How Mindset Impacts Achieving High Performance Goals</h1> <article> <h1>How Mindset Impacts Achieving High Performance Goals</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:17:00 GMT</p> <br><P>I recently had a conversation with the president and owner of one of the companies we work with. During the conversation he told me about a specific project he was working on that would take six months to a year to complete. Whenever I hear six months, three months, or one year, it always raises a red flag. My preference is to hear 16 days, 51 days, etc. because it would indicate there had been more thought, research and planning to come up with the number of days required for the project. With that in mind I said to the owner, "How do you know it's going to take six months to a year?" His response was, "I just think it will." I asked him what time it was and asked him to write down the time which happened to be 4:13. Within four minutes he had identified the four main points of the project, who he needed to include in the project, and what roles those people would play. He then made a commitment to reach out to the participants and set up appointments for the following day. I then asked him if he still felt that it would take six months to a year. His response was, "No, it will not." I then said, "Let's pretend you were in the DVD business and you had to sell 1,200 DVDs in a 12 month period. How many would you sell in a month?" His response was 100. I told him he was incorrect which he had a difficult time accepting. As he put it to me, "It's simple math - 1,200 DVDs divided by 12 months is 100 per month. He could have sold the 1,200 DVDs the first month if he put his mind to it. His mindset was getting in the way of his ability to achieve his goal. </P> <P mce_keep="true">To reach high levels of performance we need to accomplish our high impact goals in the shortest period of time without sacrificing quality. A good start would be to create a sense of urgency and focus on high performance activities to achieve the intended result. Or put another way, "I will work on this aspect of my project and not allow any distractions or start another task."</P> <P mce_keep="true">In order for this to take place it is not necessarily a function of activity but more of an action of mindset which includes, "I must get this done without distractions because it is so important." Distractions are the great inhibitors of high performance. It's that voice we hear inside that gives us multiple agendas which causes confusion and draining of energy.</P><br> </article> <article> <h1>PARENT ALERT: Dad, what is an AUTO WARRANTY?</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:55:00 GMT</p> <br><P>On the way to the shore this weekend my nine-year-old son received a phone call in the car on his cell phone. The conversation went something like this.</P> <P mce_keep="true"><B><I>Nine-Year-Old:</I></B> It did.</P> <P><B><I>Nine-Year-Old:</I></B> I don't have a car. I have a skateboard and a bicycle.</P> <P><B><I>Nine-Year-Old:</I></B> Dad, what is a warranty?</P> <P><B><I>Dad:</I></B> There are different types of warranties. Why do you ask?</P> <P><B><I>Nine-Year-Old:</I></B> I just got a call on my cell phone and the person told me the warranty on my car had expired and asked if I would like to renew it. I told them I didn't have a car; I have a skateboard and a bicycle.</P> <P mce_keep="true">My older son who is fourteen overheard the conversation and said he had received the same call last week.</P> <P mce_keep="true">My nine-year-old is smart enough not to give out personal information to strangers. What would have happened if another child was asked for credit card information and knew where to find it and gave it out?</P><br> </article> <article> <h1>How NOT to Sell a Warranty Renewal</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 07:38:00 GMT</p> <br><P>I have been receiving voicemail messages letting me know the warranty on my Audi has expired. In the messages they further explained that if I wanted to renew the warranty I needed to call a specific phone number. When I called I was asked if I wanted to renew my warranty agreement. I asked, "What are the terms of my current agreement?"</P> <P>I was informed that due to security measures they could not reveal that information to me. My response was, "Let me see if I understand this call. You called me to let me know the warranty on my car has expired and would I like to renew it? When I ask what the terms are of my current agreement you tell me you can not reveal this information to your apparent customer." The salesperson responded, "Yes, that is correct. Would you like to renew?" I asked the salesperson to tell me more. With that the salesperson, <B>who</B> <B>by the way was in no way associated with Audi,</B> described a ton of benefits that included a hotel room, a rental car, food allowance and telephone calls. After listening to ten minutes of the benefits list I went comatose from information overload. I think they may even have offered a babysitter as long as my child was in the car at the time of the breakdown of my transmission, I was not using a cell phone, my child had eaten a hearty breakfast, the breakdown had not occurred on a weekday before 9:00am on a major highway or after 9:00am on a local road and my child was on the way to school. </P> <P mce_keep="true">The fee for this service was a deposit of $495.00 in addition to $285.00 per month for a period of five years. I asked the salesperson to send a contract to my e-mail address so I could review the details of the agreement. I was told that because my car was a 2006 they could not send me an e-mail. The agreement had to be conducted by phone and they would be happy to take my credit card to start the renewal of my warranty. I politely thanked them for the fantastic offer but then declined.</P> <P mce_keep="true">What were they thinking? Yes, some of these scam artists are so enamored by their ability to come up with these scams they miss the obvious. <B></B></P><br> </article> <article> <h1>The Value of "It's Free or is it Really Free?"</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:31:00 GMT</p> <br><P>Yesterday I was in the supermarket buying some groceries. There was a woman in front of me at the cash register who had a coupon for free iceberg lettuce. When it came time for the clerk to ring up the discounts and coupons much to the surprise of the customer the free coupon was for a bag of cut iceberg lettuce and not for a whole head of iceberg lettuce which is what the customer had. The customer immediately said, "I don't want it. I will get take it out of my bag." The customer also said, "I don't like iceberg lettuce anyway."</P> <P mce_keep="true">So here we have a customer who was willing to take something for free but didn't really like what she was getting. What was the intention of the chain store when they wanted to give something away free? To show appreciation, to give the lettuce away in hopes someone would now buy salad dressing, buy a bowl to put it in, or something else?</P> <P mce_keep="true">I couldn't help commenting to the cashier about the conversation I had overheard. She smiled and said, "Nothing is free. She probably paid for it in another way with another purchase." Now we have a customer that walked away not from something free but what she had paid for in another way and didn't want to go through the effort of getting what she was really entitled to. Webster's Dictionary defines <B>free</B> as, "free of charge, without charge, at no cost, complimentary, on the house."