Let's Make A Difference This Week!

Are you having "one of those Monday mornings"? Has the new week started the same way the old week left off? Do you need a jolt to get you out of this funk?

Well then, here is your Monday Morning Jolt!

All too often in sales the tendency is to shoulder the burden of a "slump" and take the situation and internalize it. Salespeople often want to take on the weight of the world just to avoid having to admit that they are struggling to do the things that once made them successful. In our lives we all have peaks and valleys, sales is no different. You will have times when you are on top of the world and you will have times when you are in need of some life-saving equipment to resuscitate a once bustling sales career!

If you are having this problem this week, I want you to take a step back and take a deep breath. Look at your situation and assess where you are at this point. Is it where you want to be? Are you doing the things that have lead to success in the past? What will it take to get back to those levels?

Here are a few things to focus on this week:

1) Are You Doing The Little Things?

Try focusing on making those phone calls you've been avoiding. I have found that once I got started on them, they just got easier and easier and I felt better and better. I think that is because I started to get some appointments which made me feel that I had some value as a salesman.

2. Prepare Yourself For A Busy Week:

The mind is a wonderful thing, the best part is it can be tricked into believing whatever you can envision. Spend a few minutes telling yourself that this week is going to be a busy week, with lots of productive activity and many new prospects who want to meet you. I know that sounds ridiculous but it actually does work! If you believe that you are going to have a productive week, you will tend to want to work toward that goal. I'd love to hear back from you after you've tried this for a week or two, please feel free to email or call.

3. If You Make A Commitment, Live Up To That Commitment!

When we get lazy it can be easier to procrastinate on some of the activities you really need to get done. Things like returning phone calls or dealing with an upset customer or that quote that "you know you don't have a chance at anyway". All of these activities are crucial to your on-going success. It is those activities that will enable you to look back at the week and say that you accomplished some very good things. If you have made a commitment to somebody(including yourself), follow through with that commitment. Put your commitments on paper with completion dates and status updates to keep you motivated. This is just another activity that will help to get you back on the track to success.

I know I haven't given you the 'magic pill' in this Blog Post, but I hope that it might inspire you to get back on your game and become the sales leader I know you can be.

Now Go Get 'Em!!!

Set Appropriate Goals, Get Appropriate Results!

Good Morning,
Today I want to talk about an issue that arose this past week with me. I had an informal performance review with my boss and we got onto the topic of Goal Setting. It seems that the goals I had when I started looking at 2011 were a "tad bit lofty!" I was starting to get a little frustrated with the results I was getting from all my efforts in Initial Calls and Follow-ups. It would be easy to say that the economy hasn't picked up yet or that the extended winter here in Calgary has everyone hibernating in their offices or homes for a while longer, but I think the simple reality of it is that I set the bar too high for myself. I wanted to believe that I could achieve the level of results that I have become accustomed to seeing.

The problem is actually very basic; I set my goals so high I couldn't ever reach them in the time-frame I first envisioned. I remember the day I set my goals 5 months ago and I really believed I could reach them. It was alevel of activity I was used to attaining, so I didn't feel as though I was stretching myself any more than usual.

Okay, so here's the point to my ranting:
If you set your goal at an unreasonable level, you will experience frustration over the lack of percieved results.

1) When you are setting your goals(you are doing goal setting on a regular basis right?), do your absolute best to set them so you are challenged to hit the level you desire but not so high that you don't have any chance of meeting your goals.

2) Be as specific as possible when you set your goals so they are measurable at the end of the time-frame laid out. Remember to use the acronym S.M.A.R.T.(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely).
This will help you to set your goals appropriately.

3) Be prepared to adjust your goals mid-stream. Treat your goals as a moving target. Don't be afraid to adjust them one way or the other if they aren't working the way you need them to. One word of caution though; don't make drastic changes to your overall plan, make small but meaningful changes that will allow for an improvement to the results.

4). Welcome input from others around you. If you do this in the beginning you allow for some very valuable feedback from your peers and associates that you may have overlooked or overstated. Others see you for what you are and will add value if you get them involved in your goal-setting.

I went back and actually looked at each of the 4 points above when I was re-doing my goals last week. I actually dropped off 2 copies on the desks of some co-workers this morning so that I can try to finalize them today or tomorrow.

I have to say it's a relief to be able to look at my new goals in a fresh light. It has given me renewed enthusiasm to do my best to meet my short-term and long-term goals. I also know that I will have my co-workers here to help me in my bid to meet my goals.

I hope this article will help you to find the time and commit to making some positive changes in your goal-setting.

Happy Selling,
Jeff

Are You At Your Best Today? Re-invigorate yourself with this Simple Plan!

Hi Blog World!
Today I want to talk about self motivation. Lately, I've been in a bit of a funk and it has made me need to look internally for some self-motivation. After a couple days of dragging my mind around from my house to the office and back again, I finally found my source of inspiration. Our company is in the midst of a sales incentive contest and I want to win it. I sat down last night and started working my way backwards to determine what I was going to need to do to be successful in winning this contest. I started to reverse engineer what I was going to need to do in order to hit the final numbers that will be necessary to win the contest. I started with the number of warm or cold calls I'd need to make, then moved on to the number of meetings I was going to be able to get from those calls and finally the number of sales I would be able to get from those meetings. It only took me 30-40 minutes total to start this plan and when I woke up this morning I felt totally re-invigorated! I sprung out of bed and couldn't wait to get to work this morning to start making some calls and setting some meetings. I can tell that my attitude is better and I feel like a man re-born.

