Today sales trainer Tom Reilly shares how a return to some old-fashioned selling may just be your best bet.
Salespeople spend most of their time on non-revenue producing activities. Really?
A recent study found that salespeople spend more than 70% of their time doing things other than selling. Our research found that salespeople spend, at most, 30% of their time in face-to-face selling. The rest of the time is spent handling administrative tasks, making collections calls, resolving logistics issues, attending meetings, and filling out reports.
How can we call these folks “salespeople” anymore when less than half of their time is spent selling? Maybe we should call them "support account administrators who occasionally sell." Who is at fault--salespeople or management? Finger pointing does not really accomplish much other than scapegoating the blame.
It confounds me when salespeople tell me that they cannot make more face-to-face calls. Why not? Do buyers perceive little value in the meeting? Do managers require salespeople to yield to administrative distractions? Is traffic that bad?
I grew up in a sales culture where we were required to make eight face-to-face sales calls per day. If we were in the office between 8 AM and 5 PM, our bosses assumed we were goofing off, and we probably were. Sales managers scrutinized our phone credit card statements to make sure we did not spend the day doing phone work versus face-to-face selling. We did paperwork at night or on Saturday morning. If it sounds a bit Draconian, it was not. We were salespeople after all, not office people. I learned a work ethic that helped me start and run two successful businesses, and I am eternally grateful for the lesson. Maybe it is time for some old-school selling rules again.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Showing posts with label Tom Reilly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Reilly. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Irritating Listening Habits
Today's article from sales trainer Tom Reilly describes the kinds of listeners we don't like to be around - people who don't actually listen, but are constantly thinking about themselves. Read about these types, and then make sure you're not one of them!
Top-achieving salespeople spend 60% of their time listening on a sales call. Listening is a core competency for salespeople, yet too few companies and managers emphasize its importance to success. Schools rarely teach it. Training budgets generally ignore it because it is a soft skill. Most people assume that if you have two ears you know how to listen. Wrong. Here are some of the irritating listening habits I have noticed in training salespeople:
Competitor —this person is a master of one-upping the other person. The competitive listener typically says, “You think that’s something, let me tell you about something I did.”
Anticipator —this person spends most of his or her listening time thinking about what they will say next.
Rusher —this person is always giving the other person the bum’s rush. The attitude is, “Hurry up and finish, I have something to sell you.”
Distracted —this person is a walking billboard for attention deficit disorder. Every little distraction catches his or her attention. Their being distracted distracts the speaker.
Disinterested —this person cannot even feign being interested. They find the conversation dull and make no pretense to be interested.
Multi-tasker —this person thinks they can effectively communicate with others as they check text messages and emails. This is the phone conversation when you can hear the keyboard in the background. This is just plain rude.
Effective listening requires the listener to put his or her focus on the other person, not themselves. Too many people fail to subordinate their interests in an effort to understand the other person. You can only fully understand what someone is saying (and feeling) when the conversation is more about them than you. This is good listening. This is good selling.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Top-achieving salespeople spend 60% of their time listening on a sales call. Listening is a core competency for salespeople, yet too few companies and managers emphasize its importance to success. Schools rarely teach it. Training budgets generally ignore it because it is a soft skill. Most people assume that if you have two ears you know how to listen. Wrong. Here are some of the irritating listening habits I have noticed in training salespeople:
Competitor —this person is a master of one-upping the other person. The competitive listener typically says, “You think that’s something, let me tell you about something I did.”
Anticipator —this person spends most of his or her listening time thinking about what they will say next.
Rusher —this person is always giving the other person the bum’s rush. The attitude is, “Hurry up and finish, I have something to sell you.”
Distracted —this person is a walking billboard for attention deficit disorder. Every little distraction catches his or her attention. Their being distracted distracts the speaker.
Disinterested —this person cannot even feign being interested. They find the conversation dull and make no pretense to be interested.
Multi-tasker —this person thinks they can effectively communicate with others as they check text messages and emails. This is the phone conversation when you can hear the keyboard in the background. This is just plain rude.
Effective listening requires the listener to put his or her focus on the other person, not themselves. Too many people fail to subordinate their interests in an effort to understand the other person. You can only fully understand what someone is saying (and feeling) when the conversation is more about them than you. This is good listening. This is good selling.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Celebrate the Impact of Your Value-Added Selling
Today's article comes from sales trainer Tom Reilly. It's about the importance of reminding your customer of your value. Very interesting!
A standout difference of Value-Added Selling is the emphasis we place on defensive selling—the retention and growth of your existing base of business. We know from our research that top-achieving salespeople invest most of their selling time in this mode.
One defensive selling strategy is value reinforcement—the sale after the sale. It involves documentation and value reminding. The objective is to remind the customer of the value that you deliver. No one gets the credit that he deserves; he only gets the credit that he asks for. As most people are unaware of the air that they breathe, most customers are unaware of the value that they receive. This is why you must remind the customer of all the great things that you do for them.
Positive bragging is an important part of this value-reminding strategy. There is a gracious way to do this and a less gracious way to do this. Let's begin with the latter: "Mr. Customer, look at all the great stuff we have done for you this past year." Some salespeople shy away from this because they feel it is too braggadocios, too seller focused. Another and more tasteful way is to remind the customer of the success that they have experienced because of your value. Brag about the customer's success: "Mr. Customer, it is great to see how you have increased productivity since installing our system. We're thrilled to play a role in your success." It is more subtle, but the customer will get the point, and you will get the credit.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
A standout difference of Value-Added Selling is the emphasis we place on defensive selling—the retention and growth of your existing base of business. We know from our research that top-achieving salespeople invest most of their selling time in this mode.
One defensive selling strategy is value reinforcement—the sale after the sale. It involves documentation and value reminding. The objective is to remind the customer of the value that you deliver. No one gets the credit that he deserves; he only gets the credit that he asks for. As most people are unaware of the air that they breathe, most customers are unaware of the value that they receive. This is why you must remind the customer of all the great things that you do for them.
