Sweaty palms.

Rapid breathing.

Nervous chatter.

Uncertainty.

No, I’m not writing a romance novel. I’m recalling what it feels like to do something ‘new’.

Last week, our youngest child, Jenna, got her learning permit for driving a vehicle.  As I sat in the passenger seat with her at the wheel the first few times, I observed the behaviors listed above. As Jenna kept apologizing for her mistakes and I observed her focusing SO hard on what she was doing, it brought back memories of a younger me.

When I started in sales, EVERY sales call was like that. I was nervous, jittery, unpolished and I made mistakes!  I didn’t want to do those things, but I did. I wanted to be like the successful professionals I observed right away. It was frustrating to not do something well right away.

Looking back now, I realize that this was a stage I needed to go through. To become proficient -and then excel, I had to build my success habits.  I had to work through the stages to build these habits.

Awareness - I needed to know what to do – what worked and what didn’t.

Assessment - the opportunity and openness to critique and feedback on how well I was doing each part of sales.

Application - action! I couldn’t get better at selling if I wasn’t selling. Sitting in my office and not picking up the phone or making calls was holding me back.

Adoption - Learning what worked or didn’t and making the right actions part of my subconscious activities. making them a part of who i was – or better yet adapting the best practices in a way that let me be a ‘better’ me.

In our state of Wisconsin, Jenna has six months to perfect her driving skills and earn the right to drive without me (or her Dad) observing and correcting and monitoring.

In sales, my observation is that the BEST and top performers are on a continuous loop of improvement. they continually move through the four actions of awareness, assessment, application and adoption.

In our training workshops, the top performers do not generally sit back with their arms crossed and ignore the tools, ideas and opportunity to learn from others. They are actively engaged and look for ANYTHING that they can do better. This is how they perform best each year, why the economic conditions don’t impact them as much and is who they are in and outside of work.

What about you? Remember being new and striving to get better?  How it felt when you became proficient and successful?

If you haven’t felt nervous, had sweaty palms or been uncertain about your actions lately, maybe you are in a rut and need to bring the ‘newness’ back to your career again. Try something new, contact someone you know you should or dreamed you should, and stretch your possibilities and opportunities.

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Many of us in the United States and Canada will enjoy a three-day holiday weekend. Culminating in Labor Day celebrations on Monday.

Labor Day was instituted in the U.S. to honor the ‘working man’ (I include working women) it has built into a focus on laborers with a strong union flavor. Yet, aren’t we all ‘working’ people? Personally I was in a union once and after being told to reduce my output and stop making others look bad, I realized very quickly that a high-achieving person was NOT going to be allowed to be successful in that environment. People in sales work WAY harder than the people I worked with back then.

So, I suggest that YOU should celebrate Labor Day by being labor-less!  Its a day to kick back, try to enjoy a little more summer before fall hits (the leaves have already started falling in Wisconsin). Turn off the email and technology that ties you to work.

My observations over the last few years are that MANY of you are working on weekends and nights. Trying to catch up or get ahead of the next week. Yet, what toll does that take?

I implore you to MAKE yourself labor-less this weekend too. Then let me know what you did…I’m always looking for ideas on how to NOT work on weekends.

Enjoy!

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It’s no secret that selling to ‘real’ people can be challenging. (Yes, even with the fast growth of e-commerce, many of us still sell to a human being.) The same input does not guarantee the same output (closed sale, upsells, etc.) How frustrating that can be!

Yet, how do we increase our probability of making each sales call and prospect contact valuable? Well, tomorrow (Wednesday August 17th) Alice Kemper and I will share the Secret to Selling Success and how YOU can:

• Connect more easily with people
• Sell with them in ways that make them comfortable
• Build value for your solution
• Advance the sale
• Close the sale
• Get the referrals and upsells that help you achieve long-term sales success

The webinar is 60 minutes and we have secret gifts for you at the end to help YOU succeed in selling.

Please join us for the FREE webinar, The Secret to Selling Success sponsored by Verizon Wireless and SalesGravy.com. It’s part of the Women in Sales webinar series.

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Ready for more reading recommendations that will help YOU sell more this week, month and year?

Below is the second part of the Sales Summer Reading list.

To make it easy for you to access the entire list of GREAT reads in an easy-to-access format, click here for the pdf copy, compliments of yours truly, Nancy Bleeke.

 50 Days to Build Your Sales- Book of Tips and Inspirations plus accompanying Workbook, by Lori Richardson. The book is a great gift for someone new in sales, or in a sales slump – to get a daily sales inspiration, then a sales tip to take action. Combine with the workbook, and you have “sales education in a bundle”. It makes for a great read because it is simple – even the type is big – and the tips are tried and true to grow revenues.

