Where Can You Find Free Books by Joe Girard, the World’s Greatest Salesman

Where Can You Find Free Books by Joe Girard, the world’s greatest salesman

Joe Girard is recognized by the Guinness Book of World records as the world’s greatest salesman. And he is also my mentor. When I started my sales career, I know nothing about selling. His book, How to Close Every Sale, was my guide to a successful sales career.

In his book How to Close Every Sale, he explained 13 proven principles to guide the reader through the selling process. I have applied all these principles and they work so well! I am now a sales trainer for an established Company employing 13,000 people.

The 13 principles are:

• Principle 1: Understand why there is sales resistance
• Principle 2: Begin by selling yourself
• Principle 3: Assume the sale
• Principle 4: Know how to read buying signals
• Principle 5: Handle objections effectively
• Principle 6: Learn how to overcome procrastination
• Principle 7: Control the sale
• Principle 8: Understand the different closing techniques
• Principle 9: Create a sense of urgency
• Principle 10: Avoid overselling
• Principle 11: Go all or nothing
• Principle 12: Prevent buyer’s remorse
• Principle 13: Remember sales begins after the sale

I will review a few of his principles to show how they have benefited me personally and which I am using to train our sales force, especially the new sales recruits.

Visualize A 3.0-liter Car and a new Bungalow

In Principle 2: Begin by selling yourself, Joe Girard mentioned about the power of Visualization. It is a technique where you imagine achieving what you desired. For example, you can visualize signing a sales order and collect payment for it.

There is no mumbo jumbo in this concept of Visualization. It’s simply setting a desirous goal and putting in great effort to reach it.

Mr. Maliki was a new Salesperson. He worked previously as a ticketing clerk for an airline. He asked me whether he can become a successful salesperson. Among other things, I told him about the benefit of visualizing achieving his goals or desires.

He lived in a wooden house and drove a small beat-up car. So every morning, before he left for work, he would look at his little car and imagine it to be a 3.0-liter Japanese model, his dream car.

After driving a short distance, he would look back at his house and imagine it to be a double-story concrete bungalow.

He achieved the first goal, a huge shiny 3.0-liter Japanese car in a year. 4 years later he completed building the big concrete bungalow. Wow, the power of visualization!

“Don’t Even Try!”

Also under the second Principle, Joe Girard highlighted the need for ‘Preparedness’, that is we need to know everything about our product and that of the competitors. This helps to create confidence of the prospect for you and your product. This is important no matter whether you’re selling cars, insurance, funeral services, electronic goods and etc.

When our company launched a new pick-up truck, I was at a dealership to assist in the sales. There were many visitors as they were eager to see the new model.

I found myself in the thick of the action. I handled 4 prospects and was successful in closing all 4! I attribute the success to a complete knowledge of my product and that of the competitors.

One particular prospect stood out. He was all business-like. He said seriously, “I’m interested in your new pick-up truck, but also model X & model Y.” The model X & model Y were our competitors’ products.

His message to me was clear, which was, “I’m not ready to make a decision to buy yet until I‘ve compared all 3 models, so don’t even try.”

I replied, “That’s fine, sir.”

First I presented the many fine features and benefits of our pick-up truck, matching the features to his needs. Next, we went for a test drive where I highlighted the benefits he will get from owning this model. Back at the office, I answered all his objections.

Finally, he thanked me and said as he had mentioned earlier he wanted to check out the competitors’ model X & model Y.

I told him I have some information on these 2 models and would it be ok to share them with him. He was surprised but agreed. I had prepared comparison charts between our model with model X and also model Y. Of course, the comparison charts amplified the superiority of our product compared to the competitors.

At the end of the presentation, he leaned back and said, “You know what, I don’t have to check out the other models. I’ll go with your truck.” Sweet! A deal signed!

If I have let him go, he would have bought a competitor’s truck. This has to do with the Law of Diminishing Returns. It’s a vital law that every successful salesperson must know. Please read here at How to Sell Ice to an Eskimo – the 4 Rules

Reduce to the Ridiculous Close

In Principle 5, Handle objections effectively, Joe Girard reminded that we must always expect objections. Objections are actually an opportunity to satisfy a prospect’s concerns. A great salesperson has ready answers to all objections.

The most common are:

• “I want to think it over.”
• “I can’t afford it or I can’t afford the installment.”
• “I want to talk it over with my spouse.”
• “I want to shop around.”

Let’s pick the objection “I can’t afford the installment.” This objection has stumped many salespersons. You may think, “If a prospect can’t afford to pay the installment, there is no way he can buy!”

Wrong!

Use Reduce to the Ridiculous Close and experience how you will close 90% of the time!

Here, I would like to give an actual case. A prospect was interested in a model N. When I calculated the installment, it came to $1,000 a month.

Prospect: Oh I’m sorry, it’s too expensive, I can’t afford to pay for this monthly installment.

You, as the Salesperson (Don’t flinch or show disappointment because you already expected this objection), Stay calm: “I see, well how much can you afford to pay monthly?”

Prospect: “$750.”

You: “So, there is a difference of $250.”

Prospect: “Yes, I suppose.”

(You see, now the objection or problem has been reduced from $1,000, which scared the prospect, to $250, which was not so frightening)

You: “Just think, with just a little extra you will get the superior safety in this model N, which you said is so important to your family, like 6 airbags and the Vehicle Dynamic Control.”

Prospect: “Hmmm …”

You: “And when you divide the $250 by 30 days, the difference is so small, just $8 a day! Imagine with just $8 a day you get a brand new car! Imagine how it will look in your driveway. And the trip back to your hometown will be so enjoyable!”

Prospect: “Yeah … I suppose $8 a day is manageable.”

My personal success rate in using this technique is 90%!

It works with any product.

Nevertheless, you must follow the right selling steps right from the beginning. Please read the 7 critical steps in selling in How to sell ice to an Eskimo in 7 steps.

Where are the free books by Joe Girard, the world’s greatest salesman? Get 2 audiobooks by Joe Girard from Audible absolutely free.

What? You prefer to read? Ok here are his paperback books that will boost your sales. But they’re not free. Sorry.

Do you have these 4 Habits of a Successful Sales Conqueror? Learn more.

Please also share other sales principles that have helped you In your sales career.