Writing a press release to promote your event? I’ve already done a lot of the work for you!
Just use these quotes, insert the details of your meeting, add a little of your own style and you’re ready to go! By the way, you can use the first quote under the program title as the opening paragraph of your press release. A good quote is always an effective attention-grabber.
In addition, feel free to use one of the following descriptive sentences, as well as the following explanatory paragraph:
Don Cooper—The Sales Heretic™—is one of America’s leading sales experts.
Don Cooper—also known as The Sales Heretic™—is one of America’s top sales gurus.
Don Cooper—The Sales Heretic™—is an internationally acclaimed sales expert.
What exactly is a heretic? “A heretic is a person who questions everything, who thinks for themselves rather than blindly following the prevailing dogma,” Don says. “A lot of what I share with audiences flies in the face of conventional wisdom. People find it refreshing, especially because they don’t hear the same tired clichés and platitudes.”
The Future of Selling
“The old ways of selling are dead,” asserts Don Cooper. “Times have changed and anybody who wants to stay competitive had better change as well.”
“The high-pressure, manipulative tactics we’re all too familiar with are as obsolete as rotary-dial phones. Buyers today are smarter and savvier than ever before. And they have more options to choose from than ever before. They won’t put up with that kind of nonsense.”
“What amazes me is that so many old-fashioned sales tactics are still being taught today. It’s a 20th century approach in a 21st century world.” What kinds of tactics? “Things like, ‘never take no for an answer,’ ‘always be closing,’ ‘sell the sizzle, not the steak.’ Following advice like this actually increases prospect discomfort, skepticism and resistance. Which of course leads to frustration, disappointment and lost sales.”
“If you want to be a sales leader now and in the future, you need to understand the differences between today’s buyer and the buyer of yesterday. You’ve got to be cognizant of what today’s buyer wants, needs, fears and detests. Otherwise, you’re just fumbling around in the dark.”
“Too many companies, marketing departments and salespeople have no clue who their customer is or what’s important to them. As a result, they create products, marketing materials and sales presentations that their prospects couldn’t care less about. And then they wonder why their sales are disappointing.”
“People will learn how the market has changed and what they need to do about it in order to outsell their competition. They’ll also discover what buyers really want, why features are completely irrelevant and how to position their product or service as their prospect’s best choice.”
(Q: “Is this presentation just for salespeople and sales managers?”)
A: “Definitely not. In fact, CEO’s, product development teams and entire marketing departments should hear it as well.
“One thing I can guarantee is that nobody will be bored. Besides being tremendously insightful, this program is a lot of fun. People will find it entertaining as well as informative.”
Five Keys to Selling in Tough Times
“Selling in a good economy is easy. Selling in a bad economy is a lot more challenging,” acknowledges Don Cooper. “But there are still sales to be made. The only question is, will they be made by you or your competitors?”
“In an economic climate like this, we are often our own worst enemy. We get consumed by fear and anxiety, and we make bad decisions as a result.”
“During turbulent times, it’s critical to think and act strategically, but most companies—and most salespeople—are doing exactly the wrong things.”
“In any economy, there are opportunities. The secret is knowing how and where to find them.”
“If you’re willing to change your approach, you can reap massive rewards, both now and after the economy recovers.”
“People will learn what matters most in a bad economy, how to get a huge edge over their competition and where to invest their time, money and energy for maximum returns.”
“And it’s not just principles. People will walk away with specific tactics. They’ll be able to put this stuff to work the same day!”
“This program will help you to not just survive, but actually prosper.”
The Myth of Price
“Whenever I ask salespeople or business owners what their most common objection is, the answer is almost always, ‘price.’ And because most people don’t know how to effectively deal with price objections, one of two things invariably happens: either they lose the sale, or they drop their price, neither of which is good for their business,” states Don Cooper. “Fortunately, there are other options, and when people hear about them, their eyes get wide and big grins spread across their faces.”
“This has become one of my most popular presentations because it explodes the big myth that so many of us labor under—that price is all-important. People walk out of this program transformed, with a newfound understanding of one of the most important elements of sales. People have told me afterward that because of what they’ve learned, they’ve raised their prices or stopped giving discounts and their sales have skyrocketed. The secret is knowing how to do it.”