Positive bragging is an important part of this value-reminding strategy. There is a gracious way to do this and a less gracious way to do this. Let's begin with the latter: "Mr. Customer, look at all the great stuff we have done for you this past year." Some salespeople shy away from this because they feel it is too braggadocios, too seller focused. Another and more tasteful way is to remind the customer of the success that they have experienced because of your value. Brag about the customer's success: "Mr. Customer, it is great to see how you have increased productivity since installing our system. We're thrilled to play a role in your success." It is more subtle, but the customer will get the point, and you will get the credit.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Welcome Price Objections
Sales trainer Tom Reilly never fails to give me a unique view on selling - and today's article is no different. He says a seller should welcome price objections - find out why!
Your price is too high. I can buy this cheaper someplace else. That is more than I want to spend.
These objections frustrate and intimidate salespeople. Price objections remain the chief perceived obstacle that salespeople bring to our seminars. Yet, they need not be as threatening as most salespeople believe. Simply, heed the words of two great thinkers.
Shakespeare wrote: "Death, where is thy sting? Love, where is thy glory?" To set the record straight, St. Paul wrote the former long before Shakespeare picked up his pen. To extend the metaphor, "Price, where is your sting?"
When customers raise money objections—notice that I said money and not price—they are expressing a concern over profitability, whether it is company or personal prosperity. The fact that buyers raise money concerns should give you some hope for your response if your solution has a positive financial impact on the buyer's business. Money is a better conversation to have than price.
"Mr. Buyer, the fact that you raised money (not price) as a concern is the most compelling reason why you should consider our solution again. There are at least five ways that we have a positive financial impact on your business …" At this point, elaborate on the various ways that your solution affects "money" for the buyer. This could include: time savings, quicker availability of product, greater energy efficiency, higher productivity of workers, more up time, etc.
When you frame price objections as money objections, it changes the conversation. It is a conversation that gives you a fighting chance. You have removed the sting from the objection and paved the way for a real conversation about your total value. Then, you can say, "Price, where is your sting?"
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Your price is too high. I can buy this cheaper someplace else. That is more than I want to spend.
These objections frustrate and intimidate salespeople. Price objections remain the chief perceived obstacle that salespeople bring to our seminars. Yet, they need not be as threatening as most salespeople believe. Simply, heed the words of two great thinkers.
Shakespeare wrote: "Death, where is thy sting? Love, where is thy glory?" To set the record straight, St. Paul wrote the former long before Shakespeare picked up his pen. To extend the metaphor, "Price, where is your sting?"
When customers raise money objections—notice that I said money and not price—they are expressing a concern over profitability, whether it is company or personal prosperity. The fact that buyers raise money concerns should give you some hope for your response if your solution has a positive financial impact on the buyer's business. Money is a better conversation to have than price.
"Mr. Buyer, the fact that you raised money (not price) as a concern is the most compelling reason why you should consider our solution again. There are at least five ways that we have a positive financial impact on your business …" At this point, elaborate on the various ways that your solution affects "money" for the buyer. This could include: time savings, quicker availability of product, greater energy efficiency, higher productivity of workers, more up time, etc.
When you frame price objections as money objections, it changes the conversation. It is a conversation that gives you a fighting chance. You have removed the sting from the objection and paved the way for a real conversation about your total value. Then, you can say, "Price, where is your sting?"
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Friday, April 8, 2011
What is Your Victory Strategy?
Today's article comes from sales trainer Tom Reilly.
"Okay, team, let's win this game! We have put together a powerful offense and a solid defense. All we need to do now is to put some points on the board and to stop the other guys from scoring. Get out there and win this game!"
This scenario is played out thousands of times weekly in sporting events, as coaches inspire their teams with motivational rhetoric. There is only one thing missing—the game plan. Imagine this team running on the field yelling, "Hey Coach, what are we supposed to do when we get out here?" The disconnect between rhetoric and execution is not limited to athletic teams. I see this daily in sales teams.
"Let's go out there and get the business!" How many times have you heard that in a sales meeting? No plan. No strategy. Just rhetoric. The net result of this disconnect is a frustrated sales force because they lack the strategic guidance that a good plan offers. Witness this phenomenon in the following attitudes:
"All business is good business." Do you really believe this?
"Get the business, and we'll figure out a way to make money on it." This sounds like the tail wagging the dog.
"We need the volume." Don't you mean profitable volume?
Fewer than one-in-five employees is able to connect their day-to-day activities to the mission of the organization. This disconnect is the result of management's failure to have their strategy mapped out on paper, with marching orders for the troops. If your strategy is not on paper, you have no strategy. If your marketing strategy is not presented tactically to the sales team, you have no real plan. If it is not practical, it is not tactical.
When salespeople cannot answer this simple question, there is a problem: "What is fundamentally good business for our company?" The answer to this question provides the sales team with the strategic direction they need to allocate their sales time effectively. How can a sales force be criticized for its failure to perform when management has failed to perform its fundamental responsibility—planning, directing, and controlling resources toward achieving organizational objectives?
A battle cry without a battle plan is simply noise.
Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training, is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
"Okay, team, let's win this game! We have put together a powerful offense and a solid defense. All we need to do now is to put some points on the board and to stop the other guys from scoring. Get out there and win this game!"
This scenario is played out thousands of times weekly in sporting events, as coaches inspire their teams with motivational rhetoric. There is only one thing missing—the game plan. Imagine this team running on the field yelling, "Hey Coach, what are we supposed to do when we get out here?" The disconnect between rhetoric and execution is not limited to athletic teams. I see this daily in sales teams.
"Let's go out there and get the business!" How many times have you heard that in a sales meeting? No plan. No strategy. Just rhetoric. The net result of this disconnect is a frustrated sales force because they lack the strategic guidance that a good plan offers. Witness this phenomenon in the following attitudes:
"All business is good business." Do you really believe this?
"Get the business, and we'll figure out a way to make money on it." This sounds like the tail wagging the dog.
"We need the volume." Don't you mean profitable volume?
Fewer than one-in-five employees is able to connect their day-to-day activities to the mission of the organization. This disconnect is the result of management's failure to have their strategy mapped out on paper, with marching orders for the troops. If your strategy is not on paper, you have no strategy. If your marketing strategy is not presented tactically to the sales team, you have no real plan. If it is not practical, it is not tactical.
When salespeople cannot answer this simple question, there is a problem: "What is fundamentally good business for our company?" The answer to this question provides the sales team with the strategic direction they need to allocate their sales time effectively. How can a sales force be criticized for its failure to perform when management has failed to perform its fundamental responsibility—planning, directing, and controlling resources toward achieving organizational objectives?
