Sales Management 2.0 - Featured Blog Posts

Two blogs you will be sorry if you do not visit...

2008-07-04T03:09:15.324Z

Just a short blog post today to share a few articles I ran across today that I think every sales manager should read. The first one is by Ian Brodie and is called The Myth of Goal Setting. Ian has been on the rampage lately debunking sales myths. His posts are very well thought out and should get you thinking. There is some great conversation going on around this post in the comments. I would encourage you to join in. Ian also has a recent post called Ethics in Sales that is worth a read, and as you can imagine it has some very thought provoking conversation going on around it in the comments as well. Ian is a very insightful guy, and I think you will all enjoy reading him. You can also drop by his Sales Management 2.0 profile and drop him a note if you are interested in finding out a bit more about him.

The other two articles I think you should check out are both by Craig Elias the first is titled Close more sales by "seeing" differently and the other is called Trigger Events and Selective Perception. Craig is teaching sales people to recognize Trigger Events and use them to grow their business by putting the right product in front of the right client at the right time. It is very fascinating stuff and to my knowledge he is the only guy out there writing about it. Craig is also a Sales Management 2.0 member and you can say howdy to him by visiting his profile.

Finally I wanted to announce that Sales Management 2.0 has 204 members as of right now. Not bad for a site that is only 5 months old! I really appreciate every one of you for joining. This has been a lot of fun, and the community is growing all the time. That being said, there are a few things you can do that take almost no time and will really help the community develop into a fun and exciting place.

1) Comment on blog posts. We have a core of very frequent commenters, but we need more. The whole purpose of the community is to exchange ideas. The world deserves to know what you think!

2) Introduce yourself in the forums. How else will you get to know anyone new?

3) Digg and Stumble posts. On the right side you will see a big button that says "Add This" it only takes a few seconds to add a social bookmark but the cumulative effect on traffic to the dite is HUGE.

4) If you are doing webinars, teleconferences, or live conferences please add them to the Events Calendar so other members can find them.

5) Invite friends!

Again, thanks for joining me. I have some cool stuff coming in the next few days. I’ll send out a e-mail once the Careers tab is up. I am looking forward to a full service niche job board in the VERY near future! If there is anything I can do for you to make your experience here better or help you to grow professionally please let me know. You can either comment here or shoot me a private message and I will give you a call.

-Brad

Salesmanship and Empathy

2008-06-29T18:14:52.756Z

One of the simplest ways to increase your productivity as a salesperson is to tune into your buyer's point of view. When you are in tune with your buyer you have empathy. This means that you can identify with and understand their situation, feelings, and motives. When you are in tune with your buyer everything you say or do seems to be right on the mark. The buyer gets the feeling that you really understand them and the road to a successful sale lights up like an airport runway. The opposite is also true. When you are not in tune with your buyer nothing you can do or say will seem to be right. When you push they pull and vice versa. Master salespeople know the importance of empathy and tune in to their buyers as quickly as possible. Novice salespeople on the other hand, rarely make the effort. This lack of empathy between buyer and seller accounts for much of the negative experiences many consumers experience. This kind of selling requires a genuine desire on the part of the salesperson to try and be of service. It is pretty easy to spot the salesperson with this kind of desire. These salespeople take an interest in the buyer on a more personal level. The empathetic salesperson asks more questions and better questions. They ask the type of questions that get the buyer to open up and talk about their situation. Buyers like salespeople that reach them on a personal level. Everyone likes to be listened to and understood. When you demonstrate to your buyer that you are interested and paying attention they will open up to you and tell you what it will take to make a sale. Here are a few reminders to help you focus on your buyers; (*) Focus your attention on your buyer. Do not allow yourself to become distracted. (*) Look for something you like in the other person. What do you think their friends like about them? (*) Get your buyer to tell you their situation, hopes and fears with well prepared questions. Sell with empathy and increase your productivity immediately!

Carnival of Sales & Management Success - June 28, 2008

2008-06-28T23:30:04.723Z

Welcome to the June 28, 2008 edition of Carnival of Sales & Management Success. This is the first of the new every two week format for this carnival. So far I am happy with the results because I think I have been able to select much higher quality content with a deeper pool to pull from. This issue there were 60 submissions and I whittled it down to 26 quality articles. In the future issues I may start to cut a bit deeper and shoot for a top 20. I'll look for reader feedback to drive the frequency and size of these posts. I think there are some really great posts this week so check them out! -Brad

Mike King presents Promoting Employee Engagement in the Workplace posted at Learn This, saying, "There are a number of things that can help to get people more engaged with others and I wanted to outline some of the ones I’ve learned from my experience and what I’ve encountered reading and discussing the topic with others."

GreatManagement presents What I Learned From Jacob Share About Resume Writing For College Leavers posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "I do not know what to include. David has no work experience. This was going to be his first job."

Paul McCord presents Avoiding Uncomfortable Discussions with Your Prospects and Clients Isn?t Going to Build Trust posted at Sales and Sales Management Blog.

