If you haven't already discovered this little secret, let me give you some insight...Buy this book immediately and consume it, because it will change the way you do your business.
It's called "The Retirement Miracle" by Patrick Kelly.
I read it as soon as I got it, and it really has changed my outlook on the business that we do. Why?
I'm calling this article The Closing Miracle because it has given me the tools I needed to secure business, and help my clients secure their future.
In sales, you need to show your clients:
a) How your product will benefit them
b) Why they need it NOW
Have you ever had a great presentation? The client loved the product. Seemed very interested in it. Was very enthusiastic and gave you all of the buying signals. And then those dreaded words: Well...let me think about it.
Without a sense of urgency, you will never give them a compelling enough reason to buy your product from you right now. They can always think about it and get back to you later. We all know "later" comes waaaaaaaaaaaaay later or never at all.
Why I am calling this book The Closing Miracle is it tells you why it is imperative that the client get his IUL as soon as possible because if he waits, he may never have access to the tax advantages attached to this product if tax laws change in the future. Simply put.
So because of this little tidbit, I have up'ed my game and gave my presentation a very strong WHY. Here's what I tell them:
Retirement is like a 3 legged stool. The three legs are pension, social security, and personal savings.
Unless you work for a huge company, pensions are a thing of the past--so you can't rely on that for your retirement. Social Security is not secure--and we all know it's going bye-bye very soon. Most people I know can't retire on their personal savings because you can't live very long on a few thousand dollars.
So our product, the GIUL is the perfect solution to beefing up their earning potential, while protecting your family.
Why should they get it now?
The financial boom of the eighties gave birth to a great product called Universal Life. It offered similar tax advantages to our product and people jumped all over it! They had lots of money to put into their UL and did so quite eagerly.
We all know there are 2 things in life that are certain. Death and Taxes. As expected, Uncle Sam caught wind of the tax revenue they were missing out on and imposed regulations on the UL product. Now when the UL is overfunded (meaning the cash value exceeds the amount of premiums deposited within the first 7 years) it becomes a MEC (Modified Endowment Contract) and can no longer receive the tax advantages it once enjoyed.
Do you see where I'm going with this?
If your client gets his GIUL now, he may not have to abide by the regulations that are sure to come in years following. It's called Grandfathering.
So...
a) Get the book and read it.
b) Up your game and increase your closing ratio asap.
c) Enjoy the benefits of working for this great company we call WFG and help as many friends, family and strangers as you can.
There is a great urgency to what we do, and this gives you the perfect vehicle to do so.
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Because we live in a world with lots of people in it, your potential for building your business is huge!
You might be thinking, right...but I hate cold calling. We don't like cold calling either. It is like gambling and the odds are not necessarily in your favor. So what is it that I'm talking about?
It's called warming up the cold call. Unless you live like a hermit or under a rock, most people come in contact with a LOT of people in their everyday life. Take for example your typical day. Drop kids off at school, get coffee, go to the office or your job. Once at your job you might talk to accounting or HR, you call the doctor's office to make an appointment for your kids, schedule Summer Fun. Then after work you pick up the kids and go to soccer or karate or piano...Each time you do these activities you come in contact with people.
Warming up the cold call means opening your mouth and making a connection with a stranger. Once you establish a rapport - he's not cold anymore. You look for something in common and establish a rapport so that you have an open door to approach the next time. Hence, building your warm market.
A good example is our SMD Ben. He shared with us how he visited Best Buy and talked to a vendor there. A few days later he went to another Best Buy and ran into the same gentleman. At that point he asked him if he might be interested in earning some extra income and made an appointment to share the business. He may be Ben's next big builder, but he would never have known unless he opened his mouth and asked for the appointment.
Another good lesson is about pre-judging a potential client. "He wouldn't like the business" or "She's too shy to recruit." You should always, always, always open your mouth and ask about sharing the business. Why? Because you never know who they know, and that person could be your next new recruit.
