New Beginnings

I stopped writing this blog several years ago when I decided to focus my energies and talents elsewhere (that's a very abbreviated version of a much longer story to tell another day!). I explored other options. In the end, I find I'm still passionate about the subject of communication skills and their importance to our success. In fact, I'm probably even more passionate than I was before. 

I may revisit topics I covered in the past with the added perspective that comes with time, distance and new experiences. Other topics will be brand new. In any case, I welcome your comments. Agree with me, respectfully disagree with me (and please tell me why), it's all good.

The way we communicate with others shapes our work, our relationships, our lives. I find that when I'm at my best, everything becomes easier. Work discussions are more fruitful and the clarity it gives me helps me to get better results.  I find I'm in a better mood, too. That's because when I communicate clearly and effectively, I've eliminated much of the conflict that is often unnecessary.  So my day runs better. 

Join me. We'll explore best practices and share some "OMG, did that really happen?" stories about communication.

Is Your Phone Sales Opening a Cliche?

Have you taken the time to think about your telephone presentations lately? 

Many people tell me that possibly the hardest thing to do these days is reach the decision maker. But what happens when you do reach them? Are you making the most of your opportunity? Have you created an opening that makes people want to listen to you and become active participants in the conversation? All too often when I look at prepared scripts, I notice sentences that might look well in a direct mail piece but will either get you shot down quickly or simply won't engage your prospective customer.

Here's two cliched examples: openings that tout money savings or a saving of time and effort. It may very well be the case, but everyone says their product either 1) saves you money, 2) saves you time or 3) makes your efforts more efficient thereby also giving you savings from 1 and 2 as well. Seriously, everyone says it. Doing this actually makes it easier for a decision maker to tune you out - because you're not different from anyone else who calls - and they'll try to get off the phone as quickly as possible.

Let's think about a better way. Why not simply introduce yourself and your company name, make a quick one sentence statement about what your product is, and then ask some questions. Take the opportunity to learn more about your potential customers. In fact, one of the things you might find is that this decision maker is not a potential customer. Isn't better to find that out up front? Isn't it better to learn who you should be talking to or know that currently your products/services are not a good match for a particular organization?

Sit down and review your opening. Make it natural sounding. Avoid tired and hackneyed phrases. Take the time, instead, to become genuinely interested in your prospect. You'll be far happier with the results.

Networking vs. Using the Phone

Anyone who knows me in a professional capacity knows that I am a big proponent of networking. It's important to make connections - they lead to opportunities.

However, it would be a mistake to think that all businesses can grow solely by networking.

Depending on your industry, you may find that the decision makers from the companies that you consider your "best customer" profile, do not attend networking events. (Seriously, I once went to an event for companies that fit my "best customer' profile and the only people there were others who wanted to make connections with these people. NONE of the people in attendance were in the "best customer" profile.)


If you think about it for a moment, you'll realize that's true.

If you've ever held a position that was not in sales, you'll know that most people do not attend networking events as part of their job. They come into work at 8 and leave by 6. Oh, on occasion they might attend a professional event, but that's pretty rare. They don't see or don't feel they have a need for the value of networking.

So what to do to reach them?

In the end, you've got to pick up the phone and call. And yes, that's frustrating.... and yes, it's not nearly as pleasant as talking to people with a canape in one hand and a glass of wine in the other... BUT it's probably more effective.

If you want to increase your business, use your phone for results.

Go ahead, go to the networking events for some human contact - particularly if you work solo - or to build alliances. Increasing your sales revenues? Pick up the phone.

(psst.... Need to know how to do that effectively and efficiently? Check out www.krgcommunications.com or send me a message at info@krgcommunications.com)

Not Being Pushy Shouldn't Equal Not Selling

Once again, misconceptions about selling rear their ugly heads.

It's so fixed in the minds of many that selling equals "pushy" that many people who must sell aren't selling at all. They present their product. They'll tell you what's great about it. Maybe even ask you a question or two but leave it up to you, the prospective customer to take the lead. If the customer has no questions, makes no move to buy, then it's over. Sure, some of them will decide to buy later on, but all this technique does is leave money on the table.


