Donald “Cappy” Capobianco, Vasco Sports Contractors
I was sitting here at my desk and reflecting on the evolution that has taken place in our company over the last year. I can only describe it as amazing.
When I stopped to think of how we made this amazing turn around, I thought immediately of the training and development you brought to both our sales force and our executive management team.
It’s hard to express in words how elated we are to have The Ruby Group on our team. You have helped to change our old way of thinking and opened our minds.
I believe that we have turned a corner and are now on a new course that has us moving together as a company with common goals and solid core values.
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Art Balogh, Summit Financial
Thanks for sharing and showing how our emotions are acted out in our behavior. When we are preoccupied, we have no patience to wait for people to come to an understanding of a concept. Therefore, we talk too much to fill the silence. I liked it when you read some of the Sandler rules; I like the slogan approach.
Thanks for all you have done for me!
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Bruce Beckwith, Beckwith Heating & Cooling, Inc.
I received a call from a previous customer in the thinking process of design for a new 24,000 sq. ft. building. He gave me some guidelines and wanted a price. After some rough figuring, I verbally gave a wide range for the budget figure. I explained that with only guidelines to work with, I could only give him a ballpark quote. After some discussion why I couldn’t “nail down” the price without a drawing of what he wanted, he said that was what he needed. He is proceeding with the drawings, and we will be getting back together.
I was stressing over getting some kind of figure to him, but when I gave up and put together a range of numbers, he accepted it.
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Marian Carpenter, FirstEnergy Solutions
I walked away from our session this a.m. invigorated and enthused. As Arnold would say, "you pump me up!"
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Jan C. from a local accounting firm
Just a note of thanks for your help with today’s PALS session. You brought energy to a group that needed a boost. I sent an e-mail to everyone indicating that I had extra copies of your Commercial Development Guide and have kept busy this afternoon fulfilling the requests for it! Great job.
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Chuck Domonkos, SC Fastening Systems
Rich has been with us for three years, and he just exceeded $20,000 in sales for the first time. Even though I was out of the field for half the month, I still did better than at this time last year. When compared to last January, our company had 32% growth. Thanks for the help!
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Patty Golding, BCG Systems
I just wanted to thank you very much for spending the day with us yesterday. We sure did get a lot out of your visit I have already put into practice some of your calling methods, and have had great success.
It was truly a pleasure working with you, and I wanted you to know I appreciated it!
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Helen Graziano
Last night I had a meeting with a very difficult client. He was coming in to negotiate my “final price” for a piano he wanted to purchase for his wife. I was a bit apprehensive about this meeting; I wanted this sale but my “wanting it” was creating a bunch of “head trash.” I spoke to Mike earlier in the day about the best way to handle him but was still a bit anxious.
My client and his wife had a 6:30 appointment with me. They arrived at 7:45 knowing my store closed at 8. She pretended now not to like the piano, and he made himself comfortable.
That’s when the Sandler tapes and all your training kicked in. “Establish your price and stick with it,” “go for the no,” “I don’t need this sale,” “don’t spill your candy,” etc.
This man continually hammered at me to lower my price until 9:15 pm. I didn’t budge. I “nurtured,” allowed him to vacillate between child and adult, and when he saw he was not going to get any more out of me, he and his wife apologized and said they needed to go home to figure out how they would pay for the piano, and they left.
I was shutting down the store for the night, and my client was knocking on the front door of the store. He came back in, closed the sale, shook my hand, and thanked me for an evening of “excellent and enjoyable negotiations.” I just smiled and thanked him as well.
If it hadn’t been for the two of you, I probably would have “folded” after the first few minutes, given him my lowest price, and made it home in time for dinner. I got the price I wanted for the sale, maintained my self-respect, and earned the respect of my client as well.
Thank you both for all your time and energy. This stuff really does work!
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Charles L. Hahlen, Brisk Consulting
The account that I "lost control of" and got strung out. . . .
I gave him the time frame to make a decision, then moved on. He faxed me the signed contract today and we closed his three lines.
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Dale Hochevar, The Geopfert Company
I made a sale yesterday, but it was a sale of time, not money. Of course, as we say, time is money! I met with two people at a job, used ATNOT, UFC, matched their actions, and read that they were both visual people! It was very comfortable for all of us. The best part was that I didn’t collect a check, I made it clear that I do not give proposals or send literature, we exposed pain with nurturing conversation, and I set up an appointment for next month to specifically discuss a maintenance program that they told me they needed. We didn’t talk money or decision making yet, but I walked away with complete satisfaction. I wasn’t too hyper or overly energetic. Thanks for all of the help!
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Andrea Hyatt, LandAmerica Lawyers Title
I did a cold call - walk in to see a new LO. I let him know my intent was to introduce myself and say hello. He let me know that he used another title company and was very happy with them - gave me a few features and benefits of theirs. He then said "but you're here to tell me about you - so please tell me why I should use LandAmerica!". I said " well, that really wasn't my intent. I let him know that my intent was not to sell him - but simply to introduce myself. I said -" it seems like you are very happy where you're at and I don't want to pull you away from what's working" He said - well, just because that's who I've always used doesn't mean that they're the best out there - it just means I am comfortable with them - and that may not be the best thing for me! I went more negative and said - "well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" He said -"that's true -but......maybe we can set up an appointment and see what you guys have." He immediately got out his calendar and asked for next Wednesday! I tried to get a “NO,” but instead got an appointment!
