Secrets of Top Sales Professionals Exposed!

To the 14 exceptional sales professionals featured, THANK YOU for accepting our invitation to be a part of this book. It has been wonderful to learn from each of you and discover the secrets of how you’ve all excelled in your chosen paths.

Next, a huge thanks to Emma Lyons, our very special project manager who again worked tirelessly to pull together all the material for this book. You are a real gem!

To the wonderful Simone Tregeagle and Kerrin Medenyak (from Ink Communications) and Neil Murphy, our great editors – thank you so much for your ongoing support. Sharon Witt your efforts are also greatly appreciated.

To Jay Beaumont (Dale’s brother) for designing the book covers, to Simon and Sammy from Bookhouse who continue to do such excellent typesetting and to Robert Stapelfeldt – thanks for everything you do to bring all of the ‘Secrets Exposed!’ books to life.

Next, to the team at Sure Fire Marketing. Thanks for all your efforts with the ongoing development of the ‘Secrets Exposed!’ website. We really value the work that you do.

Thanks to all the staff at Gary Allen (our wonderful distributors) and each and every sales rep that has helped to get these books into the stores – we greatly appreciate the work you do.

And finally, to tens of thousands of readers that have supported the ‘Secrets Exposed!’ series – a very heartfelt thanks. May the words from our books continue to inspire and guide your way!

Praise from readers of the ‘Secrets Exposed!’ Series

The ‘Secrets Exposed!’ series is simply fabulous! The simple interview format has provided a useful insight into the minds of other successful people. It has enriched our way of thinking through learning from the experiences of other people. No bookshelf would be complete without these books.

Luan Lao – Florist

To me, these books are inspirational and motivating. I am a 25-year-old who is bursting with ideas on ways to progress in my career and having read three of the ‘Secrets Exposed!’ series so far, I can honestly say that I will continue to purchase more. I truly believe that success is only defined by what you think success is.

Amy Dolman – Sales and Marketing Assistant

I find the ‘Secrets Exposed!’ series very empowering. In each book the 15 or so interviewees make an account of their journey to success and beyond. There is no right way, but the point is to find what works and keep doing it.

Karen Holland – Investor

I think this series is informative and very easy to read and digest. It caters to so many people and I will continue to add the books to my growing library. I also appreciate all of the bonuses and added information from these generous offers.

Kerry Rostron – Rostron Resolutions

As a young businessman looking to succeed in the business world, I find the ‘Secrets Exposed!’ series very educational and motivational. For me, learning from other people’s stories and experiences is essential if I am to become the person I want to be. The ‘Secrets Exposed!’ series is a MUST READ for all people who want to achieve everything they can in life!

Grant Purcell – ActionCOACH

As a personal trainer, I am continually interested in learning new things that I can apply to my life and business. I have found that the ‘Secrets Exposed!’ series is the best way to get an in-depth grasp on a subject in the shortest space of time. I am impressed how each book offers advice from people who are already successful in the field. Each book gives the reader the chance to query a handful of experts. I find this extremely valuable, as good mentors are hard to find. If you are looking for advice in a particular area of personal development, the ‘Secrets Exposed!’ books are the way to go. An enjoyable read that I thoroughly recommend.

Paul S Mason – Executive Master Trainer, TWEQ

The thing that stands out for me about this series of books is that in each book, you get such a range of information about that topic. It would take months to gather such information yourself, and this series gives it to you in an easy to read format.

Samantha Miller – Student

The ‘Secrets Exposed!’ series has opened my eyes to numerous new ways of doing business. There are things in these books that I would never think of, and now I have the power to utilise them with my own company and staff. I appreciate the different information from all contributors and look forward to expanding my knowledge with future ‘Secrets Exposed!’ books.

Patricia Hunt – Small Business Owner

Contents

Acknowledgments

Contents

PREFACE

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

INVOLVE YOUR CUSTOMER

GENERATION GAP

GLOBAL VISION

PHONE SELLING

UP YOUR PERFORMANCE

FOLLOW THROUGH

CONSTANT CONTACT

CONVERSATION IS KEY

IN THE GROOVE

DEMAND EXCELLENCE

LET’S NEGOTIATE

PERSONAL IDENTITY

TENSION TO TRUST

FINAL THOUGHTS

About the authors

About our contributors

Preface

If I were in your position right now I’d be wondering if I really needed to read this section. However, if this is the first ‘Secrets Exposed!’ book that you’ve read, could I ask you to please resist the temptation to skip ahead, as I’d like to briefly share with you why this book has been created and how you can best use it to impact your life.

