Magnetic Selling By Bob Bly

These are my book notes on “Magnetic Selling” by the author Robert W. Bly, better known as Bob Bly.

Let’s dive in.

Facts

• Title: Magnetic Selling
• Subtitle: Develop The Charm And Charisma That Attract Customers And Maximize Sales
• Author: Robert W. Bly
• Author’s website: bly.com
• First published: 2006
• Type: non fiction
• Genre: marketing / sales
• Rating: 4/5
• Recommended: Yes

Every business that survives does so because it sells.
- Eugene Schwartz

Table Of Contents Of The Book

• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• How to Attract Sales Leads Like a Magnet
• Words and Phrases That Get People to Want to Do Business with You
• How to Become Magnetically Attractive to Prospects by Asking Them Questions and Really Listening to the Answers
• Secrets of Successful Cold Calling
• How to Develop a Magnetic Telephone Voice and Manner
• The Principle of Right Timing
• Magnetic Prospecting
• Magnetic Follow-Up
• Magnetic Sales Presentations
• How to Handle “Your Price Is Too High” and Other Common Objections
• Magnetic Closings
• Magnetic Customer Service
• How to Attract Referrals Like a Magnet
• Resources
• Index
• About the Author

Key Concepts & Ideas

While most people aren’t born with magnetic personalities and sales skills, those personality traits can be developed and the skills learned.

The #1 principle of magnetic attraction for salespeople:

Put the prospect’s self-interest before your own.

People who listen seem to care more, are more open-minded and concerned.

Seek to facilitate rather than sell.

Focus on the needs, wants, and desires of your customers.

Lead with their benefits of purchasing.

Put the entire focus on them.

If you offer great value and benefits, you don’t need closing tricks and gimmicks.

If you’re really working for your customer, serving your customer, there’s no need to chase them across a parking lot… they’ll run across to you.

Ultimately, you learn by doing - and doing a lot.

Salespeople are not held in high esteem in today’s society.

Experts are.

Why not be seen as an expert instead of a “salesperson”?

Today to succeed in selling you have to bring something to the table:

Ideas, solutions, advantages - in other words, genuine added value your competition cannot offer. Otherwise, you are gone.

The more you appear to be an expert, consultant, or advisor rather than a “salesperson”, the more prospects will want to do business with you.

Robert Bly On Simple And Easy Methods To Position Yourself As An Expert

The basic method of becoming a recognized expert is to research and gain through experience, organize, and disseminate information on your topic frequently and in a variety of formats to your target market.

To establish yourself as an expert, the main requisite is to present what you know - the latest thinking, proven principles, best practices - in a clear, interesting, accessible fashion.

• Writing Articles - Plus: When your article is published, mail reprints to your prospects and customers with a note, “‘FYI… thought this would interest you.’” They’ll be interested… and impressed!
• Writing Books
• Producing and Selling Information Products
• Publishing a Newsletter or E-Zine
• Making Speeches
• Giving Seminars
• Conducting a Public Relations Campaign
• Using the Internet
• Achieving Critical Mass
• Maintaining Guru Status

If you truly want to dominate your niche, and take your sales to the next level, you must raise your visibility and credibility to new levels - far beyond where they are now.

Once you build your subscriber list, you have an incredibly powerful marketing tool and the most valuable asset your business can own:

A database of buyers with e-mail addresses and permission to mail to them at any time.

Prospects are magnetically attracted to great offers - offers so fantastic they seem difficult to believe.

Offers that seem so generous, they’d be fools not to accept them.

The most important secret of salesmanship is to find out what the other fellow wants, then help him find the best way to get it.
- Frank Bettger

Salesmanship is about relationships and building trust.

Effective sellers have a head start on a trusting relationship when they can quickly show a prospect that they know something about their situation and their needs and are eager to learn more.

The more efficiently salespeople can identify the right customers and then learn more about their needs, the more quickly their sales figures will rise.

The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his field of endeavor.
- Vince Lombardi

Closing Thoughts

My book notes only cover small parts of the book.

So if you like what you read, please consider buying the book from the author.