A battle cry without a battle plan is simply noise.
Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training, is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
How to Lose Like a Winner
I often find sales trainer Tom Reilly's articles very inspirational. He looks at sales from a world view, or life view - meaning sales isn't everything. He puts sales into perspective. Today's article does just that!
Sales is a metaphor for life: You win some, and you lose some. In sales, you work hard for an order, but it may not happen. In life, you work hard to achieve a goal, but it may not happen. That's reality. The question is, "What do you do with that reality?"
Some people fail and choose to learn from it; other people fail and internalize it. Some people that fail re-dedicate themselves to their passions and give it another try. Some people that fail fill themselves with bitterness and resentment.
Learning from failure means treating it as feedback: What did you learn from the experience? Internalizing failure means believing that you are a loser versus seeing it as an outcome of your attempting to accomplish a goal or make a sale. On one hand, it is a learning experience; on the other hand, it is a blow to your self-esteem.
Harboring resentment toward another person - a boss, customer, or someone else - that got in the way of your achieving a goal is like taking poison and hoping the other person gets sick. Laura Hildebrand wrote in her new book, Unbroken, "The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when they make their tormentors suffer."
Winning feels good. Losing feels bad. Both, for a while. Then, it is time to get back to work. Feel the joy when you succeed. Feel the disappointment when you fail. Learn from both. Treat both as feedback. Liberate yourself by releasing the grip that resentment has on you, and you can lose like a winner.
Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training, is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
Sales is a metaphor for life: You win some, and you lose some. In sales, you work hard for an order, but it may not happen. In life, you work hard to achieve a goal, but it may not happen. That's reality. The question is, "What do you do with that reality?"
Some people fail and choose to learn from it; other people fail and internalize it. Some people that fail re-dedicate themselves to their passions and give it another try. Some people that fail fill themselves with bitterness and resentment.
Learning from failure means treating it as feedback: What did you learn from the experience? Internalizing failure means believing that you are a loser versus seeing it as an outcome of your attempting to accomplish a goal or make a sale. On one hand, it is a learning experience; on the other hand, it is a blow to your self-esteem.
Harboring resentment toward another person - a boss, customer, or someone else - that got in the way of your achieving a goal is like taking poison and hoping the other person gets sick. Laura Hildebrand wrote in her new book, Unbroken, "The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when they make their tormentors suffer."
Winning feels good. Losing feels bad. Both, for a while. Then, it is time to get back to work. Feel the joy when you succeed. Feel the disappointment when you fail. Learn from both. Treat both as feedback. Liberate yourself by releasing the grip that resentment has on you, and you can lose like a winner.
Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training, is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
A Disturbing Deficit
Sales trainer Tom Reilly's newsletter never fails to get me thinking. Today he discusses the importance of connection, especially in today's business world.
In the United States, most people are concerned rightly about a 1.6 trillion dollar federal budget deficit, yet there is another deficit that is far more insidious and perilous to business—a diminution of empathy.
In 2010, researchers found that empathy among college students is at an all-time low. Seventy-five percent of the students tested reported the lowest scores on empathy in the thirty-plus years that social scientists have been studying this. These all-time-low empathy scores are happening against the backdrop of all-time-high narcissism scores.
We have a coming-of-age generation that would rather text than talk, send an abbreviated e-mail over a hand-written note, and make a quick cell-phone call versus invest face time with someone in deep conversation. On one hand, this presents a significant challenge for sales managers that recruit from the ranks of college students. On the other hand, this offers a great opportunity for salespeople who rely on empathy and people skills to build relationships with customers. Professional selling is a people business.
Humans are social creatures. We are hard wired to interact physically with other people. We want to do business with those whom we trust and like. Carl Rogers, father of client-centered therapy, wrote, "Nothing feels so good as being understood, not evaluated or judged." Actively listening to customers requires that we set aside personal biases (put narcissism on hold) and understand (empathize with) their reality, as subjective as it appears. Who would have thought that an ageless concept like empathy would become the new frontier for differentiation?
Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training, is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
In the United States, most people are concerned rightly about a 1.6 trillion dollar federal budget deficit, yet there is another deficit that is far more insidious and perilous to business—a diminution of empathy.
In 2010, researchers found that empathy among college students is at an all-time low. Seventy-five percent of the students tested reported the lowest scores on empathy in the thirty-plus years that social scientists have been studying this. These all-time-low empathy scores are happening against the backdrop of all-time-high narcissism scores.
We have a coming-of-age generation that would rather text than talk, send an abbreviated e-mail over a hand-written note, and make a quick cell-phone call versus invest face time with someone in deep conversation. On one hand, this presents a significant challenge for sales managers that recruit from the ranks of college students. On the other hand, this offers a great opportunity for salespeople who rely on empathy and people skills to build relationships with customers. Professional selling is a people business.
Humans are social creatures. We are hard wired to interact physically with other people. We want to do business with those whom we trust and like. Carl Rogers, father of client-centered therapy, wrote, "Nothing feels so good as being understood, not evaluated or judged." Actively listening to customers requires that we set aside personal biases (put narcissism on hold) and understand (empathize with) their reality, as subjective as it appears. Who would have thought that an ageless concept like empathy would become the new frontier for differentiation?
Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training, is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The Purpose of Business
Sales trainer Tom Reilly has a great way of thinking when it comes to sales. Today he talks about the purpose of business - very interesting!
Adam Smith, father of modern economic theory, believed that the purpose of a business was to make money. Peter Drucker, long considered to be the foremost thinker on management, wrote in his book, The Practice of Management, that the purpose of business was to create customers. How could two profound thinkers differ so much in their view of business? Granted, Drucker did acknowledge profit as a test of a company's viability and an essential condition for a company's continued existence. Frankly, both of these thinkers' definitions leave me hungry.
If profit is the only motive, life is simple but not necessarily better. If I exist only for customers, where is my payoff? I like my definition better: The purpose of a business is to create value.
For whom, you ask? You tell me. Value for the customer? Yes. Value for the owners and shareholders? Yes. Value for the larger community in which the company functions? Yes. Value for employees and other stakeholders? Yes. Implicit in all of these affirmative responses is equity, and equity is a powerful motivator.
