How are we doing to Waking Up our businesses?
What a great Mothers Day!
My mother just happens to be one of the most successful business women I know. She has been managing a property since 1984. Within the property, she manages an antique co-op and every Wednesday from April through October she manages a Farmers Market/Flea Market. She has always been customer focused by caring about what items her vendors have up for sell. How does she do this? By always staying focused on what the customers are motivated to buy!
What an example…right under my nose! It doesn’t just happen and run by itself. Nothing ever does…let alone for 26 years!
Now that you’ve looked again at your markets and adjusted your offerings, we need to sell them and not cave into price objections. Of course the biggest issue is the belief that your sales team has that major objective…price! Remember, if this is the case, they are communicating the wrong story to your market. If you’re struggling, call me…
A more challenging problem comes when we negotiate. The challenge lies in that we are weak on negotiation skills and many of our customers are quite skilled.
Negotiations are necessary when both parties want to proceed; there are just a few aspects of our solution that need to be clarified. For example, this may include specific features of our services, goods, or products. This may include price, delivery, maintenance, warranty, and other issues. The goal is to find a mutually agreeable common ground that fulfills their needs and requirements and allows you to close the deal. This is defined as negotiation! The challenge is that most of us cave on price and then close the deal - but at lower margins - which make it challenging to stay in business.
Attitudes towards Negotiations:
1. This is good news; it is a buying signal
2. Great opportunity to build a more positive relationship in creating “win-win” negotiations
Five Human Relation Approaches in Negotiation
1. Begin in a friendly way
2. Listen attentively
3. Let the other person save face
4. Show respect for the others person’s opinion; never say, “You’re wrong.”
5. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view
Seven Negotiation Guidelines
1. You do not have to be aggressive to be a good negotiator
2. Negotiating is not fighting
3. You do not have to compromise your ethics to get what you want through negotiation
4. Negotiating is not always a formal process
5. Expect customers to ask for a better deal
6. Learn to say no
7. Look for creative solutions to reach an agreement
Six Negotiation Strategies
1. Know your walk-away position
2. Silence
3. Delay or Inactivity
4. Time pressure
5. You go first
6. Throw ins
Key point: Do not negotiate when you should be selling. Do not be selling when you should be negotiating.
SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, June 30, 2010
WHY: For a “Wake Up Your Business” Seminar!
WHERE: Pittsburgh, PA
PRESENTER: Kevin Crone, Dale Carnegie Strategic Coach and my mentor. Kevin has been in business for almost 40 years.
More details next week…..STAY TUNED
Make it a great week!
Coach Rodgers
Friday, May 21, 2010
Succession Planning…Are they really ready!
Last week I sat with an executive who was quite comfortable with his role as the #2 guy for the family run business. However, what was causing heartburn for this man was whether or not the next generation is really ready.
As a business advisor and coach, often the soon to be retiring executives ask me this same question. Since it came up twice this week, I thought I would address the issue in a quick format. Please respond if you need additional information or resources.
The issue at hand is that currently three family members, in their late 20’s, are working in the business. It is interesting because the question was two fold. A) are they ready and B) would any one of the three ever be ready? The question was framed well because we have a 7-10 year ideal transition time. In most cases, there is little to no transition time. Already, a company thinking ahead of their competition!
Here are 5 keys to determining if a family member is capable of leading the family business:
1. Do they want to (gosh, I forgot to ask)? Remember, what they shout so loud I can not hear what they say.
2. What does their “Success Autobiography” tell you? In other words, where else in their life have they demonstrated the kind of leadership it will take to run a business? Think of sports, social clubs, involvement in school government, leading role in school plays, community involvement, etc… where did they have to demonstrate and excel in leading without authority.
3. Do they save or spend money? I want some one who makes and then understands the word keep.
4. Other than their name what makes you think they can? Most importantly what do their current subordinates and peers think about there ability to lead?
5. Do they know intuitively who your customers are? Do they value your customers? Have they made decisions while working for the family business or any business that exhausted the value of the customer? Remember, to see any business prosper it is always about keeping your current customers, finding new ones and making money.
Three actions if you are facing questions about succession:
1. Have a battery of assessments taken to determine if they are hardwired and to develop a master succession development plan for the individual.
2. Follow-up the above assessments with a detailed succession plan for the organization. Multiple people will be potentially displaced and moved into higher positions. Will you be ready?
