four of those, and two of these.” A good salesman in a hardware store knows
how to do that. He’s pouring the stuff in a paper bag and marking the price on
the outside then handing it to you as he goes. You walk out with an armload.

2. The Action Close

In this close you do something that carries the decision
with it. Pull out your pen and you start filling out the order form, or phone
the installer to set an appointment. Or you say, “Well, let me see if I’ve got
that in stock. Just a second, I’ll be right back.”

You walk to the stockroom, and return with the box in your
arms and ask, “Okay, where are you parked?” You know the deal is done when the
prospect holds the door open for you. The Action Close requires that you do
something that forces the decision.

3. The Choice Close

In this close, you give them a minor decision to make that
carries the major decision along with it. This can be useful when breaking
down a large decision into smaller, incremental decisions. You’ve been looking
at a $15,000 automobile and the guerrilla salesman says, “Would you like to put
the stereo in the dash, or would you rather conceal it under the seat?” Now,
you’ve got this little decision to make. So you say, “Well, it would be more
convenient in the dash.” Not only have you bought the stereo, but of course,
the car as well.

4. The Question Close

In the Question Close, you ask a question, which, when
answered, gives you permission to proceed. You might ask, with your pen in
hand, “What’s today’s date?” even though you may have written it a dozen times
today. When prospects answer that question they’ve, in effect, given you
permission to proceed with filling out the order form. Or you might ask,
“Excuse me, how do you spell your last name?” When they provide the missing
information, they’re saying, indirectly, “Yes, I’m ready. Let’s go ahead with
this.” You’ve avoided putting them on the spot by asking, “Well, do you want
me to write this up or not?”

5. The Add-on Close

The key phrase of the Add-on Close is, “Now you’ll also
need. . .,” proposing some low-cost option or accessory. “You’ll also need one
of these to keep your blade nice and sharp. They’re only ten dollars.” When
they agree to the blade sharpener, they’ve bought the lawn mower. Guerrillas
repete the Add-on close until they get a “no.” That’s when they know they have
reached the limits of the prospect’s budget.

Learn to Close Early

If you do not close in the Transaction Stage, you’ll
probably never get the sale. All salespeople have had the experience of nearly
closing the sale, returning confidently to take the order, then running into a
brick wall. When this happens, they usually decide that prospects are just
irresponsible jerks.

There is nothing strange or unusual about their behavior.
You probably act the same way yourself. Think back to the big decisions in
your life such as getting married, changing jobs, and buying a house. You
didn’t just analyze the facts and make a decision. You were probably scared.
You worried and discussed it repeatedly and kept putting off making the big
commitment. That is just how prospects feel, even if the decision is a small
one. You know that people do not like to make commitments. We are all afraid
of making mistakes, and we have been told hundreds of times: “Never sign
anything.”

A guerrilla we know used the Action Close at the beginning
of his presentation of a new stereo system by asking the prospect, “How far
from the amplifier will you be putting the loudspeakers.” Based on the
prospect’s answer, he would go to the service counter, measure off a length of
wire, cut it, tie it in a bundle and hand it to the prospect. Now she’s
setting there, holding the first component of the new stereo that she’s about
to buy. Very effective. Very guerrilla.

Most people want consistency in their ideas and actions. If
they conflict, people feel uncomfortable, and change either ideas or actions
until they become consistent. You know you should close more often, but each
time you close you risk rejection and failure. To avoid a potentially painful
situation, you may not close as often as you should.

Some salespeople are so afraid of rejection and failure that
they won’t ask for the order even when they see that prospects want to buy.
They ignore obvious buying signals because they are afraid that prospects might
say “No.” They prefer preserving the pleasant conversational atmosphere over
risking rejection and failure. Guerrillas at Phase Five, Principle, are usually
beyond these feelings.

You may feel that pushing for the order may be inconsistent
with fair-care-share. Don’t worry. The proactive ones will close for you, and
the reactive ones are really secretly wanting you to take the initiative.
Guerrillas have learned to relax, avoid pushing, really listen, and relate to
prospects on the prospects’ terms. If you’re really paying attention,
guerrilla style, you’ll sense when the prospect is ready, and you’ll be there
with the appropriate amount of decision assistance and emotional support.

The best product in the world is worthless if it sits in
your warehouse. If you have performed the earlier steps well, you know that
your prospects need your product and they can afford it. But there they are,
perched on the fence. Give them that little nudge they may need to overcome
their fear of acting. You will be doing them a favor.

Keep in mind that closing repeatedly will increase your
sales, help prospects, and increase their respect for you. So don’t leave until
you have used at least three guerrilla closes.

Most people do not want to be pressured. They want to make
their own decisions, and they resent being pushed too hard. The idea is to
make them feel that buying today is the most natural, intelligent decision that
they could make.

Guerrillas commit these five closes to memory. Are those
all the closes that they’ll use? Of course not. Here are several more
guerrilla closing strategies.

6. The Bigger Order Close

As it turns out, it is usually easier for prospects to
respond to your specific request than it is to make the buying decision by
themselves. Suggest a specific order and make it big. Researchers have found
that simply asking for larger orders increases the average size of each sale.
If you ask prospects to buy ten units, they probably will not buy any more than
that. If you ask them to buy one hundred units, they may buy fifty,
seventy-five, or even one hundred.

Out West, a new guy outsold every other veteran route
salesperson by leaps and bounds. His manager was simply flabbergasted, “Why,”
he said, “you sold over 1,000 cases and the next best salesperson sold fewer
than 5,000 cans!”

“Gee whiz!” he said, “I didn’t know I could sell them by the
can!”

7. The Assumptive Close

An assumption makes the buying decision seem smaller and
less painful. The bigger a decision seems, the more anxious and indecisive
prospects become. When you communicate your assumption that the prospect is
going to go ahead, prospects feel they are not making a new decision; they are
just going along with a decision that has already been made.

The Assumptive Close also makes another force work for you.
Most people adjust to other’s expectations. If you communicate that you do not
expect them to buy, they will not. This principle becomes clearer when you put
the non-verbal message into words. Would you buy from someone who asked: “You
don’t want to buy anything today, do you?”

When your entire manner communicates that you expect a sale,
you will often get it. Your confidence increases prospects’ confidence. The
buying decision seems like a natural step in the direction you are both going
for.

“Excuse me a moment while I write up your order. You’ll be
comfortable if you wait in this chair.”

8. Today Close

Many salespeople think they are closing when they are just
repeating their presentations. They talk about the benefits of their products
but do not push for immediate action. Your product’s benefits will probably be
the same tomorrow or next week as they are today. So why shouldn’t prospects
take more time to think about it?

To overcome their natural reluctance to make commitments,
sell the benefits of acting now. Some companies give discounts or premiums to
people who act quickly. If your company does that, make sure you do not
mention it until this stage. Save it to give that extra push toward getting
the order. If you don’t need it here, don’t use it. Save it for Stage Seven,
the Reward Stage.

Point out that the sooner they own this product the sooner
they’ll start getting the benefits. Make these benefits as personal and
specific as possible. For example, all insurance people know true stories of
people who delayed buying insurance, then died or had an accident. With people
who dislike shopping, stress the value of getting the shopping over with.

“It’s a nice PC, but I’m just not sure. I’d better think it
over.”

“How many PCs have you looked at?

“Quite a few.”

“Doesn’t it get tedious going from store to store?”

“It sure does.”

“I’ll bet this shopping has interfered with your business
and your free time.”

“You’re darn right! I’m getting sick of it.”

“Well, I’ve got a great cure for that problem! Take this
machine home with you today. If you see one you like better in the next 30
days, just bring this one back.”

“Okay.”

Silence is Golden

If you keep talking, no prospect can say “I’ll take it.”
Many salespeople talk so much that prospects cannot buy without interrupting
them. As soon as you ask for the order, pause for at least ten seconds.
Silence may make you uncomfortable, but it is the best way to get prospects to
respond, usually within seconds.

If you do not appear to be challenging them or using silence
as a pressure tactic, prospects will respond more positively and rapidly.
Smile, sit back, and let your entire manner communicate that you are
courteously allowing them a chance to think without feeling pressured.

If one type of close doesn’t work, try another. Varying
your close increases your chances of appealing to prospects’ real motives and
overcoming their resistance to buying; it also prevents win-lose
confrontations.

If you use the same close again and again, prospects may
feel you are pushing too hard. When you master several, you can select the
best closes for each situation and close repeatedly without appearing pushy.
The exception is the prospect who raises an objection in response to a close.
This tells you that it’s time to back-peddle, ask more questions, probe for
additional needs, and start the NaB & CaPTuRe process all over again.
Continue cycling through the steps until you have an affirmative.

People are less suspicious than many salespeople believe,
but they are also more sophisticated. The public is as smart as your mother,
and you know she’s no dummy. People know when you’re asking them to take some
action, and if they’re not ready, they’ll let you know. Top salespeople will
confirm that the simple, direct, unsophisticated closes can be very effective.

