The people in your circle who are consistently agreeing with you are not helping you. Earlier today, I asked a good friend of mine his opinion on a business idea I had. After five minutes of us debating back and forth, he apologized for disagreeing while standing his ground. Somehow, in the heat of the moment, I knew that no apology was necessary. At that moment, I knew I had made the leap to a place where I wanted to be professionally. I realized the ideal mindset for success was the one where I believe; the people who disagree with me are the ones I should be talking to.
Sometimes a different road will lead you to the same castle - only faster.
When you go out in the world and tackle 2013, do your best to get more feedback than back pats. It'll show in your bank account at years end.
Showing posts with label sales success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sales success. Show all posts
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Loose Lips Strengthen Ships
Did you ever get picked last for kick ball? If not, did you feel badly for the kid who did? Or course! Most people want to be accepted, most people want to belong. In a small business, using this to your advantage is a key competitive edge. Be honest with your key people, make your goals, their goals. If times are tough and your business needs a cash influx, be honest. You will truly see who is in the fight and who is not.
Motivate your people with facts, not fiction or pipe dreams.
There is nothing better than knowing where you stand. There is nothing more comforting than separating those who will fight with you to the end and those who will not.
Knowledge is power. Be open, be uniquely loose. Loose lips with strengthen your ship, on the way up and when it is taking on water.
Motivate your people with facts, not fiction or pipe dreams.
There is nothing better than knowing where you stand. There is nothing more comforting than separating those who will fight with you to the end and those who will not.
Knowledge is power. Be open, be uniquely loose. Loose lips with strengthen your ship, on the way up and when it is taking on water.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Success Solutions
You've heard the name Success Solutions before in my writing and talks.
We've finally built our online image.
If you think you could PROFIT from what is written in this blog.
If you think you could GROW from the teachings written in this blog.
If you think you could BENEFIT from the teachings written in this blog.
Then you should get a free consultation from our Success Solution Providers:
www.successsolutions.ca
Remember, we only profit when you do.
We've finally built our online image.
If you think you could PROFIT from what is written in this blog.
If you think you could GROW from the teachings written in this blog.
If you think you could BENEFIT from the teachings written in this blog.
Then you should get a free consultation from our Success Solution Providers:
www.successsolutions.ca
Remember, we only profit when you do.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
You are who you associate with.
There is no ‘I’ in team, they say. ‘They’ are somewhat wrong. In sales, as in life, we are who we surround ourselves with. Have you ever noticed that people who spend time with each other on a regular basis have the same catch phrases and mannerisms? Of course you have. These are the tangibles, the similarities you can see and hear.
The same diction isn’t the problem, isn’t the intangibles that effect a person’s ability to succeed or not.
In seemingly insignificant ways, those we associate with on a regular basis rub off on us. They, in part, dictate our day to day operations and how we conduct ourselves on a both professional and personal level. Napoleon Hill discusses the concept of creating a Mastermind Alliance – a group of individuals who are smarter, stronger, more creative and more successful that you. Henry Ford wasn’t the brightest man in the world, but he surrounded himself with people who knew what he didn’t – and for that – became great.
We train our Sales Professionals to surround themselves with positive people. However, sometimes people in our organization forget that that same principle goes for them too.
By allowing negative people into your life, you are green lighting others to interfere with your ability to become as successful as you imagine.
There very much is an ‘I’ in team. YOU are responsible for your team, just as much as you are responsible for yourself. If you have a cancer-type person or group in your life, in order to strengthen your team you must eliminate them. By strengthening your team, you strengthen yourself. By strengthening yourself, you strengthen your team.
Without a solid team around you, you can expect mediocre results.
- BEAT CANCER.
- ELIMINATE BULLSHIT.
- DO YOUR BEST and stop using the word ‘try’ or ‘tried’.
- TAKE PRIDE IN EVERYTHING YOU DO OR DON’T DO IT.
There are plenty of I’s in MILLION$ and BILLION$.
The same diction isn’t the problem, isn’t the intangibles that effect a person’s ability to succeed or not.
In seemingly insignificant ways, those we associate with on a regular basis rub off on us. They, in part, dictate our day to day operations and how we conduct ourselves on a both professional and personal level. Napoleon Hill discusses the concept of creating a Mastermind Alliance – a group of individuals who are smarter, stronger, more creative and more successful that you. Henry Ford wasn’t the brightest man in the world, but he surrounded himself with people who knew what he didn’t – and for that – became great.
We train our Sales Professionals to surround themselves with positive people. However, sometimes people in our organization forget that that same principle goes for them too.
By allowing negative people into your life, you are green lighting others to interfere with your ability to become as successful as you imagine.
There very much is an ‘I’ in team. YOU are responsible for your team, just as much as you are responsible for yourself. If you have a cancer-type person or group in your life, in order to strengthen your team you must eliminate them. By strengthening your team, you strengthen yourself. By strengthening yourself, you strengthen your team.
Without a solid team around you, you can expect mediocre results.
- BEAT CANCER.
- ELIMINATE BULLSHIT.
- DO YOUR BEST and stop using the word ‘try’ or ‘tried’.
- TAKE PRIDE IN EVERYTHING YOU DO OR DON’T DO IT.
There are plenty of I’s in MILLION$ and BILLION$.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Defined Roles.
Great leaders are considered great leaders because they were able to persuade other men and women to believe in their methods and follow them.
You don't become a great leader by doing everything yourself.
Great organizations are made by great people. Not at the top, but at the center of these great people is a man or woman to whom they all look to for guidance, advise, support and mentorship.
These leaders know how to delegate and know how to grow their team of key people.
****
Sales Professional know that THEY TOO are LEADERS.
To be great at sales, you must be great at defining who you are in your organization and what your role(s) is/are. Too often I witness sales people being asked to preform mundane and non PROFIT PRODUCING tasks.
Listen up!
Set some boundaries.
Define your role.
Preform that role better than anyone could ask of you.
Cash checks.
You'll be a better and wealthier person for doing one or two things incredibly, then for doing many things decently.
You don't become a great leader by doing everything yourself.
Great organizations are made by great people. Not at the top, but at the center of these great people is a man or woman to whom they all look to for guidance, advise, support and mentorship.
These leaders know how to delegate and know how to grow their team of key people.
****
Sales Professional know that THEY TOO are LEADERS.
To be great at sales, you must be great at defining who you are in your organization and what your role(s) is/are. Too often I witness sales people being asked to preform mundane and non PROFIT PRODUCING tasks.
Listen up!
Set some boundaries.
Define your role.
Preform that role better than anyone could ask of you.
Cash checks.
You'll be a better and wealthier person for doing one or two things incredibly, then for doing many things decently.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Mickey Mouse Doesn't Have A Bad Day.
Bang! Your plane lands at John Wayne airport and the children start to get excited again. 'Daddy! Are we here? Are we here?' You've just traveled miles by tres chere air. You are 20 Miles from Anaheim and the kids are ready to do Disney for the first time. The look on their faces when the plane lands is worth the $6,000 it cost your family of four to get there, right?
Thirty minutes getting bags, twenty finding the rental car shuttle and ninety minutes getting to the hotel and checking in - you are finally ready to 'do Disney' as the kids would say.
After all of this effort and money, with the ultra pure gleam of anticipation in your children's eyes; imagine that you got to Disney and Mickey Mouse was having a bad day? Mickey Mouse smells like cigarette smoke. Mickey Mouse is hung over. Mickey Mouse is fighting with his girlfriend. Forget all that, what if Mickey Mouse was just mellow. Simply, O-K. How would you feel after $6,000? How would your children feel?
