With all the doom and gloom in the air. Sales Reps are becoming more and more short sighted. 90% of success is just showing up. Whether it is a conference call, a web conference, or a face to face meeting – just show up.
Over the past three months, I have seen more Sales Reps only want to go on a meeting if there is a contract at the end of the meeting. They don’t want to go on discovery meetings anymore. The Art of Building a Relationship is dying. You can’t have someone else build a relationship for you – you have to do that yourself.
With the cost of airfare going up, it’s harder to do discovery meetings face to face; the teleconference has now become the norm for discovery meetings. I got several calls in the past month about the fact that the prospect didn’t show up after 5 minutes, so the Sales Rep hung up. When I called one of the prospects back to reschedule, they apologized because they were called into the boss’s office and they were ten minutes late for the meeting. However, they were dumb founded that no one left a voicemail on their machine asking where they were. . . If you have scheduled a 30 minutes conference call, stay on the line 30 minutes! You have already booked the time in your schedule.
While you are a waiting for prospects to get on the bridge number, you can use other telecommunication means to find out where the prospect is. Use your cell phone is call the main desk and ask for the prospect; ask for the assistant to the prospect; or ask for a person who sits next to the prospect.
Typically, when the prospect loose track of time they are either A) deep in a spreadsheet and forgot to check the timer pop ups; B) got called into the boss’s office for an impromptu meeting and will be ten minutes late; or C) had a catastrophe that couldn’t be avoided. More importantly they need to know you showed up. If you still have not heard from the prospect after 30 minutes, call the prospect again and relay the message that the time you had arranged is up and that you can be reached to reschedule the appointment. This let’s the prospect know that you value your time as well as the prospect’s time. Prospects need to know that you are willing to work at their pace. If you are the type of person who would bale on them after five minutes, what does that say about your company when there are real issues to be addressed?
If the Prospect lost track of time, it is appropriate to leave a message after five minutes asking when they plan to log in. It is not uncommon for company meetings to run late and the Prospect does not have your contact information on hand to tell you that they are running late. If the Prospect had a catastrophe (personal/company reason), it is important to know that when you call back to reschedule. Most receptionist/AAs can tell you up front why the Prospect is unable to make the conference call today.
The five minute rule becomes even worst when there are other members of your team sitting and waiting for the conference call. When they are support staff, they are more likely to press you into hanging up early. This is time to give the speech that “first impressions cannot be duplicated”. If they need to check their voicemails or read computer documents they can do so, but be ready at a moment’s notice.
Finally, imagine the impression you will make when the prospect shows up 10 minutes late, “through no fault of their own”, and your entire team are still waiting and enthused about starting the discussion. I have a client who had scheduled a 45 minute introductory conference call with a CIO. The CIO was 10 minutes late, but my Sales Rep and his support staff were ready to go when the CIO showed up. 35 minutes into a deep discussion my Sales Rep boldly told the CIO “I know that we asked for 45 minutes of your time and that time is nearly up, I am prepared to continue this discussion at another time, unless you would like to continue talking now. . .” The CIO stayed on the phone for another 2 hours. A proposal is in the works.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
THe Art of Cold Calling for the Holidays.
Every Holiday, I hear about Inside Sales People saying that they shouldn’t be working the day before the Holiday – it’s a waste of time. The day before the holiday is not business as usual, so you shouldn’t treat it as business as usual.
The day before the holiday is the best time to set up conference calls for a outside sales reps. The phone call goes something like this. “Hi, Bob I know that you are really busy, my partner Steve is interested if you are in the office the day before the holiday. . . “
Many executives are in the office the morning before the holiday. They don’t have any “team meetings” that day and they are usually calling people who are from other countries who don’t have the same holiday schedule – Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving. The Executives can usually fit a half hour conference call in their schedule. Some Executives are the person who drew the short straw and have to work that day while other Executives take the day off. Remember you don’t need a ton of meetings that day, you just need one or two conference calls in the morning to make the day worth while.
If you are working with an outside Sales Reps, ask them if they will take a conference with a half -hour notice. Ask your Sales Reps if the are working the day before the Holiday, confirm the game plan. The conversation with the prospect goes like this. “Hi Bob, I see you are working today too. My partner, Steve, is working today too, he is on a call right now, but he asked me if you could talk in about 30minutes about . . .”
