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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Ryan Serhant
Read between
January 24 - February 18, 2019
The hardest thing for me to teach my new sales agents at Team Serhant is how powerful taking initiative really is. It might sound crazy, but those moments when you feel stuck? Like you’ll never close a sale or get another client again? Initiative is like a magical cure-all elixir. Pick up the phone and make a call, send an email, follow up with leads. Do something. Taking initiative is like breathing for a salesperson; you cannot survive without it. Take initiative with everything that is put in front of you, and you will experience success every single day.
Choose success first, no matter what—then back yourself into a career.
Know what your motivation is. Connect with that one thing that motivates you from deep in your core. It can be life-changing. It’s not enough to say, “I want to be awesome and make a lot of money.” Who doesn’t want that? Think about what really pushes you to work harder and do better. What motivates you so deeply that it can provide you with that extra boost of power to send your career into overdrive? Don’t let what scares you keep you up at night; make it push you to reach an insane level of success instead.
Never underestimate the power of a face-to-face meeting. Sometimes emails and texts are not enough to get a deal closed.
As salespeople, we must be careful listeners, because clients are always sending messages about what they need and how they want to conduct business.
There will be an objection with almost every single sale. The goal is to turn negatives into positives.
Anticipating objections and immediately turning them into positives will result in you selling more.
YES is the most essential word in any salesperson’s vocabulary.
If you want a client to buy what you are selling, self-confidence needs to be oozing out of your pores.
People don’t like being sold, but they love shopping with friends.
Sales isn’t about delivering a cheesy line, but about finding a sincere way to connect with people. If you want customers to spend their money with you, you must make them feel comfortable in your ability to get them what they want. People don’t like being sold, but they love shopping with friends—
Never meet someone to benefit you today, meet people who can benefit your future.
Connection first, product second.
Never start off by talking about the product. Always make a connection first.
If you want to be really productive, give yourself a quota. Meet at least three new people every day, and get their contact info. Start with just one if you need to, but get in the habit of making friends everywhere you go. A salesperson’s network of contacts is her currency.
Social currency matters. The more people you meet, the more business you’ll do.
Most salespeople are either too pushy and aggressive, and only focused on the sale. Or they’re too accommodating—robotic, and say yes to whatever the client asks. Both of these scenarios prevent deals from closing. To be an effective closer, you have to maintain a connection but focus on the deal first.
when I made a genuine connection with clients I was able to show how my product fit into their lifestyles—and not vice versa.
It’s always better to do a smaller deal than no deal. Happy customers come back and buy more.
Don’t always sell the most expensive product.
You must use your knowledge and expertise to connect a customer with the product that is the best fit for them.
“People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”
Closing a deal is about tapping into emotions. The sooner you can learn to take off the “salesman’s hat” and get in tune with your client’s emotions and desires, the better you’ll become at working the deal.
You’re using the power of assurance to help them feel comfortable enough with the financial and emotional decision they’re about to make.
One of my best sales secrets, dubbed The Wow Moment,
You can’t negotiate with someone’s wallet, but you can negotiate with their feelings.
Becoming a master of follow-up is one of the most important things a salesperson can do to increase sales. Great follow-up comes in three stages,
When working with buyers, it’s important to keep momentum—once a buyer cools on spending this kind of money, it’s very tough to get them motivated again.
A successful salesperson is a conscientious follow-upper. Just because you’re ready for your client to buy something doesn’t mean they are. But when they are, you want to be right there and ready for them. So, make sure you’re doing the appropriate amount of follow-up by breaking down your leads into three categories:
HOT: Hot clients are ready to buy something now. They have a time line set. You are in touch with them every day. You’re keeping them posted on any product developments or sales. You are making it clear you are working hard for them.
WARM: Warm clients are thinking about buying something. They are buy-curious. You are in touch with them once a week, also keeping t...
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COLD: Cold clients are not actively looking to buy, but that doesn’t mean you don’t follow up. You are still in touch with cold clients once or twice a month. When they do dec...
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Following up is not really a fun task, so put it in your calendar so you’re forced to do it.
When you incorporate follow-up into your regular sales practice, jotting off a quick and friendly email is practically effortless—and it’s free. It’s free!
Always follow up with value in your message.
Customer service and follow-through are paramount to referral business from clients
Always treat clients like they are brand-new.
An old client is as valuable as a new client!
Anyone can follow up by pushing calls and emails, but follow-through is the next level.
Following through is a huge opportunity to show clients you’re invested, that you care about them, and that you’re dependable. When you want to sell more and build relationships with repeat clients, follow-through is the simple tactic that can set you apart from everyone else.
Never wait to follow up. Follow up now. It’s one of my little tricks to get attention. No one follows up faster than I do. And when you want to set up that follow-up meeting, propose dates that work for you. Don’t just ask if they’re free—take control of the destiny of your working relationship!
Following back is different from just following up with a client you’re already working with. Following back is keeping in touch with past clients or people who did not hire you, and it is one of the biggest opportunities that salespeople miss out on. Following up is touching base that first time. It’s hitting the ball. Following through is making sure the ball goes where you want it to go. And following back is getting right back to the ball so you can hit it again!
And if you follow the Three F’s, as I’ve shown you, you will get that ball in the hole.
The closing of the deal is just the beginning of the relationship. It is a huge mistake to assume the relationship with a customer ends when they buy your product. The closing of the deal represents the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship. Follow back after the sale—ask how they are enjoying that hot tub, if the kitchen renovation is going well, or even if the dress they bought for their daughter’s wedding was a hit. Follow-back leads to repeat customers.
story. Deals can die, but relationships never can. Using the Three F’s gives you some control. Following up, following through, and following back provide an extra, free, and easy opportunity to show clients what you’re really made of (awesomeness, etc.).
When I was able to empathize with what she was feeling, I was able to guide her to the right place and get a deal.
The emotional process of buying a product, any product, is the same with every transaction.
If you learn to anticipate what customers will likely do during each stage of the sale, you’ll be in a great position to use the appropriate tool to anticipate your next move, and keep the sale moving toward a close.
Stage One: Excitement
In the excitement stage a buyer is focusing on all the positives of the product—and how it will change their lives for the better. They are falling in love. Signs you’re in the excitement stage include: comments such as “I love this,” “Oh my God, I’m so happy I’m getting this,” “This is the greatest day of my life.” Fist pumps. Tears of joy.