</P> <P mce_keep="true">A dear friend, Moshe Rosenberg once told me, "If it is free I don't want it." He tells a story of when he went to the store to buy batteries for his flashlight. The clerk said to him, "If you buy this package you get the flashlight free." He said, "No, I do not want it." He told me that she looked at him like he had just fallen from the moon.</P> <P mce_keep="true">I was at lunch with two friends and told Moshe's story. As we ordered lunch the waitress said, "We have free soup today." I said, "No thank you. I don't want it." She said, "But it is free." I said, "I know but no thank you." She brought the soup anyway which was actually lightly colored water with two string beans at the bottom of the bowl. Each string bean could not have been more than an inch long. I could not contain my self and broke out laughing. Now if someone really wanted the free soup they would have been sadly disappointed and the free soup would have done more damage than good.</P> <P mce_keep="true">When I first moved to Long Valley we received an envelope of free coupons. One of the coupons was for a free haircut. I called and made an appointment. On the day of the haircut I was seated in a chair, my hair was cut in less than ten minutes and I was out the door without one word from the hair stylist. My guess was that since they were doing it for free they needed to get me out of the chair so they could get a paying customer in the chair. I gave a tip and left never to return.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Here are my closing comments. As a business owner if you are giving something away free, think it through. If you are a consumer and someone wants to give you something free, it probably doesn't have much value anyway.</P><br> </article> <article> <h1>A Tribute to Craig: The End of an Era</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:12:00 GMT</p> <br>This past week I went to Canastota, New York for my cousin Craig's funeral. Canastota is a small village off the New York Thruway. For many years its claim to fame was Rocky Gracciano's Restaurant and the Boxing Hall of Fame. Over the past couple of years they gained a Best Western Hotel, a McDonalds and a large gas station. As you travel past these monuments of today you enter Main Street where the speed limit is twenty-five miles per hour. There are no apartment buildings and no large office buildings. Everything is for the most part as it was for many years. On the surface there appeared not much change had taken place in this sleepy village and yet there was a major transformational shift that took fifty-one years to take place. <P mce_keep="true">After graduation from college Craig went back to Canastota and went into business with his long time friend Arny. Craig's Kegs was a place to buy your beer and soda. Craig also started a catering business that supported the local college in addition to private parties. He also opened a delicatessen in another town and was quite the entrepreneur.</P> <P mce_keep="true">At Craig's funeral there was not one mention of his business accomplishments. Not that they were not important, they were. The focus was on something different. The focus was on a transformation that had been taking place for fifty-one years which is how old Craig was when he passed away.</P> <P mce_keep="true">At the church the priest who conducted the service and Craig's best friend, Jim Stokes spoke about Craig's generosity, his caring, and his ability to share of himself in every way. Craig was there for people when they where in most need. They told how Craig brought boys into his business while they were still in school and then saw them off to start their own businesses and careers. They spoke about his love for animals and all the charitable work he did to protect animals. They also talked about how he would find boys in trouble with the law and help them back to the correct way to live their lives.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Stories will not be told about how many kegs of beer he sold or how his sandwiches were made. Not about how many parties he catered but how he changed and influenced so many lives. Here is a man that made a difference in people's lives that will live on from generation to generation. People will remember Craig Turrisi and how he changed people's lives.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Craig was a wealthy man. I cannot speak of his financial wealth but of a different type of wealth. The line at his funeral went on forever. The line was made up of young children to older senior citizens. Friends had come to say thank you for being in my life, thank you for demonstrating your values, principles and ethics, and for one last time, good-bye. </P> <P mce_keep="true">Craig's wealth is in the friends he has and the memories he left them with which will never be affected by the economy, Wall Street or any other world condition.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Now what is this is really about? I believe we are in the financial mess we are in because of a breakdown in the values and principles of some companies and their leaders. We need to run our businesses based on respect for the people we have working with us, our customers and our vendors. We must be driven by principles of honesty and fair play. We need to go back to the highest of values and principles that must never be violated. We know how we got here, now the process must be reversed. Greed must be replaced with generosity, dishonesty with honesty, and falsehood with truthfulness.</P><br> </article> <article> <h1>“How to Contribute to the Success of the New Employee”</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:27:00 GMT</p> <br><P>Sometimes talented individuals will join an organization with the potential to be successful and still fail. One of the contributing factors to potential failure is either the lack of or a weak onboarding process. Weak onboard processes are typically the result of leaders assuming new members understand the culture, the processes and systems and the knowledge base required to be successful. A strong onboard process will identify the knowledge base, the skills, the strengths and the attributes necessary of high levels of top performers. The onboard process further outlines what information needs to be disseminated to the new candidate in addition to the expectations of the new candidate. </P> <P>For example, on Day 1 of the new relationship what do we want the candidate to know about? On Day 2 what are the expectations relating to performance and what information will be disseminated? What are the expectations of performance on Day 3 and what information will be disseminated? </P> <P mce_keep="true">The onboarding process could in general last from 30 to 90 days and sometimes more. The length of the onboard process is typically driven by the length of the learning curve. Another element of the onboard process is the daily, weekly and monthly observations of the new hire's absorption of knowledge, behavior and results produced. </P> <P mce_keep="true">A strong onboard process will support an accelerated learning curve as well as expedited results. A weak onboard process will support an extended learning curve in addition to a prolonged period of time before results are achieved.