Now I'm not going to advocate "pushy". It really doesn't work effectively as a long term strategy. Perhaps if you are working with a product that people will only need once, you could pull it off. However, if you're hoping for them to buy again - or give you referrals - pushy isn't your best choice.


Going in the opposite direction, isn't effective either. The goal should be to discover needs and concerns through careful questions and listening - discussing the pros and cons. If there are more pros than cons suggest the product/service as the solution.


But here's the kicker. To do this right and to be effective, you've got to practice. You need to know how to do this right. Not just a few meetings with your manager or (and this is really bad) being handed a binder or a pdf file and told to learn it.


You need to practice, you need to DO.


Only that will bring you the confidence, the results and the happy, satisfied customers who do not think you are pushy!




KRG Communications Group: we help you bridge the gap between knowing and doing. (www.krgcommunications.com) How can we help you?

Sales Process: Just as Important as Sales Skills

When most people think about the skills necessary for success in sales, they usually think about the interpersonal skills used to successfully close sales and generate business. After all, selling is all about how you deal with people, right? Well... it's not always that simple.

Sometimes the fault for poor or less than expected sales results lies not in the people skills of the sales or customer care reps in your company but rather the sales process that has been set up. Our processes can trip us up and make it harder for people to say "yes" to us. For instance:


Recently I received a call for a phone company, asking me to change my service. Now I'm always in favor of saving money so I definitely gave a listen. I gave my email address and promised to look over the information. I had a hard time listening to the rep as she appeared to be calling from a very noisy call center.


About an hour later I got a call (again from the noisy call center) from the original rep's supervisor asking for my business. I politely told her I prefer to think about this type of decision first. She offered to call me back in 3 days. The next day, I received her follow up call. No reference to the fact she wasn't supposed to call me for two days. She asked for my order again. Now, at this point, I had realized that this offer wouldn't be a good fit for me. I didn't like the length of the contact. She immediately offered a contract of a much shorter duration. I declined the offer.


Here's why I declined the offer:

• Why can't the first person conduct the entire sales process? Unless you have a brand new person or a very complicated product, there's really no reason for a second person to get involved. It smacks of poor training.

• Why is a "supervisor" calling back? Wasn't born yesterday... I've worked in industries where all the sales reps had business cards that said "vice president". Come on, we know you're the closer. There are smoother ways to handle that. (see my first point above)

• Inconsistency. If you're going to call back sooner, reference that to me. For instance "I know I'm supposed to call you back in 2 days, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of ....."

• Offered concession to fast. If you come down in price too fast, or make any concessions too quickly, it makes people feel uneasy. "What else can they compromise on? Would I have been taken advantage of if I hadn't brought that up?"

And oh yes, get a noise canceling headset...

Obviously, these techniques get sales, but how many sales are you losing? Sometimes, we forget there are human beings on the line with human reactions. We need to be able to walk the line between passive and aggressive in order to achieve our goals. Overly aggressive sales techniques increase the odds that buyers will cancel after the "aura" of the sales environment you're created goes away. For more sales and solid customer relationships, use assertive techniques that focus on your customer's needs.m

Poor sales processes can cost you just as many sales as poor interpersonal skills. Make sure yours are designed to help not hinder.

Sales or Service Success: Listening is Key

I spend a lot of time with inside sales and customer service personnel helping them improve their interpersonal skills in areas such as questioning techniques, reaching decision makers, dealing with difficult people, closing sales and so on. The key to all of it, however, is the ability to listen well.

Studies have shown that we spend about 9% of our time writing, 13% of our time reading, 23% of our time speaking and 55% of our time listening. What's staggering about that is not only do we spend most of our time listening but that we spend double the time listening as we do speaking.


Here are some things to keep in mind:
You cannot not communicate. Even when you are not verbally saying anything, you transmit messages through your non-verbal's. How you dress, your body language, we count on so many visuals to communicate.

