“This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Post written by Jeremy Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

1. ABS – Always Be Scheduling. Schedule your tasks and block time to complete them. Also, leave yourself some free time at the end of the day to complete unexpected tasks or to complete tasks that took longer than expected earlier in the day.

2. MITF – Most Important Tasks First. You are more likely to complete challenging tasks early in the day versus the end of the day when your productivity levels and focus have decreased.

3. Focus On One Thing At A Time. You will get more done and produce higher quality work.

4. Don’t Confuse Being Busy With Being Productive. Focus on what makes the greatest impact on your bottom line sales results.

5. Schedule Mini-Breaks. Block out 15 minutes multiple times per day for a break. Your focus and productivity will increase.

6. Shut Off All Technology Distractions. Turn off  your phones, IM, chat, and email alerts when you need to focus on a task. This will not always apply, but try it out for certain time blocks and see how much more you get done.

7. Schedule Times To Check Your Email & Voicemail. This will give you more time in the day to get things done. Remember, you don’t have to be available every minute of the day…In fact, that just will slow you down.

8. Determine Where You Are Wasting Time. Start tracking any activities daily that you find are wasting your time. Then, eliminate one item at a time.

9. Just Say “No.” Learn to say “No” to requests that get you off-track.

10. Set Deadlines For Yourself. Give yourself a certain amount of time to complete tasks and your work for the day. With a set stop time, you will be forced to get more done before you reach the finish line.

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“My father said: You must never try to make all the money that’s in a deal. Let the other fellow make some money too, because if you have a reputation for always making all the money, you won’t have many deals.” ~Getty, J. Paul

Post written by Jeremy J. Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

1. Create An Agreed Upon Agenda. Determine the following: What needs to be resolved? Who is involved? What are the major issues? What are the time frames?

2. Resist Committing Too Early. Do not lock in your pricing or commit to other items until everything is on the table and negotiated.

3. Resolve Any Major Issues Early. If the prospect has some major concern about your organization, it is best to uncover this early, so that it is not brought up at the end of the negotiation which will weaken your position and you’ll be tempted to give in to more concessions.

4. Determine What Can Be Shared. Determine the information you will disclose or not disclose with the prospect. Also, consider what types of information they are open to sharing and the information they are keeping from you.

5. Focus On Needs & Requirements. Don’t get caught up on the price alone. Ask to put price aside for a moment and address all other obstacles to find a solution.

6. Establish Value For Your Service or Product. Understand needs, challenges, goals, and then provide a solution.

7. Throw Your Ego Out The Window. If you view the negotiation as a personal victory or loss, your ego is involved and can make it difficult to remain objective during the negotiation process.

8. Buy Yourself Some Time If Needed. Be upfront, but if you can’t approve something yourself and you need a sales director to approve it for you, let the prospect know you need to check with your manager before making the change to the agreement.

9. Plan Ahead. Come to the table armed with where you are willing to give and where you simply can not make any changes.

10. Know When To Walk Away. You and your sales management team should have clear guidelines for what is profitable business and what is not. Be sure to know when you need to end the negotiation if it will be a loss to your company.

11. Be Patient. If you are in the middle of negotiations and significant decision are being made, don’t rush to finalize a decision in that meeting. Consider requesting a break to think it over and discuss with members on your sales team and schedule a follow up meeting.

12. Look At The Negotiation From Various Perspectives. Think about it from your prospects position and request the opinion of your sales manager or sales peers.

13. Make Sure You Are Talking To The Decision Maker. As sales professionals know, if you are not working with the decision maker, especially when it comes to negotiating the final deal, you are wasting your time.

14. Close Your Mouth. Learn to talk less and listen more. The more you listen and ask questions the better you will understand and be able to position your company effectively.

15. Provide Case Studies. If the prospective client has never worked with you before they may have some concerns. Bring written case studies of similar clients that your organization has helped. It will build credibility and help you initiate the partnership.

