December - Green Sales Sheet

Mood follows form.

To create well I have to be in a good mood, happy and cool. —Marc Newson, Entrepreneur

When you feel in winning form, you smile, stand up straight, and walk with confidence. On a gloomy, depressing day, try this: smile, stretch, and strut. Your mood will begin to lighten as your physical actions mimic those of a winner. The same applies to your phone personality. If you sit up straight and smile, you begin to feel self-confident and purposeful. Your voice reflects those qualities, and you will enjoy more successful business conversations.

Expand your vocabulary.

One forgets words as one forgets names. One’s vocabulary needs constant fertilizing or it will die. - Evelyn Waugh, Author

There is a proven relationship between vocabulary and income. Most successful people have good vocabularies and can express their ideas clearly. Less successful people tend to rely on a limited vocabulary augmented with clichés to get their ideas across. You are taken far more seriously when you can express yourself articulately. Clear and precise language gains you respect and credibility.

Don’t bother to learn words that are never used in everyday conversation. The fact that you know the meaning of popinjay is not of any value. However, learning one new word a day is money in the bank.

My book makes a great Christmas gift for any business professional. Excerpted from Rules of the Hunt. Available at Amazon.

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November - Green Sales Sheet

Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the
only thing. - Albert Schweitzer

You set an example by looking, acting, and thinking like a leader. Work as
hard, or harder, than your team members. You set a powerful example by
occasionally rolling your sleeves up and getting your hands dirty. Staying
at the rear of the battle is not inspiring and sets a bad example. Leading
the charge says in the most dramatic way, "I’m your leader. Follow me."

Keep your cool. Respond calmly to those big challenges that are
sure to come your way. While you can’t know what specific problem will
come knocking, you can anticipate how you react to it. A calm response
is a strong example of your leadership skills, which will not be lost
on others.

Develop first-rate communication skills. Never sugarcoat a problem
or deliver an unclear directive. Tell it like it is. People are not afraid of the
truth and will readily follow a leader who is direct. When you are honest,
realistic and plain spoken, you’ll avoid misunderstandings and mistakes.
A straightforward communication style is the hallmark of good leadership.
Clarify, prioritize, and lead.

My book makes a great Christmas gift for any business professional. Excerpted from Rules of the Hunt. Available at Amazon.

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If you want more free (you can't beat that!) sales and marketing advice delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to subscribe here!

The Holidays Are Here…Should I Continue Prospecting?

Every year during the 4th quarter, I am hit with the question by sales teams and clients that outsource their prospecting to us: “should we continue to prospect as we approach the holiday season?” Their perception is to shut down all sales activity as the holidays approach because they believe that no one will be in the office doing business and everyone is busy preparing for Thanksgiving and doing their holiday shopping so what is the point of prospecting? My answer each year is "yes, you should absolutely continue your prospecting efforts as we approach the holiday season" and here are a few reasons why:

• Business is conducted all year round. There will always be an excuse to not prospect. There are holidays all throughout the year and the summertime is another popular time of the year that people like to take off as well. However, there will never be a time when everyone is out of the office at the same time. All business does not shut down because of the holidays. Of course, you want to plan your prospecting time around an actual holiday. I don’t suggest calling anyone on Thanksgiving or Christmas day, but the weeks leading up to the holiday and the remaining days after the holiday has passed certainly can lead to opportunities.
• As we approach the end of the year, especially during the holiday season, things start to slow down with many businesses. Therefore, a lot of hard to reach contacts that have typically been out of the office traveling throughout the year tend to be in the office during this period.
• In this day and time, we are armed with technology. Therefore, many prospects can start planning for the new year as well as the current one that we are in. Your goal should be to connect with your prospect during the current year. However, those that are not able to connect with you as we close out the year, certainly can plan for January which will put you ahead of the game at the start of the new year.
• Many businesses, including your competitors, put the brakes on prospecting during this time of year which will open more doors of opportunity for you.

Thinking differently than the masses during this time of the year will certainly benefit you and help you finish off your year on a good note and will provide you an excellent head start for 2018. So, pick up that phone, send that email, attend that networking function and holiday party, don’t slow your prospecting down due to the holidays and the close of the year. Continue your momentum and you will continue to find sales opportunities.

Leslie Wells, the owner of L. Wells & Associates, Inc. is passionate about entrepreneurship. Her motto is "nothing happens until a sale takes place." To learn more her engaging sales training tips and upcoming webinars, visit www.lwellsassociates.com.