Jose DeJesus MD presents When to Delegate posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Shawn Driscoll presents Designing your success ladder posted at Shawn Driscoll.

Jose DeJesus MD presents Successful Business Networking posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Dawn Abraham Life Coach presents The Secret posted at Qualified Life Coach.Com, saying, "How to Apply “ The Secret ” to Your Business and Get Results!"

Michel Fortin presents Apply The Law of Contrast to Build Desire posted at The Michel Fortin Blog.

Karl Goldfield presents Ask the Coach: A dream question - Entry statements for the C-level cold call | startup sales mentor posted at Karl Goldfield.

George L Smyth presents One Minute How-To - How To Lighten Up posted at George L Smyth, saying, "Adrian Gostick explains some of the things companies can do to lighten up the working environment, and why it is a good idea."

GreatManagement presents Managers Build Trust And Respect By Letting Go posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "As the big boss when you attend meetings, you maybe restrict the thinking, the talking, and the debate."

Anya Portnik presents Will improving my memory boost sales success? posted at Gavin Ingham.

Ralph Jean-Paul presents How to Assert Yourself Effectively posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "Being a good communicator, straightforward, and assertive are now essential for business success. Whether you’re dealing with your parents, your spouse, or your boss, here are best ways to give ultimatums, present your ideas clearly, and tell someone they are wrong."

David B. Bohl presents Can Work Life Flexibility Make You a Better Conversationalist? posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, "Ever felt anxious, or maybe just unenthusiastic about conversing in a group?"

Erek Ostrowski presents Asking Ourselves the Right Questions posted at Verve Coaching, saying, "In leadership, the kind of questions that really make a difference are the questions that allow us to deepen our sense of self-awareness and gain insight into why we see things the way we do, why we think the way we do, and why we act the way we do."

terry dean presents From a Sale to An Experience posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

Patrick Schwerdtfeger presents Conversations are Markets posted at Tactical Execution, saying, "Discover the cornerstone to accessing markets and selling products on today's social internet."

Charles H. Green presents A Marketing Company that Gets It on Trust posted at Trusted Advisor Associates, saying, "To understand your customers, have your staff walk a mile in their shoes."

Dereck presents How to become what you want to become, in about two days posted at I Will Not Die.

Dr. Joe Capista presents Success in Business is a Conscious Choice posted at The Success Triangle, saying, "Have you ever notice how some people seem to excel in everything they do? They tend to prosper while others barely get by. It appears as though this select group has the Midas’ touch and has the ability to attract success and prosperity. Learn how to develop your own Midas’ touch."

Dr Capista presents The Role of Self-Confidence in Success posted at The Success Triangle, saying, "If you watch successful people, you will usually find that they are very self-confidant. Self-confidence may have come to these people on account of their success, but usually self-confidence is present in people before they become successful. Once they start working toward success, usually self-confidence and success run parallel, each fueling the other."

Shawn Ellis presents Pete Luongo Presents 10 Simple Truths About Leadership posted at TSG Speakers Bureau Blog, saying, "Here is a review of "10 Truths About Leadership," a book by Pete Luongo, former CEO of The Berry Company (the company responsible for Yellow Pages advertising sales). The review includes some excerpts from the book, which is packed with great lessons about getting the most from your people."

Mark Butler presents Why Everyone Should Experience a Sales Job posted at The Butler Project, saying, "Commission-based sales has a huge stigma, but it's one of the most valuable experiences a person can ever have."

Joseph McClellan presents What I Learned In Mexico: Business Negotiation posted at Debit versus Credit, saying, "Doing business internationally is not something that should be taken lightheartedly. Business negotiations are different anywhere you go around you the world and you should be thus prepared. This post goes over my own experiences with the differences between Mexican and U.S. business negotiators."

CMOE presents Do You Avoid Face to Face Communication? posted at Teamwork.

Ralph Jean-Paul presents How to Network Like a Pro posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "Apply these advanced networking techniques and grow your circle of friends while growing your business."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of Sales & Management Success using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: carnival of sales & management success, blog carnival.

Whats On Your Bookshelve?

2008-06-26T01:32:15.248Z

Harvard Business Review says that 10% of the population has the "learning mindset". What was the last book you read on your profession. Have you enrolled in automobile University? Thats listening to teachers on cds in your automobile. What are you doing to make yourself better at your profession? If you were to ask some of the greatest teachers how many books a month they read and how many teaching cds they listen to every month, chances are the numbers would be staggering. Thats what makes the Jeffrey Gitomers, Zig Ziglar, Chris Lytles, Jom Rohns, Dennis Waitley, Harvey Mackays the best at what they do. They make up the 10%. Start with a book a month, teaching cds in your car and begin to learn like the pros. Want to make more money and be successful in your work, relationships and families? The 10% seems like a good place to be. Do you think you'll find your competition there? BB for now yada3times.blogspot.com

