Sell It Like Serhant: How to Sell More, Earn More, and Become the Ultimate Sales Machine

by Ryan Serhant

Stage Two: Frustration

In the frustration stage the buyer is focused on the negatives; they are suddenly seeing everything that is wrong with the product. They haven’t pulled out of the deal, but they’re annoyed. This phase could also be called the blame phase, since most buyers start to blame other people (most often that’s us) for their frustration. Signs you’re in the frustration stage include: impatient phone calls and texts, emails asking why things are taking so long, threats to back out of the deal.

Stage Three: Fear

You know how what goes up must come down? In sales it’s the opposite: what is down (prices, deals, a client’s emotional state) must go back up.

In the fear stage the buyer starts to feel afraid of what he’s taken on. “Can I handle this?” “Did I spend too much?” “Do I really need this?” They are actively questioning their decision to make the purchase. Signs you’re in the fear stage include: angry, incessant phone calls and texts; emails in the middle of the night featuring multiple exclamation points; swearing; yelling; more tears—but now the sad and angry kind.

Stage Four: Disappointment

In the disappointment stage, the magnitude of the purchase starts to weigh on the buyer. They start to seem overwhelmed, anxious, and distant. Signs you’re in the disappointment stage include: the client feeling regret and remorse, forgetting that this apartment/car/wedding gown, etc., was the one that made them feel all tingly inside, ignoring your texts and emails.

Stage Five: Acceptance

In the acceptance stage the positives start to flow back. The buyer starts to remember the journey they’ve gone through to procure this amazing item! The fear melts away and the joy slides back. Signs you’re in the acceptance phase include: happy spouses and children in for pop-up office visits, thank-you notes or gifts, peace, quiet, and calm.

Stage Six: Happiness

In the happiness stage the customer is bursting with excitement. The joy is on par with the last day of school, Christmas morning, or the day your mom says, “Fine, you can get a puppy.” Signs you’re in the acceptance phase include: constant emails about when the product will arrive. They connect you to their friends who they think should buy from you. The happiness phase is the best time to ask for referrals.

Stage Seven: Relief

In the relief stage, the customer is now comfortable with the purchase. Any obstacles faced, all the highs and lows no longer matter. The purchase was also their idea the whole time! Imagine that. Signs you’re in the relief stage include: bragging, boasting, “It’s such a good thing I bought that when I did,” “I can’t believe that guy paid even more than me! What a sucker!”

Nine out of ten times, if a client is bursting with excitement about a purchase, be ready to tackle the fear phase because it’s right around the corner and will be arriving soon.

“We’ve All Been There.”

“We Are in This Together.”

If you are in sales, inaction is enemy number one.

To combat this mortal enemy, I use a combination of push, pull, and persistence to guide clients to the next stage of the sale.

Offer Incentives:

Create Urgency:

Sales is customer service

Your morning should always start the night before. Wake up knowing exactly what your day entails and what challenges you are facing.

Don’t be afraid to push yourself to take on more. If you’re the one who creates the chaos, then you can control the chaos.

And I’ve learned that the key to success is to break down your day into three distinct categories.

THE FINDER, KEEPER, DOER METHOD

Catch half a ball before you let it hit the floor.

WORK FOR YOUR CAREER, NOT THE JOB

I never forget that I’m not really selling a product; I’m selling a product’s story.

when you sell excitement, you can sell anything—

Go beyond the facts. When selling any product, sell it with a story. You’ll close more deals and quickly.

USING A STORY TO CRAFT A CREATIVE PITCH

Step One: Clearly Define Your Challenge

Step Two: Dig In

Step Three: Plant the Seed

If you want to learn how to sell a meal, you’ve got to spend some time in the kitchen. If it’s possible to see how your product is produced firsthand, do it!

In sales, there is a direct correlation between the business that you get and the business you’re known for.

Shout It from the Mountaintop: Success Begets Success

Cast yourself as the One Who does bigger and better things that you could never have imagined, and do them.

You can’t wait for the perfect opportunity to arise to initiate a connection or start selling.

No customers in front of you? This is an excellent opportunity to get work done.

Sometimes an added incentive isn’t just about the object or service itself, it’s about how it makes your client feel about their purchase.

Salespeople often find themselves in the middle of situations that feel impossible—but there’s always a solution. Every deal is a deal if you can figure out how to bridge the gap.

Buyers and sellers have the same thing. The seller’s biggest wall is a future in which they have Not Sold. The buyer’s biggest wall is a future in which they have Not Bought. Seems simple, right? I play to those fears in every negotiation.

“Meet halfway” is probably the nicest-sounding way of getting a deal done in the history of the negotiation world. Both sides feel good and both sides feel like the other side gave an equal share.

six reasons balls crash and die,

#1: Failure to Communicate

#2: You’re Replying, Not Responding

#3: You’ve Set Unrealistic Expectations

#4: You Don’t Know Your Shit

#5: Your Approach Is Stale