When I was growing up I heard somewhere that there are two ways to live your life: the first is through ‘trial and error’ and the second is through ‘other people’s experience’. At the time I dismissed it as just another one of those sayings that sounds good, but doesn’t make much sense. Then, like most teenagers I finished school with stars in my eyes thinking, ‘This is great! My education is over – no more books, no more lectures, no more people telling me what to do’. How wrong I was. After a few months of bouncing around, not quite sure of what to do next, I stumbled across the idea of personal development and started to hear concepts such as:

• Formal education will earn you a living, but self-education will make you a fortune.

• Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.

• You will be the same person five years from now, except for the people you meet and the books you read.

• Don’t wish that your job were easier, wish that you were better.

• You are your own greatest asset, so you must invest in yourself.

Since November 2000, I have been totally committed to becoming my own most valuable asset. After attending hundreds of seminars, listening to thousands of hours of CDs and reading shelves of books, I have discovered that the people who truly succeed aren’t any smarter, better looking or harder working than anyone else – they just think differently and have learnt to incorporate different values into their lives.

I am now in the very fortunate position of being able to travel internationally to present personal development seminars to teenagers and I am often asked, ‘What is the one thing you need to know to be successful?’ My answer is always the same: ‘The one thing that you need to know is that there is not one thing that you need to know to be successful’. I’ve learnt that success is multifaceted and that mastering one principle of success or area of your life isn’t going to take you to the top – the more you master, the more successful you will become. But if I did have to identify one of the most important success strategies, it would be this: ‘Find out what successful people do and do the same thing until you get the same results’.

That’s what this book is all about. The only difference is, instead of you going out and finding successful people, we’ve brought them to you.

You see, whatever you want in life, whatever you are shooting for, chances are that someone else is already living it. They have already invested years of their life and probably hundreds of thousands of dollars, they’ve made lots of mistakes, learnt from them and eventually succeeded. So why would you want to waste your own time, money and effort through ‘trial and error’ when you can fast-track your success by learning from ‘someone else’s experience’? As Sir Isaac Newton said, ‘If I have seen further it is because I have been standing on the shoulders of giants’.

Every time you pick up a book, attend a seminar or interview a successful person, you are compressing years of life experience into a few hours. With any of the ‘Secrets Exposed’ books, you can multiply that by between twelve and seventeen people and you’re looking at around 250+ years of experience and wisdom ready and waiting for you. It won’t prevent you from making mistakes of your own, far from it, but it will help you to make more calculated and purposeful decisions, rather than big, misguided and ignorant ones.

There is no shortage of information about how to achieve proficiency or even greatness in any area of life these days. Go to any bookstore or library and you’ll find the shelves sagging with titles from experts, all with their own theories and ways of doing things. But what I have discovered is lacking in almost all of these books is INSPIRATION. What’s missing is role models and mentors – the stories of people we can all look up to. People who started out exactly like you – with a dream in their hearts and with all the same fears and insecurities. Given the choice between reading a textbook or a dozen success stories about people who have actually done something, I’d take the success stories any day of the week. I’m not saying that theoretical information isn’t important, of course it is, but having presented hundreds of talks to all different types of audiences, I can confidently say that it’s always the stories that move people. It’s the whole, If he or she did it, then so can I that gets inside people’s hearts. When we’re inspired we get motivated and then we take positive action which leads to results.

The ‘Secrets Exposed’ books are not intended to be a one-stop-shop. They are an introduction to the wealth of knowledge available to you and to some of the real success stories of people who have reached the top in their chosen field of endeavour. That’s why at the back of each book you will find most of the contributors’ contact details and some of their other products and services that are available to help you continue your journey.

So, how did the whole idea for the ‘Secrets Exposed’ books come about?

Well, in 1998, when I was around seventeen, my nan gave me a copy of a book titled Collective Wisdom, by Brett Kelly. In it were transcripts of face-to-face interviews with a whole lot of prominent Australian personalities. And it was a fantastic read. Since then I have seen a handful of random ‘success story’ books, but the challenge I find with most of them is that they are either transcripts of interviews, that never really make complete sense in the printed form, or they are written by writers who paraphrase someone else’s story. The result tends to be a diluted message that doesn’t really allow you to get a sense of the individual’s personality or character.

