Motivation

It is just so easy to put off to tomorrow, or the next day, or the next month...

Problem is that in the back of your head there is that little bit of guilt about not having done something, as well as the anxiety associated with knowing that there is an unfinished item on your TO DO list.

So just do it! It feels bloody great to tick off an item as "done".

Sometimes I would rather lay in front of the TV than write in this blog.

But I committed to myself that I would write everyday. So even though I am not in the mood sometimes and I really just do not want to write I "force" myself to do it.  Now here's the real clincher: it feels soooo good when you've done it. Not just because it is "out of the way" but because by doing it you realize why you decided to do it in the first place...you simply like doing it.

We get easily distracted. It takes no effort to be lazy and do nothing. And one day you wake up and 20 years have passed and you are still doing nothing.

Even the things you love take an effort to do sometimes. It doesn't mean we like them any less, simply that we are human.

Live life, do what needs to be done, and do it now - putting it off will only make you miserable and deprive you of the joy of having done something you love to do.

Life is too short to let laziness win.

Selling when you don't think you are selling...

Whether it is correct practice or not people inevitably ask you what you do for a living and who you work for.

As of that moment, whether you are in a social or work environment, you and your company are being judged by your actions. As of that moment you are selling yourself and your company (and by inference, your company's products and reputation).

Now you may argue that this is not fair, not right, and it doesn't happen. Well i hate to shock you but it doesn't matter whether it is fair or right, and it does happen!

But no-one at the gathering has anything or will ever have anything to do with my company. Mmmmmm....maybe.

But after 54 years on planet earth I never fail to be shocked and surprised when I learn that "a" knows "b", who knows "c", who happens to be someone you end up presenting your product to 6 months down the track - what a bummer if you acted like an idiot in front of "a". 

So whether you know it, like it, or simply refuse to accept it, you are always selling. Even if "it never happens", what have you lost? You've simply acted "on your best behavior" (there, no use of the "sales" word).

Being forewarned is being forearmed...or, better to be safe than sorry.

a change in attitude is better than taking pills

I wrote in an earlier blog about my epiphany - the "light bulb" moment that changed my life.

Reflecting on that event I have come to a number of conclusions:

• being positive made me feel better about myself
• feeling better about myself got me to start exercising and feeling healthier
• i started performing better at work
• i took up hobbies that I had been putting off, ignoring, not doing anything about: photography, blogging, writing, starting my own businesses
• this made me feel even better about myself
• which made me see the world in a different, less dark, light
• which in turn made me happy

This is only one man's experience but I think that the lesson is don't put off to tomorrow all those dreams and plans that you have left in the "ideas to be acted on one day" cupboard.

There is no downside, only upside.

It beats wasting time in front of the TV.

And it feels great to feel great.

Creativity

All my life I was jealous of creative people. Creative people were those who wrote or played beautiful music, painted, sculpted, penned books or poetry, made movies.

It never occurred to me that photography was just as creative, just as much an art. Anyone could take a photo, right? Just point and click and bingo, a picture. So how in heaven's name could that be creative?

Well, the answer to that question is obvious if you take the time to look at the photographs being published by photographers, both professional and amateur. Visit Fotopedia and see how people see the world thrrough the lens of a camera. The images are breathtaking, awesome, beautiful, inspiring.

Photography most definitely is an art. Perhaps we all have an element of creativity in us, we simply have to look for it.

Shocked, stunned, and not a little bit amazed...

I had an epiphany!

I actually had to look up the word in the dictionary to confirm that "an epiphany" is what I had actually experienced.

Basically it is an emotional/pyschological kick in the head resulting in an "awakening" of sorts.

Without delving into the details, in the middle of a conversation with my boss it dawned on me that I was a "glass half empty" person, and it shocked me!

At 54, it occurred to me that I had spent the vast majority of my life believing the worst. If I knew someone was talking about me then it has to be a bad thing. If I caught a cold then it had to be the beginnings of pneumonia. Chest pains, rather than being caused by stressed muscles, were an indication of a soon-to-be heart attack.

Life is simply too short to waste. Yes it throws out constant challenges. Yes many of the people in the world are struggling, hungry, under siege from illness, war, and financial hardship. And yes maybe smiling won't contribute to a solution to these challenges.

Bit it won't harm! And in a best case scenario it might actually help us all think more clearly about how to solve some of our real or perceived problems.

Laughter really is the best medicine. Smiling and being positive in the face of adversity can help. And maybe, just maybe, the problem we face, or think we face, is not quite as large or dark as we think.

Attitude & Persistence

What makes a good salesperson?

Not an easy one to answer. In fact I could probably come up with a whole list of items (it's late so today I'll spare you the ramblings :-))

In my humble opinion there are two characteristics that differentiate the ordinary from the extraordinary salesperson.

The extraordinary salesperson has the "right" attitude.

He or she remains positive regardless of what is thrown at them. They have their ups and downs but they soon get over these hurdles and get on with things.

They are relentless. They do not stop, give up, feel sorry for themselves, or put off to tomorrow what can be done today. Does this make them superhuman? Not at all! It makes them professional salespeople - they desire, more than want, to succeed. This persistence will help them eventually handle any objections or challenges thrown at them.