3. Make sure when you make the move that the key players working in different roles will be surrounded by talent or key business advisors and or coaches. Sometimes it is as simple to having the right administrative assistant in place.
Late Friday afternoon I got an urgent call from a customer, “John, is he ready.” After I took the weekend and read my own draft of today’s Mid-Week Mentor…I smiled because my same advice applies to the executive I am currently coaching.
As a business advisor and coach, often the soon to be retiring executives ask me this same question. Since it came up twice this week, I thought I would address the issue in a quick format. Please respond if you need additional information or resources.
The issue at hand is that currently three family members, in their late 20’s, are working in the business. It is interesting because the question was two fold. A) are they ready and B) would any one of the three ever be ready? The question was framed well because we have a 7-10 year ideal transition time. In most cases, there is little to no transition time. Already, a company thinking ahead of their competition!
Here are 5 keys to determining if a family member is capable of leading the family business:
1. Do they want to (gosh, I forgot to ask)? Remember, what they shout so loud I can not hear what they say.
2. What does their “Success Autobiography” tell you? In other words, where else in their life have they demonstrated the kind of leadership it will take to run a business? Think of sports, social clubs, involvement in school government, leading role in school plays, community involvement, etc… where did they have to demonstrate and excel in leading without authority.
3. Do they save or spend money? I want some one who makes and then understands the word keep.
4. Other than their name what makes you think they can? Most importantly what do their current subordinates and peers think about there ability to lead?
5. Do they know intuitively who your customers are? Do they value your customers? Have they made decisions while working for the family business or any business that exhausted the value of the customer? Remember, to see any business prosper it is always about keeping your current customers, finding new ones and making money.
Three actions if you are facing questions about succession:
1. Have a battery of assessments taken to determine if they are hardwired and to develop a master succession development plan for the individual.
2. Follow-up the above assessments with a detailed succession plan for the organization. Multiple people will be potentially displaced and moved into higher positions. Will you be ready?
3. Make sure when you make the move that the key players working in different roles will be surrounded by talent or key business advisors and or coaches. Sometimes it is as simple to having the right administrative assistant in place.
Late Friday afternoon I got an urgent call from a customer, “John, is he ready.” After I took the weekend and read my own draft of today’s Mid-Week Mentor…I smiled because my same advice applies to the executive I am currently coaching.
Get out of your rut!
Definition of a rut- It is a grave with both ends kicked out. It goes on and on and on… Stop the cycle, be intentional and make things happen!
Just last week I talked with a good customer of mine who is an executive of a wholesale company; which is in need of driving sales as the economy slowly bounces back. Sound familiar? One strategy is to have the CEO and founder go visit their almost 600 retail outlets. Yes, literally walk through the doors and reconnect on a personal basis. Lights are out in his office and might be off for quite some time. Early financial returns are in, business in that market segment is up almost 25% and that is giving this company an early cash jolt in 2010.
Also, last Monday, I had the opportunity to have dinner with a CEO of a global sales company. His company seems to be flat in their major markets which are North America, Europe and Asia and growing in the merging markets like the Middle East and Eastern Europe; but this really is only a short term solution. Their sales team is in a rut and they need to wake up, stand up, show up and write up new orders!
Dale Carnegie often said, and we teach it in our executive training…“if you act enthusiastically you will be enthusiastic!” So with enthusiasm, get up out of the rut you or your company may be in. Do not become victims by blaming the economy or other individuals within and out of your organization. Instead, be empowered to take the necessary action to realize your desired outcomes.
The Basics: Action Plan!
1. Review or re-write your vision—your aspirations and values
2. Set major goals or outcomes you desire to achieve
3. For each outcome, write a corresponding current reality
4. Stare at the gap between your reality and your desired outcomes
5. Get mad…start a fire in your belly
6. Clearly make a list of the activities you must do to get from here to there
7. Prioritize your actions
8. Take action and GO!
Oh! Which part of GO did you not understand?!?!
Just last week I talked with a good customer of mine who is an executive of a wholesale company; which is in need of driving sales as the economy slowly bounces back. Sound familiar? One strategy is to have the CEO and founder go visit their almost 600 retail outlets. Yes, literally walk through the doors and reconnect on a personal basis. Lights are out in his office and might be off for quite some time. Early financial returns are in, business in that market segment is up almost 25% and that is giving this company an early cash jolt in 2010.