</P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>"Preparing for Life and Personal Success"</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:44:00 GMT</p> <br>During lunch this past weekend our family had a conversation about what it takes to be successful. In general terms<I> </I>our conversation centered around the fact that there are two types of people in the business environment. There are successful business people and there are those that are not. I pointed out that in working with some high level executives in leadership positions I observed while they had the opportunity to create outstanding results they did not. <P mce_keep="true">Business people and our children have the ability to produce outstanding results and when they don't it is directly related to not learning some basic skills associated with success. </P> <P mce_keep="true">The first skill associated with <B>Preparing for Life</B> <B>and</B> <B>Personal Success</B> is <B>Personal Accountability. Personal Accountability</B> is a measure of the capacity to be answerable for ones own personal actions all of the time. The second skill is <B>Accepting Personal Responsibility</B> for the consequences of our actions and to not blame others or outside circumstances for the lack of personal success. The third skill is to maintain a <B>Personal Commitment</B> to our objectives regardless of the results of the decisions that were made. The fourth skill is to <B>Learn from Mistakes</B> and recognize when we reach a roadblock on the path to success it is the universe's way of showing us the flaws in our thinking or our approach so we can do course correction.</P> <P mce_keep="true"><U>These four skills apply to business, education, sports and personal relationships. If you are in agreement I invite you to share these concepts with your children.</U></P><br> </article> <article> <h1>"What I Hate About Some Sales People Part 2"</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:06:00 GMT</p> <br>During my internet research for a product for my company I found three companies that seemed to fit the profile I was looking for. I made contact with each of the companies and received two return phone calls. One of the callers returned my phone call and because he could not reach me at the moment left me a voice mail. I returned his phone call and have yet to receive a response. Throughout the next to weeks the second company and I made several attempts to reach each other. He called me during the day, evenings and weekends until we finally had the opportunity to speak. Here is how the conversation went. <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: Mr. Turrisi.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me: Yes.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: I see you are interested in XYZ product.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me: Yes, I am. </P> <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: Good. Do you see XYZ product as something you can use in your business?</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me: I do.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: Do you see that making an investment in this product could help your business?</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me: Yes, I do, which is why I made contact with your company. I researched your product among others and made a decision that you and one other company most suited my needs.Unfortanely for them they never retuned my call.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: I see. So have you made a decision to use our product?</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me: Yes.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: Do you know what our product costs?</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me: Yes. It is a no brainer.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: So you like our product, it is in your budget, you see it can bring value to your company and you see yourself using it.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me: YES. <I>(What I did not say was, "PLEASE LET ME BUY YOUR PRODUCT SO I CAN GET ON WITH MY LIFE!")</I></P> <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: So when can I get together by phone with you and your wife?</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me: WHAT!?!</P> <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: I would like to speak with you and your wife to make sure she is in agreement.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me : Are you kidding me? Is this a joke?</P> <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: No. This is our policy.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me: Look my friend, I am ready to give you my credit card, make the purchase and become your customer and you want to talk with my wife?</P> <P mce_keep="true">Sales Rep: Yes</P> <P mce_keep="true">Me: I can't believe this! I am not buying aluminum siding, replacement windows for my house or deciding on what color to paint our bathroom. I am looking to buy XYZ for my company and my wife is not part of the decision process. With that the sales representative hung up and has not been heard from since. They also continue to send commercials to my e-mail which I have since blocked.</P> <P mce_keep="true">UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGG!!! </P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>The Four Secrets to Success and Personal Fulfillment</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:37:00 GMT</p> <br>Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend some time with two long time friends and business owners. The conversation centered around two questions, "What is your life purpose?" And, "What are you passionate about as a business owner and provider of goods and services?" <P mce_keep="true">We agreed that on one level our purpose is to sell our goods and services in the marketplace, make money to generate a profit, and provide jobs and income for our employees. </P> <P mce_keep="true">While these are certainly valid we agreed there is much more. For example, what would have to happen for one to really be passionate about what they do? So passionate they generate an excitement within themselves that also radiates out to the people around them. The conclusion we came to was that there are <B>Four Secrets to Success and Personal Fulfillment</B> that would fuel passion every day.</P> <P mce_keep="true"><STRONG></STRONG> </P> <P mce_keep="true"><STRONG>1- You have to be really good at what you do.</STRONG></P> <P><STRONG>2- You have to really enjoy what you do. Enjoy what you do so much it is more like play than work.</STRONG></P> <P><STRONG>3- You have to be able to make money at what you do.</STRONG></P> <P><STRONG>4- And above all, you must make a contribution to society. A contribution is not necessarily the product, but the impact you have on individuals and companies.</STRONG></P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P> <P mce_keep="true">One of my colleagues was very clear that he is not building houses. He is building homes that contribute to the quality of a family's life. He creates an environment that contributes to family lifestyles. He even went as far as to say he is totally committed to quality. My other colleague provides beauty that can be used by designers. She went on to say that she is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure her customers are completely satisfied. </P> <P mce_keep="true">I personally look forward to going to work every day. I leave the house with a sense of excitement on a daily basis and look forward to making a difference.</P> <P mce_keep="true">The question I ask my self every day is, "What do I need to do today to service my clients in the best possible way, provide an environment so my staff experiences a partner relationship, can make a contribution, and are able leave at the end of the day energized, and create an environment where we all live and work each day like we are on vacation?"