Now do not get me wrong. I am not describing some superhuman ogre who is tactless and pushy. Having the right attitude and being persistent are just two characteristics of being professional.

Salespeople face challenges and problems each and every day. It goes with the territory. They can also come up with a million reasons a day why it is easier to simply throw in the towel and give up.

But the extraordinary ones keep that smile, are passionately convinced of their capability to succeed, and keep on keeping on.

Get out of the office

People want to do business with people.

Technology has made the majority of salespeople lazy. It has also allowed them to indulge their fears of rejection.

If you want to make a sale then you have to phone and/or meet the prospect.

This may be the 21st Century with all the asssociated 21st Century technologically advanced communications tools but they should not be used to replace the basic skills of face to face communication.

The tools may have advanced in capability but people are still the same. They want to look into the eyes and hear the voice of the person who is selling them a product. Evolution has engrained in us the need to communicate physically and verbally.

Use emails to confirm future meetings and summarize past ones. Use emails to send relevant documentation.

A propsecting phone call will be much more effective than a prospecting email (or heaven forbid, sms). Of course verbal rejection is far more difficult and embarrassing then electronic rejection - a very compelling reason indeed for salespeople to hide behond technology.

The question we as salespeople need to ask ourselves is whether our desire to make a sale outweighs our fear of rejection. Not having to be verbally rejected is not much compensation for not making money.

Use techology. Use it though to enhance rather than replace.

Talking is not selling

Too many salespeople equate with talking (or, more appropriately, preaching).

The most successful salespeople spend the bulk of their time asking well researched questions and then listening intently to the answers.

What they end up with is a profile of their sales prospect. Most importantly, listening enables the salesperson to build up a "needs" profile. What are my prospect's hot buttons? What are his or her problems? In what order does my prospect think they need to be addressed? Is my prospect a real prospect or simply fishing for information? Does he or she have money to spend on my solution? Are they in a position to make a decison or do they have to refer to someone else? What is the potential timeline for a decision? What benefits are they seeking from a solution? Why?

Now the salesperson is in a position to be able to sell.

The key is not to sell what YOU think the prospect wants. The key is to sell what the PROSPECT thinks he wants. A Ferrari salesperson would, I imagine, be highly tempted to sell the high performance aspects of his product. His potential buyer on the other hand may only be looking at a Ferrari to be able to show off and boost his ego in front of his colleagues and peers with a name brand sports car. Selling performance to this prospect may very well result in a lost sale.

In "the old days" we used to hear time and time again the adage "the customer is always right". Well in the 21st century nothing has changed.

Prospects want to talk. They want to tell you their problems. (They also want you to believe that they have the money to make a purchase now and they and only they are the final decison makers - this is where the qulaification skills of the salesperson need to be utilized (but more about qualification in another blog post)).

So instead of barging in like a bull in a china shop the salesperson would be wise in taking advantage of the prospect's willingness to share information. because this knowledge will provide the salesperson with the power to be able to target the prospect's hot spots and, all things being equal, close the sale, and close it faster and with less fuss.

In the selling game knowledge truly is power. And this knowledge can only be gained if the salesperson talks less and listens more.

iSyndica - the web distributor - Upload once, sell everywhere!

iSyndica - the web distributor - Upload once, sell everywhere!

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Contacts

This blog is aimed at the people who are selling product(s) for a living.

If there is such a thing as that "one magic bullet" that will help you win more sales and make you more money it is your Contact Base.

Your contacts are everything.

So, some ideas:

• write down the name, phone number, and email address of everyone you meet.
• keep in touch with them on a regular basis. Even if you do not think you have anything of value to say a simple email checking to see if their business is doing ok and that they are keeping well will suffice. Once a month is plenty (otherwise you run the risk of being a nuisance).
• all contacts are valuable. Even if they have nothing to do with your line of business and they will never buy from you, they may well know someone who knows someone who will buy.
• if you promise to do something for a contact (read everyone you meet in your professional life), follow though - do it!
• never lie - your first lie will your last.
• take every opportunity to physically meet with as many people as possible - even if it is for coffee. You do not need to spend lavishly on all of them - in fact spending lavishly may actually backfire in some instances as it could be seen as a sort of bribe. You do not need to discuss any business at all. It is the face to face bonding that is important.

MOST IMPORTANT

• people buy from people!!! Assuming your product(s) and price(s) are within the realms of reality, what will set you apart from your competition is your relationship (personal & professional) with the buyer. Making a purchase is scary. Making a big, costly purchase is even scarier. At the top of the list is the purchase that, if it does not work as expected, could harm the purchaser's career. Buyers are human with human emotions. Buying is less an intellectual and much more an emotional experience. Use your relationship with the buyer to help him/her through their fears. Assure the buyer that all will be well - the product(s) will perform as promised, your forecast Return On Investment will be realized!
• if it all goes according to plan and the prospect becomes a client, and 3-6 months down the track he or she is happy with the purchasing decision, ask for a referral to another prospect. More often than not a satisfied client is more than happy to share his success story with his contact base.
• join a business networking site such as LinkedIn. This is an easy way to meet business people, thus enabling you to make new contacts, in your part of the world. It is one of the most cost effective ways of socializing in the business community.

Treat your contact base with the same care you would your money in the bank and you WILL reap the rewards.