Sometimes the difference between making a deal, and missing a deal, is knowing one more thing to say. As a matter of fact, that’s the difference a lot of the time. If you know what to say to the customer, you sell them. If you don’t, your competitor is going to get their chance.

In 1989 or 1990, I was on the road selling workshops. I was visiting a big dealer in Northern California, trying to get him to send his people to an upcoming workshop and making absolutely no progress. I was just about to stand up and walk out of his office, when I remembered something that I had just read in Tommy Hopkins’ book, How To Master The Art Of Selling. In a last ditch attempt, I laid it out there and ended up closing this dealer. He ended up being my biggest participant in that particular workshop. If I hadn’t said that one thing, I wouldn’t have made the deal or my biggest payday of the month.

At the time, that book probably cost me $20 or so. Saying that one thing that I got out of that book that day, probably made me about $2,500 in one shot. I’d say that whatever I spent on that book was a pretty sound investment. How does that old saying go?

“The only investment that you’ll never lose money on is the one that you make in yourself.”

A small investment in myself turned into a big payday! And the same is true of training. So many times now, when I’m doing a workshop or a kickoff meeting, I get bent out of shape when a well-meaning owner or GM introduces me, and as a justification for sales people and managers being there says something like:

“If you pick up just one thing that helps you sell one more car a month, isn’t it worth being here?”

Well, if someone spends eight hours with me in a day, I want their expectation to be that they’ll pick up a lot more than just one thing. But on any given day, when you’re talking to any given customer, it’s going to be about having one more thing to say that’s going to help you close that appointment or close that deal.

Most of what I know about selling, I had to learn! Which means somebody had to teach it to me. Unlike sports, where there is a certain level of innate talent necessary, selling can be taught and learned. Just remember, your income potential is governed by knowing what to say, what to do, and then executing!

What’s going to be that one thing that makes a difference for you today?