Alternatively, calling the day before a holiday is a great time to do research to find the right person. I make a list of all the companies where I either don’t have the name of the right person, or need to confirm the title of the right person. The receptionists still have to work. Many are very bored sitting at the switchboard which isn’t ringing. They have time to help direct you to the right person. Take the time to have a nice conversation and find out all the right people to call the week after the holiday.
Speed dial!!! Many Executive Assistants have taken the day off; however, their boss still has to work the morning. Arrange your list of contacts to speed through the prospects that have EAs who have stonewalled you every time you try to call. Gatekeepers take the day off too.
Finally, move from time zone to time zone, so that you are only calling in the morning. The Executives usually come in very early on pre-holiday mornings so that they can get out by noon. CALL EARLY and shift from time zones until 3:00PM Eastern time, which is noon Pacific Time.
At the end of the day, finish with research on the internet. Look up information on all the people/companies that you have been working on all day. You never have time during the day to do research because you are too business dialing the phone. If you are convinced you have exhausted all the prospects you know – look up prospects you don’t know.
This will give you a full and productive pre-holiday work day. If you have to work – make money.
The day before the holiday is the best time to set up conference calls for a outside sales reps. The phone call goes something like this. “Hi, Bob I know that you are really busy, my partner Steve is interested if you are in the office the day before the holiday. . . “
Many executives are in the office the morning before the holiday. They don’t have any “team meetings” that day and they are usually calling people who are from other countries who don’t have the same holiday schedule – Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving. The Executives can usually fit a half hour conference call in their schedule. Some Executives are the person who drew the short straw and have to work that day while other Executives take the day off. Remember you don’t need a ton of meetings that day, you just need one or two conference calls in the morning to make the day worth while.
If you are working with an outside Sales Reps, ask them if they will take a conference with a half -hour notice. Ask your Sales Reps if the are working the day before the Holiday, confirm the game plan. The conversation with the prospect goes like this. “Hi Bob, I see you are working today too. My partner, Steve, is working today too, he is on a call right now, but he asked me if you could talk in about 30minutes about . . .”
Alternatively, calling the day before a holiday is a great time to do research to find the right person. I make a list of all the companies where I either don’t have the name of the right person, or need to confirm the title of the right person. The receptionists still have to work. Many are very bored sitting at the switchboard which isn’t ringing. They have time to help direct you to the right person. Take the time to have a nice conversation and find out all the right people to call the week after the holiday.
Speed dial!!! Many Executive Assistants have taken the day off; however, their boss still has to work the morning. Arrange your list of contacts to speed through the prospects that have EAs who have stonewalled you every time you try to call. Gatekeepers take the day off too.
Finally, move from time zone to time zone, so that you are only calling in the morning. The Executives usually come in very early on pre-holiday mornings so that they can get out by noon. CALL EARLY and shift from time zones until 3:00PM Eastern time, which is noon Pacific Time.
At the end of the day, finish with research on the internet. Look up information on all the people/companies that you have been working on all day. You never have time during the day to do research because you are too business dialing the phone. If you are convinced you have exhausted all the prospects you know – look up prospects you don’t know.
This will give you a full and productive pre-holiday work day. If you have to work – make money.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
THe Art of Beer and Cigarettes
A friend of mine was having a hard time closing inside sales calls the other day. He had been doing well for months and all of a sudden the magic was gone. His manager said “Stop pitching!” “You sound like you’re pitching!” After he sat there for a while trying to figure out what he was doing differently, I walked over and told him he needs to smoke a cigarette at his desk. Yes, this created a little shock and awe. I followed up with the comment that he is a different person on the phone than when he is on break smoking a cigarette. I asked him to try sitting on his desk and talk to the prospect like he was smoking a cigarette. Two minutes later he secured a meeting on the phone.
Now I’m not saying that you should go out and start smoking and drinking, but we all have habits about how we talk with our friends. We need to bring those habits to the phone skills. Prospects are buying your voice and manners as much has they are buying your product.
The best salespeople have the same habits whether they are talking with a friend or talking with a prospect. Most of it starts with listening. When you are at a cookout with your friends you spend a lot of time listening to your friends’ stories. We listen to a story and then either make a comment or tell a related story. For some reason we don’t transfer that ability to listening on the phone. We get the 30/300/3000 rule stuck in our head and feel like we have to close to a meeting in 300 seconds. Sometimes it goes longer. We keep cutting the prospect to the quick instead of letting them talk out what they need talk about. We would never be so rude as to cut our friend off.