16. Remember To Give & Receive. If you are offering concession after concession without any commitments in return you are going to get run over in the negotiation. Remember that for each concession you make, there should be some commitment or concession made on the other side.

17. Be Optimistic, Confident & Positive. Expect more and receive more. Think big and aim high. It is easier to negotiate down, than up.

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“Deep listening is miraculous for both listener and speaker. When someone receives us with open-hearted, non-judging, intensely interested listening, our spirits expand.” ~Sue Patton Thoele

Post written by Jeremy J. Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

1. Be Present & Stay Focused. Stop thinking about what you are going to say next and focus on what the speaker is telling you. Be curious and ask follow up questions to learn more about what they are telling you.

2. Pause Before You Respond. Take 2 full breaths before responding. It will ensure the speaker is finished and give them space to share more. It will also help you control the amount of talking you are doing.

3. Refocus If Your Mind Wanders. If you start thinking about your next meeting, travel plans, or what you have planned for the evening, bring yourself back to the moment.

4. Summarize & Bottom Line The Key Points. Play back to the speaker the key items you are hearing to ensure you are capturing the essence of what is being relayed to you. Make sure to take notes of these key items so you can revisit them as needed later in the meeting.

5. Focus On Listening & Understanding Versus Judging & Opinion. It is natural to want to share your 2 cents right away, or to be making judgments in your mind about what you are hearing. However, that is not focused listening. Stop yourself from doing this by placing your attention on learning, listening, and understanding. Ask open ended questions that begin with “What” to stay focused on listening and understanding.

6. Use Your Intuition. Whether you are on the phone or in person, you should be listening not only with your ears, but with your intuition as well. Notice the speaker’s breathing, tone, pace, and energy. There is a lot of information to be gathered and the more you pay attention to your intuition, the more effective your listening will be.

7. Never Talk Over Anyone. If the speaker is talking, simply wait your turn. Do not try to interject, and if you do, catch yourself, and say, “Sorry, please carry on…”

8. Ignore Internal & External Distractions. Image you are in a bubble with the person you are speaking to and they are the center of your universe. Try it out and watch what kind of impact it will have.

9. Resist Telling The Speaker How You Handled A Similar Situation. Pause yourself from sharing your own input and experiences until you have fully listened to what the speaker has to say.

10. Relax. The more calm you are, the more information you will gather from the person you are listening to since they will be at ease with you.

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“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Dr Wayne Dyer

Post written by Jeremy Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Join the discussion and get free sales help in our New LinkedIn Group!

It is easy to get down on yourself in the world of sales if you have had a bad month, quarter, or even a down year. But if you hold onto those negative thoughts about your sales performance, it will not help you to achieve your sales goals.

As simplistic as this may sound, if you are a negative person, sales will always feel like a struggle. As a positive person, sales becomes much more enjoyable and can be very fulfilling. You will also produce far greater results with a positive mind-set in sales.

Being a positive person has been a significant part of my own success and below are some of the key practices I have followed to be a positive person in the world of sales:

• Believe that anything is possible and that you can form a partnership with any company in the world.
• Be aware of your inner critic. That voice that says, “You can’t call that CEO.” Notice the limiting thought, and then decide on the right action to take.
• Be thankful for the strengths and gifts you already possess.
• Smile more and laugh more.
• Exercise and eat healthy.
• Clarify your values and honor them.
• Don’t be afraid to fail. Look at mistakes as learning lessons.
• Surround yourself with positive and uplifting people.
• Be grateful for the opportunities you have, not what you don’t have.
• Ignore all people who say, “You can’t do that.”

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“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” ~e.e. cummings

Post written by Jeremy Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

1. Say “Thank You.” Thank one of your clients, team members, or peers daily.

2. Smile. Having a rough day at work? Just experienced a heavy dose of sales rejection? Don’t forget to smile, it will make you feel better and you might be the only smile someone else sees all day. Try it right now, and you will feel better.