The "ABC's" of Selling

2008-06-25T03:56:19.753Z

If you’re feeling intimidated by the whole "face-to-face selling" idea, don’t be. Books and training materials on the topic of sales and "closing" techniques complicate the process unnecessarily. The result is that selling takes on a mystical quality that further intimidates those that the books seek to encourage. Let me put face-to-face selling in a nutshell and in a manner that will simplify things and make you more comfortable. Ask questions that allow you to better understand the prospect's buying decision, build trust and rapport, and demonstrate your knowledge of the market, your product, and the issues at hand. Be yourself. Do so in a conversational, relaxed manner rather than in an interrogational one. In my career, I’ve conducted sales calls with Vice-Presidents of major oil companies in plush offices in Manhattan, and I've called on maintenance mechanics at small scrap yards in remote neighborhoods of metropolitan Philadelphia. I can tell you that this is the essence of what I've learned and what is applicable in any sales environment. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, intimidated, or discouraged by face-to-face selling, remember your ABC’s: Ask revealing questions Be yourself Conversational, relaxed tone This is an adapted excerpt from Selling the Fuzzy Widget: Secrets of Selling Professional Services by Craig M. Cortello

How Much Is Your Hiring Costing You

2008-06-24T18:48:09.484Z

I wear glasses and have for many years. And like most, I tend to need an arm straightened or a screw tightened about every 6 months. The glasses I bought 2 years ago need adjustments every 3 months and I the place I have been shopping at for 15 years has always provided that service free of charge. About a year ago this company was bought by Pearle Vision and as per the norm they had some staff turnover. Last visit, the chap helping me told me he would fix them at my own risk because my glasses were at least a year old. Okay, new company and maybe new policies. It took all of 6 seconds for him to adjust the arm and still a free service. Driving home I thought about my experience and what if he would have done the following: Ask my name and he would have seen that I have spent a fair amount of money for both my wife and I over the years for glasses, contacts and sunglasses. Told me my last eye visit was three years ago and have I noticed if my vision has changed. How is my supply of disposable contact lenses that I bought about a year ago. Am I still wearing the same sunglasses I had bought a couple of years ago. Would I like to see some new frames that came in recently. There is a good chance this employee won’t be there the next time I need my glasses adjusted. Then again it’s very unlikely I will be returning. Now how much is that going to cost Pearle Vision? The money they invested in that employee, my future purchases and how many more customers did this employee turn off who won’t be returning? BB for now

Understanding your customers before you start selling.

2008-06-24T15:34:02.861Z

Good morning everyone! Just a short post today to introduce an idea I think is very important to sales professionals of all types and that is to understand your customer’s needs before you start selling. I was reading Chris Whyatt Thinks and found a quote he used that I thought was very powerful: "If you want to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings and speak my words." You should check out the rest of his post “My Favorite Quotation (in a sales context)” it has some great comments and I am sure Chris would love to hear what you think as well. This post really got me thinking about The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and how it applies to sales. Anyone who knows me knows my favorite habit is “Habit #5 Seek first to understand then be understood”. Probably knows why I enjoyed Chris’s quote so much. It basically says the same thing in different words. Before we start selling it is imperative that we understand a customer, their needs and what it is they are trying to accomplish. My plan for next week is to start a series of 8 posts covering the 7 habits. It should be a fun series and I hope it will stimulate some interesting conversation. I will also be training my own sales team on the same topic so I hope to be sharing some of their thoughts and comments in that series as well. If you are really interested in getting to understand your clients better and understand what makes people buy I suggest you check out Craig Elias’s blog Shift Selling where he focuses on trigger events and what causes people to buy. It is a great blog and he is focused on a very narrow topic, but it is one that affects all of us. A good post to start on is “What’s the BIG deal about “Trigger Events”. I hope all of you have a great week this week! More to come in the next few days! -Brad

Reaching Out To Your Prospect

2008-06-24T14:41:36.062Z

There is one hard rule that we all live by, it is a devastating truth that some of us will realise and others will blithely ignore in a vain attempt at diverting the inevitable. Some of us will never realise it.... and that rule is…. Dads are NEVER cool! I take particular glee in this new found understanding of where I fit into the rotating league of fashion status and my daughter’s embarrassment at the prospect of me doing literally anything is a renewable source of entertainment. This knowledge is ironically fitting because I (and every other parent) have been through exactly the same situation with regard to our own parents as children. This mirth and entertainment I get with my daughter is not shared with regard to sales people who think that they too are immune from this rule, because for certain there are people who think that by engaging with a client they have to assume the characteristics of the client. There is nothing more cringe worthy than a salesman out of his depth in an attempt to ingratiate himself with a customer. I can get where this misplaced idea comes from, in that successful selling involves understanding the needs of the customer and in some sense empathising with them. However, this is not method acting; Dustin Hoffman doesn’t have to live with the customer for several months to get into the psyche of the part and being accepted as ‘one of the gang’ is not a pre-requisite to making a sale. Sincerity is the key here, in that genuine sharing of ideas and experiences is an ideal foundation to generate rapport no matter the barrier, but sincerity by its very nature can’t be a thing easily mimicked. With my kid, I can have fun but I realise that because I am no longer a child (Contrary opinion from other half) I don’t share her hobbies or listen to the same music, besides she has friends her own age for all that ‘cool stuff’. Our relationship is as much based on differences as it is about sharing the same values and we can understand and respect each other for that. If for a minute I was to attempt otherwise, I would be found out within a heartbeat. In sales, common ground is always a good thing to have, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have it personally. I would respect someone far more for holding their own views rather than creating something fictitiously.