Also, last Monday, I had the opportunity to have dinner with a CEO of a global sales company. His company seems to be flat in their major markets which are North America, Europe and Asia and growing in the merging markets like the Middle East and Eastern Europe; but this really is only a short term solution. Their sales team is in a rut and they need to wake up, stand up, show up and write up new orders!
Dale Carnegie often said, and we teach it in our executive training…“if you act enthusiastically you will be enthusiastic!” So with enthusiasm, get up out of the rut you or your company may be in. Do not become victims by blaming the economy or other individuals within and out of your organization. Instead, be empowered to take the necessary action to realize your desired outcomes.
The Basics: Action Plan!
1. Review or re-write your vision—your aspirations and values
2. Set major goals or outcomes you desire to achieve
3. For each outcome, write a corresponding current reality
4. Stare at the gap between your reality and your desired outcomes
5. Get mad…start a fire in your belly
6. Clearly make a list of the activities you must do to get from here to there
7. Prioritize your actions
8. Take action and GO!
Oh! Which part of GO did you not understand?!?!
Customer focus!
In the last 60 minutes of work…were you involved in activity that was profitable action? Meaning, activity that was helping you or your organization make money.
If the answer is “yes”…please continue.
If the answer is “no”…please stop doing that and immediately transition.
We have a sales meeting once a month. One activity we do is to invite a customer to join us for lunch and then have a business discussion centered around why they do business with us and how could we do more business with other like companies. Wow! Is it ever enlightening to our sales staff, administration and trainers.
Last Friday, we hosted such an event. Here are just a few sound bites of what we heard from our valued customer…
When asked “In the people learning and development area what would you be looking for from a vendor/partner?”
“Well, we are not really interested in the product just convince us that you will help our people connect with our customers”
“We need to become more sophisticated in dealing with external customers”
“In the people development area, it is time not price that holds us back from doing more”
Note: Nothing about how great our programs are, how unbelievable our trainers are, the really exciting seminars we provide, or how competent our sales team is…motivates our customers to buy. Now we still provide the above but the story to the market needs to better align with the customers motivations if we want to do more business.
This 90 minute discussion with our customer was eye opening. It is easy to lose sight of what’s really important in our pressure packed days. The major emphasis should be in keeping customers, finding new customers, staying focused on creating strategy and structure and finally meeting our goals. Sounds simple enough…but what a challenge to execute! I guess that is why we get the big bucks? Smile!
Action steps:
1. Always be asking the three power questions about your market…
a. What are my customers motivated to buy?
b. Do our offerings match?
c. Where does our valued competition fail our customers?
2. Host customers to be your honored guest at a meeting where sales, service, and administration get to hear what is really happening in the market place.
If the answer is “yes”…please continue.
If the answer is “no”…please stop doing that and immediately transition.
We have a sales meeting once a month. One activity we do is to invite a customer to join us for lunch and then have a business discussion centered around why they do business with us and how could we do more business with other like companies. Wow! Is it ever enlightening to our sales staff, administration and trainers.
Last Friday, we hosted such an event. Here are just a few sound bites of what we heard from our valued customer…
When asked “In the people learning and development area what would you be looking for from a vendor/partner?”
“Well, we are not really interested in the product just convince us that you will help our people connect with our customers”
“We need to become more sophisticated in dealing with external customers”
“In the people development area, it is time not price that holds us back from doing more”
Note: Nothing about how great our programs are, how unbelievable our trainers are, the really exciting seminars we provide, or how competent our sales team is…motivates our customers to buy. Now we still provide the above but the story to the market needs to better align with the customers motivations if we want to do more business.
This 90 minute discussion with our customer was eye opening. It is easy to lose sight of what’s really important in our pressure packed days. The major emphasis should be in keeping customers, finding new customers, staying focused on creating strategy and structure and finally meeting our goals. Sounds simple enough…but what a challenge to execute! I guess that is why we get the big bucks? Smile!
Action steps:
1. Always be asking the three power questions about your market…
a. What are my customers motivated to buy?
b. Do our offerings match?
c. Where does our valued competition fail our customers?
2. Host customers to be your honored guest at a meeting where sales, service, and administration get to hear what is really happening in the market place.
Time out!