What do your customers get when they call you? How do you make them feel? What personal problems of yours are visible while you are working? In order to be great at sales and customer service - which by the way, are the same thing; You must not have a bad day. That means leaving your personal problems in your car. You must be prepared to give the best version of who you are to every customer or prospect you meet.
Mickey Mouse doesn't have a bad day? Look how successful Disney is.
Business Owners, what are you customers being greeted with when they call or come in to your office?
Mickey Mouse or Grumpy the 5th Dwarf?
Tigger or Eeyore?
Thirty minutes getting bags, twenty finding the rental car shuttle and ninety minutes getting to the hotel and checking in - you are finally ready to 'do Disney' as the kids would say.
After all of this effort and money, with the ultra pure gleam of anticipation in your children's eyes; imagine that you got to Disney and Mickey Mouse was having a bad day? Mickey Mouse smells like cigarette smoke. Mickey Mouse is hung over. Mickey Mouse is fighting with his girlfriend. Forget all that, what if Mickey Mouse was just mellow. Simply, O-K. How would you feel after $6,000? How would your children feel?
What do your customers get when they call you? How do you make them feel? What personal problems of yours are visible while you are working? In order to be great at sales and customer service - which by the way, are the same thing; You must not have a bad day. That means leaving your personal problems in your car. You must be prepared to give the best version of who you are to every customer or prospect you meet.
Mickey Mouse doesn't have a bad day? Look how successful Disney is.
Business Owners, what are you customers being greeted with when they call or come in to your office?
Mickey Mouse or Grumpy the 5th Dwarf?
Tigger or Eeyore?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Happy Customers = Happy Bank Accounts
(This is more of a rant than a post)
Ravings Fans. If you haven't read that book, you need to to. If you have read it, start practicing the principles outlined more closely. In this world of tweets, texts and diggs it is easy for one person to make or break a company or person's reputation. With that in mind, it would seem so logical to have fair, just and equitable business practices wouldn't it?
The premise of Raving Fans is that satisfied customers are no longer good enough; in order to be a leader in your industry you must create 'raving fans' - a team of people who not like, but love you, your company and how they are taken care of. Imagine, you create one new over joyed customer a week and in five years you have 250+ people who every time someone mentions your product or service, they give your name. If you're lucky, they'll tell a story of how great you were as well.
In the interest of a quick buck, I've dealt with two people in the last 7 days who were more interested in my money today, than much more of my money over the next 5, 10 or 20 years. What these two people have created is the exact opposite of a raving fan. They have created a tech-savvy, intelligent and well connected foe. Instead of the awesome referral sender companies get when they please me, these two companies have created a naysayer. Someone who will go out of their way to tell others not to do business with them.
How does the Raving Fans principle translate into your success? Happy customers translates into a happy bank account.
As a true Maple Leafs fan, I'd rather cheer for the Montreal Canadians then the two people this article is about.
(Please do not discount the credibility of this information over a professional sporting team choice.)
Ravings Fans. If you haven't read that book, you need to to. If you have read it, start practicing the principles outlined more closely. In this world of tweets, texts and diggs it is easy for one person to make or break a company or person's reputation. With that in mind, it would seem so logical to have fair, just and equitable business practices wouldn't it?
The premise of Raving Fans is that satisfied customers are no longer good enough; in order to be a leader in your industry you must create 'raving fans' - a team of people who not like, but love you, your company and how they are taken care of. Imagine, you create one new over joyed customer a week and in five years you have 250+ people who every time someone mentions your product or service, they give your name. If you're lucky, they'll tell a story of how great you were as well.
In the interest of a quick buck, I've dealt with two people in the last 7 days who were more interested in my money today, than much more of my money over the next 5, 10 or 20 years. What these two people have created is the exact opposite of a raving fan. They have created a tech-savvy, intelligent and well connected foe. Instead of the awesome referral sender companies get when they please me, these two companies have created a naysayer. Someone who will go out of their way to tell others not to do business with them.
How does the Raving Fans principle translate into your success? Happy customers translates into a happy bank account.
As a true Maple Leafs fan, I'd rather cheer for the Montreal Canadians then the two people this article is about.
(Please do not discount the credibility of this information over a professional sporting team choice.)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Cost Of Doing Business
January. It was pegged to be great. Sales people all sat around on January 1st, claiming this was going to be their best year. They had the best intentions and they were eager. Then January 10th rolled around, and soon after January 20th. Many realized they were no further ahead than they were at this time in 2010.
Yikes.
What now? Resort back to bad habits, excuse making and the blame game? Not if you want to be a true Sales Professional.
I have representatives who are cutting corners, they have excuses, they point fingers, cause problems and are overly aggressive. Dealing with people who are on route to becoming true Sales Professionals is tasking at times. As the saying goes, that's the cost of doing business.
The career you have chosen is laden with opportunity. Many others before you have failed. They sit around and tell stories of how they used to do sales. They talk about how tough it is, how unforgiving cold calling is and how they could of been successful at it if their boss/company/customers would have only _________.
Being a successful Sales Professional comes down to you. Only you. If you can't convince yourself of the number one rule, how could you possibly persuade others to listen to anything you say?
Many people choose another career path because they are mentally weak. Unless you are highly educated or have a great idea, it's tough to find a trade that offers the freedom and financial gain of being a true Sales Professional. If you want to be in this business, you need to understand that it is not always going to go your way. This is an art and not a science. All you can do is remember, whether you win or lose in sales, it is all your fault. Sound bleak? Sometimes it can be.
That's the cost of doing business.
Yikes.
What now? Resort back to bad habits, excuse making and the blame game? Not if you want to be a true Sales Professional.
I have representatives who are cutting corners, they have excuses, they point fingers, cause problems and are overly aggressive. Dealing with people who are on route to becoming true Sales Professionals is tasking at times. As the saying goes, that's the cost of doing business.
The career you have chosen is laden with opportunity. Many others before you have failed. They sit around and tell stories of how they used to do sales. They talk about how tough it is, how unforgiving cold calling is and how they could of been successful at it if their boss/company/customers would have only _________.
Being a successful Sales Professional comes down to you. Only you. If you can't convince yourself of the number one rule, how could you possibly persuade others to listen to anything you say?
Many people choose another career path because they are mentally weak. Unless you are highly educated or have a great idea, it's tough to find a trade that offers the freedom and financial gain of being a true Sales Professional. If you want to be in this business, you need to understand that it is not always going to go your way. This is an art and not a science. All you can do is remember, whether you win or lose in sales, it is all your fault. Sound bleak? Sometimes it can be.
That's the cost of doing business.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Paint By Numbers Greatness? Or Picasso Greatness?
Everyday someone in my network will ask, ‘Josh what sales book should I read?’ or ‘Haddon, what sales book had the biggest impact on your career?’ Today, someone emailed me who I had never met, asking what books I would suggest a new sales person read. So I figured I'd reply here, since this blog is how they found me.
By no means do I want to sound cynical or holier than thou, but a majority of the ‘sales’ books out there are garbage. I’ve read 100’s of these ‘sales’ books. Early in my career I bought every book I could get my hands on. All the books promised methods, systems and strategies to guarantee riches and success.
About two years ago I realized that I will never be truly great while using someone else’s verbiage, system, script or ‘master process’. Those crutches and tricks and scripts helped me be better than the average Jane, but I soon noticed I had reached a plateau.
I have a book in my library that is titled, ‘Sales Scripts That Sell’. This same guy might as well of made a book called, ‘Book Titles That Sell’ because the best sales training I received from that book is that people buy when they perceive you have a solution to their problem. Back then, my problem was I wanted to sell more, in turn, I bought the book.
I constantly talk about becoming a true Sales Professional not a typical salesperson. Therefore, wouldn’t it be counter-intuitive to walk around sounding the same way every other salesperson who bought that book sounds? Of course it would be!