It can be that simple and the lesson here is you never know when you may be talking to your next big builder. So open your mouth every chance you get!
You might be thinking, right...but I hate cold calling. We don't like cold calling either. It is like gambling and the odds are not necessarily in your favor. So what is it that I'm talking about?
It's called warming up the cold call. Unless you live like a hermit or under a rock, most people come in contact with a LOT of people in their everyday life. Take for example your typical day. Drop kids off at school, get coffee, go to the office or your job. Once at your job you might talk to accounting or HR, you call the doctor's office to make an appointment for your kids, schedule Summer Fun. Then after work you pick up the kids and go to soccer or karate or piano...Each time you do these activities you come in contact with people.
Warming up the cold call means opening your mouth and making a connection with a stranger. Once you establish a rapport - he's not cold anymore. You look for something in common and establish a rapport so that you have an open door to approach the next time. Hence, building your warm market.
A good example is our SMD Ben. He shared with us how he visited Best Buy and talked to a vendor there. A few days later he went to another Best Buy and ran into the same gentleman. At that point he asked him if he might be interested in earning some extra income and made an appointment to share the business. He may be Ben's next big builder, but he would never have known unless he opened his mouth and asked for the appointment.
Another good lesson is about pre-judging a potential client. "He wouldn't like the business" or "She's too shy to recruit." You should always, always, always open your mouth and ask about sharing the business. Why? Because you never know who they know, and that person could be your next new recruit.
It can be that simple and the lesson here is you never know when you may be talking to your next big builder. So open your mouth every chance you get!
What are the 4D's? It's not your apartment number. It's not pertaining to my bra size. And it's certainly not my daughter's college report card.
No, The 4D's is what it takes to succeed in this business. It's something that everyone has access to and it's not a magic bullet. Here it is:
Dreams. By now you should have written down your "Top 10 Reasons to Win" in your training manual. If you haven't done this already, do it right now. There is a bit of magic that happens when you declare your goals and your dreams--and that is that they begin to materialize. Everyone has dreams and reasons they want or NEED to win. So put your dreams down in writing and have something to shoot for.
Desire. When you have a burning desire in your belly to do something awesome, it becomes the fuel you need to keep your machine running. On the days you don't feel like you have what it takes to do this business and do it well, go revisit your Top 10 Reasons so you can get that desire back.
Determination. Determination is that unweilding, firmness of purpose that keeps you going toward your goals. Visualize a locomotive train that starts out with steam billowing from its smoke stack, cylinders pumping and wheels working hard to get its load rolling down the train tracks. Wheels keep turning and turning while the train heads steadily and quickly down the tracks towards its destination. Soon, there's nothing that can get in the way of the train and it becomes unstoppable as it heads toward its goal. This is what determination looks like--so keep this image in your mind so you can stay on track.
Discipline. We talked before about The System and how it is a discipline, similar to martial arts or music or dance. These are all disciplines. Discipline as it is defined in the dictionary is an activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill. You need discipline to conduct your business otherwise your day will get away from you and soon you'll have accomplished very little before the day is done.
As a System Builder, we are entrepeneurs and are able to determine our own schedules, our own income, and our destiny. But without knowing what our dreams are, we have an arrow without a target. Without the desire, determination or discipline, we do not have the impetus to achieve our goals.
So starting right now, write down your Top 10 Reasons to Win and post it in a place where you'll see it every day. Then get 4 sheets of paper and write the 4D's on them and place them around your house as a constant reminder that with Dreams, Desire, Determination and Discipline you will be a HUGE success in this business!!
No, The 4D's is what it takes to succeed in this business. It's something that everyone has access to and it's not a magic bullet. Here it is:
Dreams. By now you should have written down your "Top 10 Reasons to Win" in your training manual. If you haven't done this already, do it right now. There is a bit of magic that happens when you declare your goals and your dreams--and that is that they begin to materialize. Everyone has dreams and reasons they want or NEED to win. So put your dreams down in writing and have something to shoot for.