How To Avoid Negative Sales Stereotypes.

2008-06-16T15:49:46.966Z

Have you ever wondered why there are so many negative stereotypes associated with people in our profession? Seriously… Ask anyone “what is the first thing you think of when you think about sales people?” and chances are you will hear a lot of things along the lines of dishonesty. It’s unfortunate because 95% of the people in our profession are good honest people that are just trying to make a living. More unfortunate is the fact that we as a group of professionals perpetuate these stereotypes with our own thoughts and actions. Think about the way most top performers are treated by their peers. Even if they are not cheating most people will assume they are in some way. It’s simple human psychology to think this, because no one wants to admit to themselves that this person works harder than me, or is more skillful than me. The fact is there is a really good chance that’s true. I was scanning through my feed reader this morning looking for something to write about when I came across two great blog posts with some good conversation going on surrounding them that I think you should check out. The first is called “What Did You Say You Were Going To Do?” and the other is called “Are You Lying Comfortably?” Both of these posts are about honesty in our profession and well worth the read. Give some thought to this topic because whether you think it is or not; this issue is affecting your business. Why are there so many negative stereotypes associated with sales people? My first thought is because people rely on us to help them make difficult decisions they may not posses the knowledge to make alone. That means we will be judged by a higher standard than the rest of the population and the little white lie will come back to bite you. Think about the BEST salespeople you know… someone who makes 2x your salary. Are they 2x as talented or are they slightly more talented and significantly more reliable?

Carnival of Sales & Management Success - June 14, 2008

2008-06-15T22:21:07.239Z

Welcome to the June 14, 2008 edition of Carnival of Sales & Management Success. This week I had 37 submissions and I cut it down to the best 17 for your reading pleasure. As always there is some REALLY good stuff here, and I look forward to hearing what you think about any or all of these articles. If there is one article in particular you wish to discuss please start a discussion in the forums where we can go into some detail. I hope everyone has a great week! -Brad

David B. Bohl presents Defining Success on Your Own Terms posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, "Too often people aspire to be successful based on the dictates of others."

GreatManagement presents What I Learned From Sam The Border Collie Dog posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "Sam was a very intelligent, smart and active dog. He was a real live wire and we learned so much from him."

Joann Ang presents Law of Attraction posted at Law of Attraction Information Center, saying, "All about the law of attraction, its basic premise and how to benefit from it."

Ralph Jean-Paul presents How to Think Like a Visionary posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "Accomplish amazing goals by setting your sights in the right direction. Expand your mind and learn how the great thinkers, inventors, CEOs and leaders reached greatness by having sharing, and following their visions."

Jose DeJesus MD presents How to Stay Focussed on the Big Picture posted at Physician Entrepreneur, saying, "none"

Rich Vosler presents Sales Training & Motivation posted at Sales Training Tips.

Jose DeJesus MD presents Motivating Your Employees posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

GreatManagement presents Successful Management and Mobile Working posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "Is flexible working better working?"

Anya Portnik presents Selling is simple posted at Gavin Ingham.

James Feudo presents Public Speaking Success: Three Ways to Make a Speech More Interesting | Overnight Sensation posted at Overnight Sensation, saying, "These tips for speeches are especially helpful for sales presentations."

Karl Goldfield presents From the newsletter: Interviewing for a Sales Evangelist - The Wants and What Not’s of the Methodology | startup sales mentor posted at Karl Goldfield.

Tim Rohrer presents What Do You Do? posted at Sales and Marketing Loudmouth, saying, "I've always wanted to be a part of a carnival. I hope you pick me!"

Fiona King presents Get a Marketing Degree, Free: 100+ Open Courseware Collections for Web Entrepreneurs posted at Accredited Degrees.

Anya Portnik presents The Sales Apprentice 2008: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, the final posted at Gavin Ingham.

Roger Smith presents MLM Leadership -Why Your Upline Will Always Fail You No Matter What. posted at Magnetic Leadership Marketing.

Jose DeJesus MD presents Creating Incentives and Recognizing Excellence in Your Employees posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Terry Dean presents From a Sale to An Experience posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of sales & management success using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: carnival of sales & management success, blog carnival.

False Assumptions and Lack of Ambition… How we make ourselves fail.

