The best-selling book Tuesdays with Morrie is celebrating it's 10th anniversary this year. To coincide with the anniversary, a new edition of the book is being released that includes an afterword from author Mitch Albom. Sales trainer John Costigan recently re-read the book, and shares some insight he learned from the book and author.
"Mitch did not write this book for notoriety or fame," explains Costigan. "It was written with the hope that it would help Morrie pay his hospital bills. In his quest to find a publisher, he received endless rejections and was even told that he "had no idea what a memoir was." Mitch did not give up - and through his persistence and desire to help someone else, he found personal success. To date, Tuesdays with Morrie has been published in 31 languages in 36 countries, and has been read by millions.
Lesson One
"I call what Mitch did selfless persistence," says Costigan. "He had a goal to help someone else, not himself. When you focus on helping others, you "sell" for lack of a better term, from the heart. When you sell from the "head" or let your ego take over, you make it about you. Nothing can replace persistence, true. But selfless persistence is bullet piercing. Nothing can stop it, or you!"
Lesson Two
"When asked what he misses most about Morrie, Mitch mentions his smile, infectious laugh and wisdom, but the one thing that he misses the most is the twinkle that was always shining in Morrie's eyes when Mitch entered the room. "When someone is happy - genuinely happy - to see you, it is like going home."
"This is the second lesson," says Costigan. Be genuine.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, "People may doubt what you say or what you do. But how you make them feel is what they will remember most about you." So true!
"Take a look at how you greet someone," suggests Costigan. "Are you truly genuine in how you treat people or is it simply a habitual pattern of engagement that you were taught as a child in an effort to be polite?"
"I encourage you to apply these two valuable lessons from Mitch and Morrie in your life and with your customers - and you will reap the rewards of greater personal success."
John Costigan, president and founder of John Costigan Companies, conducts sales training classes around the world for a list of clients that reads like a "who's who" in the corporate world, including Hewlett Packard and the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes. To learn more visit www.johncostigan.com
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Selling in Turbulent Times
I've gotten to the point where I turn off the news when the financial segment comes on. It's hard to stomach the fact that no matter whose fault it is, things are going downhill on Wall Street. But that doesn't mean things need to go downhill on your street.
"When we get news like we've had these past couple of weeks, it affects people's actions," says sales trainer Joe Guertin. "Just as a consumer might decide to hold off replacing their worn tires, businesses will put off making a purchase until they 'see what's going to happen.' And when business falls, sales fall."
"You and I cannot change people's minds about what the economy might do to them," continues Guertin. "In most cases, they have to discover that for themselves. But here's the good news. In most industries, you still have control. I talked to a sales rep a few weeks ago who lamented that his industry was projected to be down almost 25% the remainder of the year. So I asked him the gratuitous question, "who's getting the other 75%?" Here's are some tips to make sure it's you:
1. Balance your 'customer portfolio'
Customers who tend to move slowly, or are slow to change, are the most likely to cut back in turbulent times. Make sure your accounts and prospects are a good mix of slow moving and innovative companies so that you don't get caught short.
2. Use time more wisely
This is the time to examine your workday. Most of us start out well organized, but over time, we fall into ruts. Reading emails, visiting, paperwork and meetings start to consume a considerable amount of your time. Little things, like making phone calls in clusters (e.g.: 10 at a time) help us get a ton more done inside the workday.
3. See more people
Your customers will be getting a lot of phone calls, but you'll be the one sitting in their office. Get busy.
4. Ask more questions
Delays, objections and lost sales can often be traced to having insufficient information.
5. Go for the close.
Ask for the order. Nothing feeds into a customer's hesitation like leaving the potential sale on the table.
Joe Guertin is President of The Guertin Group, a sales training firm that delivers customized training on all aspects of the sales process. Learn more at www.guertingroup.com
"When we get news like we've had these past couple of weeks, it affects people's actions," says sales trainer Joe Guertin. "Just as a consumer might decide to hold off replacing their worn tires, businesses will put off making a purchase until they 'see what's going to happen.' And when business falls, sales fall."