 
Building Inside Sales: Framing a Best Practice Group, by Trish Bertuzzi. Whether you have an Inside Sales team or are thinking about building one, this ebook will provide you with the framework you need to launch and sustain a successful program.

Bust Your Slump: A Dozen Slump Busting Strategies to Fill Your Pipeline in 30 Days, by Paul McCord. Need more business?  You’ll find a dozen effective, proven stategies to help you generate a large amount of business fast.  Whether you sell B2B or B2C, have a fast or long-term sales cycle, sell a commodity or highly sophisticated product, you’ll find strategies to meet your market and your sales process.  Pick the one or two that fits best and get busy getting your pipeline filled NOW!

   Creating  a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals, by Paul McCord. No, the book doesn’t promise you that you’ll make a million dollars a year, but it presents a high impact process based on the steps used by 4 dozen sellers from various industires to make their million dollar a year plus incomes—and  you  can turn yourself into a referral-based salesperson just like they did.  Hey, you just might make a million bucks too!

From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Remarkable Transition to Successful Leadership by Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris. From Bud to Boss is an excellent read for anyone who wants to increase their effectiveness as a leader. Whether you have been on the job for years or you are just starting out, this book will offer you practical, applicable advice.

Growing Great Sales Teams: Lessons from the Cornfield, by Colleen Stanley. Finally, a sales management book that has real world application.  This is a must read for any sales manager that is committed to building a sales culture of excellence, integrity and results.

In Women We Trust, by Mary Clare Hunt. In Women We Trust cuts to the bullet-points of how women engage with each other and what business can do to have the same engagement levels.  While primarily a workbook for the B2C crowd, its 90 trust points can help any sales team internalize the female culture and learn how to work with women as peers first, not targets. Time to read — one day at the beach, or 2 airport layovers.

Metaphorically Selling, by Anne Miller. If you have to get things done through influence or persuasion–and who doesn’t?–then Metaphorically Selling is written for you. Learn how to cut through information overload and grab attention, open minds, close deals, or wow a crowd with the magic of metaphors. Fun to read, Easy to apply.  Speeds up sales.

No More Cold Calling™: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust, by Joanne S. Black. Why read? Get the meeting at the level that counts and convert more than 50 percent of your contacts into clients. Learn the referral-sales process that seals the deal every time.

Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in any Situationby John Doerr and Mike Schultz. Summer is a great time to catch up on your reading and sharpen your selling skills and there’s no better book to help you do that than the Wall Street Journal bestseller, Rainmaking Conversations. In this book, Mike Schultz and John Doerr provide a proven system that will help you master the art of the sales conversation so you can close more deals, bring in more revenue, and be more successful in 2011 and beyond.

Sales 2.0, by Anneke Seley and Brent Holoway. This summer, while you’re body’s relaxing, take your mind on an adventure into the changing world of sales, with authors Anneke Seley and Brent Holloway.  Ride along as they demystify the world of Sales 2.0 – a better way of selling for today’s savvy buyers and sellers – and showcase four industry-leading companies who are using these practices to great success and profit!

 Selling to Big Companies by Jill Konrath. Want to land bigger accounts as your customers? Then check out this book. It gives you a step-by-step guide on how to what you need to do to get your foot in the door. Fortune selected it as one of 8 must reads for salespeople – and it deserves the award. Top 20 on Amazon since 2006.

The Sales Winner’s Handbook: Essential Scripts & Strategies to Skyrocket Sales Performance, by Wendy Weiss. Insider, business-by-phone secrets to get the appointment, sail through objections, and get the sale… Scripts for what to say in every situation so you get what you ask for.

What a list for you to select from!  Click here for the comprehensive pdf with all the titles and information to easily click through to your selections. 

Fill your mind..as you rest your body this summer. 

Want to reference this list and the pdf in your blog or newsletter?  Go ahead – but make sure you include the full copy below:

The 2011 Summer Reading list is provided compliments of Nancy Bleeke, Sales Pro Insider, Inc. www.salesproinsider.com 414.235.3064. Nancy’s training courses can help you and your team build confidence and competence to make every conversation matter to increase sales, reduce turnover and strengthen customer loyalty.

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Want to be invaluable to your customers?  Decrease their dependency on you by providing helpful information.

This idea is really not as ‘duh’ as you might think! In fact it could be a brilliant strategy depending on the type of business you are in.

An example for you to consider:  This morning I was having yet another computer issue and my IT Tech guy – Tom Karakis of Alpha Geeks - once again fixed it -but also helped me understand what happened and what I could do to resolve it next time or prevent it. As I was explaining the information Tom shared,  I mentioned this to my team and then had the AHA!  He always does that.