If you begin a task with a simple objective, to create something of value, that seems to cover all bases. If it is valuable to the customer and not for you, it is not really something of value. If it is valuable to you, but no one else is willing to pay for it, it probably is not that valuable to you.
Imagine what could happen if you began every project—and making a sales call is a project—with this attitude: "Let's create something of value here today." You and the customer would benefit.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Adam Smith, father of modern economic theory, believed that the purpose of a business was to make money. Peter Drucker, long considered to be the foremost thinker on management, wrote in his book, The Practice of Management, that the purpose of business was to create customers. How could two profound thinkers differ so much in their view of business? Granted, Drucker did acknowledge profit as a test of a company's viability and an essential condition for a company's continued existence. Frankly, both of these thinkers' definitions leave me hungry.
If profit is the only motive, life is simple but not necessarily better. If I exist only for customers, where is my payoff? I like my definition better: The purpose of a business is to create value.
For whom, you ask? You tell me. Value for the customer? Yes. Value for the owners and shareholders? Yes. Value for the larger community in which the company functions? Yes. Value for employees and other stakeholders? Yes. Implicit in all of these affirmative responses is equity, and equity is a powerful motivator.
If you begin a task with a simple objective, to create something of value, that seems to cover all bases. If it is valuable to the customer and not for you, it is not really something of value. If it is valuable to you, but no one else is willing to pay for it, it probably is not that valuable to you.
Imagine what could happen if you began every project—and making a sales call is a project—with this attitude: "Let's create something of value here today." You and the customer would benefit.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
No More Small Thinking
Sales trainer Tom Reilly gives great advice that is motivating and encouraging. He tells people how to change their thinking and their sales!
As we slog our way out of the Great Recession, one of the more insidious aftereffects is small thinking. It appears that the Great Recession has had a psychological impact that may eclipse the economic impact. I hear that the new definition of winning is "not losing," and that flat is the new "up." When asking people about their business, I have heard way too many choruses of "Well, we're keeping the lights on."
When did keeping the lights on become the new standard for success? When did not losing sales become a standard of excellence? When did flat become up? This is small thinking. We can do better than this. Flat is not up. Winning is more than not losing. For those of us in the United States (all due respect to my global readers), we live in the most opportunity-rich part of the world. People are climbing over our borders for the opportunity to take a stab at success US-style.
If you are satisfied with just keeping the lights on, you need to dream bigger. If your hopes and aspirations do not make your bones itch, you are suffering from small thinking. That is no way to approach 2011. Plan for bigger results next year. Plan to win—and I mean really win! Make 2011 the year that you gain traction in your market. You can do better than flat. Think bigger.
Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training, is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
As we slog our way out of the Great Recession, one of the more insidious aftereffects is small thinking. It appears that the Great Recession has had a psychological impact that may eclipse the economic impact. I hear that the new definition of winning is "not losing," and that flat is the new "up." When asking people about their business, I have heard way too many choruses of "Well, we're keeping the lights on."
When did keeping the lights on become the new standard for success? When did not losing sales become a standard of excellence? When did flat become up? This is small thinking. We can do better than this. Flat is not up. Winning is more than not losing. For those of us in the United States (all due respect to my global readers), we live in the most opportunity-rich part of the world. People are climbing over our borders for the opportunity to take a stab at success US-style.
If you are satisfied with just keeping the lights on, you need to dream bigger. If your hopes and aspirations do not make your bones itch, you are suffering from small thinking. That is no way to approach 2011. Plan for bigger results next year. Plan to win—and I mean really win! Make 2011 the year that you gain traction in your market. You can do better than flat. Think bigger.
Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training, is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
Friday, October 22, 2010
Seek Problems, not Projects
This is a great quick tip from sales trainer Tom Reilly. Enjoy!
Give me a problem any day versus a project. Too many salespeople ask customers the wrong questions:
"Do you have anything I can quote?"
"Are there any projects I can get involved in?"
"What can I do for you today?"
These questions have a common denominator; each depends on the customer's initiative for the opportunity. The salesperson is responding to something that is already in the works. This is reactive selling.
Proactive selling is creating—not just responding to—opportunities. Proactive salespeople seek problems, not projects. They want to identify areas of dissatisfaction or pain for the customer and find ways to make the pain go away. They dig for root causes to solve problems versus masking them with a band aid. Better questions to ask include the following:
"What is keeping you up at night?"
"What is the toughest challenge you are dealing with now?"
"What problem have you given up on that you wish you could solve?"
Once you have mastered the problem-solving method of selling, you graduate to problem-awareness selling. This is where you make buyers aware of problems that they did not know they had. When you bring solutions to un-recognized problems, buyers see you as a vital member of their team—a proactive, value-adding sales professional.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Give me a problem any day versus a project. Too many salespeople ask customers the wrong questions:
"Do you have anything I can quote?"
"Are there any projects I can get involved in?"
"What can I do for you today?"
These questions have a common denominator; each depends on the customer's initiative for the opportunity. The salesperson is responding to something that is already in the works. This is reactive selling.
Proactive selling is creating—not just responding to—opportunities. Proactive salespeople seek problems, not projects. They want to identify areas of dissatisfaction or pain for the customer and find ways to make the pain go away. They dig for root causes to solve problems versus masking them with a band aid. Better questions to ask include the following:
"What is keeping you up at night?"
"What is the toughest challenge you are dealing with now?"
"What problem have you given up on that you wish you could solve?"
Once you have mastered the problem-solving method of selling, you graduate to problem-awareness selling. This is where you make buyers aware of problems that they did not know they had. When you bring solutions to un-recognized problems, buyers see you as a vital member of their team—a proactive, value-adding sales professional.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Your Road to Success
I love to find inspiration to keep working hard, and this story from sales trainer Tom Reilly does just that!
In a recent issue of the Harvard Business Review, Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Management at USC, discusses his path to becoming a globally recognized expert on leadership. The energy for his circuitous journey is summed up in one sentence, "After I discovered what I felt passionate about—leadership, change, and creative collaboration—people began leaning close to hear my thoughts on those subjects."
Imagine becoming so knowledgeable, focused, and passionate about something that others will travel near and far to hear what you have to say. This resonates with me because I met a salesperson like this years ago. His name was Lester and he sold trucks. He had been in his industry for fifty years. He had developed a reputation for being so knowledgeable that any time a truck was purchased in his territory, Lester got the first call. Customers wanted to hear his thoughts before doing anything.