Prospects in The Transaction Stage

You can’t use all the guerrilla closes with all of your
prospects. Certain closes are more effective with certain types.

Ego Prospects

Ego prospects respond to directness and tenacity. You must
prove that you are tough, so ask for the order again and again. Many ego
people will not buy until you prove your toughness by closing several times.

Vary your closes so it seems less of a contest of wills.
Your first close should probably be a Direct Close. Ask them point blank, “Do
you want to go ahead with this?” Image Closes often work because Ego people
like to think of themselves as strong and decisive. Balance Sheet Closes often
succeed because they appeal to the power of facts. The By-The-Way Close is a
useful last resort. By appearing to give up, you make them feel they have
won. They may relax and become receptive.

Do not use Minor Point, Limited Choice, or Assumptive
Closes. You may seem to be trying to trick the prospect. Tacit Approval
Closes are particularly dangerous: they will make some ego people angry.

Pleaser Prospects

Pleasers need reassurance, psychological support, and a
gentle nudge. They often lack confidence in themselves and are afraid to make
decisions. Provide reassurance that you sincerely do care about them, and make
the buying decision seem smaller and less frightening. The
We’re-In-This-Together Close provides reassurance and psychological support.
Something like, “I just want you to know that we’re not happy unless the
customer is happy. Our future depends on satisfied customers like you.” The
Minor Point, Limited Choice and Tacit Approval Closes make the buying decision
seem less intimidating.

With pleaser prospects, do not use Direct Closes, or Balance
Sheet Closes; they make the decision seem too large and frightening.

Authority Prospects

Authority prospects are probably the hardest to close. They
prefer analysis to action and can usually find logical reasons for
procrastinating. They want to study your material, invite bids from other
vendors, or confer with experts. Since they respond only to facts and logic,
you must make a convincing case for acting now. Balance Sheet Closes are
particularly useful because they lay out the facts. If necessary, make two
balance sheets: one comparing your product to an alternative solution to their
problem, the other comparing the benefits of acting now versus
procrastinating.

The Limited Supply Close can be useful if the supply really
is limited. If you bluff, you can easily lose the sale, and more importantly,
your credibility.

Minor Point, Forced Choice and Assumptive Closes should
generally be avoided. Authority people view them as manipulative and
dishonest.

Timing Your Transactions

Timing is critically important. Guerrillas take a
hide-in-the-trees-and-wait-until-they-get-a-clear-shot approach to closing.
They watch for signals that the prospect is ready to make a decisions. They do
not close when prospects seem disinterested, confused, or otherwise not ready
to act. Closing at the wrong time can create win-lose confrontations and turn
off an otherwise interested prospect. For example, a prospect has shown
considerable interest, but has just said, “I don’t understand how that feature
works.” Do not risk killing the sale by attempting to close now. Instead, say
“If you like that particular model, I’ll be happy to explain it.”

Indications of buying readiness are classically known as
“buying signals”. Anything the prospect says or does that tells you they’re
ready can be interpreted as a buying signal. A real estate agent in one of our
workshops once explained, “I know they’ve bought the house when they start
talking about which kid gets what bedroom.”

Sometimes prospects are not as subtle. They might ask, “Can
I write a check?” This is a buying signal. “Do you accept American Express?”
This too, is a buying signal. But guerrillas know that buying signals may be
indirect as well. “Do you deliver?” That’s a buying signal. “Do you have
this in red?” That’s a buying signal. “What do you think they’ll say in
Accounting?” That too, is a buying signal. While it doesn’t necessarily
bring with it a commitment, they’re definitely giving you some encouragement.
“Can I get this installed?” or, “What’s the warranty?” or “Can I exchange it if
it doesn’t work?” any question like that usually means they’ve already made a
decision.

Keeping Your Eyes Wide Open

Most buying signals are subtle, and you have to pay close
attention or you’ll miss them. Perhaps the prospect begins taking notes, or
confers with a colleague or spouse about a particular item. In a retail store,
a sharp clerk can decipher the briefest comment about a color, or an admiring
glance at a rack at the other end of the aisle. Changes in voice tone are
often important buying signals. If calm matter-of-factness begins to turn to
excitement, or if nervous chattering begins to settle down and become more
businesslike, these are both buying signals.

Crossed arms that uncross, leaning forward in a chair, or a
calm pencil that begins tapping -- these are all buying signals. Particular
cues are a relaxing of the face around the eyes and mouth, folding the hands in
the lap or behind the head, or uncrossing the legs. These are signals that
their resistance is melting into acceptance. If you have any doubts, watch for
more. They usually come packaged together.

Even objections are buying signals, and offer an ideal
opportunity to close. People are seldom more motivated to make a commitment
than immediately after having had a major objection answered.

Guerrillas know that they’ve done everything right when the
customer closes the sale for them. They must be very attentive so that they
don’t overshoot the point at which they have made their decision, because how
you close is not nearly as important as when you close.

We’ve seen ads in the newspaper: “Closers Wanted! You
don’t have to know how to sell, you just have to know how to close”. We even
get calls from non-guerrilla sales managers, asking something like, “I was
wondering if you could come in here and give our guys some help on closing.
They’re really pretty sharp guys, they know the product, and they know how to
present it pretty well, but they have trouble closing, you know. Can you come
in and give them some techniques that will make them better closers?”

If you’re having trouble closing, it’s because you’re not
paying attention to the signals being given to you. Guerrilla closing has more
to do with recognizing when they’re ready than it is wringing a commitment out
of them. Closing is always best done by the customer. Underline that thought
in your mind. Make it a double underline. If you try to close before a
prospect is ready, your rapport will evaporate. If you allow the prospect to
close, your rapport will continue to its logical and desirable conclusion.

There’s really nothing magical about closing. It’s simply a
matter of giving your prospects the opportunity to make a commitment at a time
when they feel motivated to act. One of the most common errors is overshooting
the close, missing that magic moment when they’re ready to say “yes”.

The guerrilla breaks the decision down into small enough
pieces making it easy for them to decide. Perhaps the most astonishing
characteristic about guerrillas is that they don’t consider themselves to be
expert closers, but instead cause their prospects to become expert at closing.

Chapter 10:
The Reward Stage

Oh, By the Way

“Congratulations, you’ve just invested in years of the best
digital sound available. You’re gonna’ love it.”

As the customer turns to leave, the guerrilla adds, “Oh, by
the way, you’re going to need a pair of headphones, especially when your
teenagers get their hands on this new stereo. Here, take this pair with my
compliments.”

“Wow! Thank you for all your time and help, but the
headphones, this is wonderful!” The customer is excited about the new stereo
system, and grateful to the guerrilla for selling it to him.

Guerrillas know that this last step in the NaB & CaPTuRe
selling track is the most critical, and the one most overlooked by the
competition. Rewarding customers involves keeping something extra in reserve,
congratulating your new clients, then delighting them by “throwing it in” at
the last minute. Once guerrillas have given the customer the reward, they
disappear into the brush like the Lone Ranger.

Hurry to your next call, help another shopper, or go hide in
the stockroom. You want to be remembered for the reward, so give the customer
something special to remember you by. Be warned: your customers will be so
pleased they’ll want to continue the conversation. Be polite, but take off.

The objective of the Reward is to leave the new customer
feeling special. One of our clients runs a very successful office supply store
and is devoted to promoting environmentally responsible products. After
writing up the order for a new copier, the clerk thumps his forehead and says,
“Oh, I almost forgot! You’re going to need some paper. Let me throw in a
case, no charge. I’d like for you to try this recycled copier paper; it’s a
bit more expensive than virgin stock, but it has a smoother finish, and
besides, I don’t want to mess up my paperwork.”

The last thing customers remember is the guerrilla’s
generosity. No matter how hairy the negotiations may have been, no matter how
remorseful they might feel about spending the money, even if they think they
could have wangled a better deal elsewhere, the last thing the customers are
left with is a feeling of surprise and conquest.

Mike Lavin runs the Berkley Design Shop and two other sleep
and kid’s furniture stores in the San Francisco Bay area. When a customer
purchases a complete bed set -- mattress and platform frame, and the purchase
has been completed, the salesperson who wrote up the sale says, “Oh by the way,
why don’t you go over to our linen display and pick out a set of sheets. It’s
on us.” He could have bundled a sheet set in with the package deal, but that
would defeat the objective. For the reward to be effective, it must be
something beyond the customer’s expectations.

Part of this is pure reward for the customer, an expression
of appreciation for the business. But frankly, Mike knows that the average
American keeps a bed for nine years, and if he treats them right, they’ll come
back to buy all their future linen Berkley Design Shop.

Jackpot!

Guerrillas know that everyone loves to win, so they send
every customer away feeling as though they just hit the jackpot. With
guerrillas, it’s always everyone’s lucky day. Everyone likes getting something
for nothing, especially when they don’t expect it. It feels like winning the
lottery or getting a call from Publishers Clearing House. In the Reward Stage,
guerrillas secure their position with customers by always rewarding them for
their business.