As he helps me understand something of how he fixed something, he isn’t decreasing my dependency on him. He is saving himself redundant service time AND keeping me loyal and coming back for more.

How can you do that in your business? How can you educate your buyers/customers so that there is even more value to the product, service or solution that you offer?  A few tips:

• Track the questions that you are asked by your customers and your prospects during the sales process
• Reviewing the information you track, look for similarities
• Identify how you can share that information proactively or just-in-time – this is when social media and the drip marketing approach is effective. You stay in touch as you share useful information!
• Track the reactions and information that seems most valuable to allow you to know what information to keep sharing

It may seem a little ‘fussy’ for many sales professionals…but think of the pay offs!  More referrals, expanded sales with your existing customers and a reason to stay in touch with prospects!  You become invaluable as you provide value-filled information.

What other ideas do you have for making yourself invaluable with information?

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You’re in sales…how often have you been reminded of the power of questions? I’m sure you have heard that good questions:

• Open the conversation
• Get people thinking
• Open gaps for positioning your solution
• Are a powerful indicator of your expertise
• Send the message on how you are focused on -you or them

We all know questions in sales is good.

But THIS post is not about the questions you ask for clients, customers or prospects.

This post is about the BIG questions to ask yourself.

Questions that, when explored and answered, may unlock higher levels of sales success.

Thought-starters:

1. What do I want to accomplish this year?
2. How committed am I to what I am doing?
3. What is my level of engagement with my current employer and current products/services?
4. What am I really good at doing?
5. Digging deeper, what am I passionate about doing?
6. What would I spend more time doing if given the opportunity?
7. If I strengthened or developed ________, how would I benefit?
8. When my commitment to my success is strongest, what am I doing? Who am I working with?
9. Who is supporting my success? How do I ‘tap into’ that support?
10. What can I do today that will allow me to be less stressed and sleep better tonight?

These questions allow you to pause…and process…YOU!

And that can help you decide how to best spend your time and energy.

What other self-reflective questions would you add to this list?

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If you have 30 minutes and $5 – you can make a difference … for yourself and for the disaster relief efforts in Japan. 

Top Sales World has put together 35 sales and marketing experts for a week-long SUCCESS Conference!  Select your topics and for $5 each you will receive 30 minutes of incredible information and tips.  Look at who is delivering – we have Linda Richardson, Kendra Lee, Dave Brock, Dan Waldshmidt and more!  And for $5 each topic – which is being donated to the Red Cross – you win!

I am part of the group on Day Two – May 10th.  Below is my ‘team’ for Tuesday – click here to view ALL the details and the 35 topics that can help YOU be more successful immediately.

Selling Is At An Inflection Point – How Can You Succeed From Here On In? 
Presented at: 12:00 – 12:30 EASTERN
by Dave Brock
CEO of Partners in EXCELLENCE
http://topsalesworld.com/salesConference/sessionDetails.php?c_session_id=8
 
Build the Success of Your Sales Team with 3 Simple Steps to Improve Skill and Will
Presented at: 12:45 – 1:15 EASTERN
by Nancy Bleeke
President of Sales Pro Insider
http://topsalesworld.com/salesConference/sessionDetails.php?c_session_id=10
 
Winning sales in 2011: How to arm today’s BtoB sales force with the tools and skills to compete- and win 
Presented at: 1:30 – 2:00 EASTERN
by Michael C. Bird
Chief Revenue Officer at NetProspex
http://topsalesworld.com/salesConference/sessionDetails.php?c_session_id=22
 
Social Media Strategies for Lead Generation Success
Presented at: 2:15 – 2:45 EASTERN
by Kendra Lee
CEO of the KLA Group
http://topsalesworld.com/salesConference/sessionDetails.php?c_session_id=11
 
14 Edgy Ways to Break All the Sales Rules and Be Madly Successful Doing It 
Presented at: 3:00 – 3:30 EASTERN
by Dan Waldschmidt
Co-Founder of IntroMojo
http://topsalesworld.com/salesConference/sessionDetails.php?c_session_id=12
 
Success Tactics to Generate Red-Hot Prospects 
Presented at: 3:45 – 4:15 EASTERN
by Joanne Black
Best Selling Author of “No More Cold Calling”
http://topsalesworld.com/salesConference/sessionDetails.php?c_session_id=13
 
Improve Your Cold Calling Success 700% 
Presented at: 4:30 – 5:00 EASTERN
by Nigel Edelshain
CEO of Sales 2.0 (LLC).
http://topsalesworld.com/salesConference/sessionDetails.php?c_session_id=14

Select the topic that will help YOU be successful and register. Make sure you check out Day 1, 3, 4 and 5 – so many topics to choose from!