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Robert A. Johnson II, Curtis 1000
Over the past six years, I have been in technology sales and have always exceeded quoted; however, I knew that I could do even better with a proven sales methodology. I have read numerous books on sales and listened to countless tapes. Even though I thought most of these books and tapes offered good insight, I never found one that provided an end-to-end solution to the selling process. That all changed when I was introduced to Sandler.
The Systematic Foundation classes provided a smooth transition into Sandler, while the President’s Club allows my thoughts to be challenged week after week. . . . Since starting with The Ruby Group, I have closed the largest deals in our office. . . . I finally feel that I am in control of the sales process. Thanks for all of your support and continued coaching. I will recommend The Ruby Group to everyone I meet. Keep up the great work.
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Al Mothersbaugh, Akron Glass Tinting
· The investment I made in myself with The Ruby Group’s help has paid for itself several times over. This year, 95% of my business has been from a referral, and so far, sales are up 55%. And I am supposed to be in my "slow" season!
· I sold a $2,100 job tonight. You said about 30% of selling is the "parent.” Early on they asked me how much more my premium product was compared to my "entry-level" product (they have it in FL). I said 50% more, but when I did the numbers, I found that the product I was suggesting was 65% more expensive. After I gave my price, they said, "that is really expensive." I simply paused and replied, "I know, I don't know what to do." After literally a minute of silence, they closed the deal themselves with a $600 deposit. Beautiful.
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Katie Marroso, BCG Systems
I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed meeting you and working with you yesterday! I had a great time and learned a lot.
Thanks for everything and have a great day!
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Joanne Quillen, Land America Lawyers Title
I have to tell you last week's session really hit me hard! The segment thinking about my goals in the next three years was powerful to me. I live my life knowing where I want to end up. I know that I don’t want to be taking my last breath and looking back with regret or saying if only I had. . . . I wake up each day knowing what I want my end to look like and try to live with feeling comfortable with my actions and deeds when all is said and done. Anyway - when I noticed everyone writing away in class and me struggling to think of what my short-term goals were personally and professionally it stung! I was so unsettled all day - I even went around asking people if they knew what they wanted to accomplish in 3 years. I wanted to compare to see if I was the norm or the odd man out. Different answers by different people. I needed to focus because:
I admire fit and healthy aging people. After hitting a personal best of running 9 miles, I stopped exercising last October due to not feeling well and didn't start back up. A man I really admire is an 84-year-old former minister who walks 7 - 8 miles per day and does 400 stadium steps 2 xs per week. I want to be like him. . . on and on I could go but the reality is I would never had thought about all those things had I not attended your class that day. So even though I was walking the wrong direction when I saw you and your family at Metropolitan Park Sunday. . . I WAS walking and I put my tennis shoes on for the first time after a year. . . it was ironic that the one who made me "goal think" was present to see me trying to reach one of them!
Many times people plant seeds and they don't know that they are doing it. I think you know you are doing it. . . I think I need to tell you that one is sprouting.
Thanks for everything.
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Joy Quinlan, American Family Insurance
The Sandler system is awesome! I have yet to achieve being at the top of my district in sales and points; however, with the guidance of your coaching sessions and the Systematic Foundation meetings, I have been at the top all week and loving it. Thank you so much for giving me the tools to change my behavior in both my business and personal life.
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Steve Rastetter, Cosar Mold, Inc.
Since joining The Ruby Group, we have increased new client business by over 30% in a very tough market. This system works.
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Ronni Sterns, Creative Action Inc.
I made four calls and have two and a half appointments. The half appointment prospect is new on the job in Atlanta, and the staff has problems communicating with the Russian-speaking residents. I booked two in-services with no payment as yet but they are nearby. The fourth call is in Youngstown. The contact wasn’t in so I have to call back. Yes, I used the script. Just thought you’d like to know.
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Benjamin Tegel, Merrill Lynch
The techniques that I have learned from Sandler's system and your teachings over the past seven months have helped me to close more business and manage my business more efficiently. That is great, but the area that has really turned around for me has been cold calling. If you remember from the first meeting that I had with you, prior to signing up for your program, I had been averaging 400-500 calls a day! Some of the people at my office considered me a cold calling champ, but I felt more like a chump since I had mediocre success and only headaches to show. Completely frustrated, I began to implement the techniques from your training, and my cold calls are now down to an average of 200 per day and I have tripled the number of appointments that I run each week. Your program is fantastic and I pickup something at each weekly session that improves my business.
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Larry Walters, Motormate
Our new procedures for customers’ phone calls are working very well. We have learned to ask better questions, and the answers enable us to give better service. We are making more appointments, even with those who initially are only shopping for prices.
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John Weakland, Amer Insurance
I cold called 3 large manufacturers right before 5pm and got 2 appointments out of the 3 calls…on the days I wanted. It really clicked with me when you told me to plow through these calls like “I don’t need the business” and that “I’m not even sure I can help them.” I get appointments after telling prospects “sounds like you have a great situation and you don’t need me.” I stopped the victim mentality with cold calls and got in control of the conversations.
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Tom Zmich, Centimark/Questmark Flooring Corporation
Thank you! The idea of charging for an inspection at first seemed nuts. I had an opportunity yesterday to ask a customer with a facility in Arizona if he would help with the costs of my visiting his plant to do an inspection. His reply was, "Tom, all I need are budget numbers for the 2002 fourth quarter installation." He shared with me the conditions, size of the project and what his expectations were, and I was able to give him a budget number we were both comfortable with. Prior to our conversation I would have been making a trip to Arizona.