In the Muzzillo Dictionary of Sales Terminology, definitions of many key words and phrases aren’t what they appear to be. In my previous article, I shared how the definition of “no” really is “not yet.” Similarly, when a prospect tells you, “I will call you,” what they are really saying is, “I will never call…
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Be the Conquering Hero: Classic Storytelling
Get more opportunities by staying focused on on solving problems instead of on selling stuff. We are so “me too” in this business, and then we complain about being price shopped, not given a chance to compete, being ignored or—worst of all—not even noticed. Your problem may not be that you don’t have any value…
Read MoreNext Year Is Not 2018. It’s 2X18: Three Powerful Questions to Double Your Success Next Year
That’s right. At Proforma, we are not calling next year 2018. We are calling it 2X18. I invite all of you to do the same. 2X18 is your opportunity to 2X your success in the New Year. 2X your sales. 2X your income. 2X your health. 2X your relationships. I believe it’s easy to 2X…
Read MoreToo Bad it’s Thanksgiving. (I’m Not Proud of This One)
Back in the early days of building my original Proforma distributorship, I had an appointment with the owner of a furniture store chain. I was on time. He was not. After waiting for half an hour, I asked the receptionist if the owner knew I was there. She informed me that he was filming a…
Read MoreMuzzillo’s 10 Percent Rule
Over the years I have developed what I call the “Muzzillo 10 Percent Rule.” Simply stated, the rule is that, at any point in time, only about 10 percent of folks are dissatisfied enough with their current situation that they are wide open for change. This is true for end-user customers. Only about 10 percent…
Read More7 Reasons E-Commerce Is Better Than Face-to-Face Salespeople
E-commerce: Is available all the time Serves unlimited customers or prospects at the same time without waiting Allows the customer to browse without pressure Listens to exactly what the customer says, and shows them what they’ve asked for Suggests other items gently, while showing them what they ask for Remembers who customers are on every…
Read MoreWe Were Not Undressing! Putting Some Fun Into Selling
Back when I was growing my original Proforma distributorship, I was teaching one of our newer sales reps how to conduct field calls. In my view, field calling is a lost skill. Sadly, in this day of email and voicemail, salespeople think they don’t need to get out and do field calls. I strongly disagree…
Read MorePersistence, Patience and Pasta
Early on in building my distributorship to $20 million (I sold that business in the early ’90s to focus on our franchise model), I realized there were only four activities that would make me wealthy. Today at Proforma we call these the 4 Pillars of Success. Earn new customers. Sell more to current customers. Hire…
Read MoreBuy The Shrimp Farm: The Power of Negative Selling
When we first started franchising Proforma in the late 1980s, most people in our industry scoffed at our business model. So, we reached out to people outside our industry to start building our franchise concept. In the late 1980s, there was no internet! So we relied on advertising in business publications and attending “own your…
Read MoreAn Onion is Heaven
I hear many people make excuses for postponing selling or giving presentations because they are concerned that they aren’t quite ready. Not being ready is a bad excuse for postponing success. The concern I often hear is that people don’t feel ready because they are worried their sales pitch or presentation won’t be perfect. Typically,…
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