I am constantly amazed at the transparency that now exists in our world. The likes of  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc. allow us to find out nearly anything we want about others.  That is why when people act without integrity, their surprise at people’s reaction to their actioin is always interesting.

This past week, in the sales expert world, a plagiarizer was ‘outed’.  Michael J. Roman’s blog was FULL of directly ‘ripped off’ articles from Jonathan Farrington, Kelley Robertson and others. (Both have amazing bodies of work and expertise – visit their blogs too!) What is more appalling is that his apology to Jonathan contains this explanation:

It seems that one of my employees who is my “Creative Director” in fact is not as creative as I presumed he was. All this time I was complimenting him on his articles, which in fact were approved by me for publishing. Clearly this comes down to me no inspecting or researching his work more carefully. Basically, I was taking it for face value. We just started this blog a few months ago, and when we did, I was writing my own articles. Shortly thereafter I assigned that task to someone else. Apparently he (and I) found your articles very well written. I however did not know that he was basically stealing your information as well as the information of others.

What?  My Creative Director was writing articles – yet Michael is also claiming those as his own on his now-closed-down blog.  Am I wrong, but that isn’t being yourself, is it?

The wrath of the sales expert community has been mighty and swift. Within 24 hours of Jonathan sharing the plagiarism news, authors and bloggers were ALL over Michael J. Roman.

For me, it is personal too. Last fall I had a plagiarizer take my Do Your Sales Meetings Stick article published on Salespodia and use it as her  own. My reactions included:

• How dare she?!
• Really, didn’t she think I would ever find out?
• Who does this in today’s world?
• Wow, I must write good articles if someone is willing to claim them as their own

And then I thought, how easy is it to ’steal’ from others without really knowing it? 

In the late 1990s, early in my consulting career, I emulated a successful consultant – the way he talked, his approach to all things sales, etc. His style was not quite like mine – but I thought that was how I needed to act. In essence I was stealing his style.  And I did earn business with HUGE companies.  But months into most engagements, I would hear a comment like “I never realized you were so funny!” or “Your expertise or advice is so much more than we expected.” Not bad comments, but it seemed there was more to the words.

I finally asked a trusted client what she meant.  Her response – even 10 years later – is still embarrassing.  She told me that during the sales process, they loved what I was offering, the results that had been achieved, etc. but that I was seen as a “Vanna White’ without much additional value. And that the product/service was what they bought, not me.

Huh? They saw me as a TV game show side-kick? Wow!  Then she went on to say that I need to be myself because my expertise and personality were truly valuable and she is sad that she almost missed out on it.  I thanked her for that information and took time to reflect on it.  I was putting all my efforts into showcasing WHAT I offered in a manner that was not genuine to me.  Though I was winning sales, what was I losing that I didn’t know?

In addition to losing my ’self” I was probably losing sales as well.

And that is when my resolve to help sales professionals stop FAKING it and be themselves was solidified.  That in this transparent world, the more you are yourself, the more successful you will be.  Acting like someone else or taking the words of someone else will STOP you at some point. It might not be as swift and public as Michael J. Roman – but it will happen.

Now, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t learn from others and ethically borrow best practices. What it means is that we need to give credit where it is due and then use the ideas and actions in a manner consistent with who we are.

Being yourself – even if that means showing some of your quirkiness -  will win you more friends, loyal customers…and success in the long run.  And these are biggest WINs of all.

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Filed Under: Sales Tips, Success Tips
Tags: sales success, Sales Tips, Social Media

There’s a TV show on HGTV called What Not to Wear.  Stacy and Clinton host and work with someone nominated from friends/family for a makeover. 

It’s fascinating to watch the transformation over the four day process.  And there IS a process to the transformation:

1. Video footage taken by friends/family is shown to the person for them to become aware of what others see. 
2. A 360 degree mirror is used with the hosts assessing what works for them and what doesn’t. The mirror allows the guest to really see themselves from all angles. 
3. What’s helpful about watching the show is they not only show the ‘guest’ what NOT to do, they lay out simple ‘rules’ for them to apply with their clothing choices.
4. Finally the guest can choose to adopt the new rules and look as they shop and then head home for a welcome party where they show their new look to their friends and family.