Desire. When you have a burning desire in your belly to do something awesome, it becomes the fuel you need to keep your machine running. On the days you don't feel like you have what it takes to do this business and do it well, go revisit your Top 10 Reasons so you can get that desire back.
Determination. Determination is that unweilding, firmness of purpose that keeps you going toward your goals. Visualize a locomotive train that starts out with steam billowing from its smoke stack, cylinders pumping and wheels working hard to get its load rolling down the train tracks. Wheels keep turning and turning while the train heads steadily and quickly down the tracks towards its destination. Soon, there's nothing that can get in the way of the train and it becomes unstoppable as it heads toward its goal. This is what determination looks like--so keep this image in your mind so you can stay on track.
Discipline. We talked before about The System and how it is a discipline, similar to martial arts or music or dance. These are all disciplines. Discipline as it is defined in the dictionary is an activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill. You need discipline to conduct your business otherwise your day will get away from you and soon you'll have accomplished very little before the day is done.
As a System Builder, we are entrepeneurs and are able to determine our own schedules, our own income, and our destiny. But without knowing what our dreams are, we have an arrow without a target. Without the desire, determination or discipline, we do not have the impetus to achieve our goals.
So starting right now, write down your Top 10 Reasons to Win and post it in a place where you'll see it every day. Then get 4 sheets of paper and write the 4D's on them and place them around your house as a constant reminder that with Dreams, Desire, Determination and Discipline you will be a HUGE success in this business!!
Ok. I'm old. This is a line from a classic movie called, "It's a Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart.
So my post today isn't about Christmas, but it is about faith and belief. I am a strong Christian woman whose faith in God is unshakable - but what I am talking about believing in something you can't see or touch, and having faith that if you follow the habits and behaviors of successful people, your success will surely follow.
We had some great lessons this week, both in our BPM and in the field. But I think my biggest "aha" moment came to me last night when I finally saw how things are starting to come together. We had a "come to Jesus" meeting at our BPM (at least that was the message I got out of it) Our SMD had refocused our lenses because as the student, we were starting to have a lot of questions and wanting to know too many of the details of how the business works. He had read us an excerpt from The Success Builder so I had to check myself and decided to go back and read the book again. Herein is where the clarity begins.
I started from the beginning where he talks about the process and what he went through to get his business started. Persistence, diligence, focus and unwavering discipline. THAT is the message I got.
Following the System is not so much about the meetings, the appointments, the presentation, selling the product, recruiting, etc. Following the System is training you to be disciplined. It's as simple as that.
I equate it with Martial Arts training. I have never taken any kind of martial arts. I am a Hawaiian girl. We take hula when we are young -- hula is a discipline. You discipline the body and the mind through exercise, knowledge, patience...it's all the same. THAT is the system.
Tony and I are training to be leaders in this company. We talked about being leaders and what that means. When we get up in front of our group and share our MD path, it's not because we want to show off, or get attention. We get up in front of the room because we are leaders in training.
In order for you to be a leader and have followers, you have to always be a leader. When you are in the field, you are a leader. When you are at the BPM, you are a leader. When you see your team mates at the grocery store or at the mall, you are a leader. You can't be their equal and then all of a sudden be their leader. You are training yourself to be a leader, but you are also training others to see you as a leader so you must be in that role all of the time. Of course there are going to be days when you don't feel like a leader, and you want to commiserate with your peers. On days like this, put on your Technicolor Magicoat and pretend you are a leader so that your doubt doesn't undermind all the groundwork you laid as a leader in training. Just put on a happy face and pretend that you are fabulous...the fabulosity will follow, trust me.
In order for you to be huge in this company, here are the qualifications:
Follow the system with diligence, unwavering discipline and undying focus
Don't question why you are doing something, the answers will come to you later. Trust the process.
Be a leader - always.
Put your head down and work. Don't let the obsticles get you down. Push them aside and continue on your path to success because in WFG, your success is your choice.
So if you want to come along on this ride with us, we'd love to have you. If not, we will continue on without you. And that's okay too.