Up to 80% of our communication skills are non-verbal. So, when you speak to someone on the telephone, in effect, you're only using about 20% of your skills.


In my work in inside sales and customer service training, I've used the phrase "Communicating Blindfolded". It's a good analogy. Think of phone work as being given a blindfold. You can hear - but you can't see. You don't have a choice, you must listen.

I consider listening to be one of the three legs of the communication stool we sit on when we communicate over the telephone. The other two are words and voice. When I began in inside sales, I only considered these last two - but the more time I spent in these activities the more I came to realize that I can never truly be effective - never really reach my potential - unless I acknowledge the need for, improved and used my listening skills.


One of the greatest obstacles to good listening, particularly over the phone is that meanings cannot be transferred from one mind to another - only words can be transferred. The challenge here is that you, as the receiver of the message, attach your own meaning to the words I sent you. This is why I'm a huge fan of using clarifying questions when I speak with someone. Just because I attach a particular meaning to certain words or phrases, doesn't mean that someone else does. Regardless of the stage I'm in the sales or service process, I need to make sure that I understand what you mean and that you understand what I mean. 

I do this by focusing only on the task at hand: listening.

Listening is affected by what's called "selective attention". This is almost as a survival technique because I can't' possibly listen to and process every sound I hear. have to use selective attention in order to listen actively - and that means I have to stay in the moment. I can't let my attention wander. If I'm on the telephone, I don't yield to the temptation of reading email, trolling the news sites online or reading that report on my desk, all while "listening" to you. Can't be done.

Remember my mantra: Multi-tasking is the enemy of good listening. 

Listen well and all will be well. 

Sales Experience is NOT all the Same

I've been reading a discussion on one of the Inside Sales boards I follow, the gist of which is that most sales managers would rather hire for sales experience than industry experience. I'm not going to disagree but I am going to posit that the issue is actually more complicated.


There are many different types of sales and most of them boil down to transactional vs. consultative. I've had the opportunity to work with both types and I've seen people go from being very successful in one and then failing when they take on a job in the other. They are usually dumbfounded and can't understand why. "I was a crack closer" they'll say. "I always exceeded my quota", they'll claim. They're right - they did. But that's not the whole story.

Let's face it, closing a sale for a car or a home improvement can be done in one call. Closing on a high dollar sale in a large business can not. Now, it's not that the skill set is different per se, but that the skills are used differently. I'll need to hand hold more people. I need to build consensus - on teams, across departments and divisions in some cases. It's a slower process. I'll ask the great questions, I'll be prepared to take my opening. However, if I don't understand how the sales process works, I'm not going to get anywhere. It works in reverse, too. If I've worked in high dollar b to b sales and now I find myself selling lower dollar, high volume consumer goods, it's going to take a while to find my footing. Unfortunately, some people never will.


So, my bottom line isn't just going to be sales experience, it's how that sales experience has been acquired and how willing the sales professional will be to learn and make changes as necessary. Everyone can learn, everyone can grow. We must be willing to take those steps and most importantly we must understand that those steps must be taken. Sales hotshot in Company A doesn't automatically translate to sales hotshot in Company B. 

As managers and trainers it's our responsibility to make sure this transition goes smoothly. On boarding and on going training and coaching are essential to the success of every salesperson who joins your team. 

Need some help making this happen in your organization? For more information, contact me at info@krgcommunications.com  

www.krgcommunications.com 

A Key Ingredient for Sales and Service Success

Can you feel the love? The like? The Dislike? The Frustration?

Do you have the ability to figuratively step into another's shoes and feel what they do?

Can you look up from your smartphone and connect with someone else? Can you stand not being the center of your universe?

Why do I ask these questions? Simple. Being able to communicate effectively requires the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes. Only when we can empathize and sympathize with others can we truly find the common ground necessary for any kind of relationship - either business or personal.