Michael LeBeouf, in his best-seller, The Greatest
Management Principle in the World, says that any behavior that gets
rewarded gets repeated. Guerrillas build a “fifth column” of customers, a
loyal underground of followers who fight for the cause.

Attention!

One of the most powerful ways to reward people who do
business with you is to pay attention to them. Even something as simple as a
hand-written thank-you note can be a reward. It’s an old-fashioned custom
that’s seldom used in business, but it differentiates a guerrilla from a
competitor by showing care.

The travel industry has put the reward tactic to work as
competition for the business traveler heats up. Amenities like shampoo, hair
driers and mini-bars used to be found in only the four-star and five-star
hotels. Now, even low end hotels pamper guests with a complimentary basket of
goodies. Frequent patronage is rewarded with free upgrades, newspapers,
cocktails, limo service, breakfast, or credits toward catalog merchandise.

Airlines have established special clubs and lounges where
they lavish their customers with VIP check-in, comfy chairs, big-screen TV,
workstation-size phone booths, desks, conference rooms, fax machines, coffee,
snacks, and a private bar. Customers pay a substantial annual fee for the
privilege of being pampered, and will endure long connection delays in order to
fly their airline of choice even when another carrier’s schedule would be more
convenient. And all because they’re members of the Club. Rewards win
customers and keep them coming back.

From a weekend at a resort to a free order of fries,
guerrillas have learned the power of giving something extra when they make the
sale. But make sure that the customer knows it’s a bonus. A guerrilla copy
shop offers a courtesy telephone, marked by a large sign that says “For our
Customers’ Convenience,” and a mail drop with a sign that reads, “We’d like to
save you the trip.” A lumberyard gives every customer an oversized flat
carpenters’ pencil, imprinted with the stores name and number, but before putting
it in the bag, the clerk always mentions, “These are usually a dollar, but
today it’s just our way of saying ‘Thanks’.”

The Right Attitude

Approaching the Reward Stage with the right attitude is
essential. Contrast the attitudes of two major airlines, as reflected in the
way they administer their frequent-flyer programs. Both companies compete for
lucrative business travelers in every major market in North America. Both
programs reward customers with a free round-trip ticket after they’ve flown 20,000
miles.

The first airline restricts how the free ticket can be used:
you must fly Monday through Thursday, stay over a weekend, and book the trip at
least seven days in advance. Holidays are blacked out as well, and once the
ticket is cut, it’s non-negotiable. They feel that they’re giving you a free
ride so you really can’t complain. Their attitude is “You’re a freeloader. We
don’t care, because we don’t have to.”

The second airline allows their customers to use the free
ticket any day of the week, without restriction (except for some holidays) on a
space-available basis. You can book your trip as close as one hour before
departure, and if your travel plans change, the ticket is completely negotiable
for up to a year. Their attitude is “We want to do everything we can for you.
You’re one of our most valued customers.”

An Attitude of Gratitude

Both airlines are giving away an identical seat, but the
perceived value of the reward in the customers’ minds are quite the opposite.
An attitude of gratitude makes all the difference. Perhaps that’s why the
first airline is losing millions, while the second just placed orders for 40
billion dollars worth of new aircraft.

Don’t Get Mad, Get Even

Jeff Slutsky of Gahanna, Ohio, author of Streetfighting, tells a
story about a local pizza chain: “There’s this family chain of pizza stores in
Denver. Six stores, specializing in home delivery, all doing wonderfully.
Nice business, until Domino’s Pizza moves in. Now Domino’s as you probably
know, is the undisputed number one in pizza delivery, and they go in there with
a big budget, they do a good job, and these local guys are hurtin’.

“You want to get a pizza, you look in the Yellow Pages, and
the first half-way decent ad you see, you call ‘em up, and you get it
delivered. Well, Domino’s comes in and buys a full-page ad in the phone book,
with color, blue and red, and it’s killin’ ‘em.

“As soon as the Yellow Page book comes out, these guys run a
campaign that says, ‘Bring us the Domino’s Yellow Page ad and we’ll give you
two-for-one pizzas!’ People were rippin’ ‘em out and bringin’ ‘em in, goin’
into phone booths and rippin’ ‘em out. You couldn’t find a Domino’s yellow
page anywhere in town!”

That’s the guerrilla spirit. Guerrilla selling is an
attitude, a philosophy, though guerrillas don’t encourage vandalism, or
anything unethical. It’s a thought process that involves outhinking the
competition, instead of outspending them, and recognizing the that there’s a
world of new ideas that can help you sell.

Guerrilla selling is also a methodology. The object is more
than survival. Guerrillas want to prevail, to win, to serve customers as
they’ve never been served before. They give every customer their best shot.
Sometimes they even put the Reward Stage up front.

Free Shine

Wilson was walking from the hotel to the convention center
in Cincinnati on his way to do a seminar, and there’s this kid on the sidewalk
counting and pointing, “Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine,” points to him
and says, “One hundred! Congratulations mister! Today’s my birthday, and the
one-hundredth person who walks past my stand gets a free shine!”

How can he say no? He expected the kid to hit ‘em a few
times with a buff brush and then hit him up for a tip. But no. This kid turns
out to be a real artist. He’s brushing away the dirt and popping his rag and
he says, “All dressed up like that you mus’ be goin’ somewheres important.”

“Well, yes,” Wilson says. “I’m giving a lecture today over
here at the Convention Center.”

“Well, sir! An important man like you gotta’ look his
best. Better use the beeeez wax so this shine last a long time.”

This kid rubs and buffs and polishes for ten minutes; the
shoes look better than new. “Thank you very much, sir,” the kid says with a
big grin. “It’s a pleasure serving you!”

Wilson stands, admires the young man’s work, reaches in his
pocket and pulls out the first bill he touched. It was the first time he had ever
paid $20 for a shoeshine. What the heck, it was his birthday. And as he
walked away, he heard the kid looking up the street and counting again,
“Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven…”

Guerrilla Photography

A guerrilla bundled in day-glow green skiwear stood at the
top of the mountain, dancing around excitedly with a camera around his neck and
an order pad in hand. “Free photos today!” he shouts to the skiers as they
come down off the lift. No catch. He would send you one free eight-by-ten color
glossy of you and your friends looking terrific on the slopes, with Lake Tahoe
in the background. If you want more copies, (and who can buy just one?) they
sell for $9.00 each. We bought three!

Guerrilla Service

The Nordstrom chain of department stores is famous for
outstanding customer service. Near the main door of their store in Seattle, a
tastefully dressed young woman stands behind a massive oak service desk.
Above, on the wall, four inch brass letters spell out “ASK ME I KNOW”.

Unable to resist this challenge, we approached the
information desk. “Excuse me. I was wondering if you could help us with some
information?”

“Certainly!”

“How long do you bake an eleven-pound turkey?”

Without batting an eyelash, she answers, “Three hours and
forty minutes, or twenty minutes a pound.” We were astounded.

This guerrilla knows her stuff! At the desk is stack of
directories and phone books about two feet high. It’s actually her job to
answer any question that any customer might ask about anything in the store,
the Westlake Plaza, the Pike Street Market, downtown Seattle, or Washington
state in general. She also gives away complimentary parking tokens (normally a
dollar).

You don’t have to be small to be a guerrilla. The Nordstrom
chain is testimony to the power of attending to tiny details.

True Value

One of our clients tells about a guerrilla hardware store in
Boulder, Colorado that has a reputation for being expensive. You can find it
cheaper just about anywhere, but if you just can’t find it anywhere else, go to
Mcguckin’s Hardware.

Our client was restoring an antique drum set, and had broken
a lug-screw. This screw was an odd shape to fit a drum-wrench, with odd
threads. Companies stopped making these things fifty years ago; everything
today is metric. Rummaging through parts bins in the dusty back rooms of a
dozen music stores proved a major exercise in frustration.

As a last resort, he went to Mcguckin’s. The shock walking
in the place was overwhelming! Huge, brightly lit and spotless. Everything
neatly labeled, priced, and exquisitely merchandised.

He had barely walked in when a young man in a freshly
pressed green apron greeted him with raised eyebrows and asked, “Are you
looking for something in particular?”

“Well, yes,” he said. “I’ve just about given up hope, but
maybe you’ve got something in the way of a bolt or something that will work.”
He showed the clerk the broken lug and resigned himself to enduring the usual
runaround. He was growing accustomed to being shuffled from to one clerk to
another for an hour or so before being dumped out on the street.

“Let’s take a look,” says the clerk, turning down a long,
narrow aisle, walled in by high steel shelf units, each containing hundreds of
small drawers. The first drawer he opened revealed an assortment of
four-sided-head-with-a-three-eights-inch-diameter-chrome-plated-shaft-with-English-threads
lug bolts!

“Now what length did you need?” he asked.

Three register clerks stood by, waiting to ring up this
sizeable order. Our friend paid forty cents, which when you think about it, is
an outrageous price for one lousy bolt. But he would have gladly paid twenty
dollars or more to repair this drum. He had already invested weeks looking for
the broken part. The Mcguckins clerk found it in two minutes. That’s why our
friend goes back to the store, and as a home owner, he spends a lot of money in
Mr. Mcguckin’s higher-priced-than-anyone-else-in-town hardware store.

