HOW'S YOUR YEAR TO DATE MARKETING STRATEGY ?

Year to date Marketing Strategy ? Here's the questions - you provide the answers. It is a provocative exercise - for your benefit !

1. Did you have a written marketing strategy when the year started ? If so, How have you done ?
2. In person networking efforts - how many have you done ? How often ? Results ? Changes ?
3. Online ( web 2.0 & web 3.0 ) efforts - Facebook ? Linked-In ? Others ? Results ? Changes
4. Cold calls - phone or in person ? How many ? How often ? Changes ?
5. Campaign steps - emails ? emails w/ attachments ? Mailers of any type ? New ideas ?
6. Luncheon appointments with existing customers ? How many ? How often ?
7. Thank you notes ( just mentioned last week by me ) ! How many ? To whom ? Changes ?
8. Speaking engagements at associations, meetings, etc. ( self-promotion ) ?
9. Drop by visits to existing customers - maybe with treats - doughnuts in the AM ? Along with thank you note !
10. Resourcing yourself - learning new directions - new techniques - YES that's all a part of marketing yourself and what you can do for your customers !
11. Benchmarking competitors or similar organizations to see what they may do that you don't ?
12. Finding a successful salesperson who calls on the same customers you do (but sells something different than you do) and exchanging leads/ contacts with them ?

Now whatever parts of these suggestions / questions that you haven't done at all or as well as you would like; then let's get definite about what's going to be done for the next 5 1/2 months to get MORE SALES !


LAST, but not least go to my HOME page - I'm offering a special pricing DEAL for the first six months of this year to all new clients. (NOW EXTENDED THROUGH AUGUST)

Thanks for taking the time to read this week's Perspective. Good Luck and Good Selling

HAND WRITTEN THANK YOU NOTES AND THEIR VALUE !

Obviously I'm repeating here one of my standard beliefs about how to show others respect. Hand written "Thank You" notes are awesome reflections of you as an individual and always well received by the intended ( even if they don't feel comfortable admitting it ).

Thank you notes to buyers, customers, support Staff, Operations Staff, Field Supervisors, and anyone else who contributes ( or can contribute ) to your success are indicators ( my humble opinion ) of a CLASS ACT. Needless to say, pick your time, place, situation, and nifty card to express your true appreciation. People love to know that they are appreciated and gain respect for you for recognizing their value to the sales process. Your appreciation of their time, efforts, patience, etc. goes a long way towards a future relationship that will benefit you many times over.

I know from real world experience that my past sales success was built on the efforts and contributions of many people. One of my greatest attributes was recognizing and encouraging everyone I came in contact with during my sales efforts. Thanking customers and asking for referrals was a great source of new business for me.

TRY IT - YOU WILL LIKE IT - IT WORKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


LAST, but not least go to my HOME page - I'm offering a special pricing DEAL for the first six months of this year to all new clients. (NOW EXTENDED THROUGH AUGUST)

Thanks for taking the time to read this week's Perspective. Good Luck and Good Selling

Challenge yourself to grow ! Challenge yourself to be 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.

Look around for success stories - they are all over the place. Get inspired ! Kick yourself in the butt !


NOW GO SELL SOMETHING - YOUR BABY NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES !


REMEMBER every salesperson is a part of the economic recovery we are all looking for ! Don't believe me - go to the Sunday classifieds and see where the most job opportunities are. Yes, it is the sales jobs which far outnumber any other professional group that are looking for producers ( well, maybe the need for nurses outnumber us in certain areas ). There is only one direction that is going to solve any of our problems - "MORE SALES".

HAVE A GREAT WEEK ! CALL IF I CAN HELP YOU OR YOUR TEAM !!

Always remember - "people still buy people" and that's why we have sales professionals !


"The Biggest Obstacle to Sales Success is the Resistance to Change How You Sold Yesterday in Order to Be More Successful Today "

WHAT KIND OF AN IMPRESSION DO YOU MAKE ON BUYERS ?

Be serious and introspective for few moments. When is the last time you set down with a few minutes and an open mind to evaluate how you are perceived by existing and potential customers ? Or push the envelope and assess how you are viewed by peers and support team members ? What words would be utilized by any other person(s) to describe you ? This can be a very rewarding exercise in many different ways.

But let's stay with the direction of what words would be expressed by others to define how you come across to THEM - whatever their station in your business life. Think about it ! Would you hear words like gracious, kind, attentive, industrious, disciplined, generous, understanding, well-mannered, neat, organized, respectful, professional, responsive, very aware, knowledgeable and other complimentary perspectives ?

Or, would you hear words like selfish, egotistical, arrogant, stuffy, full of themselves, unprofessional, disorganized, not well prepared (gunslinger), disrespectful, lazy, poor listener, sloppy, rude, habitually late, poor communicator, procrastinator and possibly other undesirable words ?

You may be chuckling to yourself but this can be very helpful to your future success ! It is extremely difficult to see yourself as others see you. But nothing could be more important than to take a hard look at how you are viewed by others along your career path. Assuming you want to surpass any previous levels of success and assuming that you are openminded enough to look at changing some personal habits, quirks or whatever can be contributing to any unflattering words used by others to describe you; then you can improve your success greatly ! AND THERE IS NOT A ONE OF US IN THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL SALES THAT COULD SAY WITH UTTER CONFIDENCE THAT NO UNFLATTERING TERMS WOULD BE USED BY ANYONE TO DESCRIBE ME !