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BUYING STATEMENTS

Are there signs that give away your client's desire to boy? How do these become noticeable? Do customers simply do them? Or, do clients do them because they have been influenced by the presentation of the salesperson? The answer is both!
If your client asks about the available colors of your product, more or less, he has decided to buy. Privately, he has accepted the benefits he can derive from your product. He is now looking for a color that meets the scheme in his mind that complements or contrasts with the corner he will put your product in. While you are explaining, your client's ear can hear what you are saying, but his attention is somewhere else imagining the product as already being there in that special corner in his house.
You should be sensitive to this situation. If you fail to take your customer's cue, his attention might transfer to another brand. If he did so, he would immediately inquire if they have his favorite color.
Another buying statement that indicates a high probability that the client is ready to buy is when he asks about the promptness of your delivery.
"How long before this gets delivered?"
"Only about three days, sir."
"What time do you usually arrive? In the morning? In the afternoon?"
"We are on the road at eight o'clock in the morning, sir."
"Do you deliver on a Saturday?"
"Yes, sir, we do."

Sometimes an objection could also be a veiled approval of your product.
"Jun, is it true that this won't rust even if you soak it in water for a week?"
"No, sir. This is our guarantee, or you'll have your money back."
"Is it true that the spare parts are available in the Philippines?"
"Yes, sir."
If you are selling investment shares using the name-dropping-with-permission approach and you hear this statement from your client, better put out your order form and pen because he will certainly sign: "Jun, is it true that ... (big names in various businesses) are going to be my co-members?"
"Yes, sir. All of them."

SWINE FLU faq's

Lets pause for a while and meditate whats going on...whats happening in the world today. The world hit by Economic Crisis, there's no exemption...thousand became jobless. The scenario start in USA, and spread like virus. Today another outbreak begin, SWINE FLU..."The Epidemic Begin"
Here are some inputs about this virus:

Swine Flu Virus Infections in Pigs
Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses and has a major economic impact on the swine industry in the United States. Flu outbreaks in pigs are common, especially during winter months. Swine flu can result in high rates of illness in herds.

Signs of swine flu in pigs may include:
l coughing (“barking”)
l discharge from the nose
l sneezing
l breathing difficulties
l going off feed

High fevers in infected pigs are common, and can result in reduced fertility or elevated abortion rates among sows. Studies have shown that 30% to 50% of commercial U.S. swine have been infected with swine flu. Pigs most commonly get infected with flu viruses from other pigs (swine flu), but also can get infected with flu viruses from birds (avian flu), and from people (human flu). This cross-species spread of flu viruses can lead to new types of flu viruses. The number of subtypes and strains of flu virus circulating among U.S. herds has complicated swine flu vaccine programs and resulted in increased economic loss from illness in pigs.

Flu Can Spread from Pigs to People and from People to Pigs. Swine flu viruses can infect humans, but this is not common. Human and swine flu viruses are different. People who get vaccinated for human flu can still get sick from swine flu. Pigs that have been vaccinated for swine flu can still get sick from human flu. Symptoms of swine flu in people are no different from symptoms that people get when they are infected with human flu viruses.

People infected with flu typically have fever (often high), cough, body aches, headaches, fatigue and runny or stuffy nose. Vomiting and diarrhea may also occur. Recent studies have shown that 15% to 25% of swine farmers might have been infected with swine flu viruses, as well as about 10% of veterinarians. Cases of swine flu have most commonly occurred in people with direct exposure to pigs, but some cases of human-to-human transmission have been reported.

Qs & As about Swine Flu
Q How does swine flu spread among pigs?
A Swine flu viruses are thought to spread mostly through close contact among pigs and possibly from contaminated objects moving between infected and uninfected pigs. Herds with continuous swine flu infections and herds that are vaccinated against swine flu might have sporadic disease, or may show only mild or no signs
of infection.
Q Can swine flu infections be prevented
in pigs?
A Swine flu infections can be potentially prevented by:
Vaccinating herds
Using good biosecurity measures
Encouraging good hygiene practices among workers
Using proper ventilation systems
Q What about flu vaccines for pigs?
A Flu vaccines for pigs can help, but are not 100% effective. One reason is that several different strains of flu can infect pigs and vaccines might not protect against all strains.
Q How can veterinarians help?
A Veterinarians can help to develop management strategies to reduce the spread of flu among herds and to prevent the spread of flu viruses between pigs, people, and birds.
Q Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
A There is no evidence to show that swine influenza can be transmitted through food. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills bacteria and viruses.

What You Can Do
First, wash your hands frequently after exposure to animals and avoid contact with ill appearing animals. If you or your family becomes ill with flu-like symptoms, let your doctor know if you have been around pigs that could have the flu. A nose or throat swab is needed to determine if you might be infected with a swine flu virus.
Most cases of influenza in humans are caused by human flu viruses. However, in the unusual event that you are infected with a swine flu virus, the health department will want to talk with you about your illness and make sure that other people you live and work with are not sick with swine flu. Influenza medications are available to treat swine flu illness in people. These medicines should be started in the first
2 days of being ill to be most effective.
It is important to know if swine flu viruses are spreading among people so that public health authorities can work to prevent future cases.

