Author: Martin Limbeck
Reading time: 19 minutes
Synopsis
This book explains what makes a good salesperson different from a bad one. It shows what skills you need to be successful. It doesn’t focus on special sales tricks to learn by heart. Instead, it teaches you the right attitude and mindset that a top salesperson has.
What’s in it for you: Learn to sell with the right attitude.
Let’s be honest: Life itself is like selling. This is true for everyone, not just salespeople. It happens all the time, at work and at home. On dates, we try to show our best self to impress the other person. Children act nicely when they really want ice cream from their parents. A job interview is another example. Here, we try to sell ourselves to a company we want to work for. The company also tries to sell itself to us.
But becoming a good salesperson, or selling yourself well, takes time. In these blinks, we will give you many tips. What makes a good salesperson? Are some people born good at selling? Or can anyone learn it? What changes do we need to make to our attitude and how we act to be truly successful?
You will find answers to these questions and many other useful tips here. We will also introduce you to the most difficult part of selling: selling over the phone. All these are in our blinks about Nicht gekauft hat er schon.
Blink 1 – In sales, just like anything else, nobody is born a master.
„You have two minutes. Explain why a customer should buy from you, not someone else.“
Many people find this task hard. Often, people in Martin Limbeck’s classes can only think of about five reasons. But the teacher says this is not enough. You should have 15 reasons, and you should be able to say them very quickly.
Limbeck does not ask his students to invent these reasons on the spot. A good salesperson knows their selling points long before. They practice them like a student learning new words. They practice until they know them perfectly.
So, to be good at selling, you need to work hard. Selling is like any other job you learn, for example, being a carpenter. A carpenter only becomes skilled if they know the basics very well. They must always be able to saw, plane, file, and tell different woods apart. It’s the same for salespeople. Their basic skills are knowing arguments, useful phrases, and how to answer customer concerns or excuses. They must practice these until they are very easy to use.
This also means that no one is “born to sell.” Think of sports stars, company bosses, or flight attendants. They all trained hard to succeed. Science shows that being smart and skilled comes from hard work, self-control, and effort. The writer Malcolm Gladwell calls this the 10,000-hour rule. This is how much time you need to spend to become an expert at something.
If you are willing to learn, to try new things, and to push yourself, you can become a good salesperson. If you don’t, you will stay bad or average.
Blink 2 – How your brand and unique style add value for customers.
Do what author Martin Limbeck does. He wears cufflinks with his own logo. His company car is a Porsche 911, and his logo is also on its door sills. When he holds a seminar, there is a sign with his picture pointing the way to the room.
Limbeck grew up in a working-class family. He is proud of how he moved up in life. He is also proud of his success and his work as a coach, speaker, and writer. He likes to show this. But the main reason for his fancy style is to show his own brand, the Martin Limbeck brand. A good brand always has a clear and same look. That’s why he uses his logo on his cufflinks, his Porsche, and the sign.
What are the good things about a brand? First, it tells the customer clearly what they can expect. For example, the Martin Limbeck brand means a strong and confident style. If a company hires him for sales training, they know they won’t get a quiet and shy person.
Second, a brand creates feelings. These feelings help customers decide what to buy. If you can make customers feel good, you will stand out. This gives you a better chance to make a successful sale.
Now, let’s talk about another important point: finding your right place. When Martin Limbeck first started as a trainer, he taught many topics. These included public speaking, sales calls, and dealing with arguments. But over time, he learned it was better to focus on one area. For him, this was quick, fact-focused selling. This way, he could be very good at what he did best. He also stood out from other trainers.
This idea also helps salespeople who work for a company, not for themselves. If you focus on one area where you are very skilled, your employer will need you. You will become very important to them.
Blink 3 – Being good at your job and being friendly make a powerful mix.
Who would you choose to do heart surgery: a nice local doctor, or a rude but expert surgeon? Who should fly your plane to the Bahamas: a friendly co-pilot with little experience, or a serious chief pilot with 30 years of experience?
This is true for pilots, doctors, salespeople, and all other jobs. The person who knows more and is better at their job will win. This is true even if the other person is friendlier.
A good salesperson knows their product very well. They know a lot about the market and other companies. They know the basic rules of selling. They also know how to talk to people, have good conversations, and answer customer questions.
But just being good at your job is not enough. Imagine you want to buy a product, like a vacuum cleaner. Two salespeople from different companies have both given you great advice. You like both products. Who would you buy from? Most of us would choose the friendly salesperson. The one who opens the door for you, introduces themselves nicely, or smiles. Not the one who looks a bit serious.
We can’t just switch on friendliness. It’s hard because not everyone likes everyone. But there are simple rules salespeople can follow to seem friendly. Looking neat is better than looking messy. A calm voice is nicer than loud talk. Don’t wave your arms too much; small movements are better. A calm, open look is better than a worried one. Finally, being friendly comes from understanding others. If you listen carefully and care about what the customer wants, they will see you as friendly.
But to build the best relationship with customers, you need more than just being polite and dressed well.
Blink 4 – Good preparation makes a big difference.
Many people think a salesperson’s work only starts when they meet a customer. But this is not true.
A salesperson’s most important work starts long before they meet the customer. They prepare. A professional salesperson researches everything important about their customer, like a detective. They learn about the company’s size and structure, its other offices, and what business it does. They also check the customer’s industry, their main competitors, and the market. All this helps them to make their sales points fit the customer’s needs.
Knowing personal things can also help. What hobbies does your customer have? Are they married or single? A quick search on Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn can often give you a good idea.
Personal details are important because they can build a connection if used at the right time. For example, Martin Limbeck once talked to a sales manager about his half-marathon during a seminar introduction. This helped him connect with the customer. It made the sales manager like him more.
