Whisper Sales Management
Copyright © 2012 Joe Crisara
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.
ISBN: 9780988420410
I dedicate this book to Julie, my lovely wife. You have been my best friend, therapist and greatest supporter when others doubted me. You have endured the storms and enjoyed the sunshine of our life together. Indeed, this book would not be possible without your tremendous patience and sacrifices that allowed me to help people change their thinking to grow their sales. The pursuit of my dream, to allow service professionals to live the lives they have always imagined, has been marred by only one regret: that it is has taken so much time and attention away from you. I want you to know that you are like oxygen to me. You bring light into my thoughts when there is darkness and fill my imagination with possibilities. Thank you for giving so much. Your generosity is not lost on me and I thank you for all you have done to make me a success.
Introduction – My Sales Addiction
Chapter 1 – A Whisperer Is Discovered
Chapter 2 – Using Principles & Values To Decide
Chapter 3 – Passionate About Success
Chapter 4 – Being Calm But Assertive
Chapter 5 – Always Knowing The Score
Chapter 6 – Taking Responsibility For Results
Chapter 7 – Whisperer’s Do Not Play Favorites
Chapter 8 – Your Beliefs Create Results
Chapter 9 – Listen & Learn From Your Pack
Chapter 10 – Staying Detached & Objective
Chapter 11 – Proceeding With Confidence
Chapter 12 – Living In The State Of NOW
Chapter 13 – Exercising The Pack Regularly
Chapter 14 – Giving Discipline, Then Attention
Chapter 15 – Taking Action In The Red Zone
Chapter 16 – Committed To Following Through
Chapter 17 – Creating A Winning Team
Chapter 18 – Whisperer’s Simple Truths
Chapter 19 – The Hardest Hob In Sales
I am like most professionals in the sales industry. Even when I’m spending time with my family and friends, my thoughts drift away toward the work I do. I love teaching salespeople how to sell and coaching sales managers to get results. In fact, I would say my obsession with learning the “best practices” of the selling industry is a borderline addiction.
There is just something about the magic that happens when a buyer is resistant at first to making a purchase, and then 20 seconds later, they have changed their mind. Based on the ongoing bond between buyer and seller that you are establishing or maybe even a question that a masterful sales professional has just asked them, the sale is closed.
You can literally see the transformation of the buyer. They go from trying to distance themselves from the salesperson to complete compliance and then to purchasing. I will confess that I live for those situations and have a passion for making the dreams of salespeople and their managers come true.
I am proud and honored that others have chosen me to help salespeople around the world become more effective and productive in their careers and in their lives.
For that reason, I am always thinking about new and better ways to help my clients discover the finest quality assistance they can get when selling their services and products to their customers. I am indeed passionate about my clients succeeding in sales and I DO take it personally when my clients fail or fall short of their goals.
The price that the ineffective sales managers and salespeople pay for ineffective methods and assumptions is just too great to allow myself to not try to step in to help. Wasted time, loss of confidence and loss of income are just a few consequences of our failure to show value in our services. As if the financial woes weren’t bad enough, the ripple effect it has on their spouses, children and families is even more devastating. The good news is that many times the difference between failure and success is paper thin. I am glad to help them.
Now that you know what drives me, let me begin your journey on the thoughts and circumstances that inspired me to write this book. I want you to realize that this idea, which struck me like a bolt of lightning, came from outside my own industry and profession. Use this information to enlighten yourself as you look around for other great ideas to help you in whatever career or life journey you may take.
Keeping an open mind means never assuming you already know the best answer. Always be on the lookout for new and better ways to improve.
The story begins with a time in my life when I was clearly working way too many hours. Although I was getting some great sales results for my clients, my family was beginning to wonder aloud if the price I was paying was worth the reward. This was one of those times in my life, as it is for all sales professionals, when I was definitely wearing thin.
I had been on the road doing sales calls with my clients and finally returned home after three weeks of flat-out pedal-to-the- metal selling. Upon my arrival home and the initial decompression phase, which included a reintroduction to my wife and dog, I realized I needed a break before restarting the grind Monday. Julie, my wife, insisted that I do nothing for the weekend and spend some “quality time” with the family. I agreed that the break over the weekend would do all of us some good.
It was the usual Saturday afternoon routine. You know, family day. We went to breakfast at the local greasy spoon and then shopping at the market for food and supplies.
After returning home and lugging in the last of the groceries with Julie, we put everything away and then made lunch. We made sandwiches and soup and then turned on the television while we relaxed.
While Julie finished making the soup, I grabbed my sandwich and plopped in my usual, well-worn spot on the couch. I took charge of the television remote, as most men are prone to do, and started flipping through the channels.
You know how Saturday television is, right? Old movies, the Pro Bowlers Tour and many of my favorites like ESPN and the History Channel. I usually follow this by falling asleep on the couch and waking up right around dinner. This Saturday, however, was different. I was surfing the satellite while eating lunch for about 10 minutes, and that’s when I first saw him …
It was on the National Geographic Channel. I flipped to the show, and from that moment on, the “Dog Whisperer” will forever be embedded into my consciousness.
