The Pierce Marrs Show

If there is any great secret of success in life, it lies in the ability to put yourself in the other person’s place and to see things from his point of view – as well as your own.” ~ Henry Ford

Seeing things through the eyes of someone else is a form of empathy. It is impossible to be a successful communicator if you are not willing to see things from another person’s perspective.

Two of the reasons many people fail in this regard is they think they know what the other person is thinking or they do not really care and are only concerned about what they want to say.

If you want to be truly successful in your relationships and communication, you must become an emphatic listener.

Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People states, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”

Covey goes on to say that when another speaks, we’re usually “listening” at one of four levels:

1. Ignoring the other person, not really listening at all.
2. Pretending to listen, “Yeah. Uh-huh. Right.”
3. Selective Listening, hearing only certain parts of the conversation.
4. Attentive Listening, paying attention and focusing energy on the words that are being said.

Few of us practice the fifth level, the highest form of listening, Emphatic Listening. Emphatic listening is listening with the intent to understand by seeing the world the way they see the world.

This type of listening is very unselfish and forces you to set your own feelings and opinions aside. People want to be heard and understood. You can become wildly successful or a dismal failure based on your ability to master this skill.

Have a great week!

Pierce

Shark Tank Fan Podcast, Season 3 Episode 4. Pierce Marrs and Steve Hayes recap the episode that aired February 10th, 2012. Guest Shark, Lori Grenier from QVC joins Kevin, Damon, Mark and Robert where they review the “The Swilt”, “Sho No”, “Puppy Cakes”, “Wine Balloon”and an Update on “Notehall”.

Shark Tank Fan Podcast, Season 3 Episode 3. Pierce Marrs and Steve Hayes recap the episode that aired February 17th, 2012. Lori Grenier from QVC joins Kevin, Damon, Mark and Robert where they review the “Last Lid”, “Ledge Pillow”, “Talbott Teas”, and “3M Girl Designs” and an Update on “Lightfilm.

You can contact Pierce and Steve or comment on the show at MarrsCoaching.com. Call and leave a question or audio feedback at 615-59-COACH or 615-592-6224.

Many years ago while working with a small manufacturing company we would direct customers with technical issues directly to the technician in charge of building that product to troubleshoot why the product was malfunctioning. The technician was skilled at the proper operation of the product but was lacking in customer diplomacy.

On one occasion, I received a call from an angry customer who had just encountered this prideful and over zealous technician. As the customer explained exactly how the product was malfunctioning, the technician advised, “That can’t happen!” The customer went on to explain with added expletives that he was watching the product malfunction at that very moment.

I learned many years ago, that if you want to achieve diplomacy with anyone, never tell him or her they are wrong.

Dale Carnegie covers this point thoroughly in How To Win Friends and Influence People. Here are the first three principles from Part Three: How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking:
1. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
2. Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, “You’re wrong.”
3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

Jesus said two thousand years ago in Matthew 5:25A, “Settle matters quickly with your adversary.”

If you want to feed your ego by being right, then go ahead and argue, however, you can diffuse an angry person by allowing them the opportunity to speak their mind. When they feel they have been heard, they will be open to other possibilities.

Have a great week!

Pierce

A Psychological study I reviewed suggested that seven percent (7%) of the effect you have on others depends on what you say from the mouth, thirty-eight percent (38%) the manner in which you say it and fifty-five percent (55%) by your body language. So, ninety-three (93%) of your message and emotion is being conveyed without saying the actual words.

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” ~ Peter Drucker

Nonverbal communication is a two-way street. The moment you meet someone, they begin forming an opinion of you. Here are a few things to consider when creating a great first impression:

• Appropriate dress: Clean, neat and conservative will always relate to more people.
• Posture: Stand and sit up straight. Think “up.” Convey energy
• Smile and Make Good eye-contact: Be positive and confident.
• Firm handshake: Avoid a limp hand or squeezing too hard.
• Hand gestures: Keep your hands relaxed and avoid excessive movements.
• Tone of voice: Speak clearly and confident.

You must also consider the body language of the other person. A common mistake many people make is to ignore the other person’s reaction while they are concentrating on the message they want to deliver. The other person may be fidgety, anxious, angry or bored. To ignore these clues could lead to less than desirable results.

When I notice any of these clues, I ask questions to engage the other person. If it is appropriate, I will ask if we need to cut the meeting short and reschedule. My goal is to minimize stress and create rapport and trust. This cannot happen if the other person is distracted and busy with another issue.