Also, being well-prepared makes you feel more confident. Formula 1 drivers, for example, imagine the race track in their minds the day before. They prepare for hard turns or small bumps. Salespeople can also imagine their meeting. They can think about walking into the building, how to say hello, the handshake, the first chat, and possible questions. If you practice these things in your mind, you will appear more confident and convincing when you meet the customer.
Blink 5 – Customers have different priorities.
People are all different. This is true not just for gender, skin color, and age. It is also true for their deep needs, wishes, and how they act.
A good salesperson knows this. They change their selling plan to fit each person. They talk to customers in a way that matches how they think, feel, and act. A good salesperson always treats people how those people want to be treated.
For example, some people want to feel important. For them, you might say: ‘This product will make you stand out from others. People will respect your new idea.’ Other people want to feel safe. For them, you might say: ‘This product has worked well for many years, and more than 80% of people in this field trust it.’ And some people like to feel free. For them, you might say: ‘This travel plan lets you go to places far from typical tourist areas.’
But the skill is also to see what people need and want. A good salesperson notices every small detail, like a police profiler. They see how people act, their body language, and their faces. Especially when you first meet someone, you should pay close attention. Does the person care about looking neat? Do they wear shiny leather shoes or old trainers? What does their handshake tell you? How do they speak about their team and competitors? A good salesperson watches and thinks about all these things. This helps them understand their customer and choose the best way to sell to them.
Besides being good at sensing things, there are other ways and traits that make a top salesperson. You will learn more in the next blink.
Blink 6 – Being tough and persistent brings long-term success.
In sales, just like in looking for a partner, you will face rejection. No salesperson can convince every customer right away.
Especially when you try to sell to new customers without warning (cold calling), you must learn to handle being told ‘no’. For example, when Martin Limbeck first started selling copiers and fax machines, he sold only 81 products out of 1000 calls. He was told ‘no’ 919 times. At first, each ‘no’ felt bad, but slowly he learned to deal with it.
First, he learned not to let rejection bother him. He did not take it personally. Even if he looked good, talked well, and had good arguments, a customer might still say no. He just accepted it.
Second, he learned the most important thing for a good salesperson: never give up. The musician Johnny Cash showed this. He asked his partner, June Carter, to marry him about 5000 times. She said no every time. But Johnny kept asking. When he asked her for the 5001st time, she finally said yes. They were happily married for the rest of their lives.
Blink 7 – True sales skill is shown on the phone.
For many, selling over the phone to new customers is very scary. People often find unexpected calls annoying. And the person making the call goes into an unknown situation. Many useful tools that help in person are gone. A strong look, a firm handshake, a friendly smile, a nice suit, good shoes, or a fancy watch mean nothing on the phone.
When selling by phone, you only use talking and listening. Your only tools to convince and understand are your voice, your words, and how you speak. Because you use so few tools, phone selling is very hard. It is called the ‘top level’ of selling. So, what makes you good at selling over the phone?
First, you must be friendly and happy, just like in a face-to-face meeting. A salesperson in a bad mood should not be on the phone. It’s best to speak in short, simple sentences. Don’t be too loud or too quiet, as both sound bad. Make sure to pause enough. This gives the listener time to think about what you say. It also makes them want to hear more.
It’s also hard to reach the boss of a company. Most times, you will first speak to their assistant. Assistants are told not to let annoying salespeople talk to the boss. So, you must plan what you say carefully. For example: ‘Hello, this is Peter Maier. Is Karl…’ – pause briefly – ‘…Karl Müller in the office?’ By saying this, you suggest you already know the boss. Also, asking ‘Is he in the office?’ sounds less like you want to sell something than ‘Is he free to talk?’.
Once you are talking to the boss, you can use your best selling methods. For example, when you discuss the price.
Blink 8 – Give discounts carefully.
One basic rule of selling, both on the phone and in person, is to keep your price firm. But you should not say ‘no’ to all discounts. How can you do this well?
First, never offer a discount yourself. Especially not at the start of talking about prices. This only hurts you. It tells the customer you don’t believe in your price. It makes them think you are selling your product or service for too much. Then, the customer can easily get you to lower the price. For example, a salesperson for a quad bike told Martin Limbeck early on that the 6495 Euro price was not fixed. In just a few minutes, Limbeck got him to sell it for less than 6000 Euros.
If the customer asks for a discount, remember this rule: give something to get something. If the customer wants a lower price, they must give the salesperson something in return. For example, they could buy more, accept less service, or agree to easier payment terms.
Another sales rule is that the situation sets the price. The nicer and more pleasant the sales meeting, the more likely the customer is to pay the full price. This means you should offer fresh coffee, not old, cold coffee. Have fresh flowers on the table. You should look neat and stylish. For signing the contract, offer a nice Montblanc pen, not a cheap plastic one. Every small detail matters. Together, they create a feeling for the customer. This feeling affects their buying choice. Of course, if the customer feels good where they are, they are more likely to buy.
Summary
The main idea of this book is:
You don’t have to be born a top salesperson. What matters is that you want to be a good salesperson and are ready to work for it. Good salespeople work hard to learn the basics. They get ready for every meeting with a customer. And they listen to each customer’s unique needs and wishes.
What you can do:
Know your selling points.
No matter if you sell insurance, vacuum cleaners, or home loans, you must convince customers with good reasons. You need to answer all their questions well. So, know your selling points very well. Use them at the right time.
Keep trying.
One of the most important skills for a good salesperson is to keep trying. So, don’t just accept ‘no’ right away. Think about how you can change it to a ‘yes’. You don’t need the customer to love you. You just need to convince them that your product is perfect for them.
Stay firm on price, but don’t be stubborn.
Never offer a discount first. Follow the rule: give something to get something. If the customer wants a lower price, ask what they can give you in return.
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