Every year I love the changing of the seasons in Central Pennsylvania. This past year was a particularly challenging winter with cold, snow and ice and it seemed to stretch on forever. Spring comes with newness, a refreshing of the air, birds singing, new smells and the warmth of the sunshine which gives us hope of what is to come. Stop what you are doing today and everyday and enjoy the change.
Several years ago, while working in Scranton, PA, I walked out the door of the hotel where I was staying and stood waiting for an associate to pick me up. While waiting, I could not help but notice the doorman standing off to my right with a bright cheerful smile and I noticed his name tag read “John”. “John” I said, how are you?” He smiled and said “Sir, I am Terrific!” I continued with “John, that is great, but why are you terrific so early this morning in the middle of Scranton, PA?” He said “Sir, listen. Do you hear them…the birds?”
That day I decided that for the rest of my life I would be terrific as well! If John the doorman in Scranton, PA can be terrific and up lifted by a beautiful newness of a spring day with nothing more than the singing of birds…I had no excuses.
I wonder what would happen to our businesses if we approached our markets, our current customers and new potential customers with the same freshness as we embrace the changing of the seasons. I wonder what we would really hear! What new customer motivations might influence our offerings that would directly impact our cash flow and profits? I wonder what John the doorman would hear because he would be beyond the normal customer and prospect needs, wants and benefits. John the doorman would hear the motivations behind the benefits!
Action Steps:
• Tune into your environment, enjoy this Spring like none other
• Tune into the motivations behind the benefits of what really motivates your customers to buy
• Adjust your offerings, if necessary, or tell a refreshing new compelling story about your offerings
• Stop and smell the daffodils
Several years ago, while working in Scranton, PA, I walked out the door of the hotel where I was staying and stood waiting for an associate to pick me up. While waiting, I could not help but notice the doorman standing off to my right with a bright cheerful smile and I noticed his name tag read “John”. “John” I said, how are you?” He smiled and said “Sir, I am Terrific!” I continued with “John, that is great, but why are you terrific so early this morning in the middle of Scranton, PA?” He said “Sir, listen. Do you hear them…the birds?”
That day I decided that for the rest of my life I would be terrific as well! If John the doorman in Scranton, PA can be terrific and up lifted by a beautiful newness of a spring day with nothing more than the singing of birds…I had no excuses.
I wonder what would happen to our businesses if we approached our markets, our current customers and new potential customers with the same freshness as we embrace the changing of the seasons. I wonder what we would really hear! What new customer motivations might influence our offerings that would directly impact our cash flow and profits? I wonder what John the doorman would hear because he would be beyond the normal customer and prospect needs, wants and benefits. John the doorman would hear the motivations behind the benefits!
Action Steps:
• Tune into your environment, enjoy this Spring like none other
• Tune into the motivations behind the benefits of what really motivates your customers to buy
• Adjust your offerings, if necessary, or tell a refreshing new compelling story about your offerings
• Stop and smell the daffodils
1st quarter is in the books. How did you do?
Scale of 1-10, one being disaster and ten meaning we exceeded expectations. Above a six, what must you keep doing? If below a 6, what must you stop doing? Regardless of your score what do you need to make happen in the 2nd quarter?
This past week I had the opportunity to meet with several executives; although none were completely satisfied. I heard more optimism and hope than I have heard since last fall. An executive in a retail chain said that business was strong and profits were up because they are doing more with less people. An executive with a large construction manufacturing facility was excited about the next 6 months, specifically, the next two months of planned overtime to meet production requests. A C-level executive in technology was encouraged with the 1st quarter, but with April projections, believes production will be ahead of planned revenue goals. In all cases they were great examples of companies adjusting to their customer wants by always being in tune with their motivations to buy and then quickly matching their offerings or adjusting their business strategy.
The key point is simply this: the days are gone when you can lay out a one year business strategy and then simply work the plan. Successful businesses of the future will always need to adjust to their market demands and changing their offerings to match their customer’s motives to compete and win against their competition.
Robert Fritz, in his book The Path of Least Resistance for Managers, talks about 11 key questions to continually build and adjust your business strategy:
1. What is our Offering?
2. Who are our Customers? (internal and external)
3. What do they want?
4. What do we want?
5. Is their a match between their wants and ours?
6. How do they know about us?
7. How do they obtain our offering?
8. What is the current market?
9. What is the future market?
10. How will our offerings change?
11. Where are we going?
In the coming weeks this news letter will dig deep into these questions. Regardless, together let’s revolutionize our businesses to meet and deliver what our internal and external customers are motivated to buy.
