The 'BIG 5' Selling Secrets Of The Pros

This week, THE most important topic of ALL topics for your Network Marketing business. And sadly, one that is very often over looked nowadays. Some call it the "lost art." I would agree...

It's the art of "Selling." It's been coined by many as the "lost art" because so few sell well nowadays. And yes, it truly is an art. No different than painting as art or acting as art or even the art of athletics. Selling is an uncomfortable word for many. Fair to say most people hate to be sold and most people hate selling. However... people actually love to buy. They just hate being sold to. BIG difference. You might want to read that again. Once you understand this shift, you'll have a chance to double or triple your sales production.

Get this....

The highest paid people in the world fall into three categories: 1) Professional Athlete; 2) Hollywood Star; 3) Sales Professional.

Numbers 1 and 2 are out of the question for most. Number 3 is wide open for the taking by anyone regardless of age, sex, color, background. In fact, those who don't sell for a living often lead pretty miserable financial lives.

So the BIG question is....

How do you, as a Direct Sales Entrepreneur, come in and "help people buy" versus selling to them?

And the BIG answer comes right here today with: "The 'BIG 5' Selling Secrets Of The Pros."

My all-time sales and marketing mentor, Dan Kennedy, isolated these "BIG 5 Selling Secrets" years ago, before the Internet Age. The reason I point that out is because I have this philosophy that, if things worked Pre-Internet, they will work even better with the Internet because of the awesome speed and leverage the Internet provides. You ought to think about that. Very few study the old gurus who made millions without the Internet. Sad. And ignorant. The highest achievers I know of study the modern day experts AND the olden day experts... simultaneously.

Now, there's actually "19 BIG Selling Secrets" but I'm gonna keep things simple here today and focus only on 5 that are the simplest and easiest for you to implement right away. Later on, I'll give you a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity where you can get the rest, if you're serious about exceptional selling results in 2012 and beyond.

Here we go....

# 1: An Attention-Grabbing "Promise Statement"

Unless you immediately grab the attention of your prospect with a bold claim and a strong promise about the "benefit" you're going to show your prospect, you don't stand a chance. And then numbers 2 to 5 won't even matter. This can come in the form of a headline on your web site, or a statement made in front of a room you may be giving a presentation to, or on the phone while on a prospecting or sales call. In fact, it SHOULD be made in all of the above examples.

And I know you want an example, right? You got it....

"Send me to any city in the United States, take away my wallet, give me $100 for living expenses and in 72 hours I'll buy you an excellent piece of real estate using none of my own money. Guaranteed."

This became a famous "promise statement" by Robert Allen which eventually got him on dozens of TV shows nationwide AND made him millions in sales of his 'no money down' real estate books, courses and seminars.

Attention grabbing? I think so. Big and bold? Uhmm.... yeah. You MUST have one.

# 2: Credibility Building

Naturally, when someone hears or reads a big, bold promise statement, how do you think they feel at first?

"Yeah right. This guy is full of it."

We all do this. It's a basic human reaction not to "believe" just about any bold claim we hear, at first. Pay close attention here because I'm going to show you how to quickly move someone from guard up to guard down, from not believing to being open to believing -- the BIG Key to setting up a successful sale...

As soon as a big, bold promise statement is made, you must immediately demonstrate your credentials and/or the credentials of your organization for making that claim. What kind of success track record do you have? What kind of case studies have been done to support that claim? What kind of credentials do you have that would make that big promise "believable?" This is critical. This opens the door for you to make your presentation.

The best way to do this, by far, is having some sort of "celebrity attachment" to your product or service. We live in a star-struck society and celebrities with credibility are THE most believable people in the world. Just look at the massive growth of the Nutri-System brand (and thousands of others just like it). Every one of their commercials has a major celebrity in it and they've grown to a Billion Dollar brand as a result.

How about the Oprah Effect? Anyone who appears on the Oprah Winfrey Show gains instant appeal and often times get very, very rich as a result. Last year, in my primary Direct Sales business, we inked an exclusive deal with the #1 Personal Finance expert in the world and ten-time NY Times best selling author, David Bach, to market his new product line through our company. Huge credibility. Selling resistance becomes almost completely eliminated.