"You and I cannot change people's minds about what the economy might do to them," continues Guertin. "In most cases, they have to discover that for themselves. But here's the good news. In most industries, you still have control. I talked to a sales rep a few weeks ago who lamented that his industry was projected to be down almost 25% the remainder of the year. So I asked him the gratuitous question, "who's getting the other 75%?" Here's are some tips to make sure it's you:
1. Balance your 'customer portfolio'
Customers who tend to move slowly, or are slow to change, are the most likely to cut back in turbulent times. Make sure your accounts and prospects are a good mix of slow moving and innovative companies so that you don't get caught short.
2. Use time more wisely
This is the time to examine your workday. Most of us start out well organized, but over time, we fall into ruts. Reading emails, visiting, paperwork and meetings start to consume a considerable amount of your time. Little things, like making phone calls in clusters (e.g.: 10 at a time) help us get a ton more done inside the workday.
3. See more people
Your customers will be getting a lot of phone calls, but you'll be the one sitting in their office. Get busy.
4. Ask more questions
Delays, objections and lost sales can often be traced to having insufficient information.
5. Go for the close.
Ask for the order. Nothing feeds into a customer's hesitation like leaving the potential sale on the table.
Joe Guertin is President of The Guertin Group, a sales training firm that delivers customized training on all aspects of the sales process. Learn more at www.guertingroup.com
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Third Quarter Planning
Nine months down, three to go. Are you where you want to be? Have you exceeded your quota, or are you working to close a deal - any deal? Whatever the case, it's important to view the third quarter just like you would any other, and that entails effective sales planning. Sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer says, "At least once a year professional salespeople should dedicate a minimum of one day to strategically think about their business." If you haven't already done so, make a plan for your third quarter and how it will propel you into the New Year. Use these tips from Meisenheimer to begin your planning, and you'll be on the path to success.
"Begin your planning process with these six critical questions," suggests Meisenheimer. "Direct these questions at your business, your territory, your accounts, your customers, and naturally your competitors, and consider this process a success if you end up with more questions than answers."
1. Where are you are now? Where are you now relative to your selling results and sales skills? How's your performance? What's your relative rank within your region and within your company?
What kind of overall growth do you have in your territory and in your top 10 accounts? Where are your competitors making inroads in your accounts? How well are you managing your time in your territory? What are your biggest challenges and best opportunities for growth? Please be specific.
2. Where are you headed if you don't change anything? What's the implication for you if you don't acquire new skills? What happens to your overall performance next year if you don't make up the loss of your second-largest customer?
How will your customers react to a strategy that is really based on a "More of the same" philosophy, especially when your competitors are becoming more creative in their approach? With more work and less time available, how are you planning to manage next year when your business is expected to grow 7% across the board?
3. Where should you be headed? Do you have specific personal and professional goals? Are these goals specific and clearly defined? Are they in writing? Do you have completion dates established? For each of your top 10 accounts do you have specific objectives for sales, margins, growth rates, product mix, etc?
4. How will you achieve your objectives? You really can't "do" a goal or an objective. What you can and must do is create a written action plan detailing how specifically you plan to achieve the goals you outlined when considering question three.
For example, if your goal is to increase your sales by 6.5% in your largest account, how specifically will you do it? How many "how's" will it take to achieve your goal?
5. What are the specific details involved? The details refer to: who, what, where, why, when, which, and how as they relate to initiating and implementing your strategies. In sales, minor adjustments often create big impacts.
6. What should you measure? Always measure what matters most. One of my favorite old sayings is "What gets measured gets done." To keep you on your stated course (objectives) how will you measure your progress? What key elements of success should your review monthly? Personal growth and development are often the result of careful measurement and evaluation.
"The difference between first-place and second place is often a very narrow margin," says Meisenheimer. "It's time for a tune-up if you're serious about making this year's 4th quarter your best 4th quarter ever."
