Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation

Handbook

Sales & Negotiation

 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Introduction 01

Introduction
Welcome to the Sales & Negotiation module of the Augment MBA. Let's forget the word 'sales' for a little bit.
Most courses will only try to teach you how to sell. Instead, this course will shift your entire perspective on
sales. You will learn how to create conditions that lead to more sales from customers.

"People don’t like to be sold to. But they love to buy."

— Jeffrey Gitomer (Author of 'The Little Red Book of Selling')

In this module, you will learn how to attract willing buyers instead of wasting your time on hopeless leads. You
will learn the frameworks, tools, and attitudes to make sales a positive, rewarding experience for you and your
customers.
Selling is at the heart of any business. And mastering sales is essential—whether you’re an entrepreneur, a
professional, or anywhere else.

Key Skills
Know why your customers want to buy your product

Position yourself as a trusted advisor and the solution

Create a buying experience people love

O vercome hesitation and close more deals

T he ule o 10
R f

In sales, the ’ stands true. f every ten people you present to, two will buy and two won’t, no
‘Reality Rule of 10 O

matter your pitch. The remaining six are undecided. It's this ma ority that your pitch can sway one way or the
j

other. This course will give you the skills to win over this key group.

? ? ? ? ? ?

Figure 1 1 .
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Introduction 02

Your Instructor
Your teacher for this module will be the King of Sales himself - Jeffrey Gitomer. You may know him as the
author of 'The Little Red Book of Selling'—the best-selling sales book of all time.
Jeffrey has written 17 books on sales. He has trained sales teams for some of the world's biggest companies.
And, he has sold for more dollars than he can count.
With the experts at Augment, Jeffrey has condensed all this knowledge into a single, comprehensive course.
You will learn everything you need to know about how to become a master in sales.

Business Glossary
Get your terminology straight and find explanations for business jargon.
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Introduction 03

Contents
Introduction 01

Why People Buy 04

Building Trust 09

Asking Before You Tell 12

Adopting a Positive Mindset 16

Hesitation & Risk Reversal 21

Providing Value Upfront 26

Assertiveness & Patience 30

Building a Personal Brand 35

Letting Your Customers Speak 39

Differentiating from Competitors 43

Mastering the Sales Pitch 46

Attracting Qualified Customers 52

Earning the Sale 56

Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Why People Buy 04

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Why People Buy

 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Why People Buy 05

Think Customer First

Most people make a critical mistake when selling. They focus too much on their product and not enough on
why customers buy.
So from now on, we are going to be thinking in terms of your customer’s buying journey. Like all journeys, it
will involve a beginning and an end, and they'll meet some people along the way.
In almost all cases, that journey is going to start with a problem. Almost all purchases are based on a problem.
The purchase is a solution.

Awareness Stage Consideration Stage Decision Stage

They realize they have a They locked in the problem The only question left is
problem and start to look and committed to finding a which solution exactly they
around for a solution. solution. are going to purchase.

Figure 2.1

Be a Problem-Solver
If you have a somewhat successful business, it's because, in some way, shape or form, you provides a solution
to someone's problem. Whenever possible, frame people's buying motives as a problem, even if it's not
obvious. This allows you to position yourself as the problem solver. Think of yourself as their pain killer.
For example, a company like Uber exists because it solves the problem of having to get from A to B without
having a car. FIGURE 2.2 shows the problem statements of other successful companies.
By recognizing the problems your customers face and positioning your business as a solution provider, you
can build trust and credibility with them.

Augment Insight
Once you have unearthed your customer’s problem, repeat it back to them so they know you
are listening and understand their needs.
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Why People Buy 06

You can’t find and connect with Being broke and needing to pay Hailing taxis is time-consuming
your friends online. higher rent. and unreliable.

Digital design tools are complex Fees prevent mass market Accepting payments online is
and difficult to learn. participation in the stock market. stupidly complicated to set up.

There’s no way to find and SMBs don’t have the expertise to Weekly grocery shopping is an
discuss the best content online. build their marketing tech stack. inefficient use of time.

Figure 2.2

Remember you are not selling the

, drill you are solving the problem of having to hang a picture on the
1/4” ,

wall. You are not selling a cell phone plan you are solving the problem of not being connected.
, You and your

business exist to solve someone’s problem.

Why People Buy

Ultimately there are three primary reasons why people buy. They are all interconnected and build on each
,

other. At the core it all boils down to you being perceived as the best way to solve a problem they are having.
,

1 2 3

The customer has a pressing The customer perceives you as The customer believes in your

problem they want to solve. a solution to that problem. ability to solve their problem.

Figure 2. 3
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Why People Buy 07

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
Customer First: learning why people buy is significantly more important than learning to sell

Purchasing Motivations: there are three primary reasons why people buy

Focus on Problems: successful businesses all exist to solve a pressing problem

Kill the Pain: people buy to solve a problem. Position yourself as the best way to alleviate their pain
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Why People Buy 08

Purchasing Motivation Worksheet

Company name

Problem statement

Why it matters

Top 10 Purchasing Reasons

Workspace

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 1/1

Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Building Trust 09

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Building Trust
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Building Trust 10

Trusted Advisor vs. Traffic Director

The customer’s buying journey starts with a problem and ends with a solution—ideally in the shape of what
you’re selling. So where do you fit into this journey? What kind of role should you adopt?
In the majority of cases, the best posture to adopt is that of a trusted advisor. It's their buying journey. Their
problem, pain point, product, and solution. The trusted advisor merely shows the way to a solution, like a
guide or a doctor. Your customer is the patient, and you are selling medicine. If you can adopt that posture,
you will make more sales.
The traffic director is the trusted advisor’s evil twin. The traffic director doesn’t really listen to the customer
or try to uncover the buying motive. They use a similar pitch with all their leads and focus steering the
customer toward the purchase—in a one-sided way. Unfortunately, many people in sales act like traffic
directors. Maybe you did too—but no longer.