We need to connect with people. At it's very heart, sales and service is about forging connections - with suppliers, with co-workers, with customers and prospects. Companies who take a "this is what we sell, this is how we service" attitude without taking into consideration the needs of others will not find themselves successful in business for very long. Sales and service personnel will not find themselves employed for long either. 

Walk a mile in someone's shoes. 

Characteristics of Great Closed Ended Questions

Closed-ended questions serve a unique purpose in conversations. Done correctly, they require narrow answers to a specific inquiry.  The answers to these questions are typically "yes"-"no" or some other very brief answer.  Questions (or probes) of this nature perform the following functions:  

• They allow specific facts to be obtained.
• They are simple to answer. The buyers only need answer one question.     
• They are useful in a feedback process when the salesperson desires to check the communication accuracy.
• They can be used to reinforce positive statements.
• They can be used to direct the conversation to a desired topic or concern.
• They usually start with the following words: is, are, can, do,  would, could, should, may.

So, close-ended questions narrow your focus and open-ended questions broaden it.  Although sales and service training and coaching often spends much time focusing on open-ended questions, we should remember that close-ended questions also serve an important function in our efforts.

Characteristics of Great Open Ended Questions

Questioning take on two basic forms: OPEN-ENDED and CLOSED-ENDED. Let's start our discussion with open-ended questions. 

Open-ended questions are phrased in such a way as to draw out a wide range of responses on a broad topic. They attempt to involve the buyer in conversation by asking for opinions about a topic. They allow the sales or service personal to generate information that will help close the sale or suggestion the appropriate solution.

Open ended questions usually have the following characteristics:

• They cannot be answered by a simple "yes" or "no". 
• They usually begin with the following words: who, how, why, when, which, where.
• They do not lead the buyer in a specific direction.
• They increase dialogue by drawing out the buyer's needs and feelings.
• They encourage the buyer to elaborate on objectives, needs, wants and problems.
• They can be used to stimulate the buyer into thinking about your ideas and products.

Converse, convey, connect...

What makes you passionate about what you do? 

What keeps you involved and motivated day after day?


For me, it's the knowledge that I've helped someone on the road to success. Whether that success is being better at their roles in a call center, helping an independent sales rep refine their technique, working with front line employees in a office to be more effective communicators or mentoring small business owners in their ability to manage, coach and motivate their sales and service staff, it's important to me that I make a difference. For me it's always been about how I can help people succeed.


Because when we work to help others - no matter how big or small an effort- good things happen all around.


In a nutshell, that's what sales and service are all about. Working to help others. Sometimes in the middle of a rough sales month or a day of really tough calls - inbound or outbound, it's easy to forget that. What makes it easier to stay on track is to have the tools and techniques that enable you to succeed.


Enable you to find passion.


I can help. If you'd like to be more effective, if you'd like your staff to be more effective in their sales or service mission and goals, I can help. This blog is called "Converse, convey, connect" because that's what we need to do in order to be successful in our sales and service relationship. If you'd like to learn more about how I can help you, here's some additional contact info:

website: www.krgcommunications.com
email: info@krgcommunications.com
phone: 973.709.1252

5 Key Selling Tips Every Small Business Owner Should Know

Does this sound like you?

Many small business owners thrive on the challenge of selling their services, products and ideas. Many of them come from sales backgrounds themselves. However, it is not unusual for a business owner to be a technical or subject matter expert and not a sales person. This creates interesting situations when trying to get a company off the ground.

Just because we're convinced that our products and services are great doesn't mean that others will feel the same way, too. We need to be able to sell not only our product line but ourselves as well.

Stand up straight! Think about your selling posture. A selling posture is not physical. It is, however, the stance you take in order to be closing from the beginning of your sales call. Are you ready to sell? Are you "standing" tall and alert - ready to begin the closing process from the beginning of the process? 

Have you done your research? You know you whether you are speaking with prospects and not suspects. A prospect is a potential customer whom you've identified as having a need or want for your product. A suspect.... well, that's just a warm body. Although we'll always have our share of suspects, the more you do to qualify and sell directly to people who want and/need your product or service, the more sales you'll make (and with less hassle and in less time).