I have enjoyed the last 90 days sharing with you some insights through my customer visits and my executive coaching. If you have enjoyed or more importantly value some of these insights please send me a quick note at midweekmentor@dalecarnegie.com.
All right! Let’s go make the 2nd quarter rock!
This past week I had the opportunity to meet with several executives; although none were completely satisfied. I heard more optimism and hope than I have heard since last fall. An executive in a retail chain said that business was strong and profits were up because they are doing more with less people. An executive with a large construction manufacturing facility was excited about the next 6 months, specifically, the next two months of planned overtime to meet production requests. A C-level executive in technology was encouraged with the 1st quarter, but with April projections, believes production will be ahead of planned revenue goals. In all cases they were great examples of companies adjusting to their customer wants by always being in tune with their motivations to buy and then quickly matching their offerings or adjusting their business strategy.
The key point is simply this: the days are gone when you can lay out a one year business strategy and then simply work the plan. Successful businesses of the future will always need to adjust to their market demands and changing their offerings to match their customer’s motives to compete and win against their competition.
Robert Fritz, in his book The Path of Least Resistance for Managers, talks about 11 key questions to continually build and adjust your business strategy:
1. What is our Offering?
2. Who are our Customers? (internal and external)
3. What do they want?
4. What do we want?
5. Is their a match between their wants and ours?
6. How do they know about us?
7. How do they obtain our offering?
8. What is the current market?
9. What is the future market?
10. How will our offerings change?
11. Where are we going?
In the coming weeks this news letter will dig deep into these questions. Regardless, together let’s revolutionize our businesses to meet and deliver what our internal and external customers are motivated to buy.
I have enjoyed the last 90 days sharing with you some insights through my customer visits and my executive coaching. If you have enjoyed or more importantly value some of these insights please send me a quick note at midweekmentor@dalecarnegie.com.
All right! Let’s go make the 2nd quarter rock!
Remember the three most important functions of business...
Remember the three most important functions of business:
1. Keep your current customers
2. Find new customers
3. Make a ton of money
Too often we take for granted our current customers. Let’s take a quick look at some strategies to keep our valued customers.
This past week I spent 5 days at Disney. My son’s baseball team was spending a week playing practice games in Orlando at the Disney ESPN Sports Complex. Once again Disney exceeded expectations and the team booked next years visit with 100% support from the coaches, players and parents. There were challenges and disappointments but what made the experience so positive was their people; they responded to every situation with class and professionalism. Again, it was their people that made us feel almost happy about the expense and created a willingness to give 20% to 25% tips whenever possible.
How about the prank that was played on my son’s team! Someone, apparently from a rival team, called his coach at 1:15 AM claiming that their game the next day, scheduled at 4:30 PM, had to be moved to 7:00 AM the next morning due to a water main break. The entire team showed up dressed and ready to play at 6:00 AM only to find out they were the only team in the complex. When Disney discovered what happened, of no fault of their doing, they arrived on the scene turned on the lights for practice and brought in, at their expense, a custom breakfast with smiles for the entire team.
From Dale Carnegie’s Book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” here are seven strategies to help you keep customers; all of which were demonstrated by Disney’s employees:
1. Give honest appreciation
2. Become genuinely interested in others
3. SMILE
4. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language
5. Begin in a friendly way
6. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view
7. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely
Make it a great week and when thinking about keeping customers…go make their day!
1. Keep your current customers
2. Find new customers
3. Make a ton of money
Too often we take for granted our current customers. Let’s take a quick look at some strategies to keep our valued customers.
This past week I spent 5 days at Disney. My son’s baseball team was spending a week playing practice games in Orlando at the Disney ESPN Sports Complex. Once again Disney exceeded expectations and the team booked next years visit with 100% support from the coaches, players and parents. There were challenges and disappointments but what made the experience so positive was their people; they responded to every situation with class and professionalism. Again, it was their people that made us feel almost happy about the expense and created a willingness to give 20% to 25% tips whenever possible.
How about the prank that was played on my son’s team! Someone, apparently from a rival team, called his coach at 1:15 AM claiming that their game the next day, scheduled at 4:30 PM, had to be moved to 7:00 AM the next morning due to a water main break. The entire team showed up dressed and ready to play at 6:00 AM only to find out they were the only team in the complex. When Disney discovered what happened, of no fault of their doing, they arrived on the scene turned on the lights for practice and brought in, at their expense, a custom breakfast with smiles for the entire team.
