by Jim Cathcart

Everyone I’ve spoken with recently is doing something to adapt to the fluctuating economy. Some are cutting hours, some eliminating promotional expenses, some laying off or not hiring workers, and some are actually increasing their sales. Yes, I said “increasing sales”.

The problem with most people’s response to a challenge is that it’s the same as most salespeople’s response to objections. It doesn’t make sense and it doesn’t work. Here is what research has proven that most salespeople do in the face of resistance:

• Talk More, Listen Less
• Speak Faster
• Focus on Features instead of Benefits the Customer will Get
• Become More Nervous and Less Confident

All of this just because someone is resisting your offer?

Well, as Dr. Phil McGraw is fond of asking, “How’s that working for ya’?”

You see, when we direct our attention & energies into ourselves we increase the separation between us and our customers. We need to reverse this process and Listen More, Speak Slower & More Clearly, Discuss the Benefits of Buying from Us, and Keep Our Confidence.

Now apply this to the organization itself: instead of starting our response with a reduction of efforts, workforce, outreach and promotion, we actually need to INCREASE some of these.

The #1 best response to a challenge is to INCREASE SALES EFFORTS. Do everything you and every one of your people can to reach out to more customers, prospects and existing buyers. Listen to them, find out what they want and need, seek their input and show them that you care. Give them more reasons to stay connected with you. Show them the benefits they are already getting and look for ways to UPSERVE them.

MEASURE the number of minutes each day that each person is investing in direct contact with potential buyers. Things that are measured tend to improve. Track the sales time in everyone’s day.

#2 is to REDUCE WASTED EFFORTS. Stop the use of prime selling time for anything other than contacting prospective customers or clients. Use the best times of the day to reach out, not to do paperwork, email management, research or any support activities. Save those for the end of the day or the offline hours. Stop doing what doesn’t pay off and stop it completely for now.

#3 is to INCREASE COURAGE. What challenged people need is HOPE and DIRECTION. Show them what to focus on, explain how it works, give them the support they need, and celebrate their successes. Courage comes from faith. If you don’t have faith in the product, your company or the support process after someone buys then you tend to show your doubts as you sell. That discourages both you and your prospective buyers. Give everyone on your team the information and support they need in order to believe in what you can do for your buyers. Focus on helping.

#4 is SERVE. Don’t make calls in an attempt to “sell”, make them in an attempt to HELP. Look for people who can benefit from doing business with you and go help them. Your helping spirit will be noticed and appreciated. You’ll get less sales resistance and more openness from each person.

For more information on this go to page 4 in my book Relationship Selling.

Call me whenever I can help. 800-222-4883.

by Jim Cathcart

At the National Speakers Association convention in Phoenix this past week I’ve had a mixture of wonderful experiences. I heard an inspiring speech from Nando Parrado, one of the survivors of the Andes air crash many years ago. He reminded me to keep my “problems” in perspective. By comparison, I’ve never truly had a problem. Issues yes, problems no.
I also learned much more about Social Networks, Publishing, Authorship, Seminar Promotion, Meeting Room Design & Arrangement, Group Psychology, and much more.

One afternoon I was playing my guitar and singing with friends in the hotel’s atrium lobby. When dinner time arrived we went to the elevators and inside one of them I continued the ‘concert’ with the great acoustics of that small space. More people got on and joined the fun. When we got off on 3rd floor we continued to sing and people came out of their rooms to join in and to take photos. What a treat!

The big highlight was after the final awards banquet when many of us had a Jam Session in a ballroom with microphones, stage & all. Probably 7 guitars, some percussion and one grand piano. There were famous recording artists, songwriters, publishers, and me. All of us performed solo and then joined in other songs. We did jazz, folk, country but most of all Rock n Roll. The audience stayed with us for two hours then at midnight we adjourned, or so I thought.
When our host announced that the time was up, most of us packed our gear and left the room. I was the last to do so.
As I walked toward my guitar case someone asked about a song I had written, so I stopped and played it. Then I played another, and before I knew it we happy few, just over a dozen of us, had circled the chairs near the stage and continued to sing together as I played for two more hours!
At 2:10AM the hotel staff flashed the lights to nudge us to retire. So we finally did. But with great big smiles on our faces and lots of music in our hearts. What a night.
I’ll remember and treasure this one for a long time.
We video recorded 16:38 minutes of it on my FlipVideo. It’s pretty rough but if you’re up for it you may watch it here. It begins with a song I wrote called Riding Free, then we sing most every song anyone can remember. Robert Fishbone joined me on percussion.

(See, life’s not only about business.)
Enjoy!

by Jim Cathcart, president of Cathcart Institute, Inc. A few weeks ago I went to Escondido, California to participate in an amazing event. It was the Prototype Event for the World Resources Simulation Center. This is, in effect, a Think Tank…in physical form.

Peter Meisen, leader of the Global Energy Network Institute, GENI, and primary force behind the continuation of R. Buckminster Fuller’s mission to answer this question: “How do we make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological damage or disadvantage to anyone?” Peter has championed the cause of creating a Global Energy Network by connecting all of the world’s renewable energy resources across time zones and political boundaries. This inspiring mission has led to more than 100 countries forming grid connections and sharing otherwise unused excess power. For decades Dr. Meisen has met with world leaders and concerned citizens to serve all of mankind indefinitely. Bucky Fuller discovered that the one resource that made the biggest impact on healthcare, education, regional conflicts and lifestyle in general was Electricity. Those communities and countries that had access to electrical power were the most likely to filter their water, educate their citizens, eradicate diseases, and leave their neighbors alone. Without this vital resource all the evils of the world seemed to gather nearby. The event mentioned above is the first actual experience of creating a Simulation Center where all of the world’s resources can be seen together and in context. Instead of just looking at oil reserves, or fresh waters supplies, or weather patterns, or population density or oceanographic trends… The World Resources Simulation Center brings all of this together in one overwhelming display. Take a look at the photos of this Prototype Event and see what the final Simulation Center will look like. Explore their website and see the photos from the Prototype Event. And if you’d like to support the efforts of GENI and the WRSC with time, talent, treasure or introductions to others, please contact them. The WRSC is a project of: Global Energy Network Institute – GENI 1250 6th Ave, Suite 901 San Diego, California 92101 Tel: 619-595-0139 Fax: 619-595-0403 www.geni.org info@geni.org