So when you gather with friends over the up coming weekend holidays find your style. Are you better at standing or sitting? Are you better with a cup in your hand? Do you play with your glasses?
Now I’m not saying that you should go out and start smoking and drinking, but we all have habits about how we talk with our friends. We need to bring those habits to the phone skills. Prospects are buying your voice and manners as much has they are buying your product.
The best salespeople have the same habits whether they are talking with a friend or talking with a prospect. Most of it starts with listening. When you are at a cookout with your friends you spend a lot of time listening to your friends’ stories. We listen to a story and then either make a comment or tell a related story. For some reason we don’t transfer that ability to listening on the phone. We get the 30/300/3000 rule stuck in our head and feel like we have to close to a meeting in 300 seconds. Sometimes it goes longer. We keep cutting the prospect to the quick instead of letting them talk out what they need talk about. We would never be so rude as to cut our friend off.
So when you gather with friends over the up coming weekend holidays find your style. Are you better at standing or sitting? Are you better with a cup in your hand? Do you play with your glasses?
Sunday, April 26, 2009
THe Art of Zoological Enrichment
Driving home from Seder the other day, I was listening to an NPR program about Zoos and Zoological Enrichment – the art some finding something exciting for the zoo creatures to do while they are in their enclosure.
You know what? That is no different than humans. My single friends are out living the wild life. All my married friends are living in zoological enclosures called “Married with Kids”. Those who love “Married with Kids Enclosures” have developed Enrichment programs for themselves – coaching youth sports, teaching religious classes, attending workout programs, etc. Talk shows are all about spicing up your life.
As an inside sales rep, I have an enclosure too. There are several other enclosed creatures around me. We too, seek the wildlife, but love the safety of our enclosure. Although all of us do it for the money, we crave Zoological Enrichment to keep our work life fun and exciting. I prefer the programs that allow everyone to win not just a few. Enrichment programs where only three team members can win usually have only the top 6 participating.
Before are some of my favorite Enrichment programs:
HIT YOUR MANAGER WITH WATER BALLOONS
With the heat at 85 degrees outside this is always a fun one. Meet your team goal for the day/week and you get to throw water balloons at your manager. Our winter version of this was to shoot a hockey foam ball at a net with our manager playing goalie.
BERMUDA SHORTS FRIDAY
Ok so I don’t have the legs for this one, but proper knee highs help.
STASH WEDNESDAY
OK, Ash Wednesday comes around once a year, but the several weeks leading up to it can be quite motivating.
AFTERNOON ICE CREAM
Meet your goal by noon and the manager will bring in ice ops or Ice cream sandwiches.
BRUINS DAY
With the Boston Bruins in the payoff and headed for the Stanley Cup (you heard it hear first) wear your favorite sports team. Another favorite is wearing your old High School colors.
The point is to make it light and fun. Keep cash out of it. It’s enrichment, not payment. Some of the best enrichment programs start as an innocent comment that catches on and motivates the team. So quit pacing back and forth in your cage and have a little fun.
You know what? That is no different than humans. My single friends are out living the wild life. All my married friends are living in zoological enclosures called “Married with Kids”. Those who love “Married with Kids Enclosures” have developed Enrichment programs for themselves – coaching youth sports, teaching religious classes, attending workout programs, etc. Talk shows are all about spicing up your life.
As an inside sales rep, I have an enclosure too. There are several other enclosed creatures around me. We too, seek the wildlife, but love the safety of our enclosure. Although all of us do it for the money, we crave Zoological Enrichment to keep our work life fun and exciting. I prefer the programs that allow everyone to win not just a few. Enrichment programs where only three team members can win usually have only the top 6 participating.
Before are some of my favorite Enrichment programs:
HIT YOUR MANAGER WITH WATER BALLOONS
With the heat at 85 degrees outside this is always a fun one. Meet your team goal for the day/week and you get to throw water balloons at your manager. Our winter version of this was to shoot a hockey foam ball at a net with our manager playing goalie.
BERMUDA SHORTS FRIDAY
Ok so I don’t have the legs for this one, but proper knee highs help.
STASH WEDNESDAY
OK, Ash Wednesday comes around once a year, but the several weeks leading up to it can be quite motivating.
AFTERNOON ICE CREAM
Meet your goal by noon and the manager will bring in ice ops or Ice cream sandwiches.
