Why Extraordinary Success Depends on What You Believe

Michael Hyatt wrote a great blog post commemorating this Martin Luther King, Jr day.  Some great thoughts ...

http://michaelhyatt.com/mlk-better-world.html#more-28362

Kindness - Uncommon or Everyday?

I love it when my daily reading brings me a truly inspirational and amazing story in everyday life.  

I don't know about you, but with me it seems that my best opportunity for a gesture of kindness seems to come in hindsight.  I am embarrassed to say that, but it is a fact.  I should have helped her, or said something to him etc.  You have got to read the article that I have a link to here.  It speaks for itself.  Here are my 2 comments:

1. This is not an isolated incident for this man.  Read the comments, this is everyday kindness.
2. He didn't do it for exposure.  He did it because he is kind and has a heart full of love.  With this day of social media, it seems that some people perform acts of kindness and then pollute them a little by saying look at me on their social media page.  As this guy did... just let me say ... let someone else toot your horn!  

Enjoy ... you will be blessed!

Click here for an Everyday Act of Kindness Article

Expect to Win!

--Jim

1st National Championship in a New Era

As a dedicated and crazy football fan, I am very excited about tonight's 1st National Championship game under the new playoff system.  

We have an Oregon team that is very exciting and dominating on offense.  The Ducks have a very talented and refreshingly humble quarterback in Marcus Mariota.  They are playing Ohio State.  It feels like lots of people have been rooting against the Buckeyes.  They have lost 2 quarterbacks this year and by the way both were heisman trophy candidates when they went down.  The current quarterback, Cardale Jones,  has not only won the Big Ten Championship game but also the playoff semifinals and finds himself in the National Championship game.  

Everyone in the sports world are focused on Dallas, TX tonight and Oregon vs Ohio State.  Here is hoping for a great game that lives up to the hype.

My prediction ... Oregon 42 Ohio State 24

Expect to Win!

--Jim

I dedicate myself to ...

Accomplishing a goal or succeeding in an endeavor depends on the amount of passion we have towards that goal or endeavor. That passion creates the dedication to the cause which produces the attitude to never quit. Wow that was an easy recipe for success. The greatest challenge in many cases is the dedication. It is the piece that puts the passion into action, that drives the attitude when it waivers.

Definition of DEDICATION

: an act or rite of dedicating to a divine being or to a sacred use

: a devoting or setting aside for a particular purpose

: self-sacrificing devotion

The definition of dedication is daunting. From the reference to divine & sacred to the use of the words self sacrificing devotion.

• Noah was dedicated to pleasing God & saving his family

• Jesus dedicated himself to all of God's children by giving the ultimate self sacrifice. 
• Could Stephen have saved himself from the fatal stoning he endured? His dedication to God wouldn't allow him to do anything contrary to that devotion. 
• Gandhi's remarkable dedication to peace has been an inspiration worldwide. 
• Nelson Mandela's dedication to justice for his people led to the strength to endure many years of prison and the courage to lead in the face of adversity. 
• Martin Luther King's dedication to God and that we are all created equally and children of God, gave him the courage to persevere through criticism and persecution. 
• Michael Jordan practiced his craft of basketball longer than any of his peers because of his dedication to be the best, fueled by the passion created when he was told he wasn't good enough as a teenager. 
• Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, pioneers of our computer era, had very tough times to begin. But, their dedication to the pursuit of their dreams was paramount in their success. 
• One of my very favorite movies, the Pursuit of Happyness, tells the story of Chris Gardner. A tremendous story of dedication and action. 

• Thousands of salespeople succeed daily because of their dedication to their families and their clients. 
• Thousands of ministers through out the world inspire and serve daily because of their dedication to their God and to their neighbor 

I could go on and on with examples of dedication in our world. Historic, present day, Christian or in business the examples are powerful and show us the importance of dedication.

To test your dedication today, do these 3 things:

1. Look at your calendar or schedule. What is on it? Is it full or blank? If it is full, what is it full with? If it is blank, why? This examination will tell you what in your life you are dedicated to. 
2. Look at your check book and/or bank account. What are you spending your money on? What does your budget look like? Do you stick to a budget? This examination will further tell you what in your life your are dedicated to. 
3. Over the last 30 days, make a list of: People you spent time with, books you read, websites you spent time on, videos you watched. How much time with each? Work related or family? Church related? This examination will tell you what you are dedicated to? 