This is your challenge in professional selling—to become so good at your craft and so knowledgeable in your field that customers cannot afford to do business without first consulting you—to hear your thoughts. If you are not there right now, focus and study. Get passionate about your value. That is the road to success.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
In a recent issue of the Harvard Business Review, Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Management at USC, discusses his path to becoming a globally recognized expert on leadership. The energy for his circuitous journey is summed up in one sentence, "After I discovered what I felt passionate about—leadership, change, and creative collaboration—people began leaning close to hear my thoughts on those subjects."
Imagine becoming so knowledgeable, focused, and passionate about something that others will travel near and far to hear what you have to say. This resonates with me because I met a salesperson like this years ago. His name was Lester and he sold trucks. He had been in his industry for fifty years. He had developed a reputation for being so knowledgeable that any time a truck was purchased in his territory, Lester got the first call. Customers wanted to hear his thoughts before doing anything.
This is your challenge in professional selling—to become so good at your craft and so knowledgeable in your field that customers cannot afford to do business without first consulting you—to hear your thoughts. If you are not there right now, focus and study. Get passionate about your value. That is the road to success.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Dreaming Bigger About Business
Today sales trainer Tom Reilly gets us thinking about dreaming bigger about our customer's business - it's an interesting idea!
How big do you think for and about your customer? This is another way of asking, "Are you thinking about their business or the next order?"
Some salespeople are real business partners. They think, plan, and execute their growth strategies for customers as if they were an important part of the customer's team. Other salespeople are transaction focused. They go from order to order. Professional selling is more than hustling orders.
If you are serious about this job and concerned about the impact you have on the customer's world, you are more focused on making a difference than making a deal. Deal guys come and go. Those who make a difference are in it for the long haul.
This is Value-Added Selling. Value-added salespeople are energized by the work, not just the order. Do not misunderstand me: It is exciting to get the order, but it is exhilarating to have a real impact on the customer's business. Meaningful work is a powerful motivator and an important component of a successful career. When you believe that your work is important and extract meaning from it, you approach it with passion and enthusiasm. Without meaningfulness, you are cheating yourself of one of the most important purposes of work.
Transaction salespeople—those who go from order to order—too narrowly define success. They fail to dream big enough for their customers and for themselves. They concentrate on the next purchase order versus helping customers achieve higher levels of success at whatever they do. Instead of thinking about how much more you can sell to a customer, think about how you can bring them more value. If you bring them more value, you will sell more.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
How big do you think for and about your customer? This is another way of asking, "Are you thinking about their business or the next order?"
Some salespeople are real business partners. They think, plan, and execute their growth strategies for customers as if they were an important part of the customer's team. Other salespeople are transaction focused. They go from order to order. Professional selling is more than hustling orders.
If you are serious about this job and concerned about the impact you have on the customer's world, you are more focused on making a difference than making a deal. Deal guys come and go. Those who make a difference are in it for the long haul.
This is Value-Added Selling. Value-added salespeople are energized by the work, not just the order. Do not misunderstand me: It is exciting to get the order, but it is exhilarating to have a real impact on the customer's business. Meaningful work is a powerful motivator and an important component of a successful career. When you believe that your work is important and extract meaning from it, you approach it with passion and enthusiasm. Without meaningfulness, you are cheating yourself of one of the most important purposes of work.
Transaction salespeople—those who go from order to order—too narrowly define success. They fail to dream big enough for their customers and for themselves. They concentrate on the next purchase order versus helping customers achieve higher levels of success at whatever they do. Instead of thinking about how much more you can sell to a customer, think about how you can bring them more value. If you bring them more value, you will sell more.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Riding for the Brand
Sales trainer Tom Reilly has a wonderful perspective on sales and salespeople. Today he shares about being proud of your brand - both your personal work and your product.
Louis L'Amour, perhaps the most prolific American writer, wrote a short story about it. Cowboy poet extraordinaire Red Steagall scribed a poem about it. In western lore and legend, "Riding for the brand" meant loyalty and pride. It meant that when you agreed to work for someone you would wear his brand as your own. I think we would all be better off if we rode for the brand. It satisfies a basic human need to be a part of something bigger and better than ourselves.
As a salesperson, you ride for the brand when you...
* Wear logo wear with pride, realizing that you are a walking billboard for your company.
* Handle and demonstrate your products with pride.
* Represent your company well.
* Tell the truth, always and especially when it's tough to do.
* Speak well of your management team and peers, even when you disagree with them.
* Give your company a full-day's effort for a full-day's pay.
* Answer your phone with enthusiasm, thanking the customer for the chance to serve.
* Know that your company's brand is your brand; you are part of it.
Brands are built from the bottom up. Your management can invest millions of dollars to promote an image in the market, but how you ride for the brand speaks louder than all the words in the advertising and promotion. Red Steagall said it best:
Son, a man's brand
Is his own special mark
That says this is mine, leave it alone.
You hire out to a man
Ride for the brand
And protect it like it was your own.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Louis L'Amour, perhaps the most prolific American writer, wrote a short story about it. Cowboy poet extraordinaire Red Steagall scribed a poem about it. In western lore and legend, "Riding for the brand" meant loyalty and pride. It meant that when you agreed to work for someone you would wear his brand as your own. I think we would all be better off if we rode for the brand. It satisfies a basic human need to be a part of something bigger and better than ourselves.
As a salesperson, you ride for the brand when you...
* Wear logo wear with pride, realizing that you are a walking billboard for your company.
* Handle and demonstrate your products with pride.
* Represent your company well.
* Tell the truth, always and especially when it's tough to do.
* Speak well of your management team and peers, even when you disagree with them.
* Give your company a full-day's effort for a full-day's pay.
* Answer your phone with enthusiasm, thanking the customer for the chance to serve.
* Know that your company's brand is your brand; you are part of it.
Brands are built from the bottom up. Your management can invest millions of dollars to promote an image in the market, but how you ride for the brand speaks louder than all the words in the advertising and promotion. Red Steagall said it best:
Son, a man's brand
Is his own special mark
That says this is mine, leave it alone.
