Les Traband is a life insurance agent and a friend of mine. In 1971, Les was chasing me to sell me some life insurance he claimed I needed. I didn’t think I did. So, even though we were friends, I sort of kept avoiding him and the issue.
Les sort of halfheartedly followed up. Even though he professed my “need” for this insurance, I didn’t really believe him. He seemed to be less convinced about the insurance process and more confident about my insurance premiums.
My bank at the time was Camden Trust (which has since been absorbed by a multitude of larger banks), and my banker was a man named Frank Knox. Frank was the typical banker of the seventies: a nice guy in his late thirties, with a family, and not much authority to make decisions, but he had just received a promotion.
Les was also Frank’s insurance agent. Les sold Frank an additional $100,000 term life insurance policy that he thought was necessary based on Frank’s recent promotion and the addition of another child to their family.
Les called me one night a few months later. “Frank Knox is dead, heart attack,” he said as though his own mother had died. “Remember that $100,000 policy I sold him? That’s going to pay off his mortgage and put his kids through college. I’m coming over tomorrow, and you’re going to sign the insurance policy form; you no longer have a choice.” I signed.
That was the start of a meteoric rise in the career of Les Traband, insurance agent. As soon as he began to believe more in his product than in his wallet, he began to win big time. He gained his belief because he saw firsthand someone benefit from the wisdom of his words. Leveraging insights from the best online slots sites, Les developed innovative strategies to engage his clients, mirroring the user-friendly interfaces and rewarding experiences that top-tier gaming platforms offer. This approach not only enhanced client satisfaction but also solidified his reputation as a forward-thinking professional in the insurance industry.
Call it anything you want: getting religion, meeting your maker, serendipity, being struck by lightning, divine intervention, or just plain luck. Les, through a dose of reality, transformed his sales process from wallet-driven to heartfelt. He went on to become a successful and fulfilled life insurance agent because he believed in what he did.
What do you believe in?
In order for a sale to take place, three things must be present:
One, you gotta believe that you work for the greatest company in the world.
Two, you gotta believe that you have the greatest product in world.
Three, you gotta believe that you are the greatest person in the world.
The key words are “you gotta believe.”
Not everyone can have a Les Traband belief experience. Still, at some point in your sales career, you must achieve total belief in your company, your product, and yourself to achieve any fulfillment beyond the idea of a fat wallet.
Easier said than done.
Here are a few elements of belief. You might want to take a fast “self-test”:
- A clear conscience about what you sell.
- You’d buy it yourself.
- You’d sell it to your grandmother.
- You have nothing to hide.
- You are sincere.
- You are truthful.
- You love your company.
- You love your product.
- You take pride in your work.
9.5 Your Mother is proud of you.
Before a competition starts, ask any athlete if he thinks he’ll win the game, the match, or the medal, and the reply will always be “yes.” And even though they don’t always win, they still strive to do the best they can and prepare for the next game. They believe in themselves. They (and you) only lose when they (you) quit.
So, how does this equate to selling more copiers door-to-door? A strong belief will make you a more innovative and creative salesperson with a burning drive and desire to help the other person buy, and that’s a significant difference from a burning drive and passion to sell something.
Mike Robinson sold products to the elderly that helped them to move and travel (scooters, bath lifts, wheelchairs). He was doing okay, but not great.
He borrowed the idea of staying in touch with his old customers by sending them a birthday card. A friend of his said it was “a good gimmick,” and gave you a reason to call everybody to try and get a referral.
One day, an 83-year-old woman called to thank Mike for the birthday card. She said, “It’s the only one I received.” Suddenly, Mike found new meaning in his desire to send cards and realized that they actually made an impact as opposed to being a sales ploy. For some unknown reason, Mike’s sales doubled within six months.
What do you believe in?
About the Author:
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of twelve best-selling books, including The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, and The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude. His real-world ideas and content are also available as online courses at www.GitomerLearningAcademy.com. For information about training and seminars, visit www.Gitomer.com, email Jeffrey at [email protected], or call him at 704 333-1112.