From Dale Carnegie’s Book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” here are seven strategies to help you keep customers; all of which were demonstrated by Disney’s employees:
1. Give honest appreciation
2. Become genuinely interested in others
3. SMILE
4. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language
5. Begin in a friendly way
6. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view
7. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely
Make it a great week and when thinking about keeping customers…go make their day!
Stop doing that!
When was the last time you made a “stop doing it list”? We have limited time, so as a manager and a leader, I need to be sure I am focused on doing the critical actions throughout my work day. One of the greatest challenges I face as an executive coach is with executives who will not let go.
Just recently, while coaching an executive who was running a 30 million dollar business that was looking to double in size in the next two years, he said to me “like football, I am the tailback, give me the ball.” I replied “No! You are to be the coach, and as president of your organization if you want to hit your growth targets you need to find other team members to carry the ball.”
The biggest challenge with delegation is giving up doing activities that you are either comfortable doing or are really good at doing them. Regardless, to be an effective leader it is no longer about you, but rather the people you develop.
The reason why we delegate is to better serve our customers. Delegation allows us to develop and train others to keep our current customers, find new customers and to make money. Whistle…. Listen up… pay attention, look in my eyes… if we do not learn to delegate, business growth is not sustainable.
After we identify the need and/or select the right person, here are three keys in planning delegation:
1. Determine your desired outcomes. What is it you want to create or what result do you want to achieve? Write them down; are they specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely, if not, please adjust.
2. For every outcome their must be a correlating current reality. Write it down do not embellish or take away from the reality, just be honest in stating the current situation.
3. Prioritize the action steps that one must take to move from the current reality to the desired outcome. In studying the actions you will know to whom and when the delegation would be appropriately implemented.
OK…Now go make it a great week! Hands in – one, two, three WIN!
Just recently, while coaching an executive who was running a 30 million dollar business that was looking to double in size in the next two years, he said to me “like football, I am the tailback, give me the ball.” I replied “No! You are to be the coach, and as president of your organization if you want to hit your growth targets you need to find other team members to carry the ball.”
The biggest challenge with delegation is giving up doing activities that you are either comfortable doing or are really good at doing them. Regardless, to be an effective leader it is no longer about you, but rather the people you develop.
The reason why we delegate is to better serve our customers. Delegation allows us to develop and train others to keep our current customers, find new customers and to make money. Whistle…. Listen up… pay attention, look in my eyes… if we do not learn to delegate, business growth is not sustainable.
After we identify the need and/or select the right person, here are three keys in planning delegation:
1. Determine your desired outcomes. What is it you want to create or what result do you want to achieve? Write them down; are they specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely, if not, please adjust.
2. For every outcome their must be a correlating current reality. Write it down do not embellish or take away from the reality, just be honest in stating the current situation.
3. Prioritize the action steps that one must take to move from the current reality to the desired outcome. In studying the actions you will know to whom and when the delegation would be appropriately implemented.
OK…Now go make it a great week! Hands in – one, two, three WIN!
Hey! Do remember our favorite FOUR Letter word in business…”NEXT”
“True luck consists not in holding the best of the cards at the table; Luckiest he who knows just when to rise and go home.” - John Hay
Bob Spinazzola, one of my business mentors, always reminded me of my favorite four letter word by saying “John, quit seeking the living amongst the dead.”
Reminder for this week: Let’s stay focused on the potential customers who want to hear our story and lets let go, for a time, of those customers who appear to be disinterested for whatever reason. Just think about the wasted time and energy you spend on call backs, written proposals and anxious moments when we were never really in the running for the business. Stop doing that and spend more time discerning positive interest which is usually felt within the first 5 minutes in talking with a decision maker.
Finding new business is one of our three most important goals and tasks we need to be focused on each and every day; along with keeping current customers and making money.
Here are four key reminders to finding new customers:
1. Asking for referrals – The phrase to a decision maker “who else might you know…” should be every bit as comfortable as “based on what you have told me, here are several possible solutions…”
2. Networking – Continue to expand the network of people who want to know you.
3. Develop an account strategy – Always work your “Top 10 List” and be specific about what actions that you need to take in order to be successful…then take action!