So my post today isn't about Christmas, but it is about faith and belief. I am a strong Christian woman whose faith in God is unshakable - but what I am talking about believing in something you can't see or touch, and having faith that if you follow the habits and behaviors of successful people, your success will surely follow.
We had some great lessons this week, both in our BPM and in the field. But I think my biggest "aha" moment came to me last night when I finally saw how things are starting to come together. We had a "come to Jesus" meeting at our BPM (at least that was the message I got out of it) Our SMD had refocused our lenses because as the student, we were starting to have a lot of questions and wanting to know too many of the details of how the business works. He had read us an excerpt from The Success Builder so I had to check myself and decided to go back and read the book again. Herein is where the clarity begins.
I started from the beginning where he talks about the process and what he went through to get his business started. Persistence, diligence, focus and unwavering discipline. THAT is the message I got.
Following the System is not so much about the meetings, the appointments, the presentation, selling the product, recruiting, etc. Following the System is training you to be disciplined. It's as simple as that.
I equate it with Martial Arts training. I have never taken any kind of martial arts. I am a Hawaiian girl. We take hula when we are young -- hula is a discipline. You discipline the body and the mind through exercise, knowledge, patience...it's all the same. THAT is the system.
Tony and I are training to be leaders in this company. We talked about being leaders and what that means. When we get up in front of our group and share our MD path, it's not because we want to show off, or get attention. We get up in front of the room because we are leaders in training.
In order for you to be a leader and have followers, you have to always be a leader. When you are in the field, you are a leader. When you are at the BPM, you are a leader. When you see your team mates at the grocery store or at the mall, you are a leader. You can't be their equal and then all of a sudden be their leader. You are training yourself to be a leader, but you are also training others to see you as a leader so you must be in that role all of the time. Of course there are going to be days when you don't feel like a leader, and you want to commiserate with your peers. On days like this, put on your Technicolor Magicoat and pretend you are a leader so that your doubt doesn't undermind all the groundwork you laid as a leader in training. Just put on a happy face and pretend that you are fabulous...the fabulosity will follow, trust me.
In order for you to be huge in this company, here are the qualifications:
Follow the system with diligence, unwavering discipline and undying focus
Don't question why you are doing something, the answers will come to you later. Trust the process.
Be a leader - always.
Put your head down and work. Don't let the obsticles get you down. Push them aside and continue on your path to success because in WFG, your success is your choice.
So if you want to come along on this ride with us, we'd love to have you. If not, we will continue on without you. And that's okay too.
Catching fish depends on many factors:
Taking this piece of advice into consideration, prospecting is very similar to fishing. Getting a great prospect depends on similar factors:
So go out and be a Fisher of Men. Fish where the fish are. Take your tools with you and be prepared to catch the big one!
- Where and when you're fishing
- The time of day
- The season and weather
- Your experience level and your equipment
Taking this piece of advice into consideration, prospecting is very similar to fishing. Getting a great prospect depends on similar factors:
- When and where you are prospecting -
- You will get better results if you are out and about, and not staying at home preparing your "warm market list." If your list has been worked over and over, it's time to get out and meet some new people.
- Join the Chamber of Commerce or Rotary. Join the Honolulu Salespersons Association. Get out and look for opportunities to network and meet new people.
- The time of day -
- If you approach someone in the morning when they are rushing off to work or to pick up the kids, you need a great one line "elevator speech" to capture their attention and get the green light to contact them at a later time
- The season and the weather -
- When is prospecting season? Just be prepared. You never know when the opportunity to share your experience will arise so you need to be on your game.
- You also need to know when it is NOT appropriate to prospect. Be sensitive to the occassion and have a tasteful approach. Sometimes it is not appropriate to bring up business, so make a mental note and follow up at a later time. You will receive more respect and credibility as a professional if you conduct business in a business-like setting - not at a niece's birthday party (for example)
- Your experience level and equipment -
- If you are just starting out at the sales game, allow yourself some room to grow and develop your skills. We all made mistakes when we were learning.