When you first start on your path from typical salesperson to Sales Professional; morally sound, respectful, brand creating, referral producing sales is an art, and not a science. Once you’ve mastered the art, it appears to those on the outside looking in, as a science. Many art forms become quasi-sciences once mastered and preformed very well. Look back in history to when philosophy branched off into a science we now call psychology.
Pick three people from history who were considered ‘great’ at what they do. In almost every case you’ll find that they had similar traits. They were creative, focussed and had passion. Becoming a great Sales Professional requires the same three traits. Now, some may argue that you can in fact learn those three traits by reading a book. I would differ.
Napoleon Hill talked about having a ‘master mind alliance’. The saying goes, “Forty years from today, you will be the same person you are now, expect for the books you read and the people you meet.” I’d advocate that 40% if the people you meet, 10% are the books you read, 50% is what you choose to emulate from the people you have met or the books you have read.
Breaking down the quote my way should inspire hope. Hope that you do have a controlling share in your destiny. If you want change and you want to succeed, start changing – something. Anything. While you are at it, introduce yourself to some new people. Step out of what you know and experience something new. Familiar surroundings will almost always produce familiar results.
Typical salespeople are for the most part are actors. They recite old ‘lines’, ‘openers’ and ‘closes’, They paint by numbers. These are the guys who walk into my office at 45 years old needing a job while talking about how they are ‘the best’. They have all the ‘tricks’ of a weathered salesperson but lack of the traits of a great Sales Professional.
If you want to be the best Sales Professional possible, find a mentor and shadow him or her. While reading the hundreds of books I mentioned I read above, I used to spend thousands of hours with the top sales people in my first sales job. I would hang on their every word. When the time came that I had learned all I could from them, I found new people to absorb information from. I read books, but for every book I read, I learned 10 times more from interacting with the great minds around me.
Ty Cobb re-invented baseball.
Einstein would sit for days just thinking.
Picasso didn’t paint by numbers.
Be yourself.
Sales is a conversation, not scripted dialog.
Find a mentor or at least someone better than you to learn from.
Take some risks.
Put yourself into unfamiliar situations.
Stop listening to what your friends, family or co-workers say. Unless they are saying, ‘you are unique and beautiful; and correct to want to shoot for the stars, because every other successful person in history was also only flesh and blood, just as you are’. If they are saying anything else, forget it.
And if you have time during all of this, read books that promote character building more than you read books that promise wealth.
By no means do I want to sound cynical or holier than thou, but a majority of the ‘sales’ books out there are garbage. I’ve read 100’s of these ‘sales’ books. Early in my career I bought every book I could get my hands on. All the books promised methods, systems and strategies to guarantee riches and success.
About two years ago I realized that I will never be truly great while using someone else’s verbiage, system, script or ‘master process’. Those crutches and tricks and scripts helped me be better than the average Jane, but I soon noticed I had reached a plateau.
I have a book in my library that is titled, ‘Sales Scripts That Sell’. This same guy might as well of made a book called, ‘Book Titles That Sell’ because the best sales training I received from that book is that people buy when they perceive you have a solution to their problem. Back then, my problem was I wanted to sell more, in turn, I bought the book.
I constantly talk about becoming a true Sales Professional not a typical salesperson. Therefore, wouldn’t it be counter-intuitive to walk around sounding the same way every other salesperson who bought that book sounds? Of course it would be!
When you first start on your path from typical salesperson to Sales Professional; morally sound, respectful, brand creating, referral producing sales is an art, and not a science. Once you’ve mastered the art, it appears to those on the outside looking in, as a science. Many art forms become quasi-sciences once mastered and preformed very well. Look back in history to when philosophy branched off into a science we now call psychology.
Pick three people from history who were considered ‘great’ at what they do. In almost every case you’ll find that they had similar traits. They were creative, focussed and had passion. Becoming a great Sales Professional requires the same three traits. Now, some may argue that you can in fact learn those three traits by reading a book. I would differ.
Napoleon Hill talked about having a ‘master mind alliance’. The saying goes, “Forty years from today, you will be the same person you are now, expect for the books you read and the people you meet.” I’d advocate that 40% if the people you meet, 10% are the books you read, 50% is what you choose to emulate from the people you have met or the books you have read.
Breaking down the quote my way should inspire hope. Hope that you do have a controlling share in your destiny. If you want change and you want to succeed, start changing – something. Anything. While you are at it, introduce yourself to some new people. Step out of what you know and experience something new. Familiar surroundings will almost always produce familiar results.
Typical salespeople are for the most part are actors. They recite old ‘lines’, ‘openers’ and ‘closes’, They paint by numbers. These are the guys who walk into my office at 45 years old needing a job while talking about how they are ‘the best’. They have all the ‘tricks’ of a weathered salesperson but lack of the traits of a great Sales Professional.
If you want to be the best Sales Professional possible, find a mentor and shadow him or her. While reading the hundreds of books I mentioned I read above, I used to spend thousands of hours with the top sales people in my first sales job. I would hang on their every word. When the time came that I had learned all I could from them, I found new people to absorb information from. I read books, but for every book I read, I learned 10 times more from interacting with the great minds around me.
Ty Cobb re-invented baseball.
Einstein would sit for days just thinking.
Picasso didn’t paint by numbers.
Be yourself.
Sales is a conversation, not scripted dialog.
Find a mentor or at least someone better than you to learn from.
Take some risks.
Put yourself into unfamiliar situations.
Stop listening to what your friends, family or co-workers say. Unless they are saying, ‘you are unique and beautiful; and correct to want to shoot for the stars, because every other successful person in history was also only flesh and blood, just as you are’. If they are saying anything else, forget it.
And if you have time during all of this, read books that promote character building more than you read books that promise wealth.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Never Slow Down.
Today was our team's first full day back from holidays. This morning's meeting was a special place to be. It's nice to see determination and excitement in people's eyes at eight in the morning. Especially since December was below par by my standards.
We spoke at length about what we learned last year and how we can apply what we had learned this year. They had this new, 'I'm going to take 2011 by storm' look in their eyes. By nine o'clock I was certain these men had evolved into Sales Professionals. They started making their follow up calls and I could hear in their voices they meant business.
Around one o'clock, I could see the determination and excitement fade in some of them. They looked like the 2010 versions of themselves. It was as if their 2011 dreams had been defeated in only three hours of follow up calls. (Which in the sales world is really only about 20 calls.)
I sat there in shock. You can probably tell I'm rarely at a loss for words. In this case though, how was I to point out to these grown men that they had just given up on their dreams of a great year because of the immediate results of 3 hours? Less than .008 of the year!
The key trait of a person who is great at something is their ability to always keep moving. Like the shark, who's intake of oxygen would cease if ever they were to stop moving, a true great-anything is one who finds a way to keep moving, no matter what. I told one member of my team today to never slow down, 'keep pushing' I said. His eyes lit up. He knew what I meant, he knew what he had to do and he did it.
My best friend says to me once a month when I ask how he is, 'I'm just moving the ball forward man, moving the ball forward.' It wasn't until today that I realized how important that expression is in life. To see your wildest dreams come true, you must always keep momentum, never lose hope and have a short memory.
Strive on no matter what. The marathon runner began with a single walk around the block.
Believe that you are capable of anything - and you will be.
Learn from your mistakes and quickly forget them. Failure is just research.
With the whole world moving around us, if you're standing still, you're going backwards.
We spoke at length about what we learned last year and how we can apply what we had learned this year. They had this new, 'I'm going to take 2011 by storm' look in their eyes. By nine o'clock I was certain these men had evolved into Sales Professionals. They started making their follow up calls and I could hear in their voices they meant business.
