The Sales Pro Insider Building Performance Profits and People

Right now I am flying high.  Literally flying at 33,000 feet – probably somewhere over Indiana. I’m on my way to work with Alice Kemper, my Sharpenz.com partner, for the rest of the week.  (For those of you who have used Sharpenz – we’ll have three new boosters ready-to-go next week!)

I’m chuckling because the last post was about You Won’t Get if You Don’t Ask - well I asked the flight attendant the cost of wifi on the airplane – not because I really wanted to use it, just because I was curious.  She told me that she wasn’t sure but that I should go to the site because you can sometimes try it free.

Well, the Go Go site was more than Try it Free – they had a game you could play to earn free wifi for the duration of the flight. I tried it and won!  How cool is that?

So now today I am feeling lucky, confident and like a winner. How will that translate to my success today? I believe it will translate into energy and productivity leading to success.

If you aren’t flying high today like I am, how can you get your energy and confidence up?  A few things come to mind:

1.  Do the thing you are dreading the most for today. Tackle it head on and get it out of the way.  The rest will seem easier.

2.  Review your goals – what are you working toward? What progress have you made? Take one full minute to think and feel that progress. Doesn’t it feel good? Don’t beat yourself up over what you have left to do – acknowledge what you have done.

3.  Contact someone you have been meaning to. You know who the person is – just pick up the phone or send an email NOW!  They’ll be glad to hear from you.  It’s amazing how much connection we need as people.  Don’t want it to be work related? That’s okay!  Amanda shared with me that she found someone she had completely forgotten about on Facebook – they now have reconnected and she is so grateful.

Sometimes the little actions we take early in the morning can give us that boost of energy and confidence that will keep us ‘flying’ a winner all day!

p.s. For someone like who bemoans the speed of new technology, I’m loving it today!

Filed Under: productivity, sales tips

What does it take to be successful in the sales world?  Intelligence, drive, a good work ethic, being customer and company focused, knowing ‘how’ to sell in your industry and so much more.  Yet all of this can be boiled down to two broader items:  confidence and competence.

In my sales training courses, we build competence and confidence.  When my prospects ask me which is more important – I’m stumped.  It’s both!  Being confident with competence is what is necessary.  Strengthening each of these lasts and gives a healthy ROI to the training!

Let’s look at the alternatives:    

• Confidence with incompetence:  You know these folks – lots of bravado and nothing to back it up.  They create a trail of destruction – inside and outside the company. Often these are what people label the dreaded ‘used car salesman’ type.
• Lack of confidence with incompetence:  Not much to say, hopefully they find another career quickly. The sad part?  Often they are the NICEST people – just miscast in sales.
• Lack of confidence with competence:  They know what to do and CAN do it – but their lack of confidence can rear its ugly head in so many unproductive ways – procrastination, lack of making contact with prospective buyers, and over preparing for everything.

A competent and confident sales professional knows WHAT to do, HOW to do it and does “it”.  They are consistent, productive and proactive.

It’s Friday – let’s have some fun with this one.  Please comment with examples of salespeople you have run into that fit into one of these groups. 

Filed Under: consultative selling, productivity, sales tips, skills

Once a week we have a Smörgåsbord night for dinner at my house.  (Somepeople might call this leftover night – we don’t.)  It’s the time when we gather all our little tidbits of this and that food and have a FEAST!  Well, today is a sales Smörgåsbord.  Lots of little tidbits from around the world of sales for you. 