2008-06-11T03:38:18.829Z

Today I was reading two seemingly unrelated posts that when I took some time to think about them really complemented each other nicely. The first is by Karl Goldfield called Training: Opening Sales Doors -Other Tributes of a Sales Champion. In this article Karl points out three things he believes sales professionals must have in order to be successful 1) The ability to listen 2) Fiery drive 3) Ambition and ideas. Simple stuff so far… The next post was by Tim Rohrer and is called Dangerous Assumptions. In this post Tim recalls a situation where a salesperson put an artificial cap the price of a sale because the “budget was limited”. Upon further investigation by Tim, the rep really had no idea what that meant but placed an artificial cap on the account and instead of pitching the proposal the customer was about to pitch the proposal he thought they could afford. So what connects these two posts? It’s simple really. So simple I almost missed it. When sales people fail it is usually not because of our circumstances, the leads, the territory, or any other reason out of our control. It really boils down to us as professionals letting ourselves down. How many times have you called a lead that you “knew would not work out”? Have you ever set assumptions about the prospects ability to afford your product or the sincerity of their request for information? Everyone does this… some of us more than others but at some point we have all been guilty of this sin. If we were really listening, actually possessed a fiery drive, and were full of ambition and ideas we would close more sales. We need to remember as sales professionals that we are not the Tin Men of the 50’s and 60’s. We are true professionals, and our customers rely on us to provide educated product recommendations. We owe it to our customers to listen to their needs and recommend the products that will do what the need regardless of cost. Our next mission is to use our ambition and ideas to show them how they can afford the solution or more importantly how they can’t afford not to implement your proposal. As managers we need to go even one step further, and remember to listen to our staff, model the behavior we want to see, and keep our emotions in check when coaching or correcting. I’m just guessing but I would say it is safe to assume most sales managers miss 80% of the coaching opportunities that are available on their team because their team members are afraid to share failures. Later this week I will follow up on this post with a post or two coaching and correcting and how to conduct a weekly one on one meeting that your team will want to show up for. -Brad

Carnival of Sales & Management Success - June 7, 2008

2008-06-07T22:40:41.732Z

Welcome to the June 7, 2008 edition of Carnival of Sales & Management Success. This week I had 26 submissions and cut it down to the best 10. I am constantly looking for good stuff to include here so if you would like to see YOUR blog posts highlighted here please let me know by using the link at the bottom of this post. I look forward to seeing your thoughts on this weeks carnival. -Brad

Brian Terry presents From a Sale to An Experience posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

Martin Russell presents They’re Going To Go Broke… posted at Word of Mouth Marketing.

Anya Portnik presents The Sales Apprentice: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, part X posted at Gavin Ingham.

Anya Portnik presents How not to sell a watch posted at Gavin Ingham.

Fitz Villafuerte presents What Is SWOT Analysis and How To Do One For Your Business posted at Ready To Be Rich, saying, "Short and simple lesson on what and how to do a SWOT analysis for your business. Includes two short case studies for better understanding of the concept."

Jose DeJesus MD presents Create Productive Advertisements posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Mark Riffey presents The fine line between personal and business posted at Business is Personal.

Jose DeJesus MD presents Business Continuity Lessons from the Universal Studios Fire posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Fiona King presents The Manager's Handbook: 80+ Open Courseware Collections to Help You Be a Better Leader posted at JobProfiles.org - Job Descriptions and Online Schools to Start Your Career.

Karl Goldfield presents Ask the Coach and a book review: Is .9999 repeating the sames as 1? | startup sales mentor posted at Karl Goldfield.

Technorati tags: carnival of sales & management success, blog carnival.

Do you Fish! at work?

2008-06-06T20:42:21.899Z

I love what I do and I enjoy going to work… How many people can say that? Personally I think sales can be a very fun and rewarding job if the sales manager manages the culture and makes it fun. The flip side of that is if you work for the wrong people it can really stink! Pretty much anyone who knows me will tell you I do not run my sales team in the very strict shut-up and dial style most of the people I have worked for used. This is probably why I like going to work everyday! I just finished reading the book Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results for about the 5th time last week but every time I read it I take more out of it. I bought a copy for every member of my team to read it with me this time because we were in a bit of a funk. We had lost some key individuals, and made some new hires and have been in the storming part of the storming – norming - performing cycle for a little to long and it was just time for a change. If you are not familiar with Fish! Philosophy I give you the 30 second version: Fish! Is the true story about Mary Jane Ramirez, and how she made some powerful observations while watching the fish mongers at Seattle’s Pike Place Market have fun doing a job she thought no one could possibly enjoy. From these observations she took away four key points. 1) Choose the attitude you take to work. While we may not get to choose what it is we do, or where and how we do it we do have complete control over the attitude we choose while we are doing it. Do the work with a grimace and you will suffer all day long and be miserable all day long. Chooses to smile and you will be a beacon of hope to someone and get more done with better cooperation from others. 2) Be there! Put your customers first and foremost. Avoid multitasking, and focus on the people right in front of you. 3) Make their day. Take the time to understand the issues your customers face, and develop a customer service oriented attitude. Make every effort to make every customer interaction positive and memorable. 4) Play and have fun! Look for ways to have fun at work. You can be serious about doing great work without taking yourself too serious. If your whole team is focused on being productive but having a good time doing it you will see HUGE improvements in the level of production, reduced turnover, and better customer service. The real trick to implementing something like this is it can not be the new flavor of the week management trick. It works for my team because everyone knows I believe in this philosophy to the core of my soul. Also… you can not dictate the fun. You have to let the culture develop organically and be willing to let them do the things THEY think are fun. All of these principles need to be adhered to from the bottom up AND the top down. Don’t be afraid to have fun with them! Remember that choose your attitude, be there, make their day, and play and have fun applies to everyone. Your employees are your customers. Treat them right, respect them and have fun with them. Over time you will build a relationship where they will walk through fire to take care of you. If you have not read Fish! You should! It is a two hour read at most and if you do a good job implementing it in your workplace you will be surprised the amount of fun you can have wile hitting goals no one thought possible. I would love to see some stories from people who have done things like this in their office and the results they have had. For me the results have been nothing short of spectacular… so don’t be afraid to work had and have fun! -Brad