</P><br> </article> <article> <h1>Don’t Do This If You Have Too Much Business</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:09:00 GMT</p> <br>As you may have observed I have been describing real life situations which I have experienced in my Blogs followed by an explanation of the business application. <p>At the bottom of each Blog there is an area for you to comment. Enter your name, e-mail address and web site address along with your comment.</p> <p mce_keep="true">Now here comes the big question. <b><i>Why should you comment?</i></b></p> <p>The Blog sphere is an internet environment that allows for an exchange of information on a particular posted topic. You may agree or disagree with the Blog. The idea is to create a conversation. Whether you agree or disagree it is always important to do it professionally.</p> <p mce_keep="true">How do you benefit? By responding to my Blogs, people will read your responses and by doing so you will be putting your self in the public view. People could potentially contact you for your services or products. They may refer you to another person, you could be seen as an expert based on how you comment, and you could make a new friend or business acquaintance or even get business. Look at this as another opportunity to be in the public eye.</p> <p mce_keep="true">YOU HAVE EVERTHING TO GAIN AND NOTHING TO LOSE AND IT IS FUN. GIVE IT A TRY NOW.</p> <p mce_keep="true">Here is another tip. Create your blog in a word document and do a spell check. After the spell check, cut your response and paste it in the comments section. Check the box at the bottom that says, "Check here to get an e-mail when someone replies." When someone makes a contribution to the conversation you will be notified.</p> <p mce_keep="true"> </p><br> </article> <article> <h1>What I Hate About Some Salespeople</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:34:00 GMT</p> <br>On Monday I attended an <a href="http://www.inboundmarketingsummit.com/" mce_href="http://www.inboundmarketingsummit.com/">inbound marketing conference</a> in Boston. The first session started at 8:15am. Our lunch break started at 12:30. As I came out of the meeting room looking forward to the lunch break I was met by a salesperson who had up until that time attended to her trade show booth. <p mce_keep="true">As soon as she saw me, she swooped down on me and started her pitch. She was just like a bird of prey after its' next meal. People were coming out of the room behind me; she was standing in front of me as I attempted to go to the buffet. </p> <p mce_keep="true">As I moved toward the buffet table she continued to walk and talk, block and mentally tackle. She finally had to stop or she would have been pinned between the buffet table and another exhibit table. </p> <p mce_keep="true">I don't have any idea what she was saying and quite frankly I did not care. All I could make out was her mouth was moving and noise coming out. I believe she had said something that had to do with a Bow and Math. I wanted to have lunch and she did not care.</p> <p mce_keep="true">The Top Performing Salesperson might have attempted to join us for lunch, made an attempt to establish a relationship, and been more strategic. The Top Performer might have said, "Am I getting you at a bad time?" Or possibly, "After lunch come visit me at my booth. I may have something you might be able to use to grow your business."</p> <p mce_keep="true">Hey lady, just because it was important to you, why do you think it was important to me? Get out of my face! Do you know what common courtesy is? You were so interested in what you wanted to sell you didn't give two hoots about me or my agenda. GRRRRR!!!</p> <p><b><u>Here is your chance to tell the world what you hate about unprofessional salespeople. Register your complaint now in the comments section to the right and we will post them on the web.</u></b></p> <p><b><u></u></b> </p><br> </article> <article> <h1>“The Salesperson Said, “I Can’t.” I Said, “You Don’t Know How Yet.”</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:33:00 GMT</p> <br>In the film <U>"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"</U> the main character is completely paralyzed except for his hearing and the ability to blink his left eye. <P mce_keep="true">In order for him to communicate his attendant sounds out letters and when the correct letter is sounded out he blinks. The attendant writes the letters down to form the words and sentences. The attendant then reads the sentences to confirm the accuracy of the sentence. This great man has a physical handicap but not a mental handicap.</P> <P mce_keep="true">As the movie progresses he writes a book. How? By blinking when the correct letter is sounded out to create a word, to create a sentence, to create a paragraph and then the book. </P> <P mce_keep="true">The paralyzed man writes a book <U>ONE BLINK AT A TIME.</U></P> <P mce_keep="true">Before we go to the business application I want to share with you, statements that I used to hear when I did sales training.</P> <P> "I can't get past the gate keeper."</P> <P> "If I had a lower price I could sell it."</P> <P> "Our brochure is out of date."</P> <P> "They won't return my phone calls."</P> <P> "I am not getting any leads from the company.'</P> <P> Etc., Etc., Etc.</P> <P mce_keep="true">When I would hear these excuses I would tell the salespeople in training, "Don't tell me you can't. Just say you don't know how yet." Some people would say, yes, you are right, how do I change my thinking? Others would get upset and say, you don't understand. What do you know about our business?"</P> <P mce_keep="true">Here is the business application. If the salesperson believes they can't, they might as well pack up their tent and go home. Nothing is going to happen, nothing is going to change. They have written the book of failure. When the salesperson says, "I don't know how <B><I><U>yet,</U>"</I></B> they have opened the door to exploration, opportunity and change.</P> <P> </P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>The Dangers in The Need for Approval and Business Growth</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:03:00 GMT</p> <br><P mce_keep="true">My grandfather was a wonderful man who taught me, along with his other grandchildren, through stories and parables. Although he passed on many years ago, his stories still are in my heart and mind.</P> <P mce_keep="true">He once told a story of an old man who traveled to town with his donkey and his grandchild. As the old man and the child rode on the donkey they passed a merchant. The merchant saw the two riding on the donkey and said, "How can you put such a burden on that poor animal? You both are strong and should walk beside the donkey." The old man and the young boy dismounted. As they continued, they passed another merchant who also had an opinion. "Why do the both of you walk when you can be riding on the donkey? Surely one of you should ride the donkey." With that the old man placed the young boy on the donkey and they proceeded toward town. As they continued on their journey they passed yet another merchant who said, "Why is it that this young boy who has strong legs rides on the donkey while you, an old man, walk? Surely you should ride the donkey." With that the old man took the young boy from the donkey and mounted the donkey himself. Well, it wasn't long before they encountered another merchant who saw the old man riding the donkey and commented, "Why is it you ride the donkey and the boy walks? You should both ride the donkey." The old man now raised the boy upon the donkey and they both rode into town.