1. Jonathan Farrington is offering YOU a free seat in his February 3rd Top Sales Expert Masterclass:  How to Become a Sales Superstar in 2010.  Click here for free registration.
2. Jill Konrath continues her philanthropy with Get Back to Work Faster – visit the site for a free book, free resources and webinars.  Share this with those who need to…get back to work!
3. SmartSelling Tools is offering a written tool – a 100 page eBook titled Increase Sales Productivity in 2010: Sales Tools and the Path to Productivity Gains - full of great tools that can help you be more productive this year.  Click  here.
4. Free eBook from Top Sales Experts with lots of great articles and advice.  Great reads to have with you so that when you are waiting for an appointment, you can make great use of your time.  Click here for the ebook.
5. Sharpenz.com offers a free ready-to-go sales training kit. the kit is for a 30 minute ‘live’ training with a group.  If you aren’t a sales leader, get your free copy and share it with your manager – you’ll score brownie points and get a productive ‘boost’ for your skills and energy!  
6. And last, but not the least of this fabulous Smörgåsbord, Sales Pro Insider, Inc.  (that’s me!) is giving the new eBook Timely Tips to Achieve Your Goals is being downlaoded by dozens of sales pros each day!  Get your copy by signing up for the Timely Tips ezine – sent every 3 weeks and full of little tips and ideas to help you get the most out of your day and contacts.

I hope you’ll find plenty to feast on with today’s sales Smörgåsbord. 

If you have any ‘treats’ to add – leave a comment!

Filed Under: productivity, sales tips, sales tools

It’s Monday morning.  I’m tired.  The weekend was long and ended with a funeral for a 39 year old mom with young kids.  What an energy zapper.  And I have a long To Do list for today including an important sales call (aren’t they all important?).

How about you?  Ready to go this morning?

Sometimes its hard to be productive when you have ZERO pep.  Isn’t it?  So what to do?  Going back to bed is not an option.  Taking the day off isn’t either.  So I need to find a way to dig in and find ‘it’ today!

Here’s my plan to find ‘it’:

1. Before looking at my long To Do list, I am taking out my goals.  I am going to read through them and remind myself of WHERE I am headed.
2. Then I am going to really think hard about the rewards I am seeking by achieving the goals.
3. And next I am going to look at my To Do list for today and this week and make sure I have activities listed out that will move me forward.
4. Then I am going to start with the #1 priority (this blog post was the first #1 and I am almost finished !

Just writing these actions has me feeling more energetic!  I think it is because I have a plan now.  That works for me. I will have a productive day

What you need to discover is what works for you? How are you going to get ‘it’ going today so that THIS week is productive and powerful?

If you want help in being more productive, starting with your goals can help.  I did complete the Timely Tips to Achieve Your Goals eBook.  It’s a quick process to help you write and plan to reach your goals.  An easy-to-use goal planner is included!  All you need to do is sign up for the Timely Tips ezine here to get your copy.  If you are   already a Timely Tips subscriber, I sent you a link over a week ago to access yours.  If you don’t have it – send me an email. 

Filed Under: goal setting, maximize sales productivity, productivity, sales tips

A few days left in 2009.  What are you doing?  From the number of Out of Office notices to messages sent yesterday, many of you are enjoying time OFF!  Yeah for you.  I hope you are rejuvenating yourselves!  For those still ‘in’ this week- its a great time to to close 2009. 

 How?  If you aren’t able to get in front of prospects and decision makers (though I do have 2 sales calls via telephone tomorrow), its the PERFECT time to do all the activities that we say we are too busy to do the rest of the year.  A recap of the actions and then tips follow.     

1. Organize.  Yes, the dreaded organization.  Take time to go through files, drawers, stacks of paper.  
2. Set goals.  Many say there is no time to do this the rest of the year.  Today is the day!
3. Plan. Once the goal is set – putting together the plan is next.
4. Rest.  Give your body and mind time to regenerate.

Tips for each action:

Organize – it’s more than straightening and getting things out of sight.  Start with this 3-step process:

1. Review.  What is in your hand?  Scan it over and then,
2. Decide what to do with it.  Is it something you will need again?  If you discard it, would you have access to it in some other way without it taking up your ’space’? 
3. Keep, toss or file.     Yes, each item – once you get started this is only seconds per paper, item, etc. 

Once you have control of the stuff – set up your files for next year – electronic or paper files.

