Smart Calling, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 2Creating Your Possible Value Proposition

I often surprise the participants in my training workshops by spontaneously pulling out a digital camera and screaming, “Group photo time!” I tell them to smile, holler, and wave, and that they can view the photo the next day on my Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/ArtSobczak). Then I ask who they will look for first when they view the photo.

Of course, everyone sheepishly smiles and says, “Myself.”

We then discuss how we all, mostly, care about ourselves. We’re looking out for number one, baby.

But this might surprise some salespeople: Prospects do not share those same feelings about you. In fact, they do not care about you at all, because they have their own group photo mind-set. They are not concerned about your quota; they don’t give a rat’s behind about what you want to do. You think you have a great product or service? Not a blip on their radar.

The prospects care mostly about themselves, about what they will do next, and how it will affect them. And that is what you need to care mostly about as well: the prospect. If you want any chance at all at being successful with Smart Calling, everything you think about, do, and say needs to be about the prospect.

So get over yourself. You are not going to buy from you. From this point forward, it is all about them.

Where am I going with this?

When you embrace the all-about-them mind-set, you distinguish yourself from the typical self-interested salesperson or cold caller whom everyone ...