Our time, our priorities and our money. Those 3 things are what we have control over. We control them based on what we are passionate about, dedicated to and take action on. If you are passionate about your family and their well being; that will be shown, in your schedule, your checkbook and the people, books, websites, videos you spend time with. This can be a gut wrenching exercise, but a very productive one if you do it honestly. After you do this exercise then compare it to what you feel you should be achieving and you may be able to diagnose a problem with some course corrections in the area of dedication and action. We have such great examples of dedication in our history in our lives. Look for them and be one of those examples of dedication for others.

Expect to Win!

--Jim

Is your 2015 Plan Done?

How you start something has a lot to do with the degree of success you will have in that endeavor. I have always found that if I start my day, my week, my month or year with a plan and then hit the ground running that my chances of succeeding at a very high level is very good. You can certainly expect to win! However, you much prepare ... I did mention starting with a plan. That plan includes a target or goal. The challenge of achievement is that winning is never guaranteed. However, I can assure you that you will not win without preparation.

• How much time did you spend preparing and planning for success in 2015? 
• Did you spend more time complaining about a family member or co-worker? 
• Did you spend more time planning your holiday travel than you did planning for 2015? 

I think it would be a good thing for us to take a couple of minutes and consider what kind of planning we have done for a successful and prosperous 2015. If you have planned well and the goals and targets are in place ... then what are you waiting for ... get going!

However, if you have done little or no planning and are just going to wing it ... again! It is not to late. Spend some time to intentionally plan your 2015. Think about what you want to achieve in your personal and business life. Reflect on 2014 and determine how much better you want to do in 2015, and what it will take to make those improvements and then set the goals and the steps to get there.

Write these goals down! Write these steps to achievement down!

Now share them with those that you are close to. Then... what are you waiting for... get going!!

Now ... you can Expect to Win! Hit the Bullseye!

--Jim

New Beginnings!

Yesterday, I launched a formal business. Bullseye Strategies, LLC.

The reason I say formal businss, is that I have worked, directly and indirectly, doing what this new business is doing for over 25 years. The goal of Bullseye Strategies is to make an impact on groups, businesses, entrepreneurs, salespeople and individuals through public speaking engagements, consulting and coaching. The main area of impact is helping people to establish the "Bullseye for Achievement" in their lives and businesses, then designing the strategy to hit it. We all know that setting the goal or target is relatively easy compared to the work and preparation it takes to hit it. You might say that we will be working with our clients on the follow through. The time that is spent on setting goals is wasted unless a well thought out, intentional strategy is devised and committed to to hit the bullseye, the goal. This is a fact whether you are a multi-million dollar company or a salesperson struggling to build a business.

I have spent 30 years working on achievement in my life and studying the achievement of thousands of others. With the experience that comes from earning the top honor in a multi-billion dollar insurance company(2 times) to achieving the life goal of becoming the Managing Partner / General Manager of a multi-franchise automobile dealership, I have the practical knowledge to speak about and teach the how tos. Also, in the midst of the ups and achievements have been struggles and failures. Huge failures, ones that have rocked me to my core. Overcoming is a huge part of Bullseye Strategies' coaching.

I am excited for where this endeavour will take us. I know God has blessed me my entire life. I have felt his tug in my life, all of my life, to pour into others from the experiences I have had and with the skills he has blessed me with.

Expect to Win! --Jim

What do you do?

If I ask you what you do, will I regret it?  Can you tell me in a concise, direct and clear way?  And by concise I mean 30 seconds.

3 Principles That Lead To An Effective Initial Contact 

1)  Clearly understand how important a 1st impression is to this process.

2)  Create a strong and effective 30 second introduction of you and your product.

3)  You must have an expert knowledge of your product and how it benefits your customers.

When you think about what you do, what service you provide or product you sell, what excites you?  

Make a list of the things that excite your customers about the products and services you offer.  What are the major benefits to your customers? Don't think about this in term of features, but what are the benefits of those features.  How do these products and services improve and change lives?