THE UNDYING AIDA

One of the oldest, if not the first, selling secret is what is known as AIDA. Until now, it is still being taught in college. This old-time analysis of the selling process is still being used by sales practitioners to date.
This is an acronym for sales method about attracting ATTENTION, arousing INTEREST, creating DESIRE and stimulating ACTION on the part of the client.
How is the first one being done? How do you attract your customer’s attention right from the start?
Mr. Fil Barbasa III has a natural way of doing this. As he introduces himself, he also tells from what province he comes.
“I am from Capiz, sir,” Fil proudly says.
“Capiz? That is where, uh…,” the client hesitates to continue.
“Yes, sir. That’s where the aswang (ghoul) and the manananggal (viscera-taker) are said to abound,” he smiles as he shakes the customer’s hand firmly with a resolved sincerity.
Mr. Jun Umali, the President and Chief Executive Office of Dutch Boy Philippines, has his own version of attracting customer’s attention.
“Whenever I introduce myself to clients, I emphasize my first name and they become curious, but the girls walk away,” he says with a smile.
“Why? What’s your first name?”
“Simplicio.”
I had a foreign participant in one of my sales seminars some years ago. He asked me how he could attract the attention of his customers.
Very candidly, I told him to be unique by making his calling cards as big as a sheet of bond paper. He followed my suggestion, and this made him famous.
Take note, however, that there attractions are merely neutralizers in effect. If your client is preoccupied, you temporarily turn his attention away from what is keeping him busy. You are not the product. You should be able to transfer his attention from yourself to your products as soon as you catch his interest. How do you do that? How do you elicit a product-focused response from your client? Showcase your product, not yourself.
If you are selling irons, do not say, “Buy this latest electrical marvel” or “Buy the modern flat iron of the 90s!” It is easier to understand and it creates a more lasting impact if you say instead, “You’ll never wear wrinkled clothes again.”
If you are selling facials, it is better to say, “You too could have skin like Lea Salonga’s!” Who would bother if you say instead, “Now, the scientifically tested product for your skin is here”?
One of the goals of attracting your client’s attention is to get his mid focused on your product. Subliminally, you make him aware immediately what benefits he will derive once he buys your product. The idea of selling things to your client is to be able to satisfy one or several of his needs. You say, “If you bought my product, you will be this or that, or you can do this or that with ease and comfort.”
If you have this attention, how do you arouse his interest?
Sales clients have different modes of interests. You cannot use one style of arousing interest for all your clients. If you are selling insurance, one client may be interested in the gross amount of coverage; the others may focus on the loan aspect. If you are selling refrigerators, some may be interested on the size of the freezer; the others, on the features and the design; and still a few others, on its capacity to generate ice. If you are selling cars, speed may be the concern of one client, while comfort or convenience may be that of another.
To arouse interest, a product demonstration is urgently needed. You should be an expert in doing presentations for the three kinds of customers: visual clients, auditory clients and kinesthetic clients. We will discuss this lengthily in a later chapter.
For your presentation to have a remarkable impact, an exceptional demonstration must be integrated in the process, which means you have to show the wonders surrounding your products, as we have earlier discussed.
The next step is creating or stimulating your customer’s desire, this part of the selling process is relatively easy because it is founded on three basic human characteristics, namely to GET, to GRAB and to POSSESS.
It is natural for all of us to have these three. The difference lies in the objects of our desires as individuals.
One client may be interested in buying proprietary shares from a development outfit. But he is not primarily interested in the profits to be derived from the transaction. He is rather interested in the privilege of being able to buy duty-free products to his heart’s content, as this is a common feature of the sales package.
An office manager may need a new desk, but his desire to have a new golf club would prevail. A housewife may need a new stove, but she would rather buy a new colored TV with matching VHS machine. A carpenter needs a leveling device for his job, but he would choose to buy a new watch. Most often, clients do not buy what they need. Instead, they buy what they desire to have.
This is the reason why a salesperson should focus on his client’s desires, not his needs, if he wants to make a sale.
Desire is motivated by two factors, namely, REASON and EMOTION. The strong desire to possess a certain object is dictated by emotion. The need to possess it is governed by reason. Hence, you can simplify the process of selling if you focus on your client’s emotion in order to spark his desire to possess, rather than concentrate on his reason to magnify the need. Reason and emotion complement each other, but it is advisable to stimulate the latter in building up you client’s desire.
When the client’s desire has been ascertained, you need to get into action. You need to close the sale. Your client needs to sign the order form. How do you make him do this?
You must be aware that you have come to the most critical moment of the selling process. At this point, either you build on or destroy everything you have worked for right from the start. Hence, extreme care is to be observed at this stage while talking with your client.
It is also a big help if you can clearly spot or identify the buying gestures of your client while he is reviewing the brochures you have given him or while he is making last-minute check on the product sample. You should be sensitive to the predecision statements he makes while talking with you.
What are these buying gestures? How do you spot them? What are these so-called predecision statements?
Let us take this example from the encyclopedia salespersons. In order to be speedy and effective in making their sales calls, the unit manager always finds time to accompany his new recruits in making their presentations. Clarita Barredo was one of them.
In an out-of-town saturation type of sales operation, Clarita’s group went from house to house. The unit manager first accompanied Clarita to her client’s house. Before Clarity could reach the middle of her presentation, her unit manager intervened. A minute later, the client signed an order form. This was a closed sale for Clarita, but she was not totally happy about it. She could not understand why her unit manager interrupted her presentation. She also could not understand why they were able to sell almost instantly to her client.
When she asked her unit manager for some explanations, this was her answer:
“Your sale has been closed a while back. But you haven’t noticed.”
“Closed, ma’am? How did that happen? How did you know?”

THE CREATIVE APPROACHES

There is a saying that goes Different folks, different strokes. We have heard this before. There are also different approaches in selling. So, if we want to sell our products, we must know what these are.
I have devised some basic approaches in dealing with your client. As I have mentioned earlier, I call these CREATIVE APPROACHES.
First, your client needs to be CURIOUS when you approach him. How do you do this? Make a statement that will arouse his curiosity. For example, ask him if he has seen a spoonful of rainbow. I suppose you will get everyone’s attention when you ask this question.
The next one is learning what the shortest distance between two points. Geometry students will say, “A straight line.” But a salesperson’s reply is a crooked line. From the salesperson, the line passes through a REFERRAL to the client.
When talking face-to-face with your client, use EMPATHIC STATEMENTS. Avoid talking too much about yourself. Call your client by name, and allow him to talk more about himself.
Then, ASK OPINIONS. Nobody is perfect, and nobody has the monopoly of intelligence in this world. When you are undecided or confused, consult somebody your trust. Two or more heads are better than none at all-I mean, better than one.
Apply the TIE-DOWN TECHNIQUE, using di ba (isn’t it)? Instead of saying, “This is quality product,” you say, “Quality in a product is important today, isn’t it (di ba)?”
The INVERTED TIE-DOWN TECHNIQUE is the reverse of tie-down. Instead of putting the tie-down question di ba at the end of your statement, this time place it at the beginning. For example, “Isn’t it (di ba) that quality in a product is important today?”
Then, there is the VISUAL SIGN METHOD. You are able to communicate without speaking. I can still recall able to communicate without speaking. I can still recall a time when I used this method. I needed to meet with a government secretary, but he had a strict cordon sanitaire. I could not get through. So, I waited for his arrival with alertness. When he looked at me, I waved at him. Because he was a politician, he waved back. I followed him. I did not look back. I went pass through security.
Another way to impress a client, but with extreme caution, is through an EXCEPTIONAL DEMONSTRATION. What some encyclopedia salespersons do is hold one volume by a page to prove that it is well bound. But sometimes the wrong grasp may tear it because of the heavy weight of each volume. The same is true with the so-called durable porcelain products. An error in the demonstrations may end up in broken pieces.
The next method is ALPHA or favored first. Sellers who have already built a clientele usually use this. A very thin line separates this one from flattery.
“You know, suki (colloquial term used to refer to a regular customer), you are the first one to buy this Pentium 4 computer.”
“What! But Mareng (colloquial term used to refer to a female friend) Fe was able to buy one last week.”
“What I meant, suki, is you’re the first one this week.” You can also use PHILIPPINES FAMOUS NAMES. With permission, drop famous names of people who have patronized your products. This encourages your client to buy simple because he wants to be identified with a famous person.
Then, use PREMIUM ITEMS or giveaways. But do not simple give them away. Be different. If others give empty wallets, give yours with a few coins in it. who knows, your client might find them heaven-sent at a time when he needs to call up someone and he has no loose change. How can your client ignore such unforeseen help afterwards?
You can also use RELATED NEWS ITEMS while in conversation with your client, tuning in to his particular line of news interest. If he is in stocks business, talk about the latest in stocks with him. If he is in shipping, ask him if he has heard about the latest news in shipping.
OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT is another method you can try. What has your company achieved that you can be proud of? You can help boost company image by promoting its achievements. Your client will be drawn more to you if you work for a stable establishment.
Next is ALTERNATE OF CHOICE. We have discussed this earlier. Give you client a choice in such a way that, whichever way he chooses, you come out a winner.
“You know, Ronnie, I don’t have an appointment with you today. Should I stay or would you like me to come back tomorrow?”
“Come back tomorrow, Jun.”
“At lunchtime or in the afternoon?”
“Snack time would be okay.”
Then, comes the word CASH. I mean, cold cash indeed. One of my graduates used this before. He found is very difficult to get an appointment with Don Andres Soriano. So, he put a one-hundred-peso bill in an envelope along with a short note that says he will pay Don Andres one hundred pesos per minute if he allowed himself to be interviewed for three minutes by my student.
It was not the money that called the man’s attention, but the novelty of the approach. My student was successful in making a high-impact presentation in a breeze. He also got the rich man insured.
You can also use HYPOTHETICAL STATEMENTS. What is often used here is the word “if (kung).”
For example, if I can show you that in ninety days I can double your sales through this seminar, will you not attend it? What will your answer be? Has anybody ever refused a bid for prosperity?
How about using ENTERTAINMENT? The word speaks for itself. Elicit a few laughs. Smiles can disarm even the king of grouches. Humor puts down the guard of the grumpy (masungit). It lends a sense of balance and proportion to things, according to a former Philippine senator.
Last but not least is a SINCERE COMPLIMENT. No amount of wealth can substitute for a word of praise that comes straight from the heart.
When you meet your client for the first time, your mission is to look for beautiful and positive things about him or her that will definitely make his or her day brighter than when he or she woke up in the morning. As soon as you spot something, do not hesitate to say it.
“My gosh, ma’am! What a beautiful outfit you’re wearing today! I think it’s a Liberace.”
“What Liberace? Versace made this dress. Liberace is a pianist. Besides, this is not the only time I’m wearing a beautiful outfit. Every single day, I wear something nice and new.”
When you enter an office, immediately scan the horizon. Look for things that you can sincerely compliment on. The moment you find one, appreciate it right away.
“Wow, ma’am! What an attractive abstract painting you’ve got!”
“What! That’s not an abstract painting! It’s a portrait of my husband.”
The point is do no overdo it. take extra care to keep your comments within bounds so as not to put yourself in an awkward situation.
Now, let us enumerate all of them again for review. As I always say, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” That is why we have to be patient in repeating things again and again in order to take them to heart.
What are the Creative Approaches? In capsule, they are:
Curiosity- make your clients curious.
Referral- Use it for client access.
Empathic statement- Talk about your client.
Ask opinions- You are not the only genius in town.
Tie down- A question at the end of your positive statement.
Inverted tie down- Go the other way around.
Visual sign- Action definitely speaks louder than words.
Exceptional demonstration- Show wonders.
The acronym speaks for itself. Be creative. The letters are precise in their meanings to help you push your sale to a success. From the first to the last, the letters conveniently open the communication lines between you and your clients. You may also want to add or change the meaning of this acronym as you gain confidence in using it.
But take extra precaution. As in the case of the other strategies in earning an income, you run the risk of overusing the tricks, thereby rendering them useless or even dangerous.
Alpha or favored first- Honestly compliment
Philippine famous names- Drop a few with permission.
Premium items or giveaways- Give sparingly with a difference.
Related news items- Be a complimentary reporter.
Office achievement- Tell them of your office’s achievements to build up a self-image.
Alternate of choice- Both choices must be to your favor when chosen.
Cash- No other form or means is better.
Hypothetical statements- Preconditions always work.
Entertainment- Balances the uneven playfields.
Sincere compliment- There is nothing more like it.
Creative approach is as its name implies. It is an approach that is creative. But what comes next after these approach? What follows after you have made it to first base?
If you were sailing on a boat, what would you do if you reach the middle of the sea? Will you continue sailing or will you go back to the shore?
You will need enough strength to sail on in order to reach your destination. If you have come face-to-face with your customer, you need to succeed and close a sale with him. To do this, you need to prepare yourself on what to do next.

