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Jim Cathcart

15 pages, PDF eBook ISBN: 978-1-933631-97-4 U.S. $9.95	Connecting With Your Customer: Understanding the Buyer's Needs by Jim Cathcart In 1994, I had the opportunity to visit the White House with a small group of professional speakers. At the end of the tour, our group came to the foyer and while we were standing there my wife Paula said, "Oh my gosh, here he comes." We looked across the room and sure enough, there came the President of the United States. At that time, it was Bill Clinton. He walked over and spent about ten minutes with our group, one-on-one, chatting with each of us. Someone in the group mentioned that we were professional speakers and commented that President Clinton, too, was in many ways a professional speaker. At that time, Clinton looked directly at me and he said, "Half of my job is keeping people in the right frame of mind."

16 pages, PDF eBook ISBN: 978-1-933631-88-2 U.S. $9.95	Finding the Buyers: How To Reach Those Who Want What You've Got by Jim Cathcart There is an old saying that you can't sell refrigerators to Eskimos. The reasoning behind this motto is that many Eskimos, at least those who live in Alaska, reside in such a cold environment that they don't need refrigeration. After all, if your home is an igloo made of ice, what good is refrigeration? But I maintain that you CAN sell refrigerators to people who live in the ice and snow. Just not for the same reason that the rest of the world would buy them. What people in California need is a machine that will produce the cold for them. What residents of the Arctic need is a machine that will protect their food and maintain an even temperature. Cold they have; it's control that they need.

17 pages, PDF eBook ISBN: 978-0-9815589-6-7 U.S. $9.95	Getting the Sale: Confirming the Commitment to Buy by Jim Cathcart Any good talker can have a stimulating discussion, but only a good salesperson can lock in the commitment to do what you have been talking about. And that is the person who earns the commission dollars. Without the sale you are simply, as some call it, a “professional visitor.” Here’s the rub — in their efforts to gain more commitments, many salespeople become “power closers.” These are people whose mantra is “ABC: Always Be Closing.” They put pressure on the buyer from the start to make a commitment, and in many cases they lose the sale by exerting too much pressure. This ebook recommends that you avoid becoming a “Closer” and instead simply learn to “Confirm” each promise the prospect makes. Be gentle and respectful, but be clear about what the intentions are, both for them and for yourself. They expect something from you, and you have the right to expect something from them as well. But you must make it pleasing for them to keep their commitments – otherwise they’ll simply buy from someone they like.

27 pages, PDF eBook ISBN: 978-1-933631-73-8 U.S. $9.95	Introduction to Relationship Selling^TM Reaching the Top One Percent of Your Field by Jim Cathcart The year was 1969, the place was Little Rock, Arkansas. I was a 22-year old salesman still wet behind the ears with no prior experience or training. It was the end of the month and our motorcycle dealership could earn a special bonus award if we would just sell a few more bikes before the end of the business day. An acquaintance of mine who wanted to get back into motorcycling came in after work and test rode one of our best models. It was a Suzuki T120 dual-purpose bike, one good for off road as well as street riding. We had a special reduced price on that model that was only in effect until the end of that day. He was in a position to buy it and the product suited his needs. I was the salesman, but I wasn’t selling. In fact, I was pushing! Without knowing any other way, I pressured and cajoled the prospect until he finally left in frustration. Upon reflection I realize that my selling style was not only too pushy, but it also made me appear too desperate to make the sale. What I saw as a "sense of urgency" was seen by the prospective buyer as a desperate attempt to get the sale now. But, the real problem was not my pushiness; my pushiness was a symptom of the underlying problem: my mindset. I was focused on selling the motorcycle, not on helping the customer decide to buy.

14 pages, PDF eBook ISBN: 978-0-9815589-5-0 U.S. $9.95	Sales Presentations: Solving Problems and Filling Needs by Increasing People's Desire to Buy by Jim Cathcart “Stage Fright” is what they call it in show business—that felling of butterflies in your stomach that precedes a performance. The same nervousness often crops up when you raise your hand in a meeting to speak. The minute you are called on, the jitters set in. In a sales presentation, the same phenomenon occurs. When it is really strong we call it “Call Reluctance,” and it can happen not only prior to a contact, but also in the opening moments of a sales presentation. Why? When you consider that we’re speaking on a topic that we know pretty well, what is it that makes us so nervous? The tips and techniques described in this book will help you become more confident and comfortable in all types of presentations. And the payoff for you will be not only more sales, but also a greater sense of satisfaction from doing it. Additionally, the better you become at sales presentations, the more relaxed and in control you will be.

14 pages, PDF eBook ISBN: 978-0-9799949-2-0 U.S. $9.95	Sales Psychology: Understanding the Mind of the Buyer by Jim Cathcart There is an old saying that "knowledge is power." But while a little knowledge may go a long way, this motto is no longer completely accurate when it comes to the world of Relationship Selling^TM. In the 21st Century world of sales, it is all about trust. Trust is power. Being able to trust a person or company to do what they say they will do is pure gold in today's marketplace. When was the last time you wasted a big portion of your day just trying to get people to do what they said they would do and do it well? In any situation where two equally qualified options exist, the person or product that is most trusted will always win. When two people attempt to win an account, the one who appears to be most trustworthy will have the edge.

14 pages, PDF eBook ISBN: 978-1-933631-76-9 U.S. $9.95	Sales Readiness: How Preparation Leads to Opportunity by Jim Cathcart A rowing team works as one seamless unit, yet is made up of unique individuals. In order for it to be successful, this team must have the complete commitment of each of its members. They must immerse themselves in the activity of rowing and release their individual interests and concerns so that the group can work as one. The same is true for sales competence. Many different skills are required in order to excel in sales. One must be able to manage oneself, target the right prospective customers, marshal the resources that will help make the sale, communicate clearly and convincingly, connect with all types of people, and much more. But in order for a salesperson to sustain a successful sales career, all these skills must work in concert. It is not enough to merely be strong in a few areas.
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