Lead autopilot with Monster.com

2008-06-04T23:23:17.166Z

A post from my blog, WinningTheNumbersGame: Corporate donor leads from Monster The web provides a lot of ways to generate leads on potential corporate donors and have them e-mailed directly to you. I’ll outline in few chapters some creative ways to get someone else to do your job, almost like hiring an assistant for no money at all. The Monster.com Lead Autopilot Very simply, monster.com will tell you which companies need your help with talent aquisition and retention. Keep in mind that the biggest value you offer is helping companies create an environment where employees love their job! And employees love to work at a place that creates value for the community in which they live. Create a free account on Monster, if you don’t have one already. Once you create a free account, go to the Find Jobs tab. Click on Job Search Agents and select Create Search Agent. Now, here’s where you need to get very creative and think about the typical business clients your non-profit already does business with. Does your non-profit help companies who are in a growth mode? What geographic territory do your donors reside? Is there a particular vertical industry you do best in - which ones have the low hanging fruit? Keywords: Many times employers will be very specific about the extent to which they support non-profit organizations in their postings. Because it’s very difficult these days to pay the same compensation offered by bigger companies, many employers will push the work environment, which often includes doing good work in the community. Search for words like “community”, “charity”, ”giving”, “work-life balance”. The business value with these companies is talent aquisition and retention. Location: Pretty straight forward. Basically, that’s the location where the company is expanding or experiencing some degree of turnover. Industry: Again, pretty straight forward. What industries does your NPO do the most business with? If you are Health-care NPO, target Health-care insurance, Bio-tech or Pharma. If you are an affordable housing NPO, target real estate or construction. Again, be CREATIVE. Occupation: This provides an indicator regarding the functional areas within a company that are experiencing growth or change. If these roles are related to your NPO’s area of expertise, you might be able to offer assistance with the job search! Implementation Guide: If you are sitting in front of your computer, click here and spend the next 20 minutes creating one lead-generating autopilot. Do it now - take action. Action is the only way to get 100% results from a new idea.

How Do You Define Sales Effectiveness and Sales Productivity?

2008-06-03T18:50:18.888Z

These terms are bantered around a lot, but there doesn't seem to be much discipline in how they're used. So I though I'd pose the question here to see what your thoughts are. Please provide your definitions and be specific.

How Powerful Are Gatekeepers?

2008-06-02T16:17:37.677Z

Gatekeepers are essentially conduits that control the flow of information to where you want it to go. Gatekeepers, as the name suggests, are more often than not perceived in the negative due to the road block effect that they have on your objectives and because essentially their job is to filter out unwanted information. In business, the most common gatekeeper that you will encounter is the personal assistant. How many times have you tried to call up someone only to have been brushed off by the PA who says he is “in a meeting”? I know of people who look down on personal assistants, which I think is a grave error. As controllers of information they have the ability to influence those key decision makers you are trying to contact. Why prejudice your chances of progressing sales by being prejudicial? Quite how much influence PA’s have on the decision making progress, I think, is quite underestimated. Think on it, close working relationships are developed between colleagues who spend large amounts of working time together (no matter the hierarchical relationship). Their opinion will be sought on many things and just because a person may not be in a position of authority or power, they still have the power to influence. I remember a long time ago, I did some work experience at my father’s barrister’s chambers. I was still at school and so could only be fifteen or sixteen at the time. As part of my experience I was to help and learn from the clerks who controlled the work, money and organised the lawyer’s time. I remember answering this one phone call from a solicitor who wanted to speak with someone and through my ignorance of the phone system could not connect the call fast enough. This solicitor got very angry and abusive with me (he just considered me an inept clerk). At the time, I recalled how unpleasant this person was at treating another human being in this way, but only realised many years later how costly that behaviour could have been to that ignorant person. Clerks control the work given out to lawyers, they control who works on which case and when. Getting on the wrong side of a clerk could mean that your case could be assigned literally a few hours before a case was due to be heard, meaning that the lawyer representing the client would be ill prepared and possibly the least able to handle the case. Clerks are the gatekeepers of the legal world and crossing them is a mistake that I have seen some lawyers regret. The lesson I learnt those years ago I have kept and I certainly don’t underestimate the power of anyone in any organisation. I think those that do, do so at their peril.

