by Jacques Werth and Carl Ingalls
Almost everything that a top producer does is the opposite of what the average salesperson does. Learning how to sell like a top producer starts with learning how to STOP doing what the average salesperson does.
| Average Salespeople | Top Producers |
| Use small talk and other techniques to seem friendly, courteous, and charming. | Do not try to seem friendly. They focus on doing business with a businesslike attitude. |
| Try to find prospects who are interested in what they are selling. They believe that interested people are likely to buy from them. | Spend as little time as possible with a prospect who is merely interested. Interested prospects only want information, and there are plenty of average salespeople who will give it to them without ever making the sale. |
| Try to get appointments with every qualified prospect who may need what they are selling. They believe that need is a good indicator that someone is likely to buy. | Do not give appointments to just any prospect, but only those who actually want what they are selling and are likely to buy it now. |
| Try to be liked, using commonality, agreement, and flattery. | Do not try to be liked. They focus instead on whether mutual trust and respect is likely to develop, or not. |
| Try to persuade and convince prospects of the benefits and value of their products and services. | Do not attempt to persuade or convince. If the prospect does not want what they are selling, they find one who does. |
| Try to close the sale by overcoming objections. | Do not create objections in the first place. The prospect closes the sale. |
Average salespeople tend to be frustrated and disappointed with their work, but don’t know how to change what they are doing. Top producers tend to be happy with their work and are always looking for more efficient, more productive, and more enjoyable ways of selling.
