It’s a known fact that people buy from people. People buy from people they like. People like people that are like themselves. What does that mean for you in building a trusting relationship with potential clients?

This trust can only be developed if you have an intimate knowledge of yourself and how others perceive you. By understanding this communication dynamic you can take the step from being just a vendor to being a trusted advisor.

So how is your approach? How do potential clients want to be approached? If you knew and understood these things, would you change your approach?

This is where personal assessments are a valuable tool. With these assessments, you can look at what factors motivate you, your values as well as basic personality traits. This will also help you build an understanding as to what training you may need in order to be more effective and successful in your sales efforts.

You may have a very successful record of sales. Is there room for improvement? Is there a way that you could work smarter instead of harder?

We invite you to a special Executive Briefing on December 4th, were you can learn how training with the Sandler Sales System© can help you get a jump on your competition. We would like to offer you a chance to take our assessments free of charge. This is a $225 value!! All we ask is that you register and attend this informative briefing where you can learn the “Psychology Behind the Sale”. You will receive your complimentary assessment to take with you and keep!
If you would like to see a sample of these assessments, simply click the links below. We are confident that you would like to see for yourself your own assessment results.
DISC Sample
Values Sample

Executive Briefing
December 4 - 9:30-11:30
This is your Invitation to attend a Special Executive Briefing. Register Now!!

Like most sales professionals, you're probably concerned about how the economy will affect your business. You're wondering how you'll survive. Your survival instincts may be telling you to look for ways to conserve; to hang on to what you have and weather the storm. It may seem like the correct thing to do... BUT, IT'S NOT!

When the economy is slowing down, you need to speed up. If the economic pie is getting smaller, you need to get a bigger piece just to maintain your current levels. And, that won't happen unless you pick up the pace... and do more. You need to be more visible, more credible, and more valuable to your clients and prospective clients.


Pick up the phone. With a slowing economy, it's no time to be shy. Make the prospecting calls. Beef up your prospecting plan. Contact former clients who have dropped off the radar. Someone out there needs your products and services. Find them before your competitors do.

Be of service. Forget about making "sales calls" on existing clients. Instead, schedule "strategy sessions" to help them explore opportunities to grow their businesses. Being "of service" will not only cement the relationship, but it will also make your client more comfortable and more likely to introduce you to others who would appreciate the same level of service.

Network. Show up at social and business functions ready to talk about your business and how you are helping your clients grow despite the current economic conditions. Adjust your "30-second commercial" to reflect the current economic situation.

Get the message out. Speak at chambers of commerce, professional associations, and service organizations. Talks and presentations have proven to be effective low-cost or no-cost marketing tools. They increase your visibility and credibility.

Have you figured it out yet? What you need to do in a "bad" economy are the very same things you need to do in a "good" economy. But, you need to do them more skillfully and more frequently. Don't let a slow economy slow you down.

Becoming very focused on what you need to do to accomplish your sales goals seems like an appropriate thing to do. Homing in on exactly what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, and when it needs to be done might be considered an essential element for developing an effective plan. And it is... until the "getting focused" becomes an activity onto its own.

Too much research and planning can be worse than no research and planning. How can that be?

If you performed no research, had no plan, and no strategy, but instead, just pulled up your prospect database and started making phone calls... or went out and started "knocking on doors," at least you'd be doing something. Some people would talk to you; some wouldn't. Some people would have a meaningful conversation with you; others would dismiss you quickly. Some people would qualify as prospects; some wouldn't. And, some people, not prospects themselves, would point you in the direction of others who may be. Even though your activity would not be based on or directed by a well-thought-out plan, it would be ACTIVITY. And, results come from "doing," not "thinking" about what to do.

So, invest a sensible amount of time to do the research, target your prospects, and develop your plan - then ACT!

Blackjack is one of the few casino games where you have an almost even chance of leaving the table a winner by following three principles. (Wouldn't you like to have an almost even chance of closing every sales presentation?)

What are the three principles?

1. Understand the rules of the game.
The game has rules that dictate how and when the cards are dealt, which combinations of cards constitute a winning hand, and how the dealer must play his hand. Additionally, mathematical probabilities establish a set of "rules" you must follow to maximize your chances of winning. By sticking to the rules, you reduce the house advantage to only a few percent.

Here are the key factors: in order to follow the rules, you must be emotionally detached from the process. And, you must follow the rules consistently. If the rules specify that you always split Aces and Eights, then you must always split Aces and Eights. If the probabilities specify that you should hold on 14 when the dealer's up card is six or less, that's what you must do. You can't play hunches. You can't second-guess the probabilities.

2. Never risk more than you can afford to lose.
The wisdom of the rule should be obvious. If it's unwise, as the adage suggests, to "put all your eggs in one basket," it's just as foolish to bet all your money (especially if it's your last dollar) on one hand.

3. Know when to walk away.
If you play the game long enough, you'll likely notice a sine-wave-like pattern to your winnings. Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're even, and sometimes you're down. Unfortunately, the pattern isn't a perfect sine wave with a fixed and predictable frequency and amplitude. So, you must set a goal in advance to walk away when you're either up or down by a specific amount. In either case, you walk away a winner--measured by your actual winnings or simply the fact that you survived to play another day (or perhaps at another table).

Let's see how the principles for winning at Blackjack apply to the "game" of sales.

1. Understand the rules of the game.
A cardinal rule of the game stipulates that you don't invest your time pursuing low-probability opportunities, regardless of how much you want or need a sale. As in Blackjack, you must remain emotionally detached from the process. If the opportunity doesn't measure up... well then, it doesn't measure up and it's time to move on and find one that does. Low-probability opportunities exist when:

• There isn't a compelling reason for the prospect to buy your product or service--and buy it from YOU.
• The prospect isn't willing or able to make the required investment to obtain your product or service.
• You can't meet all of the prospect's criteria for buying your product or service (or buying it from you rather than a competitor).

2. Never risk more than you can afford to lose.
"Bet" your time wisely. Don't invest all your time pursuing one opportunity. That's not a winning strategy. You should have more than one active opportunity in your pipeline.

3. Know when to walk away.
Sometimes, "it's not in the cards." Some sales opportunities will progress predictably and perhaps quickly, and you'll add a new name to your client list. Other opportunities will drag on. Some prospects won't make commitments. Or, if they do, they won't keep them. In those instances, you need to cut your losses (of time and energy). You should close the file, walk away, and invest your time identifying other potentially more viable opportunities.

When you play by the rules, you can bet on the outcome--more closed sales, more often.

Understanding the Rankings: Entrepreneur_Award_2008.pdf