Augment Insight
Being a successful salesperson and a trusted advisor means making the right sales, not
making any sale at any cost.

Building Trust
Trust creates a solid foundation for effective communication, stronger customer relationships, and long-term
business success. Let’s dive deeper into how to actually build trust. FIGURE 3.1 shows how your behavior
effects the amount of trust you’re able to build with your prospects.

The Trust Equation

Credibility + R eliability + I ntimacy

Trust =
S elf-Orientation

Definitions:

Credibility = Words; Reliability = Actions; Intimacy = Emotions; Self-Orientation = Honesty

F i g u r e 3.1
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Building Trust 11

Similar to adopting a positive attitude, building trust in any relationship is a long-term investment and
requires constant effort. Trust is not given, it’s earned. It may be difficult to put your customers best interests
first—even if it means not making the sale. FIGURE 3.2 outlines five foundational principles

Principle Explanation
Be upfront about pricing and your policies. Take responsibility for
Transparency
mistakes and show how you will prevent them in the future.

Be on brand and make sure what you’re communicating adds up. Set clear
Consistency
standards and practices and stick to them.

Clearly state how you can help and how you cannot. Don’t make any
Honesty
promises you can’t deliver on.

Encourage customer feedback and use it to improve. Implement

Customer feedback
suggestions and show appreciation for their input.​

Be punctual, prepared, and respectful. Show confidence and expertise. If

Professionalism
you do something, follow through and do it.
F i g u r e 3.2

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
Trusted Advisor: act as a trusted guide to the client and put their needs first

Personalize: pitches, messages, and other artifacts should be customized for your audience

Transparency: be upfront about pricing, policies, timeline, and other important things

Ownership: take responsibility for mistakes and explain what you will do to avoid them in the future

Feedback: encourage customer feedback, take it seriously, and implement it to improve your pitch
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Ask Before You Tell 12

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Asking

Before You Tell

 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Ask Before You Tell 13

The Power of Questions

Good salespeople ask specific questions to uncover hidden motives and true needs. Without this skill, selling
is difficult. The right questions reveal problems and prompt purchases.
Even further, asking the right questions builds trust with your customer and turns selling into buying.
Remember, people don't like to be sold to, but they love to buy.

Augment Insight
There are two types of questions: open-ended questions and closed-ended questions.

Open-Ended Closed-Ended

Deepen your understanding of your Gather focused, quantitative data for

Purpose
customer and their needs easy comparison

Creates a two-way dialogue with the Prompts a brief, yes or no answer

Response type
customer

“Tell me about the problem you’re “Are you looking for a solution to
hoping to solve.” problem X?”
“What attracts you to this product as a “Do you think this product could solve
Examples
solution?” the problem?”
“What is stopping your from solving “Is quality or cost more important to
this problem?” you?”
F i g u r e 4 .1

In sales, you should mostly ask open-ended questions. They are effective in uncovering buying motives,
eliciting positive emotions, and making sales.

Questions that Elicit Emotions

Like Jeffrey says, not all questions are appropriate or effective. Good salespeople ask emotion-based
questions. Great salespeople ask questions that elicit positive emotions.
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Ask Before You Tell 14

Here is a simple truth: engaging questions are the key to beating your competition. Questions like that
prompt the customer to think and respond emotionally. This forges a genuine connection based on trust.
Emotion-based questions tap into your customers' desires. They prompt them to imagine their lives with all
the benefits they gain from buying your product. This turns the selling process into a captivating journey of
discovering their needs.

Emotionally Charged Questions

“Is this what you had in mind?”

“What's your gut feeling about this opportunity?”

“How do you see this serving your purpose?”

“How would this solution transform your day-to-day operations?”

“How do you think your customers would respond to this change?”

“What are you hoping to achieve with this?”

Figure 4.2

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
Ask > Tell: trying to tell your way to a sale will make your customers feel like they are being sold to

Positive Emotions: try to ask questions that elicit powerful, positive emotions

Proper Framing: avoid questions that could embarrass or offend your customers
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Ask Before You Tell 15

Powerful Questions Worksheet

Think of a time when someone wanted to buy from you. Write five questions that could uncover out why
they wanted to buy without making it about you.

Question #1 — Why Buy?

Question #2 — Why Buy?

Question #3 — Why Buy?

Question #4 — Why Buy?

Question #5 — Why Buy?

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 1/1

Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Adopting a Positive Mindset 16

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Adopting a

Positive Mindset
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Adopting a Positive Mindset 17

A Positive Mindset
The idea of a positive attitude is not new. Philosophers, theologians, and self-help experts have advocated for
it for centuries. But it is often underestimated and misunderstood. Yet it is key to success in sales and life.
Having a positive attitude means a consistent practice of positive and constructive thinking. This is not
dictated by circumstances but by how you react to, respond to, and recover from them.
This lesson is often overlooked because it involves your state of mind. What is your attitude like during your
interactions with customers? Do you make people feel important? Valued? After a conversation with you, do
they feel better than they did before?

