The Pierce Marrs Show

This is the second episode of the Shark Tank Fan Podcast, hosted by Pierce Marrs and co-hosted by Steven Hayes.

This is the first episode of the Shark Tank Fan Podcast, hosted by Pierce Marrs and co-hosted by Steven Hayes.

How you communicate can make or break you in your personal and business life. The way you speak, write, your body language and good eye contact. Are you optimistic, patient, sincere, honest and a good listener? The way you dress, your posture and confidence. Are you approachable?

The attributes of good communication are vast and can take time and practice to master. I want to focus on one today. Are you speaking to your customers in a language they understand?

In your particular industry there may be words you use to describe certain components or products. Avoid using unfamiliar vocabulary or general terms that will leave people confused. One example would be financial planning and investments. There are many terms that can leave a novice confused and nervous. That is why best selling author and radio host Dave Ramsey insists that his endorsed financial service providers have ‘the heart of a teacher”.

I follow this rule, “If I don’t understand it, I don’t do it.”

William Zinsser stated in his book, On Writing Well, that many managers are prisoners of the notion that a simple style reflects a simple mind. In many cases, speaking and writing clearly can be more difficult, but is worth the effort.

What is your goal? Are you more likely to gain commitment from a prospect if they are confused or when they have a clear understanding of what you are offering and how it will meet their needs?

A word of warning. Do not appear condescending and insult your customer. Respect their intelligence and learn to ask great questions. They will tell you what they need if you pay attention.

Have a great week!

Pierce

This is another word for organized procrastination. Unlike my occasional procrastination which is unorganized and sometimes called the squeaky wheel syndrome. This is where my attention jumps from one topic to the next due to the ringing phone or a multitude of other distractions.

Analysis Paralysis occurs when someone gets so bogged down in the details of their project that it never gets completed. Many times they are waiting until it’s perfect or trying to juggle multiple projects.

Stephen Covey speaks in depth about putting first things first in his best selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He describes Time Management in a matrix of four types of activities.

Quadrant I – Important and Urgent
Quadrant II – Important and Not Urgent
Quadrant III – Not Important and Urgent
Quadrant IV – Not Important and Not Urgent

Covey teaches that we are most productive when we spend most of our time in Quadrant II, tasks that are important but not urgent.

Recently I spent some time with my friend Andy Traub and he gave me two gifts. The new book, Poke the Box about personal initiative and ShipIt, a short pamphlet designed to help remove Analysis Paralysis; both of these by author Seth Godin. 

I watched Andy use ShipIt to help him quickly develop a Video Product in a short amount of time. ShipIt is a short business plan to help guide you through a specific task or project.

Sometimes we need a roadmap to help us move through a project to completion. In addition, you could consider an accountability partner to keep you on task.

Make a decision to finish something that you have had on your list way too long and quit waiting for perfection…it doesn’t exist.

Have a great week!

Pierce

I am a selfish person. My wife, Lesa, will disagree with me because she knows I would do anything for my family. Please don’t get the wrong idea. Almost everyone I know would disagree with my assessment. What I am referring to is that voice inside that tells me I should hold too tight instead of giving.

I programmed Rootein to send me a daily reminder to my email inbox; Be generous to someone. I am very happy with the results. After almost three months of daily reminders I have a new voice speaking to me. This voice is constantly reminding me to keep watch for an opportunity to be generous.

This week I had a conversation with a person whose spouse works for a well known radio personality. She spoke highly of this person saying that he is one of the most generous people she has ever known.

I gave an elderly man directions and he replied, “Thank you for your kindness.”

You may ask, “What does this have to do with The Sales Moment?” Every truly successful person I know is generous. They are generous with their time, money, advice and resources. I have a good friend who speaks often of the law of the harvest and how he holds everything in his life with an open hand. He and his wife are two of the most successful and happiest people I have ever known.

As Easter approaches, I think about the ultimate generosity God bestowed us and I am humbled.

Have a good and generous week!

Pierce

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty ~ Proverbs 11:24

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal ~ Albert Pike

God loves a cheerful giver ~ 2 Corinthians 9:7

A better question is would YOU buy the product or service you are selling? There is a direct correlation between the enthusiasm you have about your product and the success you have selling it.

To sell, you must believe in your product or service – and believe in yourself. Your selling skills depend, in large part, on your level of self confidence.

Let’s tackle the first of these two issues. Regardless of how you arrived at this place, the question still remains, are you excited about what you are selling? Do you believe that it has value and is worth the cost? If the answer is yes and you are not where you want to be, you may lack self confidence.

I have some good news. Self confidence can be learned. Also, self confidence does not necessarily mean you have low self esteem. Anyone can increase their self confidence through knowledge, preparation and practice.

None of this matters if your prospect does not need or want what you are selling. In other words they are not going to spend their money with you if you cannot create a compelling need. The only way this can take place is to ask questions. The only way you know what questions to ask is through product knowledge and practice. The more you know, the more confident you will be.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer doubt and your lack of success, then don’t sit around and just dwell on it. Go out and get some things done ~ Dale Carnegie

Knowledge and practice creates enthusiasm and confidence. These attitudes are contagious and your results will prove it. Getting momma to buy doesn’t count; she will buy from you anyway.