Selling Secrets

An elderly male, well beyond his sixties, made history: his being enterprising and different surprised the sales industry. Three things are puzzling in this statement. First, it says an old man; second, he manifested a miracle in the world of sales; and third, he had the guts to be different.
This super grandpa (lolo) really made history. How? He simply sold five thousand copies of the Bible in one year. Yes, it sounds simple, you may say. In fact, you may also add that you too can sell ten thousand copies of the Bible. You challenge that you can do it in less than a week. That is the spirit. It is good if we can accomplish the job. But what if we could not? That would be very embarrassing.
Our super lolo did not do wholesale. He sold the Bible one copy at a time, and he went from house to house. How did he sell five thousand Bibles in one year? You have to sell more than thirteen books a day every day, seven days a week to sell all the five thousand copies in one year.
When interviewed, the old man refused to explain his story on camera. He told the TV crew to just observe him when he made his client calls. So they did. They saw our super lolo knock on the front door of a house. In labored speech, he beseeched the person who opened the door to him.
“Good morning, ma’am. I’m Ka (a colloquial term used before the name of an elderly) Roger.”
“Yes. Can I do anything for you, lolo?”
“I would like to sell you a Bible, ma’am.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Would you like to buy or would you rather listen to me relate to you the whole book?”
If it were you, how would you answer? What would you say? Will you buy or would you like Ka Roger relate to you the whole Bible? It might take him a week going through Old Testament in your house. Would you allow that? I suppose you would rather buy.
Each salesperson has his own creative approach. Each of them has his own particular type of novelty. Ka Roger is no different. The point here is that the impression we get at first blush in our story of our super lolo is the mystery that surrounds his accomplishment of selling a great number of Bibles. But the moment we learn the why and how of his tale, we are wont say, “Naku, ‘yun lang pala (So, that’s it)!”
What seemed a secret at first became common knowledge. With that knowledge, the shroud of mystery was removed. But It cannot be denied that Ka Roger’s secret or magic worked! Expect the same thing to happen with the secrets I am going to reveal to you here. They will work. They will bring forth amazing results like the secret of Ka Roger. They are mysterious at first until you learn about them. This is like the magic of David Copperfield and that of the other great magicians. It is truly magic until you learn how it is done.

THE PAKI- MAGIC

Salespersons are oftentimes confronted by various difficult situations akin to the performance of their professions. Divided conveniently into three, these situations are identified as the ONE-ON-ONE situation, the GROUP situation and the CRISIS situation.
How would you face these situations if you were confronted with them while doing your job? How would you react to each one of them?
According to Dr. Jocano, when confronted by a one-on-one situation-say, by a smart aleck or a persistent client-you should know how to use the principle of PAKIKITUNGO (harmonious relations). You do not make a sales call to engage in a debate but to make a sale. Through pakikitungo and respectful dialog, you can turn a sales rejection into a success. On the other hand, rejection could be the result if you do not exercise patience and consideration.
Filipino clients like being treated well. They enjoy being treated as very important personalities. This may be due to a once-popular slogan, The customer is always right. But, whether this is right or wrong, customers deserve to be treated well. They are who they are-customers-and their kind makes the business of selling alive and profitable.
How do you react when confronted by a group situation? Again, according to Dr. Jocano, know how to use the principle of PAKIKISAMA. Getting along well with your clients will surely get you what you want and where you want to be, inside the bank, making encashment.
The crisis situation is best met by PAKIKIRAMAY (sympathy). You express your intentions by giving a significant part of you to help bear the gravity of a given crisis. This is essential in the kind of relationship we build with our friends and clients. Without this, selling will be just as cold and empty as the concrete windowsill atop a tall building where even the birds refuse to lay rest after a day’s flight under the sun.
Paki- (please) is a Filipino magic prefix. When invoked, it is a special key that opens the door to all the avenues of agreement, cooperation and consent. When used wisely and sparingly, paki- makes the impossible tasks possible.