As a business/sales coach I watch transformations happen much more slowly.  Though the process is the same to building or breaking a habit. 

• Awareness
• Assessment
• Application
• Adoption

These four steps are necessary to get to the end result – adopting a new habit or skill!  You might not have a skilled coach bringing you along the way – and the process can be uncomfortable – the key is to get through it and stick with it. 

So, what can you do with the 4 A’s? 

1. Awareness – observe successful salespeople. What are the actions and attitudes they have?  Make a list.
2. Assessment – open yourself to honest feedback from others. Manager, peers who see you in action, customers.  Ask them for feedback on what you do and what you should not continue to do.  (If you would like a short, free assessment to look assess – email me at nancy@salesproinsider.com – I’ll be happy to send you a 80 question assessment you can use as a baseline.)
3. Application- decide on WHAT you need to do – and do it!  Act on the feedback.
4. Adoption- this happens with time, repetition and reinforcement. Ongoing application of the right actions will lead you to consistently adopt them.

To truly adopt or break a habit takes between 21 and 35 days (depending on the study) – plan for 4-6 weeks of concentrated efforts.  The payoff?  In sales, 4-6 weeks of the right actions will bring more sales!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized
Tags: focus, maximize sales productivity, productivity, sales success, Sales Tips, skills

The last blog post spoke to the ‘ills’ of sales success Skills and Will.  Timely then to receive a phone call this morning from a manager who wanted advice on terminating someones employment.

After sorting through the reasons Why – it was clear – she didn’t demonstrate any willingness to:

1. Act
2. Own

Act

Doing the right activities and behaving in the right manner are important for job success. If you don’t act appropriately, you won’t accomplish what needs to be done.

Own

She didn’t own her responsibilities or job. She passed on whatever she could to others without taking ownership and therefore made herself unnecessary.

What’s this have to do with  you? Well, its a good checklist to gainful employment and success.

Knowing the right things to DO is important. Then taking responsibility for them and completing them is what will keep you employed.

This week – first take action on the things that need to be done and then own your job, your cusotmers, and your results.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized
Tags: sales success, Sales Tips

How excited are you about the ‘pieces’ of your job?  Are you in the ‘fresh’ stage of finding it all exciting? Or a ‘stale’ stage where most days you think ‘Been there, done that?’

For me, the travel part of my job has become a bit stale. I didn’t even realize this until my flight this week. I was on my way to Florida to work on Sharpenz. The process was like many other trips until I sat down behind a dad and his daughter. These two strangers reminded me the true joy and wonder of flying!

The girl was bout 12, and from her comments, hadn’t flown since before 9/11 (she must have been a toddler!).  The dad was patiently, and with animation, explaining what was happening from the time we boarded.

He explained:

• How the seats recline – and that if you move them all the way back, it affects the person behind you – so be careful (love his consideration for meJ behind her).
• The de-icing process (it is still cold in Milwaukee in the mornings).
• How the light and air controls work.
• And on and on.

But the magic was at take off – the wonder she expressed as 100+ passengers, in a big ‘metal box’ lifted off the ground!

I smiled the whole time thinking – YES! This is awesome!  We can get from HERE to THERE so quickly in the sky!

As I overheard this exchange between father and daughter – I started thinking about other ‘pieces’ of what I do that might feel a little stale right now. How can I recapture some of the wonder about this career I have chosen and am honored to have!

What about you? What ‘pieces’ of your job might feel stale?  Want to try and capture some wonder too?

I came up with several tips:

1. Look at your job with wonder. I know CRM and sales reports aren’t fun…but imagine how that process worked just 20 years ago!  Faxes, handwritten reports, overnight mailings to the manager, etc.  What technology has done for so much of this is truly amazing!
2. Talk to a ‘Rookie” – ask them what they are enjoying or what pieces of the job they are trying to understand better.
3. Mentor someone! Taking on a mentor role can change your outlook. That’s why mentor programs are still growing –mentors get as much (if not more) out of the arrangement than the mentee!
4. Think about ALL those people without jobs right now – how excited they would be to have your job – even with all the stale pieces that come with it.
5. Make a list of why you do what you do. What is the value to others, the world, your family, yourself for the job you do?  Look at the list – would these people be better or worse off if you weren’t doing these things?