4. Cold Calling – It is a lost art. Mainly due to lack of confidence. Believe in yourself and take that extra risk each day by walking in somewhere and either make something happen or refine your account approach.
Remember, HOPE is NOT a method! If it is to be it is up to me. Make something happen right now!
Bob Spinazzola, one of my business mentors, always reminded me of my favorite four letter word by saying “John, quit seeking the living amongst the dead.”
Reminder for this week: Let’s stay focused on the potential customers who want to hear our story and lets let go, for a time, of those customers who appear to be disinterested for whatever reason. Just think about the wasted time and energy you spend on call backs, written proposals and anxious moments when we were never really in the running for the business. Stop doing that and spend more time discerning positive interest which is usually felt within the first 5 minutes in talking with a decision maker.
Finding new business is one of our three most important goals and tasks we need to be focused on each and every day; along with keeping current customers and making money.
Here are four key reminders to finding new customers:
1. Asking for referrals – The phrase to a decision maker “who else might you know…” should be every bit as comfortable as “based on what you have told me, here are several possible solutions…”
2. Networking – Continue to expand the network of people who want to know you.
3. Develop an account strategy – Always work your “Top 10 List” and be specific about what actions that you need to take in order to be successful…then take action!
4. Cold Calling – It is a lost art. Mainly due to lack of confidence. Believe in yourself and take that extra risk each day by walking in somewhere and either make something happen or refine your account approach.
Remember, HOPE is NOT a method! If it is to be it is up to me. Make something happen right now!
Overcoming an Objection…Be Bold!
Most of us have 30 days left to finish the 1st quarter with a bang. Whether it is in sales, management, professional services or with our family we all face objections either to purchase, take action, respond to a request, or join a cause. These all can cause frustration and despair.
Stop feeling sorry or defeated! Instead, put more energy and enthusiasm into getting to the root of issues and win people to your way of thinking. The secret lies not in their benefits, but rather in understanding what is their motivation to buy.
One of my favorite sale representatives in the whole world discovered this while trying to close a sale in California. He was selling to a school district where the apparent objection was that it would be political suicide for the school Superintendent to purchase his offering with all the impending layoffs happening due to the California Sate budget crisis.
My friend found out that all the product benefits in the world about why his offering would help the local school district was not going to be able to overcome the potential political fallout. However, when my friend was able to understand what the school boards desired outcomes were for the Superintendent, it helped him to put into context what the buyer’s true motivations were in writing checks. Once this was uncovered, political reluctances turned into political pull to authorize a purchase order.
7 Steps to Determine Motivators to Buy and to Overcome any Objection:
1. Develop an honest and open relationship.
2. Always be curious as to what individual desires are and what people want to create.
3. Once you discover what an outcome is, spend time refining it to be certain its real; a major issue or a challenging outcome.
4. Question every outcome to determine the real correlating current reality. (This will create natural tension).
5. Explore what actions have been taken and to what level of success. Then determine what actions need to be taken to move them from their current state to their new reality.
6. Refine the action steps.
7. Make your offering a critical connection to the action steps or strategy.
Stop feeling sorry or defeated! Instead, put more energy and enthusiasm into getting to the root of issues and win people to your way of thinking. The secret lies not in their benefits, but rather in understanding what is their motivation to buy.
One of my favorite sale representatives in the whole world discovered this while trying to close a sale in California. He was selling to a school district where the apparent objection was that it would be political suicide for the school Superintendent to purchase his offering with all the impending layoffs happening due to the California Sate budget crisis.
My friend found out that all the product benefits in the world about why his offering would help the local school district was not going to be able to overcome the potential political fallout. However, when my friend was able to understand what the school boards desired outcomes were for the Superintendent, it helped him to put into context what the buyer’s true motivations were in writing checks. Once this was uncovered, political reluctances turned into political pull to authorize a purchase order.
7 Steps to Determine Motivators to Buy and to Overcome any Objection:
1. Develop an honest and open relationship.
2. Always be curious as to what individual desires are and what people want to create.
3. Once you discover what an outcome is, spend time refining it to be certain its real; a major issue or a challenging outcome.
4. Question every outcome to determine the real correlating current reality. (This will create natural tension).
5. Explore what actions have been taken and to what level of success. Then determine what actions need to be taken to move them from their current state to their new reality.
6. Refine the action steps.
7. Make your offering a critical connection to the action steps or strategy.
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