Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Sunset - Tuesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
The Art of Not Selling
I am presenting an interactive workshop at the end of the month for people who are responsible for new business development and sales. We are going to focus on the importance of storytelling and humor; get off the phone and try other means of communication; and getting clear on who is qualified as a potential client/customer.
It's very important to try new ways of being and new methods to keep on top of your game. I love working with sales people since I was in that arena for 10 years before I got my coach training. Typically sales people are high energy, outgoing, love people and are hungry for success. One of the new tools that is becoming very mainstream is "storytelling". When you can share a story that relates to a conversation, it helps with credibility and allows for a genuine interest in what is being said. It takes practice but is very effective. There are lots of books, research, web sites on this. People relate to stories. It's very important to keep them short, have a point that relevant to the topic and use body language, facial expressions, voice to emphasize certain points. Infusing humor is also important. Have fun when presenting or when meeting someone but be genuine in the process. We Americans sometimes take life too seriously.
Many people do not answer their phones directly nor do they call you back. So, if you have a challenge around this, send creative emails or text messages (younger generation loves this), find them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. The phone is just one tool that may or may not be as effective as it used to be. And most importantly, meet with people in person or possibly via Skype. People like to associate a name and voice to a face. Be open to trying many sources of communication.
Qualifying your prospects is very, very important. Why waste your breathe if the person you are talking with is not the decision maker, isn't in the least interested in what you are selling or there is no fit for what you do. Also, do some research on the company or the person first before you meet with them. Go to the company web site, check them out on LinkedIn (follow them), know the key players, how they do their business, etc. Google the person you are meeting with to find out a little about them. This saves a lot of wasted time if you practice this and gets you to success a lot faster. Always ask for referrals after the meeting especially if there is no opportunity with them directly. Now that they have gotten to know you and vice versa, the chances are greater that you'll get referred to someone else who could be important to your business plan.
Stay on top of what the latest trends are in sales and business development and be open to trying something outside the box, new and different. In the long run this will pay off in tremendous benefits for your continued and new found success.
It's very important to try new ways of being and new methods to keep on top of your game. I love working with sales people since I was in that arena for 10 years before I got my coach training. Typically sales people are high energy, outgoing, love people and are hungry for success. One of the new tools that is becoming very mainstream is "storytelling". When you can share a story that relates to a conversation, it helps with credibility and allows for a genuine interest in what is being said. It takes practice but is very effective. There are lots of books, research, web sites on this. People relate to stories. It's very important to keep them short, have a point that relevant to the topic and use body language, facial expressions, voice to emphasize certain points. Infusing humor is also important. Have fun when presenting or when meeting someone but be genuine in the process. We Americans sometimes take life too seriously.
Many people do not answer their phones directly nor do they call you back. So, if you have a challenge around this, send creative emails or text messages (younger generation loves this), find them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. The phone is just one tool that may or may not be as effective as it used to be. And most importantly, meet with people in person or possibly via Skype. People like to associate a name and voice to a face. Be open to trying many sources of communication.
Qualifying your prospects is very, very important. Why waste your breathe if the person you are talking with is not the decision maker, isn't in the least interested in what you are selling or there is no fit for what you do. Also, do some research on the company or the person first before you meet with them. Go to the company web site, check them out on LinkedIn (follow them), know the key players, how they do their business, etc. Google the person you are meeting with to find out a little about them. This saves a lot of wasted time if you practice this and gets you to success a lot faster. Always ask for referrals after the meeting especially if there is no opportunity with them directly. Now that they have gotten to know you and vice versa, the chances are greater that you'll get referred to someone else who could be important to your business plan.
Stay on top of what the latest trends are in sales and business development and be open to trying something outside the box, new and different. In the long run this will pay off in tremendous benefits for your continued and new found success.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Importance of Creating a Cohesive Culture
Gallop states that for every disengaged employee it costs the organization an average of $13K per year per employee. It should be noted that further research from multiple sources in all types of industries, shows that for every 1% improvement in culture there is a corresponding 2% to 3% increase in revenue. What are you doing to improve your culture?
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