sexy sexy sexy story
The Story behind one of the Biggest Sale made through Cold Call
__,_._,___
Warren Greshes is a motivational speaker and author of “The Best Damn Sales Book Ever.” This is what Mr.Greshes had to say..
Now let me tell you a story of a salesperson I know who did not prejudge, did not assume, and did not minimize himself, his prospects, or his clients.
His name is Peter Rosengaard. Peter is a life insurance agent with a company in England named Abbey Life. What makes this story amazing is that back around 1990 Peter got himself into the Guinness Book of World Records for sales by selling what was then the single largest life insurance policy on record. Peter sold a life insurance policy with a death benefit of $100 million on the life of entertainment entrepreneur David Geffen.
What made it even more amazing was that Peter sold this policy off of a cold call. I met Peter in April 1991.
I had just finished delivering a keynote speech to the Life Insurance Association of the United Kingdom in London. After I came off the stage, the members of the organizing committee invited my wife and I out to dinner. They also invited one other guest: Peter. Peter sat next to me at dinner and told me the story of the $100 million sale, and it blew my mind.
It is the perfect example of a salesperson who saw only a prospect with a need. All he saw was someone who needed what he had, and all he could think of was, “They need what I have, they will buy it from someone, so they might as well buy from me.”
One day Peter was sitting in his apartment in London reading the newspaper, when he noticed that MCA, the large entertainment company, had just purchased Geffen Records for $600 million.
Peter knew a little about the entertainment industry, having worked in it many years before. He said to himself, “This is a good deal. Geffen Records is a great company.” But he also knew something else that he told me: “I knew that while Geffen Records was a good company, David Geffen was the single, indispensable, driving force behind it, and if anything ever happened to David Geffen that $600 million deal would go right down the drain. They needed protection, they needed life insurance.”
But now, even if the average salesperson (and unfortunately most salespeople are totally average, doing the same things everyone else does and wondering why they don’t work) had thought of this, what do you think the average person says to him- or herself at right about this point? Most likely “Oh I’m sure he already has life insurance.” Or “Hey, MCA is a large company. They probably have a dozen guys on the payroll to take care of that stuff.” How about, “No way someone like me is going to get in there."
In fact, I asked Peter, “Didn’t you even think of that? What were you thinking?”
He answered, “All I could think of was, ‘They could have a problem. They have exposure. They need life insurance. Hell, I sell life insurance. They might as well buy it from me.’ ”
So now Peter decides he’s going to cold-call the MCA Corporation. But now, even if the average salesperson gets anywhere near this far, who do you think the average salesperson calls at MCA? Which department do you think they ask for? You’d probably be right if you said human resources or personnel. Hey, don’t aim too high, you can fall too far. But you know as well as I do that as a salesperson, if you’ve ever called personnel or human resources at any large company, they all have the same phone number: 1-800-BRICK WALL!
But not Peter; he decides he’s going to cold call the president of MCA, Sid Scheinberg. One afternoon he calls information in the United States. He finds the main switchboard number at MCA, dials the number, and asks for Sid Scheinberg’s office.The phone rings and guess what? No, Sid did not answer. Don’t try to anticipate me. Actually, Peter got the secretary. He found out that Sid Scheinberg was not in, so he left a message and hung up.
But now, even if the average salesperson got anywhere near this far, what do you think the average salesperson does at this point? You’re right if you said they wait for a callback.And if the call doesn’t come, what do you think they do? Right again if you answered, “Nothing.”
Do you know why? Because the average salesperson is not really concerned with succeeding. The average salesperson is far more concerned with not failing. There is a big difference between succeeding and not failing. And do you know what else the average salesperson is most concerned with? Covering his or her behind. Now they can go to their manager and say, “I tried. I made the call. The guy’s not in; this guy is never in. Besides, guys like him don’t speak to people like me.”
But not Peter. He kept calling and calling and calling, but he could never catch Sid Scheinberg there. But do you know what he did that was not only extremely smart, but extremely easy and cost effective? He got friendly with the secretary.
Peter got real friendly with that secretary at MCA. Then one day he called again. He found out once again that Sid Scheinberg was not there, but this time he learned from the secretary that Sid was in Italy on business. He couldn’t find out what hotel he was at, but he got the name of the city. And now the search was on, because what Peter had was a window of opportunity. Let me tell you something about windows of opportunity. They are all around you. They open up for you every day. The problem is they open very quickly, open up just a crack, and then wham! They close just as fast.
Peter had his window of opportunity and he jumped right through. So let me back up and give you a little more information about Peter. What you know is that he sells life insurance. What you don’t know is how he does it. Peter sells through breakfast appointments. Every day Peter has at least one breakfast appointment with a prospect or a client to sell insurance, and he has these breakfast appointments at the Savoy Hotel in London, which is a 462-star European hotel.