In around 2001 I read my first Chicken Soup for the Soul book and realised that there were dozens and dozens of related titles designed to meet the needs of different people’s areas of interest. I thought that was pretty neat.

It wasn’t until January 2004 that the ‘Secrets Exposed’ idea boiled over. I was in my hotel room in Singapore relaxing after six straight days of presenting to hundreds of teenagers. I was reflecting on the ideas that had been shared with them. One of the most important was to seek out those who have already achieved what you want and ask them lots of questions. I was plagued by the thought that only a small percentage would act on that very valuable advice and that most would never take the step due to a lack of confidence, fear of rejection or an inability to contact the people they needed.

That’s when it hit me...‘What if I could find the people and put together a number of books covering a range of different areas?’ I knew it would take a lot of effort, so for the next three days, I sat in my hotel room and developed the basis of an entire system to make it happen.

Based on my experience with other books, I decided that these books had to be non-time specific and be written (not spoken) by the people themselves. This way the answers would be planned and well thought-out, providing richer content and more interesting reading. I also wanted to make sure that there was an even balance between practical ‘how to’ information and inspirational stories that gave an insight into the highs and lows of people’s real journeys. I also wanted to ensure that a percentage of every book sold was donated to a charity relating to the nature of that particular book.

When I arrived home I got into action. However, between working out of a tiny one-bedroom flat and trying to manage two other demanding businesses, my plans were a little slow in the beginning and I had to be resourceful. So I bought a plastic tub and turned the boot of my car into a mobile office! Anytime I could find a spare hour or two, I’d park myself at the gym or a nearby coffee shop and make calls from my mobile phone.

Putting these books together has been both time-consuming and demanding, but it has also been a real privilege for me to have the opportunity to work with each of the people involved in the various books. Thank you, to each of you, for making it possible!

Well, I think you’ve heard enough from me. Now it’s time for you to discover for yourself the wonderful wisdom contained in these pages. I hope that you enjoy the read as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together. And who knows, maybe one day we will be reading your story?

Dream Big!

Dale Beaumont

Creator of the ‘Secrets Exposed’ Series

Sydney, Australia

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In this 1 hour 43 minute recorded interview, author Dale Beaumont intimately shares the inner workings of the ‘Secrets Exposed’ series. Discover in greater details how he came up with the idea, how he managed to secure personal interviews with over 200 of the countries most successful people and what he believes are some of the most important business and life principles from each of the books in the series.

Simply visit the web page below and follow the directions to listen to download the entire interview direct to your Notebook or PC.

www.SecretsExposed.com.au

Foreword

‘Salesperson!’

What images, feelings or words does this term conjure in your mind? ‘Pushy’, ‘high pressure’ and ‘dishonest’? Or ‘integrity’, ‘honesty’ and ‘service’?

The truth is that many people perceive it as the former, which is a real shame. Even today, ‘selling’ is one of the most misunderstood words in the English language.

At last, this landmark book blasts apart many of those false beliefs and misconceptions forever, and places sales upon its rightful throne as a just and noble profession. This book could well be the most liberating and freeing philosophy or exposé of what selling really is that has ever been written.

I started earning money in sales over 35 years ago. I was looking for a change and made the smart decision to choose Encyclopaedia Britannica, a company that had one of the best training programs at that time. There I learnt about the skills in selling, and once I had those skills I was able to adapt them to many different industries. I worked at shows, spruiked in shopping centres, sold at markets and eventually moved to television where I became a founding partner in Demtel. You’ve heard of Demtel, haven’t you?

Since 1996, I’ve been sharing my knowledge as a consultant on sales and marketing and specialise in motivation and communication training for businesses. And what this has taught me is that everyone, not just the sales professional, can benefit from learning to sell.

For the individual, there are few more valuable and pleasurable skills. What you learn in this book will serve you, and those you love, everywhere you go. It’ll help you the next time you’re making reservations for dinner, the next time you purchase a new car or computer, and the next time you rock up to an airline counter with your baggage over the weight limit!