With The Webb Group, an insurance firm, we provide insurance protection of all types to families and businesses.  If my answer to your question about what I do is that, you will do the gagging move with the finger down your throat.  But, if I say "we work with families and businesses to improve their quality of life by providing security and peace of mind using an intuitive and thoughtful process".  That is less than 30 seconds but brings some curiosity because everyone wants security and peace of mind and would love to do that in a instinctive and thoughtful way.  

You can do this and you must if you really want to improve your initial contact and make it as effective as possible.

Expect to Win!

Strategy before action?

Are you a why? or how? person ... ?  Are you an analytical, strategist or a take action, deal maker?  

If an organization is full of the former, the analytical, strategy person they are in danger of becoming paralyzed with development and getting ready to take action.  However, if an organization is heavy with deal makers that tend to take action prior to giving those actions any thought they are in danger of making mistakes that will cost money in the long run.  

As a strong take action, deal maker type of guy, I know how important it is to slow down and think and plan regularly.  It is easy for me to take an idea to implementation and action in a heartbeat.  Anyone that stands in the way really annoys me.  This approach has proven to be very successful for me over th the last 30+ years. However, I have found that bouncing ideas and new plans off of someone who is more deliberate and analytical has proven time and time again to be a very beneficial strategy.  That tells me that if I would make a commitment to have someone with those strong attributes on my team and learning to incorporate their strengths into my formula instead of being annoyed by their perceived resistance then I could move success and winning to a new level.

I have a suspicion that many of you deal with this same dilemna.  My team needs a "why guy" as much as we need the "lets get 'er done guy"!  The strengths of the analytical individual to help devise the strategy will streamline and create a more efficient process that will lead to more opportunity for the deal makers.  Efficiency in the distribution process always makes more money!

Expect to Win! 

How many chances at a first impression do you get?

3 Principles That Lead To An Effective Initial Contact

 

1)  Clearly understand how important a 1st impression is to this process.

2)  Create a strong and effective 30 second introduction of you and your product.

3)  You must have an expert knowledge of your product and how it benefits your customers.

I have been told that a visual first impression takes less than 3 seconds.  That really is a scary thought.  In that 3 second period of time people form an indelible impression of us.  What is unfair is that they don't even know us.  It sounds very shallow doesn't it?  However, it is reality in the profession of selling. You must address the following 5 keys in order to make the best first impression possible:

• Appearance
• Body Language
• Facial Expressions
• Tone of Voice
• What is said

Our appearance is vital to making a great first impression.  This includes your clothing, your hair, makeup for women, and shaven or groomed for men.  Let me just ask you; if you saw someone who looked exactly like you, dressed like you dress, everything just like you do when you are doing business and approaching people, what would your honest first impression be?  Compare that snapshot of you with a person who is very successful doing what you do.  If you are honest about these two questions, and the answer is yes,  "I compare the same or better", then you are probably doing well.  If the honest answer is "I wouldn't respect or want to do business with someone who looks like that" and "that snapshot doesn't look anything like that very successful person I know", then you should make some very serious changes right now!

You body language signals confidence or the lack thereof.  I didn't say arrogance but confidence.  Hands in your pockets or slumped stance signify I don't know and I don't care.  However, a strong walk, straight shoulders and ready hands makes a statement of professionalism.  

The key to facial expressions is to realize that people want to do business with someone who enjoys what they do and life in general.  If you are not smiling when you are trying to make a great first impression then you are wasting your time.  Intentionally, put a smile on your face.  The smile should be the first thing that you put on everyday when you get ready to do business. 

When you speak do you sound confident and competent?  I didn't ask about what you said, but how you sound.  Does your tone of voice lead someone to believe your are decisive and sure of what you are saying or does it bring the notion that you are meek and lack conviction?  I am not looking for loud here, but distinct and clear tone.  When you hear someone speak who knows what they are talking about, that is how your tone must be.  You have got to practice this and it is good to do that with someone so they can hear you.  Also, it is very effective to use a voice recorder so that you can listen back to yourself both practicing and in real time, so that you can consciously change your tone if you need to.