Now I don’t know if you know anything about 462-star European hotels, but in 462-star European hotels the concierges all retire as millionaires. You see, they don’t get two-dollar tips. They get two thousand-dollar tips.
Peter was having breakfast every day at the Savoy Hotel. Because of this, he struck up a friendship with the concierge and found out from him that all the concierges of all the 462-star hotels in Europe belong to the same club.
One day Peter pulled the concierge from the Savoy aside and asked, “If I was one of the top executives of one of the top entertainment companies in the world, and I was staying in this particular town in Italy, what hotel would I stay at?”
The concierge replied, “Well, there could be only one.”
Peter asked, “Would you happen to know the concierge at that hotel?"
The concierge said, “Of course,we belong to the same club.”
“Could you call and find out if Sid Scheinberg is staying there?” asked Peter, and of course the concierge said yes.
So the concierge in London called the concierge in Italy and found out that, yes indeed, Sid Scheinberg was at that hotel. Whoa, window of opportunity!
Now Peter had to make the call. But you know as well as I do, you don’t just make a call.You have to plan it out.You have to know what you’re going to say ahead of time, because you only get one shot at a first impression.
Peter thought about it and told me, “I had to know what I was going to say, but I also had to know the perfect time to call. I know when these big shots come to Europe they always dress for dinner. Dinner is around 7:30, cocktails about 6:30. I figured if I called his room at 5:30 in the afternoon, not only would I catch him in, but I just might catch him standing there in his underwear!”
At 5:30 in the afternoon Peter called the hotel in Italy. When the switchboard answered he said, “Sid Scheinberg’s room, please.” The phone rang and this time Sid answered, “Sid Scheinberg here."
But now, even, even if the average salesperson gets anywhere near this far, what do you think the average salesperson says? Yeah, you got it: “Homina, homina, homina.” Why? Because average salespeople never believe that this kind of stuff could ever happen to them. You see, they have no vision; they don’t see themselves successful, they only see themselves failing.
But not Peter. Very calmly and quickly he said, “Mr. Scheinberg, Peter Rosengaard here from Abbey Life in London. Mr. Scheinberg, congratulations on that shrewd deal of buying Geffen Records for $600 million.”
I thought that was a pretty smart thing to say, wouldn’t you agree? Don’t you think he wanted to be told he did something good? Doesn’t everybody? Don’t you? Besides, what do you think the media was probably saying about the deal when it was first done? Probably what they always say: “Paid too much.”Then five years later what do they usually say? “Boy, was he lucky to get that so cheap.” This is why the people who write the articles never seem to be as successful as the ones who make the deals.
Well, Peter congratulated Sid Scheinberg, and Sid thanked him. But let’s not forget, Sid Scheinberg did not become successful because he had just fallen off the turnip truck. He knew something was up and said, “Thank you. What do you want?”
Peter said, “Mr. Scheinberg, while buying Geffen Records for $600 million was a really shrewd deal, you know as well as I do that David Geffen is the single, most indispensable force behind Geffen Records. Did you ever think of what might happen to your $600 million investment should something happen to David Geffen?”
What do you think one of the biggest executives at one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world said? He said, “Gee, we never thought of that.What did you have in mind?” Whoa, window of opportunity!
But now, even, even if the average salesperson got anywhere near this far, what kind of number do you think the average person throws out? Probably $1 million; that always seems to be the number for the average salesperson.
However, I want you to remember something:You are speaking to a man who has just written a check for $600 million! A million dollars to this guy is a tip! But average salespeople have a huge fear of large numbers. Why? Because they never truly believe those kind of numbers could ever be a part of their lives.They have no vision; they never see themselves successful; they only see themselves failing.
But not Peter.Very calmly and quickly he replied, “I thought $100 million would be a great place to start.” And the man who had written a check for $600 million said, “Sounds reasonable to me. Let’s get it done.” Sometimes it can be that easy, if you give it a shot and keep trying.
Sid said to Peter, “Here’s my assistant’s number.You call him and tell him what you told me and let’s get this done.”
Months later, after all the paperwork, underwriting, and medical exams, and after they ran it past the sales prevention department (I’ll bet you know those folks, too), Peter Rosengaard closed the deal for the $100 million life insurance policy and got himself into the Guinness Book of World Records.
All this happened because he never prejudged, never assumed, never minimized himself or his prospect. All he saw was a prospect with a need. All he saw was someone who needed what he had, and his only attitude was,“They need what I have.They will buy it from someone. They might as well buy it from me.”
One other thing Peter did, or rather didn’t do: Not once throughout the entire process did Peter Rosengaard ever stop seeing himself successful.
So see it; see yourself successful. Create in your mind a picture of what you want your success to be. Once you’ve created that picture of success in your mind, focus—focus in so clearly on that picture that you can describe it right down to its most minute details. Once you can focus on and describe clearly what it is you want, you’re ready for the next step.