The reason is simple: lots of rewards. You can’t walk down
an aisle without bumping into one of those green-aproned guerrillas. Two
thirds of Mcguckin’s employees are dedicated to full-time floor walking, and
every employee stocks shelves until everyone knows where every one of over 10,000
items can be found. They are prohibited by company policy from ever using the
phrase, “No, we don’t have that.” Instead they say, “We’ll be happy to order
it for you,” while serving over 3,000 customers a day, seven days a week.

The success story of this hometown hardware can be boiled
down to three common sense things that guerrillas understand.

First, they anticipate the customers’ needs by having a wide
selection of merchandise and options available. In addition, the guerrilla is
always prepared to suggest some solution or alternative, even if it means
brokering an item, or personally introducing them to a competitor.

Second, they give customers only one person to deal with.
These guerrillas know the territory. If you want to win the respect and
loyalty of your customer, take personal responsibility for solving the problem
without handing it off to someone else. If this means you have to do research,
check with another department, or ask a supervisor, fine. Guerrillas will set
up a three-way conference call, and keep the customer at their side and on the
line as they investigate.

Third, they add value to commodity hardware items through
display, merchandising, and service. Guerrillas know that people make buying
decisions on the basis of value, not price. And everyone at every level can
find ways to add value, regardless of the product. Whether it’s tracing the
status of an order, investigating an invoicing error, or pricing out a custom
job, guerrillas remember that customer service is everyone’s responsibility.

The bad news is that American business is increasingly being
dominated by coupon printers, discounters and off-shore manufacturers. In this
economic environment, service is the only arena where the guerrilla can compete
effectively.

The good news is that people will gladly pay and pay
handsomely for exceptional treatment. That means rendering service that never
sends them away frustrated, service that surpasses the norm, service that
surprises and delights, service that solves their problems. Such service will
be the key to profitability for the handful of guerrillas who get it right.

Chapter 11:
Guerrilla Tracking

Closing Future Sales

By rewarding your customers and staying with them you are
closing your future sales before you make them. The guerrilla is always
thinking in terms of future sales because that’s where the real profits are,
and once they’ve created a new customer, they never let him out of their
sights. This is called Tracking.

Guerrillas use tracking to achieve consistent success. The
commissions from the first sale are glorious, to be sure, but they’re a
pittance compared with the potential earnings from repeat and referral
business, year after year. A satisfied customer is the best source of referral
sales, and guerrillas know that they have to ask for referrals and reward
them.

Tracking is the first step toward future NaB & CaPTuRe
opportunities. Though not part of the six stage guerrilla track, it is an
indispensable part of being a guerrilla. Tracking guarantees an endless supply
of customers and commissions. This is where the guerrilla secures the future,
closing future sales before you ever open them.

Tracking separates the guerrillas from ordinary
salespeople. Like an air traffic controller, the guerrilla tracks the order
the way radar tracks the flight path of an aircraft. This includes quietly
shadowing the order through to delivery, keeping accurate and careful records,
trailing your customers’ needs, leading you to referrals and future sales from
loyal customers.

Shadowing

Shadowing means following through on the order within your
organization from the signed paperwork all the way to delivery of the product.
Guerrillas do this discreetly, without being seen by everyone in the
organization. They never get in the way or become a nuisance to the folks in
shipping or accounting, but they check up and make certain that the product is
delivered exactly as ordered. This means exactly when ordered, exactly what
was ordered, and exactly shipped as ordered. They insist on being notified by
shipping, accounting or field service of any delay, any change that would
violate the customers’ expectations. Guerrillas do everything they can to
expedite any difficulties that arise, and take personal responsibility for
reporting problems to the customer. If a product is out of stock, the customer
gets the bad news from the salesperson rather than receiving a shipment and
discovering that part of the order has been back-ordered or delayed. They
check in with their friends in low places and refresh their recon regularly.

Delivery Meeting

Whenever possible, the guerrilla delivers the first order
personally, or visits the customer the day it arrives to ensure that everything
is perfect. They check up on installation as it proceeds. This practice
insures a level of quality control that is unparalleled. Timing is critical.
If a piece is defective or damaged in transit, the guerrilla files the report
and expedites the replacement. The customer never gets a chance to complain.

Most salespeople are eager to move on to the next mission,
the next conquest, the next prospect, and skip this critical step. Guerrillas
appreciate the value of a well-executed delivery meeting to secure their
position, helping assure future sales to this customer, and gaining referred
leads as well. The delivery meeting is in many ways a service call. It starts
with the guerrilla personally presenting the product to the new client or
delivering the contract that initiates the service.

First, the guerrilla reaffirms the client’s reasons for
buying and acknowledges the good judgement shown by the selection of his or her
firm as the chosen vendor. The next step is to discuss any particulars
concerning the product. The salesperson explains the operation of the product
or service to the end users, meets with others who may be responsible for
maintenance or service, and ties up any loose ends. Guerrillas take care to
explain and answer questions fully, and often leave written instructions and a
list of names to call.

MicroLam, a company in Boise Idaho, manufactures laminated
wooden beams for the construction trade. A plastic coated card, printed with
the office and home phone numbers of the Sales Representative, the Production
Engineer, Vice Presidents, and even the President, is stapled right to every
beam. Anyone trying to install one of their beams can call someone, day or
night, for technical support.

The final portion of the delivery call should be with the
Decider or Purchaser, to thank him or her again for the business and reaffirm
the continuing service to follow. This is also the ideal time for asking for
referred leads.

Properly handled, the delivery interview is the beginning of
a solid relationship. After a smooth start, future calls and larger orders
become easier the next time around. Guerrillas know that when they leave,
everyone is satisfied and they will stay satisfied.

Depending on the goods or services sold, the delivery
interview may take better part of a working day, and competent salespeople
never try to squeeze this call in. They plan carefully and allow plenty of
time, knowing that this interview can be the foundation for building future
growth. This process should be repeated any time a regular customer orders
something new or out of the ordinary.

Record Keeping

Unfortunately, filling out reports is often viewed as one of
the least satisfying aspects of selling, a necessary evil. Guerrillas know
that they must understand and control their own sales activity in order to
maximize their production. Guerrillas keep accurate records, including
complete expense, sales activity, and call reports on a regular basis. They
carefully monitor their own performance and closely watch trends and averages.
For the guerrilla, it is one of the most important aspects of the selling
process. The smart ones share this information with the rest of the office,
charting everyone’s production on a bulletin board or dry-erase marker board,
weekly or daily, so they can see how they stand among peers.

Reports are required by the sales manager to help “make
operations better in the future.” And if the sales manager can use these reports
for this purpose, so can the guerrilla. To illustrate, we will look at several
reports and demonstrate how they can put money in the bank for you. In each
report, there is information that is useful to you and your firm. Even if you
are the entire firm, you’ll need to keep these records. [ed: illustrations of
these reports would help!]

Expense and Sales Activity Reports

There is usually one page for each day of the week, Monday
through Sunday, and one for the week’s total.

Expense Report

The expenses section of the weekly report form usually
includes:

1. auto mileage,
2. cost of meals,
3. room expenses,
4. miscellaneous expenses, and
5. number of calls made grouped by type of call.

You’ll need information from (1) thru (4) when you file your
income taxes. There are several things can be learned from this part of the
weekly report.

Once you determine what your expenses should be for a
typical week, you can study each week’s report to determine if your spending is
out of line. If expenses are more than expected, then you are either living
more extravagantly than you should, or your travel planning is inefficient. If
expenses are lower than expected, you may be spending too much time in the
office and not enough time in the field.

Also look at trends in expenses. It costs nearly twice as
much to stay in New York or San Francisco as it does in Seattle or Miami. Does
the potential income from this account justify the investment? A trip to Cheyenne
Wyoming may be less glamorous, but more profitable. A smart practice is to
divide total expenses by the orders written and track the four week rolling
average expense per order. Even if your expenses are reimbursed by the
company, this will encourage you to go after the high-margin, high-profit
business.

The record of total number of calls made by type of call can
also be instructive. By type of call, we mean cold call, first interview,
presentation, phone call, group meeting, close, delivery, or follow-up.
Guerrillas can tell from this data whether they are spending too much time
making some types of calls and not enough time making others. While the number
of each type of call made each day or week will vary greatly, guerrillas will
soon know whether the variation is normal or whether they have avoided calls
with which they have difficulty.

Sales Activity Report

Here, salespeople report the name, location and dollar
amount of all business written for the period. It should also include
projected delivery dates, if applicable, and track weekly average sale and four
week rolling average sale. Sales activity reports tell you who’s buying what,
and can help the guerrilla spot hot trends.

Call Reports

Almost all salespeople prepare call reports on which they
indicate the purpose and result of each sales call. Some firms use a single
form for all types of calls; others use a different form for each. This report
summarizes the date and time of each sales call, the type of call, and a brief
description of the result of the call.