If none of these work to bring some energy and excitement (even a momentary glimpse) then it may be time for a new career for you.  We spend too much time in our careers to be stale for long. Rejuvenate, revigorate and rejoice for yours!  You might find some wonder in the process.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized
Tags: focus, Sales, sales success, Sales Tips

Closing more sales. It’s the goal for sales managers and professionals alike.  And both are frustrated when it doesn’t happen.  How do I know this?  I ask!

During the needs analysis with a prospect, we always ask “What are the barriers to getting where you want to be?” or “What is keeping you from achieving the goals that are set?” Nearly 90% of the time, one of the reasons given by sales managers is that “My people aren’t closing sales. They do all the work and then the final decision is stalled. They don’t move them through the pipeline.”

If I ask sales people, “What keeps you from closing more sales?” I often hear, “The buyers don’t make decisions timely.”

When I ask buyers why they haven’t decided, they have said “They never asked!”

Okay, so what can be done to get buyers to decide and sales pros to close?  It may be more simple than you think – you need to ask! 

I can’t count the number of times I have observed or coached a sales pro to find out that they do a LOT of work to build the relationship, identify the wants/needs and demonstrate their value.  And then wait. And check in. And wait. Then check in again. But they never have asked to find out the answer!

Instead, there are important questions to be asked after the recommendation is made!  They questions fall into two groups:

• Objections
• Decisions

Unless we ask for their opinion on concerns/objections, we may never know where we really stand.  Until we ask for a decision we may never ‘win’ the deal.

What can you do to close more sales?  First, find out where they are in their thought process and if there are any objections, ask,

• “How does what we’ve discussed sound to you?”
• “What concerns do you have about this solution or me/my company?”
• “What barriers do you see in implementing this?”
• “How does this align with your goals?

Notice these are open ended questions that ask for opinions, ideas and feedback?

Then after listening and responding appropriately, ask for a decision:

• “What is the next action for you in the decision making process?”
• “Have we covered everything you need to make your decision?”
• “Are you ready to move forward?”
• “Can we initiate the paperwork today?”
• “Should we wrap this up?”

Some of these are still open ended to allow you ‘test the water’ before asking for a decision.  But then you HAVE to ask for a decision!

Want to know if this works?  Try it and you will see that it does.

The reason I am writing this post today is because I just used this process with the IRS. Yes the IRS!  They never say ‘yes’.  But I looked at appealing a penalty charge as an opportunity to sell – to build a relationship with the agent, ask for concerns, and then ask for the removal of the penalty.  The charge was relevant – in switching the Sales Pro Insider accounting systems last June, one of the federal tax payments was not made.

It took me two letters and a phone call – which is what sealed the deal. During the call I focused on building rapport, working through the situation together and then asking for the penalty to be removed. The agent cheerfully – really cheerfully – said he would recommend a removal.  I just opened the letter that said it had been approved! A large penalty was removed from the account.

This situation is a great reminder for us all – you don’t get what you don’t ask for. 

My recommendation to you?  Look at your pipeline. What prospects are stalled?  Which situations did you maybe not ‘close’ with the right questions? Then determine how to initiate contact with the prospect. Your objective is to first identify if there are concerns, find out if what you have discussed is of value to them and then ASK for a decision.  The decision might be the buying decision or a decision that they will take an action or talk with  you at a specific time.  And if you get a ‘no’?  Then you know where you stand and can move on to more probable prospects.

In the spirit of asking today – I ask you – who do you know would find value from this blog? Send them a link please!

And if you haven’t already done so, what keeps you from signing up for the Timely T ips ezine here?  Every few weeks you will receive the ezine with helpful tips and fun tidbits. Just for signing up you receive the Timely Tips to Achieve Your Goals eBook – a great roadmap and toolkit for you!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized
Tags: Open ended questions, Sales Objections, sales success, Sales Tips

I firmly believe we only achieve our best when we have people around us who help us become better.  Sometimes that means these people need to give us information that we don’t want to hear.  Yet, it is just what we need.