Now let me tell you a story of a salesperson I know who did not prejudge, did not assume, and did not minimize himself, his prospects, or his clients.
His name is Peter Rosengaard. Peter is a life insurance agent with a company in England named Abbey Life. What makes this story amazing is that back around 1990 Peter got himself into the Guinness Book of World Records for sales by selling what was then the single largest life insurance policy on record. Peter sold a life insurance policy with a death benefit of $100 million on the life of entertainment entrepreneur David Geffen.
What made it even more amazing was that Peter sold this policy off of a cold call. I met Peter in April 1991.
I had just finished delivering a keynote speech to the Life Insurance Association of the United Kingdom in London. After I came off the stage, the members of the organizing committee invited my wife and I out to dinner. They also invited one other guest: Peter. Peter sat next to me at dinner and told me the story of the $100 million sale, and it blew my mind.
It is the perfect example of a salesperson who saw only a prospect with a need. All he saw was someone who needed what he had, and all he could think of was, “They need what I have, they will buy it from someone, so they might as well buy from me.”
One day Peter was sitting in his apartment in London reading the newspaper, when he noticed that MCA, the large entertainment company, had just purchased Geffen Records for $600 million.
Peter knew a little about the entertainment industry, having worked in it many years before. He said to himself, “This is a good deal. Geffen Records is a great company.” But he also knew something else that he told me: “I knew that while Geffen Records was a good company, David Geffen was the single, indispensable, driving force behind it, and if anything ever happened to David Geffen that $600 million deal would go right down the drain. They needed protection, they needed life insurance.”
But now, even if the average salesperson (and unfortunately most salespeople are totally average, doing the same things everyone else does and wondering why they don’t work) had thought of this, what do you think the average person says to him- or herself at right about this point? Most likely “Oh I’m sure he already has life insurance.” Or “Hey, MCA is a large company. They probably have a dozen guys on the payroll to take care of that stuff.” How about, “No way someone like me is going to get in there."
In fact, I asked Peter, “Didn’t you even think of that? What were you thinking?”
He answered, “All I could think of was, ‘They could have a problem. They have exposure. They need life insurance. Hell, I sell life insurance. They might as well buy it from me.’ ”
So now Peter decides he’s going to cold-call the MCA Corporation. But now, even if the average salesperson gets anywhere near this far, who do you think the average salesperson calls at MCA? Which department do you think they ask for? You’d probably be right if you said human resources or personnel. Hey, don’t aim too high, you can fall too far. But you know as well as I do that as a salesperson, if you’ve ever called personnel or human resources at any large company, they all have the same phone number: 1-800-BRICK WALL!
But not Peter; he decides he’s going to cold call the president of MCA, Sid Scheinberg. One afternoon he calls information in the United States. He finds the main switchboard number at MCA, dials the number, and asks for Sid Scheinberg’s office.The phone rings and guess what? No, Sid did not answer. Don’t try to anticipate me. Actually, Peter got the secretary. He found out that Sid Scheinberg was not in, so he left a message and hung up.
But now, even if the average salesperson got anywhere near this far, what do you think the average salesperson does at this point? You’re right if you said they wait for a callback.And if the call doesn’t come, what do you think they do? Right again if you answered, “Nothing.”
Do you know why? Because the average salesperson is not really concerned with succeeding. The average salesperson is far more concerned with not failing. There is a big difference between succeeding and not failing. And do you know what else the average salesperson is most concerned with? Covering his or her behind. Now they can go to their manager and say, “I tried. I made the call. The guy’s not in; this guy is never in. Besides, guys like him don’t speak to people like me.”
But not Peter. He kept calling and calling and calling, but he could never catch Sid Scheinberg there. But do you know what he did that was not only extremely smart, but extremely easy and cost effective? He got friendly with the secretary.
Peter got real friendly with that secretary at MCA. Then one day he called again. He found out once again that Sid Scheinberg was not there, but this time he learned from the secretary that Sid was in Italy on business. He couldn’t find out what hotel he was at, but he got the name of the city. And now the search was on, because what Peter had was a window of opportunity. Let me tell you something about windows of opportunity. They are all around you. They open up for you every day. The problem is they open very quickly, open up just a crack, and then wham! They close just as fast.
Peter had his window of opportunity and he jumped right through. So let me back up and give you a little more information about Peter. What you know is that he sells life insurance. What you don’t know is how he does it. Peter sells through breakfast appointments. Every day Peter has at least one breakfast appointment with a prospect or a client to sell insurance, and he has these breakfast appointments at the Savoy Hotel in London, which is a 462-star European hotel.
Now I don’t know if you know anything about 462-star European hotels, but in 462-star European hotels the concierges all retire as millionaires. You see, they don’t get two-dollar tips. They get two thousand-dollar tips.