“It’s funny—I get discounts on almost everything I buy. I’ll share how I do it and why I can get away with it because there’s a critical lesson for salespeople and business owners.”
“The audience will learn what’s going on in the mind of their prospect during the buying process. When you know what your prospect is thinking, you have a huge edge.”
“People will discover how to combat price shopping, what to do when their prospect asks for a discount, how to avoid getting into a bidding war and why sometimes it’s actually better to not make the sale!”
“And it’s not just principles. People will walk away with specific tactics. I’ll give them the exact words and phrases to use, the exact questions to ask. People will be able to put this stuff to work the same day!”
“One thing I can guarantee is that nobody will be bored. Besides being tremendously insightful, this program is a lot of fun. People will find it entertaining as well as informative.”
(Q: “Is this presentation just for salespeople and sales managers?”)
A: “Definitely not. Anybody and everybody who has anything to do with sales should attend. That includes marketing managers, customer service representatives, customer service managers, regional managers and CEO’s. If you have any impact on the customer, either directly or indirectly, you should attend. And of course business owners, independent agents and professionals should come as well. This one program could mean the difference between a rough year and a banner year for your business.”
“Your price can be a hindrance or an advantage. It’s up to you.”
The Tao of Selling
“Too many salespeople, professionals and business owners believe that selling means you have to be like the stereotypical “salesperson” so commonly portrayed in popular culture: pushy, rude, slimy, obnoxious. Fortunately, that’s not the case at all,” asserts Don Cooper.
“In Chinese, the word ‘tao’ means ‘way’ or ‘path.’ The program title is taken from the classic work, Tao Te Ching, which roughly translates as The Book of the Way of Virtue. It’s important for people to understand that can sell in a way that’s virtuous and ethical.”
“One of the principles of Taoism is harmony, and I believe that whenever we’re selling, we should be acting in harmony with our prospects. It’s not a battle, it’s a cooperative effort.”
“And people will learn more than just principles. They’ll walk away with specific tactics. I’ll give them the exact words and phrases to use, the exact questions to ask. People will be able to put this stuff to work the same day!”
“People will learn how to quickly build rapport, a simple way to gain a huge edge over their competitors, how to create a great sales presentation with almost no effort and the one thing you should never say to a prospect.”
“This presentation is very liberating. Attendees discover they can sell with integrity, confidence and empathy. They leave with a completely different attitude about sales than they came with.”
“Ironically, the people who get the most out of this program are non-salespeople, people like business owners, professionals and others who have to sell as part of what they do. They’re the ones who usually have the greatest distaste for selling, so they avoid it as much as possible. I help them realize that selling is just an extension of what they already do and that they can sell in line with their values.”
“One thing I can guarantee is that nobody will be bored. Besides being tremendously insightful, this program is a lot of fun. People will find it entertaining as well as informative.”
The Physics of Closing
“Every sales manager I’ve ever talked with has agreed on one thing: The single biggest challenge salespeople have is closing the deal.” So says Don Cooper, The Sales Heretic™, one of America’s leading sales experts.
“This has become one of my most popular presentations because if there’s no close, there’s no sale. Everybody needs to close and nearly everybody struggles with it.”
“When we’re selling (and especially when we’re closing), we have to deal with two big fears. The first is the fear of rejection, a natural fear for most of us. I’ll share two very specific tactics for eliminating that fear.”
“The second fear is more pernicious, however. And it’s completely unconscious. Most of us aren’t even aware of it. But it affects us profoundly. Identifying and overcoming that fear is a major focus of this presentation.”
“The irony is that prospects need us to close them. And the reason actually is physics. When I explain the concept, it completely changes the way people think about the closing process.”
“And people will learn more than just principles. They’ll walk away with specific tactics. I’ll give them the exact words and phrases to use, the exact questions to ask. People will be able to put this stuff to work the same day!”
“One thing I can guarantee is that nobody will be bored. Besides being tremendously insightful, this program is a lot of fun. People will find it entertaining as well as informative.”