3. View The World Of Sales As The Ultimate Test. View challenges with a customer, problems with your boss, and mistakes that you make during the sales process as “sales training” and valuable sales lessons. Learn to look at difficult experiences as lessons versus failures or mistakes.

4. Be Kind. Think about one thing you can do daily that would be a kind act and make it a ritual in your office place. ‎”It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” ~Author Unknown

5. Make One Positive Acknowledgment Daily. Simply state what you see in someone. It might be the only positive thing they hear all day or week.

6. Ask, “How Can I Be Of Service To My Clients & Prospective Clients?” Ask and answer this question daily. Then, take meaningful actions and you will be on your way to success like you have never experienced before.

7. See The Glass As Already Broken. Expect that some things in sales will go wrong, accept them, and you will be less disappointed when they happen. It will also force you to be more in the moment. Here is a great little story that illustrates this point:

“You see this goblet?” asks Achaan Chaa, the Thai meditation master. “For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.” ~Mark Epstein

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“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” ~Oscar Wilde

Post written by Jeremy Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The majority of us have at some time in our career worked for a manager who we did not connect with, or who should really not be managing or leading sales people. However, we can’t always control who our bosses are, so here are 4 tips to survive working for a difficult sales manager.

Tip 1: Appreciate What They Do Well
Even if you detest your boss, you’re going to have to find a way to deal with the situation if you want to remain on the sales team. One of the best ways to do this is to tolerate his or her weaknesses and focus on the good qualities they possess, even if there are very few. Focus on how they can help you.

Tip 2: Make Sure Your Boss Knows You Are Fully Engaged In Selling And Want To Succeed
You need to find out where you stand with your manager and also to let him or her know about your commitment to success. Request a 15 minute meeting with your sales manager to talk about how things are going. There are four main things you want to accomplish in this meeting.

1. Ask your manager to evaluate how you are doing in your sales position.
2. Discuss any concerns they have for your performance and put together a specific action plan that addresses all concerns they have.
3. Make it very clear that you want to succeed in your role and do the best you possible can.
4. Schedule a follow up 15 minute meeting 2 weeks out to check-in again and review progress.

By taking the initiative to do this, you will not be guessing anymore. You will know exactly what your sales manager wants and expects from you. You will also know where he or she thinks you have weaknesses so you can address them.

“A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.” ~John C.Maxwell

Tip 3: Schedule On-Going Follow-Up Meetings
The first meeting brought you and your sales manager onto the same page. Now the key is to continually schedule follow up meetings ever 2 weeks or so, even if they are just 5 minutes. This will ensure your manager sees your progress and also will help ensure you are not blind-sided by anything either.

Tip 4: Find A Sales Mentor or Sales Coach
Whether you have been selling for 20+ years, or are brand new to sales, you can always benefit from having an outside sounding board to help you take your results to the next level. Maybe there is someone on your team or within your organization whom you truly admire. Offer to take them out to lunch one time per month in exchange for being able to learn from them. And if you want to partner with someone specifically trained to help you achieve outstanding sales results, consider hiring a sales coach. But make sure you ask these questions before hiring and when interviewing a sales coach.

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“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Post written by Jeremy Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

1. Shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast.

2. Set your work hours. If you don’t set hours, you will risk sacrificing the balance between work and life.

3. Create a room that is dedicated for work only. It is essential you separate your work from your home life so that when you enter your home office, you know what you are there to do, work. It will help you change your mindset from, “I’m working at home” to “I’m at work.”

Tell your friends and family exactly what the room is for, and that even though you are in the house/apartment/condo, you are at work when in that office.

4. Close your office door. This will help remind you, and anyone else who may be at your home, that you are at work.

5. Clear your desk. Only keep what you need on your desk. The less distractions, the better.

6. Disconnect. Turn off your phones, IM, and email alerts when you need to focus on a task. This will not always apply, but try it out for certain tasks and see how it works for you.

7. Don’t quit. If you are having a rough day, it will be tempting to go find something else to do. Train yourself to work anyway.