A first impression most always includes words, but very few.  In most cases, it includes a "hello" or "welcome".  Most importantly it must be polite and if known you must use their name.  A polite tone with "Hello Mr Doe, it a pleasure to meet you" is a few words but very impactful.  The key is to be business friendly with a polite greeting.  

It is very hard to overcome a bad first impression.  Your attention to the 5 keys above will prevent you from making a bad first impression.  Put your focus onto how you look, both with how your dress and how you carry yourself.  Do you habitually smile or least have a very pleasant expression on your face?  Intentionally work on your tone of voice and what you say when greeting a new prospect.  This takes commitment and dedication to do well all the time.  

If you think about it anything you do well takes commitment and dedication, if you do anything as an after thought you usually fail.  Take the first impression seriously and you will succeed.

Expect to Win!

--Jim

How are you doing with people?

A Sales Professional has to know that their success or failure depends upon their ability to deal with lots of people.  Refer back to the following blog posts as we address applying our ability to deal with lots of people.

9/12/14  Secret Formula for Sales Success Part I

9/23/14  People Skills

Our attempts to contact a prospect and our ultimately being able to contact the prospect and get that appointment for a presentation, is based upon our knowledge of these 3 principles:

1)  Clearly understand how important a 1st impression is to this process.

2)  Create a strong and effective 30 second introduction of you and your product.

3)  You must have an expert knowledge of your product and how it benefits your customers.

I will address these 3 Principles That Lead To An Effective Initial Contact with a prospect, in the next 3 blog posts.

As we contact people that we may have never met before, we need to consider how that attempt will be made.  In person, by telephone or email.  If it is in person, do you portray confidence and competence?  What about on the telephone?  The same two qualities are important.   If the attempt to contact is by email, it should be clean, uncluttered, direct and also portray confidence and competence.  

Do you have a written strategy and word track for this initial contact?  If not, why not and if you do is it effective?  We will begin with tomorrow's post about principle #1.

Expect to Win!

--Jim

Building a Referral Business - Step 3

How do you build a referral business? 

(1) You start with knowing your product at a very high level. 

(2) You must understand exactly how, with specificity, it benefits a customer. 

(3) Then you must provide a tremendously high level of customer service.  

If you have ever known or worked with a salesperson who earns the majority of his income from referrals then you know what kind of business and life a referral business affords.  If you have been a witness to this type of business then I am sure that your goal has been to achieve it as well.  As I have posted about in the last week, a referral business is attainable but only with planning and work.  

This post will deal with step 3 of the 3 steps to Building a Referral Business.

When you earn a customer you make many promises and assurances, both implied and stated.  You must know all of those promises and assurances.  You must know them so that you can follow through on each and every one.  

You shouldn't EVER over promise and then under deliver.   

When we talk about customer service, we normally discuss how someone is greeted and then how they are assisted with what they need.  Customer service is that and much much more.

  If you want to build a referral business you must strive to provide Platinum Certified - Gold Plated Customer Service. 

You have to be there for your customer both for what you have promised and also for whatever they need.  You need to become their "Go To Guy/Gal" in your business and for any and all other needs they have.  You do that by earning their confidence in Steps 1 and 2, but you continue to build on it as you prove over and over again that you can be counted on.  This leads them to telling 2 or 3 people and then 2 or 3 more and then they tell 2 or 3 people and you can see how your hard work and dedication to customer service will payoff in multitudes.  

I believe that you can and will improve your income immediately if you adapt the commitment to provide the very best service that you can.

Saying that you will do something the "very best you can" is a mouthful and quite an undertaking.  Most people don't know what the best they can is.  It takes a lot of effort and a very positive attitude.  It takes a caring for your customer beyond your paycheck.  It takes pride in what you do and you must be serious about honoring your commitments to others.  

Do you want to become more efficient with your prospecting?  Do you want your business to start working for you?  Become a true professional in every sense of the word and embrace these 3 steps and you will see your business go absolutely crazy!

Expect to Win!

--Jim

Building a Referral Business - Step 2

How do you build a referral business? 

(1) You start with knowing your product at a very high level. 

(2) You must understand exactly how, with specificity, it benefits a customer. 