Distance yourself from your products. It is true that part of selling is the ability to sell yourself. For example, being able to make people trust you, rely on you; knowing that your solutions are best suited for their needs all require that you sell yourself. However, you must be able to distance your personal self from your professional persona. Often people will seem to reject you when it's really your product... and sometimes it's not even about a rejection, it may be a bad fit or the timing is wrong. When selling you need to think as though you are selling someone else's products. Give yourself the necessary distance so that you can see clearly.

Fake it 'til you make it. Not sure you know what you're doing? That's OK, most other people don't either. If you're uncomfortable in your role as a salesperson, learn everything you can. Practice often. It gets easier.

Learn, learn, learn. Any work/job/career activity requires ongoing learning. Being able to sell your products and services is no different. Seek out opportunities to learn new selling skills and effective interpersonal behaviors.

You are the person with the most vested in your company. Being able to sell your products and services helps convince others that you believe in what you are doing. Acquire the correct skill sets and you will find that increasing your business becomes easier every day.

What is the Best Sales Technique?

I have a kayak! Brand new, can’t wait to take it out on the water. Now, owning a kayak means you also own other things, like paddles or a life jacket. If you've have the opportunity to read any of the literature that the Coast Guard puts out about being in any kind of watercraft of this type, you’d also know that that they consider a life jacket, also known as a personal flotation device (or PFD) a must. In all of their pamphlets, booklets, handouts, they have the same Q and A: What is the best PFD? Answer: the one that you will wear.

I thought about this in conjunction with selling (and yes, my brain does make connections that like). What is the best sales technique? The one that you will use.

There’s a lot to be said for that approach. If you are so uncomfortable with certain sales techniques that it negatively impacts on your ability to make phone calls or go out on sales calls or even ask for an agreement, than you want to re-think your approach to sales.

If you can’t use a sales technique, then don’t. There are a lot of different ideas in the world about how to sell. Some of them you will agree with, some you won’t. I've been selling and training people to sell for a long time - and I often find myself disagreeing with others about the best way to sell. There’s lots of room for different types of techniques. Because here’s the kicker: there is no one best way. There’s only the best way for you.

What will work best for you will take into account your own comfort zones and your personality preferences as well as your customers’ needs and preferences. Certain closes that will make one prospect run into the next time zone to get away from you will be expected by another. Certain techniques work better with certain types of sales. There’s a huge difference between a product sale that’s transactional vs. one that will be the start of a longer or even an ongoing relationship.

So just as I spent time trying on various types of life jackets for fit and comfort, you may want to try on different sales techniques for fit and comfort as well. After all, if you won’t use your sales “life jacket” it can’t help keep your selling efforts afloat.

Overcoming False Objections (part 2)

psst....... If you want this to make sense, read "Overcoming False Objections (part 1) first.,



In order to effectively handle these "false"objections, break down your response into parts. First, treat the objection as if it were real. This means that you will listen, paraphrase and clarify the objection. For example, the woman who needs her husband's approval can be casually asked why he doesn't want you to do this. "I respect that. Tell me, Sarah why would James prefer you not get involved with/ purchase this product/service?" This gives you the opportunity to learn more. Follow up as necessary.


Your gentle questioning should yield you enough information to make your case more effective if this isn't a "real" objection. Never be flip or cast aspersions on the decision making process: "Oh come on, you mean you can't make up your own mind about these things? Sometimes you just have to override him." In the case of the boss not wanting to upset his assistant, you wouldn't want to say: "You're the boss. Who's in charge here?" (and yes, I've heard these responses). You would say "I understand. It can be uncomfortable changing our routines. What could make her more comfortable about this process?"


When someone needs to talk to the boss about it, find out if you can present to the boss. Don't be surprised if the answer is no. This can be a sign of a false objection. Regardless, treat the objection at face value. Find out what is important to the "boss". Make your contact as comfortable as possible: "Knowing your boss as well as you do, where do you think his concerns will be?"