THE PINOY COMMUNICATION ARTS

What are the guidelines in a smooth interpersonal relationship (SIR)? First, know how to deal with your fellowmen. Second, do not harm their feelings. Third, do not hurt their self-esteem. You must always remember that Filipinos, as we have discussed earlier, generally are very sensitive, person-focused, and family-oriented. Because they make up your clientele, you should take extra care in dealing with their sensitivities, if you want to have harmonious relations with them and take home order forms bearing their signatures.
But how will you go about this? It is not easy to deal with clients with a lot of sensitivities, is it? If it is difficult to talk with a client, do you just turn your back on him and look for someone else?
This is not easy to do. If you leave a difficult client, you will find out that the next one is more less just like the first one. You are in the Philippines. No matter what direction your eyes take, you are bound to find Filipinos.
Selling is a social encounter. Hence, it is best that you train yourself on how to deal with your clients. Know how they think, what their beliefs are, how they feel and how they act. It is because selling after all is your ability to influence your client how to think, believe, feel and act the way you would want them to. Thus, it is important that you know how to organize your ideas, how decisions are made, how to experience are given meanings and what guides your behavior and actions.
During wartime, why do people kill their fellowmen when, in fact, they do not even know them; much more, have anything against them? It is because during this time people are either friends or enemies. In times of war, you are given a medal for killing the most number of enemies. But during peacetime, you get the most number of death sentences if you do this.
It is noteworthy that something makes a man do things-good or bad. In the same token, there are certain things that condition him to buy one product over another.
One of my sales champions, Erwin Flores, became a consistent top producer because he gave importance to the salient points about the proper ways of dealing with Filipino clients.
Just how exactly do you communicate with Filipino clients? Do you use the direct style? Do you go straight to the point? In some cases, yes. But, generally, you have to feel your way around. You do not know your clients. So, you may start off by talking about the weather, the rising dollar exchange, the latest gossip about movie stars and basketball heartthrobs or the recent headlines dominating the front pages. Find out what topic is appropriate to what client. This depends on the profile of the person you are talking with. Once you have established rapport, you can proceed in bringing up your real intention. This is the usual way.
The disadvantage of this common method is the amount of time being wasted. This is possible if you have all the time for small talk. In the province, this may be possible. But, here in the city, the tick of the clock is the measure of every thing. You wake up at precise time. You bathe, change into office attire and have breakfast right on schedule. Time is of the essence, so they say.
Hence, in dealing with your clients, it is necessary that you know time management. You need to have an efficient system. You have to know when, where and how you can take shortcuts. In short, you need to be extraordinary. How do you do this? How do you become unique?
It is simple. Learn to be different. Be familiar with the nuances and the basics of Filipino culture.
As we have earlier discussed, there are three parts in the basic approach to Filipino clients. First, we have PAHIWATAG (to hint); second, PABATID (to make conscious); and third, PAHAYAG (to state openly). If you are good enough and truly different, you can have all these three in one shot. In short, you are able to shoot three birds with one stone in your approach.
The same is true in martial arts, according to a friend of mine who is a karate instructor. He is an expert in the fighting techniques of Bruce Lee. He told me that the steps in basic self-defense and offense are three. If your opponent hits you, first, make a side step to avoid him; second, you parry or ward off the blow; and third, you deliver your own blow.
But if you are extraordinary, like Bruce Lee. The three counts become just one count, meaning, you sidestep, parry, and strike in one sweeping movement. You are able to do three things in a flash. You knock out your opponent. In sales, you catch your client in the first round, so to speak.
How can you accomplish these components in an instant? How do you hint, make aware and state your intention all at the same time? You need to be sensitive to body signals. Even if you have met your client only for the first time, you should know if he has no interest in your product; if he is beginning to take an interest in it; or he has obviously taken a deep interest in it.
From here, you can adjust the kind of approach and presentation you will perform. For a client who is not yet interested, your job is to arouse his interest. For someone whose interest has just been kindled, your duty as a trained salesperson is to fire up that interest. But for a client who is interested without doubt, your responsibility is to close the sales as soon as possible.
In this way, you do not waste time on long and use less pep talk about the weather and others. You know fully well where to start. Time is gold, remember.
Effective communication is measure by the amount or the degree of response you see from the other fellow. If you are trained or organizing your ideas, proficient in systematically arranging their flow, then, in not so many words, you can make you presence in your client’s place agreeable, acceptable and worthwhile because you will not leave the place empty-handed.
There are many styles of approaching customers written by Western writers. We can use some of them here, but most of them are not appropriate in our country. This is the Philippines, and our culture is unique.
Here in our country, it is so easy to break down the immense barrier between a salesperson and his client. All the salesperson needs to do is use a particular style of conversation. Through this method, he is certain to get a one hundred one percent response from his client. Why? It is because Filipinos and it is natural for us to give a cooperative response when approached in this manner.
“Ma’am, are you from Cotabato?”
“Yes. Are you from there too?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m from Marbel.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes ma’am. We live close to the Marbel Rice Mill.”
“We are from that area. What did you say is your surname?”
“Valiente, ma’am. Mr. Yap, the rice-mill owner, is a relative from my mother’s side.”
At other times, the tone of your voice or your speech intonation is a big factor in gaining your client’s trust.
“Ala, ay taga-Batangas ka ga (Are you from Batangas)?”
“Yes, sir! Sa Kalatagan po ako tinao (I was born in Kalagatan).”
“Ako naman e taga-Nasugbu, pero nariyan sa Kalagatan ang isa kong anak at naka-empleyo sa Punta Baluarte (I am from Nasugbu, but one of my children is in Kalatagan and is employedat Punta Baluarte).”
“Ako naman po, sir, e dating nagtatrabaho sa Polo Club duon (As for me, sir, I used to work at the Polo Club there).”
“Ala, ay nalaro rin ako ng polo rati (I used to play polo too). Pero nang mapilay ang akin si Brando, ‘yung aking kabayo, e ako’y natigil na (But when Brando, my horse, got lamed, I stopped playing).”
Rapport is matching voice tone aside from matching body language. If you are successful in establishing rapport the Pinoy way, you develop a firm relationship of trust and responsiveness with your client.
In that way, you successfully put yourself ahead of the rest. You use a style that makes your client feel comfortable with you. It also paves the way for warmth and understanding to enter into your relationship because you have something in common with your client.
People transact business with people who are like them. If you come from the same province, things become a lot easier than when you are not. It also helps a lot if you are from the same fraternity or sorority, or if you both belong to a particular civic or professional grouping. More often than not, Filipinos give weight to this.