Selecting good team members, avoiding "sticker shock" and more...

2008-06-02T15:13:03.628Z

A few times per week I am trying to make sure I share some of the great post I find around the blogosphere on sales and share them with the community. There are two things different about these posts from the carnival you are used to seeing. First… Carnival articles are submitted to me by authors and with these articles I have sought out the author; so we get a bit of role reversal. Secondly I rarely comment or talk much about the carnival submissions, and I will be using these articles to start a little discussion the same way I did last week with Yacht Sales, Failure to Close, and Trigger Events. I have two great articles for you today called "What Makes a Good Sales Person", by Ian Brodie. In this article Ian does a great job of starting a discussion on a topic I think is often debated and that there is no one answer to. You should check it out… When building a sales team we need to be able to spot great salespeople when we see them. The important thing to remember is that there is no one mold. On my team I have purposely selected a broad range of people from different sales backgrounds, men, women, and different ethnicities. They all do very well, and they all do it a bit different, and they all learn from each other. The trick is finding the 3 or 4 traits a great salesperson in your industry must have and then building a team around that. The second article is called “How to avoid ‘Sticker Shock’ explained…" by Chris Whyatt. In this article Chris talks about selling with proposals, and how to avoid ‘sticker shock’ before the client reads the proposal. I have to start out by saying I like a clean streamlined sales process that leads to a closed deal as fast as possible, so adding steps in is not something I like to do but in this case one small change can alleviate so many issues I think it is worth it. Chris proposes that the first proposal you send to the client not talk about cost and only focused on the potential solution. Why? Because we all know that in any proposal the first thing the client looks for is the cost. Secondly, we know once we commit to a cost any changes we make to that proposal that could increase cost will be difficult to negotiate. Chris’s plan is to negotiate the proposal until it perfectly suits the client’s needs and then send a final complete proposal with cost for review. This type of proposal process can cause some issues and is not perfect for every situation but I do see some value in it. I would love to hear what you think about both of these articles in the comments. Have a great week everyone! -Brad

Carnival of Sales & Management Success - May 31, 2008

2008-05-31T18:35:46.813Z

Welcome to the May 31, 2008 edition of Carnival of Sales & Management Success. We had 29 submissions this week and I cut it down to the top 15. There are some different articles in here from what I normally run. I hope you enjoy and look forward to seeing some discussion on these in the forums. -Brad

Alan K Rudi presents Critical Thinking Skills for Success in Business and Life » Successful Business Leadership posted at Successful Business Leadership.

Charles H. Green presents Why Influence Is Only Halfway to Trust posted at Trusted Advisor Associates, saying, "Influence is taking over from top-down "do it!" style management, but influence absent good will leads to distrust."

GreatManagement presents Are You A Self-Development Junkie? posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "Do you buy self-development products? Books, videos, audios? That's great. Bet you don't do what I do..."

Jessica Donnovan presents Web Based CRM Software - Choosing the Best CRM Solution for Your Needs posted at Sensible Self-Improvement.

Anya Portnik presents Why consistency is important for sales and business success posted at Gavin Ingham.

Steve Faber presents - Creating a Customer Loyalty Strategy – How to Reach Your Business Profitability Goal posted at Home Based Business Success.

Timothy Yordy presents Adapt to Thrive posted at Get Out of the Rat Race | Self-Employment | Self-Sufficient Life, saying, "An article about learning to adapt yourself to the needs of your business and your employees and to stop expecting it to happen the other way around."

Susan Tatum presents Technology Marketing Fundamentals. Your Best Competitive Advantage. posted at TechnoBuzz.

Ralph Jean-Paul presents Start Meaningful Conversations posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "Have more interesting and engaging conversations by learning the right way to begin them. The way you connect with people can improve your social and professional life. So if you want to improve your overall lifestyle, improve the way you connect with others."

Michael Walsh presents Add-on Sales and Upselling posted at Business Growth, saying, "Taking advantage of opportunities to generate add-on sales to your customers is a straight forward way to grow"

Carol Bentley presents Ostrich or Hawk posted at Carol Bentley, saying, "Ostrich or hawk?"

David B. Bohl presents Secrets of Successful Managers on How to Budget Your Time posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, "What do Jim Donald, Susan Lyne, and Bill Gates have in common?"

Erek Ostrowski presents Delegating vs. “Passing it Off” posted at Verve Coaching, saying, "One of the fundamental keys to delegating effectively is understanding the difference between delegating a task or responsibility, and simply “passing it off”."

Ian Brodie presents The Impossible Question - What Makes a Good Salesperson? posted at Sales Excellence, saying, "It's not a scientific study - but working with hundreds of sales people from over 20 different countries has given me a good insight into the key characteristics of effective salespeople."

CMOE presents Gather Intelligence posted at CMOE- Strategic Thinking.