Around one o'clock, I could see the determination and excitement fade in some of them. They looked like the 2010 versions of themselves. It was as if their 2011 dreams had been defeated in only three hours of follow up calls. (Which in the sales world is really only about 20 calls.)
I sat there in shock. You can probably tell I'm rarely at a loss for words. In this case though, how was I to point out to these grown men that they had just given up on their dreams of a great year because of the immediate results of 3 hours? Less than .008 of the year!
The key trait of a person who is great at something is their ability to always keep moving. Like the shark, who's intake of oxygen would cease if ever they were to stop moving, a true great-anything is one who finds a way to keep moving, no matter what. I told one member of my team today to never slow down, 'keep pushing' I said. His eyes lit up. He knew what I meant, he knew what he had to do and he did it.
My best friend says to me once a month when I ask how he is, 'I'm just moving the ball forward man, moving the ball forward.' It wasn't until today that I realized how important that expression is in life. To see your wildest dreams come true, you must always keep momentum, never lose hope and have a short memory.
Strive on no matter what. The marathon runner began with a single walk around the block.
Believe that you are capable of anything - and you will be.
Learn from your mistakes and quickly forget them. Failure is just research.
With the whole world moving around us, if you're standing still, you're going backwards.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The Morning After
Today is a new year. A time for triumph. A time to eliminate all of the bad habits you have been practicing for the last 365 days. It is true that New Years Day signifies a new beginning. Most people use this day to make a ‘resolution’. We use today to plan our tomorrow for the better. The fact is though, today is just another day.
Your tomorrow, your next week, your next month will not be any better by simply making a resolution. Waking up and saying, ‘I will be healthier’ or ‘I will make more money’ are the same mantras you said to yourself the last time you were out of breath or the last time your paycheque wasn’t enough to cover an unexpected expense. The easiest part of goal setting is coming up with the goal. If you’re like most people who learn from making mistakes, you probably made a new resolution weekly or even daily last year. I know for a fact I did. New Years Day is filled with hope and resolve (and in many cases hangovers). I made a December 31st resolution to not start 2011 with a hangover. So far I’m perfect when it comes to resolutions achieved. In addition, I decided that 2011 was going to be a great year. The greatest year of my life. I’ve made this very easy to achieve by breaking my grand New Year goal down; into bite sized, manageable pieces that I can chip away at day by day. I suggest you do the same.
What is a great year anyway? It is just 365 great days strung together. That sounds simple enough to me. 2010 was very good in its’ own right. So how have I ensured that this year will be better? I broke down the three main areas of my life I want to do my best at. The first being my health (physical and mental), secondly my self (including my relationships with friends and family) and third my personal wealth (increase earnings, increase savings, increase free time).
Goal setting is mostly about planning. The goal is what you reach after you properly implement your plan. When I get in the car to drive to an appointment and I have never been there before, I will look at Google Maps or my GPS and plan my route to get there. If my appointment is at 1234 Main Street, Toronto, Ontario – I don’t just jump in my car with the goal to arrive at that appointment on time and just drive around hoping I get there. That would be impractical. I plan my route to get to where I want to be at a certain time. The same goes for your goals this year.
By writing out the 20-30 daily small actions, that I will take every single day this year, to improve upon the three areas of my life noted above; I am 15 hours into having the best year of my life. If you improve one area of your life a mere 1% every single day, how great will that area of your life be in 30 days? 300 days?
This 2011, instead of saying you area going to do something, just do it. Become a person of action. I promise you, win or lose people of action live better lives. Enjoy your hangover today; I’m on my way to being 365% better for 2012.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Reflection.
For the last month I have been reflecting, reading and most importantly learning more and more about myself and how I can become a better leader, teacher and provider of services. A new acquaintance recommended I read a short book written by Og Mandino. It is fittingly called The Greatest Salesman in the World. Many of you reading this have likely heard of the book or read it. After my first time through the book, I could not believe I hadn’t read it before.
The book, which reads more like a novel than a sales training manual, tells the tale of how a stable boy becomes the greatest salesman in the world. It is unbelievable the impact this book is having on my psyche and in turn, my wallet. I encourage you to read the book and discover for yourself, just how real world and practical it is.
As many sales people speak too often and listen to seldom. I have silenced this blog for the past few weeks while I ‘listened’ to the words of others. It was time for me to listen a little while before speaking. I will continue with the regular updates, but in the mean time I cannot stress enough how important this book will be to your career.
In other news, I wrote a great article which has already helped boost sales. I'm slowly starting to enjoy technology and not curse it for allowing a 'reply all' feature.
Go get 'em!
The book, which reads more like a novel than a sales training manual, tells the tale of how a stable boy becomes the greatest salesman in the world. It is unbelievable the impact this book is having on my psyche and in turn, my wallet. I encourage you to read the book and discover for yourself, just how real world and practical it is.
As many sales people speak too often and listen to seldom. I have silenced this blog for the past few weeks while I ‘listened’ to the words of others. It was time for me to listen a little while before speaking. I will continue with the regular updates, but in the mean time I cannot stress enough how important this book will be to your career.
In other news, I wrote a great article which has already helped boost sales. I'm slowly starting to enjoy technology and not curse it for allowing a 'reply all' feature.
Go get 'em!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Hypocratic Oath.
Veteran Sales Rep: "In 2002 I was the top rep in my organization 8 out of 12 months."
Me: "That's awesome, what's happened between then and now?"
(The flood gates open)
Me: "That's awesome, what's happened between then and now?"
(The flood gates open)
Veteran Sales Rep:
-The economy these last few years has been brutal.
-Prospects just don't speak to sales people anymore. They research everything online.
-I'm doing the same things I did then, I have no idea why it's not working.
We have a sign on the door to our office that says,
"Positive People Only! Negative, excuse making, complainers will be removed. Please keep your personal problems in the parking lot."
I have no time for excuses. I have less time for whining.
The economy isn't the problem! You are. I promise you that in every legitimate sales organization in the world, there was always a salesperson that exceeded their company dictated goals. If not, those companies need to hire someone to come in and shake things up. My best 18 months as a Sales Professional was from 2008 to 2009. Now tell me, weren't those the times the economy was at it's worst? I like a beer or two a few times a week. If there is such a spending freeze going on, how come every bar I walk into are filled with people spending money? When the economy slumps, you just have to get more creative. You have to start working SMARTER.
Prospects don't speak to sales people, the research everything on the Internet and then they buy. This is partly true. What do people think of when they hear the words 'sales person'? We've been over this. Your goal is to NOT be that salesperson. You need to position yourself to be seen as a friend, a trusted advisor, a knowledgeable consultant - a true Sales Professional. Why not bring a competitive analysis with you on every sales call? Clients love that. Cell phone companies and insurance agencies have been doing this for years. They all tell future customers to go to their website and compare. What a great idea! Imagine that, using a simple yet effective technique that has worked for years. All you had to do was use your brain.
If you're doing the same routine you did 8 years ago, you are doomed to fail. In almost every other industry, companies mandate that employees take courses that bring them up to date on a variety of subjects. If practically everyone else is constantly learning and evolving - why are you doing the same thing you did in 8 years ago, or 20 years ago for that matter? My mentor used to tell us that one of the most important actions you must do each and every day is read. If you're not learning everyday, you are standing still. How many people do you know that are able to move forward while standing still?
It's not what you know in sales, its whether you implement what you know. We all know we shouldn't smoke, but some of us do. We all know we should eat better and exercise often, but some of us our overweight. We all know we should be learning more about our industry daily, but many of you choose to stay stagnant.
