Get the Edge UK

Having been working on site for a few weeks, it really has hit home with me just how much of a difference a "World Class VIP Experience" makes to the close ratio and the profitability in a deal.

Those sales person who have mastered a warm and sincere meet and greet, delivered the perfect "Agenda Set" and were genuinely interested in trying to get to know their customer completed more of the sales process than the other sales people.

What is also interesting in how many manufacturers are now starting to cotton on to the concept, as I write this blog, Renault UK have announced that the greater proportion of their dealer incentive bonus money will now be engineered towards a successful CSi score and less on unit sales.

Consider the following philosophies we teach in our training courses:

1.Give to others without expectation of return
2.Treat each customer as an honoured guest
3. Operate with a servants heart
4. Raise your game and deliver the VIP Experience in all areas of the sales process and the results will follow.

Always remember you have a choice, you choose the experience the customer gets. Take the challenge and raise your game.... click the following link below to take you to a copy of a perfect meet and greet agenda set, practice, drill and rehearse to get perfection

The Agenda Set

cherie carter-scott's rules of life ('Rules for Being Human') (Carter Scott references this quotation:) "Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." (Helen Keller)

Rule One - You will receive a body. Whether you love it or hate it, it's yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what's inside.

Rule Two - You will be presented with lessons. Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides opportunities for you to learn more. These lessons specific to you, and learning them 'is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life'.

Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons. Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it's inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you'd want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgement - of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine - it's also 'the act of erasing an emotional debt'. Behaving ethically, with integrity, and with humour - especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps - are central to the perspective that 'mistakes' are simply lessons we must learn.

Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons - they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance - 'causality' must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required - change doesn't happen overnight, so give change time to happen.

Rule Five - Learning does not end. While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the 'rhythm of life', don't struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change - be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities.

Rule Six - "There" is no better than "here". The other side of the hill may be greener than your own, but being there is not the key to endless happiness. Be grateful for and enjoy what you have, and where you are on your journey. Appreciate the abundance of what's good in your life, rather than measure and amass things that do not actually lead to happiness. Living in the present helps you attain peace.

Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs.

Rule Eight - What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. Take responsibility for yourself. Learn to let go when you cannot change things. Don't get angry about things - bitter memories clutter your mind. Courage resides in all of us - use it when you need to do what's right for you. We all possess a strong natural power and adventurous spirit, which you should draw on to embrace what lies ahead.

Rule Nine - Your answers lie inside of you. Trust your instincts and your innermost feelings, whether you hear them as a little voice or a flash of inspiration. Listen to feelings as well as sounds. Look, listen, and trust. Draw on your natural inspiration.

Rule Ten - You will forget all this at birth. We are all born with all of these capabilities - our early experiences lead us into a physical world, away from our spiritual selves, so that we become doubtful, cynical and lacking belief and confidence. The ten Rules are not commandments, they are universal truths that apply to us all. When you lose your way, call upon them. Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise - wisdom the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself.

  This summary is merely a brief outline and simply does not do the book justice, nor the wisdom within it. If you are interested in making the most of your life, and helping others do the same, buy Cherie Carter-Scott's book 'If Life Is A Game, These Are The Rules'.
 
Jon

Both Steve and I are delighted to announce that Peter Cifelli has now joined the team. Peter brings his wit, energy, inspiration and knowledge to the Get the Edge UK team.

We are delighted to have him aboard... and look forward to the ideas Peter brings

Jon and Steve

Great News......

We have just started working with Mercedes Benz UK, and have had the great priviledge of running our Get the Edge Sales Retreat with Managers and Sales Personel alike.

Some of these guys and Gals have already made massive shifts in their attitudes and behaviours at work, here are just a few of the quotes we received back, say's it all...

