you may have to sacrifice some of your down time.”


YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Someone once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right,” and Mangione agrees. “Attitude is definitely everything,” says Mangione. “Big, complex proj- ects can be so intimidating that they make you fearful and stop you from doing what you need to do in terms of your normal sales activities. They can eat you alive. “It’s important to put things in boxes and not feel panicked,” adds Mangione. “If you’re confident in your abilities and well organized, you can systematically get everything done.”


START RIGHT AWAY All of us are procrastinators – it’s a part of human nature. If you’ve ever written a college term paper, chances are that, even though you had weeks to do it, you waited until the very last moment to finish it. And what college student hasn’t stayed up all night cramming for a test? That was in college, where the big- gest risk was not getting the grade you wanted. Now the stakes are higher – your livelihood depends on it. “Once you understand the total na-


ture of the project, lay the foundation immediately,” says Arnault. “Starting early allows you time to correct what- ever may go wrong – and that gives you more confidence and greater peace of mind.”


SCHEDULING


Schedule time to exclusively work on the project – even if it’s only in small blocks at odd times. It may mean making notes to yourself over lunch, while watching television, or while waiting for an appointment. Turn “dead” time into “live” time. “It’s a matter of being organized for both your normal selling routine and special projects,” says Arnault. “You may devote a couple hours each morning to a project and then put it aside and spend the rest of


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your day working with your normal accounts.”


BY THE INCH IT’S A CINCH Both Arnault and Mangione agree that the two most important keys to handling a complex project are to break it down into smaller manage- able parts and to prioritize. “The way I start working on a


large, complex project is to generally outline the overall goal and prioritize each step,” says Arnault. “Then I break it down into smaller, more at- tainable steps, put them in order, and try to set a time requirement for each component, with specific deadlines. “Suddenly, what seemed like a huge mountain to climb becomes a series of smaller hills – and it isn’t so overwhelming,” adds Arnault. “If you don’t prioritize what is more important and less important, what needs to be done now and what can wait in a large project, you’ll just be spin- ning your wheels – and it can become a 24-hour-a-day job,” notes Mangione.


DELEGATE AND COMMUNICATE “If you have the people resources to draw on, delegate whenever you can – at least the less important aspects of the project,” says Arnault. “If you delegate tasks, make sure those you delegate to know exactly what’s expected of them, and give them feedback to let them know if they’re on the right track.” “Always keep a large project in the


back of your mind while you’re selling and servicing customers, but don’t over-think it. If you do, your custom- ers will know that you’re preoccupied with other things and feel that they’re not important,” says Mangione. 


SELLING TIP


1. Perfect your contact meth- ods. Third-party introductions are ideal ways to meet new prospects, but – if you make your message memorable and unique – a phone call, email message, or fax may be equally effective. 2. Get past gatekeepers. Treat gatekeepers with respect and courtesy. Make your call impor- tant, call early or late in the day to avoid the gatekeeper entirely, and don’t be shy about politely asking questions that can help you learn more about your buyer. 3. Pick your three best benefit statements. Your initial approach has just one critical objective: to create interest so your pros- pect will invest time with you. Use benefit statements with the words “increase,” “improve,” “gain,” “grow,” “maximize,” “enhance,” or “manage.” 4. Use an effective follow-up system. Schedule follow-up visits and phone calls and have objec- tives for each follow-up contact.


– LEN D’INNOCENZO AND JACK CULLEN SELLING POWER SEPTEMBER 2018 | 19 © 2018 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.


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