Set goals.  I’ve written about goals many times, they are THAT important.  A few posts to help you: Ready, Aim, Action and  4 Rs of a  Great Goal Process,  

Plan.  Planning is a different activity than setting the goals.  The goal is the target, the plan is the how you will get there.  If you would like a copy of an effective goal planning form, email me and I’ll send you a Word document.  This document not only allows you to write your goal (an important part of goal achievement) it also has places to write your actions and planning considerations. 

Rest.  As a person who ‘gos’ full steam all the time.  The resting is something I have had to condition myself to.  And I realize the benefits every time.  Make time to get enough sleep, get your ‘head’ out of work, enjoy yourself and others without work pressures!  A previous post speaks to the benefits of rest.

And there you have it.  Make these days work for you!

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Special Note:  If one of your goals for next year is a more productive sales team – we have a great resource for sales boosters!  Sharpenz…Half Hour of Power sales boosts.  Get a FREE Booster here.  And then take advantage of the 30% off sale through 12/31/09- a full robust training library for under $1000!  A great way to use year-end budget dollars. 

Filed Under: focus, goal setting, maximize sales productivity, productivity, sales tips

Today’s post is all about giving a lift – to your confidence and spirit!  It’s the time of year where people are busier than ever – year-end work stresses, holiday prep and for many of us, dealing with  unfavorable weather – all can make for a ‘bah-humbug’ day.   

Yesterday, a group of professionals each joined our workshop with a bah-humbug after another.  I thought “Oh  boy, this could be a long HOUR!”  But, once we got engaged in discussion, started focusing on actions we have control of and listened to each other, there was a much lighter spirit as they left the workshop.    

Six ways to lift your confidence and spirit today in 5 minutes or less:

1.  
   1. Think about one person who has helped you this year.  One person who somehow made something easier or better for you.  Call them or write them a note of appreciation!
   2. Look at your goals for 2009 (you do have them in wriring somewhere, don’t you?) – instead of focusing on the goals that are not wher eyou want them to be – for a minute – concentrate on a goal you achieved or made significant progress with.  Take a FULL minute to think about this accomplishment.
   3. Watch these videos:  Smile and Move and ifyou need hlep with a smile, these 4 ladies will help, if you aren’t smmiling after this 1 minute video, I’m not sure what can help!
   4. Read the following quotation “All the great blessings of my life are in my thoughts today.” Phoebe Cary  – What if your blessings were in your thoughts?  Wouldn’t that give you a lift?
   5. The following websites are full of positive news – find one story to read: 
      • Happy News - Real  News. Compelling Stories. Always  Positive.
      • Daily Good - this even has a Business section!
      • Upbeat  - Positive, Optimistic, Inspiring News for All Ages – Read about Gracie, you’ll feel better.
      • Optimist News - What a great name!
   6. And maybe my favorite, Eat a piece of chocolate.  It really does have mood-lifting benefits!  And if you want an extra boost – share a piece of chocolate with someone else – watch how it lifts them too!

That’s it!  Actions for you, actions that will also lift others and in only 5 minutes your lift will give you more energy, confidence and spirit to tackle the rest of the day.

And if you want to lift my spirits – I’d appreciate your VOTE!  An article I wrote, The Sign of a True Sales Pro, was honored as the Sales Article of the Month in May 2009.  Now it is contending for the Top Sales Article of the Year.  the competition is stiff and I’d like a great showing!  It will take less than a minute for you to vote here.   Thank you so much!

Filed Under: learning, priorities, productivity, sales tips

Want to play a game?  I challenge you to a game of darts.  Ready to play?  It’s a little different than you might think.  You have 8 darts in my game.  Each dart represents an hour of your ‘regular’ work day.  Your success depends on how accurate you hit your target.  But wait!  The dart board we use doesn’t have numbers – you don’t know where to aim, and you can easily hit a target youdont’ want to, instead of the bulls-eye.  