You hire out to a man
Ride for the brand
And protect it like it was your own.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Changing Your Customer's World
To reach the top in sales you have to have passion and a mission. Sales trainer Tom Reilly explains.
In its infancy, Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, realized he needed a real business person to run his company, "...a respectable face who could sell corporate America." He chose John Sculley, an executive at Pepsi Cola. Why would Sculley leave a plush corporate gig to work for a four-year-old start-up that began in a garage?
"He looked up at me and just stared at me with the stare that only Steve Jobs has and he said do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or do you want to come with me and change the world?" John Sculley accepted Job's offer and became President of Apple Computer from 1983-93.
Steve Jobs tapped into the fundamental spirit of top salespeople - a sense of mission. We all want to be a part of something bigger and better than ourselves. We are all called to change the world in some fashion, using the gifts and talents that each of us possesses.
Value-Added Selling is a way for you to change the customer's world. What if you awakened to this challenge every morning: "What will I do today to help our customers get the most value from our proposition?" Can you imagine the impact that you would have if you embraced this mission to make a difference, not just a deal? Though changing the world is way too ambitious for most of us, rocking the customer's world is within our reach.
Do you want to sell widgets the rest of your life or do you want to change your customer's world?
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
In its infancy, Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, realized he needed a real business person to run his company, "...a respectable face who could sell corporate America." He chose John Sculley, an executive at Pepsi Cola. Why would Sculley leave a plush corporate gig to work for a four-year-old start-up that began in a garage?
"He looked up at me and just stared at me with the stare that only Steve Jobs has and he said do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or do you want to come with me and change the world?" John Sculley accepted Job's offer and became President of Apple Computer from 1983-93.
Steve Jobs tapped into the fundamental spirit of top salespeople - a sense of mission. We all want to be a part of something bigger and better than ourselves. We are all called to change the world in some fashion, using the gifts and talents that each of us possesses.
Value-Added Selling is a way for you to change the customer's world. What if you awakened to this challenge every morning: "What will I do today to help our customers get the most value from our proposition?" Can you imagine the impact that you would have if you embraced this mission to make a difference, not just a deal? Though changing the world is way too ambitious for most of us, rocking the customer's world is within our reach.
Do you want to sell widgets the rest of your life or do you want to change your customer's world?
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Moving On
Today sales trainer Tom Reilly shares some insight about how to move forward - let us know what you think in the comments!
One problem with a long recession is the mindset that develops throughout the downturn. Survival is primary. Companies and their employees do whatever they can to protect what they have and minimize their losses. The constant battering of bad economic news takes its toll on our collective psyche.
People become overly cautious - they hoard, hunker down, and play defense. They seem to forget the fundamental reality of competition. More points are scored while playing offense than while playing defense. Consequently, when things turn, some people and companies are slower than others to participate in the recovery.
The economic news these days is much better. Companies are spending. Earnings are improving. Even jobs are returning to many sectors. Granted, a few industries are lagging - they always do. Overall, things are getting better, so it's time to participate.
Here's a thought for the week: Let your sales focus this week be on thriving in this recovery. If you're working, you survived - you held on. Now, turn your attention to gaining ground. It's time to focus on growth. I talk to many salespeople that are exploiting these opportunities. You can, too. Take this spirit of optimism to your customers and infect them with your enthusiasm. Let's put this recession behind us and get on with the business of selling.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
One problem with a long recession is the mindset that develops throughout the downturn. Survival is primary. Companies and their employees do whatever they can to protect what they have and minimize their losses. The constant battering of bad economic news takes its toll on our collective psyche.
People become overly cautious - they hoard, hunker down, and play defense. They seem to forget the fundamental reality of competition. More points are scored while playing offense than while playing defense. Consequently, when things turn, some people and companies are slower than others to participate in the recovery.
The economic news these days is much better. Companies are spending. Earnings are improving. Even jobs are returning to many sectors. Granted, a few industries are lagging - they always do. Overall, things are getting better, so it's time to participate.
Here's a thought for the week: Let your sales focus this week be on thriving in this recovery. If you're working, you survived - you held on. Now, turn your attention to gaining ground. It's time to focus on growth. I talk to many salespeople that are exploiting these opportunities. You can, too. Take this spirit of optimism to your customers and infect them with your enthusiasm. Let's put this recession behind us and get on with the business of selling.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Give the Buyer a Fair Price
With customers asking for discounts left and right, it can be difficult to feel comfortable and confident with your pricing. If you're too high you might feel uncomfortable selling, and if they're too low, you don't make enough on each sale. Today sales trainer Tom Reilly shares how to make sure your price is right.
The easiest way to avoid price resistance is to give the buyer a fair price. The tough part is determining a fair price. Perceptions of fairness are based largely on emotion, which means buyers' reactions may not always be rational.
Buyers want to maximize the return on their investment. They want a good deal. Sellers, on the other hand, want to optimize their pricing. They want to apply prices effectively to gain a desirable return on sales. At first glance, this sounds like a zero-sum game-one winner and one loser. In practice, it can be win-win.
The search for the Grail of fair pricing reaches back through history, from contemporary economists to Adam Smith to Aristotle's study of ethics. Aristotle wrote, "equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally." Some may reach further to the beginning of time and ask, "Did Adam really understand the price he would pay for that apple?"
The central construct of win-win outcomes is equity: Is the product or service a fair exchange for what I give up to acquire it? Or, am I getting as good as I am giving? Both buyer and seller should be able to answer this question favorably. Satisfaction with the outcome of the transaction is tied to one's expectations of gain. This means sellers must understand the buyer's expectations of the return on investment that the buyer wants. Also, if the seller's expectations are not met, seller remorse sets in.
The way to begin your discussion of price is to determine in advance an equitable outcome for buyer and seller. If it is a good deal for the customer and a good deal for you, that sounds like a fair price to me.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
The easiest way to avoid price resistance is to give the buyer a fair price. The tough part is determining a fair price. Perceptions of fairness are based largely on emotion, which means buyers' reactions may not always be rational.
Buyers want to maximize the return on their investment. They want a good deal. Sellers, on the other hand, want to optimize their pricing. They want to apply prices effectively to gain a desirable return on sales. At first glance, this sounds like a zero-sum game-one winner and one loser. In practice, it can be win-win.