BRUINS DAY
With the Boston Bruins in the payoff and headed for the Stanley Cup (you heard it hear first) wear your favorite sports team. Another favorite is wearing your old High School colors.
The point is to make it light and fun. Keep cash out of it. It’s enrichment, not payment. Some of the best enrichment programs start as an innocent comment that catches on and motivates the team. So quit pacing back and forth in your cage and have a little fun.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
THe Art of Aiming for the Bottom
In a down economy, it is very easy to move from being Excellent to being “Good enough”. What is a “GOAL”? Do you set your goal as the bottom of the barrel or do you set your goal as the best of the best? Or are you setting minimum goals for yourself?
Over the last couple of months, I was in a BIGGEST LOSER COMPETITION. The winner was the person with the “highest percentage weight lost”. I knew that I was one of the heaviest contestants, so I would have to lose more weight than the lightest contestant. How should I set my goal?
One goal could be – WHAT IS THE MINIMUM WEIGHT LOST I WOULD ALLOW? This is setting the goal at the bottom of the barrel. I could drive all my energy to reach for a goal that is easily attainable – the “guarantied outcome”. However, this sets you up for the minimum effort. In a twelve week competition, this could be 12 pounds. A pound week is – “at least I am losing weight every week.” I see a lot of winners who have achieved nothing. To me, joining a competition is the chance to do something extraordinary.
A second goal could have been- WHAT IS THE MOST WEIGHT I COULD LOSE? This is the goal that is just out of reach. This is the goal that would even surprise you. In my case, I have not been below 200 pounds since college – and that is back in the 80’s. Now that would be a long haul. Setting to high of a goal can lead to frustration and quitting in the middle of the game.
The third goal is setting your goal to rise and fall with the tide – BEAT THE COMPETITON! If the competition is hard, I need to step up my game and work hard. If the competition is easy, then I can slack off. In a down economy this is very common. Most sales people are looking over their shoulder to see how the other sales people in the company are doing. As long as you are in the middle of the pack, you feel safe from being fired. In a down economy, most organizations start to slack off because they come up with more and more reasons why the “Sales Pack” isn’t doing well. The goals stop being a matter of Excellence and start being – “just as long as I’m not at the bottom of the barrel”. This is very dangerous because eventually the company doesn’t make enough money to pay the fixed cost.
My recommendation is to set all three goals. Manage your expectation. By working three different goals you can keep motivated and ease frustration. People want to help people who set strong goals. People want to celebrate with people who achieve minor goals on their ways to higher goals.
I ended up taking third place in the biggest loser competition. But I was a winner, I finally broke the 200 pound barrier on the last day. I could have quit after achieving my first goal. I could have quit after it was clear I wasn’t going to win the competition. But to be able to tell people I haven’t been this trim since Hall and Oates made it records makes me a winner.
Over the last couple of months, I was in a BIGGEST LOSER COMPETITION. The winner was the person with the “highest percentage weight lost”. I knew that I was one of the heaviest contestants, so I would have to lose more weight than the lightest contestant. How should I set my goal?
One goal could be – WHAT IS THE MINIMUM WEIGHT LOST I WOULD ALLOW? This is setting the goal at the bottom of the barrel. I could drive all my energy to reach for a goal that is easily attainable – the “guarantied outcome”. However, this sets you up for the minimum effort. In a twelve week competition, this could be 12 pounds. A pound week is – “at least I am losing weight every week.” I see a lot of winners who have achieved nothing. To me, joining a competition is the chance to do something extraordinary.
A second goal could have been- WHAT IS THE MOST WEIGHT I COULD LOSE? This is the goal that is just out of reach. This is the goal that would even surprise you. In my case, I have not been below 200 pounds since college – and that is back in the 80’s. Now that would be a long haul. Setting to high of a goal can lead to frustration and quitting in the middle of the game.
The third goal is setting your goal to rise and fall with the tide – BEAT THE COMPETITON! If the competition is hard, I need to step up my game and work hard. If the competition is easy, then I can slack off. In a down economy this is very common. Most sales people are looking over their shoulder to see how the other sales people in the company are doing. As long as you are in the middle of the pack, you feel safe from being fired. In a down economy, most organizations start to slack off because they come up with more and more reasons why the “Sales Pack” isn’t doing well. The goals stop being a matter of Excellence and start being – “just as long as I’m not at the bottom of the barrel”. This is very dangerous because eventually the company doesn’t make enough money to pay the fixed cost.
