Sunday, December 20, 2009
12/21/09 - ON VACATION UNTIL NEW YEAR - 1/4/10
HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON ! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES !!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
WHAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT IN 2010 ?
TO ALL MY CLIENTS AND FOLLOWERS - I SINCERELY WISH FOR YOU AND YOURS A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON - THANKS FOR YOUR BUSINESS, YOUR INTEREST, AND I WANT 2010 TO BE THE BEST YEAR YOU HAVE EVER HAD IN PROFESSIONAL SALES !
The issue on the table is 2010 and what if any thing are you going to do differently. Presuming you want better results and you remember the well-worn definition of insanity (doing the same thing and expecting different results); what changes are you planning to do ?
Here's a suggestion for you. I know this is not a rocket science suggestion but instead of shining yourself on - try it. Find some time ( at least an hour maybe two ) and evaluate your performance for 2009. Leave out the excuses, the economy, & the rest of the baloney. Just assume that you were your sales manager / coach. How would you HONESTLY rate yourself ( from 1 to 10 - 10 being the best ) in each of these categories:
a. Lead Development
b. Networking
c. Cold Calling
d. Discipline
e. Paperwork
f. Time Management
g. Persistence (professionally)
h. Campaign Development
i. Follow - Through
j. Innovations ( which separates you from the competition )
k. Database / CRM Management
l. Utilization of your POTENTIAL
That's enough ( there are more categories for sure ) to give you a lot of ideas for developing new directions for 2010. Please do this exercise and provide some real intense leadership for yourself in the new year ! Call me if I can help !
Thanks for taking the time to read this week's Perspective. Good Luck and Good Selling !
Challenge yourself to grow ! Challenge yourself to more accountable to yourself and the people who rely on you to make it happen. There isn't one of us who could not be more productive, more focused, more goal oriented, and more open to change - doing things different than what we have ever done before.
The issue on the table is 2010 and what if any thing are you going to do differently. Presuming you want better results and you remember the well-worn definition of insanity (doing the same thing and expecting different results); what changes are you planning to do ?
Here's a suggestion for you. I know this is not a rocket science suggestion but instead of shining yourself on - try it. Find some time ( at least an hour maybe two ) and evaluate your performance for 2009. Leave out the excuses, the economy, & the rest of the baloney. Just assume that you were your sales manager / coach. How would you HONESTLY rate yourself ( from 1 to 10 - 10 being the best ) in each of these categories:
a. Lead Development
b. Networking
c. Cold Calling
d. Discipline
e. Paperwork
f. Time Management
g. Persistence (professionally)
h. Campaign Development
i. Follow - Through
j. Innovations ( which separates you from the competition )
k. Database / CRM Management
l. Utilization of your POTENTIAL
That's enough ( there are more categories for sure ) to give you a lot of ideas for developing new directions for 2010. Please do this exercise and provide some real intense leadership for yourself in the new year ! Call me if I can help !
Thanks for taking the time to read this week's Perspective. Good Luck and Good Selling !
Challenge yourself to grow ! Challenge yourself to more accountable to yourself and the people who rely on you to make it happen. There isn't one of us who could not be more productive, more focused, more goal oriented, and more open to change - doing things different than what we have ever done before.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
BEST RESULTS FOR SELF-PROMOTION = P.S.
Regardless what anyone tells you ( or you tell yourself ) - SALES is still about relationships - people buy people. Has the economy and technology influenced / changed ways of initiating and building relationships ? For sure ! I don't deny that methods for all aspects of professional sales has changed and continues to change but you still can influence your success by increasing the number of relationships. Whether you talk about cold leads, networking groups, internal customers, external customers ( past,present, & future ), social groups, web contacts ( 2.0 / 3.0 ), and millions of people who don't know who you are or what you sell - the more people who know you and who have heard good things about you will be the biggest single factor in your success. So, self-promotion - done with style and class is what we are referencing here. I'll assume that you agree or at least your open to wondering where I'm going with all of this verbiage.
The P.S. I've alluded to is PUBLIC SPEAKING. There is no better way to promote yourself than to get up in front of a group of people and share your insights about a topic that you happen to know a great deal about. Some of my clients look at me and just can't believe that I'm advocating that they get up in front of a group of people and sell their product and themselves. Please understand that I'm not suggesting that at all. What I'm suggesting is the exact opposite. Short of the program or the MC suggesting your background -you should never mention your company or your product - the audience can figure all that out for themselves. What you want to is to take particulars and concepts that evolve around your industry and speak to your awareness / opinions / resources about those particular items.
Suppose I sold jet engines and was a salesperson for GE ( I think they have jet engines ), I would speak about the future in the airline industry or innovations being discussed about propulsion methods in general. I would do my homework and bring a well researched professional presentation to whatever group who might be interested in your topic. I'm not in that industry but as a local member of my Chamber of Commerce and a frequent flier ( plus a brother who is a pilot ) I would like to hear about the future or whatever you are sharing.
Not comfortable with public speaking ? You are not alone. Get some training and get better at it. Consider joining your local Toastmaster's Chapter (International Organization with Chapters everywhere). Maybe take a public speaking class at a local college ? Everyone can do it - it's just overcoming your fears.
Start by volunteering to present programs at your local Jaycees, Rotary, Kiwanis or other groups. Who knows you might grow to like it ! And become a successful public speaker for $$$$ ?