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When you think of “Annual Sales Trip” what images come to mind?  Swaying palm trees, a golf course, great dinners and camaraderie?  Anywhere in that image does the frozen city of Fargo, North Dakota come to mind?

Probably Not.  Yet, I just read an amazingly funny story about a sales team that did not achieve their goals in 2010.  And a Sales Director who followed through on his commitment.

Josh Halpern of Just Born Candy company – makers of the marshmallow Peeps and Mike & Ikes (love these!) – set a sales expectation for his team in 2010. The team was able to select their Reward for making goal…and a consolation price if they didn’t.  They set their sights on Hawaii for their prize.  And North Dakota as consolation. 

Well, earlier this week they enjoyed their trip to North Dakota after the year’s results fell short of goal….You can read the article here.   Think there is motivation to achieve goal in 2011?

What about you?  I often remind readers that we need to celebrate our successes and follow through on our rewards. Do you have levels of rewards based on your outcomes?  It might be just the motivation to hit the goal the next time.

Now I’m thinking that this isn’t the ONLY creative sales leader or team out there…what other examples of “cold’ rewards have you experienced?

And to the team at Just Born…let me know if I can help with tools and training to ensure you earn the BIG reward next time. 

AP Photo/Ann Arbor Miller

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I don’t know how long you have been in sales. And often those of us who have ‘been at it’ for a long time forget what it is like to get started. 

So, today we’re going to look at the career of sales like a ‘rookie’. 

Some background: I just completed an 8 week journey with a group of sellers. We all adopted the ‘rookie’ of the group, Nathan.  Nathan is in one of the toughest spots in sales…the BEGINNING.  Fresh out of school, in a job where he needs to cold call EVERY day on people twice his age with expertise in the printing industry, and trying to figure it all out. 

Nathan is fortunate to have a manager/owner who believes in him. Bryan Sachs of Precision Graphics  hired Nathan.  Brian wrote Nathan a very encouraging note to be read at his graduation from sales training. 

One of the resaons why I decided to hire you was because you reminded me a bit of myself when I first started in sales many years ago.  Like any beginning sales person, I had my share of struggles, frustrations and even times when I questioned the sanity of my decision to get into sales.  BUT…..I persevered and am glad that I did as it’s been a rewarding career for me.  One of the true turning points and keys to my success was the sales training I got in my very early years and my willingness and desire to apply what I learned.  Without the training I doubt I’d have enjoyed near the success that  I fortunately have.
 
So, now the ball is in your court.  Your in the same position I once was.  Take what you’ve learned, mix it with hard work, work smart and see where it goes.  There is a tremendous amount of support for you at Precision Graphics.  We’re always here to help and support but now it’s up to you.  If I didn’t think you could do it, I wouldn’t have hired you.
 
Congratulations on finishing the training.  Now let’s go to work on earning your first million!”

And Nathan’s reflections about sales and the owner’s note follows:

It is frustrating but I still enjoy it. Everyday I get excited but then discouraged within the same hour. The letter made me realize that I am not alone in frustration in the sales world. I didn’t think anyone would take a risk at such a young looking guy for a sales position but I was wrong. That is why I have been working so hard but it is a lot harder than I thought. I thought that if a person is interested in something that “BAM” they would buy it. Its a lot more work than that. I will Keep going and keep working with what you taught me. Hopefully my bosses see that I am working as hard as possible (sometimes 4:30 in the morning with 4 hours of driving to 5 in the p.m.) and will let me keep going because I know I will begin to sell more than I imagined.

Thanks for all your help! Hopefully will make a million soon like Bryan said!

Remember those days?  Remember feeling excited and discouraged in the same hour?  Do you still have days like that?  I sure do.  And one thing that can help is someone who believes in you.

So think back to the FIRST few months of your career and reflect on these questions:

• How was your confidence level?
• What were your favorite things to do?
• What were your biggest frustrations?
• Remember your first sale? How did hearing that ‘yes’ make you feel?
• Remember the rejections as you worked to figure it all out?
• Who was at your side or covering ‘your back’?

Often the last question is the one that is powerful.  Hopefully you had a  Bryan Sachs on your side – someone that gave you encouragement at just the right time that led you to stick with it.

Now it’s time to pay it forward. Who do you know that could use words of encouragement today. That could use a boost knowing that someone knows its tough and that they are thinking of them.

I believe YOU can do it – and will have a more productive, energetic day because of it. 

p.s. I thought of calling this post “Hug a Rookie Today” but figured no one would get the topic  

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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 action is always interesting.

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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