My recommendation is to set all three goals. Manage your expectation. By working three different goals you can keep motivated and ease frustration. People want to help people who set strong goals. People want to celebrate with people who achieve minor goals on their ways to higher goals.
I ended up taking third place in the biggest loser competition. But I was a winner, I finally broke the 200 pound barrier on the last day. I could have quit after achieving my first goal. I could have quit after it was clear I wasn’t going to win the competition. But to be able to tell people I haven’t been this trim since Hall and Oates made it records makes me a winner.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
THe Art of the Business Blossom
Spring has sprung. Now is the time to come out of hiding and make your business blossom. The BUSINESS BLOSSOM is a way to find other business professionals who have the same type of prospects that you do. Most people would think that a realtor and a mortgage specialist would have the same customers in common. However, if the realtor only sells condos of less than $500,000, and the Mortgage specialist only does #1 million dollar plus mortgages they may have very few customers in common. THE BUSINESS BLOSSOM is the ability to break your prospects down to simple components which any one can decipher.
The more components you have in common, the more likely you will have prospects in common. Each component is a petal on your flower. Don’t assume that people have the same clients you do – create a method for politely gathering the right combination of qualifiers.
At BAO, we are looking for VPs of Marketing/Sales of “techish” companies who have Sales Reps who make six-figures, who sell a product of about six-figures, who need to meet V/C class executives. There are five petals to the blossom: 1) VP of Marketing/Sales, 2) “techish” companies, 3) sales reps making six-figures, 4) product/service of about six-figures, and sell to V/C level executives.
The keys to a good BUSINESS BLOSSOM are the answers have to be easy to obtain. I had one friend who was trying to meet CFOs who had properties with over $50,000 dollar energy bills. WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Energy bills don’t come up easily in conversation; nor is it easy to ask someone what their energy bill is. Instead he came up with a derivative: I’m looking to meet the CFO of a company that owns building with five plus stories or have parking lots which can hold over 100 cars. Now that is easy to figure out. You need to come up with petals that are easier for people to see or ask.
It is easy to ask a realtor is they sell house or condos or both. In fact, if you ask that, they might not stop talking. It is easy to ask a Mortgage broker, what is the high and low size of mortgages they sell.
After you create your BUSINESS BLOSSOM, you need to make sure that the people with whom you network, know exactly what you would like to do. It is a simple call and response.
Many times, I have heard financial advisors asking to meet prospects with $1,000,000 in assets. WOW that is an embarrassing question to ask. He narrowed the questions down to three easier questions. If you are talking with someone with a out of state summer home – I’d like to meet them. If you talking with a person whose whole family vacations in the Caribbean every year- I’d like to meet them. If you are talking with someone who trades in their BMW/Volvo every year- I’d like to meet them.
Just because someone does not qualify with all the petals on your blossom does not exclude them from the list of people you want to meet. At BAO, we would love to meet the Sales Rep who is making 6-figure selling a 5-figure product to C/V level executives. We’d also like to meet the CFO of a company selling 6-figure products to C/V level executives.
Finally, you may have to create two different BUSINESS BLOSSOMS if you have one product line for commercial customers and a second line for personal customers. When I worked at Eclipse Video in Cambridge, we sold video productions to small business, we also created photo montages to weddings.
Finally, my favorite blossom was from a friend of mine named Bill. Bill is a painter but he really wants to paint faux finishes. Now most people would think he wants to meet, handyman, carpenters, plumbers. But many of these professionals may not meet his ideal customer. Bills ideal customer is a (1) female (2)VP or higher of a company, who has (3) a child who has a (4) milestone coming up in (5) three to six months graduation, wedding, etc. His clients are more likely to do finally do their dream high-end interior wall painting when there is a reason for a lot of relatives to come over to the house. He is looking for the client that has the means, but may not have the time to manage the project. So, Bill was really interested in meeting people in the high-end wedding market - Wedding planners, live wedding bands, etc.
Each of his five petals are questions that are not hard or embarrassing to ask. And any one of the petals could be dropped out.
Have fun going through your client base and find out what they have in common and then build your own BUSINESS BLOSSOM.
The more components you have in common, the more likely you will have prospects in common. Each component is a petal on your flower. Don’t assume that people have the same clients you do – create a method for politely gathering the right combination of qualifiers.
