Win More Clients by Being #2

Let me tell you about Harvey, a 26-year old who decided to go into the envelope business as a salesman. Keep in mind that envelopes are only used once, so people need to buy them over and over. One day, at 5:30 AM, Harvey was sitting in a car with one of the best salespeople in the company, right outside the manufacturing plant of the biggest envelope manufacturer in all the city. Soon, a delivery truck came out of the stockyard. Harvey and his mentor followed the truck, taking notes on where it stopped. This continued for the better part of the morning, before the truck returned to the factory. They did the same thing the next morning, and the next. Within a week, they had a record of over 100 accounts of the top manufacturing company in the area. Once Harvey had his list, he asked his mentor what to do with it. His mentor told him not to try to steal the business away. Instead, Harvey was to go in and acknowledge who they were already buying envelopes from, acknowledge that he didn’t want to steal the business, and asking permission to be #2. He made this sales pitch to those 100+ accounts that he and his mentor had found in their research through following the truck. Within five years, Harvey had over 100% of the accounts that he had recorded. Wondering how you can earn over 100%? Curious about who Harvey really is? Tune into this episode to find out! You’ll also learn why being #2 makes you stand out, how to make potential clients find you interesting, and much more.   In This Episode: [03:08] - Ready to hear an introduction to the three key insights you’ll learn about in today’s episode? Here they are! [04:22] - Alex shares the story of Harvey, an envelope salesman. [07:50] - In a quick break from the story of Harvey, Alex points out that his mentor allowed Harvey to experience the process instead of telling him what to do. [10:06] - We hear about Harvey’s very simple sales pitch, and the power of asking to be #2 instead of #1. [12:46] - Alex confesses who the Harvey in his story really is: Harvey Mackay, international bestseller of books including Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive. [14:06] - We hear some ways that it’s possible to go from #2 to #1 by default, without necessarily involving any further action on your part. [15:15] - Alex asks listeners to consider seeking to be #2 in a sales transaction, and to look for a “yes” for a relationship rather than a transaction. [17:47] - We learn another point about bonding with potential clients or candidates. [19:42] - Harvey eventually ended up owning the envelope company, which he called Mackay. [20:42] - Here’s today’s Alexism: “Caring is the ultimate competitive advantage in starting and maintaining any business today.” [22:09] - Alex shares a quick review of the insights that he has covered over the course of today’s episode. [23:01] - Did you learn something from this episode? If so, please take a moment out of your day to leave your biggest takeaway as a review at this link! [24:42] - In honor of this 33rd episode of the podcast, Alex offers listeners a gift: free immediate access to his powerful new video e-course! To get started, head to this link.   Links and Resources: Alex Mandossian MarketingOnline.com Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series Alex Mandossian on YouTube Alexisms by Alex Mandossian All Selling Aside on iTunes Harvey Mackay Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive by Harvey Mackay MackayMitchell Envelope Company