“This is a very powerful and practical program. I’ve heard from attendees who used the insights and tactics they learned from it to close sales they hadn’t even expected to.”
Never Sell Ice to Eskimos
“Everyone’s looking for new business, but no one wants to actually go out and get it,” says Don Cooper.
“Prospecting can be intimidating. Usually, when people think of prospecting, what comes into their minds is cold-calling. And pretty much everyone detests cold-calling. It’s frustrating, time-consuming and typically unproductive. Plus, it’s hard to deal with that much rejection.”
“Prospecting doesn’t have to be unpleasant, though, if you know how to do it right. It can also be highly effective if you employ a few simple tactics, which I’ll be sharing.”
“Attendees will discover how to find great prospects quickly and easily, the secret to getting a prospect’s attention and why perseverance is surprisingly overrated.”
“I’ll lead people through a simple, seven-step process that will help them identify their ideal customers and figure out how best to reach them. Attendees will leave with a custom prospecting plan, so they’ll know exactly what they’re going to do and when.”
“One thing I can guarantee is that nobody will be bored. Besides being tremendously insightful, this program is a lot of fun. People will find it entertaining as well as informative.”
When Bad Things Happen to Good Customers
“No matter how hard you try to prevent them, mistakes happen,” acknowledges Don Cooper. “What separates great companies from the rest is how they handle mistakes. When problems arise, truly great businesses see them as opportunities to shine. Because, handled correctly, a customer complaint can actually improve their loyalty!”
“The state of customer service in most places is abysmal. Companies tend to look at customer service as a necessary evil, a cost to be minimized. They don’t realize that excellent customer service benefits the bottom line. They should be investing more in it because the return is tremendous.”
“One of the challenges with customer service is that customers rarely tell us when something is wrong. If we don’t know a problem exists, how can we fix it? Fortunately, there are ways of encouraging our customers to be honest with us, and I’ll share them. One of the coolest is something I call ‘The Magic Customer Service Question.’ It’s a great tool anyone can use.”
“Ironically, a lot of people, when dealing with an angry customer, will unwittingly say and do things that cause the customer to get even angrier. It’s like throwing gasoline on a fire. I’ll warn people what words and actions to avoid and I’ll give them alternatives that will help them resolve the problem more quickly.”
“People will learn why most customer service efforts fail miserably, how to quickly calm a furious customer, the one thing customers want above everything else and why you actually never want to satisfy customers.”
“One thing I can guarantee is that nobody will be bored. Besides being tremendously insightful, this program is a lot of fun. People will find it entertaining as well as informative.”
“After all, there’s no better marketing than a lot of ecstatic customers.”
It’s NOT Who You Know
“Like most clichés, the old adage ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ is garbage,” argues Don Cooper. “If you want to achieve success, just knowing people isn’t enough. And them knowing you isn’t enough either. People also need to like you and trust you. When the people in your network know, like and trust you, then you’ve got something!”
“Networking can be intimidating, especially for people who are shy, introverted or were never taught social skills. All three of which apply to me by the way. I struggled with the same issues most people do: How do you approach total strangers? What do you say? What do you do next?”
“Over the years, I developed strategies and tactics to make networking easier, more fun and more effective. I found it ironic when people started asking me to talk on the subject. The cool thing is that, because I was a walking worst-case scenario, what worked for me worked for others as well.”
“I tend to get noticed and get remembered. That’s no accident. I use a number of techniques to make that happen and I’ll be sharing those.”
“People will discover how to have confidence in any networking situation, the keys to starting and maintaining a great conversation, how to meet more people in less time and the one thing they must do every time they meet someone.”
“And attendees will learn more than just principles. They’ll walk away with specific tactics. I’ll give them the exact words and phrases to use, the exact questions to ask. People will be able to put this stuff to work the same day!”
“One thing I can guarantee is that nobody will be bored. Besides being tremendously insightful, this program is a lot of fun. People will find it entertaining as well as informative.”
“Networking takes a significant and consistent investment of time and energy, but the results are well worth the effort.”
Don Cooper, The Sales Heretic™ • 303-832-4248 • E-mail Don