At BAO, we are looking for VPs of Marketing/Sales of “techish” companies who have Sales Reps who make six-figures, who sell a product of about six-figures, who need to meet V/C class executives. There are five petals to the blossom: 1) VP of Marketing/Sales, 2) “techish” companies, 3) sales reps making six-figures, 4) product/service of about six-figures, and sell to V/C level executives.
The keys to a good BUSINESS BLOSSOM are the answers have to be easy to obtain. I had one friend who was trying to meet CFOs who had properties with over $50,000 dollar energy bills. WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Energy bills don’t come up easily in conversation; nor is it easy to ask someone what their energy bill is. Instead he came up with a derivative: I’m looking to meet the CFO of a company that owns building with five plus stories or have parking lots which can hold over 100 cars. Now that is easy to figure out. You need to come up with petals that are easier for people to see or ask.
It is easy to ask a realtor is they sell house or condos or both. In fact, if you ask that, they might not stop talking. It is easy to ask a Mortgage broker, what is the high and low size of mortgages they sell.
After you create your BUSINESS BLOSSOM, you need to make sure that the people with whom you network, know exactly what you would like to do. It is a simple call and response.
Many times, I have heard financial advisors asking to meet prospects with $1,000,000 in assets. WOW that is an embarrassing question to ask. He narrowed the questions down to three easier questions. If you are talking with someone with a out of state summer home – I’d like to meet them. If you talking with a person whose whole family vacations in the Caribbean every year- I’d like to meet them. If you are talking with someone who trades in their BMW/Volvo every year- I’d like to meet them.
Just because someone does not qualify with all the petals on your blossom does not exclude them from the list of people you want to meet. At BAO, we would love to meet the Sales Rep who is making 6-figure selling a 5-figure product to C/V level executives. We’d also like to meet the CFO of a company selling 6-figure products to C/V level executives.
Finally, you may have to create two different BUSINESS BLOSSOMS if you have one product line for commercial customers and a second line for personal customers. When I worked at Eclipse Video in Cambridge, we sold video productions to small business, we also created photo montages to weddings.
Finally, my favorite blossom was from a friend of mine named Bill. Bill is a painter but he really wants to paint faux finishes. Now most people would think he wants to meet, handyman, carpenters, plumbers. But many of these professionals may not meet his ideal customer. Bills ideal customer is a (1) female (2)VP or higher of a company, who has (3) a child who has a (4) milestone coming up in (5) three to six months graduation, wedding, etc. His clients are more likely to do finally do their dream high-end interior wall painting when there is a reason for a lot of relatives to come over to the house. He is looking for the client that has the means, but may not have the time to manage the project. So, Bill was really interested in meeting people in the high-end wedding market - Wedding planners, live wedding bands, etc.
Each of his five petals are questions that are not hard or embarrassing to ask. And any one of the petals could be dropped out.
Have fun going through your client base and find out what they have in common and then build your own BUSINESS BLOSSOM.
Friday, March 13, 2009
THe Art of Whoooo Hoooo
I first learned the Art of Whoo Hoo in Junior High. I used to pitch baseball. I was definitely middle of the road pitcher- except, when my dad showed up and I could hear him cheering from the stands. It was worth a couple of extra strikeouts a game.
In the 80’s, a friend of mine asked me to run in the Boston Marathon, even though I had never run more then five miles in my life. The interesting thing about a marathon is that you break into a routine pretty quickly, and that routine just slows down the further you get into the race. About the halfway mark, you are about as numb as you are going to get. It is also the point where you pass Wellesley College. The entire school is cheering you on. Suddenly you have the power of the Chariots of Fire and you can do anything.
The a couple of years ago, I got an email from one of my clients saying thanks for setting him up with one of his top ten prospects. I spent the next week with renewed vigor and set up another meeting for him. The reason I bring this up, is I had been calling on these prospects for several months without much success. The difference now is that the territory had been handed over to a new sales rep, who took the time to send me a Whoo Hoo.
This past Fall it was my turn to Whoo Hoo when I adopted the Bedford High Varsity Girls Volleyball team. Many of the players I had coached years before in soccer. Although, I lost my voice, I knew that the newest way to say Whoo Hoo was to post game photos on Facebook that the girls could share. I made sure to deleted all photos that might be embarrassing for any number of reasons before posting. The games were always during rush hour traffic, so I knew a lot of parents couldn't make many games. Oh, by the way, they surprised everyone and were league champions
Take the time to send out a Whoo Hoo. What is a Whoo Hoo? An unexpected outburst of joy or glee. Some Whoo Hoos are public, some are private. Some are immediate- some are thought over and handed hours later. My dad could always be heard of the dim or cheering voices. The Wellesley girls had no idea who I was, but they were cheering on all who had made it that far. My Sales Rep could have decided that I was just doing my job and not bothered. I could have let the other parents cheer on the girls, or I could set the bar high - by the end of the season, the girls were saying, "Hello, Mr. Hoyland."