You can increase your credibility and success by recognizing positive and negative body language in the people you meet. We will discuss this in more depth in a future issue of The Sales Moment.

Have a great week!

Pierce

Shark Tank Fan Podcast, Season 3 Episode 3. Pierce Marrs and Steve Hayes recap the episode that aired February 3, 2012. Mark Cuban joins Kevin, Damon, Barbara and Robert where they review the “Chord Buddy”, “Liquid Money”, “Tail Lightz”, “You Smell”and an Update on “CBS Foods – Chef Big Shake”.

Join Pierce Marrs and Steve Hayes as they interview Al Nelson from “EZVIP”. He appeared on Episode One of Season Three and struck a deal with Mark Cuban and Damon John. Al gives his background, what has happened since he appeared on the show and some great advice for hopeful entrepreneurs. You can contact Al’s company at ezvip.com.

I speak often about the importance of knowing when to talk and when to listen. One mistake many salespeople make is to keep talking after the customer has said yes. This is a good time to talk about the logistics of delivery, scheduling the first session or the weather, but do not KEEP SELLING!

Many people want to negotiate and up-sell after the customer has said yes. I believe you should make the first experience exceptional and build a solid relationship, then you will get an opportunity for future business.

I am not against a good salesperson making reasonable suggestions to enhance my purchase or auto responders online that make other recommendations on my way to the shopping cart. In each of these scenarios I can say no and move on. What I cannot stand is a face-to-face stand off that may never end.

I am a huge fan of The Shark Tank that airs on ABC on Friday night where entrepreneurs pitch their business to a panel of wealthy investors. On a recent episode, a contestant boasted of his exceptional selling skills and had created a sales training program for large companies. Mark Cuban made him an offer and the entrepreneur continued to sell to the other sharks and failed to say yes to Cuban’s offer. As you can probably imagine, Mark chose to teach him a lesson and told him he should have taken the deal when it was offered.

Recently, I watched the movie Moneyball. A true story about Billy Beane played by Brad Pitt as the General Manager of the Oakland A’s. In one scene, Billy is closing the deal on a player trade with another team and hangs up immediately after he hears yes. Billy advised his assistant, “When you get the answer you want, hang up!”

I would never advise you to hang up on a customer, however, when they say they are ready to buy, shut down the presentation and move to the next phase or you may miss the chance.

Have a great week!

Pierce

Check out my Shark Tank Fan Podcast where I recap the businesses, presentations and reactions from the Sharks. You can also find some exclusive interviews with some of the contestants.

Shark Tank Fan Podcast, Season 3 Episode 2. Pierce Marrs and Steve Hayes recap the episode that aired January 27, 2012. Mark Cuban joins Kevin, Damon, Barbara and Robert where they review the “I Want To Draw A Cat For You”, “The Salespreneur”, “Rick Smith Jr. – Magician and Las Vegas Show”, “Invis-A Rack” and an Update on “Citi Kitty” from Season 2.

If you ask anyone if they like pushy sales people, the consensus will most likely be a resounding NO! I do not enjoy being pushed any more than anyone and I detest manipulative tactics designed to squeeze a prospect into a purchase they may regret later. In other words, a scenario where the seller wins and the buyer loses.

I believe persistence is a completely different approach. A prospect can feel pushed when they do not believe their needs have been fully understood. However, providing compelling options based on a relationship built on trust, rapport and asking the right questions can lead to a win-win solution.

Recently, while speaking at The Free Agent Academy event in Woodland Park, Colorado, I had the opportunity to speak to a financial coach who was struggling gaining commitment from her prospects. Regardless of the objection she received from her prospect, she would say okay and the conversation would end. I asked her why she did not provide any options to overcome the objection and she said, “I don’t want to sound like a pushy sales person.”

The process of gaining commitment or closing can be a tense moment for the sales person and the buyer. When tension is high, trust is low and vice versa. Tension can be minimized when you develop rapport early in the sales process.

Instead of stressing out about the closing, why not focus on a solutions based process that will be reasonable for both parties. Solution based sales people want the best possible outcome for their customers.

In the example of the financial coach, I asked her if she felt she was qualified to help her prospects. Also, what would happen if she did not find a way to work with them. If she persisted to find a way to work with these people, both the financial coach and the prospect win. The opposite is a lose-lose scenario that may lead to the prospect digging a deeper hole financially or working with someone that may not have the compassion and training to lead them to a positive outcome.

You do not have to be pushy.  Always look for what is in the best interest of your customers and you will win.

Have a great week!

Pierce