What are the guidelines in a smooth interpersonal relationship (SIR)? First, know how to deal with your fellowmen. Second, do not harm their feelings. Third, do not hurt their self-esteem. You must always remember that Filipinos, as we have discussed earlier, generally are very sensitive, person-focused, and family-oriented. Because they make up your clientele, you should take extra care in dealing with their sensitivities, if you want to have harmonious relations with them and take home order forms bearing their signatures.
But how will you go about this? It is not easy to deal with clients with a lot of sensitivities, is it? If it is difficult to talk with a client, do you just turn your back on him and look for someone else?
This is not easy to do. If you leave a difficult client, you will find out that the next one is more less just like the first one. You are in the Philippines. No matter what direction your eyes take, you are bound to find Filipinos.
Selling is a social encounter. Hence, it is best that you train yourself on how to deal with your clients. Know how they think, what their beliefs are, how they feel and how they act. It is because selling after all is your ability to influence your client how to think, believe, feel and act the way you would want them to. Thus, it is important that you know how to organize your ideas, how decisions are made, how to experience are given meanings and what guides your behavior and actions.
During wartime, why do people kill their fellowmen when, in fact, they do not even know them; much more, have anything against them? It is because during this time people are either friends or enemies. In times of war, you are given a medal for killing the most number of enemies. But during peacetime, you get the most number of death sentences if you do this.
It is noteworthy that something makes a man do things-good or bad. In the same token, there are certain things that condition him to buy one product over another.
One of my sales champions, Erwin Flores, became a consistent top producer because he gave importance to the salient points about the proper ways of dealing with Filipino clients.
Just how exactly do you communicate with Filipino clients? Do you use the direct style? Do you go straight to the point? In some cases, yes. But, generally, you have to feel your way around. You do not know your clients. So, you may start off by talking about the weather, the rising dollar exchange, the latest gossip about movie stars and basketball heartthrobs or the recent headlines dominating the front pages. Find out what topic is appropriate to what client. This depends on the profile of the person you are talking with. Once you have established rapport, you can proceed in bringing up your real intention. This is the usual way.
The disadvantage of this common method is the amount of time being wasted. This is possible if you have all the time for small talk. In the province, this may be possible. But, here in the city, the tick of the clock is the measure of every thing. You wake up at precise time. You bathe, change into office attire and have breakfast right on schedule. Time is of the essence, so they say.
Hence, in dealing with your clients, it is necessary that you know time management. You need to have an efficient system. You have to know when, where and how you can take shortcuts. In short, you need to be extraordinary. How do you do this? How do you become unique?
It is simple. Learn to be different. Be familiar with the nuances and the basics of Filipino culture.
As we have earlier discussed, there are three parts in the basic approach to Filipino clients. First, we have PAHIWATAG (to hint); second, PABATID (to make conscious); and third, PAHAYAG (to state openly). If you are good enough and truly different, you can have all these three in one shot. In short, you are able to shoot three birds with one stone in your approach.
The same is true in martial arts, according to a friend of mine who is a karate instructor. He is an expert in the fighting techniques of Bruce Lee. He told me that the steps in basic self-defense and offense are three. If your opponent hits you, first, make a side step to avoid him; second, you parry or ward off the blow; and third, you deliver your own blow.
But if you are extraordinary, like Bruce Lee. The three counts become just one count, meaning, you sidestep, parry, and strike in one sweeping movement. You are able to do three things in a flash. You knock out your opponent. In sales, you catch your client in the first round, so to speak.
How can you accomplish these components in an instant? How do you hint, make aware and state your intention all at the same time? You need to be sensitive to body signals. Even if you have met your client only for the first time, you should know if he has no interest in your product; if he is beginning to take an interest in it; or he has obviously taken a deep interest in it.
From here, you can adjust the kind of approach and presentation you will perform. For a client who is not yet interested, your job is to arouse his interest. For someone whose interest has just been kindled, your duty as a trained salesperson is to fire up that interest. But for a client who is interested without doubt, your responsibility is to close the sales as soon as possible.
In this way, you do not waste time on long and use less pep talk about the weather and others. You know fully well where to start. Time is gold, remember.
Effective communication is measure by the amount or the degree of response you see from the other fellow. If you are trained or organizing your ideas, proficient in systematically arranging their flow, then, in not so many words, you can make you presence in your client’s place agreeable, acceptable and worthwhile because you will not leave the place empty-handed.
There are many styles of approaching customers written by Western writers. We can use some of them here, but most of them are not appropriate in our country. This is the Philippines, and our culture is unique.
Here in our country, it is so easy to break down the immense barrier between a salesperson and his client. All the salesperson needs to do is use a particular style of conversation. Through this method, he is certain to get a one hundred one percent response from his client. Why? It is because Filipinos and it is natural for us to give a cooperative response when approached in this manner.
“Ma’am, are you from Cotabato?”
“Yes. Are you from there too?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m from Marbel.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes ma’am. We live close to the Marbel Rice Mill.”
“We are from that area. What did you say is your surname?”
“Valiente, ma’am. Mr. Yap, the rice-mill owner, is a relative from my mother’s side.”
At other times, the tone of your voice or your speech intonation is a big factor in gaining your client’s trust.
“Ala, ay taga-Batangas ka ga (Are you from Batangas)?”
“Yes, sir! Sa Kalatagan po ako tinao (I was born in Kalagatan).”
“Ako naman e taga-Nasugbu, pero nariyan sa Kalagatan ang isa kong anak at naka-empleyo sa Punta Baluarte (I am from Nasugbu, but one of my children is in Kalatagan and is employedat Punta Baluarte).”
“Ako naman po, sir, e dating nagtatrabaho sa Polo Club duon (As for me, sir, I used to work at the Polo Club there).”
“Ala, ay nalaro rin ako ng polo rati (I used to play polo too). Pero nang mapilay ang akin si Brando, ‘yung aking kabayo, e ako’y natigil na (But when Brando, my horse, got lamed, I stopped playing).”
Rapport is matching voice tone aside from matching body language. If you are successful in establishing rapport the Pinoy way, you develop a firm relationship of trust and responsiveness with your client.
In that way, you successfully put yourself ahead of the rest. You use a style that makes your client feel comfortable with you. It also paves the way for warmth and understanding to enter into your relationship because you have something in common with your client.
People transact business with people who are like them. If you come from the same province, things become a lot easier than when you are not. It also helps a lot if you are from the same fraternity or sorority, or if you both belong to a particular civic or professional grouping. More often than not, Filipinos give weight to this.