You MUST find your credibility points or your "Promise Statement" won't stick.

# 3: Problem - Solution

This is a biggie.

Unless you clearly identify that a problem exists in the first place, and bring your prospect into "agreement" with you on the problem at hand, your solution is irrelevant. You might want to read that again.

You do this by 'slowing down the sales process' a bit to demonstrate a clear problem at hand.  I know that sounds counter-intuitive but this is how the Pros sell. This is often times referred to as "Education Based Marketing." The Sales Pro is an artist. He paints a picture of the issues at hand. He lays out statistics. He educates. Then, and only then, does he segway to the solution...

I've rarely had success in selling by jumping right into a solution first. Keep in mind, at least 98% of Network Marketers sell their product or service first. They throw up all over their prospect. And make very few sales as a result. This is why only 2% make real money in Network Marketing.

Stay with me here to get the heck out of the 98% group....

# 4: Apples to Oranges Comparison

Let's be honest, at any given time we all will face some sort of competition in business. Prospects will always try to compare your product or service to someone else's. It's common. But its important that you don't bash your competition. It's important that you respectfully identify your competition's weak points though. Even more important, is that you identify your product or service's "stand alone" strong point.

This way, in a conversation, you can "point out" your competition's draw backs while highlighting your strengths, making it an 'Apples to Oranges' comparison. There's a big difference between bashing the competition versus pointing out a weakness or two that the prospect should be aware of and one that YOU can overcome with yours. This creates the perception that, just because your products and services may be in the same industry, there's really no competition at all. You must be a student of your product AND a student of your competition to pull this off. Most aren't. Only the 2%ers are.

# 5: Yes or Yes Close

Ahh, my favorite..... The close. But not just any close.

When the 98%ers ask for a sales order (if they even ask at all) they say something like:

"So what do you say?" or "Are you ready to get started?"

No good.

You've gotten poor training if you find yourself saying this. Traditional Network Marketing companies just love the ever-popular, old-school "are you ready to get started" question. Very ineffective. I cringe when I hear it. Here's why....

It's a "closed-end question" (and a very poor question) and usually will be an automatic "No." Smart, "open-ended questions" are used by Sales Pros and they always have the "Yes or Yes" close integrated. They sound something like this:

"What is a better fit for you, the premium package or the standard package?"

When I was trained in the early 90's to be a Stock Broker in New York, quite possibly the best  phone sales training in the world, we were taught to say:

"How do you want to title this account, in your name or in the name of your business?"

Not a "yes" or "no" option. An assumptive close, with "no" not even being an option. Big difference, right?

So there you have it - "The 'BIG 5' Selling Secrets Of The Pros"

Now, this was just a taste test. There are really "19 Long-Lost Selling Secrets" in all. The 5 I gave you here today are only a start. ONLY a start.

How would you like to get the rest LIVE, in the flesh, from seven of the BIGGEST, most influential names in ALL of Direct Sales and Network Marketing? If that sounds interesting to you, and you're committed to being a true Direct Sales Professional, you may be interested in grabbing a seat at my upcoming CASH CONTROL Academy in Miami, FL this March.

No sales training like this has EVER existed in this industry. Until now. I call it "the first-and-only Direct Sales Training for the New Economy buyer." A few spots remain at this ultra-exclusive, private workshop. If you're looking to take your game to a whole new level, I suggest that you read my letter about "The Academy" in detail RIGHT HERE.

- Andrew J. Cass

A seven-figure producer in two separate Direct Sales businesses before the age of 35, Andrew J. Cass is now one of the Network Marketing industry’s foremost experts and in-demand speakers on productivity and sales performance training. He is founder and editor of the weekly iMagazine, "The Network Marketing Insider", creator of the breakthrough CD program, "Productivity Triggers For Today's High-Performance Network Marketer", and Founder of "CASH CONTROL For Networkers" - the industry's first and only Direct Sales coaching program for the New Economy buyer. Andrew is also co-author with Dan Kennedy in, "The Ultimate Success Secret: South Florida Edition" and is the Director of the Miami Chapter of Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle. More information can be found by visiting: www.AndrewJCass.com