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Now the old man was always well intentioned. During his journey he spent much of his time responding to the wishes of others. One could say it was more important to the old man to get the approval of others than to do what he thought was right. By doing what others wanted him to do he gained their approval but was not true to his own truths. He gave up what he believed was the correct way and did what he believed to have others think well of him.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Now what is the business application? It is the <U>Need for Approval</U>. When we test candidates prior to making recommendations to hire we screen for the Need for Approval. When a salesperson has a Need for Approval there is a dramatic Impact.</P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P> <P align=center><B>The Impact of Need for Approval</B><B></B></P> <P><B>Explanation: When a candidate Needs Approval from prospects, their need to be liked, and in extreme cases, loved, is greater than their need to close business.</B><B></B></P> <P><B>Impact: This candidate will avoid saying or doing those things which, in his/her mind, would change how the prospect feels about him/her. This includes, but is not limited to tough questions, legitimate confrontation and the potential inability to handle rejection or a 'no'. The result is that this candidate will develop pipeline <BR>bloat - prospects that remain in the pipeline with relatively few of them getting closed or eliminated.</B></P> <P align=center><B>Need for Approval is the second most powerful and <BR>most common weakness we find in salespeople. </B><B></B></P> <P><B>Salespeople with this weakness are 35% less effective than salespeople with no need for approval. (Printed with permission from Objective Management).</B></P> <P>Hey, grandpa thanks for teaching me about <U>How the Need for Approval</U> in sales doesn't work in growing your business.</P> <P>When I sat on your lap at the age of five did you know I was going to be in sales? </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>The Importance of Personal Goals</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:08:00 GMT</p> <br>This past weekend I had a conversation with my brother-in law. His two girls are now in college and he and his wife are ‘Empty Nesters." He seemed a little down as we discussed the "what now." He had some short term goals, most of them related to socialization. He did, however, have some additional goals that were two years out. <P mce_keep="true">Many years ago, before my firm began using the OMG assessment tool, I personally completed an assessment. The results came back which indicated I was not goal-oriented. I had a hard time believing that because I saw myself as goal-oriented. After reviewing the results I had a conversation with David Kurlan, the President of OMG. During the conversation I shared all of my perceived personal goals with David. Here were some of my goals</P> <P mce_keep="true">We want to travel to Europe.</P> <P>We want to ski in Switzerland.</P> <P>We want to live in a wooded lot with a good deal of acreage.</P> <P>We want to have children.</P> <P mce_keep="true">There were many other <B>We</B> goals that I discussed with David. I will not bore you with all of the details but here is the bottom line of our conversation.</P> <P mce_keep="true">David Kurlan said, "Al, I am all in favor of <B>We</B> goals between you and your wife. <B>We</B> goals are very important, but there is more. The <B>We</B> goals you have are not <B>I</B> or <B>Me</B> Goals. What about you, the <B>I</B> goals? <B>I</B> goals are the goals we have for ourselves alone and are the goals that motivate us on a daily basis." Much to my amazement I had none.</P> <P mce_keep="true">David went on to explain that he wanted me to come up with some personal <B>I</B> goals. He also stipulated that the personal goals had to be in addition to the <B>We</B> goals. We then made an appointment to discuss them two weeks later.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Over the next two weeks I had to come up with personal goals that neither compromised nor were in conflict with the <B>We</B> goals.</P> <P mce_keep="true">The day came when David Kurlan and I were scheduled to meet. I shared my personal goals with David. My assignment for the following thirty days was to focus on my personal goals on a daily basis. The end result was the following month was the best month in new business I had ever had.</P> <P mce_keep="true">The lessons I learned from that experience are as follows:</P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P> <P mce_keep="true">If I do not take care of me first, I can't take care of anyone else.</P> <P>Taking care of me is not selfish.</P> <P>Taking care of me is the fuel that gives me the energy to care for my clients and my loved ones.</P> <P>If I am there for everyone except me, I will run out of fuel.</P> <P>If I run out of fuel I will not be able to take care of my clients or loved ones.</P> <P>Selfishness has not been defined properly.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Even when we think we are on top of our game, we need reminders. Last Friday I went for an eye exam. The doctor said, "Al, you have not been here in five years." I was stunned. It seemed like it had only been a year ago. To my benefit my vision had not changed.</P> <P mce_keep="true"><STRONG>Here is my message:<BR></STRONG><BR></P> <P align=center><B><I>Have short term goals.</I></B></P> <P align=center><B><I>Have long term goals.</I></B></P> <P align=center>Take care of yourself so you can care for the people who are important in your life. Don't take five years to take care of yourself, it may be too late.</P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P> <P>On a final note ~ <I>You are the most important person in the world for you and you are the most important person in the world for the people you care about. If you are not taking care of you, you can't take care of anyone else. Not your family, your staff or your clients. What are you going to do for yourself today without compromising anything else? </I> <I>Make your comments and share them with everyone. You can be the one that makes the difference in someone else's life. Here is your opportunity. Be the first to comment. See below.</I></P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>Growing Your Business “Are You Making Things Happen or Sitting on the Bench?”</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 10:17:00 GMT</p> <br>On the way back from the Arcade one evening my son and I passed three teenagers sitting on a bench along the boardwalk. They could not have been more that fifteen years old. Adam and I greeted them and they responded with a friendly, "Hi, where are you going? We replied, "Going home, how about you?" Their reply was, "We are waiting for some other kids to come by". Here is how the conversation went on... <P mce_keep="true">Us: What kids?</P> <P>Teenagers: Oh, any kids.</P> <P>Us: Any kids?</P> <P>Teenagers: Yeah, we are just waiting for some kids to come by.</P> <P>Us: Really, why?</P> <P>Teenagers: So we can have some fun.</P> <P>Us: What do you mean by fun?</P> <P>Teenagers: We are waiting for some kids to come by so we can go to the Arcade or get some ice cream.</P> <P>Us: Well, what if they don't come by, then what?</P> <P>Teenagers: Well I don't know. I guess we will do something.</P> <P>Us: Really, like what?</P> <P>Teenagers: I don't know. I guess something.</P> <P mce_keep="true">I could not resist the opportunity to get these incredible people in touch with who they are and what their capabilities are. So, here is the message I delivered to them. You can learn from it as well.