THE TRUSTING PINOY

When a Filipino puts his trust on someone or something, he is serious. He is easily deceived (madaling marahuyo), so they say. But, with the passing of time, he has learned caution.
In sales, it is used as a guide by salespeople in order to help their clients make a wise decision in buying what they need.
In the 70s, salespersons were left to rely completely on their own strength and ingenuity. This was due to the lack of a basic standard formula or approach.
This is what happened to one of my friends who became a salesperson at that time. He was a salesman of a large and popular appliance store then. They had an impressive showroom in Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Their main product line then was compose of sewing machines and beds. But the store also carried television sets, refrigerators, stoves, stereos and others.
Every time this friend of mine was on duty in their showroom, he was able to make those who were window-shopping sign order forms and buy their products. He would remove his tie, roll up his long-sleeved shirt and go to where the window-shopper was. He would stay by his side and look together with him at the displays. He would admire the product with the prospective client while conversing with him. Shortly afterwards, he would lead him inside and ask him to sign an order form.
He would be able to sell outright to six out of ten. The rest either came back the following day or called up to cancel the signed order sheets because they discovered that they did not have the capability to buy what they ordered.
Why did they sign the order form in the first place? Simple!
With the style and technique of this friend of mine, he was able to win the trust of the prospective buyer. He exchanged pleasantries and swapped opinions with him in the showroom as if he were buying himself. Where the client showed admiration, there he also did likewise. Thus, even those who had no intention to buy at that time were moved to sign order forms. The intention to buy is there, all right. But they did not have the available funds yet, so they were just looking around.
The point at issue here is the effectiveness of the system of BUYING THROUGH THE BUYER’S EYES and THE MIRRORING STYLE, wherein the salesperson discreetly observes the gestures of the prospective clients and imitates them to a certain degree.
In my friend’s case, apart from the gestures of his client, he also observed closely what product or product parts the client was interested in. he would focus there and explain its features with a registered enthusiastic tenor. We all know that genuine enthusiasm is contagious. Hence, his prospective client would end up being enthusiastic too. So, when he was invited into the showroom, he would follow without question. When he was asked to sign, he would sign presto! He would realize his rashness only when he arrived home. Too bad, he got carried away with no intention to buy-at least, not in the meantime.
“People buy trust first, product second,” says Kerry L. Johnson, an American trainor and author.
It is true that the first thing your client buys from you is not your product. It is trust in you because of your credibility. They know that what you are selling is good. But what pushes them to buy is your endorsement that your product is good. Once you win your client’s trust, you automatically win his approval.
The existence of trust between you and your client automatically brings harmony into your relationship. If that happens, even if there arises some point of contention, you would find a way to resolve it.
“You have to establish the belief and confidence of your client in you; otherwise, you won’t be successful,” says Dr. Jocano.
Consider: Would the window-shopper allow himself to be led into the showroom if he did not trust the one who led him? Would he sign the order form in the first place if he had no trust in the salesperson who asked him to sign?
This is where we find truth in the saying It is the salesperson who makes the decision to buy, because he puts himself in the shoes of his client. But how do you actually put yourself in the shoes of your client? First, you have to take the shoes of your customer’s feet.
But the decision to finally pay for the product is a prerogative that is entirely your client’s. What is important here is that you have initiated the process of his decision-making, which will eventually lead to the direction you have in fact decided for him earlier.
Trust is one factor that is always present in the profile of a Filipino client. In other cultures, this degree of trust that you give to somebody else, at times allowing him to practically decide for you, is unthinkable.
I remember an experience I had when I was in the US some years back. I took with me a visitor who was a fellow Filipino to a big restaurant. He had just arrived, and it was his first time in the US. He was looking at the menu when he asked the American waiter, “Waiter, is this good?” as he pointed to the item on the menu.
“Yes, sir, it is.”
“How about this one?”
“That’s also good, sir.”
“Here’s one more. Is it also good?”
“Yes, sir, you’re right.”
“Okay,” he said while putting down the menu, “choose for me the best from among the three and give it to me. That will be my order.”
“I beg your pardon, sir, but I couldn’t make the choice for you.”
“Is that so? How come?”
“You’re the one who’s going to eat it, so you choose.”
They haggled for some time, until my visitor made the choice himself in the end because the waiter could not be made to do it.
Cultures indeed vary. What is permissible in one culture may not be in another. There are varying profiles of people all over the world. The profiles of sales clients likewise vary from one nation to another. Here in our country, the client is truly unique. It has been said that the Filipino is different (iba ang Pinoy).
We have discussed in earlier chapters that Filipinos are sensitive, person-focused and family-oriented. These are the general categories. The particulars are more complicated if we study them closely. You see, there is always a sense of pride in the Filipino. The real Filipino is always proud to be a Filipino wherever he is.
One good example is our friend Dr. Jocano. When he was in China, someone approached him and said: “Dr. Jocano, you look like a Chinese.”
“Don’t say that! I’m a Filipino, and four hundred million Chinese look like me.
Definitely, there is pride of identity in that reply. We are Pinoys, and we are expected to be proud of what we are. If we are not proud of our race, who else will?
“To be proud of one’s citizenship is to reflect the highest teaching of humankind,” said former Philippine president Manuel Roxas.
According to author and historian Gregorio Zaide: “Of all Asian nations, the Filipinos are verily the most unique.”
“They have that community of thought, of feeling and of interest-the national unity and spirit,” added former ambassador Carlos P. Romulo, Sr.
What do we oftentimes hear? Pilipinas: Isang Bansa, Isang Diwa (Philippines: One nation, One Spirit), is it not? But why do we say one spirit? It is because we have only one source of standard of harmonious relations-that is good character (mabuting asal).
Among the Bisayan, it is kina-iya. To the Ilonggo, it is kabubot-on. To the Waray, it is batasan. To the Bikolano, it is marhai. To the Ilocano, it is napintas nga ugali. To the Kapampangan, it is mayap-a-ugali.
From Aparri to Jolo, wherever you go in the Philippines, you will notice a certain uniformity in the way people relate with one another in every domicile you visit. This is kagandahang-asal (good moral character).
Have you ever experienced an incident where the house owner slams the door on your face after you greet him “Good morning, sir (Magandang umaga po)” with a smile? Never! As long as you are in a Filipino domicile, you are certain to be treated in the same respectful manner as you have extended. If ever somebody slams the door on you, he is what we consider the exception. The reason why he has that kind of asal (character) is because he has been influenced by the prevailing mores in other cultures. Or, it may also be because he is carrying a heavy burden in his heart. But, generally, Filipinos are easy to get along with.
But, if they are easy to get along with, does that necessarily follow that they are easy to sell to? If Filipinos are generally nice people, does it mean that they are gullible and easy to fool?
To answer these questions, let us examine a few customer interviews done at random involving a cross section of Filipino clients.
“Ma’am, why don’t you like that salesperson? He looks decent to me.”
“He’s decent indeed. That’s OK, but he does not know how to deal with people.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, imagine, I disagreed with him at some point of his discourse and, goodness gracious, he engaged me in a debate. As if he is right all the time and I am always wrong.”
“What is it that you dislike about that salesperson, sir?”
“He’s unreachable. I offered him a cigarette and he declined. I gave him one shot of gin and he refused again. And you know what? This is what he told me: ‘Thank you, sir. I don’t have minor vices.’ What does that make of me? Full of vices? How ungrateful!”
“In short, he didn’t know how to get along with others?”
“That’s right. You couldn’t have said it better.”
In these examples, Dr. Jocano has only this question to ask: “Do you want to make a sale or do you want to start an argument?”
You are a salesperson. The reason why you sought your prospective client is for you to make a sale, not to start a debate or propagate your personal convictions and beliefs. It is important that you know how to get along well with people.

THE PRINCIPLE OF PAKIKISAMA

Decision-making in this country is not based on logic or reason. It is not the meeting of the minds, as in other societies. It is the meeting of the hearts. In other words, it is intimacy (pagpapalagayang-loob). If it is present in your relationship with your client, even if you commit a mistake, you will be given another chance,” Dr. Jocano explains further.

“Filipinos are relationship-oriented, not individual-oriented, like the Westerners. They always evaluate one another according to the value system that each one of them possesses. It is something that they seriously internalize. Why? Because Filipino society is a relationship society, it is feelings-focused,” Dr. Jocano adds.

“One should move and talk, much more behave, along this criterion. Because if we did not, there would be no meeting of the hearts, and what would be disadvantageous to the salesperson trying to get his client’s approval of his product,” emphasizes Dr. Jocano.

