The Secret to making more sales is Out.

Are you one the fans who watched TNT’s Leverage Timothy Hutton, AKA Nick, explain selling to America Wednesday night?

I have a confession to make. I enjoy watching TNT’s Leverage. USA’s Burn Notice, too.

Sure, at their core they are sometimes clever, and sometimes not so clever remakes of favorite TV shows from my childhood like The Saint, Mission Impossible, and It Takes a Thief.

But I get a lot more out of these shows than the networks probably intend.

My family will tell you that mixed into the storyline that includes drama, comedy, action and special effects that I see sales and selling lessons, buying patterns and buyer behavior.

I never walk away from watching a Leverage or Burn Notice episode without gleaning some new insight or picking up a refresher on how to figure out what is important to the buyer and how to present and close the deal.

Forgive me here for a moment- in these television shows the buyer is the person the good guys are attempting to take a specific action.

Last night, the Leverage mastermind Nick explained NLP- NeuroLinguistic Programming- to an unsuspecting television audience. He did it bluntly, which, of course, goes against the premise of NLP. Where the NLP comes in is in watching the mark, the character the Leverage team is targeting for retribution.

You see, as the character Nick is explaining “selling” to the thief Parker, we are watching the mark react to the influences to which he is being exposed. Watching the mark react while the good guy explains NLP is the NLP within the message.

So, how can we apply this to your selling strategy? After all, your buyer isn’t a bad guy. He’s the lifeblood of your business.

Forget for minute that the bad guys in these shows are bad guys. And, forget for a minute that the good guys are conning the bad guys.

Instead, focus on the following:

* The good guys, the heroes, always know something general, and then learn some specifics about the target’s needs, wants, fears.
* The good guys, the heroes, always know something general, and then learn some specifics about the target’s reaction to situations.
* The good guys, the heroes, always have a series of known and practiced strategies and stories they can implement quickly. Rather than invent something new, they modify proven strategies and tactics to fit the situation.
* The good guys, the heroes, always stage, or tell, a story the target relates to, and gives the target what he needs, wants, and expects, in order to get the reaction they need.

In sales consulting terms:

* Know something about your buyer and the world in which he lives.
* Know something about the three basic emotions of fear, greed, and pleasure.
* Know something about how your buyer reacts to different strategies and tactics- how he reaches a buying decision.
* Know your team, if you team sell, and have several successful strategies and tactics prepared to implement quickly to gain your buyer’s confidence and trust.
* Know and practice telling several great stories to help your buyer paint himself into the ‘post sale’ picture and he will help forward the sales process.

You don’t have to have a big budget, dozens of writers, actors, stunt people, special effects people or a television studio backing you.

You can put these lessons into play in sales letters, elevator speeches, web pages, blogs, business cards, client presentations and meetings.

Be the Hero,

Mark

Mark H Daniels is a B2B and B2C Sales Consultant, Copywriter, Author and Speaker specializing in simply better selling by refining existing messages, stories, and presentations, and designing new ways to present your company and product that has prospects and customers thanking you and making decisions in your favor.

See more free articles and tips at http://www.mysaleshero.blogspot.com

Reach Mark at Mark@mysaleshero.net | http://www.mysaleshero.net | 732-417-0680

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