Peter was having breakfast every day at the Savoy Hotel. Because of this, he struck up a friendship with the concierge and found out from him that all the concierges of all the 462-star hotels in Europe belong to the same club.
One day Peter pulled the concierge from the Savoy aside and asked, “If I was one of the top executives of one of the top entertainment companies in the world, and I was staying in this particular town in Italy, what hotel would I stay at?”
The concierge replied, “Well, there could be only one.”
Peter asked, “Would you happen to know the concierge at that hotel?"
The concierge said, “Of course,we belong to the same club.”
“Could you call and find out if Sid Scheinberg is staying there?” asked Peter, and of course the concierge said yes.
So the concierge in London called the concierge in Italy and found out that, yes indeed, Sid Scheinberg was at that hotel. Whoa, window of opportunity!
Now Peter had to make the call. But you know as well as I do, you don’t just make a call.You have to plan it out.You have to know what you’re going to say ahead of time, because you only get one shot at a first impression.
Peter thought about it and told me, “I had to know what I was going to say, but I also had to know the perfect time to call. I know when these big shots come to Europe they always dress for dinner. Dinner is around 7:30, cocktails about 6:30. I figured if I called his room at 5:30 in the afternoon, not only would I catch him in, but I just might catch him standing there in his underwear!”
At 5:30 in the afternoon Peter called the hotel in Italy. When the switchboard answered he said, “Sid Scheinberg’s room, please.” The phone rang and this time Sid answered, “Sid Scheinberg here."
But now, even, even if the average salesperson gets anywhere near this far, what do you think the average salesperson says? Yeah, you got it: “Homina, homina, homina.” Why? Because average salespeople never believe that this kind of stuff could ever happen to them. You see, they have no vision; they don’t see themselves successful, they only see themselves failing.
But not Peter. Very calmly and quickly he said, “Mr. Scheinberg, Peter Rosengaard here from Abbey Life in London. Mr. Scheinberg, congratulations on that shrewd deal of buying Geffen Records for $600 million.”
I thought that was a pretty smart thing to say, wouldn’t you agree? Don’t you think he wanted to be told he did something good? Doesn’t everybody? Don’t you? Besides, what do you think the media was probably saying about the deal when it was first done? Probably what they always say: “Paid too much.”Then five years later what do they usually say? “Boy, was he lucky to get that so cheap.” This is why the people who write the articles never seem to be as successful as the ones who make the deals.
Well, Peter congratulated Sid Scheinberg, and Sid thanked him. But let’s not forget, Sid Scheinberg did not become successful because he had just fallen off the turnip truck. He knew something was up and said, “Thank you. What do you want?”
Peter said, “Mr. Scheinberg, while buying Geffen Records for $600 million was a really shrewd deal, you know as well as I do that David Geffen is the single, most indispensable force behind Geffen Records. Did you ever think of what might happen to your $600 million investment should something happen to David Geffen?”
What do you think one of the biggest executives at one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world said? He said, “Gee, we never thought of that.What did you have in mind?” Whoa, window of opportunity!
But now, even, even if the average salesperson got anywhere near this far, what kind of number do you think the average person throws out? Probably $1 million; that always seems to be the number for the average salesperson.
However, I want you to remember something:You are speaking to a man who has just written a check for $600 million! A million dollars to this guy is a tip! But average salespeople have a huge fear of large numbers. Why? Because they never truly believe those kind of numbers could ever be a part of their lives.They have no vision; they never see themselves successful; they only see themselves failing.
But not Peter.Very calmly and quickly he replied, “I thought $100 million would be a great place to start.” And the man who had written a check for $600 million said, “Sounds reasonable to me. Let’s get it done.” Sometimes it can be that easy, if you give it a shot and keep trying.
Sid said to Peter, “Here’s my assistant’s number.You call him and tell him what you told me and let’s get this done.”
Months later, after all the paperwork, underwriting, and medical exams, and after they ran it past the sales prevention department (I’ll bet you know those folks, too), Peter Rosengaard closed the deal for the $100 million life insurance policy and got himself into the Guinness Book of World Records.
All this happened because he never prejudged, never assumed, never minimized himself or his prospect. All he saw was a prospect with a need. All he saw was someone who needed what he had, and his only attitude was,“They need what I have.They will buy it from someone. They might as well buy it from me.”
One other thing Peter did, or rather didn’t do: Not once throughout the entire process did Peter Rosengaard ever stop seeing himself successful.
So see it; see yourself successful. Create in your mind a picture of what you want your success to be. Once you’ve created that picture of success in your mind, focus—focus in so clearly on that picture that you can describe it right down to its most minute details. Once you can focus on and describe clearly what it is you want, you’re ready for the next step.
Comments