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Do you know what an incredible being you are? The day you were born you had no experience on this planet, you did not know the culture, could not speak the language, and did not have a network except for your family. You had no history and no belief systems. All you had was YOU (who we will define later), your subconscious mind, your conscious mind, your body and the outside world. Your subconscious mind is responsible for managing your bodily activities such as breathing, respiration, etc. Your conscious mind is where you store your knowledge and memories and where you do your cognitive processing of information. So, who are you? You are an incredible entity living on this planet dealing with life situations so you can get in touch with who you really are and what you are capable of.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Let's look at the first five years of your life. You learned how to speak a language, manipulate your environment including your parents, ride a bike, use a computer, text message at lightning speed, go from crawling to running, and by the way never stopping because you fell a couple of times. You were a master in your universe, were successful and never quit once. THAT SPEAKS TO WHO YOU REALLY ARE.</P> <P mce_keep="true">So, why are you waiting for something to happen? Why aren't you doing what is so natural to you? Doing so will make things happen.</P> <P mce_keep="true">I thought their eyes were going to pop out of their heads. I asked the question, "Am I making sense, am I getting through to you?" Their reply was, "Mister, we get it. You are so cool. Thanks, but you are so cool."</P> <P mce_keep="true">We never saw those teenagers again. On the way home Adam said, "Dad, you are so cool. That was so great. You should write a book for kids so they can get it." I replied, "Adam, I am. And you are so cool too. I will write the book and you do the drawings". Adam replied, "Can I make some money?" At which I informed him he could.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Now, let's look at the business applications of this story. First let's clarify something. I do not sit in judgment nor am I voting. I am raising what I believe to be an important point.</P> <P mce_keep="true">How many people are out there waiting for the real estate business to change, the mortgage business to change, the election to happen, the economy to change, or for good news from Wall Street indicating things will change? How many are sitting on the bench waiting for something to happen.</P> <P mce_keep="true">How is it that there can be two salespeople in a company? One is successful and the other is not. Is it the economy, etc., or is it how they think, feel and act that makes the difference?</P> <P mce_keep="true">How many are in touch with who you really are? The YOU who learned how to speak a language, manipulate your environment including your parents, ride a bike, use a computer, text message at lightning speed, go from crawling to running, and by the way never stopping because you fell a couple of times. </P> <P mce_keep="true">You were a master in your universe, were successful and never quit once. AND THAT STILL APPLIES NOW.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Don't let the illusions get in the way of what you are capable of. GO FOR IT, CARP DIEM.</P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>The Wrong Hiring Criteria</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:25:00 GMT</p> <br> <P>A prospect went to our web site <A href="http://www.turrisiassociates.com/" mce_href="http://www.turrisiassociates.com/">http://www.turrisiassociates.com</A> looking for information on how to write an ad to hire salespeople. When I called the gentlemen he informed me he had targeted the mortgage industry. He went on to say the mortgage and real-estate business was in a downturn and salespeople were looking to leave.</P> <P>When I asked the prospect what business he was in I was told he was a house builder. His plan was to write to mortgage company owners and recruit salespeople that wanted to leave the industry. He wanted salespeople that understood financing and real estate.</P> <P>Let's pretend for a moment that a mortgage agency owner was to respond to his letter. Do you think for a moment an agency owner would be inclined to give out names of employees who were top performers or poor performers?</P> <P>When the criteria for hiring a salesperson is industry knowledge, I can't help feeling the focus is on presenting when it should be on Hunting for Prospects, Qualifying or Disqualifying Business Opportunities and the Closing of sales.</P> <P>In order for a salesperson to be successful the salesperson has to have a good balance of hunting skills, qualifying skills and closing skills. Without these skills the knowledge base of the salesperson is useless. Especially when the opportunity is not qualified or disqualified properly.</P> <P>By way of example let's pretend that the salesperson was a big game hunter and knew everything about the use of their weapon, how to load it, how to aim it, and how to pull the trigger. Without having the ability to tell the difference between a bear and a cow the big game hunter would be unsuccessful in achieving their goals or at best lucky from time to time.</P> <P>In selecting a candidate the candidate should be matched to the position based on their sales skills, strengths and compatibility to the position. An example being if your salesperson is going to be calling on C-level executives in a highly competitive market and has come from and industry where they called on low level managers and were the only game in town they would find it extremely difficult to be successful.</P><br> </article> <article> <h1>“The Son Becomes the Coach of the Father’s Success”</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:06:00 GMT</p> <br>My family and I spent the last two weeks at the Jersey shore. We spent our days at the beach and our evenings either with friends, snuggling at home, taking walks on the beach or at the local arcade. <P mce_keep="true">At the arcade there was a game that required you to place a plunger into a cylinder. The prizes went from a piece of candy to 500 points. My son Adam was intrigued by the game and wanted me to play. When we arrived at the game room he pointed out the game and kept saying, "Dad, you can do it, I know you can. Just try, you can do it." So, I tried the first few times and was unsuccessful. Adam was right there, "Come on Dad. Try again. I know you can do it. Just move it a little to the right and a little lower. Good, try it now." Over a period of time I began to see why I was losing. Then I began to see what I could do to win and then I did win. The secret was to line the yellow bar with the center of a screw on the side of the game and place the gear in the center of the orange and green buttons. There was little margin for error. Over a period of two days I won ten times with a total accumulation of five thousand points. Each time I won Adam was there to say, "See I told you Dad, I knew you could do it." All through my learning curve Adam never once called me on the carpet, never addressed what I did wrong, never put me on notice. Do you know why? Because he believed in me. He knew I could do it and let me know. When I failed he was there to remind me of what he believed I could do. He was my coach and mentor. Adam motivated and inspired me to go on when I was not succeeding. He never got on my case. As I continued to try and try again I developed a process that when duplicated would always produce the intended result. Although it was a game it became a game working at the game.