The search for the Grail of fair pricing reaches back through history, from contemporary economists to Adam Smith to Aristotle's study of ethics. Aristotle wrote, "equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally." Some may reach further to the beginning of time and ask, "Did Adam really understand the price he would pay for that apple?"
The central construct of win-win outcomes is equity: Is the product or service a fair exchange for what I give up to acquire it? Or, am I getting as good as I am giving? Both buyer and seller should be able to answer this question favorably. Satisfaction with the outcome of the transaction is tied to one's expectations of gain. This means sellers must understand the buyer's expectations of the return on investment that the buyer wants. Also, if the seller's expectations are not met, seller remorse sets in.
The way to begin your discussion of price is to determine in advance an equitable outcome for buyer and seller. If it is a good deal for the customer and a good deal for you, that sounds like a fair price to me.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
How to Fail Forward
I've never heard of failing forward, but I like the idea of anything that makes me feel better when I fail at something. Today sales trainer Tom Reilly shares how you can find power in failure and use it to your advantage. There is a right way to fail and a wrong way to fail. The one thing you do not want to fail at is failure. Consider the following:
--In a study of more then 1,000 successful people, the researchers found that successful people failed more than twice as often as less successful people.
--In our Best Sales Practices Study, we found that top-achieving salespeople do not quit on a piece of business until they receive on average 5.3 rejections from the customer. The rest of the sales population quites after 3.7 rejections.
--Michael Jordan said this about failure: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."
Here are some tips for failing forward - extracting value from failure:
--Always view failure in the short term and success in the long term. You are on a path of long-term success, littered with short-term failures.
--The sale is never over until you or the customer call it quits. Sometimes, the customer may quit before you do, but don't let that slow you down.
--Treat failure as feedback. It teaches you what not to do. If you quit too early, you lose the benefit of learning what did not work.
--Failure holds no power over humility. A humble person says, "Look what I learned."
--Feel the sting of defeat and use it positively to prepare for your next opportunity.
Failure need not be final. It need not describe you as a person. It is commentary on your outcome in a specific area.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
--In a study of more then 1,000 successful people, the researchers found that successful people failed more than twice as often as less successful people.
--In our Best Sales Practices Study, we found that top-achieving salespeople do not quit on a piece of business until they receive on average 5.3 rejections from the customer. The rest of the sales population quites after 3.7 rejections.
--Michael Jordan said this about failure: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."
Here are some tips for failing forward - extracting value from failure:
--Always view failure in the short term and success in the long term. You are on a path of long-term success, littered with short-term failures.
--The sale is never over until you or the customer call it quits. Sometimes, the customer may quit before you do, but don't let that slow you down.
--Treat failure as feedback. It teaches you what not to do. If you quit too early, you lose the benefit of learning what did not work.
--Failure holds no power over humility. A humble person says, "Look what I learned."
--Feel the sting of defeat and use it positively to prepare for your next opportunity.
Failure need not be final. It need not describe you as a person. It is commentary on your outcome in a specific area.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
There is Value in Struggle
"In order to succeed, people need a sense of self-efficacy, to struggle together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities of life." -- Albert Bandura, Stanford University
Do you remember the feeling you had after you finally accomplished a long sought-after goal? The feeling is so much better than if you had achieved the goal with little effort. That's why sales trainer Tom Reilly says there is value in struggle. Note that he didn't say there was pleasure or enjoyment in struggle, just value.
"By now, most companies have shed the inefficiencies and practices that no longer add value," says Reilly. "Most people have shed the excesses that have defined lifestyles for many. Neither of these corrections is inherently bad. Both are good for companies and individuals. Many have learned there is value in struggle and have developed a sense of self-efficacy in their efforts to prevail."
Here are some more ideas from Reilly to help you find value in tough situations:
There is value in getting lean. Streamlining and returning to one's roots is invigorating. It's the organizational equivalent to the vinedresser's pruning and prepping the vines for future growth. He removes the unproductive branches so as not to distract valuable resources from those that will produce.
There is value in being strong in weakness. It's not so much the promise of the philosopher, Nietzsche: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." It is more about finding strength you didn't know you had prior to the struggle. Each of us possesses a wellspring of strength we dip into when times get tough. The really good news is that the strength is also there for good times.
There is value in the synergy one must find to prevail in tough times. If energy is the resource for individuals, synergy is the indefatigable resource for survivors. John Donne wrote, "No man is an island..." Survivors understand the power of we over me. The wonderful part of a support network is that when one is weak, another can be strong. That reciprocity ensures someone is always willing to carry the load.
There is value in releasing the creativity and inventiveness that struggle calls for. Is necessity the mother of invention? Maybe. Resilience researchers at ASU found that survivors are inventive. They rely on their resourcefulness to find a way out of their difficulties. They make do with what they have.
There is value in the humility that accompanies adversity. Adversity strips away facades and introduces to our naked and vulnerable selves, generally the most likable part of any of us. It is in those dark moments that we cry out for the help that only the humble can appreciate, "I can't do this on my own." Then, miraculously, help arrives.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Do you remember the feeling you had after you finally accomplished a long sought-after goal? The feeling is so much better than if you had achieved the goal with little effort. That's why sales trainer Tom Reilly says there is value in struggle. Note that he didn't say there was pleasure or enjoyment in struggle, just value.
"By now, most companies have shed the inefficiencies and practices that no longer add value," says Reilly. "Most people have shed the excesses that have defined lifestyles for many. Neither of these corrections is inherently bad. Both are good for companies and individuals. Many have learned there is value in struggle and have developed a sense of self-efficacy in their efforts to prevail."
Here are some more ideas from Reilly to help you find value in tough situations:
There is value in getting lean. Streamlining and returning to one's roots is invigorating. It's the organizational equivalent to the vinedresser's pruning and prepping the vines for future growth. He removes the unproductive branches so as not to distract valuable resources from those that will produce.
There is value in being strong in weakness. It's not so much the promise of the philosopher, Nietzsche: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." It is more about finding strength you didn't know you had prior to the struggle. Each of us possesses a wellspring of strength we dip into when times get tough. The really good news is that the strength is also there for good times.
There is value in the synergy one must find to prevail in tough times. If energy is the resource for individuals, synergy is the indefatigable resource for survivors. John Donne wrote, "No man is an island..." Survivors understand the power of we over me. The wonderful part of a support network is that when one is weak, another can be strong. That reciprocity ensures someone is always willing to carry the load.