Augment Insight
Positive attitude comes from your ability to process thoughts and expressions in a positive
way. It involves seeing the good in every situation. This requires a constant effort.

Improve Your Attitude

A positive attitude comes from your ability to think positively. It means seeing the good in any situation.
Maintaining this mindset requires constant effort. A helpful reminder is that the influence over your attitude
is within your control. External elements—rain, the boss, competition, money, etc.—are not responsible for
your attitude. The power to react positively to negativity lies within you.
Positive Selfishness: positive attitude starts with you. Prioritize your own attitude first to effectively
spread positivity to others. This could be termed as "positive selfishness."
Thought Dedication: your actions are dependent on your thoughts. Read books on positive attitude to
gain insights that will help you think more positively.
Attitude Awareness: Understand the all-encompassing nature of attitude. It impacts your career,
personal life, relationships, business success, and health. Developing a positive attitude involves
accepting responsibility and cultivating self-belief.

Augment Exercise
Use the exercise at the end of this chapter to grow your attitude awareness and practice
positive thought.
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Adopting a Positive Mindset 18

A Positive Attitude in Sales

In sales, attitude is everything. Remember, you are adopting the posture of the trusted advisor. You are a
guide, helping the customer find a solution to their problem. You are like Hagrid in Harry Potter or Sam in The
Lord of the Rings. Think about the attitude that these fictional characters adopt. Not only do they offer good
advice, but they’re incredibly positive people.
Positivity makes people want to act. A trusted advisor has to have a positive, can-do attitude or they won’t
help you solve your problem. People think attitude can't be taught or practiced. It's seen as intangible. So,
they ignore advice on improving their attitude. They are wrong. Attitude can be taught and must be studied.
And it is key to a successful sales career.

Understand Your Belief System

Belief is at the very core of sales, success, and prosperity. As a salesperson, entrepreneur, or business leader,
ask yourself: do you really believe in your company and the benefits your customers get from you? If not, it's
time to reassess.
At the heart of every successful salesperson lies a strong belief system. It’s not only a matter of intellect; it
stems from the heart. Reflect on your personal life, beliefs, and their impact on your business. Some might
argue that customers are primarily interested in price. However, this perception is just a reflection of your
belief system. The simple rule is: your beliefs control your sales performance. By altering your beliefs, you can
revolutionize your outcomes.

Augment Insight
To adopt a positive attitude and pass it on to your customers, you must first believe in yourself
and your company's abilities.

Do you believe in your product? o you think it makes people more productive? Happier? enerally better
D G

off? o you believe in your company? o you believe in yourself and your ability to help people solve their
D D

problems? If you don’t believe in yourself, your company and your product, it will be very di cult for you to
ffi

succeed.

T e ive lements of Belief

h F E

I
F GU R . shows the five critical elements of belief for every successful salesperson or business leader.
E 51
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Adopting a Positive Mindset 19

1 Your Company 2 Your Product(s) 3 Your Abilities

Have confidence in the abilities Believe in the unparalleled Trust in your capabilities. This is
of your company and be proud quality of your products and foundational and dictates the
about your place in the world. services. following two elements.

4 Your Uniqueness 5 Customer Benefit

Recognize the distinct characteristics that make you Realize your customers are better off purchasing
stand out in the marketplace and know how you are from you. This belief comes from your confidence in
different from the competition. both your organization and product.

Figure 5.1

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
M indset Is Key: having a positive attitude or mindset has a significant impact on your life and career

Focus On What You Control: practice a positive state of mind regardless of the situation

Positivity Elicits Action: a trusted advisor needs a positive attitude to guide customers to solutions

Be Selfish: prioritize your own attitude first to effectively spread positivity to others

5 Core Elements: there are five core beliefs important for any sales person and business leader

Beliefs Control Performance: by altering your beliefs, you can improve your sales performance
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Adopting a Positive Mindset 20

Belief & Mindset Worksheet

1 2 3 4 5
I believe in my company’s ability to execute

I believe in the quality of our products and services

I believe in my personal abilities and capabilities

I believe that we are unique in the marketplace

I believe that our customers are better off buying from us

When has your positive attitude ever been a factor in helping someone make a purchase?

When has the lack of positive attitude ever gotten in the way of helping someone?

In that situation, what could you have said to practice a positive attitude?

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 1/1

Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Hesitation & Risk Reversal 21

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Hesitation &

Risk Reversal
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Hesitation & Risk Reversal 22

Why Customers Hesitate

You already know that it’s your job to identify your customers' problem and guide them to the solution. Easy
right? There’s just one problem: customers will continue to hesitate.
A vague "I need to think it over" at the end of a pitch often leaves salespeople frustrated. This reaction is a
clear indicator that the perceived value of your product or service does not outweigh its cost in the
customer's mind.

"Hesitation is a frustrating—but natural—part of any sales

relationship."
Some people are eager enough to buy from you that they don’t need to be convinced. Other people will be
weighing their options and engaging with multiple salespeople. When faced with hesitation, most
salespeople give up relatively quickly. The reasons for hesitation vary widely—FIGURE 6.1 shows some of the
the most common ones.

Emotionally Charged Questions

Unaddressed fears or concerns

Perceived risk

Dealing with a person who is not the actual decision-maker

A n unrealized purchase motivation

Insufficient of rapport or trust

A misalignment between price and budget

F i g u r e 6.1

Understanding these underlying causes is vital to tackling hesitation effectively. Crucially, it's not about
responding to hesitation but preventing it.