For the career-minded person, your ability to sell yourself to your boss, your customers and your co-workers could easily be the single most important skill for your fast advancement and increased income. For the small business owner it’s really the most important thing you will ever learn. There are many great products and services out there that fail, simply because of a lack of skill and understanding of sales. And finally, for the salesperson already in the profession of selling, the only limit on your income is your level of skill. As you improve your sales and communication abilities so too will your income and enjoyment increase.

Life’s simply too short and painful to make all the mistakes yourself. In fact, it’s often said, ‘A conversation across a table with a wise person is worth a lifetime of trial and error’. Accordingly, your decision to invest in this book could be one of the best you’ve ever made: it contains the distilled wisdom of 14 excellent salespeople.

Just stop and think about that for a moment. This could cut ten years off your learning curve and add a zero or two in front of the decimal point to your bank balance!

Remember, sales is unlike any other profession. It has a truly ethical compensation plan where you get paid by results. You can usually set your own hours, your own agenda and work with people to truly make a difference in their business or life through your product or service. What could be more rewarding?

John Rawson

Co-Founder of Demtel

Managing Director of Success Gym

Introduction

Selling is fun. Really! And the more fun you have, the more people you help and the more money you make. What a great deal!

Why then, do industry statistics reveal that somewhere between 30 and 50 per cent of people who enter the field of sales fail and quit within 12 months? Shocking, isn’t it?

The challenge, as John says in his introduction, is that ‘selling’ could easily be the most misunderstood word in the English language. Even today, many people believe that to succeed in sales you need to exert pressure, lie, and deceive your customers to get their money. And it is this unfortunate misunderstanding that causes people to not want to sell, or even learn this valuable skill.

Now you might be thinking, ‘I’m not even in sales, why even bother to learn about it?’

It might surprise you to know that we all sell! Think about it. If you’ve ever been out on a date, wasn’t that selling? If you’ve ever had a job or been to an interview, wasn’t that selling? And if you’ve ever been in business for yourself, wasn’t that selling? In fact, even from the day you were born you were ‘selling’ – it’s all about improving your ability to communicate. So doesn’t it make sense for everyone to improve this skill?

One thing that quickly becomes evident is that selling is both a mindset and skill set that can be learnt. And the real beauty is that in selling there’s no discrimination. It no longer matters if you are male or female, where you live or grew up, what your religion, skin colour, financial or academic background is, or any other condition or circumstance you find yourself in.

What does matter is your ability to make an irrevocable decision to learn and master the authentic mind-set and skills contained in this book.

So here, at last, is your chance to free your mind, get inspired, and live a bigger life. If you ever wanted to make a difference, this book will teach you how.

If you look at it, all the great leaders in history had the ability to sell and influence people on a better idea. Martin Luther King Jr sold the American people on equality regardless of skin colour, religion or race. Ghandi sold two hundred million people on the idea of moving in peace to defeat the world’s most powerful military without violence. Steve Irwin sold the world on wildlife conservation and instilled his message in people’s hearts.

Clearly, selling is indeed a worthy subject of study and also a worthy career that offers you an unlimited opportunity for personal growth and financial reward. Remember, nothing happens until somebody sells something. If there were no sales, there’d be no money to pay wages, no money to buy goods and services and anarchy would result. Our whole economy would shut down overnight if we removed our salespeople.

In light of this, it could be argued that salespeople have the single greatest opportunity to improve and sustain our economy – a truly noble cause. Through ethical service, adding value, building trust in long-term relationships and finding a product or service you believe in, you and your business will prosper and the world will become your oyster.

So, do you think you’ve got what it takes to succeed in sales? Here’s the good news – you do!

All you need is a positive attitude and some good advice from people who have made it to the top of their field. In Secrets of Top Sales Professionals Exposed! we’ve assembled an amazing group of 14 highly-successful sales professionals, eager to share the first-hand knowledge and key ideas they’ve learnt from decades of experience.

You will also be pleased to know that the people in this book don’t just speak from theory. All have achieved significant six-figure incomes from their sales careers, with many consistently earning over half a million dollars every year from their craft.

As far as the range of products or services they’ve had experience in selling goes, it can only be described as diverse: houses, cars, boats, mortgages, advertising, holidays, computers, life insurance, superannuation, managed funds, information products, seminars, events, jewellery, surfwear and mobile phones. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also wedding receptions, cash registers, real estate in Shanghai and, of course, encyclopaedias door-to-door. They’ve sold pretty