There is value in releasing the creativity and inventiveness that struggle calls for. Is necessity the mother of invention? Maybe. Resilience researchers at ASU found that survivors are inventive. They rely on their resourcefulness to find a way out of their difficulties. They make do with what they have.
There is value in the humility that accompanies adversity. Adversity strips away facades and introduces to our naked and vulnerable selves, generally the most likable part of any of us. It is in those dark moments that we cry out for the help that only the humble can appreciate, "I can't do this on my own." Then, miraculously, help arrives.
Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Are You Recovery-Ready?
When will this recession be over? I certainly don't know, but the stock markets have been looking up lately. It's always best to be prepared. Sales trainer Tom Reilly has a few points to get you ready to take advantage of the future economic recovery and sell like crazy!
"The indicators I watch all point to our beginning the climb out of the economic trough we have been in," says Reilly. "Will it be a fire-hose thrust as the spigot opens or a long, slow slog? I don't know. But I do know that you must be ready and first in line to drink from that spigot. Are you ready for the recovery?"
Being recovery-ready means three things:
1. Are you lean? Have you shed yourself of the fat you accumulated during our recent expansion? Companies get lean when they re-examine their infrastructure, simplify and sculpt for efficiency and growth. Salespeople get lean when they abandon bad or lazy sales habits.
2. Are you focused? Organizations focus when they direct all of their resources at their core business and shed the excess of success. This includes markets and line extensions that never made sense. Salespeople focus when they concentrate on their high-value target accounts and shed their profit piranhas.
3. Are you prepared mentally? How is your attitude? How much studying have you done? This slack period has been a gift of time for those who used it to train and increase their knowledge. If you haven't used this time prudently to reinvent yourself to relevance, how will you do this as the spigot opens? You will be too busy scrambling for business. Those who used this time to increase their skills and knowledge will capture most of the value during recovery.
During the last recession, 15% new industry leaders emerged. Do you think they had a plan and made themselves recovery-ready? You know they did.
Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training, is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
"The indicators I watch all point to our beginning the climb out of the economic trough we have been in," says Reilly. "Will it be a fire-hose thrust as the spigot opens or a long, slow slog? I don't know. But I do know that you must be ready and first in line to drink from that spigot. Are you ready for the recovery?"
Being recovery-ready means three things:
1. Are you lean? Have you shed yourself of the fat you accumulated during our recent expansion? Companies get lean when they re-examine their infrastructure, simplify and sculpt for efficiency and growth. Salespeople get lean when they abandon bad or lazy sales habits.
2. Are you focused? Organizations focus when they direct all of their resources at their core business and shed the excess of success. This includes markets and line extensions that never made sense. Salespeople focus when they concentrate on their high-value target accounts and shed their profit piranhas.
3. Are you prepared mentally? How is your attitude? How much studying have you done? This slack period has been a gift of time for those who used it to train and increase their knowledge. If you haven't used this time prudently to reinvent yourself to relevance, how will you do this as the spigot opens? You will be too busy scrambling for business. Those who used this time to increase their skills and knowledge will capture most of the value during recovery.
During the last recession, 15% new industry leaders emerged. Do you think they had a plan and made themselves recovery-ready? You know they did.
Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training, is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
What You Can Control in Tough Times
As someone who tends to worry constantly about things I have no control over, I found this article from sales trainer Tom Reilly very helpful. No matter how tough your situation is - be it financial, health, or family-related, it's important to realize we can only do so much. Let go of things you can't control and focus on those you can.
"The reason people fret and stress over tough times is that most of us feel like things are happening outside our sphere of control," says Reilly. "There are things you control and things you cannot control. You cannot control Wall Street. You cannot control the price of fuel. You cannot control the news from the media. But, there are significant things you can control."
"The rule of thumb for sanity in tough times is: Give time and energy in proportion to the amount of control you have. Things over which you have little or no control get little time and attention. Things over which you have more or total control get a lot of time and energy."
You can control how much you prepare for a sales call.
You do not want to be out-prepared by the customer for a meeting in which you will discuss price. You do not want to be out-prepared by the competition for a product demonstration. Preparation builds your confidence and tilts the playing field in your direction.
You can control how hard you work.
You do not want to be out-worked by the competition. Imagine losing an opportunity because your competitor worked harder than you did. Your work ethic is an expression of your commitment. Working diligently at a task makes you feel better about the quality of your work.
You can control your attitude of serving.
You do not want to be out-served by the competition because their attitude about taking care of customers is better than your attitude. If they out-care you, you deserve to lose the opportunity. Serving others takes your mind off how bad you feel.
If you prepare thoroughly, work hard, and care genuinely about serving your customers, you have nothing to fear from tough times. Your customers will make sure you emerge victorious.
Tom Reilly is a sales trainer and the author of How to Sell and Manage in Tough Times and Tough Markets. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
"The reason people fret and stress over tough times is that most of us feel like things are happening outside our sphere of control," says Reilly. "There are things you control and things you cannot control. You cannot control Wall Street. You cannot control the price of fuel. You cannot control the news from the media. But, there are significant things you can control."
"The rule of thumb for sanity in tough times is: Give time and energy in proportion to the amount of control you have. Things over which you have little or no control get little time and attention. Things over which you have more or total control get a lot of time and energy."
You can control how much you prepare for a sales call.
You do not want to be out-prepared by the customer for a meeting in which you will discuss price. You do not want to be out-prepared by the competition for a product demonstration. Preparation builds your confidence and tilts the playing field in your direction.
You can control how hard you work.
You do not want to be out-worked by the competition. Imagine losing an opportunity because your competitor worked harder than you did. Your work ethic is an expression of your commitment. Working diligently at a task makes you feel better about the quality of your work.
You can control your attitude of serving.
You do not want to be out-served by the competition because their attitude about taking care of customers is better than your attitude. If they out-care you, you deserve to lose the opportunity. Serving others takes your mind off how bad you feel.
If you prepare thoroughly, work hard, and care genuinely about serving your customers, you have nothing to fear from tough times. Your customers will make sure you emerge victorious.
Tom Reilly is a sales trainer and the author of How to Sell and Manage in Tough Times and Tough Markets. Learn more at www.TomReillyTraining.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)