This is how relationships work in the Philippines. The concept of getting along well with others (pakikisama) is predominant. In fact, it is safe to say that this concept is above all things at times. For example, it is practiced by people sitting in high positions in public as well as in private institutions. We see it everywhere, but nobody will openly admit that it is entrenched In the bureaucracy.

We learn of its effects from the complaints of the victims of those who abuse this concept negatively. For instance, one believes that he should have gotten the job he applied for because he is qualified and he has attained a high rating in the exams given, but the head of the company has chosen someone else. Why? It is because the boss and the applicant came from the same school.

In this case, pakikisama becomes an instrument of unfairness and injustice. Sometimes it is true that this concept is used erroneously. Oftentimes, it is used as an excuse for not doing the right thing. Nakisama raw kasi (He had to go along with others).

“Pakikisama is not a value. It is a norm because it tells you what to do. It is not a standard of anything. It is a rule so that the standards of interpersonal relations are met,” Dr. Jocano adds.

When utilized positively, pakikisama becomes a potent instrument of friendship. We often hear it being said, ”Iba na ang may pinagsamahan (The tie of friendship is beyond the ordinary).” Why? It is because concern is what true friendship conveys. It is giving support and assistance to our friends in need.

“Pakikisama is Filipino tactfulness. Can you be tactful without taking into consideration the feelings of others? Pakikisama is the Filipino spirit of teamwork. Is there teamwork without thinking of the good of the other members of the team? Pakikisama is the Filipino principle of Pr (personal relations). Is there PR without wanting to get along well with others?” asks Dr. Jocano.

So, what is the role of this concept in making sales champions stay champions?

If we look into the life of Fil, our example of the rags-to-riches success story, we will discover how important pakikisama is in becoming successful.

When Fil was still a small-time salesperson, he called up almost all his customers-in the evening, on weekends or during any hour that is convenient to talk.

“Why do you call them up?”

“None.”

“None? As in N-O-N-E?”

“Not really, what I mean is we don’t have to talk about important things.”

“So, what do you talk about, for example?”

“The latest news. At times, gossip. A little of this and that. Sometimes I would just like to know how they are faring. We talk about life. I share them my experiences in Manila. I find them laughing at them. In this way, I am able to give them some sort of entertainment.”

“Don’t they get enough of you calls?”

“Of course, not. In fact, if I don’t call them up, they ring me up and keep me busy on the phone.”

“Is that true? What have you gained by doing that?”

“Well, they became my friends. When the products I was selling became more sophisticated, I approached them. They did not hesistate to help me find buyers for them.”

“What about now that your’re a multimillionaire? Do you still call them up?”

“Oh, yes. You don’t forget clients just because they have already bought from you, do you? It does not seem nice. Befriend them. After all, they have helped you, right?”

This is concrete proof of the saying Rome was not built overnight. The fruit of the pakikisama we sow does not come in a flash. It takes time, patience and understanding.

Fil is a professional, with an unquestionable integrity and an encouraging etiquette. An integral part of these three higher qualities that he possesses is kabutihang-asal (good character). He cannot go on having friendly relations with his clients if he does not have this.

Salespeople in the car business call this After Sales Service. The others call this After Sales Relationship. Whichever way you call it, the bottom line is that your relationship with your client stays even long after you have closed your first sales pitch with him. By achieving this, you have fulfilled your moral obligation to truly care for your clients.

Lita Terrado has put an additional dimension to it by including her children in befriending her clients. She said that if one is already effective, two or three others are even more effective.

“I’ve noticed that involving my family in my work has made my clients trust me more. It has made a different impact,” Lita added.

These sales champions have maintained the warm relationship they have established with their clients from the beginning. They likewise have stayed successful.

Going back to Dr. Jose Rizal: “There are ten factors of success: one is work, and the other nine are more work.”

If this is how difficult it is to win or go up the ladder of success, you can just imagine how much more difficult it is to stay on top. If you are there, the only way left to go is down.

“The moment that you commit a mistake, you will definitely plummet downwards, crash back to earth and fall by the wayside,” sabi nga ni David Loo.

It ain’t easy going down, goes a popular song. Why? It is because getting up again will not be just as easy as it was when you started inching your way up to the much-coveted peak of success, especially when you have been irresponsible to let it slip away.

According to Dr. Jocano, “If we want to become successful sales champions, we must, first and foremost, learn how to enhance our relationship with our clients…. Let us treat our clients the way we would treat respective families.”

So, who will be your judge as to whether or not you stay a sales champion? Is it you? Is it fate? May this be a sweet echo in your memory: “You will be judged by the kind of asal you project while interacting with your clients.”

THE CONCEPT OF ASAL (MANNER)

We have heard the saying Clothes make the man. But the truth is Good manners make the real man. Likewise, good manners make the real sales champions.

“I have upheld the highest level of ethics, professionalism and integrity in dealing with my clients,” Mr. David Loo proudly said before a forum of chosen salespeople.

“I have pursued this career in sales very, very professionally. I have never stolen anybody’s client… and I do not make any promises that I cannot keep,” he said further.

David is a Malaysian national who has established residence in the Philippines and is a consistent top producer in selling membership shares for the Subic Bay Yacht Club in the Philippines. His success story is no different from the rest of us who have struggled, stumbled, fallen and risen again to fight and win. When David hit his lowest, he bravely picked himself up from the fall, struggled again with renewed hope and strength, until success welcomed him at the top.

According to him, he has seen people who have achieved instant success. They usually get drowned by its spirit, causing them to “fall by the wayside and crash back to earth” in no time at all. These people never seem to get up again. Hence, David learned from experience and strove hard to manage his success with humility and propriety.

What is the significance of David’s story as far as his success in selling is concerned? It shows us that, aside from possessing the three basic qualities, namely self-confidence, competence and enthusiasm, there is something else that makes the real super sales champion. There are three other higher qualities that serve as his capping stones, so to speak. These are PROFESSIONALISM, ETIQUETTE and INTEGRITY.

Without these capping stones, like the majestic pyramids, he will not be complete. Without these three qualities, a salesperson will only be as good as long as his self-confidence, his competence and his enthusiasm last. But with integrity, etiquette and professionalism, success is lasting. These three build a kind of relationship that only good asal can establish.

“You will be judged by the kind of asal you project while interacting with your clients,” Dr. Jocano often reiterates.

If you maintain your good manners in dealing with your clients and your fellowmen in general, it is guaranteed that they will also treat you well. It is not the quality of your product that will make them do so, but the goodness you show them while interacting with them.

THE CLOSING QUESTION

Closing is such an important tool that it needs reiteration and emphasis. As we have stated earlier, with a closed sale, the tinkling of the cash register is not far behind. But how do you close a sale?

In my 25 years in the selling profession, I have found out five major reasons why we fail to close a sale. First, it is matter of economics. We fail to qualify our prospect in the proper financial bracket. Second, our value perception is not keen. We fail to justify the value of our proposition. Third, we lack a sense of urgency. We fail to create an immediate need or want now. Fourth, we cannot handle objections, conditions and excuses well. We fail to rationalize the decision to say yes. Fifth, we do not know how to ask a closing question.

