Live in the present and prepare for the future

Good advice for our Sales Pros – If you spend too much time looking back you may trip and stumble past that opportunity and never even notice that it was there.

This Edumaction piece also welcomes Annie Bass and Sally Rogers to Sales Professionals.  We know that there are a lot of clubs to join and we are happy that you chose Sales Pros.

Mel Carney

Make 2012 Your Best Business Year 

Mel – 2012 is the only year that we have so you need to make the most of your opportunities 

Katie Morell Jan 11, 2012 - It’s time to celebrate 2012. Here, six business leaders weigh in on how SBOs can make this year the best (and most profitable) yet. 

Start fresh 

“A small business owner’s attitude entering a new year is really critical,” said Dr. Deborah Brown, MBA, a business coach based in Deerfield Beach, Fla. “If you are still beating yourself up for things that happened in 2011, you won’t be able to network as effectively. Let go of any negativity from last year and start this one re-energized.” 

( Harness Your Top Talent) Mel 

“The economy is rebounding and it’s time for you to play your Trump Card – In a card game, that card is in the suit that has the most powerful cards. There is a card game where the goal is end up with all of the cards in one suit and that is called “Shoot The Moon” . I believe that each of us should go to our strength and only sell those opportunities that play to that strength. One of the points in this paper recommends that you eliminate 10% of the products that you are trying to sell and concentrate on the rest of the products. Perhaps we should add eliminate 10% of your prospects and only go after those who you have worn out with your unproductive calls. 

Focus on money making 

“Each day, pick three of the most important actions that will move your business forward and generate income,” advised Mike Taubleb, principal at Promenade Speakers Bureau, LLC, based in Brooklyn, N.Y. “If you are a small business owner and are not closing sales, you are not making money. “Figure out what you are doing on an hourly basis and see if it will lead to sales in the short or long term. Make sure to do tasks that will not generate income when your customers will not be as accessible by phone, like in the evenings or on weekends.” 

Build a new position, (for yourself) 

“Appoint yourself as the Chief Customer Officer of your company. “Companies have a chief financial officer, a chief executive officer and so on, but no one has a Chief Customer Officer. It will be/is your job to advocate for the customer. Act like a customer and check out your company to ensure that you and your company make great business partners.

Take out 10 percent 

“Stop selling 10 percent of the products or services you now offer,” Stevens suggested. “Chances are, they don’t sell and you’ve kept them as part of your business 'just because.' Focus your energies on what is selling well and bring innovative products or services into your offering.” 

Learn to manage your career 

“Without effective management, a sales professional will just spin their wheels,” said Jerry Siegel, president of JASB Management Inc., a business management consultancy based in Syosset, N.Y. “The best thing a sales professional can do is to learn to manage his or her career. I recommend talking to a business coach who can help them determine their challenges and build plans of actions to reach their goals.” 

Stop bad marketing 

“Put an immediate halt to marketing initiatives that you cannot measure or don’t know if they work,” Stevens said. “If you don’t know, they likely do not produce. Focus your marketing efforts that do.” 

Consult others 

“At the beginning of the year, speak with four professionals who can help you move your business forward,” said Christine Clifford, CSP, CEO and president of Christine Clifford Enterprises, a speaker and entrepreneur. “Start delegating. If you try to do it all, you will drown.” 

Write a lessons learned list

 “No matter how successful your business has been, if you don’t take notice of what worked and what didn’t, you are bound to make the same mistakes again,” said Maria Marsala, CEO of Elevating Your Business, a coaching, consulting and education company based in Poulbso, WA. “A lesson’s learned list or report will detail the project, what worked well and what you could change next time. Use those lessons to make your business better.” 

Target 25 percent growth 

“Refuse to accept any less,” Stevens said. “Once you set this as a target, lay out a of plan for how your company will achieve this growth. Being successful in business means you have to be comfortably uncomfortable. If you are always comfortable, you can’t be successful.” 

Katie Morell is Chicago-based writer and frequent OPEN Forum contributor. She also regularly contributes business, feature and travel articles to national and regional publications. 

This piece is being sent as a redundant piece and you may see the same piece in a few months- I believe it comes under, “ Live in the present and prepare for the future”, Mel

Who is going to get the economy moving?

By Dave Kahle copyright (2010)

In this economy, everyone is looking for a simple fix to survive and arrive on the other side intact. Some even occasionally entertain dreams of growing just a little bit. Few are happy with their situations. And all but a few point their fingers at the economy as the source of their dismay.

The comments I overheard at one of my recent Top Gun seminars were representative. One sales person complained that his customers were shrinking and going out of business. Several complained about customers’ pressure to lower prices. Still others complained about desperate competitors’ feverish attempts to generate cash flow by dramatically discounting.

There must be a genetic inclination in the human race to look outside ourselves and blame those things that are outside of our control for our situations. We lament the conditions outside of ourselves, and cast ourselves as victims. If only someone else would fix it. Maybe the government will make everything good again.