(3) Then you must provide a tremendously high level of customer service.  

Last week I introduced the 3 step process to building a referral business.  A referral business is what allows you to become as efficient as possilbe when it comes to the quality of prospect you primarily work with.  I also posted about step one last week.  Step 2 addresses how you present your product knowledge to your customer.

Becoming an expert on your product is the goal.  However, if you recite your knowledge to the customer you really haven't accomplished anything.  Does the feature of your product benefit your propect by improving their quality of life, give them peace of mind, make using it more convenient, save them money?  Do you get the idea?  If a salesperson is selling a car that has cruise control and they tell them that it has cruise and the controls are on the steering wheel.  That shows their product knowledge.  But, when he or she tells them that this feature makes driving more comfortable because it sets the speed and they don't have to keep pressure on the gas pedal for miles and miles and it makes the vehicle operation less costly because it keeps the speed consistent.  The salesperson shows their knowledge not only of the product but also exactly how it benefits the customer.  This step takes study of the product specifications but also the benefits of each and every feature.  Also, to truly embrace this means that you must talk to other salespeople about their experiences with the product and how it benefits their customers.  Then you need to aks questions of your customers about their experience with the product.  To truly become a professional in this area, you have got to continue this process.  You must be relentless in your pursuit of understanding exactly how your product benefits a customer.  If present the benefits to a customer after you have studied and researched the benefits, then their experience will be just as you told them.  Then they will tell everyone how much of a professional you are.

If you commit to Steps 1 and 2 of this process your will be in the top 5% of all salespeople.  You must remember, that these steps never end.  You must consistently, continually and relentlessly practice them in order to be effective in building a referral business. 

Expect to Win!

--Jim

Always have your mind open to new prospects

I am really looking forward to this College Football Saturday.  There are many great games on the schedule today.  I will be spending time with friends and their friends today as we enjoy the games and all that goes with them.  I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy the great weather that we in Texas will enjoy today.

I just want to remind you to keep your ears open for opportunities to help others.  Someone may ask what you do ... do you have a less than 60 second answer to that?  Someone may voice some concern or pain about a situation that you and your business can assist with.  You may not address it right now, but you need to have a plan to make note of the details so that you can address it with them, later in the day or Monday.  They will be impressed that you remember the details and cared enough to get in touch with them.

Have a great day today and keep your prospecting radar on!!!

Expect to Win!

--Jim

3 Steps to Become An Expert

How do you build a referral business? 

(1) You start with knowing your product at a very high level. 

(2) You must understand exactly how, with specificity, it benefits a customer. 

(3) Then you must provide a tremendously high level of customer service.  

I want to address the 1st step in the process of building a referral business in this blog post.  Product knowledge has always been important to a sales professional.  However, it is more important to day than ever.  We are in the information age and anyone can access almost any information on a subject in a click of a mouse.  You must assume that every prospect will know your product better than you do.  If you understand this fact from day one then you will put in the effort to make sure it doesn't happen.

When it comes to knowing your product, use this  3 Step Approach to Become An Expert.

1)  Identify ALL of the resources available from your company about your product.  These resources can be company information, 3rd party and can be online or in print.  It  doesn't matter, you need to make sure you know of ALL the information available to you.  You also need to know what is available to your prospects.  This step allows you to always know where to access any information on your product.  

2)  When you begin you need to start with a total immersion and read and study ALL resources you have about your product.  From that point on you need to set aside a minimum of 1/2 hour per day to review these resources and all new information.  This 1/2 hour should be scheduled and the most effective time is prior to the business day officially beginning.  You should plan this so that your are continually moving through ALL of the resources available on your product.  Don't ever let anyone know your product better than you.  

3)  Identify your competitors and especially the most competitive and the ones that you will come against the most often.  Find out what information is available from them that your prospect can access.  Get a true picture of what they have to offer and study the details of their product offerings.  Know how they compare to your product.  Always remember that the one thing they don't have is you.  What you are doing is making sure that you are a professional and that your competence is head and shoulders above any representative of any competitor.