8. Take breaks. Block out 15 minutes multiple times per day for a break. Your focus and productivity will increase.

9. Drink water and eat multiple times per day. Your brain is made up of about 85% water and you need water to stay alert, focused, and productive. To keep your energy levels and productivity at the highest levels, eat 5-7 smaller meals per day instead of 3 large meals. Plan ahead to make this happen. Also, be sure to eat some protein with each meal.

10. Give thanks! Be grateful you are able to work from home and don’t have a commute everyday. Use that gratitude to help drive you to work harder and stay on task!

You might also like to read: The Dangers of Sales Professionals Working From a Home Office

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“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.” -Benjamin Franklin

“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” – Abraham Lincoln

“One mustn’t criticize other people on grounds where he can’t stand perpendicular himself” -Mark Twain

Post written by Jeremy Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Criticism from your sales manager (or from anyone) is not easy to handle, however, learning to deal with it can be a valuable skill. Here are some ideas to practice and keep in mind next time you receive criticism.

Take A Deep Breath & Pause Before You React

If your first reaction is to lash back at your sales manager or to become defensive, take a moment before speaking. It is natural to feel a little angry or to be on-guard. However, if you can teach yourself to take a moment before simply reacting, it will give a chance for logic to sink in and not just raw emotions. There is certainly nothing wrong with emotions, but when people are upset, they are more likely to say things they will regret later on.

Turn Lemons Into Lemonade

Sure, it may sting to hear negative feedback, but in most criticism, you can find a suggestion for improvement. For example, this criticism: “You are talking too much on your sales calls with prospective clients and just overloading them with too much information.” Can be interpreted as: “I need to listen much more, ask more questions, and talk less.” That’s just one example of course — you can do that with just about any criticism. View criticism as challenge to improve your sales skills.

Say, “Thank You For The Feedback.”

Even if your boss is tough on you, just say “Thank you.” Your gratitude will probably catch them off-guard and they may even respect you more for taking it so well. Not everyone is as positive as you may be, and your manager might just be having a bad day, (not an excuse, but be aware of this) or have a much more negative personality than you.

Learn And Integrate

After seeing criticism in a positive light, and thanking the critic, don’t just go back to selling as usual. Decide what the key take-away is to improve upon, and determine how to integrate the new learning into your work.

Don’t Stoop Down To His or Her Level

It is so easy to take criticism as a personal attack. View the criticisms as an attack on your sales skills, not on you as a human being. You will be tempted to attack the attacker, but if you do this, you are just stooping to his or her level. When you do this, you are no better than the attacker and it will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. Be the bigger and better person. Rise above the critical comments and respond in a calm and positive manner…You will feel better about yourself at the end of the day.

Give The Critic Some Background When Needed

Sometimes the situation might be much more complex than it appears on the surface. After you have followed the above steps, know that is ok to give more background that might be important for the critic to understand. For instance, You could say, “I understand what you’re saying, thank you for the feedback, and I want to make this work. But last time I tried what you are recommending, it didn’t work because of ________. What do you suggest I do to make it work this time?”

Bonus Tip: Keep All Of This In Mind When YOU Are The Critic

Remember what it feels like to be on the receiving end of criticism when you are the one dishing it out. Not everyone will handle it as well as you, so make sure you are clear that you simply want to help.

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“Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own.“ –Bruce Lee

Post written by Jeremy Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Here are 20 quick tips to help you increase your sales productivity. Keep in mind, not every tip will be useful for every person. Just pick the tips that are helpful for you and integrate them into your routine.

Here are a few suggestions when reading through all of these tips:

-Don’t do them all at once. Focus on one at a time.

-Experiment with different tips.

-These are not in any particular order, so browse through them all.

So, here they are, 20 tips to increase your sales productivity:

1. Less is more. Focus on your most essential tasks each day. Eliminate or delegate as much as you can.

2. Exercise. Make this a habit if it is not already. For me, exercising is the key to my energy, health, and productivity. It also greatly reduces stress and can be a form of meditation. Here are some tips on how to make exercise a daily habit.