Wanna play this game with me?  No? Why not?  It’s similar to the game I see sales pros, teams and managers play EVERY day. They work hard.  They work long hours.  They want to win. And still they end up wasting a lot of time and energy reacting and chasing. 

Sound familiar?  Without a clear, focused target to aim at, there is so much waste and likelihood of missing the target!  With only 7 weeks left in 2009 is it too late to set targets now?  No!

Last week the action to Countdown 2009 was to analyze and find where you really are.  This week’s activity was to help you determine where you need to go and what you need to do!

This week’s challenge is to be very clear on your desired results for 12/31/09.  We call this the Ready, Aim, Action plan. 

Ready

Take out pen and paper NOW.  At the top write:

On 12/31/09  I/My

It all starts with a target date and the focus on YOU!  You have more control (and potential reward) over what happens in this next 7 weeks than anyone else.

Aim

Then make 3 columns and title them:

Quantity/amount                     Result/Outcome              Reward/Benefit

• Column 1 – Measurement – What numbers do you want on 12/31/09?  Dollars?  # accounts, # prospects at certain points in your pipeline, # appointments?
• Column 2 – Result/Outcome – this is the result you want on that date.  Closed sales, contracts signed, appointments set, etc.
• Column 3 – Rewards – this the benefit of you achieving the result or outcome.  The more specific the reward, the more motivation you will have to take the necessary action.

Target examples:

• On 12/31/09 my annual closed sales are $750,000.  My reward is recognition from my company and manager, the feeling of success and my 5% bonus for reaching my goal that we will use to pay cash for our son’s tuition in January 2010.
• On 12/31/09 I have 12 contracts signed for delivered product in January 2010. My reward is knowing that I will start 2010 with a bang and that I will not work at all on the holidays and use that time to focus on my family.
• On 12/31/09 my 2009 goal is reached with ease.  My reward is that I will not have to scramble the last week justifying to management why I missed goal and what I am doing for next year. 
• On 12/31/09 My annual income is $250,000.  My reward is to fund my retirement account fully and to buy the flat screen TV for my bedroom that allows me more dresser space!

Action

With only 7 weeks to go setting the target is necessary AND action is what will get you there.  Next is to identify 2-3 actions you will take THIS week to move toward these goals.

Example for Target 1:

1. I will follow-up with Prospects A, B, C, X, Y, Z for the outstanding proposals.
2. Brainstorm with my manager on otpions I can offer to stalled sales for Prospects M, ,N. Make contact with those prospects.
3. For every meeting this week, I will spend 30 minuets preparing – researching any new information and identifying how to use the information in my contact.

That’s it!  It’s only about 60 minutes of time that will SAVE you so much energy and frustration.  Taking the 60 minute to follow the Ready, Aim, Action plan will make the rest of this week focused and productive.  And you will be well on your way to all the rewards you listed!

Chime in here…what is a goal you wrote?  What is your reward?  Do you think through your rewards and the ‘why’ you should reach your goals? 

Filed Under: goal setting, maximize sales productivity, productivity, sales tips

Goal achievement…what successful business professional doesn’t want to achieve their goals?  None that I know of, yet things get in the way – barriers/obstacles that we call “life” sometimes do make it more difficult. 

The reality is, that sometimes the biggest barrier is us – our commitment falters and our follow through fails!  (In fact, I was going to title this post Commitment and Follow-through, but felt that most of you wouldn’t want to read it!)

A recent story:  Two months ago I re-affirmed my commitment to eating better and exercising regularly.  I have been dealing with a separated AC joint in my shoulder since a bad fall in 2007 and have easily found one excuse after another to do NOTHING instead of adjusting the type of exercise I could be doing.  Guess what?  Weight has crept on and my stamina was down.  With a trip to NYC this weekend, I am afraid I will be embarrassed by not finishing the climb to the top of the crown of the Statue of Liberty! 