I heard a speaker last week – Dr. John C. Maxwell – who summed up my experiences about this topic as he talked about the inner circle leaders need to succeed.  He went through several points of what it meant to have this inner circle lift instead of  only lean on you.  His examples were very good about surrounding yourself with the right people.  And part of having the right people is making sure that they are people who will tell you the truth.

I’ve been mulling over Dr. Maxwell’s lift vs. lean idea for days now and yesterday was reminded how important this is.  I’m in the process of finalizing a very short video to explain our exciting new launch next month.  The video process has been painful to say the least and I thought I was finally done.  Many who looked at it said it was just right…but I knew that something was off.

Never one to take the easy road, I decided to send it to someone who would give me the hard truth.  She reviewed the video…and gave all the positives everyone else did, but she took a step further  to point out an observation that brought my concern to the front.  It’s not what I wanted to hear, but it’s just WHAT I needed to hear.  The end result will be better for her honest feedback.

Of course I am not thrilled about going back to the drawing board, but I will…the outcome is that important!  You see, lifting someone doesn’t mean just agreeing with them or only pointing out the positive.  We can’t get better without hard truths or reflective questions. 

I have a strong personality, and some people shy away from telling me those hard truths…yet those are the people I respect the most. 

A couple of tough questions for you today:

1. Who do you have in your inner circle that will tell you the hard truth? 
2. Do you surround yourself with  “yes” people?
3. What does lifting mean to you?  Is it superficial or meaningful?
4.  How do you lift those closest to you – at work and home?

I heard a statement years ago that puts this all in perspective….”You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”  Are you spending time with people that will help raise your “average?”

In sales, there are a lot of opportunities to turn negative, to make excuses and blame others – but the most successful pros don’t let their energy get zapped in those directions.   It does mean we need to carefully choose those to spend time with.  

We can choose to spend time with those that are lifters and not leaners.  Can’t find them at work?   Then turn to some of the social media or networking groups in your area to find professional, forward thinking and positive people .

The energy you gain from the time you spend with the right inner circle will help lift you to higher levels!

Click for a great article about the Inner Circle by Dr. John C Maxwell.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized
Tags: Leadership, maximize sales productivity, sales success

There were several losses this week in the entertainment world – Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett. It seems everyone knew these three celebrities and the media is talking of their legacies.  They each leave a unique thumbprint and memories to those that worked with and watched  them. 

What about you?  Are you a lasting sales celebrity?  If you were suddenly gone, how would your colleagues and customers define you?    

In sales careers we have unique opportunities to create lasting legacies with a lot of different people. 

1. Our support team.  Does your internal team value you or do they consider you a “pain”? 
2. Our customers.  Do they know you value them and that you will always do the right thing for them?
3. Our sales team.  Do you share information that can help them be more successful?  Do you give encouragement and listen to them?
4. Our management.  Do you provide value to your managers above what they expect?  Not just in production but in collaboration, insight and problem solving?

The real Sales Celebrities are transparent, productive and most of all people of integrity.  A tip I give every professional I work with…every action and inaction you take leaves something behind. 

P.S. I was having some fun trying to think of Michael Jackson songs (I’m not saying how I know all these songs ) that could be sales anthems….

• Beat It – because we need to beat “it” – sales goals, the competition, our fears every day.
• You Are Not Alone – we should be in touch with our prospects and customers often.
• Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough – we need to keep on until we have reached those goals!
• I Want You Back – earning back lost customers can accelerate our results this year.
• Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ – action gets us where we need to be.
• We Are Here to Change the World – if your product/service guides value, you can change someones world for the better!
• Unbreakable – Sales pros weather the ups and downs and keep on going.

Any to add?  I’m sure there are more song connections.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized
Tags: customer loyalty, Sales, sales success

Ever play with rubber bands?  At first they can be so rigid and tough to stretch.  Yet the more we use them and flex them, the more pliable they become.  It’s the same with our beliefs about our sales.  When we flex our sales paradigm (belief) and stretch it, we become more flexible and successful.

Do you know what a paradigm is?  No, it isn’t twenty cents   Paradigm is a word used a lot in the last 20 years and it seems that many don’t really understand how knowing what a paradigm is AND how paradigms impact their own personal performance can be helpful. Let’s start with the definition:

 From dictionary.com:  A paradigm is “an example; a model; a pattern”. 