In the Bible, it says: Ask, and it shall be given. Keep on asking, and you keep on getting. It is a very simple process, and yet a majority of salespersons, whether veterans or beginners, sometimes fail to ask a closing question at the opportune time. As I always say in my seminars: “Closing is too basic to ignore, but it is a challenge even to the most experienced sales professional.”

I remember one of my trainees who had religiously been following the basic pointers of selling. He knows about prospecting, making contacts, qualifying clients, presenting his product, handling objections and closing. Yet, it was almost a month and he had never closed a single sale.

I had one-on-one session with him and I asked him, “How do you close a sale?” His immediate response was “Well, if they show interest.” I repeated the question: “How do you close a sale?” Since he was new then, I thought he just did not know how to answer the question properly. So, what I did was observe him as he made his presentation with one of his qualified prospects. His presentation with one of his qualified prospects. Hi presentation was good. But soon enough I discovered what was missing. He failed to ask for an order.

Try to remember how you ended a presentation when you were new. I am sure it is no different from this. After the presentation, the average salesperson will close this way: “Ma’am/sir, that’s it! What do you think of our product or service?” He probably thinks the customer will automatically say: ‘I will buy it!” But I bet that, 80-95% of the time, he will not get the sale.

Having observed a lot of failed transactions, I firmly believe that closing is not simply asking. It is asking a closing question. It is the most basic step in closing a sale.

Dr. Felipe Landa Jocano, our foremost Filipino anthropologist, calls it pagsangguni, or consultation. We call it the BASIC ORDER FORM CLOSE, in case you are using order forms, reservation/application forms or any written closing materials. For example, we say, “Sir/madam, would you like this under your name or your company’s name?” Or, “where would you like us to send your receipt and other relevant materials-your office or your residence?”

We in sales call this closing question the ALTERNATE OF CHOICE. Never ask a question that is answerable by yes or no. It must be a question wherein the answers are both affirmative. Remember, however, that it is not the same in all situations. As we commonly hear, we need different strokes for different folks. The basic premise is that if you persistently ask for the order, it shall be given, unless your client still has hidden objections, conditions and excuses. In our training, we address this by using our LASER approach, which is covered in another chapter. As long as you LISTEN to your client’s objection, condition or excuse, ACKKNOWLEDGE in with SINCERITY, EXPLORE the real reason or emotion behind it and RESPOND properly, you can handle any form of objection, condition or excuse that comes along.

As a reminder, never use the traditional approach in handling objections. “Yes, but…” also invites violent reactions. You say, “Yes, but…” e kung batukan ka kaya ng kliyente mo (what if your client hits you)? Remember to differentiate “Would you like to win an argument?” from “Do you want to win an argument?”

We cannot share with you in this blog all the different techniques and strategies in closing a sale. But, maybe in my next entry, I will share with you 365 ways to close a sale in different situations and in different industries as shared by top-notch graduates and professional salespersons. Once it is published, it will be your reference. Every page will contain a success story on closing a sale against all odds. Watch out for it!

Let me relate to you instead the story of my indirect mentor, Mr. Tom Hopkins. Back in 1984, I attend His his first public seminar in Asia entitled “How to Master the Art of Selling Anything.”

In his seminar, he narrated his humble beginnings. At the age of 17, he had what seemed to be at that time his first motivational talk with his parents. It resulted in his parents sending him to college to study law. But, after one semester, he quit. He told his parents. “College is not for me.” His parents told him, “You know, Tom, we have saved enough to send you to college to take up law and yet you quit. That’s your choice. Be assured that we will always love you. But, too bad, you will never amount to anything.”

That became his first and real motivational talk in his life. He left home and found a job with his uncle as a construction worker. After 18 months, he quit his job. When asked why, he said, “It’s real hard work! I carried steel bars for 18 months. I used to be 6 ½ feel tall, but after that my height diminished to 5 feet and 6 inches.” So, before he became a midget, he went to look for another job.

Just like any of us when we were young, he looked for greener pastures. He was attracted to an ad that said: EARN YOU FIRST MILLION IN REAL ESTATE. With so much enthusiasm, he joined the organization that placed the ad. But, after six months, he only sold one-to a relative. He concluded that, as a salesperson, he was relatively good-maybe because he had a good relative. As he was about to quit, he saw a gentleman stop near his office. He was impeccably dressed, and he drove a Jaguar. Tom was so impressed that he asked the gentleman, “What do you do for a living?” The gentleman said with pride, “I’m in sales, and this year I will be earning $50,000. How about you, young man?” “Well, I’m also in sales, but I have to quit because my average income is only $42/month.” After a short pause, he asked: “How did you do it?”

But this proved to be Tom Hopkins’s turning point in learning the art of closing. The man asked, “Have you heard of J. Douglas Edward?” Tom said, “No.” The man said, “He is the master trainer. He will teach you what to say, when to say it and how to ask a closing question-word per word. Why don’t you attend his seminar?”

Tom did attend the seminar. During his first hour with J. Douglas Edward, he found out how little he knew about closing a sale. But he made a commitment to JDE that he would replace him as the No. 1 sales trainer in the US after the seminar. True to his commitment, Tom Hopkins surpassed his trainer. In his book How to Master the Art of Selling, JDE wrote the introduction, endorsing Tom Hopkins as his replacement.

When Tom Hopkins learned the art of closing a sale word per word, he was able to close 365 houses and lots in 366 days. This won him the Sammy Award (for Sales and Marketing Excellence) by the National Association of Realtors.

But here is the best part of his story. He was invited again to the awarding ceremonies of NAR. This time around, he was to hand the Sammy Award to that year’s winner. The moment came. The emcee’s booming voice was head: “Ladies and gentlemen, fellow realtors, our Sammy awardee this year earned $50,000 last year.” There was silence. Then the audience started booing and shouting: “That’s chicken feed! I earned a million dollar last year.” Above the din of dissatisfaction, the emcee continued: “Wait! The announcement is not yet finished. This year’s Sammy awardee is a realtor like you, but he’s totally blind.” There was silence again. Then an astounding applause and a standing ovation followed. When Tom Hopkins handed the award, he asked the awardee, “How did you do it? How did you earn $50,000 with such a handicap?” The blind realtor said: “Being blind has several advantages. One, I have never seen any of the properties I have ever sold in my entire life; hence, there’s a degree of objectivity there. Two, in real estate selling, you have to do a lot of site inspection and tripping. I have saved a lot of my transportation allowance because, when my client does not like the property at the site, he can’t leave me. Because I’m blind, he has to bring me back to my office. And third, which is the most important advantage, I always see the property I’m selling through my buyer’s eyes.”

That blind Sammy awardee has a point there. Fellow salespersons, have we ever asked ourselves why sometimes we fail to close a sale? Try to reflect on this a moment. When asking the closing question, do we ever look in our buyer’s eyes and try to see through those eyes? Or, do we avoid them and simply listen to our client, with the cash register ringing in our ears? When he looks in our eyes, does he see the peso sign or the percentage sign? The truth is: The decision to say yes comes to your client at a point when he sees the word SERVICE, with I AM HERE TO SERVE YOU, alternately twinkling in your eyes.

Let us learn from the author OG Mandino: MISSION (service) first, before the COMMISSION. Not the other way around. If we go for the commission first, the kunsumisyon (exasperation) might follow.

Now that you know what it is all about, welcome to the delightful world of closing! May you be happy selling; may you be happier closing; and may you be happiest serving!