True Sales Professionals do whatever it takes. They learn daily and evolve into the person their market will bear. It's not enough to KNOW something, you have to practice it daily. Now that you KNOW what to do, go and DO whatever it takes. Otherwise, you are a hypocrite.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Do you believe in Santa Claus?
There is an old adage that goes something like, 'They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.' I guess some sales guy who hasn't sold a product without the help of a PR Firm and a marketing campaign thought that was a clever phrase to say when addressing a group of other salespeople at a convention or something. (By the way, the great Josh Haddon is available for any speaking events.)
There is another adage that says, 'The hardest door for a cold calling salesperson to open is the car door.' This one is discussing how even good salespeople fail because they dread cold calling, so they waste time or 'drive around' all day instead of prospecting.
For every hundred or so of these catchy phrases I read, I appreciate about one of them. Let's take a look at theses two:
Wouldn't actually CARING about your customers mean that you believed in your product so much you would stop at nothing to tell them about it? I always tell my salespeople that I will give them a reference for any career on the planet if they resign, and tell me it is because they don't believe in our product.
The number one rule of being a top Sales Professional is to believe in what you provide to your customers. So if one of these quoted sales guys would just say, "BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND YOUR PRODUCT OR MOVE ON." We wouldn't need cute little adages like the ones above.
If you believed in yourself and your product you would:
(I encourage you to make your own list of what you would do differently if you truly believed in yourself and your product)
-Not hit the snooze button when your alarm goes off.
-Seize everyday as a chance to help others and be the best you can be.
-Tell everyone you know that could benefit from it, about your product.
-Start early, leave late.
-Use the product yourself.
-Receive a testimonial, written or videotaped, from everyone customer you have.
-Be happier than you could possibly imagine.
-ETC...
I CAN sell anything and HAVE sold everything. In the last decade I've been in the best on every team I was on, no matter what the product was. However, sometimes I was only the best by one or two units a month. The times when I have blown the rest of my team out of the water, were the times when I truly believed in what I was selling. If my mentor has said it once, he has said it one thousand times - 'We transfer belief for a living.' Maybe he knew how genius that really was. If don't have belief, you have nothing to transfer.
I'll leave you with a fun little adage my Mom used to say to us every December when we were kids, 'If you don't believe, you don't receive.' I thought sales is like Halloween, but I guess it is also like Christmas. Hmm, life is a sale.
There is another adage that says, 'The hardest door for a cold calling salesperson to open is the car door.' This one is discussing how even good salespeople fail because they dread cold calling, so they waste time or 'drive around' all day instead of prospecting.
For every hundred or so of these catchy phrases I read, I appreciate about one of them. Let's take a look at theses two:
Wouldn't actually CARING about your customers mean that you believed in your product so much you would stop at nothing to tell them about it? I always tell my salespeople that I will give them a reference for any career on the planet if they resign, and tell me it is because they don't believe in our product.
The number one rule of being a top Sales Professional is to believe in what you provide to your customers. So if one of these quoted sales guys would just say, "BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND YOUR PRODUCT OR MOVE ON." We wouldn't need cute little adages like the ones above.
If you believed in yourself and your product you would:
(I encourage you to make your own list of what you would do differently if you truly believed in yourself and your product)
-Not hit the snooze button when your alarm goes off.
-Seize everyday as a chance to help others and be the best you can be.
-Tell everyone you know that could benefit from it, about your product.
-Start early, leave late.
-Use the product yourself.
-Receive a testimonial, written or videotaped, from everyone customer you have.
-Be happier than you could possibly imagine.
-ETC...
I CAN sell anything and HAVE sold everything. In the last decade I've been in the best on every team I was on, no matter what the product was. However, sometimes I was only the best by one or two units a month. The times when I have blown the rest of my team out of the water, were the times when I truly believed in what I was selling. If my mentor has said it once, he has said it one thousand times - 'We transfer belief for a living.' Maybe he knew how genius that really was. If don't have belief, you have nothing to transfer.
I'll leave you with a fun little adage my Mom used to say to us every December when we were kids, 'If you don't believe, you don't receive.' I thought sales is like Halloween, but I guess it is also like Christmas. Hmm, life is a sale.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
You're a Diaper Wearing Child!
Well, you used to be. You used to be in diapers. You didn't know anything was wrong with that until someone told you so. If it wasn't for your parents choosing to potty train you, you might still be running around with fecal crap in your pants.
Gross right? I know.
The point is, you used to be alot of things. That is what is so amazing about life, which is one long sale, at any point you can choose to stop being those things and evolve. Think back to high school. I'd bet that most of you would be described by your high school peers as totally different people than you are now. For example; I know there are people that would describe me as anything from a devout Catholic Alter-boy; to the best sales manager in the world; to the worst sales manager in the world; to a Jock; to a drug addicted thief. All are right in their minds - yet both are dead wrong today.
Everyday in our personal and professional lives we are allotted a fresh start. A brand new day to learn about the world and learn about ourselves. Last week you might have taken long lunches and gone home early, well then last week you were a typical salesperson. This week you can choose to eat on the run and work until 6PM. By doing that, this week you are on your way to becoming a true Sales Professional.
You are what you consistently do, not what you've consistently done.
Practice good habits, learn everyday and do your best. You will not become who you want to be overnight. However, you can start becoming that person any time you choose.
As my mentor always says; 'When's the best time to do something?...NOW'
Gross right? I know.
The point is, you used to be alot of things. That is what is so amazing about life, which is one long sale, at any point you can choose to stop being those things and evolve. Think back to high school. I'd bet that most of you would be described by your high school peers as totally different people than you are now. For example; I know there are people that would describe me as anything from a devout Catholic Alter-boy; to the best sales manager in the world; to the worst sales manager in the world; to a Jock; to a drug addicted thief. All are right in their minds - yet both are dead wrong today.
Everyday in our personal and professional lives we are allotted a fresh start. A brand new day to learn about the world and learn about ourselves. Last week you might have taken long lunches and gone home early, well then last week you were a typical salesperson. This week you can choose to eat on the run and work until 6PM. By doing that, this week you are on your way to becoming a true Sales Professional.
You are what you consistently do, not what you've consistently done.
Practice good habits, learn everyday and do your best. You will not become who you want to be overnight. However, you can start becoming that person any time you choose.
As my mentor always says; 'When's the best time to do something?...NOW'
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Biggest Mistakes Salespeople Make.
Donald Trump said, "Without passion you have no enthusiasm, without enthusiasm you have nothing."
If ever someone is a poster child for failing upwards, Donald Trump is. He has made lots of mistakes. We make mistakes every single day. Learning from them is great but some mistakes cannot be undone.
In sales, there are three mistakes that guarantee you are not successful:
1) Not realizing how important your attitude is to your success. You wake up every morning and you have more choices than you realize. You can decide to make $100 that day or $1000. You can decide to hit the snooze button, not shave or watch Sports Center. I haven't hit the snooze button on my alarm clock in 4 years! Have you? Your attitude dictates your success - no question about it. One hundred years ago or so, Napoleon Hill (Sign Up for the Daily Newsletter) wrote something like - Whatever the mind can believe and conceive it can achieve. Ain't that the truth! A huge part of being a successful Sales Professional is thinking you can and expecting positive results.
2) Getting into sales for the money. Again, The Donald is right. If you don't love what you do, you will never be as successful as you could be. You will never achieve all the goals you've set for yourself. Passionless sales people don't make anywhere near the money an enthusiastic and passionate Sales Professional does. You have to love this profession to be the best. Being a Sales Professional is like being the driver of a roller coaster - it's intense, exhilarating and fun as hell. If you're in sales for the money - QUIT. Go be a lawyer or lobbyist.