Unfortunately, as long as our gaze is directed at “them” – those conditions in the market that have changed and are outside of our ability to control – we will never free ourselves from the constraints on our income and prosperity. We can’t do anything about “them.”

Personal note from Dave Kahle "I hope you enjoy this article. We have lots of resources on this site, ranging from dozens of similar free articles, podcasts, weekly features, books , CDs and video training programs. Enjoy! "

The real secret to improving our conditions is to work on “us.” James Allen said: “Men are often interested in improving their circumstance, but are unwilling to improve themselves, they therefore remain bound.”

Sales people, sales managers, and sales executives need to look inward -- at themselves and their sales teams -- for the solution to their problems.

Sales People 

Sales people must understand that it was OK just a few years ago, to “have your own style of selling,” to never invest in your own improvement, to make your living off of your existing relationships. Today, all of these are obsolete ideas that must be changed. It’s time to look inward, and fix you.

To effectively deal with the changing economy, sales people must become more strategic and thoughtful about the investment of their sales time, and they must bring value both to the customer and to their employers in every sales call. They must view their jobs as professions, not just jobs, and become serious about improving themselves. In a world where it is blatantly obvious that good sales people sell more than mediocre sales people, they must decide to become better. That means investing in their own improvement, and striving to achieve higher levels of competency and thus, better results.

Those sales people who survive and thrive in this climate will be those who understand the path to their prosperity lies not in the outside world, but in them.

Sales Managers

Likewise, sales managers have to stop coddling those sales people who aren’t interested in, or committed to, continuous improvement and greater levels of productivity. They need to put in place practices and disciplines that call for quantifiable expectations on the part of their sales team, regular measurements, and greater thoughtfulness and strategic planning.

They must demand continuous improvement and thoughtful efforts to increase market share. 

Sales managers must look inward, understanding that their chances of success are dependent on them, not the market. That they can do it better, and that doing it better brings better results.

They must examine their sales forces, and use this window of opportunity to weed out those sales people who have no interest in developing, who don’t have the capability to succeed as a professional sales person, and who aren’t committed to their own personal success. Now is the time to review the bottom third of their sales forces and aggressively seek to upgrade.

Sales Executives 

CEOs, and CSOs (Chief Sales Officers) need to recognize that the current state of the economy, and the resulting impact on the attitudes and perspectives of employees, has delivered a once in a lifetime opportunity to make significant changes in the structure of the sales force.

Recall just a little over a year ago. To make wholesales changes in sales territories, account responsibilities, the role of the inside and outside sales person, sales management practices, compensation plans, and expectations for continuous improvement – all of these initiatives would have been met with resistance from the majority of the sales force. Today, most sales people are willingly cooperative, acutely aware that they can be easily replaced if they don’t follow your lead. Those CEOs and CSOs who look inward and use this window of opportunity to streamline and rationalize their sales systems will increase their productivity and lay the groundwork for disproportional growth when the economy turns up.

The world is full of victims who lament their condition and blame their fate on sources outside of their control. Leaders accept their responsibility to look inward and improve themselves.

Dave has apparently put a burr under the saddle blanket of each level of sales. If the shoe fits wear it, if it does not then you are good to go selling.
- Mel

10 Things You Don't Know About Your Customers

Recession or no recession this article has to do with your customers. 

• Does every customer know about your latest and greatest new product?
• Do you know that they just built that new branch in Dupo, IL?
• Do you know that your customer in Abilene is really hurting and could use that new A-100 product line that was just released?

 Start today and treat all of your current customers like they just joined the club.

“Keep smilin and dialin”  Darlin

The Sales Pro Edumaction manager, Mel

Sandler Success Principles

Mike Montague from Sandler Training Kansas City will be our featured speaker this Friday at 7am at First Watch!

Sandler Training's latest book the Sandler Success Priniciples will be released to the public at midnight tonight! Sales professionals can order the book here for OVER 40% off for a limited time this week: http://www.amazon.com/

Come join us for a discussion of the Sandler Selling System this Friday with Mike Montague at First Watch. Breakfast is only $13 or you can come as our guest to just sit in and join the conversation!

Mike will discuss the psychology behind the sale, and how to lead the buyer/seller dance. Most salespeople fall into a trap we call "Wimp Junction" were they wimp out and do what the prospect wants rather than what is in both parties best interest.

Who is more qualified to decide if your product is the right fit for the needs of the situation? You or your prospect? If you believe that you have that expertise, then join us this Friday at 7am!

Find out more about Sandler Sales Training In Kansas City by clicking here: http://www.effectivesales.sandler.com/

The new cold call

Ninety-two percent of prospects almost never book a meeting from a cold call or email, according to a study by UNC’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business. In 2012, rather than make cold calls, sales executives will first seek connections through social media networks, and then increase response rates with warm introductions.

Great Resource for Sales Professionals

http://www.makeuseof.com/  - Want to know about Android, New apps, and a long list of techy kind of things – then click on the link.  It is amazing that someone can find this stuff and then be nice enough to share the information.

One of the manuals that is on this site is a “Linked In” Manual for creating your online resume.