Technorati tags: carnival of sales & management success, blog carnival.

Yacht sales, failure to close, and trigger events...

2008-05-27T16:18:56.332Z

I hope everyone had a good weekend, I know I did. I was out boat shopping all weekend and had a GREAT experience looking at some beautiful 40+ foot sailboats. I have a post coming up this week about asking for the sale though because despite strong buying signals from my wife and I only one of three yacht brokers did something even close to asking for the sale and his close was weak at best. Anyways, I was reading my feeds this morning and I came across a couple of posts I think you HAVE to go take a look at. The first one is from Colin Wilson at The Entrepreneurial Salesman Blog called “Time to Differentiate Yourself” In this post Colin talks about the difficult times in the economy we are experiencing and how we will need to differentiate ourselves from the pack if we want to be successful in the future. His first suggestion is something no one did for me this weekend and that was to ask really good open probing questions. The second post is from Craig Elias at Shift Selling. Craig is an expert on Trigger Events how you can use what is happening in a person’s life or in the news to trigger sales. He has a very interesting post with some great comments called “Trigger Events and Selective Perception” that will give you a great introduction to what it is Craig and Trigger Events are all about. Again, I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend… I was more or less of the computer for three days enjoying myself, but I have some great stuff coming this week!

The Matrix: Lessons in sales

2008-05-26T23:32:20.661Z

If you have not had the opportunity to see The Matrix, you should go rent it and watch it a few times. Besides being just another sci-fi flick, The Matrix has a deeper meaning that can be directly applied to sales. I had a Matrix moment at work today.

Photo: ThomasThomas Take the Red Pill. Do you believe you are a better than average sales person? Have you just been waiting for that moment to present itself to be a superstar? Stop waiting. Anyone that tells you that ‘opportunity knocks’ is lying to you. Opportunity comes to the person who makes the effort to be better. No MBA program is going to knock on your door, you need to apply and attend. Chances are no major revenue event is going to drop on your desk, you need to look for it. Some people call it drinking the koolaid, but regardless you should do it. Once you buy in that you can be better and start behaving like a rockstar sales professional, the results will come. Sometimes in weeks sometimes in a few months but if you stay consistent taking the Red Pill will open your eyes to a world of possibilities you had been overlooking or neglecting for a long time. Know thy Self There is a scene in the movie where Neo the main character played by Keanu Reeves meets the Oracle for the first time. She asks Neo if he is the one that is going to save the world. Not knowing how to answer the question and being skeptical himself, he says ‘No’. The truth is that he IS but the deeper meaning is that if Neo does not believe he is the one, then he will never be. As a professional sales person you should know yourself. What are your weaknesses? What are your strengths? Only you know for sure. If you want to go from good to great, you must believe in yourself and act accordingly. Focus on your strengths and drive full force forward. If you believe you can then you will. As long as you hold some credibility with your managers and peers you should be comfortable sharing ideas on what is going to make things better and produce more revenue. Identify the issues facing you and your sales group and step up to fix them. Part of those issues for my team can be explained in the blog The Straight Line by Brian Berlin. Be the one Just as in my previous Boiler Room: Lessons in sales post you need to ‘act as if’. Work like you are the top dog that you know you are. If people haven’t noticed your potential yet, they will very soon. Being the one is based on your ability to be and act like a leader. Leadership is one key trait that you must learn to master. It is a process and you will make mistakes. Don’t lose heart, drive on and learn from them. As a sales professional you must be quick to adapt. Learn everything about your product or service, inside and out. This way you will be able to shift positions quickly to address a pain point in your customers by providing solutions to their problems. What other correlations can be made between The Matrix and sales?

One Myth About Long-Term Relationships

2008-05-25T15:16:31.248Z

We're all tuned in to the importance of building relationships as a way of building business. But what happens in the short-run if you wait until the relationship is "just right?" (Think cash-flow). I've been in business for nearly 30 years and have clients who have been with me almost that long. But I got a phone call yesterday from a guy who I met once--briefly--and he wants to start doing work together this week. At the end of the conversation I asked the direct question: "Bill, what prompted your call?" Bill's answer: "I heard you talking to one of your clients after a meeting and you said 'Let's look at the practical way to assess and use the talent in your group' I don't usually hear consultants and coaches talk so plainly about how to get things done." He heard a snippet of conversation that perked his ears and then (obviously) checked out my work afterwards with the current client. I'd love to believe that companies engage me on the depth and breadth of my work. They don't at the outset. They engage as a result of what amounts to an infomercial that grabs their attention. They re-engage because of depth, breadth, and results. That's what binds us over the long haul. Take a risk and ask some of your clients/customers what you bring that is different from others. (Our clients are the ones who brand us, not ourselves or our marketing groups). Then craft your own infomercial around that. One of my clients actually gave me the tag line for our business: "Teaching Smart People Practical Ways to Become Extraordinary." (And he is an engineer by education!). Take Away: Build long-term relationships. Start them with a solid 30-second infomercial.