These 3 steps to address product knowledge take strategic, consistent effort.  You have to be serious and passionate about your career as a professional salesperson to commit to these 3 steps.  If you choose not to commit then you will be like 95% of salespeople and you will work for a commission and focus on the quantity of your prospects and not be getting better and you will burn out.  If you do commit to these 3 steps you will be a PRO and your income will be 5-10 times that of that other 95%.  You will become invaluable to your customers.  They will be asking you who else to do business with in other areas of their lives.

This addresses the first step in buidling a referral business.  Nothing in your business can improve your quality of life more than improving your quality of prospect.

Expect to Win!

--Jim

Acquire this attitude and gain success!

I love Zig!!

Improve the Quality of Your Prospects and Increase Your Income Now!

When we talk about prospects we usually concentrate on increasing the quantity of prospects.  However, if you look at the Sales Success Formula I introduced on this blog a short time ago, you will see that most of the time spent by a salesperson is on the attempts made to contact a prospect.  If you increased the QUALITY of your prospect, meaning one that was interested in taking your call or meeting you, your time efficiency would increase immediately.  Again, when you look at the formula for sales success, the number of attempts you make (#A) in order to contact a prospect (#C) so that you can then make a presentation (#P) with the plan to close a sale (#S), takes a huge time investment.  So, if we decrease the number of attempts you have to make in order to contact a prospect the process becomes more profitable quickly.  I have witnessed many people leave the profession of selling because they spent all of their time concentrating on increasing the QUANTITY  of their prospects and improving their closing technique and no time on improving the QUALITY of their prospects and becoming a pro at making a presentation of their product to a customer.  

The highest QUALITY prospect is a referral.  This is a prospect that a current or former customer has referred to you.  The person who referred them to you, knows you and respects you and holds you in high regard or they wouldn't be sending them to you.  A referral business doesn't just happen.  It takes a strategy to accomplish.  

How do you build a referral business? 

(1) You start with knowing your product at a very high level. 

(2) You must understand exactly how, with specificity, it benefits a customer. 

(3) Then you must provide a tremendously high level of customer service.  

These 3 steps are vital to starting and sustaining a referral business.  In order to find out where you are in relation to these 3 very important steps, you need to take some time and be very honest with yourself. If you aren't going to answer the following questions honestly then you are wasting your time.  For you own success' sake be honest as you answer these questions about your business:

1)  How much time do you spend daily studying the product or service your provide? This time includes study of the industry and your competition.  You must have a deep understanding of what you do and if you are not spending time daily growing your competence then you are not serious about a long term career in the profession of selling.

2)  How much time do you spend daily talking, thinking and studying about how your product or service specifically benefits your customer? Are you practicing your presentation so that you talk directly to these benefits with your prospect?  Do  you know so much in this area that your empathy with the customer is impactful to them?  Again, if you are not spending time daily working on this you are not really serious about a long term career in the profession of selling.

3)  Do you spend time daily or at least weekly calling on your current customers? The purpose is to check on how they are and how your product or service is or has performed for them.  This is vital to your business.

4)  Do you always follow through and deliver on everything you have promised a customer?  You should be able to state that beyond a shadow of a doubt you deliver for your customer.  You should be able to say the you go above and beyond expectations 100% of the time.  If you don't follow through on your promises and commitments then you need to change that immediately, or get out of the professional of selling.  You are ruining the reputation we professionals are trying so hard to build and protect.

Spend whatever time is needed to honestly evaluate your business using these 3 questions.  If you can honestly answer these questions correctly then you have earned the right to ask for and expect your customers and people you know to send you prospects.  If you can't answer these correctly then your business is failing whether you know it or not and you will never be able to build a referral business.

If you seriously take this strategy on, your income will improve immediately.  

Expect to Win!

--Jim

Can You Improve Your Prospect Quality?

When a sales professional considers how to become more efficient with their time, the first area that they must look at is their mix of prospects.  If you are only cold calling and randomly choosing who you call on, then you are selecting the most inefficient prospecting strategy available.  You are not only having to introduce yourself, your company and your product, but you may be having to develop the need for your product or service as well.  This process is very time consuming.

The most efficient prospect is a referral.  This is a person or company that a current or former customer has referred to you.  In most cases this serves as a partial introduction to you and your company as well as your product.  The need for your product or service is normally addressed as well. This makes for a very efficient use of your time.  These prospects sometimes come from people that you know and that know what you do and may not do business with you.  The key is the introduction.

