Become The Only Choice by Mike Jacoutot

Becoming The Only Choice 191 Finally, the last person in the limo was about to step out and be welcomed to the 100 Plus Club. Everyone turned to see who this year’s top salesperson was – the Director of the President’s Roundtable. Frank made his way over to The Wizard as he watched the Director step out of the limousine. The crowd of happy sales people all stood and applauded as Al Marion stepped onto the pavement while toasting the crowd with margarita in hand. Frank and The Wizard smiled as Al stepped out of the limo and waved to his fellow sales people. “This must be a real thrill for you,” Frank said to The Wizard. “None of this could have happened without you! Even though I’ve said thank you at least ten times already, I would like to thank you again.” “Frank, the pleasure has truly been all mine. Honestly, you have no idea how rewarding it is for me to see what you and Al have accomplished.” Standard’s Vice President of Sales chose that moment to come over to shake hands with Jack and Frank, congratulating Frank on a great year and almost genuflecting to The Wizard, respectful of and grateful for the service he had provided to the company over the years. “I have my eyes on you, Frank Kelly,” said the Vice President of Sales. “People tell me you will make a great sales manager one day. They say you have a real talent for coaching people on how to elicit customer needs and wants. I hear you do a great job framing the Standard offerings to meet those customer needs. We can use

192 Becoming The Only Choice people like you in sales management at Standard.” “Thank you, sir; I appreciate the vote of confidence.” Frank was both surprised and flattered by the recognition he had just received. “Let’s get together sometime over the next three or four days and explore some of the possibilities that might exist,” said the Vice President of Sales. “I would like that very much, sir,” replied Frank. As the Vice President of Sales turned his attention toward Al Marion and the larger crowd, Frank turned to The Wizard and asked, “What do you know about sales management?” The Wizard looked at Frank and smiled. “I might know a thing or two,” he said. The two men burst into laughter as they made their way through the crowd toward Al Marion, the newly crowned Director of the President’s Roundtable. To Be Continued.

Glossary 193 Glossary Active Listening - Listening to understand rather than merely listening to hear. Call Planning Worksheet - A document used to pre- plan a sales call. The document contains basic account information and sales strategy planning including account name and contact, primary and secondary objectives, SIGN questions, anticipated objections, etc. A Call Planning Worksheet should be completed in preparation for any face-to-face customer interaction. Discovery - An in depth set of diagnostics on a customer’s current situation, including process mapping in an effort to gain a greater understanding of opportunities for improvement. Sometimes referred to as an Assessment. LAER - An acronym for Listen, Acknowledge, Explore, and Respond, which is a process used for effectively handling customer objections. Muscle Memory - A term used primarily in sports for reacting without thinking. In business, it refers to developing outstanding habits in an effort to do the right thing automatically without having to give a great deal of thought. Operating Reality - The ability to see problems and opportunities as they appear through the customer’s eyes.

194 Glossary Identify Needs - Also referred to Identification of Needs. The first stage of a customer’s Buying/Decision Process. It is the first time a customer understands there is a GAP between desired state and actual state and looks for a product, program or service to meet those needs. SIGN Questions - Situation, Insight, GAP and Needs/Solution questions. Strategic Thought Partner - A perception by the customer, usually in collaborative relationships, whereby the customer believes the salesperson bring subject matter expertise, strong problem-solving skills and vision to the relationship and can bring the necessary resources to the customer to help improve business performance. Trusted Advisor - A perception the customer has of the value the salesperson brings to the relationship. It is typically based on the salesperson’s ability to demonstrate empathy, subject matter expertise and to see problems and opportunities in the customer’s operating reality.



About The Author Mike Jacoutot is Founder and Managing Partner of Butler Street, a consulting, training and research firm focused on the two most challenging areas companies face: Client Development and Talent Development. Since its inception, Butler Street has achieved a 79% compounded annual growth rate including 112% in 2017. Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) honored Mike for the third consecutive year as a member of the prestigious 2017 Staffing 100, a list representing the 100 most influential people in the $157 Billion Staffing Industry as recognized by members and peers. As a renowned international motivational speaker, Mike has electrified audiences by tying athletics to business and helping sales people create positive habits. Prior to founding Butler Street, Mike spent the previous eight plus years as CEO of two private equity backed national companies. Mike was CEO of Optimum Outcomes, a leading provider of revenue cycle services to over 300 hospitals and physician groups nationwide. With over 30 years of sales, marketing and operational experience and using the value creation strateigies outlined in this book, Mike led Optimum Outcomes to a 63% compounded top line growth rate and increased earnings five-fold over the same timeframe before merging with another revenue cycle company. From 2004 through 2009 Mike served as CEO of Supplemental Health Care, Inc. In less than five years, Mike led the company’s organic growth from $100 million in revenue to $221 million and quadrupled the EBITDA. Under Mike’s leadership, Supplemental Health Care was recognized by SIA four years in a row as one of the fastest growing companies in healthcare staffing and was considered among the top thought and innovation leaders in the industry. Prior to joining Supplemental Health Care, Mike was managing Director of Operations and Chief Marketing Officer for Randstad North America. Jacoutot oversaw the company’s strategic accounts organization, strategic marketing, marketing communications and one of the company’s largest operating divisions. Prior to Randstad, Jacoutot served as VP of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service for Standard Register, a document management company based in Dayton, OH. A four-time All American wrestler, Jacoutot culminated his senior year by winning the NCAA DIvision III National Championship. A strong and visionary leader, Jacoutot led his team to three nationals titles in four years and was Captain of the 1981 National Championship Team. In March 2015, Mike was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. In addition, he is a member of The College of New Jersey Hall of Fame along with his 1981 NCAA Division III Championship Team. U.S.A. $21.50