- The more you practice your approach, the better you will become and it will be a natural inclination to talk about your business when the opportunity presents itself.
So go out and be a Fisher of Men. Fish where the fish are. Take your tools with you and be prepared to catch the big one!
You might think that "Sales Killers" sounds a bit harsh, but we wanted to share some of the common mistakes that sales people make - even the seasoned sellers.
Why would they make these mistakes? Sometimes we are more relaxed when presenting to someone we are familiar with and may not be on our best game. Keep these tips in mind always - when talking to a friend, family member, or a brand new client.
#1 - Lack of professional appearance. Always put your best foot forward and dress the part. When you dress like a professional, your behavior will follow
#2 - Talking too much. Your mission is to find out about what the client needs. Your needs may not be of particular concern to the client and might even discourage him from continuing with the process
#3 - Your vocabulary. Words create pictures in our minds. Certain words that are inherent to selling turn people off - like vocabulary that is particular to your industry like "contract." You might say "paperwork or forms." Use ordinary terms that make the customer feel more comfortable.
#4 - Not investing time in building rapport. Good rapport builds trust. You may want to go directly into the sale, but it would be to your benefit to find out a little about the client beforehand so you can build trust. People don't buy from people they don't trust.
#5 - Lack of a qualification system. This is pertaining to making sure your client and your product are a good fit before you proceed with the sale. If they don't have the need or the money for your product or service, there will be no sale - so why make the appointment? Qualify them before you set the meeting.
#6 - Not knowing when to stop presenting and close the sale. Learn to recognize buying signals and STOP TALKING! The hardest thing for salespeople to do is to stop talking when the client is ready to buy. At that point, stop pitching and ask for the sale. Otherwise you may turn him off and talk your client right out of buying.
#7 - Ego. Selling is a service business. You must set aside your wants and needs to serve the wants and needs of others. Your job is to provide a service - so get those dollar signs out of your eyes because the client can read you like a book. Keep his/her interests as your primary focus and the rewards will follow.
#8 - Not knowing how to close. In many cases, all you have to do is as a direct question in order to close a sale. "Shall I help you fill out the application?" "Which credit card would you like to use?"
#9 - Not paying attention to details. If you skim over details or shortcut your presentation because you've done it so many times that you are bored with it, you'll lose the sale. Remember - you may have done the presentation 10 times this week, but this is the first time your client has seen it. Don't leave out any of the details.
#10 - Poor fulfillment. This ties into paying attention to details. If you don't fulfill your promises, the client may cancel the sale after the fact. Salespeople shouldn't promise anything above or beyond the company standard. Know what your capabilities are for fulfillment before making any promises.
For the full article, log on to http://www.entrepreneur.com/ and search for Top 10 Sales Killers
Why would they make these mistakes? Sometimes we are more relaxed when presenting to someone we are familiar with and may not be on our best game. Keep these tips in mind always - when talking to a friend, family member, or a brand new client.
#1 - Lack of professional appearance. Always put your best foot forward and dress the part. When you dress like a professional, your behavior will follow
#2 - Talking too much. Your mission is to find out about what the client needs. Your needs may not be of particular concern to the client and might even discourage him from continuing with the process
#3 - Your vocabulary. Words create pictures in our minds. Certain words that are inherent to selling turn people off - like vocabulary that is particular to your industry like "contract." You might say "paperwork or forms." Use ordinary terms that make the customer feel more comfortable.
#4 - Not investing time in building rapport. Good rapport builds trust. You may want to go directly into the sale, but it would be to your benefit to find out a little about the client beforehand so you can build trust. People don't buy from people they don't trust.
#5 - Lack of a qualification system. This is pertaining to making sure your client and your product are a good fit before you proceed with the sale. If they don't have the need or the money for your product or service, there will be no sale - so why make the appointment? Qualify them before you set the meeting.