3. Stop rushing. Focus on what you are doing in the moment and don’t rush through it. It will be much more relaxing for you and in the end, your quality of work will be improved.

4. Fail. Don’t be afraid to fall flat on your face and fail. If you are afraid of failing, you will never take important first steps. Without failure there would be no success.

5. Find what you love to do. Find something you love to do, and your quality of life and work will improve. If you love your work you will become more productive and less stressed.

6. Wake up early. This is not for everyone, but it can make a huge impact on your life and what you get done in a given day. Here are some tips on how to wake up early.

7. Eat clean. Don’t buy junk and don’t bring it into your house. That will instantly help you stay lean and trim. Be aware of what you are eating, your mouth is not a garbage disposal.

8. Get organized. The more organized you are, the less time you will waste finding things and the more productive you will be.

9. Review goals. Don’t just set goals, but take a look at them each month to see what is working and what is not working. It is ok to change your goals.

10. Be positive. Focus on the positive. Focus on what you have, not on what you don’t have. Surround yourself with people who have positive energy. Here are some tips on how to stay positive.

11. Practice being compassionate. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Plato.

12. Visualize. Envision your most positive future self. What would life be like for her or him? Where would you live and what would you be doing? Let that vision pull you into the future you want to have.

13. Set goals. Long-term goals are important to set, but also be sure you are setting daily and weekly goals as well. Here are some tips on how to set goals.

14. Get the toughest things done first. Aim to accomplish the 3 most important things of your day before 12noon. Give them top priority.

15. Be focused. Work on one goal and one task at a time. Don’t spread yourself too thin.

16. Enjoy the ride. Don’t just focus on the end goal, but enjoy the process and learning that takes place as you strive to achieve them.

17. Enjoy the little things. A joyful and happy person is a more productive person. Editors Note: I used to walk my grandma on long walks in her wheelchair and the little things gave her the most joy. Seeing a Cardinal bird, a beautiful flower, or simply getting some fresh air, made her day and taught me a lot about what really matters.

18. Single-task. Stop multi-tasking and this will instantly increase your productivity. Here are some tips on how to minimize distractions to focus on one task.

19. Be in the now. Be present and focus on being in the now more than the past or future.

20. Volunteer and help others. Just one hour a week of volunteering can make a huge impact on the world and on yourself. I find volunteering to be one of the most fulfilling things I do. Try it out, and you just might become hooked too! When you volunteer you will not only be helping others, but you will provide yourself with many health benefits that will increase your energy and productivity.

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The sun has not caught me in bed in fifty years. ~Thomas Jefferson

The time just before dawn contains the most energy of all hours of the day. This has helped me become an early riser and an early doer….

When I wake to see that it’s light out already, I feel like the world has started without me. ~Terri Guillemets

Post written by Jeremy Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

For sales professionals and sales leaders, getting an early start on the day can lead to more sales and increased productivity over the course of a month, quarter, and year.

Here are 7 tips on how to wake up earlier and get more done before 12noon:

1. Make small changes. Start the process waking up 15 minutes earlier than normal for 1 full work week. Then cut back another 15 minutes the next week until you have reached the ideal time you wish to wake.

2. Go to sleep earlier. Follow the same process as in #1. Plan to go to bed just 15 minutes earlier than your normal time for one full week and then cut another 15 minutes the following week.

3. Put your alarm clock on the other side of your room. Make it so that you must get up and walk to the alarm clock to turn it off. Do not hit snooze.

4. Get moving right away. Don’t think about going back to bed. Get out of the bedroom and get your day started.

5. Have a reason to wake up early. Plan to accomplish something early in the morning that’s important and it will help you wake up.

6. Use the extra time in a positive way. Don’t wake up early and just waste that extra time. Use it to get some of your most important tasks completed for the day.

7. Review your progress. Review each week all that you get done in the early morning and take a look at your accomplishments. Be sure to celebrate the many things you get done from waking up earlier.

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