D c e ision-Making Process
C ontrary to popular belief, purchasing decisions aren't always based on economics or price. Many factors
affect this. For example, perceived value often matters more than the price.
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Hesitation & Risk Reversal 23

Awareness Consideration Decision Purchase Advocacy

Figure 6.2

Every decision involves risk. Risk can cause fear, which may cloud judgment. An important principle to keep
in mind is that the "fear of loss" tends to overshadow the "desire to gain." Understanding decision-making
dynamics can provide a considerable advantage in sales.

Getting to “Why”
Understanding the 'why' behind a customer's hesitation is essential. It will allow you to personalize and frame
your communication better. As a result, you build rapport. Answer these 'why' questions strategically. Avoid
using the word “why” to prevent defensiveness. FIGURE 6.3 shows some suggestions.

Strategic Why Questions

“What has your experience been...?”

“How do you determine...?”

“What made you choose...?”

“Was there an incident that clarified your thinking?”

Figure 6.3

The responses to these queries will not only answer your "why" questions but will also provide additional
insight into the customer's thought process. Unraveling the 'why' for yourself and your customers is a big
breakthrough. Understanding breeds authenticity and fosters genuine relationships. When customers feel
understood, they are more likely to like you. This can lead to more successful sales.
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Hesitation & Risk Reversal 24

Tackling Objections
When faced with objections like, "I have to think about it," or, "Your price is too high," a surprising yet effective
response is, "I was hoping you would say that."

This response throws the customer off balance, creating a moment of intrigue. You can followed it up with
something like "Some of our best customers initially felt the same," to show that their concerns are not
insurmountable.

Reverse the Risk

Let’s look at some practical ways of handling hesitation from customers. One popular tactic to achieve this is
to reverse the risk involved with the purchase. The biggest barrier to a sale is the prospect's perceived risk.
It's what causes their hesitation.
Thus, the key to tackling hesitation is reducing, or even reversing, that risk. Risk reversal is making it more
difficult for buyers to say “no” by taking as many risk factors off the table as you can.

Risk Reversal

Buying shoes online is risky Zappos introduced a 365-day

because you cannot try them return policy. If the customer
on for comfort, fit, or look and isn’t satisfied, they can return
shipping for returns can be the shoes within 12 months for
costly. free.

a
Imp ct

The risk reversal strategy alleviated the customer’s concerns. By absorbing the potential risk
(return shipping costs), Zappos is able to build trust with customers. This not only boosted their
sales but also established them as a customer-centric brand.

Figure 6. 4
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Hesitation & Risk Reversal 25

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
Surprise Them: when they object or hesitate, say “I was hoping you would say that”

Listen Attentively: when customers feel that you understand them, they’re more likely to buy

Risk-Reversal: people usually think buying is risky. Your job is to flip this perception on its head

Give Before You Ask: deliver a lot of value before you start asking for anything in return

Make It Tangible: it’s about how they perceive the value. Why does it matter to them?

V alue Proposition: explain clearly how you will help them win and back it up with proof
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Hesitation & Risk Reversal 26

Risk Identification Exercise

How much risk am I asking my prospects to take on?

Which are the factors that cause risk for my customers?

What do I do to reduce, absorb, or eliminate these risk factors?

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 1/1

Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Providing Value Upfront 26

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Providing

Upfront Value
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Providing Value Upfront 27

Create Perceived Value

Do you think your customers would rather have a sales pitch or something of value? The answer to this
question is self-evident. Delivering value first is the ultimate price-comparison weapon, and the ultimate
sales-winning philosophy.
Value is perhaps the most elusive and misused word in sales. Everyone will tell you how important it is. Very
few can tell you what it is. A helpful way to actually understand value, in the context of sales, is to add the
word “perceived” in front of it.

Augment Insight
Give value first, give it without expectation, and give it often. It's like a bank account. You first
have to transfer money onto your card before you can use it.

What is the perceived value of what you’re selling? Why does that help? Because it changes the frame of
reference - it makes it about them. If you think something is valuable but your customer doesn’t, then you’re
not delivering value.
What is the perceived value of what you’re selling? Why does that help? Because it changes the frame of
reference - it makes it about them. If you think something is valuable but your customer doesn’t, then you’re
not delivering value. Your customer is looking to increase their sales, their customer loyalty, their employee
retention, their productivity, their morale—you get the point. Are those the values that you bring to the
table?
Show them what you can do for them. Whether it’s through customer service, quality guarantees, a sample,
or something else. Find what they value, and offer it to them first. FIGURE 7.1 shows some ways you can
deliver value first.

E motionally Charged Questions

e ee white papers, reports, or guides relevant to your product
Off r fr

h e helpful video tutorials and how-to blog articles

S ar

e
Off r a fr ee trial, a preview, or a sample

e
Off r a co mprehensive audit related to your products or services
.
Figure 6 1
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Providing Value Upfront 28

Inbound Marketing By HubSpot

HubSpot is an excellent example of a company that delivers massive amounts of value like content and free
tools for free upfront. It’s a crucial element of the company’s inbound marketing strategy.
Digital marketing is a crowded space. Various companies bombard businesses with emails, calls, ads, and
more, promoting their services. All claim to help us drive traffic, convert leads, or close sales. But to see if
they can help, we must first sign up for newsletters, book meetings, or share our credit card details.