So two month’s ago I took charge:  First, I made the commitment, then wrote it down as a realistic goal (I exercise 4 x a week for at least 30 minutes.) and next I moved to the follow-through by tracking my activity and progress.

In the first two weeks I focused on power walking…and within days felt the shin splints, so barrier one.  I figured that I could avoid that by using my pool – and that has worked VERY well.  I have been  diligent about making sure I was in that pool with my modified swim routine. My 13 year old daughter has taken it upon herself to check on my progress, and sometimes is at the edge of the pool keeping count for me!

I have found that I have built my stamina and increased my laps over the weeks.  Not bad!  Six weeks into it and I thought…”Okay, I’ve built the habit, mission accomplished.” 

Wrong!  It is really easy to be knocked off this path.  And this past weekend reminded me that new habits can become old habits quickly!  With lots of work and personal commitments, I hadn’t had time to get in my swim these last days.  Saturday night I was feeling the lack of my follow through and promised that I would get in for a last outdoor swim on Sunday (fall is on its’ way to Wisconsin). 

It looked like a beautiful day and my husband turned on the heater.  But after a very LONG Brewer’s game (we were invited to the Suites with a friend), I made excuses. When I got home and the temps had dropped into the 60s, the threat of rain was in the air, and my daughter backed out of a last-season swim, I walked away from the pool instead of getting in, it was so cold outside! 

Suddenly, I thought “What am I doing? I feel terrible that I haven’t done this and if I leave, I am another day behind”  I quickly turned and ran and jumped in…the water was 20 degrees warmer than the air and it felt wonderful! 

 But the obstacle wasn’t over yet…As I swam my laps, my mind was constantly “negotiating” with how many laps I should really do because the mosquitoes were out, it was rather dark and I could see lightning in the distance…but I just kept at it…and after a brief stop when my daughter yelled out the door to make sure I was really in the water and alive, I finished.  Then I did TWO more laps! 

I felt great!!!!  I slept great.  Follow through and commitment to our goals will do that.  The energy wasted on excuses, guilt, avoidance are usually more than the energy spent getting what needs to be done, done!

My tips for reaching your goals?

1. Set a realistic goal - include the what, when, where and NOW (write it as if you were already “there”.)
2. Commit to it – verbally and in writing. 
3. Identify your real reward for achieving the goal (climbing the stairs in NYC without passing out is mine.)
4. Share with a stakeholder - who knew my 13 year old would be so supportive?
5. Take action!
6. Don’t ignore the barriers that pop up, acknowledge them and work through them!
7. Celebrate your progress – don’t just wait for thee final end result. Many people need encouragement along the way.
8. Find yourself off track?  Review your goal. Renew your commitment. Revise the goal if necessary. 

My reward, climbing to the crown!

How’s that sound?  It’s Monday and the perfect day to look at what you have to do this week.  Not just the “To Dos’ – the REAL actions that are tied into your goals.  Pull out your goals, renew your commitment and identify at least ONE action you can take to progress toward achieving that goal.  Then follow through and DO it!

What do you think?  Does this work?  What ideas would you add to the list? 

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If one of your To Dos, is becoming more proficient at prospecting, I have an easy action for you this week!  

Over at Top Sales Experts, the most significant sales related online community in the world, five of the world’s top sales gurus gather together every month to present timely, relevant, and specific advice, all in one 60-minute highly interactive online-show.

Each TSE Roundtable addresses issues being faced by sales professionals everywhere, as we come out of the severest economic downturn ever.  This month:

OR Why not consider becoming a TSE VIP Member? Via me, membership costs just $25 per year and you get to listen to this and every other Roundtable for FREE – plus so much more Take the VIP Tour Today

Filed Under: goal setting, productivity, prospecting, sales seminar, sales tips

In the sales, leadership and coaching courses I facilitate, I often hear that the participants want to do increase sales, be a better leader, and more but there is no time to _______ .  You can fill in the blank with a lot of things.  Most have to do with proactive activities or development – for themselves and their associates.