By reviewing the order of calls by location, guerrillas can
determine if their call planning is effective. For example, if they find that
the three calls on Monday were in Miami and the last two in Boca Raton, they
know that the trip was better planned than if the order of calls required trips
back and forth between cities.

The report also shows at a glance whether certain types of
calls are more successful than others. If this is the case, the guerrilla can
reexamine the differences.

Since summaries of the activities reports of all sales
personnel are often sent to each salesperson, guerrillas can learn how their
activities compare with those of the most successful people in the company.
For example, they can see how more experienced people divide their time between
the various types of calls they complete each week.

Prospect Report

If the first call does not result in a sale, the salesperson
usually completes only the top portion of the form and the “Remarks” section at
the bottom and indicates the date of the planned callback. All of this
information is useful for subsequent sales calls. The data at the top of the
form includes pertinent information about the prospect. The information in the
“Remarks” section is usually more personal; if something unusual happened
during the first visit or if the prospect revealed some particular interests or
hobbies, these would be noted there.

Information of this nature makes a second call more personal
and demonstrates the guerrilla’s personal interest. Indicating the planned
call-back date forces you to plan future sales calls and travel. It also
serves as a “tickler” to remind you that another call is needed on this
particular prospect and when it should be made.

On occasion, the sales call may not result in selling a
product or one of your services, but the salesperson may have learned a great
deal about the prospect’s present and future needs. In such a case the
salesman also completes another portion of the form, recording all of the
pertinent information about the prospect’s current needs. If the guerrilla
plans to make a proposal to the prospect on his next visit, this information
will be extremely useful.

The prospect report may also include an estimated dollar
amount the salesperson expects them to buy and an estimate of the probability
of closing. These figures can be multiplied together give the salesperson a
“pending” total. For example, a prospect is considering a $10,000 machine, and
the guerrilla figures it has a 75% chance of closing within the next 90 days;
he would be said to have $75,000 “pending” in that account. By doing a running
total of all pending business each month and monitoring that numbers increase
or decrease, the guerrilla can quickly see if he needs to concentrate on
developing new prospects or closing existing ones.

Some companies rate prospects into 3 categories: group A is
expected to close this month, group B expected to close this quarter, and group
C expected to close within a year. Guerrillas manage their prospecting
activity to maintain a balance between the number of A, B and C prospects.

Proposal Report

Once the guerrilla has made a formal sales proposal to a
prospective client, a proposal report should be completed. The form used for
the proposal report is similar to the prospect report. The proposal report is
useful as a tickler to remind the guerrilla that a proposal has been made and
that after a reasonable amount of time a callback is necessary to close the
sale.

The proposal report should include any pertinent remarks
made by the prospect during the proposal presentation, including objections or
concerns expressed about the proposal or things the prospect specifically liked
about it. It could also include information about who is involved in the
purchase decision and when the prospect expects the decision to be made. This
information will be helpful in closing the sale.

Prospect files and “tickler” files were discussed in Chapter
Two. We mention them again here to remind you that they are an essential part
of your tracking activity.

Trailing

Guerrillas “trail” their customers, to assure that the
product not only was delivered as promised, but performs as expected. Here’s
how it’s done. The final comment of the delivery interview should be “I’ll be
checking back in a week or so to make sure everything is working as planned.
It’s a routine part of our quality assurance. That would be the morning of the
tenth; is that convenient for you?” If the product sold is new to the
employees, or a bit complicated, the new customer will be glad to know that the
salesperson will be checking in on a given date to answer questions. This
follow-up visit should be made within a few days of the product being put into
service, and certainly not more than two weeks later. Contact with users at
this stage is particularly important. If they have any questions or
difficulties, these must be dealt with now or your future business is in
jeopardy.

Trailing is particularly important if the product itself has
been delivered by truck or by someone other than the salesperson. If the
product sold has had to be installed, the trailing callback would properly come
shortly after the installation work is complete. The most important point here
is not when the call is made, but that it is made.

Consistent

Xerox built an empire from creative and persistent
advertising over the years so that the word “xerox” became synonymous with
“photo-copy.” Guerrillas want to get their customers conditioned in much the
same way, so that customers will think of them automatically whenever they
require additional service. They do this by not letting the customers forget
them. Keeping in touch is possible through a variety of creative ways.

Nine proven guerrilla trailing methods include:

1. A short
   note after delivery asking if everything is all right
2. Restating
   availability by a simple phone call
3. Impromptu
   goodwill calls
4. Cards at
   Christmas and Thanksgiving; guerrillas send them on the more off-beat
   holidays like Halloween, Columbus Day and Presidents’ Day
5. Brief
   telephone calls on items of mutual interest, such as customer’s mention in
   local newspapers
6. Fliers
   about product changes or other information, accompanied by a handwritten
   note
7. Miscellaneous
   but related information such as company announcements or sales progress
   reports
8. Letters
   containing newspaper items of interest to the customer
9. Notices
   of achievement awards and honors earned by the salesperson. These are
   best sent by the sales manager not the salesperson.

Every customer is different, of course, and it’s only
natural that large, regular customers get more attention than small, occasional
customers. Some types of sales, a new bookkeeping system, for example, or new
word processors for an entire department may require several post-sale sessions
and numerous call-backs, where other sales are comparatively routine. Even the
most modest sale requires some keeping in touch. Quite apart from maintaining
your own reputation as a courteous and dependable salesperson, your call-backs
to small customers could lead, through referral, to other customers in the same
area. Just as easily, slighting a customer because he seems unimportant might
lose a large order some day.

Guerrillas never ignore a customer account. They do what is
required to nurture and expand all their business, and they look upon the time
it takes for call-backs as a valued opportunity to build customer goodwill and
an investment in their own future.

The important thing is that you make a path leading to
referrals and more business. This way the sales cycle can repeat itself over
and over again, giving you a never ending source of new business.

Future Sales

The competition feels that in large metropolitan areas they
can always find new prospects, and may think that they don’t have to bother
keeping in touch with old customers. But guerrillas know the value of repeat
sales, and this gives them a tremendous advantage.

With competition growing daily, new customers are not as
easy to find as they once were. It makes sense to build a base of repeat
buyers. Guerrillas prefer vertical growth to selling a large number of new
customers. And repeat sales are far more profitable because of reduced
marketing costs.

Customer Loyalty

There is no mystery about customer loyalty. People simply
like to deal with people they know and trust. Customers like knowing that
someone who understands his needs or problems will be available to help.
That’s why we like to go to a favorite restaurant or buy clothes at the same
shop from the same salesperson year after year.

Guerrillas who give their customers above-and-beyond service
are always welcomed back. Customers give repeat business to these salespeople
because they are satisfied. They know they can count on outstanding service.
They understand that these salespeople feel a sense of loyalty to them, and
they like dealing with familiar faces.

By tracking every order from “cradle to grave” you’re well
on your way to a prosperous and secure future as a guerrilla salesperson.

Chapter 12:
The Guerrilla Selling Arsenal

High Tech Guerrilla

The modern guerrilla must learn to deploy the new technology
of modern business warfare. Like laser-guided smart bombs, these weapons can
help you target hot prospects, maneuver into new territory, and capture market
share.

Information Please

Information is the new business high ground, and it’s
available to anyone for the asking. In his book Powershift, Alvin
Toffler contends that, while in the past the world was divided into East and
West, the new global business community will be divided into fast and slow.
The ability to quickly retrieve and manipulate information is one of the keys
to the guerrilla attack.

Guerrillas know that most of their competitors do not have a
systematic method for keeping track of vital customer information. The average
business person spends over three hours each week looking for misplaced
information. The 3x5-cards-in-a-file-box system is only a beginning for the
guerrilla, and you will soon want to automate it. Still, the simple manual
system used consistently will be more effective than an automated system used
haphazardly. That’s over four weeks lost selling time each year! The
guerrilla who makes the effort to electronically automate customer files has a
tremendous selling advantage.

A guerrilla we met in Nova Scotia supplies plastic pipe and
fittings to the fisheries industry. Sitting down with a customer, he links up
with his main office computer over a phone using his laptop PC and a modem. He
checks the inventory for each item being ordered, and if something is out of
stock, he can discuss substitutions right there with the customer. Each
inventory item is flagged when sold, so there are no more frustrating
back-orders. When the process is complete, the home office computer prints the
packing slip, and the warehouse crew starts loading the truck, even before this
guerrilla has finished saying “good bye.” In a market where it’s common to
wait weeks for everything, this company has built their reputation on next-day
delivery.

The Basics

It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee, but if you
haven’t mastered the basics of computer literacy, word processing, spreadsheets
and data-base management, you’re not alone. Millions of North American
business professionals have yet to become computer literate. What an
opportunity!