Webinars
High Quality

& Courses Blogs

Inbound
eBooks

Academy & Guides

Free

Tools

Figure 6.2

As a reply to this constant noise, HubSpot introduced their "Inbound Marketing" strategy. Instead of
aggressively pushing people towards them, they pull in people organically. To do this they offer high-quality
content, free tools, and even courses and certifications. All this pulls people into their ecosystem and
positions them as the industry leader. This builds trust, and generate high-quality leads for their sales team.
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Providing Value Upfront 29

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
Customer-Centered: frame value in terms of how they win so they perceive it as genuine value

Fight Pricing Concerns: upfront value is the ultimate price-comparison weapon and wins you sales

Perceived Value: try to understand how they perceive the value you’re offering. How does your
offer help?

Value Proposition: fully explain how you help your customers win
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Assertiveness & Patience 30

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Assertiveness

& Patience
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Assertiveness & Patience 31

Assertiveness & Persistence

Most salespeople often wonder: should I send one more email? Make another call? Follow up once more? Or
give up? The answer is always more than you think and more than you dare.

Augment Insight
Careful: this doesn’t mean you have to be aggressive or rude. No one wants to be a pushy or
aggressive salesperson. Those people give the sales profession a bad reputation.

The simple truth is: you don't want to be the passive salesperson—the one who misses out on sales because
they weren't courageous enough. The name of the game is assertiveness and patience.
The kind of salesperson who is assertive and patient at the same time maintains good relationships with
clients but knows when to stop.

Call to Action & Urgency

You can't make a sale without calling the customer to action (CTA). That means asking a question to move
them along the sales process. The CTA can be for another meeting or a follow-up, or it can be more directly
linked to the sale.
When calling a customer to action, be assertive but not aggressive. Most importantly, make sure your
questions are clear. FIGURE 7.1 shows some examples of CTAs.

Calls to Action
“I have some time on my schedule next week. Would you like to set up a meeting?”

“When would be a good time to follow up/circle back?”

“Would you like me to place an order for you?”

“I can get you a discount on this item. Would you like me to?”

“This can be delivered within a week. Would you like to go ahead?”

F i g u r e 7.1
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Assertiveness & Patience 32

Build Assertiveness
The sales pitch has to make clear how the customer benefits. The aim is to build a trusted relationship, not
just make one sale. Being assertive in your pitch is crucial because following through and following up is what
leads to sales.

1 Belief Is Key 2 Anticipate the Sale 3 Be Prepared

You have to believe in what you Walk into any sales call Do you homework. Through
do, who you represent and be expecting the outcome to be in pre-meeting planning and
confident in the products and your favor. This is confidence is setting objectives for every call
services you sell. contagious and leads to sales. and interaction will do wonders.

Figure 7.2

Augment Insight
Always prepare calls the night before. Know who you’re talking to and anticipate their desires,
objections, and what they hope to achieve. If you don’t put in the work, someone else will win.

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways

Don’t Be Pushy: you don’t want to be aggressive, rude, or even obnoxious

Assertiveness: assertiveness takes time to perfect but it can drive sales like few other things

Be Genuine: assertiveness only works if the deal includes undeniable value for your customer

Persistence: couple patience with assertiveness and you’ll be an unstoppable salesperson

 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Assertiveness & Patience 33

B2C Pre-Sales Exercise

First Name Last Name Call Date

Purchasing Power
How much disposable income does your customer have?

Values & Beliefs

What values do they hold dear? Any specific beliefs that impact their purchasing?

Lifestyle & Interests

What hobbies and interests do they have that influence their decisions?

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 1/2

 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Assertiveness & Patience 34

B2C Pre-Sales Exercise

History With Competitors

What are their specific needs and preferences as it relates to your product?

History With Competitors

Did the previously purchase from a competitor? Did the leave any feedback/reviews?

Online Activity
Are they active on social media? Did they have any recent life events?

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 2/2

Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Building a Personal Brand 35

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Building a

Personal Brand
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Building a Personal Brand 36

Your Reputation Precedes You

Picture this: you have to make a presentation to a huge customer, against two competitors. You have a 60-
minute meeting scheduled with the three decision-makers. You Google the company, and then you Google
the decision-makers. You want to be as prepared as possible.
Meanwhile, what do you think your prospective customer is doing? They’re Googling you! They’re finding
out everything they can about you and your business. If your brand and online reputation are weaker than
your competition's, you enter the meeting at a disadvantage.
Who are you? What do you project? What’s the first thing a hiring manager or potential investor will do when
they hear your name? They will probably look you up. See if you have a Twitter account. See how many
connections you have on LinkedIn. Do you have a blog? A website? Do you have social proof?

Blog
Website Twitter

Your Personal

YouTube
Brand
LinkedIn
Portfolio Articles

Figure 8.1

You should start building your personal brand now. This is true even if you're not in sales. The truth is,
everyone needs a personal brand these days.
It will help you land investors, get a new, better job, make more sales—all good outcomes. It helps build trust
in you. Your brand speaks for you—whether you’re in the room or not.

How to Build a Brand

To build your brand, you have to be willing to put yourself out there. You have to be creative and courageous;
take risks and be memorable. Personal branding is not about shouting your name and becoming famous. You
have to back it up with quality.
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Building a Personal Brand 37

To build your brand, you have to be willing to put yourself out there. You have to be creative and courageous;
take risks and be memorable. Personal branding is not about shouting your name and becoming famous. You
have to back it up with quality.
The truth is that personal branding is not a luxury anymore. And it's not just for people who have big money.
A personal brand is for everybody—including you. If you haven't built your brand yet, you're playing the game
on hard mode and are putting yourself in a difficult position when walking in any sales call.
A strong brand comes with a solid reputation. Here’s the challenge, though: building a brand reputation can
take years; losing your brand reputation can take minutes. Reputation is the foundation of your brand.