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at http://www.meisenheimer.com/
"Begin your planning process with these six critical questions," suggests Meisenheimer. "Direct these questions at your business, your territory, your accounts, your customers, and naturally your competitors, and consider this process a success if you end up with more questions than answers."
1. Where are you are now? Where are you now relative to your selling results and sales skills? How's your performance? What's your relative rank within your region and within your company?
What kind of overall growth do you have in your territory and in your top 10 accounts? Where are your competitors making inroads in your accounts? How well are you managing your time in your territory? What are your biggest challenges and best opportunities for growth? Please be specific.
2. Where are you headed if you don't change anything? What's the implication for you if you don't acquire new skills? What happens to your overall performance next year if you don't make up the loss of your second-largest customer?
How will your customers react to a strategy that is really based on a "More of the same" philosophy, especially when your competitors are becoming more creative in their approach? With more work and less time available, how are you planning to manage next year when your business is expected to grow 7% across the board?
3. Where should you be headed? Do you have specific personal and professional goals? Are these goals specific and clearly defined? Are they in writing? Do you have completion dates established? For each of your top 10 accounts do you have specific objectives for sales, margins, growth rates, product mix, etc?
4. How will you achieve your objectives? You really can't "do" a goal or an objective. What you can and must do is create a written action plan detailing how specifically you plan to achieve the goals you outlined when considering question three.
For example, if your goal is to increase your sales by 6.5% in your largest account, how specifically will you do it? How many "how's" will it take to achieve your goal?
5. What are the specific details involved? The details refer to: who, what, where, why, when, which, and how as they relate to initiating and implementing your strategies. In sales, minor adjustments often create big impacts.
6. What should you measure? Always measure what matters most. One of my favorite old sayings is "What gets measured gets done." To keep you on your stated course (objectives) how will you measure your progress? What key elements of success should your review monthly? Personal growth and development are often the result of careful measurement and evaluation.
"The difference between first-place and second place is often a very narrow margin," says Meisenheimer. "It's time for a tune-up if you're serious about making this year's 4th quarter your best 4th quarter ever."
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at http://www.meisenheimer.com/
Monday, October 6, 2008
Quote of the Week
"Hard work keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit." -- Helena Rubenstein, cosmetics industrialist
Use this week to put a little extra effort into all of your selling endeavors. Whether you're calling prospects, responding to emails, or writing a proposal, make sure you're doing your very best. Not only will you leave the office feeling proud of that day's work, but you'll see the results displayed in your sales.
Use this week to put a little extra effort into all of your selling endeavors. Whether you're calling prospects, responding to emails, or writing a proposal, make sure you're doing your very best. Not only will you leave the office feeling proud of that day's work, but you'll see the results displayed in your sales.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Quarterback Retires and Teaches a Sales Lesson
Dante Culpepper recently retired from the NFL. He emailed his notice of retirement to the NFL, and sales trainer Dan Seidman wrote on his blog about the sales lesson he took from the letter. It's an important insight that's worth keeping in mind.
From Seidman's blog:
Dante Culpepper retired today from the NFL. His notice was sent by email and it has some fascinating wording in which is embedded a great selling lesson...
"I have been strongly encouraged from family, friends and league personnel to continue to be patient and wait for an inevitable injury to one of the starting quarterbacks in the league."
"I would rather shut the door to such 'opportunity' than continue to wait for one of my fellow quarterbacks to suffer a serious injury. Since I was not given a fair chance to come in and compete for a job, I would rather move on and win in other arenas of life."
There's a nice image - as soon as a competitor of mine has some traumatic disaster land on him the size of a 377-pound lineman, I get my turn.
Here's your thought, sales pro - Why wait? Why wait for something good or bad or interesting to happen? Just move on with your life. You know all those prospects that have been hanging you out to dry for months and months and more?
Move on. If you can't help someone else make a decision, you can't help them at all.