The portable computer has become the M-16 of guerrilla
selling. A PC allows you to fire off a hundred letters to customers with a
touch of a button. It can review the buying patterns of 1000 companies in a
matter of minutes, allowing you to be in just the right place at just the right
time getting the order from just the right person. The same PC can help manage
your time, tabulate your travel expenses, graph your presentation, and even
write your reports.

PC Hardware

Look for something small and light, something that you
wouldn’t mind carrying all day in the field. Stay away from the cheap ones;
you want something rugged. You can easily find a laptop under $2,000 that will
do everything you need.

Shop for a keyboard that feels right under your hands, not
too small, although you’ll get used to whatever you use regularly. If you
already have an office desktop, look for a portable with a similar feel.
You’ll need to work with many customer files, so a hard disk is a must. The
bigger the better, 20 to 50 gigabytes at least. And ask for at least one gig
of RAM. The CPU should be a the fastest you can afford. Ask about battery
life. At this writing, three hours is considered good, but you can also use
the power management utility to reduce the power drain. Ask about a car
lighter adaptor and airline seat power adapter as well. An internal modem and
built in high-speed network interface will allow you to connect the computer to
others from a hotel room, a pay phone, or even from your cellular phone.

Software

Word processor software turns your computer into a powerful
typewriter for creating, editing, printing and storing correspondence, and
other written material. Use the same word processing program as the rest of
your office. They’re all good, some are slightly better than others for
different applications. The most important consideration is the ability to
transfer files directly between the field and your home office system, either
by swapping disks or connecting over the phone with a modem. An excellent
integrated that combines several applications, from word processing to tracking
clients is Microsoft Office XP.

Your rolodex is a simple form of manual data-base, and a
data-base management program allows you to store, retrieve, and organize all
those scraps of information electronically. You can create a letter with a
word processor, then send it to everyone in the data-base that fits any set of
criteria you want to select.

You could create a custom tracking system from scratch using
products like IBM’s DBII or Microsoft Access, but it probably won’t be worth
the time. You really need a data-management package designed specifically for
sales.

Your goal is to transfer the information from your customer
files into the computer. At a minimum, you need a place for the company name,
key contact names, billing address, shipping address, last contact date, next
contact date, and a notes area for keeping track of what they ordered, how
much, when, at what price, and other relevant details. Even simple
off-the-shelf software like Konetix Incorporated Client Manager can get you
started for under a hundred dollars. Type in any key information, and every
one of your customers fitting that description pops up. It also allows the
guerrilla to merge customer name and address with letters created with most
word processing programs, including WordPerfect, MS Word, and WordStar, and
automatically print envelopes or mailing labels.

The more sophisticated data-management programs are well
worth the investment. We suggest you look at The Prospecting Planner by Excel,
PCAT from Arlington Software Systems, and Sales Ally5 by Scherrer Resources to
get a feel for what they can do.

Some of the most powerful, (and more expensive) software
packages, like ACT!(R) from Contact Software International, combine several
functions in one integrated system. It has a full function word processor
built in, with an 80,000 word spell checker. The database displays 73 fields
on two well-designed screens for tracking even the most sophisticated
customers, and pull-down menus make it one-keystroke simple. It will produce
call reports, expense reports, activity reports and custom reports. And an
array of clock/calendar functions can make the guerrilla’s life a lot easier.
There’s an alarm function to remind you of important appointments that works
even if you’re using a different program. Task list reports remind the
guerrilla of important calls, meetings and to-dos. It supports day-at-a-glance
or week-at-a-glance schedules, it will print a daily list of prospects that
should be called, including name and phone numbers, and connected to a modem,
it will even dial the call for you.

Guerrilla Direct

For electronic guerrilla prospecting, there are several
on-line computer data-bases available. This means with your PC, a modem, and
your telephone you can tap into the world. These information data-bases are a
quick, affordable way to target opportunities for business-to-business sales,
locally, nationally and even internationally. Dun’s Sales Prospecting lets you
conveniently order printed lists of companies for your direct mail,
telemarketing and other sales activities. You can target companies by
specifying industry, company size, and geographical location. Data is
extracted from the Dun & Bradstreet Dun’s Market Identifier sand Dun’s International Market
Identifiers data-bases,containing information on over eight million businesses worldwide. The Sales
Prospecting service will generate a list that matches your criteria, displaying
the essential information in one of four output formats available: mailing
list, targeted mailing list, telemarketing list (U.S. only) or company
profile. To generate a list of companies costs only $9 for the search, plus a
charge for each company listing ranging between eighteen cents and two dollars
per item.

Hot Off the Presses

You can also use news wires like Lexus-Nexus or The Wall
Street Journal Online to track a target company. By setting up an
electronic clipping file in the computer, you will automatically receive the
text of any articles published that mention the targeted firm by name, such as
press releases, patents issued to that company, or general news stories being
written about that firm, even its daily stock prices. The same service can be
used to shadow the competition.

Newswire services can help the guerrilla track the impact of
outside events that might affect his or her business. For example, if the
government is considering the approval of a new drug for testing, it could
represent a considerable threat or a fantastic opportunity. The computer can
automatically clip articles about a specified topic to appear in your
electronic mailbox daily.

On-line services are also useful for making your own airline
and travel arrangements. Hotel and car-rental reservations can be confirmed or
altered the same way. You can even check the weather at your destination. You
can send electronic mail instantly to other users of the network, perhaps the
home office, a vendor, or another rep traveling somewhere in the field. The
system will hold the message until the recipient calls in. EasyLink offers
access to these and many other research services over the Internet starting at
$25 a month.

The Guerrilla 500

Fortune Magazine and the MZ Group publish the Fortune 500
Prospector, a combination software package and data-base on a disk, which,
according to a company brochure, “. . . gives you the information you need to
track down your hottest prospects in the Fortune 500, in an easy-to-use database
software package.” It provides the names, titles, addresses and phone numbers
of as many as 15 key executives, over 13,500 in all. Complete financials,
business descriptions, and industry statistics are included, along with a
built-in word processor. With it you can add contracts from your own files,
allowing a guerrilla to send personalized form letters, print envelopes,
mailing labels and even create Rolodex cards. InfoWorld Magazine called it “.
. . a godsend to corporations that target big-gun corporations and need a
practical way to manipulate the data.”

Reach Out and Touch Someone

The telephone continues to be a powerful selling tool, and
with the average cost of an industrial sales call approaching $200, the modern
guerrilla uses the telephone extensively, and properly. For some really hot
phone tips read George Walther’s best selling book Phone Power.

Guerrilla Headgear

A must for desk-bound guerrillas is the headset phone.
Yeah, we know. They’re a pain in the neck. Heavy, clunky, chaining the user
to the desk with that damn cord! Well, not any more. Hello Direct will make
you an instant convert with their entire line of high fidelity headsets that
weigh less than a fountain pen. They even offer a wireless headset phone for under
$250. The guerrilla can keep a customer on-line while checking inventory,
researching an invoice, or taking an order. The Sharper Image sells a wireless
unit that has an FM stereo radio built in, so you can rock-out when you’re not
on the phone. A great stress-reducer in noisy offices.

At the Tone. . .

Guerrillas have also learned the power of making it easy for
potential customers to call them. If you can’t always be in the office to take
customer calls, consider using an answering machine or voice-mail system, but
make sure the system is responsive to customers needs. One of the worst
examples we’ve heard recently said, “Thank you for calling (XYZ Company). We
are sorry but our office is now closed. Please call between the hours of 8:30 and 5:30, Central Standard Time.” Why bother? They just paid 25 cents to frustrate
a potential customer.

Encourage your customers to call anytime and leave a
message, place an order, or ask a question, then get back to them as soon as
possible. In your outbound message, include the company name, your name, an
explanation of when you will be back at your desk, and instructions for the
caller. You might say, “I’m sorry, I’m out of the office all morning, but if
you leave your name and number at the tone, I’ll get back to you this
afternoon.” Change your outbound message regularly; three times a day is about
right. Update it every time you retrieve messages. People often resent
talking to a machine because they’ve heard the same recording a dozen times.
Let them know what’s going on from day to day, and when they should expect to
hear from you.

If you really are unavailable, always give them an
alternative course of action: “Dial ‘O’ and an operator will re-direct your
call”, “My assistant can be reached at extension (number).” or “You can page me
on my beeper at (pager number). Let them know what’s going on, when you’ll
return, and what other options they have. A guerrilla in Montana left this
recording on his machine: “Thanks for calling. I’ll be fishin’ for two weeks
until the 28th. If your need is urgent, you can call (another distributor) at
(their number). You’ll get a real live person who will be happy to help you
immediately. There will be no messages taken.” Voice-mail systems like Audex
or GTE Telemessinger offer a number of advantages over answering machines.
Using a push-button phone, customers can dial particular digits to hear
pre-programmed options, like “Dial 1 to hear more information, dial 2 to place
an order, dial 3 to talk to a representative, or dial 4 to speak to a service
technician.” These systems allow you to expedite the customers call without
having a platoon of telephone operators on duty. Customers prefer the control
of being able to select their own options to being left in no-mans-land on
hold. A guerrilla doesn’t need a battery of expensive hardware to use voice
mail, and when you consider that 70 percent of business calls fail to reach
their intended party on the first attempt, it can be a tremendous advantage.
Check with your local phone company about the availability of central office
services.