"A brand is a result. It's a customer's gut feeling about a

product, service, or a company. It's not what you say it is, it's
what they say it is. A brand is your reputation."
— Marty Neumeier (Author & Brand Strategist)

Don’t Destroy Your Reputation

Everyone has a personal brand. The only question is, are you in charge of yours, are you building yours, or are
you leaving it to chance? When you let your words and actions speak for themselves, you will develop a good
reputation. But as long as it takes to build a good reputation, as quickly you can destroy it.

1 Follow Through 2 Be Likable 3 Exceed Expectations

Keep your promises. Once you Be friendly, likable, and easy to Don’t be satisfied with ‘enough.’
say you will do something make deal with. Don’t talk poorly Be proactive and constantly try
it happen on time. about your competitors. to exceed expectations.

4 Be Helpful 5 Generate Business

Go out of your way to be helpful to others by sharing Become a true partner for your customers and other
your knowledge, insights, and resources. network nodes. Make introductions and help them
land new customers, candidates, or investors.

Figure 8 . 2
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Building a Personal Brand 38

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
Personal Brand: everyone needs a personal brand. It’s the manifestation of your reputation

Put Yourself Out There: be creative and courageous. Take risks and be memorable

Huge Upside: your brand will help land clients, jobs, and investors. It builds trust

Long-Term Game: building a brand takes years; destroying it takes minutes

Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Letting Your Customers Speak 39

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Letting Your

Customers Speak
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Use Your Customers' Voice 40

Let Them Speak for You

As a salesperson, you may think that your own voice is the most important one in the sales process. After all,
you want to educate your customers about your products, services, and abilities.
In reality, your voice isn't even the second most important one. The most important vioce is the voice of the
person you're selling to. After that comes all the other customers. Their voice speaks louder than a thousand
salespeople.
And there's a good reason for that: people want to fit in. We are all naturally inclined to mimic the behavior of
our peers. Who wants to fall behind by not using the newest tools available? If a competitor is using your
service to succeed, they will want to catch up. Without any social proof though, you are going to have a very
hard time convincing anybody of your claims.

"When you say it about yourself it's bragging. When somebody

else says it, it's social proof."

Use Testimonials As Social Proof

Social proof drives trust. Is everyone else doing this? Is it safe? Will I be left behind? Social proof is the story
we end up believing. Your job is to take the loose threads of your customers' words and weave them into
something powerful.
Unfortunately, you can't fake this. But you can amplify it, for example by investing in media that acts as a
megaphone multiplying the impact of the proof you have.
A good testimonial is specific. It's someone's story. It tells me why people like me have done this and how it
has changed their life. Testimonials drive sales because it gives them confidence that their not alone.

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
Their Voice: the lead’s voice is the most important one, followed by the voice of other customers

Use Their Words: one customer speaks louder than an army of salespeople. Hand them the mic

Answer The ‘Why’: use specific testimonials that answer why and create urgency
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Use Your Customers' Voice 41

Video Testimonial Script Exercise

Below, you can find a list of questions to ask during an interview for a video testimonial. Write down the ideal
answer to each question beforehand. That way, you can measure the gap between where you currently stand
and where you want to get.

What was it like before you used our product/service?

What problem(s) were you hoping to solve with our product/service?

How does our product/service affect your everyday life?

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 1/2

 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Use Your Customers' Voice 42

Video Testimonial Script Exercise

What sold you on buying this product/service?

What made us stand out from other options?

Was there an obstacle that almost prevented you from buying from us? What was it?

What made you happiest about working with our company?

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 2/2

Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Differentiate from Competitors 43

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Differentiating

from Competitors
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Differentiate from Competitors 44

How to Differentiate Your Offering

To truly stand out from the competition, it's important to understand how your customers see you. If they
don’t notice a difference, there may not be one. Have a conversation with your customers to learn about their
views on what makes you special. Their perspective is the most important one.

1 Storytelling 2 Show Expertise 3 Social Proof

Use storytelling to connect with Position yourself as an expert in Use case studies and reviews
your audience. Share your origin the field. Share trends and data from happy customer and other
story that makes you you. to show your knowledge. trusted sources.

4 Understand Your Audience 5 Community

Tailor your pitch to the specific needs and Outline all that will happen after the purchase. What
preferences of your audience. Understand their community are they joining? Do you have excellent
challenges and how your offering solves them. customer service? Will you ship new features?

Figure 10.1

Buying Signals
Remember, when a sale fails, it is usually not because of the price. Rather, it is because you are not
differentiated enough from the competition. This sounds pretty obvious, but realistically this happens
everyday to everyone in sales, including you.
Making clear how you differ from the rest can be a great unlock for any company. Your customer will start
thinking, “clearly this is the guy, this is the product, this is exactly what I want, and it’s better than others that
I’ve seen.” And the best part is, you don’t have to ask customers what they perceive as the difference. They
will begin to ask you questions about delivery and ownership - also known as buying signals.
Many people don't understand a key rule of selling. When a customer asks, "How much is it?" it's the biggest
buying signal on the planet. Your answer will affect their confidence in moving forward with you.
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Differentiate from Competitors 45

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
It’s Rarely Pricing: sales rarely fail because of pricing. They fail because you don’t stand out