I want to encourage you all to do the same thing. It doesn't matter what industry or job title, sometimes we all need a little shot in the arm to get going again. Mine happened last night and I know it will sustain me now for a while to come as I now have a very solid motivation to help keep me on track.
Take 15-30 minutes today and create a plan for success. I guarantee you will wake up tomorrow morning wanting to get to work and start using your re-invigorated enthusiasm to make a difference in your life.

Happy Selling,
Jeff

Prospecting...Redefined!

The other day I was having an email conversation with a close and trusted friend of mine. We were discussing some of the odd things we have done to seek out new prospects. That got me thinking about my message when I talk to salespeople about their prospecting efforts. It is easy to fall into the trap of the "same old, same old" when it comes to looking for new business. We all fall into our old habits when the times get stressful or the boss is expecting great things in the coming months.

Today, I'd like to talk about re-defining your prospecting efforts in order to achieve greater results.

What is the first thing that comes into your mind when you think about prospecting? Is it the etched-in image of sitting at the phone for hours on end, making "cold calls" to people you've never met and know nothing about? Maybe it's the thought of trudging through the snow as you go from door to door trying to "peddle your wares"? These are both very common images of somebody who is struggling through the world of sales. The good news is that it doesn't have to be you. There are a few simple tips that you can put into action right away to make your "prospecting" more like "information gathering and intelligent conversation".

First - Change Your Process.
In order to get different results, you MUST do different things. Seems simple, but it is so easy to slip into our old habits. If you always make your calls at a certain time of day, switch it up and make your calls at a different time of day or a different day of the month. If your current method to get through the "Gatekeeper" isn't working, then you MUST change your delivery method. Email me or do a web search for techniques to help you. There are some very good suggestions out there. It is so easy to make the change as long as your mind is willing and you can see some attainable and measurable results.

TIP #1
Use Your Currrent Customers As A Powerful Referral Network.

Your current customers are willing and ready to give you the names of some of their business contacts, all you need to do is ask. If you have established a good working relationship with your customer, you can go to them to ask for some referrals. The method is actually quite simple, but it should be done using chosen words. If you go to them and ask for the names of a few people in the area that they know, the reaction will be lukewarm at best.
What I suggest you say is something like the following:
"Mr. Customer. As you know, I build my business by using customer referrals and through the relationships I have established over the years. (At this point, you may want to remind them how you first started doing business with them. "In fact Mr. Customer, if you recall, it was Joe Smith who introduced us all those years ago"). I'm wondering if you have the names of 2 or 3 people that you know who I may be able to work with the same way I have been working with you."
WARNING, Do Not Ask A Generic Question Like: "Do you know anyone who could use my services?" This will allow them to say to you, 'I can't think of any, I'll call you when I think of someone'. You want to get names there on the spot.
This method serves 2 purposes. It gets them thinking about specific names rather than giving them an avenue to avoid giving you information and it gets you the infomation NOW.
If they give you names, write them down and call them as soon as possible. Be sure to mention that you are doing business with the person who referred you and give a length of time that you have done business with them. After you make contact with the referral, be sure to call back to your customer and let them know how it went. That way, they know that if they give you names, you are going to actually do something with them. That strengthens the bond a little more and will keep them thinking of other people to refer to you. This will build a very strong, very powerful referral network for you.
This is a simple explanation of how to ask for a referral. If you want more details, email me and I'll send you some more information.

TIP #2
Sell The Concept Of The Meeting

When you are making your prospecting calls, do not try to sell anything over the phone. The entire concept of the phone call is to sell the idea of meeting with you later on. You have to give them enough of an idea what it is you are trying to accomplish without actually selling over the phone. It might sound like this, "My name is Joe Smith and I am With ABC Products Inc. We are in the Widget business. The reason for my call today is to simply ask for 15-20 minutes of your time so that we can meet and find out a little more about your business and tell you more about our products and the value(or savings) we can bring to your business. I'm sure you will see the value of our meeting, when do you think would work best for you?"
If that approach seems a little too straight forward for your product or service, perhaps offer to send an information package and then follow on a set date. "I will get this out to you and then follow up on Mrch 19th".

This tip may seem a little awkward to begin with but mold it to your style, change the words and make it your own and soon you will be gaining more meetings than ever before.

TIP #3
Preparation Is The Key - Use A Script.

I'm constantly amazed at how many of the salespeople I have worked with over the years who "wing it" on every prospecting call they make. There is no plan in place and there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to the direction of the call.
Be prepared for each and every call you make. Before you call the prospect, go over the possible scenarios in your head. If you have already played out the various ways a call could go, you won't be surprised by anything. Have a script and stick to it as much as possible. Write down what you want to say and some of the key messages you want to deliver and make them sound natural. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Did I mention that you need to practice your script? If your words sound like they are rolling off your tongue, you will sound more credible and more likely to gain their trust faster.
I have many examples of some successful scripts. If you'd like to receive some samples, email me and I'll send them to you.

I hope these simple tips will allow you to feel more comfortable with your prospecting efforts and to book more appointments and make more sales. Keep in mind that these are simple and quick tips, not really designed to be a complete blueprint for success.

I welcome your feedback on this article, please drop me a line with your thoughts.

Sell Smarter...Sell More!

Hello and Welcome to the first edition of Sell Smarter...Sell More. This blog is intended to help Sales Professionals all over the world achieve their best results using proven and sensible techniques.

In the coming months we will discuss many topics such as Managing your Sales Funnel, How To Set Up A Powerful Referral Network and Why Follow Up Is Critical To Your Success.

I hope you will join us as we journey along the path to success.

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