"I have just completed this 4 day intensive course and it's a powerful career changing, life changing experience that anybody in automotive sales should go on. Brilliant, excellent, are all understatements for this course" Patrick

"This has been a life changing experience for me, at work and at home, brilliant" Aiden

"Chaps, just to let you know that I am getting great feedback from my team , so thanks for the great work .   BUT , more importantly we have now closed two deals with the "you know your wife better than I do , what would she think" close .   Thanks again for reminding me why I do this job , keep up the good work , see you soon " Grant

That's why we do what we do,

Too experience the magical results yourself, end the year on a high by  applying to Join the December Get the Edge retreat and allow yourself or your team fast start 2012

Jon

Make the First Sale to Yourself 

 The first sale I want you to make is to yourself.....


What do you mean Jon?,


Let me explain, you are in a role where throughout your career as a sales person you will need to continuously re-invent yourself. What I mean by that is you will need to keep developing your skills, adjusting your habits and improving your knowledge. Sell yourself on the idea of life long learning. Throw yourself into discovering all their is to know about your business, industry, products, services and above all your customers.


This must happen, Why?, because the tactics, techniques and tips you learnt when you first started selling are already being diluted. Over the years they lose there effectiveness, yesterdays solutions no longer work on today's problems. Times are a changing, and fast. It's difficult to keep up with all the changes, but you must or you miss out.


So the first sale is to buy into the idea that personal development is ongoing, for life. I have witnessed too many sales people first hand say some of the following, "I have twenty years experience you can't teach me anything" or "I'm always number one in my company, why do I need to go on a course?". The minute you think you know it all, is the slippery slope to failure. Many of these dinosaurs are now extinct, yesterday's hero's, the good old boy in the corner. Don't let that happen to you, don't allow your ghosts to convince you to join the club of mediocrity.


Start to treat selling as a hobby, let me explain what I mean, if gardening was your hobby, you love it, every day your out there, gardening. You have books on gardening, you look up gardening on the internet, you are immersed in your garden every spare minute of the day, month in month out. It gives you great pleasure. Because you love it, you read about plants, their cycles, nourishment and even lighting requirements, in fact in the neighbourhood you have become quite an expert on the subject. Now think of sales as a hobby, do you apply the same enthusiasm, energy, dedication, focus, willingness to learn that you apply to your hobby. I bet for most of you the answer is no!


Very few people take time to learn and more importantly master the art of selling. I call it an art because it's not a series' of haphazard ideas, it's a science and an art to be studied, committed too, after all it's how you earn your money. Your wallet size is in direct proportion to the level of knowledge and skills that you have. In order to earn more you must commit to learn more.


To become a top producer in the sales field, you have to devote time and attention to selling, just like you do with a hobby, only this time the only thing your growing and pruning is yourself

Today's blog confirms our thoughts about competency.

It has been proven that if you want to become an expert in your field it will take you roughly 10,000 hours to achieve it.

That's 3 hours per working day for the next ten years.! Both Stve and myself have said on numerous occassions that it takes 2 years to become a competent automotive sales person or manager.
Those who work hard, make a living, those who work hard on themselves, make a fortune. The choice is your's here are some ways you can shorten the time in becoming the expert you need to be.

Remember the more you learn the more you earn!

1. Focus like a laser beam on finding new profound knowlegde every day
2. Immerse yourself in a good book every day relating to your chosen career.
3. Look for the lessons that are there for you in everything you do
4. Learn from your mistakes
5. Find a mentor, someone who has trodden the path before you
6. Listen to motivational tapes on your way to work
7. Watch others, especially their good performances
8. Attend training
9. Practice, drill and rehearse

Good luck, all you have to do is choose

Jon

Congratulations to Michael Baxter who won the prestigious "Salesman of the Year Award" for 2010. Michael held his nerve to beat off 7 other Suzuki sales personel to claim his prize.

Michael said at his acceptance speech "Thanks must go to Jon and Steve who have taught me all I know about selling". Michael attended his first course with us about 5 years ago as a new recruit, we have watched him grow, literally to 6ft 6" and watched his result grow as well.

Well done to Michael, were proud of you,

all the best

Jon and Steve