Back It Up: if your customers don’t think you’re differentiated you aren’t. Back up your claims

You’re Unique: tell your origin story, share your expertise, and invite them to join a community

Why You: a clear answer to “Why you?” builds confidence and drives sales
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Master the Sales Pitch 46

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Mastering

the Sales Pitch

 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Master the Sales Pitch 47

How to Differentiate Your Offering

The weakest area of most salespeople is their presentation skills. If you know everything, but can't present
well, no one will listen. A good presenter, a good pitcher, is what makes people pay attention. Once you
master presenting, your true sales potential lies in converting your pitch into a dynamic performance.
Most presenters fail because they choose their words poorly. They think people want to listen to them for
hours. They forget to be interactive. It’s also physical. Bad presentations stem from poor vocal variety, bad
gestures, and body language. They are also due to insincerity and a lack of passion.
The truth is, to boost sales and success, you have to improve your speaking and writing skills. Your reputation
is your words and deeds. And a lot comes from your writing and speaking. Your customer will buy your
message if they share your passion. Now is the time for your best presentation skills.

Master The Pitch

The best way to practice your pitch is to record yourself. If you record your presentation and watch it twice,
you will see how good or bad you are. It is the only way to determine your strengths and weaknesses. It will
also give you an opportunity to make an improvement game plan.
Watch yourself pitching, over and over again. Write down every detail, every possible improvement on a
sheet of paper. And make it your absolute reference. Before every pitch, sales call, meeting, or lecture, check
this sheet. Apply every point on it. This is the only way for you to make sure you present to the highest
standards.
The more you improve the way you present, the more smiles you are going to see. Additional people will be
called into the meeting. They will be more willing to both listen and take part. You will notice questions that
will positively impact their decision to buy. And you will have a great time instead of felling like a fool.

Identify a pressing issue that Keep it brief. Your prospect's Paint a precise picture of your
resonates with your customer. interest will fade if you drone on. customers. What problems
Create a sales pitch that makes Limit your pitch to 2 minutes or does it solve for them? Don't
them the main character. less. get bogged down in details.

Imagine you're having a chat What's at risk if they don't Speak directly to them. By
with your prospect. Your pitch choose you? Anticipate tailoring your pitch to the
should spark a back-and-forth concerns and address them customer's needs, they will feel
discussion. before they’re brought up. a sense of ownership.

F i g u r e 1 1 .1
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Master the Sales Pitch 48

Bonus: Public Speaking 101

Principle Explanation

Treasure The First 60 Start strong. Your first minute sets the tone. It's when the audience
Seconds decides to listen or tune out. Make it count.

Be honest if you're scared and emphasize the importance of your

Admit If You’re Scared
message and why it is worth facing your fears for.

Know your audience and their reason for being there. Understand how
Know Your Audience
familiar they are with your topic.

Time moves fast for the speaker, slow for the audience. Slow down often
Slow Down
and pause for effect, especially when you ask questions.

Vary Your Tone, You can't speak onstage like you speak on a day-to-day basis. It's boring.
Volume, and Cadence To be interesting in front of a crowd, you have to be unpredictable.

Audiences only remember 10% of what a speaker says. You need to

Focus On The 10%
decide what your 10% is and repeat it over and over again.

30 mins before your speech, stop refining your presentation and switch
Go For It
to confidence mode. Believe in your message and give it your best.

Figure 11.2
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Master the Sales Pitch 49

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
Presentation Skills: all the knowledge in the world doesn’t help if your presentation isn’t compelling

Hook Them In: a good presentation is the difference between tuning out and listening closely

Pitching 101: keep your pitch precise, relevant to your customer, and focused on their problem

Safety: back up your claims with testimonials and show that working with you is safe

Devil’s Advocate: what’s at risk if they don’t choose to work with you?

Passion: your enthusiams makes you likable. They will want to buy into your passion
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Master the Sales Pitch 50

Pre-Sales Pitch Exercise

Company Product / Range

Problem
What problem are you solving? Which angle will make it feel bespoke to them?

Value
What’s your value proposition? Be clear, concise, and avoid technical jargon.

Approach
How do your qualities and methods differ from the competition?

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 1/2

 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Master the Sales Pitch 51

Pre-Sales Pitch Exercise

Social Proof
What are some notable accomplishments or case studies that back up your claims?

Social Proof
What are some customer experiences that make your product more relatable?

Engage
What questions can be launchpads for a longer conversation?

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 2/2

Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Attract Qualified Customers 52

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Attracting

Qualified Customers
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Attract Qualified Customers 53

Why You Should Stop Cold-Calling

You've probably heard of cold-calling. It's reaching out to random people who might be interested in your
product or service. If you're in sales or know someone who is, you know that cold calling is frustrating and
ineffective.
Cold-calling is reaching out to potential customers without prior contact. It is usually a waste of time. It's
often counterproductive, leading to frustration and a negative reputation. In fact, when you reach out to
these people, you’re never sure they are willing to buy what you sell. Instead, you should always focus on
making willing buyers reach out to you.

Cold Outreach Inbound Leads

95% failure rate for 95% success rate for

cold outreach inbound leads
Figure 12.1

The Attraction Strategy

Most sales and marketing efforts 'push' rather than 'pull.' This tends to repel, not attract, customers. You
should always try to pull your leads within your journey rather than pushing them to buy your product.
Use value-based marketing to differentiate yourself. Share valuable ideas and content that resonate with
potential customers. This is a way for you to immediately start delivering value to customers. So, you can
start offering value during the sales, before they even decide to buy. It comes with credibility, retention, and
foster willingness to buy.