Move on. Your time is precious and you respect yourself when you treasure time enough to make decisions based on this truism.
Move on. There are great opportunities awaiting your attention.
Good luck Dante, we'll be watching to see where your toughness and talent get you more success and new adventures. And reps, start thinking about every situation you're in and whether you should move on.
Selected as one of the "Top 12 Sales Coaches in America," Dan Seidman runs the award-winning website, SalesAutopsy.com. Tthe author of Sales Autopsy, a book that teaches the top 7 ways world-class sales pros distinguish themselves from everyone else, Seidman is also a gifted speaker. Learn more at www.salesautopsy.comThursday, October 2, 2008
Sales Training Tip: Have a Clear Future
How many times have you left a meeting feeling good about your presentation, only to realize you don't really have a plan with your prospect of what's coming next? Having a clearly defined idea of the next step is a very important part of the sales process. In a recent blog post, Brooke Green of Caskey Training discussed this situation, and what you can do to get on the same page as your prospect.
I was recently working with a client on knowing "What's next?" with their prospects and clients. It's a huge part of controlling the sales process. What we discovered is that my client is clear about what they think is going to happen, but they haven't shared it with their customer!
How do you know if you're all on the same page? Your customer may have an entirely different plan.
Here are six things to do every time you leave a meeting so that you are in control of the process, and your client is never surprised:
1. If your gut is nagging you, something has been left unsaid; never leave with a nagging feeling.
2. Always recap what you've heard in the meeting and make a suggestion for what you think the next step should be; remember your prospect is looking for you to lead them.
3. If there is no next step, don't try to make something up! Be okay with saying, "Goodbye, we're not a good fit."
4. If you know there is something there, but you're not sure "What's next?" it's okay to say so. Say something like, "I would like to digest what we discussed today. I think there is a reason for us to meet again, but I'm not sure what should happen next. I'll be in touch in the next day or so with some ideas on how to move forward." It's still a "clear future". No one is left wondering "What's going to happen after you leave?"
5. Your "clear future" should be how you open the next meeting. "Mr. Smith, we agreed in our last meeting that today we would talk about signing a contract..."
6. Your meetings should be followed up with a recap, either by letter or e-mail. The recap should state what you heard, what you decided to do and when you will do it.
"In our training, we work with our clients on always having a 'clear future,'" says Green. "How many of you have left a meeting thinking it was a good meeting but also saying to yourself, 'I wonder if I should call them? Should I send an email? Maybe I should wait for them to call me?' A "clear future" is a great tool for keeping the right deals in your funnel and to keep those deals moving forward."
Brooke Green is a speaker and consultant with Caskey, a firm specializing in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written material, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at www.caskeyone.com
I was recently working with a client on knowing "What's next?" with their prospects and clients. It's a huge part of controlling the sales process. What we discovered is that my client is clear about what they think is going to happen, but they haven't shared it with their customer!
How do you know if you're all on the same page? Your customer may have an entirely different plan.
Here are six things to do every time you leave a meeting so that you are in control of the process, and your client is never surprised:
1. If your gut is nagging you, something has been left unsaid; never leave with a nagging feeling.
2. Always recap what you've heard in the meeting and make a suggestion for what you think the next step should be; remember your prospect is looking for you to lead them.
3. If there is no next step, don't try to make something up! Be okay with saying, "Goodbye, we're not a good fit."
4. If you know there is something there, but you're not sure "What's next?" it's okay to say so. Say something like, "I would like to digest what we discussed today. I think there is a reason for us to meet again, but I'm not sure what should happen next. I'll be in touch in the next day or so with some ideas on how to move forward." It's still a "clear future". No one is left wondering "What's going to happen after you leave?"
5. Your "clear future" should be how you open the next meeting. "Mr. Smith, we agreed in our last meeting that today we would talk about signing a contract..."
6. Your meetings should be followed up with a recap, either by letter or e-mail. The recap should state what you heard, what you decided to do and when you will do it.