Generally speaking a false objection falls under its own weight. Do not call them on it. Always let a person save face. If you back them into a corner, if you make them feel uncomfortable - if they feel you have disparaged their situation in any way, your buyer will simply stonewall you. That's simply human nature. All the same, don't let that happen. People's responses should always be treated with respect and dignity. Clarify concerns and explore their situations.


Regardless of the objection, make your buyer feel at ease with you. Overcoming objections can be challenging at times but it's always instructional and it always an opportunity to learn more about an individual's needs and motivations. In the end, it's simply understanding human behavior.

Overcoming False Objections (part 1)

Overcoming objections is a way of life for a sales person. Many companies will provide their people with scripted responses to common objections... and that can be a good thing. When starting at a new firm, it's neither in yours or the company's best interests for you to re-invent the wheel. If someone else has already come up with a great way to handle objections, you should use it.


Recently I found myself being recruited for an MLM opportunity and listening to the manager try to sell me on the opportunity reminded me of selling skills theory. Remember, we must take all objections seriously but keep in mind that not all of them have any real value. Here are some examples:

My assistant is set in her ways. It would be just too much of a fight to get her to ______ (fill in your product/solution).

My husband won't let me do it.

I need to talk to my boss about it.


In all of these we need to make sure that these are 1) real objections and 2) we don't belittle a decision making process (1st two examples). Often people come up what with handy all-purpose responses designed to get the sales person to back off. The response may have nothing to do with why they are really objecting.

Motivation Done Right

The first thing management usually wants a manager to do with a sales staff is “Fire them up!” “Get them going!” “Motivate them!” It's almost as though there is a magic wand that can be waved and “BAM!” people are motivated and productive, sales forecasts are being made and all is right with the world. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. There are no silver bullets, no magic pill that helps you motivate others. There are however, things that you can do in order to help people motivate themselves.

Experts in motivation theories will generally point out that motivation comes from within and not from without. A manager should not expect to give a “motivating” speech or incentive and expect it to work. It may make some people feel uplifted - but it's a temporary effect. Without understanding what is important to the employee, it is nearly impossible to be effective in motivating them.


Managers need to discover what motivates each of their subordinates and create their motivational strategies accordingly. Although it is difficult to motivate others, it is possible to create an environment conducive to motivating each employee.


Positive reinforcement should always be chosen over negative. This requires managers and supervisors to get to know the people who are selling for them. Finding out what motivates people can be as simple as asking questions during a goal setting session. Some people will respond well to a lot of positive attention, some people will not. Observe how people react to each incentive. Actions will speak louder than words...and motivations change.


For example, a salesperson who usually isn't motivated by money may actually become so, if something changes in their personal life which demands more cash. Conversely, some people will reach a level of earning and by satisfied by it. These salespeople will not be satisfied by monetary rewards.


Spending the time to learn what motivates your staff will pay off handsomely for your and them. You can't motivate them but you can help them dig deep into their own motivations to help them succeed.

Make Time to Review: Opening Your Inside Sales Call

Time for a Review:

Have you taken the time to think about your telephone presentations lately?

Sometimes it seems as though the hardest thing to do  is reach the decision maker. But what happens when you do reach them? Are you prepared? We can get so used to being shot down or listening to voice mail box instructions that when we actually do get a decision maker on the line, we get all tongue-tied. 

The best way to avoid that is to plan your opening in advance. Write it down. Create an opening that makes people want to listen to you. Avoid writing a prepared script that sounds like a direct mail piece. All too often when I look at prepared scripts, I notice sentences that might look well in a direct mail piece but will either get you shot down quickly or simply won't engage your prospective customer. You've gone through so much to get to a decision maker, make sure that you are making the most of the opportunity.