3) Excuse making and blaming others. If you are the type of person who always finds a way to pass the buck, sales is not for you. The great thing about being a Sales Professional is that the buck ALWAYS stops at you. You control your destiny. Whiners don't make it in sales. Your computers crashed - whine. Your car broke down - whine. UPS lost the package I sent - whine. Why don't you go back to your Mom's house and live there. Then while you are at it, you can tell your Sales Manager that your dog ate your proposal and the prospect didn't buy because your prices are too high (you baby). Not taking full responsibility for your success doesn't work in sales. In the old days they would say that cold calling outside sales separates the Men from the Boys. Really it just separates the losers from the winners. Making excuses is for losers. So in short, if you don't make it in sales - you're likely a loser.
If this offended you, I feel sorry for your organization. If this inspired you to grow and evolve from a typical salesperson to Great Sales Professional - email me and I have a great position for you.
If ever someone is a poster child for failing upwards, Donald Trump is. He has made lots of mistakes. We make mistakes every single day. Learning from them is great but some mistakes cannot be undone.
In sales, there are three mistakes that guarantee you are not successful:
1) Not realizing how important your attitude is to your success. You wake up every morning and you have more choices than you realize. You can decide to make $100 that day or $1000. You can decide to hit the snooze button, not shave or watch Sports Center. I haven't hit the snooze button on my alarm clock in 4 years! Have you? Your attitude dictates your success - no question about it. One hundred years ago or so, Napoleon Hill (Sign Up for the Daily Newsletter) wrote something like - Whatever the mind can believe and conceive it can achieve. Ain't that the truth! A huge part of being a successful Sales Professional is thinking you can and expecting positive results.
2) Getting into sales for the money. Again, The Donald is right. If you don't love what you do, you will never be as successful as you could be. You will never achieve all the goals you've set for yourself. Passionless sales people don't make anywhere near the money an enthusiastic and passionate Sales Professional does. You have to love this profession to be the best. Being a Sales Professional is like being the driver of a roller coaster - it's intense, exhilarating and fun as hell. If you're in sales for the money - QUIT. Go be a lawyer or lobbyist.
3) Excuse making and blaming others. If you are the type of person who always finds a way to pass the buck, sales is not for you. The great thing about being a Sales Professional is that the buck ALWAYS stops at you. You control your destiny. Whiners don't make it in sales. Your computers crashed - whine. Your car broke down - whine. UPS lost the package I sent - whine. Why don't you go back to your Mom's house and live there. Then while you are at it, you can tell your Sales Manager that your dog ate your proposal and the prospect didn't buy because your prices are too high (you baby). Not taking full responsibility for your success doesn't work in sales. In the old days they would say that cold calling outside sales separates the Men from the Boys. Really it just separates the losers from the winners. Making excuses is for losers. So in short, if you don't make it in sales - you're likely a loser.
If this offended you, I feel sorry for your organization. If this inspired you to grow and evolve from a typical salesperson to Great Sales Professional - email me and I have a great position for you.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
You're a Scum Bag!
Sales Rep: "I had the worst day ever! This bitch at XYZ Corp. kicked me out of the building and told me she was going to call the cops."
Me: "That happens all the time when you're new at this. I've only been kicked out of maybe three buildings in my entire life. What could you have done differently?"
Sales Rep: "Nothing. I was polite. I told her I was from _______ and then gave her a brochure and started telling her why we are better than their current provider."
Me: "What else did you tell her?"
Sales Rep: "I told her we would save her money and that we've been in the business for 75 years and, I don't know...a bunch of stuff. She kept saying she wasn't interested so I kept telling her why she should give me 5 minutes of her time."
Me: "Did you ask her anything?"
Sales Rep: "Not really, I didn't get the chance. She kicked me out after me being there for only 5 minutes."
I have conversations with salespeople just like the one above about once a week. They give me the same excuses as the week before, take no responsibility for the prospect's actions and they whine. Why do cold calls sometimes end with the salesperson being kicked out of the office? That's easy: BECAUSE THEY ARE A SALESPERSON.
In order to be successful at selling, (or any form of persuasion for that matter) you must be able to mentally trade places with the person you are speaking with. You have to understand their mindset, trade places with them and be sympathetic to what they are feeling.
Every training session I conduct, I ask the salespeople one question: What do people think of when they hear the word 'salesperson'? The answers vary, but the following four come out every single time:
-Pushy/Closers
-Greedy/Only worried about their commission
-Fake
-Slimy/Greasy/Used Car Salesmen/Scumbag etc.
This exercise is beneficial because it is a HUGE wake up call for many salespeople. It shouldn't be. We've all dealt with a salesperson like the one described above. However, for some reason, as soon as you get your business cards many of you adopt a holier than thou persona.
The facts are these:
-You are a salesperson.
-You are stereotyped to be the typical salesperson.
-The typical salesperson is the one we've just defined.
-The typical salesperson is a failure.
-The typical salesperson scares people.
-The typical salesperson puts people on edge and makes them put a wall up.
-The typical salesperson is the last person people want to talk to. You're right up there with ex-wives and mother in laws.
Now that you have this information, it is your goal to separate yourself from every other salesperson out there and become a Sales Professional. You can start separating yourself by asking questions instead of stating facts. Next, you can do the exact opposite of what a your think the typical sales person would do. Every interaction with a customer is a chance to change what they think about you and your profession.
Next time you are with a customer, remember, they hate you and you are a scumbag - until you convince them otherwise.
Me: "That happens all the time when you're new at this. I've only been kicked out of maybe three buildings in my entire life. What could you have done differently?"
Sales Rep: "Nothing. I was polite. I told her I was from _______ and then gave her a brochure and started telling her why we are better than their current provider."
Me: "What else did you tell her?"
Sales Rep: "I told her we would save her money and that we've been in the business for 75 years and, I don't know...a bunch of stuff. She kept saying she wasn't interested so I kept telling her why she should give me 5 minutes of her time."
Me: "Did you ask her anything?"
Sales Rep: "Not really, I didn't get the chance. She kicked me out after me being there for only 5 minutes."
I have conversations with salespeople just like the one above about once a week. They give me the same excuses as the week before, take no responsibility for the prospect's actions and they whine. Why do cold calls sometimes end with the salesperson being kicked out of the office? That's easy: BECAUSE THEY ARE A SALESPERSON.
In order to be successful at selling, (or any form of persuasion for that matter) you must be able to mentally trade places with the person you are speaking with. You have to understand their mindset, trade places with them and be sympathetic to what they are feeling.
Every training session I conduct, I ask the salespeople one question: What do people think of when they hear the word 'salesperson'? The answers vary, but the following four come out every single time:
-Pushy/Closers
-Greedy/Only worried about their commission
-Fake
-Slimy/Greasy/Used Car Salesmen/Scumbag etc.
This exercise is beneficial because it is a HUGE wake up call for many salespeople. It shouldn't be. We've all dealt with a salesperson like the one described above. However, for some reason, as soon as you get your business cards many of you adopt a holier than thou persona.
The facts are these:
-You are a salesperson.
-You are stereotyped to be the typical salesperson.
-The typical salesperson is the one we've just defined.
-The typical salesperson is a failure.
-The typical salesperson scares people.
-The typical salesperson puts people on edge and makes them put a wall up.
-The typical salesperson is the last person people want to talk to. You're right up there with ex-wives and mother in laws.
Now that you have this information, it is your goal to separate yourself from every other salesperson out there and become a Sales Professional. You can start separating yourself by asking questions instead of stating facts. Next, you can do the exact opposite of what a your think the typical sales person would do. Every interaction with a customer is a chance to change what they think about you and your profession.