Key Concept Perception of Value Value Delivery

Successful salespeople attract The focus should be on how Consistently providing value will
customers who are already you and your product are lead customers to initiate
interested in buying. perceived in the market. contact.

Figure 12.2
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Attract Qualified Customers 54

The Bricks of Inbound Marketing

Invest in long-term Connect with people online Ask your network for
relationships on LinkedIn introductions

Extend deals and upsell Speak publicly at notable

current customers industry events

Participate in face-to-face Join business clubs and Reconnect with lost

networking opportunities associations customers and accounts

Launch a PR campaign Write helpful articles,

with relevant publications blogs, and newsletters

Figure 12.3

Augment Exercise
Follo the checklist on the last age of this cha ter to audit our inbound strateg
w p p y y.

Actionable Ad ice v

He es
r ’ wh at to ee in in
k p m o t is o le
d fr m h m du

Takea a sw y

Cold utreach
O : avoid cold-calling and similar. It’s frustrating and usually not worth the time

Pull, ot Push
N : inbound marketing helps you pull leads in rather than fighting an uphill battle

H elp Early : start offering value before they even decide to buy. This boost credibility
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Attract Qualified Customers 55

Inbound Marketing Audit

Tactic Doing? Notes & Improvements

Invest in long-term relationships

Connect online on LinkedIn

Ask my network for introductions

Extend deals with customers

Marketing Tactics Checklist

Speak at industry events

Network face-to-face at events

Join business associations

Reconnect with lost customers

Launch a PR campaign

Write blogs/newsletters/articles

Augment Business School - Printable Exercise Page 1/1

Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Earn the Sale 56

Jeffrey Gitomer on

Earning

the Sale
 Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Earn the Sale 57

Earn, Not Close

Remember your customer's buying journey. You have now made it to the final inflection point. You learned
how to identify their problem, earn trust and act as an advisor guiding them to the solution, and used social
proof and your newly gained confidence to master the pitch.
It's time for the moment of truth: close the sale. You see all salespeople want to close all day, ask for referrals,
and bombard their customers with requests for testimonials. But have they actually "earned" the sale yet?
This is the hardest part of mastering sales, and it completely shifts your perspective.
Here is the good news: everything you learned in this module has been designed to help you earn the sale. If
you master these lessons, you automatically earn the sales. It all boils down to the work you put in:

Did You Earn The Sale?

Do you have a strong belief system and positive attitude?

Did you do your homework and research your prospect and their company?

Did you develop a relationship and rapport with them? Do they like you?

Did you identify their true purchasing motivation?

Were you honest and made sure that your product is the right solution?

Did you send them high-quality, free resources?

Did you let other customers speak for you?

F i g u r e 1 3 .1

Referrals Take Time

Many people will tell you to ask for referrals as early and as often as possible. Yet, there is no worse time to
ask for referrals than just after closing. You better find the right timing because too early and you are dead.
Instead, let the relationship grow and give the customer time to experience the benefits of your products.
As a rule of thumb: if it feels awkward, don't do it. If you don't feel like the relationship is solid, don't do it. If
they don't respond to your requests, don't ask again. FIGURE 13.2 shows potential consequences of asking
for referrals (too early).
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Earn the Sale 58

You create unnecessary You probably have not You put your customer in
tension in your relationship earned it yet an awkward position

You could ruin your You could destroy the You could loose future
company’s reputation entire relationship organic referrals/business

Figure 13.2

Actionable Advice
Here’s what to keep in mind from this module

Takeaways
Nail The First Impression: your leads start judging from the minute you first engage them

Earn, Not Close: master every aspect of sales to earn instead of having to aggressively close leads

R eport Card: whether you earn sales or not is like a report card of your performance with leads

R eferrals: earning referrals takes time. Don’t ask too early, it’ll kill you in the long run
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Conclusion 59

Conclusion
Augment MBA Sales & Negotiation - Conclusion 60

Conclusion
Congratulations! You made it to the end of the Sales & Negotiation module. At Augment Business School, we
believe that this is one of the most important aspects of business. That's why, unlike many other MBA
programs, we've put a big emphasis on sales in our curriculum.
You know have a deep understanding of both the art and the science of selling. This means you've greatly
increased your general business acumen and opened up manifold career opportunities.
Let’s recap some key things you learned in this module. You now have all the tools you’ll need to succeed in
the world of sales. Remember, these rules reach far beyond just sales, extending into many aspects of
business and life. Study them diligently and use them wisely.

Recap

In Unit 1 you learned about the importance of understanding why people buy. Together with the trust
building techniques from Unit 2 and 3 you have learned to guide your customers to the best solution.

In Unit 5 and 6 you learned how to upgrade your belief system, develop strong conviction for your
abilities and services, and adopt a radically positive attitude that will spread to your leads.

In Unit 7 and 8 you got equipped with the most potent weapons to fight hesitation—one of the
trickiest conversion-killers in sales. You also looked into 2 real-life examples of excellent strategies.

In Unit 10 you dove into the basics of building your brand and reputation. You learned that your brand is
all about your customers and—in Unit 11—how central testimonials and social proof are.

Finally, in Unit 13, 1 , and 15 you learned how to guide your customers all the way down the funnel and
4

do everything to earn not ust sales but also referrals.

j

Q uestions ?

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, b k 1:1 o ce ou s it ou cente o stu ent a ising
ffi h r w h r r f d dv .