"In our training, we work with our clients on always having a 'clear future,'" says Green. "How many of you have left a meeting thinking it was a good meeting but also saying to yourself, 'I wonder if I should call them? Should I send an email? Maybe I should wait for them to call me?' A "clear future" is a great tool for keeping the right deals in your funnel and to keep those deals moving forward."
Brooke Green is a speaker and consultant with Caskey, a firm specializing in training and developing B2B sales teams through face to face training, teleconferencing, written material, custom podcasts and one on one coaching. Learn more at www.caskeyone.com
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Email is the New Phone
Of all the things changing in the business world, one of the most influential is the use of technology, particularly email, to facilitate the sales process. It wasn't that long ago that most of us used the telephone or called on clients in person to make sales. Now we prospect with email, and may even have some clients who prefer that the entire communication be electronic. Kendra Lee of KLA Group explains how you can evolve with the times and make more sales.
"If you're like I was, you believe email should be answered after hours when you are not on the phone or in customer meetings," says Lee. "This is how I handle proposals. They can't be written during valuable customer "face" time, but should be saved for that time of day when customers are not available."
"But, expectations and how email is used have changed," continues Lee. "Many customers now expect you to hold whole conversations via email, sometimes with emails flying within minutes of each other, just as if they were instant messages or a phone call. With these changes email is now as important as face-to-face meetings and phone calls."
---You may need a hand-held device such as a Blackberry to keep up. Consider what tools you need to add this new customer interaction approach and make the investment.
---Schedule daily time on your calendar to respond to emails. Consider this equal to customer meeting time. If you are holding complete customer conversations via email, you really are holding a meeting. Give it equal time for a well thought out response with a request for next steps.
"There are many benefits that can be realized by using email," says Lee. "This includes ease of connection and a better way to communicate in certain circumstances. Be prepared and you’ll soon find yourself reducing your sales cycle and closing opportunities via email!"
Kendra Lee is president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group helps companies rapidly penetrate new markets, break into new accounts and shorten time to revenue with new products. For more information, visit www.klagroup.com.
"If you're like I was, you believe email should be answered after hours when you are not on the phone or in customer meetings," says Lee. "This is how I handle proposals. They can't be written during valuable customer "face" time, but should be saved for that time of day when customers are not available."
"But, expectations and how email is used have changed," continues Lee. "Many customers now expect you to hold whole conversations via email, sometimes with emails flying within minutes of each other, just as if they were instant messages or a phone call. With these changes email is now as important as face-to-face meetings and phone calls."
Here are some tips to consider when making email a primary customer interaction tool:
---View email as a new prospecting tool. After you leave a voicemail, follow-up with an email, giving prospects two easy ways to respond. Remember, your goal is to connect with the person. Even if they respond "No", you have connected and can respond.
---Keep the sales process moving forward using email to ask requirements, gather questions, get referrals, make recommendations, and provide updates.
---Respond to all emails with action items promptly. You return phone calls within 1 to 24 hours. The expectation now is that you'll return emails within 30 minutes to 12 hours. If you can't respond completely, send an email setting expectations about when you will send a full response.
---Think, and proof, before you send. Sometimes it's best to draft a response, then wait 30 minutes before sending. You may choose to soften, shorten, or otherwise change your response.
---You may need a hand-held device such as a Blackberry to keep up. Consider what tools you need to add this new customer interaction approach and make the investment.
---Schedule daily time on your calendar to respond to emails. Consider this equal to customer meeting time. If you are holding complete customer conversations via email, you really are holding a meeting. Give it equal time for a well thought out response with a request for next steps.
"There are many benefits that can be realized by using email," says Lee. "This includes ease of connection and a better way to communicate in certain circumstances. Be prepared and you’ll soon find yourself reducing your sales cycle and closing opportunities via email!"
Kendra Lee is president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group helps companies rapidly penetrate new markets, break into new accounts and shorten time to revenue with new products. For more information, visit www.klagroup.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)