How do you build a referral business? 

(1) You start with knowing your product at a very high level. 

(2) You must understand exactly how, with specificity, it benefits a customer. 

(3) Then you must provide a tremendously high level of customer service.  

Once  you master these 3 key areas of professionalism, then you can ask for referrals and expect your customers to send people to you.  It takes a concerted effort to master these 3 areas.  Some salespeople ask for referrals without earning the right to ask someone to send the people they know to do business with them..  You got to earn the right to ask.  If you master these 3 areas, people want to send people to you.  They will feel like they are benefiting their family or friend more than they do you.  When that happens you will definetly have success with referrals.

Expect to Win!

--Jim

Commitment to Success

Are you committed to your own success?  How much time did you spend this week developing your skills?  If  you aren't growing and getting better then are you really serious about your own success? 

We are about ready to start a new month and it is a great time to begin some new habits.

First thing, complete the Sales Success Formula that I have detailed in this blog, in order to come up with your daily target for attempts.  Then commit to your attempt number.

2.  Read a non fiction book related to the sales profession or personal growth, for 30 minutes each day. 

3.  Find someone you know that is successful doing what you are doing and spend some meaningful quality time with them.  Find out what has been effective for them.  What is their daily routine and what habits have they developed that have contributed to their success.

4.  Everyday begin the day with a review of your income goal and your gameplan for hitting your attempt number for the day.  Review the previous days activities and indentify opportunities.

5.  Identify one skill you are going to work on this month.  Research industry information to help you improve that skill.

Commit to these 5 things and you will notice immediate progress on your quest to get better.  

Expect to Win!

--Jim

Success is a choice: Hard Right or Easy Wrong?

In his book, Take the Stairs: 7 steps to achieving true success, Rory Vaden writes:  "It’s the habit that’s important. Success is often not the result of our major decisions, but more deceptively it is the aggregate sum total of all our small and seemingly insignificant ones. Success comes down to choosing the hard right over the easy wrong. Consistently."
This excerpt from this great book reminds me that all of my decisions count.  Whether they are small or large, it is the aggregate sum total of the decisions I make that lead to success or failure.  What do you focus on each day? The hard right or the easy wrong?  Do you avoid negative conversations with colleagues or do you just jump in because it is easy and there is no pressure?  Do you work on your people skills by engaging a stranger or do you just go ahead and stay with those colleagues and discuss all that is wrong with management?  Do you focus on hitting your attempt number for the day (#A)? Or, do you blow off part of the day and get back to it tomorrow?
So, the question today is "hard right" or "easy wrong"?  Your success hangs in the balance waiting for your answer, not just today but every day.

Expect to win!

--Jim

Feeling Their Pain

Everybody is different. We all feel differently about events going on in our lives and in the world.  We all react differently to situations in our families and organizations.  Everyone of us handle triumphs as well as tragedies differently.  So, how do sales professionals navigate dealing with people who are so drastically different?  The answer is empathy.

Empathy is " the ability to understand and share the feelings of another".
This is a skill developed over time that allows us to adapt to another person with a very different viewpoint from us and our other prospects and clients.  We develop this skill by asking good questions.  If I am working with a prospect on the replacement of a current product or service and I want to understand what they are trying to accomplish then I must ask specific questions.  "What do you like about your current product or service?" Then expand on that answer by asking, "tell me more about that and why you like that specific feature.". The next question is " What do you want to change about your current product or service?" Then again, based on your closely listening, "tell me more about your experience and how changing this specific feature would benefit you.".  You must be engaged and then you must engage them.  As you ask these questions you begin to empathize with them and that allows you to help them expand on their answer.  This is when the magic of empathy begins to show it self. When you make a product or service recommendation based on them and their needs and not based on what is on sale or what you have a bonus on, then they feel your sincerity and professionalism.  They know you listened.  Do you think they will go to anyone besides you ever again for the product or service you provide?  No, because you are different and that's because you care.  All this because you possess and practice the skill of empathy.

Expect to Win!

--Jim