For those of you who don’t know, the Dog Whisperer is a regular television program that features Cesar Millan, a man who claims to “rehabilitate” dogs and “train” their owners. As far as cable programming is concerned, his show is red hot. Each week, millions of viewers tune in to watch him change the lives of dogs and their owners across the country.
After a few minutes of observing his techniques changing the behavior of people and animals alike, the magic of this amazing man started to draw me in.
I took another bite of my sandwich as Julie brought over the soup. We both nestled into our customary spots on the couch to take a peek at this very, very interesting show.
Julie and I were both mesmerized as we continued to watch our first episode. The show was about troubled dogs that, at first glance, appeared out of control and beyond hope. Cesar visited with a family who had a troubled dog that was doing what most dogs in the United States do. You have no doubt witnessed these destructive behaviors. They act out by nipping at your heels, barking too much, fighting with other dogs and a plethora of other things. The canine species has discovered these and many other ways to capture the attention of their owners that are both destructive and annoying.
We observed Cesar interviewing the owners of the dog he was about to help. He just kept asking questions and gave no advice during the initial phase of contact with the dog and the owners.
After that, he moved to the dog, which was displaying out-of- control behavior. In the case of the first show we were watching, a married couple’s dog attacked other dogs anytime they would take it for a walk. In fact, the dog was so angry, he literally foamed at the mouth. He had bitten other dogs and people many times. That’s when we first witnessed the magic of the Dog Whisperer.
After using a few quick techniques, literally seconds later, the dog changed its behavior and was paying attention only to Cesar and not to the other dogs. After a few more minutes, the dog walked right next to the other dogs! The unbelievable part was the miraculous ease with which the Dog Whisperer changed this toxic behavior.
We were both agog at how easily this man could “train” the dog to co-exist with their owners in harmony and how happy they were with the results. As we watched a three-segment episode with three dogs that were changed, we noticed the impact that this transformation had on the owners of these wild pets.
Many of the owners (including us) had tears in their eyes after seeing their beloved canine friend so comfortable being a newly functional member of the family. Many were openly crying with joy that they could now enjoy this relationship with their pet. Indeed, Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, created a deeply emotional experience for all the families he was helping as well as the viewers.
After eating our lunch and wiping our eyes, my wife and I turned to each other and almost simultaneously said, “WOW!”
We were particularly interested in Cesar’s techniques because we have a dog named Brownie. Brownie is a brown, black and white Beagle that has a mind of her own. For the most part, she’s a good dog. At least, that’s what we thought. After watching three segments in this episode of the Dog Whisperer, we realized that many of the behaviors Brownie displayed were due to the toxic energy she had built up from sitting around the house all day. Someone needed to exercise her physically and mentally.
Before this, we didn’t enjoy taking her out with us. Brownie would never listen to us during our infrequent attempts to walk her. She would pull the leash in all directions. Many times, it would end up getting tangled in our feet and trip us to the ground. We fought many times about taking her with us for a walk because it was just too big of a hassle. So we thought, “Who knows? Maybe this could help us.”
We watched this initial episode and then gave Cesar’s techniques a try. Amazingly, after applying a few of the principles that Cesar taught us, Brownie was like a brand- new dog. After implementing just one of Cesar’s “Dog Whispering” principles, she walked right alongside us in a calm, submissive state. Actually, she followed us attentively as we were “leading” her on this initial walk. My wife literally had tears in her eyes as she couldn’t believe how enjoyable this was. Julie noted that we were all in “balance” as a family on this sunny Saturday afternoon.
Later that same evening, Julie and I had dinner and a great conversation as we basked in the afterglow of our newfound secret that had turned our beloved dog from an out-of-control freak into a calm, collected member of our family. We both commented on how this change has affected our outlook on the ways we could enjoy our relationship with Brownie.
Once again, we both took Brownie for a walk and were astounded at her calm demeanor. I could actually feel the overall harmonious effect that having our dog in “balance” was having on our relationship and the dynamics of our small but loving family.
Then Julie, in a flash, experiencing a pure “Ah-Hah” moment, gasped and shared with me how what we were now witnessing could relate to my job as a sales educator and sales manager. That’s one of the things I love about my wife. She actually engages me in conversation about my work.
Julie made a statement that both flattered me and changed my thinking completely. It was about the essence of my profession and the positive effect it can have on people. That is, when doing it with the same passion that Cesar brings to his craft.
Julie related her observation to me about how she felt that, in essence, what Cesar and I do are very similar. After all, he works
with out-of-control dogs and dysfunctional owners, bringing them into a calm, productive and harmonious state. She told me how she thought that I do the very same thing. She said, “In a way, the Dog Whisperer is just like a sales manager. Cesar retrains people and rehabilitates dogs. As a sales educator, you do the exact same thing, only with managers and salespeople.”
