Selling has changed, buyers don’t want to be pushed anymore, they know all the old tricks, the world has moved on. This book will help you to use Rapportselling in the modern world of selling that will help you succeed in a retail environment whilst enjoying an amusing and engaging tale of Doug.

Rapportselling Tales contains hundreds of practical sales tips, strategies and processes to help you engage personally and successfully with customers.

Doug is a mortgage salesperson in an estate agency in North London.  He’s new to selling but needs to learn quickly as he has some big goals to achieve. Join Doug as he makes mistakes, learns new ways to selling, makes new friends, finds love and succeeds as a successful salesperson in a demanding retail environment.

Learn how to prospect for more customers, motivate yourself when the going gets tough, communicate with customers, build a rapport with customers, help them buy, set goals, and succeed to achieving your sales targets

Introducing Doug

Do indulge me and allow me to explain who I am and why I’m here.  My name is Douglas Ballantyne.

Let me fill you in further. On leaving college, I’ve had all sorts of jobs but always connected with people. My last job was very relevant in the current recession; I worked as a New Claims Adviser at the Jobcentre Plus.  Really interesting to interview people who wanted to sign on and get a new job. Rather stressful, too. Also rewarding, but at age 30 I couldn’t see myself working at the Jobcentre for the rest of my career so I looked for a complete new direction.

What about me. I’m 30, but I’ve already told you that. I’m very single.  My last serious girlfriend was Heidi, who left me for a professional life guard two years ago. I wouldn’t have minded except we were on holiday together in Biarritz, South of France and she met Alain whilst I was in bed with French tummy troubles. Too many mussels one evening, which didn’t agree with me.  Alain was our surfing tutor and also a Surveillant de Baignade – that’s a life guard to you and I.

We departed on amicable grounds, mind you, and sold our flat at the top of the housing market and made a handsome profit so it wasn’t all that bad. Ever since then, I’ve been renting here in London and being very single and enjoying every moment.

Don’t get me wrong. I do want to settle down and have children, but I haven’t met the right person since my heart was shattered during the summer of 2007.

Introducing Jeff

Jeff and I had been best pals for three years now. We met at the Jobcentre Plus.  We were both New Claims Advisers and seemed to have plenty in common.  Jeff is the same age as me, totally single and such a party animal.  As soon as he walks into the room, he lights the whole place up, he just has that sparky personality and attracts masses of people towards him, especially the girls.  He’s a good mate to have.

He’s got his own place near the park, a swanky pad, too.  Not sure where he got the money to buy it on his wages. I think he has some very rich parents — lucky chap.  We get on brilliantly and promised each other that we would be each other’s Best Man at our weddings, although, I can’t see Jeff ever getting hitched.

Introducing Chloe

Chloe is very experienced and started out by doing my job back in the mid-1990’s, so she’s got almost 20 years’ behind her in this business. She has great respect from everyone in the office; she’s very fair, but tough. Doesn’t suffer fools gladly, so I’d better keep my nose clean and my figures on the up.

Chloe is married; her husband is also in the business as an Independent Financial Adviser running his own firm.  She’s got to be in her very early 40’s I’d say, but to be honest, no one knows her age. Always immaculately dressed, she oozes confidence and charm.  Very professional and very good at her job. I definitely rate her as a sales manager; perhaps, she could become my role-model to look up to, so to reach my goals.

Introducing Keith

Keith Burdett was the office Sales Manager.  He wasn’t my boss — that was Chloe, but I sort of had a dotted line to Keith.  Keith was alright, really — a typical slicky estate agent though, brought up in the company and started when he left school.  They call him the Silver Fox and he’s really a good salesman, with an early head of silvery grey slicked-back hair. Wears a suit everyday with matching handkerchief in his top pocket.

An OK manager, as far as I can see.  Everyone looks up to Keith and he tends to be a “lead from the front” manager.

He’s in his late 30’s, married, no children and is a real petrol head.  He adores his BMW 7 Series, which has pride of place in the office car park.  Immaculately polished, just like Keith.

The Chapters

1. Chapter 1 – Looking Back – in which we first meet Doug, hugely successful and looking back on his career
2. Chapter 2 – Getting Motivated To Learn – in which Doug realises he has a ton of work to do and finally discovers the secret to motivation
3. Chapter 3 – No One To See – in which Doug realises that sales in the real world is tough and discovers how to get new customers
4. Chapter 4 – Please Like Me – in which Doug learns how to give a great first impression and really understands rapport building
5. Chapter 5 – Just Listen Please – in which Doug learns the secret of real listening
6. Chapter 6 – You’re Boring Me – in which Doug learns about different strokes for different folks
7. Chapter 7 – I Need To Think About It – in which Doug learns how to read the signals and close the sale
8. Chapter 8 – Not Another Cancellation – in which Doug discovers the secret of self discovery and emotional selling
9. Chapter 9 – I’m Sunk If I Have Another Week Like That – in which Doug learns to cope with his inner demons that’re preventing him from performing
10. Chapter 10 – Where Next? – in which Doug learns how to plan ahead in his career
11. Chapter 11 – Doug’s Learning Diary – in which you get to review everything that Doug has learned over the last few months