And we have paradigms or models/paterns for most everything we do, including how we think and what we believe about sales and our performance.  This paradigm can be visualized as a boundary around our beliefs.  The key is whether that boundary is helpful or a barrier.

Relating this to sales performance – each of us has a belief paradigm about about our sales and possibilities  We have a pattern of belief and action around who we can call on, what level of sales we believe possible, the types of “deals” we believe we are capable of, the likelihood of closing sales, etc.  And some of these beliefs can help us focus on the right opportunities.  The caution is to ensure that these beliefs don’t limit our selling and results. 

An example:  the media frenzy about how bad the economy is has reduced a LOT of people’s beliefs in opportunity and possibility.  And this limiting belief is playing out across the world in the psyche of sales people and sales managers.  Or rather SOME sales professionals…because there are sales pros experiencing their best year ever right now.  They have not given in to the hype of what “should be happening” (someone else’s beliefs) and are outselling those around them. 

Sales may be taking longer in some cases, buyers amay be more stressed and trying to do more with less and the value provided needs to be stronger than ever.  These new rules of sales are shrinking people’s paradigms/beliefs in possibilities like never before.  The question becomes what can we do to stretch our own paradigms to ensure we aren’t the barrier to capturing more sales?

First, Explore your own paradigms about sales possibilities. Are they accurate?  How are they helping?  How are they holding you back? 

Then stretch your thoughts as you find examples of success all around you.  Who is selling now? What are they doing to sell within today’s realities?

Once your thoughts are stretched, take action.  We can expand our paradigm by first taking action because our beliefs will expand when we see the success that comes with the action.

If you want to increase your sales results this year, start flexing your paradigm.  Just like a rubber band – the more you flex it and stretch it, the more pliable it will become.  And the more success you will find in your sales!

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Filed Under: Sales Productivity
Tags: productivity, Sales, Sales Productivity, sales success, Sales Tips

Ever  listen to a top-notch athlete talk about their success?  Most of the time they mention their ongoing conditioning, goal setting, coach and breaking new barriers.  That’s why sports analogies are used so often in training top-notch salespeople.  To truly stay on top of your sales game you need to keep your skills toned and your mind sharp.

Today’s “new” business environment has created more complex sales, tighter budgets,and competition which have changed the rules for sales success - what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.

What can you do about it?  Strengthen your skills and knowledge!  There are many opportunities for learning – - whether your company provides them or not.  Top Sales Experts has tapped the top world-wide sales gurus to provide GREAT informatoin for you to be more successful in your sales.  The topics cross the breadth of sales – prospecting, networking, Sales 2.0, sales skills, leadership – you’ll find options that will help you sell more!

I highly recommend you click here to learn more.  Each webinar is less than $45 if you are a member (which is only $25 a year and you receive $2000 worth of free resources when you join – click here for more details).  Are you ready to make an investment in sharpening your skills and knowledge? 

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Filed Under: Uncategorized
Tags: sales success, Sales Tips

A Sales Builder Webinar – FREE for you!  If you are in a role where you need to coax the most productivity of salespeople you know it’s not easy.  Helping others succeed may be the toughest job there is! 

The question is, how do we increase sales through others?    

1. Set higher goals?
2. Tell them its a “do or die” year?
3. Buy them better tools like a Blackberry or faster laptop?
4. Help them discover their personal barriers to higher success?
5. Give them a u-rah-rah speech?
6. Help them build their success habits?

Our FREE webinar for anyone in the position to impact others’ sales results will provide you with tips that will allow your sales team to succeed.  This is for sales managers, presidents, business owners, HR managers and anyone who is ready to help others’ succeed this year!

We will share the “inside” secrets to help you:          

1. Increase the sales results of your team
2. Decrease your turnover and recruiting expenses
3. Maximize each person’s talents and abilities

February 3, 2009

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Central Time

Click here to register and reserve your spot!

And please share this FREE opportunity with other professionals that could use a boost in building their sales team!

Questions? call Nancy Bleeke at 414.422.1689. 

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Filed Under: Sales Productivity
Tags: coaching, Leadership, maximize sales productivity, Sales Productivity, sales success