Have a great week!

Pierce

Recently during a sales training class, a gentlemen told me that according to marketing experts, consumers are smarter than they have ever been and they can see through sales techniques like trying to relate to them. You should get down to business and forget trying to make a connection.

I agree that people are more informed than any other time in history. I also agree that most people can see through an insincere manipulation from someone trying to get their money. My question is do people want to do business with people they like or is it just an unemotional financial transaction?

The real problem lies with the salesperson’s approach. I teach that you should build trust and rapport in a successful sales process. I also believe making a connection is important to relationship selling. How this is accomplished will be different with each prospect depending on their personality and circumstances.

For example, just because a prospect has pictures of his family and his favorite hobby displayed in his office does not mean he wants to discuss them with you on your initial visit. If he is a golfer, I will certainly be tempted to bring this up since I like to play and this may be a good ice breaker. However, several other scenarios should be considered. He may be in a time crunch and too busy for small talk or he may want to get to know you better before discussing anything other than business.

Your job is to be sensitive to these signals and be respectful of your prospects time and personality. This can be accomplished by asking questions and listening intently to the answers. Not by using the same approach regardless of the circumstances.

People are smart enough to know they are being sold. It is your job to give them a positive experience that they will want to tell their friends about.

Have a great week!

Pierce

Lesa and I just arrived home from the No More Mondays Cruise with Dan and Joanne Miller and several other speakers and guests. There were many great moments and we made some new friends. I would like to tell you about one of these moments.

On Tuesday we arrived in San Juan Puerto Rico and left the ship to explore this historic city. While we were leaving the ship we were bombarded with offers to tour the area. As our group gathered to discuss a plan, we were approached by a very polite man named Victor.

Victor did such a great job that he was a topic of discussion during the remainder of the cruise. When I spoke to the group on Saturday, I used Victor as an example because he did everything with excellence.

The first thing he did was set us at ease. He told us the price and how it compared with his competition. He also told us that we did not have to pay until after the tour and if we were not satisfied with the tour, we did not have to pay. How could we lose?

For the next hour and a half we were educated on a wide range of facts about the city. Victor was fun, entertaining and educational. We all received so much more than we expected. Everyone in our group gladly paid his asking price and more as we exited the bus.

In a nutshell, he set us at ease, over delivered what he promised and was paid well for his effort. Many times we remember and share the bad experiences. Victor made our experience memorable in a very good way. This is selling at its very best.

We can all learn a lot from Victor.

Have a great week!

Pierce

Preface:
As I write this, I have lost forty-eight pounds. Lesa and I reward ourselves each week with a cheat meal. We usually enjoy this meal on Friday during date night and a movie. Last Friday we chose deep dish pizza and wings for our cheat meal. This is what happened…

Act I:
When we arrived at the restaurant I took my place in a long line of patrons to place my order. I immediately recognized the young lady behind the counter taking orders. She had worked here for a long time and greeted each customer with the same energetic attitude and welcoming smile. I also noticed that many of the customers did not return her smile or even make eye contact. This did not stop her. She never failed to give each person her best. This had been my experience on all of my prior visits.

When it was my turn, I placed my order and thanked her for having such a good attitude. I also asked how many people return the favor. She replied. “hardly any at all.” I deliberately put tip money in the cup on the counter and told her what is was for. She thanked me and told me my order would be ready in fifteen minutes.

Act II:
Lesa and I visited the local Target for a few minutes while the food was being prepared. When we returned I took my place in line. The lady in line in front of me paid for her order and gathered herself to leave. Meanwhile, our optimistic order taker smiles at me and says. “Mr. Marrs, your order is ready. I will be right back.” The lady preparing to leave looks at me surprised and says, “How did she remember your name? Did she take a picture with her Iphone?” I laughed and said, “No, I complimented her on her great attitude.” She left with a strange look on her face.

Act III:
Lesa and I enjoyed a quiet evening at home with pizza and an old Robert Redford movie, Jeremiah Johnson.

Can you name all the human relationship principles in this story?

Have a great week!

Pierce

P.S.: Dale Carnegie Quotes of the week:

– Act enthusiastic and you will be enthusiastic.

– Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.

– Happiness doesn’t depend on any external conditions, it is governed by our mental attitude.

Have you ever been asked how you were doing and then after a few seconds the other person launches into a ten minute monologue of the things they really wanted to tell you? This is one of the most common mistake people make in communication.

Toby Keith produced a song several years ago titled, I Wanna Talk About Me. In the song his girlfriend talks all the time about herself and he never gets to talk about what he wants to talk about. A funny song that gets to the heart of how you can damage your personal and business relationships.

A healthy conversation would include you talking 30% of the time and the other person 70%. You have heard the saying, “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason.” By dominating the conversation you send a message that I really do not care what you have to say.

Salespeople can be so excited about their product that they fail to slow down and ask enough questions to find out if their prospect wants or needs what they are selling.

The rule is simply talk less and listen more.

Have a great week!

Pierce

P.S. Quote of the week: Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. They’re either speaking or preparing to speak. They’re filtering everything through their own paradigms, reading their autobiography into other people’s lives. ~ Stephen Covey