I was recently asked by a trade association to share my “secrets” for surviving tough times. I was given 60 minutes to present what has taken me many, many years to learn, practice and perfect!

I quickly discovered that 60 minutes is too brief to adequately share “survival secrets.” So what I’d like to do in this blog is present to you, the nine “secrets” that have helped me personally, and many others, survive turbulent economic times.

Red Motley is credited with having first said this famous sales slogan: “Nothing happens until someone sells something.” I believe Motley’s statement is absolutely correct! If nobody in your company sells any work, nothing happens. In good times or bad, someone must sell something if something is to happen.

In any economy, it isn’t all that difficult to sell your work. However, in a tough economy, it becomes increasingly challenging to sell your work and make money. The very survival of your business depends upon profitable sales.

The way it looks today, the economy for most of the country will continue to be challenged.  For the Green Industry, this means fewer consumers buying less, along with intense competition for the few jobs that do present themselves. And consumers looking for landscape services know it’s a buyer’s market, which will contribute to intense downward pricing pressure.

How are you dealing with this sales reality? Have you joined the many who have slashed prices to keep their crews busy? Have you cut staff? Diversified?

I believe the “secret” to surviving tough times will depend upon your ability to sell yourself, your staff and your services in a professional and profitable manner. The secret to survival in a down economy is to master the sales process.

The Binkelian Sales Process

For many years, I have been a student, practitioner and teacher of a sales process that I have learned from dozens of the world’s most renowned “Masters of Selling”—Zig Zigler, Brian Tracey, Tom Hopkins and Chet Holmes, to name a few. Each of these sales gurus offers a wealth of practical information for those who study and apply their works.

Although each of these masters has developed their own style and flair, I have discovered that all of their teachings include nine common threads that tie their messages together.The Binkelian Sales Process is the synthesis of my interpretation of what the masters have taught me over the years.

The nine fundamental components of the Binkelian Sales Process include the following:

1. Preparing to succeed
2. Building rapport
3. The art of discovery – question-based selling
4. Attentive listening
5. Professionally presenting your offer
6. Asking for the business
7. Overcoming hesitation or objections
8. Delivering as promised
9. Follow up

In this blog, we’ll explore each of these nine components in the weeks to come. Be forewarned. Mastery of this sales process will take “pigheaded discipline and determination.” It’s about helping you maximize your sales efforts, and it will take discipline and hard work. As Chet Holmes asks of his students, “Do you have the pigheaded disciple and determination to apply the principles we will share with you?” If so, you shall be handsomely rewarded!