Throughout the course we discuss the need to empower and equip your associates and those around you for the long-term good of the company. Again and again I hear professionals express that they WANT to delegate more but they can’t because:

1. It takes too much time and I can get it done faster myself.
2. I don’t have anyone to delegate to.
3. My team isn’t ready to do some of the things I do.

Sound familiar?  (I think this occurs at work and home for many of us…) But what are we doing when we don’t give others the opportunity to grow, try something and succeed?  We rob them of the opportunities that these experiences provide.  We also rob ourselves of precious time.

I’m not just talking delegation to subordinates (though that term makes me cringe) I’m talking delegation to the RIGHT person for the job.  This may be a colleague, your boss. an assistant, another department, etc.   It’s getting the right things in the right person’s hands.

Whenever I think about time management, delegation and responsibility I immediately think of the great Harvard Business Review article called Who’s Got the Monkey?  It is a great visual of what happens when a “to do” is seen as a monkey that is crawling on your back, and how in the course of a conversation the monkey moves from shoulder to shoulder depending on who is taking or owning that responsibility.  It brings a great awareness of how easy it is to take a monkey that doesn’t rightfully belong to you. 

The monkey is something that can be robbed from others needlessly. When you keep the monkey on your shoulders, you are robbing yourself and them as I already mentioned.  The question then becomes, how to remove some things from your To Do and get them to the right people?  Well, TA DA!  My dear colleague, Jonathan Farrington of Top Sales Experts, put together a wonderful one-page “assessment” for you to assess your time robbers. 

If you are looking at your list for this week and wondering how it will all be accomplished, this assessment might be the place to start.  Look at what there is to do and then who should be doing it.  Of course getting rid of it might take some time and effort.   You might need to build a case on why that monkey belongs with someone else, and then teach them how to care for it before you can truly take that weight off your shoulders.

But who knows, in the long run you might just foil a monkey robbery…and get rewarded for it with time and appreciation.

What monkeys get stuck on your back? 

I highly encourage you to purchase the article…it’s timeless.

Filed Under: Leadership, maximize sales productivity, productivity, sales tips

Finding success these days means we might have to try something new to stay in the game.  And it seems these days the “new” technology is coming faster than I am ready.

In 2009 I have – and am still – working through many changes as I adapt my business to the ever-changing market, needs of my clients and technology.  I have migrated my accounting system, this blog, my newsletter, Facebook use, I’m Tweeting, and I have a touch screen cell that I’m still not sure about, and on and on and on. 

At different times in the last month I have begun to feel that technology is going to get the best of me sooner or later.  That’s why sometimes when someone tells me I NEED to do another something new with technology I am not jumping up and down.  I don’t feel I’ve grasped all the technology I started this year and I’m not sure my brain can absorb anymore at this point!

Today though, I finally opened up to the idea of video use in marketing and sales – but only after the fourth “expert” let me know that I should include video in the launch plan of our super secret new product line that we will announce soon.  I’m not sure why, but today I listened…and then I pulled out the Flip Video camera that so far, I have only used for fun family times (we bought a waterproof cover and have had great fun in the pool).

Guess what?  It was FUN!  And probably one of the easiest new pieces of technology I have attempted to incorporate this year.  I passed along my freshman effort to a couple of colleagues and they said that the message on the video helped them connect to the new product in a way that the text of the new website has not.

Now I do have more work to do on lighting and making sure I am succinct, but I see why video can be so valuable.  It speaks to different Types of people.  Of course, I’ll post some of the “ready” videos here very soon and you be the judge of the quality and message.  And if I am forced to admit it, I will say that all the new tech tools I have adopted are bringing some efficiencies that I needed. 

In the meantime, what is one technology tool that you did not easily adopt and then found later you couldn’t live without?

Filed Under: learning, productivity