Next time you are with a customer, remember, they hate you and you are a scumbag - until you convince them otherwise.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Two ears, one mouth. 2.0
I mentioned in a previous post that I would touch on the sales practice of asking questions in order to secure an order. I understand that every product/service is unique, however, I truly believe every person is similar when it comes to how they want to buy your product or service. If you ask the right questions, you'll discover that your prospect will basically tell you how they want to be sold.
I was once challenged by my former Vice President of Sales, Sean, to spend an entire day cold calling while only asking questions. I pushed back, citing that this approach would seem salesy, flighty and unnatural. Sitting in a training room this idea seemed far fetched and unrealistic. After two weeks of sub-par selling I decided one Monday morning to give it a shot, thinking what's the worst that can happen?
I wrote 4 face to face, cold, one call orders that day. Which is my best day of cold calling in that industry to date. I was shocked and excited. At the end of the day I reflected and thought that it was just a lucky day. The rest of the week I got 2 more orders after reverting back to my old ways.
The following Monday I gave the 'questions only' method another shot. Guess what? Three more cold, one call orders. Did I become a believer in this method? You bet I did. To this day I practice this method and owe it to Sean for the tens of thousands of dollars in extra commission.
Some of the simple leading questions I use are very basic (Mostly geared for Business to Business sales. Please email me for Business to Consumer sales questions.):
-Hey there! How's business?
-Hi! I know you don't know me from a bag of potato chips, but it's hot out, is it alright if I suck up some of this Air Conditioning while I'm here?
-Hey! What do you folks do here?
-Good Morning! How's it going today?
Now, these are very basic opening lines that are questions. The answers will tell you alot about the person you are dealing with. Once I have established whether I wear my professional or funny-professional hat I continue asking only questions:
-Cool. How long have you worked here? (Alt. How long have you been married? etc)
-Wow, long time. Do you like what you do?
-It's funny, as a receptionist, everyone knows you really run the place. Do your bosses treat you well?
-What's your boss like?
-Is he/she pretty hands on or rarely in the office?
-Is this his/her card? (Alt. What is his or her name?)
Wow! Look how much information I've received. I know if the gatekeeper likes their job, has any clout in the company based on how long they've worked there, I know if they have a sense of humour. I also know what the boss is like, his/her name, management style and likely their sense of humour as well. How great!
The rest of the questions peak interest and qualify. These vary from industry to industry. One part of the question should not change. No matter what you're selling, I suggest asking in a way that activates both their personal and professional brains, like this:
-Are you or your company looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint?
-Are you or your company looking to reduce costs at all?
-Are you or your company concerned with the new H.S.T.?
-Have you or your company ever dealt with a Worker's Compensation claim?
You can alter the questions to suit your industry. The premise is still the same. By phrasing it as YOU or YOUR company, you have 2 chances per question to peak their interest. Once their interest is peaked, they will then begin to ask you questions. Once you have them interested and asking you questions, you're off to the races.
Remember, "In selling as in medicine, prescription before diagnosis is malpractice."
Who's name is at the top of your company's sales leaderboard?
I was once challenged by my former Vice President of Sales, Sean, to spend an entire day cold calling while only asking questions. I pushed back, citing that this approach would seem salesy, flighty and unnatural. Sitting in a training room this idea seemed far fetched and unrealistic. After two weeks of sub-par selling I decided one Monday morning to give it a shot, thinking what's the worst that can happen?
I wrote 4 face to face, cold, one call orders that day. Which is my best day of cold calling in that industry to date. I was shocked and excited. At the end of the day I reflected and thought that it was just a lucky day. The rest of the week I got 2 more orders after reverting back to my old ways.
The following Monday I gave the 'questions only' method another shot. Guess what? Three more cold, one call orders. Did I become a believer in this method? You bet I did. To this day I practice this method and owe it to Sean for the tens of thousands of dollars in extra commission.
Some of the simple leading questions I use are very basic (Mostly geared for Business to Business sales. Please email me for Business to Consumer sales questions.):
-Hey there! How's business?
-Hi! I know you don't know me from a bag of potato chips, but it's hot out, is it alright if I suck up some of this Air Conditioning while I'm here?
-Hey! What do you folks do here?
-Good Morning! How's it going today?
Now, these are very basic opening lines that are questions. The answers will tell you alot about the person you are dealing with. Once I have established whether I wear my professional or funny-professional hat I continue asking only questions:
-Cool. How long have you worked here? (Alt. How long have you been married? etc)
-Wow, long time. Do you like what you do?
-It's funny, as a receptionist, everyone knows you really run the place. Do your bosses treat you well?
-What's your boss like?
-Is he/she pretty hands on or rarely in the office?
-Is this his/her card? (Alt. What is his or her name?)
Wow! Look how much information I've received. I know if the gatekeeper likes their job, has any clout in the company based on how long they've worked there, I know if they have a sense of humour. I also know what the boss is like, his/her name, management style and likely their sense of humour as well. How great!
The rest of the questions peak interest and qualify. These vary from industry to industry. One part of the question should not change. No matter what you're selling, I suggest asking in a way that activates both their personal and professional brains, like this:
-Are you or your company looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint?
-Are you or your company looking to reduce costs at all?
-Are you or your company concerned with the new H.S.T.?
-Have you or your company ever dealt with a Worker's Compensation claim?
You can alter the questions to suit your industry. The premise is still the same. By phrasing it as YOU or YOUR company, you have 2 chances per question to peak their interest. Once their interest is peaked, they will then begin to ask you questions. Once you have them interested and asking you questions, you're off to the races.
Remember, "In selling as in medicine, prescription before diagnosis is malpractice."
Who's name is at the top of your company's sales leaderboard?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Mind Your Own Business.
Building a true sales team is a heck of a task these days. My demographic especially, is the worst demographic of sales people ever born. We're lazy, unfocussed, spoiled and uncultured. Show me a 20-30 year old who is a hard working and I'll show you 1000 who aren't. Show me a 45-55 year old who didn't hustle their butt off when they were 25-35 and I'll show 1000 who did. What happened? My opinion; Video games and unrealistic Reality TV.
As I weed through resumes on the weekend I find one common theme, many former business owners are applying for sales jobs. Great! I used to think. Business owners are hustlers. The motivated, big picture thinking, creative people I've been looking for... - In most cases I couldn't have been more wrong. Many of these men and women were beaten up and wimps. They feel like failures and they acted the part as well. When I asked why they were looking into sales as a career there was one major common theme; THEY WANTED TO RELAX. THEY WANTED TO NOT HAVE THE STRESS OF HAVING THE BE SUCCESSFUL.
So let me get this straight; You've walked into a sales job so you didn't have to do what it takes to be successful? This isn't a government job pal, go pound sand!
Being a professional salesperson is in every way, shape and form running your own business. I tell my team all the time that they have the luxury of being entreprenures that already have the brand, office, supplies, stock, service team and admin support - all they have to do is sell the best product in our industry. You wake up every single day deciding whether you will be 'a poor', 'a good', 'a great' or 'the best and most successful' business owner. I strive every single day to be the latter, why doesn't everyone? Are you?
Ask any successful small business owner where they get most of their business and they will likely say, word of mouth or referrals. If they say the ad in the local paper or fax blasting, I'll eat my shoes. Look around at all the salespeople you know. Who gets the most referrals? Who has the best relationships with their client when the order is made?
Wake up! It's the same person.
Now, think about the barber, mechanic, tailor or any other provider of a product or service you use every single time you need something. Do they have the lowest price? Are they members of the Better Business Bureau? Do they have 24 hour turnaround time? Are they open 24 hours a day? Maybe. But does that matter? Nope.