And that’s when it hit me …
I thought, “What if the Dog Whisperer were your sales manager?”
What if he were? Maybe he’d be called a “sales whisperer” instead.
Well, now you know why I have decided to explore this further. My exploration of this subject, in a nutshell, is the essence of this book. Millions of Cesar’s viewers and clients, including Julie and I, believe in him. More importantly, he believes in himself and his ability to make a positive difference in the lives of others. This belief goes well beyond what statistics can measure.
Mind you, I am 100 percent sure that Cesar would measure up to any revenue numbers, closing ratios or average invoices that people would put in front of him. After all, he has helped hundreds of dogs and their owners reach their full potential and enjoy their lives together, and he continues to do so. It would be an honor for any salesperson to have such a calm and confident leader. Indeed, most salespeople would consider themselves lucky to have such a man at the helm of their sales team.
Over the next chapters, we will examine the principles behind why I think Cesar would be an amazing sales whisperer who could rehabilitate salespeople and inspire results. Read this material and apply these timeless and priceless nuggets of learning to your sales management or self-management style.
Here is a fact I have learned about Principles. They don’t make your decisions any easier; they just make them more correct.
At the heart of why Cesar Millan has gained so much credibility and admiration from his audience are the fundamental principles he practices. Cesar leads himself, dog owners and their dogs with these tried and true principles that are as sure to work as the sun is sure to come up each morning.
What are principles? Principles are facts one cannot dispute or argue with. Take, for example, the principle of gravity. Gravity exists as we all know, but let’s face it, gravity can have a dangerous aspect to it. If an airplane loses power, gravity will make it crash. This often results in tragedies beyond our imagination.
However, we have also learned to play with gravity and use it to our advantage. Imagine playing a game of golf without the presence of gravity. How many golf balls would you need to finish a round? So, you can see how principles are not neutral but can be either good or bad. If we are unaware of them, they can hurt us. If we use our imagination, they can do us a lot of good and can be a heck of a lot of fun as well.
Watching Cesar work his craft, the use of these universal principles is evident as he uses them to his advantage with total mastery. He doesn’t guess at what to do when faced with a challenge. He knows.
Cesar knows the techniques he uses will work with absolute certainty. He has confidence in the natural laws that support his methods. These laws have created an unshakable belief in his knowledge and given him a foundation of strength to draw from.
He is unlikely to take on new techniques that violate his time- honored code. The years of experience acquired as a child and an adult have taught him to keenly observe the behavior of the canine species. This well of experience gives him a powerful core of confidence that radiates throughout him.
As a sales whisperer, he would draw on these same principles. That is, that all creatures on this planet are, in most ways, more alike than different. He is certain his tried and true techniques will work if the people he is working with just have the courage to take action and make changes for the better. See if you don’t think that you as a salesperson would respond to these principles if he were your sales whisperer.
Now, I don’t pretend to know Cesar Millan, but here is what I have observed about this amazing person just by watching his television show and reading his books. He would be a great sales whisperer if he so chose.
Here are some of the principles that would make him a great Sales Whisperer:
Since I have never actually met Cesar, I assume he would have some of the faults that prevent all of us from being perfect. Although he is very mystical, he is still a human being. However, I believe these principles he lives by help him deal with and overcome his problems more than someone who does not have this power to draw from.
At the risk of sounding like a cliché, Cesar is truly a “principle centered” leader. Instead of wringing his hands not knowing what to do about a problem or doing a “Spanish Inquisition” on his sales team looking for answers, he would not panic nor scramble his mind searching for the right answer.
Cesar would simply remember the principles that made him successful. The same principles that as a little boy helped him tend to the animals. He would also remember these as he grew older and had to form relationships. Meeting people who would help him move forward in his career as a canine behavioral expert was essential. It has helped him become a famous icon for dog owners that they admire simply because he appears to help them discover all the answers to their challenges.
Principles, being universal, give us something solid to believe in. Ultimately, we take on a personal system of principles based on a definition of what we hold to be of the highest value.
These are the principles that speak to us in a very personal way. With regards to Cesar, I have picked up on a few of the things he values dearly that he would no doubt use as a sales whisperer.
Respect – He believes the dog should be a dog and does not humanize the animal. This respects the animal as an animal. I have to agree. As a sales manager, you try to improve your team, but you should never create clones in your own image. Showing respect for each individual while insisting that they conform to the methods and work of the pack is the highest praise you can give in the world of a sales whisperer.
Work – I notice that the first thing Cesar always looks for in a dog is the amount of work the owner gives them so that they feel like a productive member of the pack. In the modern world, work activities and results often define us.
If we feel we aren’t contributing to the success of the pack, we eventually just fade away. As an effective sales whisperer, Cesar
would involve everyone in concert and give them their unique role or place in the system.
Truth