One way or another, be there for your customers when they
call. We recently called a company who claims in their magazine ad to be “the
nation’s leading provider of voice messaging service.” At 6:00 PM on a Saturday afternoon, no answer. Not even a recording! A guerrilla would never make such
a ridiculous mistake

1-800-We-LoveU

Guerrillas make it even easier for customers to call by
offering an 800 number. Prospects are seven times as likely to phone if the
call is toll-free. And you don’t have to be a big-budget company to offer 800
service. It’s surprisingly inexpensive, but it does pay to shop around. Most
long distance carriers offer measured inbound 800 number service, where you pay
only for the calls you receive. AT&T calls theirs Ready Line, Sprint
calls theirs Phoneline 800, and either one can give your business the 800
advantage for a base charge around $20 a month, plus about 20 cents a minute,
or less. Rates may be lower in some states. The number can be programmed to
ring into any existing phone line in the U.S., so you don’t need a special
line, and as your business grows, your 800 number can move with you. Unless
you can get a custom number that is a complete acronym, like 1-800-SOFTWARE, or
1-800-FLOWERS, stay away from clever combinations like 1-800-777-1234. People
think they will remember them and then forget. Better to have a number they
have to write down, like 1-800-748-6444.

Third Party Fulfillment

You can even give your customers the convenience of an 800
number without the expense by using a fulfillment service. These companies
will let you advertise their 800 number as if it were your own, coded with a
special extension. “Operators are standing by” 24 hours a day. These firms
will stock your products, answer your calls like an answering service, write up
the orders, pack and ship the boxes, deposit the funds into your bank account,
and forward the finished paperwork, all for a fixed percentage of sales, or a
flat fee per order. A local company will usually give you the best service at
the best price, so pick a company nearby.

While You Are Out

Guerrillas know that they don’t make any money sitting
around the office waiting for the phone to ring. A paging service allows
customers to find you even when you’re in the field out of touch. For about
$25 a month in most metropolitan markets, a beeper can notify you of important
calls and maintain a closer link with the office. Some are as small as a
fountain pen and can be set to vibrate discreetly in your pocket when they go
off. For a nominal charge of about 50% of the monthly base rate, most vendors
will add an optional “voice mail box” to the pager, allowing callers to leave a
detailed recorded message as well as notifying you of their attempt to call.
Some services offer even more sophisticated features, such as a digital readout
that displays the callers number, or a typed message up to 20 characters in
length.

For guerrillas who travel extensively, consider a nationwide
satellite paging service like SkyPager. For about $70 a month, you can be
paged almost anywhere in the United States, in over 200 major markets, and the
voice mail box can be added for another $20. So while you’re attending to a
customer in Cleveland, a prospect in Portland can page you directly, even if
the home office is in Houston.

We’ve seen one guerrilla ask his secretary to page him at a
specific time, when he would be right in the middle of his presentation to a
new prospect. He excused himself to return the call, assuring the prospect
that his firm would be receiving the same level of prompt, personal service in
the future.

Pocket Phone Booth

Cellular technology has gotten smaller than Maxwell Smart’s
shoephone. Some models we’ve seen can be worn as a necklace. They’re getting
so small, in fact, that the limiting factor is the size of our fingers for
pushing the buttons. The serious guerrilla keeps theirs handy for a quick-draw
response to customer calls. Depending on the market and the time of day,
cellular time costs anywhere from 10 cents to as little as .2 cents a minute.
Here again, it pays to shop around; prices are dropping and two stores in the
same mall are selling the same equipment with a $100 difference in price. Stay
tuned for changes in this technology. Motorola’s new “Iridium” phone system
uses a system of satellites to give you a portable phone you can use anywhere
on the planet.

Just the Fax

Fax is another example of a technology that has overtaken
the American business battlefield, and they’re even more pervasive with
overseas customers. Just in case you’ve been on another planet for the last
few years, a fax machine allows you to send a photocopy of a document over the
phone in a matter of seconds. No excuses. Guerrillas can equip their office
with a no-frills fax machine for under $100. It’s enough to give Federal
Express a case of heartburn.

A rep for Sprint became that company’s leading guerrilla by
offering to fax his prospects a one-page written rate comparison, putting them
up against other long distance companies. Within minutes he calls back, asking
the prospect, then and there, if it makes sense for them to keep paying too
much for their long distance service. He takes the order over the phone, then
faxes a confirmation back to the new customer, all within the span of a few
minutes.

Guerrillas on the road insist that the home office fax their
calls and messages rather than calling the hotel. By the time a customer
inquiry has been handled by a chain of telephone receptionists, it’s often
mangled beyond recognition. A neatly typed list faxed to the hotel is much
easier to work from and less likely to include omissions or errors. If the
message comes in after business hours, guerrillas respond by fax as well,
answering the customer’s question overnight while the competition is asleep.

Fax is particularly helpful in international business, where
the possibility for misunderstanding across language barriers and cultures is
an important factor. Guerrillas confirm all international voice communications
with fax. In some countries, particularly Australia, New Zealand and Canada, a
company must use fax to be taken seriously.

When It Absolutely. . .

And forget next day delivery. Associated Air Freight has
fired the first shot in the battle for overnight delivery. By calling a single
toll-free number, twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week, guerrillas are now
arranging for same day delivery of urgent documents, vital replacement
parts, or essential equipment.

Getting Smart

Smart guerrillas will combine these technologies in creative
ways, bringing new meaning to the phrase, “close to the customer.” We recently
received a catalog from a mail-order office supply house, inviting us to fax in
our order via their 1-800-FAX-LINE.

A real estate agent in Oakland uses a car phone and portable
fax to receive details from the Multiple Listing Service while touring with a
prospect in the field. Several times she has beaten out other buyers by faxing
in an offer, closing the deal in the time it took the other sales agent to
drive back to the office.

Joe and Judy Sabah, a husband and wife team in Denver, have
made a science out of getting onto radio talk-shows all over the country to
promote their books on How to Get the Job You Really Want. First they
create a one-page billboard brochure with Adobe PageMaker on a computer, then
program the computer’s internal fax card to send it overnight to a data-base of
radio stations. They’ve built a list of more than 850 talk-format radio
programs around the country, including their producers and their schedules.
The call-in interviews are conducted by phone, from home, and the 800 number
they give out provides listeners an easy way to order their books. In three
years their fulfillment service has shipped over 17,000 orders.

You think that’s slick? SprintFax and EasyLink even offer
an enhanced fax service. With one dial-up and no extra hardware, a guerrilla
can fax contracts, product information, drawings, photographs, high-res
graphics or anything else to a whole list of destination numbers. Perfect for
updating price lists, new product introductions, or special promotions. All
can be in the hands of the field sales force (or customers) in seconds. The
same service allows you to send and receive telex messages using your PC and
modem.

Talking House

Real estate agents across the country are putting houses on
the air and off the market. A tape loop combined with an AM radio transmitter
about the size of a shoebox, broadcasts the properties’ vital statistics. The
“For Sale” sign on the lawn tells drive-bys which station to tune in to hear a
90-second summary of features and the price. It weeds out the serious buyer
from the person who’s just shopping around, instantly qualifying serious
prospects.

Video Brochure

Another high-tech option is the video brochure. Customers
are more video oriented than ever before and are increasingly relying on this
medium for buying decisions. The average American spends nearly seven hours a
day with the television set turned on, and over three quarters of American
homes sport a VCR.

This is a low cost medium. Under $5 for a 10 minute tape,
plus production costs, which run about $1,000 a minute these days. Remember
shorter is better in video. These videos can introduce a small company to
prospective buyers, saving the expense of a direct call, and making them look
big-time. Some automobile dealers are offering take-home video test-drives,
allowing customers to educate themselves on model features without the showroom
pressure. A guerrilla travel agent produces dream-vacation travelogue to
promote package tours. Slide presentations can easily transfer to video with
the addition of a soundtrack, and distributed directly to prospects.
Guerrillas can use a portable combination TV/VCR and videotape to support their
presentations, taking their prospects on a TV tour of the plant, demonstrating
products too big to carry, or presenting “talking head” testimonials. Many
offices now have VCRs as standard office equipment. Check ahead, it may save
you the time and annoyance of carrying and setting up your own hardware.

In group selling, guerrillas might even use a video
projector to make a big screen impression. Many of the new digital projectors
are designed to be portable. They’re small enough to fit in a briefcase, and
still leave room for your laptop, and even includes a built-in PowerPoint player.

Tablet Computers

Perhaps you’re one of the thousands of guerrillas who have
never learned to type. If all this high-tech revolution has made you a bit
cyberphobic, consider a new technology developed by a start-up company called
GO, in Foster City California. They’ve come up with a new way of interacting
with computers, based not on the keyboard, but on the pen. In the PenPoint
System, a large liquid crystal screen and a small stylus have replaced the
keyboard and mouse. You write directly on the etched-glass screen as you would
on a legal pad. The system software recognizes carefully printed letters,
making it ideal for guerrillas on the go. Sony and Canon have been selling
similar devises in Japan for years, and virtually every major computer
manufacturer is working on one of its own.