You continue to go back to these people/places because of how they treat you and make you feel. When was the last time you recommended someone go to a barber just because it was open twenty four hours a day? We recommend people go deal with people that we liked and that did a good job.
Just doing a good job isn't good enough for repeat business. What is enough to get people coming back and sending others? Doing a good job while making the person you are dealing with feel great. Most sales are emotionally driven. I don't know a single woman who has ever had a 'happy period' but Kotex still emotionally sells them on that.
Whether you like it or not, you are running a business. Where do successful small businesses get the majority of their orders from? You should already know.
If you clicked on the link, you need to master retaining the information you read before attempting to become a true sales professional.
So, you can beg your organization for longer service hours, faster turn around times, lower pricing or more advertising... Or you can treat engage people while treating them with respect and let the bad sales reps ask for that stupid stuff. See you at the top!
As I weed through resumes on the weekend I find one common theme, many former business owners are applying for sales jobs. Great! I used to think. Business owners are hustlers. The motivated, big picture thinking, creative people I've been looking for... - In most cases I couldn't have been more wrong. Many of these men and women were beaten up and wimps. They feel like failures and they acted the part as well. When I asked why they were looking into sales as a career there was one major common theme; THEY WANTED TO RELAX. THEY WANTED TO NOT HAVE THE STRESS OF HAVING THE BE SUCCESSFUL.
So let me get this straight; You've walked into a sales job so you didn't have to do what it takes to be successful? This isn't a government job pal, go pound sand!
Being a professional salesperson is in every way, shape and form running your own business. I tell my team all the time that they have the luxury of being entreprenures that already have the brand, office, supplies, stock, service team and admin support - all they have to do is sell the best product in our industry. You wake up every single day deciding whether you will be 'a poor', 'a good', 'a great' or 'the best and most successful' business owner. I strive every single day to be the latter, why doesn't everyone? Are you?
Ask any successful small business owner where they get most of their business and they will likely say, word of mouth or referrals. If they say the ad in the local paper or fax blasting, I'll eat my shoes. Look around at all the salespeople you know. Who gets the most referrals? Who has the best relationships with their client when the order is made?
Wake up! It's the same person.
Now, think about the barber, mechanic, tailor or any other provider of a product or service you use every single time you need something. Do they have the lowest price? Are they members of the Better Business Bureau? Do they have 24 hour turnaround time? Are they open 24 hours a day? Maybe. But does that matter? Nope.
You continue to go back to these people/places because of how they treat you and make you feel. When was the last time you recommended someone go to a barber just because it was open twenty four hours a day? We recommend people go deal with people that we liked and that did a good job.
Just doing a good job isn't good enough for repeat business. What is enough to get people coming back and sending others? Doing a good job while making the person you are dealing with feel great. Most sales are emotionally driven. I don't know a single woman who has ever had a 'happy period' but Kotex still emotionally sells them on that.
Whether you like it or not, you are running a business. Where do successful small businesses get the majority of their orders from? You should already know.
If you clicked on the link, you need to master retaining the information you read before attempting to become a true sales professional.
So, you can beg your organization for longer service hours, faster turn around times, lower pricing or more advertising... Or you can treat engage people while treating them with respect and let the bad sales reps ask for that stupid stuff. See you at the top!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Kicking ass, not kissing it.
You walk into a Wal-Mart to buy something and you are just a customer. As a customer you feel you are entitled to certain things. Generally a quality product and quality service at a price you are willing to pay. If something doesn’t go right, many of us ask for a manager to voice our concern. I do this often, and generally to some level of success with a red vested middle manager (all other employees at Wal-Mart wear blue vests). Many times by the end of the conversation I have the manager laughing, engaged and ready to do almost anything I ask to keep ME as a customer. The reason for this is simple; She is also a customer and she knows how it feels to be treated poorly or have something she bought be defective and not up to par. I end up getting what I want, as long as I being it to her attention with finesse, understanding and compassion.
Let us take that one step further, not only is this manager also a customer, she is a person, a normal human being. Someone who pays bills, gets parking tickets, eats, sleeps, cries, laughs and fights with her husband. Imagine that! A middle manager who is also a human being. The truth is when you are wearing your ‘customer hat’ you are very comfortable talking to this middle manager. Now, let’s look at what happens when you talk to a middle manager wearing your ‘salesperson hat’. You are over polite, meek, dry, boring, uncreative, and nervous. You don’t engage, you’re not funny and you sound just like the last salesperson who they talked to. You product puke and data dump all the while making it nearly impossible to establish a real human to human relationship. The words, “I’m not interested at this time.” simply means, “You’re not interesting to me bucko!”
All your niceties about your product and company history, all your insincere manners and all the boring banter you had, got you nothing. You’re a kiss ass salesperson who walked out of an appointment with no signature, no cheque and no real connection with the decision maker. Sound familiar?For some reason when salespeople are trying to make a sale, they forget that managers, decision makers and business owners are all just regular people. What do regular people like to do? Have a laugh with other regular people. They like to golf or garden, eat and drink, have sex and travel. They want to be engaged. They want to be heard. They want to feel alive and real. They want to deal with people who are real. If they wanted to talk to salespeople all day they would not have a no-soliciting sign, a receptionist who acts as a gatekeeper and they would go to timeshare presentations every night.
Want to start kicking ass in the sales world? Stop kissing the prospects ass and be real. Every single day I walk the line with my customers and I push my sales team to do the same. When was the last time you had a prospect talk to you about something real? I have had customers rant to me for twenty minutes about ex-wives, taxes, family members and sex lives. The rants I remember the best though are the ones where they tell me stories about some pathetic salesperson they’ve dealt with. Imagine that, they start putting down some other salesperson because I’ve made them feel comfortable and they no longer see me as just a salesperson.
Do you want to be the butt of a salesperson joke your prospects are telling or do you want to kick butt?
Let us take that one step further, not only is this manager also a customer, she is a person, a normal human being. Someone who pays bills, gets parking tickets, eats, sleeps, cries, laughs and fights with her husband. Imagine that! A middle manager who is also a human being. The truth is when you are wearing your ‘customer hat’ you are very comfortable talking to this middle manager. Now, let’s look at what happens when you talk to a middle manager wearing your ‘salesperson hat’. You are over polite, meek, dry, boring, uncreative, and nervous. You don’t engage, you’re not funny and you sound just like the last salesperson who they talked to. You product puke and data dump all the while making it nearly impossible to establish a real human to human relationship. The words, “I’m not interested at this time.” simply means, “You’re not interesting to me bucko!”
All your niceties about your product and company history, all your insincere manners and all the boring banter you had, got you nothing. You’re a kiss ass salesperson who walked out of an appointment with no signature, no cheque and no real connection with the decision maker. Sound familiar?For some reason when salespeople are trying to make a sale, they forget that managers, decision makers and business owners are all just regular people. What do regular people like to do? Have a laugh with other regular people. They like to golf or garden, eat and drink, have sex and travel. They want to be engaged. They want to be heard. They want to feel alive and real. They want to deal with people who are real. If they wanted to talk to salespeople all day they would not have a no-soliciting sign, a receptionist who acts as a gatekeeper and they would go to timeshare presentations every night.
Want to start kicking ass in the sales world? Stop kissing the prospects ass and be real. Every single day I walk the line with my customers and I push my sales team to do the same. When was the last time you had a prospect talk to you about something real? I have had customers rant to me for twenty minutes about ex-wives, taxes, family members and sex lives. The rants I remember the best though are the ones where they tell me stories about some pathetic salesperson they’ve dealt with. Imagine that, they start putting down some other salesperson because I’ve made them feel comfortable and they no longer see me as just a salesperson.
Do you want to be the butt of a salesperson joke your prospects are telling or do you want to kick butt?
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