Page 251 - Social Media Marketing

240 Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman

that takes place can directly or indirectly affect what your customers
buy, how they buy it, and how you can most effectively sell it. Be
prepared by keeping yourself posted.

Viewing Problems as Opportunities

Most people view problems as nuisances-obstacles they must get
past. As a rainmaker, you need to view problems as opportunities.
Name the biggest problem facing the world today: We have global
warming, terrorism, hunger, pandemics, and fuel shortages to name
a few. In every one of these problems are a host of opportunities to
make billions, perhaps even trillions of dollars.

Whenever you encounter a problem that is preventing you from
achieving the sales volume or profits you desire, it is a pretty safe
bet that your competitors and colleagues have or will encounter the
same problem. This means that if you can solve the problem, you
gain a competitive edge.

You can gain even more of a competitive edge if you can recognize
problems that your customers are having (and solve those problems
for them) before your competitors become aware of them.

Several years ago, I noticed a disturbing trend in the real estate
industry. (Well, maybe you wouldn't think of it as a disturbing trend,
but many of my colleagues and I did.) More and more homeowners
were 1/cutting out the middleman" by listing and selling their homes
without the use of a real estate agent. At the time, about 25 percent
of all homes were FSBO. Many agents refused to show FSBO homes
or give FSBO sellers any information or advice.

I took a different approach: I sold FSBO kits to people who wanted
to sell their homes on their own. I knew that a good percentage
of these sellers would ultimately become frustrated and list their
home through an agent. By offering these sellers some assistance
and support, I won them over. When an FSBO seller eventually
gave up and hired an agent, guess whom they hired.

By viewing problems as opportunities, instead of denying the
problem or blocking it out, your mind is open to creative solutions.