The P.S. I've alluded to is PUBLIC SPEAKING. There is no better way to promote yourself than to get up in front of a group of people and share your insights about a topic that you happen to know a great deal about. Some of my clients look at me and just can't believe that I'm advocating that they get up in front of a group of people and sell their product and themselves. Please understand that I'm not suggesting that at all. What I'm suggesting is the exact opposite. Short of the program or the MC suggesting your background -you should never mention your company or your product - the audience can figure all that out for themselves. What you want to is to take particulars and concepts that evolve around your industry and speak to your awareness / opinions / resources about those particular items.
Suppose I sold jet engines and was a salesperson for GE ( I think they have jet engines ), I would speak about the future in the airline industry or innovations being discussed about propulsion methods in general. I would do my homework and bring a well researched professional presentation to whatever group who might be interested in your topic. I'm not in that industry but as a local member of my Chamber of Commerce and a frequent flier ( plus a brother who is a pilot ) I would like to hear about the future or whatever you are sharing.
Not comfortable with public speaking ? You are not alone. Get some training and get better at it. Consider joining your local Toastmaster's Chapter (International Organization with Chapters everywhere). Maybe take a public speaking class at a local college ? Everyone can do it - it's just overcoming your fears.
Start by volunteering to present programs at your local Jaycees, Rotary, Kiwanis or other groups. Who knows you might grow to like it ! And become a successful public speaker for $$$$ ?
TIME MGMT. - HOW TO BE A BETTER MANAGER
Sales Professionals ! Let's talk about your favorite subject - TIME MANAGEMENT ! This subject has more directions than a litter of kittens with their eyes open ! And it is a perfect example of that ole axiom of continuing to do the same as you have always done and expect different results - that's INSANITY !
With the challenges that a normal new year bring plus the "recovering" economy, your time management skills could possibly need some attention / redefinition / correction. There are a multitude of resources and materials to head in that direction. So please do yourself a favor and invest some time and effort in improving an aspect of your career that could increase your income. To assist; here are some suggestions ( in no particular order and ones you might have heard before ) :
A. Don't answer your cell phone or desk phone every time it rings - utilize voice mail - explain to customers and potential customers that you check messages every hour and will reply asap. Phone call interruptions interfere with concentration and momentum and get you easily (even though justified)distracted ( never returning to what you were doing or if so you may have lost some profound thoughts ).
B. Utilize some type of TO DO list to which you add and cross out items as they appear and get accomplished in your task load. Some type of prioritization is essential. Some of my clients utilize color coded TO DO lists. At least two of my long term clients utilize color coded index cards - the small ones.
C. If your manager or coach does not require a weekly plan and / or a weekly accomplishment list; then do one yourself. You remember "Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan" ! Start out every Monday AM with a PLAN in hand ( not just appointments but what else you intend to accomplish for the week ). A lot of Salespeople are "gunslingers" beyond belief and get ego gratification by being perceived successful without a PLAN. If they just realized how much more successful they could be with more focus and time management.
D. It is a fact that most of us "sales professionals" really enjoy the flexibility that a sales career can allow you to enjoy ( especially, if you are successful ) being in charge of your own schedule ( with a few exceptions - like managers and customers ). However, that lack of discipline and supervision can greatly affect your success. Working longer hours and working smarter can greatly affect your success. When I'm trying to contact customers ( new, continuing, prospects, leads, etc.); I can find more of them in the office ( answering their own phone ) before 8 AM and after 5 PM.
E. Utilization of a database (inhouse or yours) is essential and will contribute to your success. You call it goldmine, your CRM, or whatever; if you are not on top of utilizing it by putting in details daily and utilizing any "bells or whistles" to remind you of follow up actions - then you are missing the boat !
It is time consuming to input details and it is easy to procrastinate - but you go to do it !
Onward Sales Professionals !
With the challenges that a normal new year bring plus the "recovering" economy, your time management skills could possibly need some attention / redefinition / correction. There are a multitude of resources and materials to head in that direction. So please do yourself a favor and invest some time and effort in improving an aspect of your career that could increase your income. To assist; here are some suggestions ( in no particular order and ones you might have heard before ) :
A. Don't answer your cell phone or desk phone every time it rings - utilize voice mail - explain to customers and potential customers that you check messages every hour and will reply asap. Phone call interruptions interfere with concentration and momentum and get you easily (even though justified)distracted ( never returning to what you were doing or if so you may have lost some profound thoughts ).
B. Utilize some type of TO DO list to which you add and cross out items as they appear and get accomplished in your task load. Some type of prioritization is essential. Some of my clients utilize color coded TO DO lists. At least two of my long term clients utilize color coded index cards - the small ones.
C. If your manager or coach does not require a weekly plan and / or a weekly accomplishment list; then do one yourself. You remember "Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan" ! Start out every Monday AM with a PLAN in hand ( not just appointments but what else you intend to accomplish for the week ). A lot of Salespeople are "gunslingers" beyond belief and get ego gratification by being perceived successful without a PLAN. If they just realized how much more successful they could be with more focus and time management.
D. It is a fact that most of us "sales professionals" really enjoy the flexibility that a sales career can allow you to enjoy ( especially, if you are successful ) being in charge of your own schedule ( with a few exceptions - like managers and customers ). However, that lack of discipline and supervision can greatly affect your success. Working longer hours and working smarter can greatly affect your success. When I'm trying to contact customers ( new, continuing, prospects, leads, etc.); I can find more of them in the office ( answering their own phone ) before 8 AM and after 5 PM.
E. Utilization of a database (inhouse or yours) is essential and will contribute to your success. You call it goldmine, your CRM, or whatever; if you are not on top of utilizing it by putting in details daily and utilizing any "bells or whistles" to remind you of follow up actions - then you are missing the boat !
It is time consuming to input details and it is easy to procrastinate - but you go to do it !
Onward Sales Professionals !
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