</P> <P mce_keep="true">One might say, "He is only a child, you would expect that from a child. They get excited, they don't see the world the way it really is, but I am adult."</P> <P mce_keep="true">Let's examine this. He had a positive attitude. He was there for me. He was invested in my success. If I succeeded he succeeded. The level of confidence he has in me and his capacity to love me no matter what sometimes overwhelms me.</P> <P mce_keep="true">Now let's look at the business application of this event and the Vice Presidents of Sales & the Sales Manager positions. Does the Manager see the role of a Manager to point out what the person did wrong, point out their failures, get on their case, put them on notice, and show them how to do it?</P> <P mce_keep="true">Or, should the Manager really care about the success of the salesperson. I mean really care. Should the Manager really believe in the person in the sales position and know their strengths and weaknesses? Should the Manager be a coach and assist the salesperson in reaching higher levels of success? Should the Manager be saying, "I know you could do it, come on try again. See, I knew you could do it. YOU DID IT, I KNEW YOU COULD!!!" </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>“Important Questions Employers Expect From Top Performers”</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:12:00 GMT</p> <br><P>Today I received a call from a former client and current friend, Barry Farbstein of Premier Office Supply. He asked "What questions would you ask if you were applying for a position in a company?" As I thought about the question I came up with a number of questions, I as an employer would want a candidate to ask.</P> <P>Let me first say good employers are looking for employees to help the company be successful. Strong employers are also interested in rewarding Top Performers.</P> <P mce_keep="true">I am not interested in the candidate that wants to know how much vacation time they get, days off, etc. I am not discounting these items because they are important. The questions I am looking for are the ones that will indicate that I am having a conversation with a serious candidate. Here is a list of some of the questions I feel are important.</P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P> <OL type=1> <LI>What is the vision the President has for the company?</LI> <LI>Has the company grown over the past 3 to 5 years?</LI> <LI>What has been the percentage of growth?</LI> <LI>How does the company stand up against the competition?</LI> <LI>Who are the company's top three competitors?</LI> <LI>What are the strengths and weaknesses of the competition?</LI> <LI>What are the strengths and weaknesses of the employing company?</LI> <LI>What percentage of the market does the company have?</LI> <LI>What geography does the company sell into?</LI> <LI>What is the profile of the ideal prospect?</LI> <LI>What is the profile of the ideal customer?</LI> <LI>What are the growth plans for the company for the next 3 to 5 years?</LI> <LI>Is the position to be filled a new position or a vacant position?</LI> <LI>How long has the position been open?</LI> <LI>How long was the former employee in the position?</LI> <LI>Why did the employee leave?</LI> <LI>What are the responsibilities of the position?</LI> <LI>Who does the candidate report to?</LI> <LI>How long has the person they would be reporting to been in their position?</LI> <LI>What is that person's management philosophy?</LI> <LI>Who else will the successful candidate interact with?</LI> <LI>Can I meet with those people?</LI> <LI>Do you hold staff meetings?</LI> <LI>May I attend one?</LI> <LI>How do you measure success in the position?</LI> <LI>What are the behaviors, personal attributes and motivators necessary to be successful in the position?</LI> <LI>Do you have a training program?</LI> <LI>Do you have a mentoring program?</LI> <LI>What is your on board process?</LI> <LI>What is the length of the learning curve for the position?</LI> <LI>What are the milestone steps for the position?</LI> <LI>How often do you do reviews?</LI> <LI>What is the growth path for the position?</LI> <LI>How do you reward Top Performers?</LI></OL> <P mce_keep="true"> </P> <P>To visit Barry's web site, go to <A href="http://www.premieroffice.com/" mce_href="http://www.premieroffice.com/">http://www.premieroffice.com/</A></P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>The Power of Belief and Sales Success</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:02:00 GMT</p> <br>While debriefing a salesperson's evaluation there was an indication he had a number of Non-Supportive Beliefs. Non-Supportive beliefs have a way of neutralizing a salesperson's ability to perform correctly. In the case of this particular salesperson, he believed he could not get to the decision maker because the receptionist was not allowed to give out names of employees or departments. His actual statement was ‘I can't get their names; they won't give them to me." <P mce_keep="true">The key words in his statements that disempowered him were <U>I can't</U> and <U>they won't</U>. </P> <P>When a salesperson says <U>they can't</U> or<U> they won't</U> they are done and there is no place for them to go except fold up their tent go home.</P> <P mce_keep="true">What this sales person should have said is <U>I do not know how yet.</U> This new statement is supportive because it opens the door to opportunity, exploration and new strategies.</P> <P>I was once faced with the situation of finding a key executive in a fortune 500 company. I went to the web site and looked for any information on key executives in addition to board members. I also went on Google and looked for news about the company and found an article written by the President of European Operations. I called the corporate office in the United States asked to speak with president. I was given the president's executive secretary. When we spoke I told her the reason for my call. She in turn gave me the name of an executive in the United States who referred me to another executive who referred me to another. After fourteen referrals to people in the organization I was finally able to speak with the individual I needed to talk with. During the process I collected the names of fourteen executives and asked them if I could send them my newsletter which resulted in nine e-mail addresses. This was all driven by one of favorite mantras, "I don't know how yet, but I know I can figure it out."</P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>How to Impress a New Client and Have Them Tell Everyone They Know About You</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:57:00 GMT</p> <br>My family and I are the new proud owners of a Bose surround sound system. Being handy around the house I made the decision to do the install myself. At one point in the install I got stuck. I called the Bose store in the Short Hills Mall, New Jersey and spoke with Dave Cesaretti the store manager. <P>Dave helped me through the install. While Dave was helping me I looked at the clock and realized we had been on the phone for one hour and fifteen minutes. Feeling guilty I apologized for keeping him on the phone so long and suggested I get off since he had other customers in the store to help. I was in a state of total shock when Dave told me not to worry about it because the store had been closed for the past hour and a half and was happy to continue to help me until the system was up and running.</P> <P>Now while Dave is the store manger he clearly has a Presidential Mindset. Dave in a sense is not selling stuff. Dave is building relationships, helping his customers and is committed to their enjoyment. </P> <P>I am so impressed with his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.