Here's two examples of less than stellar openings: openings that tout (1) money savings or (2) a saving of time and effort. Either of these may very well be the case, but everyone says their product either 1) saves you money, 2) saves you time or 3) makes your efforts more efficient thereby also giving you savings from 1 and 2 as well. Seriously, everyone says it. Doing this actually makes it easier for a decision maker to tune you out - because you're not different from anyone else who calls - and they'll try to get off the phone as quickly as possible.

Let's think about a better way. Why not simply introduce yourself and your company name, make a quick one sentence statement about what your product is, and then ask some questions. Take the opportunity to learn more about your potential customers. In fact, one of the things you might find is that this decision maker is not a potential customer. Isn't better to find that out up front? Isn't it better to learn who you should be talking to or know that currently your products/services are not a good match for a particular organization?

Sit down and review your opening. Make it natural sounding. Avoid tired and hackneyed phrases. Take the time, instead, to become genuinely interested in your prospect. You'll be far happier with the results.

A #1 Rule for Salespeople

Here it is: your number one rule. It doesn't involve objections, closing techniques or even reaching the decision maker. It's not about overcoming a fear of rejection. It does, however involve your attitude and approach to sales.

Understand that you will not sell everybody. However you must sell as though you will because you never know who will say "yes".

We can't read people's minds. When we sell, we do our best to uncover needs and concerns. Learn what the customer's hot buttons are - find solutions. But we never really know - we can never really know what another person is thinking. They may have hidden agendas so outside of what we usually encounter that we haven't been able to strategize for them. 

So, keeping that in mind, we need to accept that we will never have a 100% close rate. And that's OK. But here's where many people who sell fail. They don't go far enough in their thought processes. You see, if you can't read people's minds to accurately determine that a "no" may come despite your efforts, it stands to reason that you may not always be able to tell that a "yes" is coming either.

Too many people who sell stop at "Well, you can't sell everybody." The problem becomes when that statement becomes an excuse for not using your best selling skills in all selling situations. 

Recognizing that you won't sell everyone, you still need to approach each sales situation using all your available skills. This has two advantages for you. One, sometimes you never can tell who will say "yes". Two, by using your best skills all the time, you will naturally increase your sales results. When you use all your skills frequently, you become more adept at using them (really you do have to use them or you will lose them).  More Adept = More Sales.

Pay attention to rule #1. Use it to not beat yourself up over a lost opportunity but more importantly use it to ensure that you are always selling at your peak readiness.

Will You Show Up Today?

"You Have to Show Up" This is a favorite phrase of anyone who's success is performance based. It's also a favorite phrase of managers and trainers everywhere.

 You want to succeed, you've got to show up - and if you show up often enough you'll get the jobs/results you want. It's an apt analogy for people who sell for a living.

You have to show up - be there not just physically but your brain as well. Are you fully engaged every time you're with a customer or prospect? Being fully focused on your customer and your objectives requires giving the proverbial 150% of yourself. 

That's how you succeed.

Planning for the Unexpected

These back-to-back snow storms we've been getting here in the New York metro area over the last few weeks are reminding me of what I came to call "Jo Ann's Excellent Adventure". 

Several years ago, I was working with a client in the Chicago area. A quick "there and back again" overnight business trip wound up lasting 2 days longer than expected due to the weather. I watched the last flight out of O'Hare take off for Phoenix before everything shut down. Unfortunately, that's not where I needed to go. 

Yet oddly enough, I managed to get back to NJ a full 26 hours before the flight I was re-booked on was due to land. Remember this tip: Trains go when planes don't. 20 hours on the train can be preferable to waiting around for the next flight.

Here's my point: it's always wise to have back up plans. This is true whether it's for winning an account or just getting home. As soon as I was told the earliest flight I could get home on would be 3 days later, I immediately knew to call Amtrak - where they not only booked me on the train but transferred me to hotels.com so I could get a room for the night.

I had a strategy for alternative ways to achieve my goal. Do you have alternative strategies in place in achieve yours?  If not, take the time to do so. You'll be happier with your sales efforts (and home faster!)