Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling: Master the Art of Persuasion, Influence, and Success

“Instead, what you want to do in that situation is actually let your prospect spiral off to Pluto while you really step up your active listening, so he knows that you understand exactly what he’s talking about and that you find it exciting and interesting. Of course, you’re not going to actually say those words; but your tonality and body language will be more than enough to carry the day.

“Then, after he’s finally done orbiting Pluto, all you need to say is something along the lines of ‘Wow, that’s totally cool. It sounds really interesting. I can see why you feel that way. Now as far as your goal for learning how to trade currencies goes . . .’ And then you lead him back to the Straight Line and pick up right where you left off by asking him the next question on your list. That’s how you maintain control of the sale and build massive rapport at the same time. Make sense, everyone? Raise you hands and say ‘yes’ if it does.”

The entire sales force raised their hands on cue and let out a collective “Yes.”

“Okay, great,” I continued. “The key here is that you always remember that rapport is not a constant; it goes up and down throughout the sale, depending on the following two things:

“One, how your prospect thinks and feels about the last point you made; and two, his belief as to whether or not you are on the same page with him, in regards to that point.

“To that end, if he feels positively about the last thing you said, then the level of rapport increases; and if he feels negatively about it, then the level of rapport decreases. Likewise, if he believes that you are on the same page with him, then the level of rapport increases; and if he believes that you are not on the same page with him, then the level of rapport decreases.

“Now, guys, the reason that this is so absolutely crucial is because you can’t close a sale while you’re out of rapport with your prospect; it’s that simple.

“So, if at any moment you sense that you’re falling out of rapport with your prospect, then you need to stop, regroup, and make a conscious effort to get back into rapport, using the active listening protocol I laid out for you, along with two specific tonalities I went through this morning—‘I care (I really want to know)’ and ‘I feel your pain.’

“In essence, guys, building rapport is an ongoing process. It’s not like you get into rapport with someone and you can say to yourself: ‘Okay, check! Now that I’ve got that out of the way, I can start acting like an asshole again!’ That’s not going to go over very well.

“The simple fact is that you need to be actively building rapport throughout the entire sale, 100 percent of the time, without ever letting your guard down. Any questions?”

“Are you going to talk about scripts?” asked one of the salesmen.

“Indeed I am,” I replied. “Right now.”

11

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MAKING WORLD-CLASS SALES PRESENTATIONS

WHILE REVEALING THE SECRET TO charisma might seem an odd way to begin a chapter on sales presentations, if you give me the benefit of the doubt for the next few pages, you’ll quickly see that it’s not.

Let me explain why.

Firstly, when we speak of charisma, as it relates to sales, we’re talking about that special charm or appeal that certain salespeople seem to possess that allows them to effortlessly slide into rapport with their prospects. It’s an attractive force that’s almost magnetic in nature, and its impact can be felt in a matter of seconds.

A perfect example of this would be President Bill Clinton, who back in his heyday was not only one of the greatest salesmen in political history but also a Jedi master in the art of charisma. Whether you loved him or hated him, to see him on the campaign trail was like attending a master class in charisma’s practical application.

Moving from town to town, he would shake hands with over a thousand voters a day, having only an instant to connect with each of them; yet, somehow, when it was finally your turn—and he locked eyes with you and offered you that sympathetic smile and a few choice words—you got an overwhelming sense that not only did he care about you but that he also understood you and felt your pain.

At the end of the day, it’s these three distinctions—he cares about me, he understands me, and he feels my pain—that serve as the very foundation on which all rapport is built, and they come naturally to those who possess massive charisma.

In fact, the power of charisma is so vital to a salesperson’s success that it’s almost impossible to find even a single top producer who doesn’t possess it in massive quantities. Working like motor oil in a car engine, it lubricates each step of the sales process while setting the stage for a healthy collaboration based on trust and respect and esprit de corps.