</P> <P>When we look for Top Performers for our clients we look for people like Dave.</P> <P>The Top Performer is not just focused on the sale. They are focused on the customer having a positive experience. They want the customer to know they are important and the salesperson truly cares. </P> <P>If you want to avoid hiring mistakes it is important to measure the attributes of the individual you are hiring. The attributes are what they bring to the table. In the case of Dave he is a perfect match for the job. He is patient, customer focused and a value added provider.</P> <P>To learn more about Bose Systems go to <A href="http://www.bose.com/">Quality Service</A><BR><BR></P><br> </article> <article> <h1>How to Keep Your Customers &The Value of Good Customer Service</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:22:00 GMT</p> <br>Six years ago I had ten custom made shirts which I paid one hundred and twenty five dollars each. When I went to pick them up at the dry cleaner they all had the same tear in the same place as a result of a machine malfunction. Al gave me a credit of one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars on the spot and then offered to repair the damage which was under the collar and would go unnoticed. <P>This morning I picked up my dry cleaning at the local dry cleaner. I could go to any one of six different establishments in our area but I have stayed with Al's dry cleaning over the years. </P> <P>This morning I said to Al "Al thank you so very much for what you do". With his oriental accent he said yes, I clean your suits and shirts. I said no Al, you do more than that. You Al, because of what you do make sure I am always very presentable when I visit my clients. You also give me quality time to spend with my family. </P> <P>One could say Al is running a business that has become a commodity, or not. I recognize the value he brings into my life. He may not have.</P> <P>Here is a more important question. How many salespeople do not see the contribution their service or product provides and because of that are willing to drop their price to get an order rather than sell a value proposition?</P><br> </article> <article> <h1>The Case of the Pushy Not So Up Front Sales Person</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:55:00 GMT</p> <br><p>My wife and I have been looking for a leather sectional. We went to a local furniture store and found what we wanted. In addition to the sectional we also wanted an ottoman to place in front of the sectional so we could all stretch out while watching our favorite movies.</p> <p>The sectional could be delivered in four days but the ottoman might take three to four months <u>if it was available</u>. The sales person told us she could check to see if the ottoman was available but the vendor she deals with would not be motivated to give her info on the ottoman unless he knew she had closed us for the sectional. I told the sales person we wanted the sectional, would not sign the order form unless we knew we could have the ottoman as well. </p> <p>The sales person resisted and again insisted on her needing the order signed so she could use the order as leverage to get information we needed. Politely I let her know that getting the information I wanted was her problem and I would not give her an order without the information I needed.</p> <p>Now let's deal with reality. She wanted the order and tried to close as she should. The mistake she made was to not take responsibility for her actions. She pretty much said, I am not powerful, I can't get the information you want, it is the order that will make the difference.</p> <p>As a Top Performer she should have focused on why we wanted the sectional and gone to bat for us, her customer and cross sold us the ottoman. Furthermore, it was her responsibility to get the information. Doesn't the vendor's sales person work for her?</p> <p>Let's hear your comments.....AGREE? >>>>DISAGREE?</p><br> </article> <article> <h1>The $200.00 Dollar an Hour Guy Who Did $20.00 an Hour Work</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:07:00 GMT</p> <br><U>"I need to hire a sales person but I am so busy I have not been able to get to it."</U> <P>This owner was very busy answering the phone, taking orders and completing requests for bids.</P> <P>We have a choice of working in our business or at our business. When we are not working at our business we do not put the energy into planning and strategizing. </P> <P>When we are constantly working in our business we really only have a job and not a business.</P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>Hiring the Right Sales Person and the Value Proposition</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:56:00 GMT</p> <br>I visited two nurseries in our area intending to purchase eight seven foot Canadian Hemlock trees. The first nursery had six foot trees for $180.00 dollars each. I was told I had to remove the trees from the truck myself when delivered and move them to the location were they would be planted. I don't usually shop around, my time is very limited. I decided these people were not the company I wanted to do business with. <P mce_keep="true">The next nursery I visited had the seven foot trees and were $189 dollars each. The person taking care of me told me the driver and his helper would remove the trees from the truck and line the trees up seven feet apart in the location where they were to be planted. He also suggested I put two bags of soil that had been treated with fertilizer and mix it with our rocky soil for each tree. The person also explained how to plant the trees and how much and how frequently I should water the trees.</P> <P mce_keep="true">When the sale and the delivery arrangements were completed I was so impressed with the service I received I asked the gentlemen if he was the owner. He told me he was not but loved trees and loved what he was doing.</P> <P mce_keep="true"><A class="" href="http://www.omghub.com/salesdevelopmentblog/tabid/5809/bid/253/10-Reasons-for-HR-and-Sales-Management-to-Hire-Winning-Salespeople-Using-Assessments.aspx" mce_href="http://www.omghub.com/salesdevelopmentblog/tabid/5809/bid/253/10-Reasons-for-HR-and-Sales-Management-to-Hire-Winning-Salespeople-Using-Assessments.aspx">Hiring the right person</A> and matching them to a position is critical to achieving Top Performance in the Job. </P><br> </article> <article> <h1>The Correct Criteria for Hiring Sale People ……YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP</h1> <p>Al Turrisi — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:32:00 GMT</p> <br><P> A prospect went to our web site www.turrisissociates.com looking for information on how to write an ad to hire sales people. When I called the gentlemen he informed me he had targeted the mortgage industry. He went on to say the mortgage and real-estate business was in a down turn and sales people were looking to leave.</P> <P>When I asked the prospect what business he was in I was told he was a house builder. His plan was to write to mortgage company owners and recruit sales people that wanted to leave the industry. He wanted sales people that understood financing and real estate.</P> <P>Let's pretend for a moment that a mortgage agency was to respond to his letter. Do you think for a moment am agency owner would be inclined to give out names of employees who were top performers or poor performers</P> <P>When the criteria for hiring a sales person is industry knowledge, I can't help feeling the focus is on presenting when it should be on Hunting for prospects, Qualifying or Disqualify Business Opportunities and the Closing of sales.</P><br> </article> </main></body></html>