Next? Computerized voice recognition software that can take
dictation faster than most people can type.

Low-Tech Guerrilla with High-Touch Weapons

Keep in mind that you needn’t load yourself down with a lot
of expensive gadgets to be an effective guerrilla. It’s easy to get caught up
in the hardware. We’ve heard sales managers bemoan the day their operation was
ever automated, because the reps click away the day at the keyboard instead of
making calls. David with a sling can bring down Goliath every time, but you
have to get out into the battlefield and give it a shot. “The only weapon my
guerrillas need to carry is a pen!” one manager said emphatically. “That’s all
it really takes to write an order.”

Guerrillas know that they must balance the high-tech with
high-touch. They must be more sensitive to the subjective needs of everyone
they meet. In addition to the hardware, guerrillas include several high-touch
weapons in their arsenal.

1. Reconnaissance

Gather as much intelligence about your prospects as you
possibly can. Even the smallest scrap of information can be valuable when it
helps you relate. Most adults respond to a salesperson in predictable ways.
When you first meet, pay close attention to their personalities. Watch for the
hallmarks of the Mind Map. Adjust your style to get the maximum cooperation
from your prospect.

2. Creativity

Always be thinking of new ways to meet prospects.
Guerrillas are contrarists. Try doing the opposite of what other sales people
do: Z to A. Think up creative ways to finance your product or service. Get
new ideas from sales managers, seminars, other sales people, financial people,
bankers, and CPAs.

3. Enthusiasm

A basic rule of journalism and guerrilla selling is: “Don’t
tell the good news on page one.” Hold your enthusiasm for your product until
the Presentation Stage. First, thoroughly qualify prospects: do they really
want or need my product? Can he or she afford it? Can this person make a
buying commitment today?

4. Money Matters

Money is a funny thing. People get very secretive about
money, and very defensive. Get all money matters understood and written down
in your notes before your presentation. You must avoid any mystery about
money. Start out softly, “off the record,” “in round numbers,” then narrow the
discussion down to specific dollar amounts.

5. Questions

Acting ignorant may come naturally to some people, but the
new guerrilla may find it difficult. Asking lots of questions, even when
you’re certain of the answer, is essential. Ask what the prospect means.
Don’t try to be a mind reader. You must not pre-suppose anything. By eagerly
answering prospect’s questions, you may paint yourself into a corner with no
escape. Ask counter-questions in response. Seek clarification and expansion.
When prospects are positive and enthusiastic, ask, “What makes you feel so good
about this?” When prospects are pessimistic and negative, first agree; “I
understand how you feel.” Then ask, “Why do you feel that way? What exactly
do you mean?”

Name, rank and serial number. Any time you think you ought
to volunteer some information, pause to listen, and ask a question instead.
Guerrillas never help by trying to correct, expand or improve a prospect’s
statement. One of the worst things you could ever do in a selling situation is
to fill-in a prospect’s sentence. You miss an opportunity to find out what the
prospect is thinking and you’ll probably appear rude.

6. Emotions

Guerrillas use them to sell to the unconscious emotional
wants and needs. Listen for all your prospect’s articulated and undisclosed
needs. Prospects buy on emotions. At the deepest level all decisions are
emotional. We buy to improve our status, to feel good, to avoid pain and to be
well thought of in our community. Then we justify the decision with the
facts. We tell ourselves and others that we bought because of the specific
features and benefits found in the brochures and sales pamphlets.

About your own emotions, remember no one can enter your
fortress without your permission. You will be told “no” thousands of times.
You’re the one who must decide if people are going to hurt you personally.

7. Service

Guerrillas know the importance of always giving something
extra in the Reward Step. Beyond that they are often asked for something more,
like, “I need a quicker delivery.” Rather than say, “Sure, I’ll be glad to
help you out.” Try something like: “That may be a bit difficult, but I know
it’s really important to you. I’ll call you back after I’ve had a chance to
check with our shipping department. Perhaps we can reschedule a few things.
We really do appreciate your business.” This way, your customer will know that
you’ve really gone out of your way, and that increases the perceived value of
the effort. And, it really builds customer loyalty.

8. Battle Plans

Guerrillas never do anything by accident. Planning is
critical. Decide what you want, write up your battle plan, and you can bet on
the result. Modern research has shown that the brain responds to a clear set
of goals and mental visualization. Make your plans based on how many sales
you’re going to get each month. Plan on being “number one.” Luck is preparation
meeting opportunity. Guerrillas know how to get lucky: plan, prepare, and
stay busy. Sales will come.

9. Fearlessness

Heroic bravery is not the absence of fear, but the ability
to act in spite of it. We all share the experience of fear. It is part of our
strategy for survival at some phases of the Mind Map. Fear is the perception
and anticipation of future danger, harm, or pain. Fear motivates us to avoid
these potential problems.

An old saying goes that everyone always has 49 problems.
Fix one and something else will pop up and take its place! Make a list of your
49, and when can see them clearly, you will be well on the way to solving them,
and less likely to get caught in cycles of worry and fear.

One of the biggest fears is failure. If you are pinned down
by enemy fire and you do nothing, you will get killed. Guerrillas know that
any action, no matter how poorly planned or poorly executed, is safer than
doing nothing. It’s true that while not everyone always succeeds to their
expectations, everyone always gets some result. The result that you get may
not be the one that you planned. In order to get a different result, you need
only change the process and try again and, maybe, again. Guerrillas accept
failure as part of the inevitable progress toward success. Keep at it. Take
some action. Do it.

10. Attention

Many people get into sales because they know how to talk;
they succeed to the degree that they learn how to listen. A guerrilla is
hyper-aware, always on duty, listening for any threat or opportunity that might
affect business. Guerrillas never complain or divulge negative information
about their companies. Loose lips sink ships. The person sitting next to you
on the airplane may become your next major account. If your best client is in
a slump, listen attentively, but don’t commiserate by saying that your business
is off, too. Customers want to be able to rely on you. Remember you’re a
warrior, always on guard.

What Makes the Guerrilla Different?

The guerrilla is the new solder of fortune. As salespeople,
they NaB & CaPTuRe new prospects the others miss because they invest time,
energy and imagination in the process. Undermanned and under equipped, they
take on the corporate superpowers by turning information and surprise to their
tactical advantage. And more often than not, they will prevail over slick
presentations and high caliber marketing.

At the Need Stage, guerrillas gather massive amounts of
intelligence about their prospects, their products and their competitors before
they ever call. They use the most modern discoveries in human psychology to
identify their prospects’ personalities according to the Mind Map. They
instantly pinpoint their prospects’ wants, needs, and expectations.

Right up front, in the Budget Stage, the guerrilla
establishes the prospect’s ability to pay by cost-justifying the price. The
guerrilla sells on the basis of value, never on price alone. By questioning
and carefully listening to the answers, the guerrilla determines the priorities
and criteria prospects will use to evaluate the product or service being
offered. Understanding exactly how a prospect will decide to buy gives the
guerrilla an enormous advantage. They can target the strategic issues with surgical
precision, and ignore non-vital targets.

Guerrillas complete the up front close at the Commitment
Stage by aligning their proposal with issues to which the prospect is already
committed. They verify the prospect’s intent, and ability to make a buying
commitment before they start a sales presentation.

The Guerrilla Sales Presentation is customized to fit the
communication style and personality of each individual prospect. This makes
the guerrilla easy to understand and easy to do business with.

At the Transaction Stage, the customer, not the guerrilla,
asks for the order. And, when the prospect asks, the guerrilla objects. The
prospect feels in total control, and no loose strings are left to booby-trap
the sale later on.

Guerrillas Reward their customers for doing business with
them. They find unique ways to say thanks for the confidence you’ve given me
and my company; a small gift, a special discount, or even a thoughtful
hand-written note.

Guerrillas learn to track their customers doggedly,
guaranteeing future sales through careful follow-up and never-let-you-down
service. The sale is not the end of the battle for the guerrilla. In fact,
there has never been a battle, the customer is your ally. The sale is often
the beginning of a lifelong relationship.

By now you know guerrillas are fair in all their dealings.
They genuinely care about the people they serve and they let them know it.
They do their share and more by always giving their customers their money’s
worth, and then some.

In the words of Albert Schweitzer:

“I don’t know what your destiny will be,
but one thing I do know:
the only ones among you
who will be really happy
are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

Your Marching Orders

Now you’re armed and dangerous. You’ve trained and prepared
a plan of attack. You’ve learned the prospects’ strengths and weakness. You
know how to NaB & CaPTuRe new customers and new markets. You’ve even got a
map of how most people operate. Now there’s only one thing left to do. Get
out and fight for the business. We’ve got a job to do. Let’s get on with it.