#6 - Not knowing when to stop presenting and close the sale. Learn to recognize buying signals and STOP TALKING! The hardest thing for salespeople to do is to stop talking when the client is ready to buy. At that point, stop pitching and ask for the sale. Otherwise you may turn him off and talk your client right out of buying.
#7 - Ego. Selling is a service business. You must set aside your wants and needs to serve the wants and needs of others. Your job is to provide a service - so get those dollar signs out of your eyes because the client can read you like a book. Keep his/her interests as your primary focus and the rewards will follow.
#8 - Not knowing how to close. In many cases, all you have to do is as a direct question in order to close a sale. "Shall I help you fill out the application?" "Which credit card would you like to use?"
#9 - Not paying attention to details. If you skim over details or shortcut your presentation because you've done it so many times that you are bored with it, you'll lose the sale. Remember - you may have done the presentation 10 times this week, but this is the first time your client has seen it. Don't leave out any of the details.
#10 - Poor fulfillment. This ties into paying attention to details. If you don't fulfill your promises, the client may cancel the sale after the fact. Salespeople shouldn't promise anything above or beyond the company standard. Know what your capabilities are for fulfillment before making any promises.
For the full article, log on to http://www.entrepreneur.com/ and search for Top 10 Sales Killers
June 3, 2011 - Saturday Training Meeting
Today we learned about the significance of 3-3-30. Your recruits will learn more in a shorter amount of time and get lots of field experience if they run 3-3-30.
More importantly for me, I want my people to run 3-3-30 so they can begin to build a solid business for themselves and duplicate the successes of the people who built this company. In addition to teaching your recruits about 3-3-30, you must also teach them basic sales calling techniques and encourage them to start honing their skills as a WFG Financial Solutions Provider.
Reading the books is imperative.
The Moment of Truth / Facing the Challenges by Xuan Nguyen is the first important reading.
This little book is packed with info to help them out in the field and to start talking about the business.
The System Builder by Xuan Nguyen is THE most important. This book will teach them the importance of following the system and how it will help them succeed in their new career path.
Imagine Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's. He needed to create a system that others could duplicate in order to have consistency in his product. With as many McDonald's franchises there are in the world, Mr. Kroc would NEVER be able to build each and every team from the ground up even if he wanted to. He had to create a system that would enable him to build his company with a solid team that held the same vision he had.
The same is with your business at WFG. Follow the system. Trust that all of the mistakes have already been made, and if you want to open your own franchise to get the same quality of product as other successful WFG leaders - Follow the system.
Run 3-3-30. Teach your recruits to run 3-3-30. And their recruits will run 3-3-30. Soon you and your team will be on their way to financial freedom.
Today we learned about the significance of 3-3-30. Your recruits will learn more in a shorter amount of time and get lots of field experience if they run 3-3-30.
More importantly for me, I want my people to run 3-3-30 so they can begin to build a solid business for themselves and duplicate the successes of the people who built this company. In addition to teaching your recruits about 3-3-30, you must also teach them basic sales calling techniques and encourage them to start honing their skills as a WFG Financial Solutions Provider.
Reading the books is imperative.
The Moment of Truth / Facing the Challenges by Xuan Nguyen is the first important reading.
This little book is packed with info to help them out in the field and to start talking about the business.
The System Builder by Xuan Nguyen is THE most important. This book will teach them the importance of following the system and how it will help them succeed in their new career path.
Imagine Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's. He needed to create a system that others could duplicate in order to have consistency in his product. With as many McDonald's franchises there are in the world, Mr. Kroc would NEVER be able to build each and every team from the ground up even if he wanted to. He had to create a system that would enable him to build his company with a solid team that held the same vision he had.
The same is with your business at WFG. Follow the system. Trust that all of the mistakes have already been made, and if you want to open your own franchise to get the same quality of product as other successful WFG leaders - Follow the system.
Run 3-3-30. Teach your recruits to run 3-3-30. And their recruits will run 3-3-30. Soon you and your team will be on their way to financial freedom.