Make a point to send out two Whoo Hoos every day.
First, send out a Whoo Hoo to someone you know – whether it is family, a friend, or a co-worker. Someone does something good everyday- you need to send out an unexpected burst of joy or glee. Call up a niece or nephew when you hear that they did something astounding – they will never see it coming. When someone brings in breakfast treats, wait to the end of the day and stop by the desk and say. “you know, that was really nice what you did this morning- Whoo Hoo.”
The Second Whoo Hoo should be to someone you don’t know personally. Tell the person at the coffee shop, who makes your coffee every morning, that they deserve a Whoo Hoo. Send a thank you e-mail to a company that gave you excellent service.
Whoo Hoos are like Grandmother hugs – there are always more that can he handed out-it is one of the most renewable resources – and its very “Green friendly”.
So Dad, thanks for all the Whoo Hoos I got. Wellesley Collegians keep cheering on the Boston Marathon Runners. And Sales Reps keep sending in emails about how I’m making your life better. And BHS Volleyball, keep saying HELLO, MR. HOYLAND.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
THe Art of Taking Stock
For years, my wife has been talking about making changes in our house: new kitchen, new bathroom, new flooring, new front door. New! New! New! The last couple of months the talk has changed to making improvements on the house. We need improvements to the kitchen, the bathroom, a more heat efficient front door. Suddenly, I am all ears. I’m figuring the changes are the same but for some reason I’m buying into the message she is sending. Then it dawned on me that she was talking about value instead of growth. There are two kinds of Stocks – Growth and Value. I went and took a look at the history of which stocks did better during the last decades:
Since 1982, the growth stocks have beaten value stocks during:
1982
1985
1987
1989-91
1995-99
2007
A year ago, I could sell anything that talked about growth. “Better faster” was the way to position a new product. Today, it is all about value. It doesn’t matter the cost of the service as long as the value is substantial. Value is everyplace – on the news, at the water cooler (if you still have one, because using tap water is a better value), and at the home.
The Melting Pot Restaurant down the street from me had a huge Valentine’s weekend. Not because they were the cheapest restaurant around, but because they delivered a great value for those seeking a romantic dinner.
Last year, was the year to talk about new and different summer camps for our children, this year it is about the value they receive from the camps.
Every Executive I talk to has no budget. Every executive I talked to last year had no budget. I don’t think any executive will ever have a budget. This year, we believe them. We have been so in tune with the doom and gloom, that we believe the hype about no budgets. In fact, they believe they have no budgets. BUT THEY DO. They just need to make sure that when they pitch the new service internally that they CYA. In a value marketplace, they need to hear about value.
Since 1982, the growth stocks have beaten value stocks during:
1982
1985
1987
1989-91
1995-99
2007
A year ago, I could sell anything that talked about growth. “Better faster” was the way to position a new product. Today, it is all about value. It doesn’t matter the cost of the service as long as the value is substantial. Value is everyplace – on the news, at the water cooler (if you still have one, because using tap water is a better value), and at the home.
The Melting Pot Restaurant down the street from me had a huge Valentine’s weekend. Not because they were the cheapest restaurant around, but because they delivered a great value for those seeking a romantic dinner.
Last year, was the year to talk about new and different summer camps for our children, this year it is about the value they receive from the camps.
Every Executive I talk to has no budget. Every executive I talked to last year had no budget. I don’t think any executive will ever have a budget. This year, we believe them. We have been so in tune with the doom and gloom, that we believe the hype about no budgets. In fact, they believe they have no budgets. BUT THEY DO. They just need to make sure that when they pitch the new service internally that they CYA. In a value marketplace, they need to hear about value.
Friday, February 13, 2009
THe Art of Being a God
Today, a group of my co-workers and I were discussing sales and the economy. As an ISR (Inside Sales Rep or what I like to think of as an Introductory Sales Reps) we were talking about how scary it must be to be an outside Sales Rep in this economy. A year ago, they were making 6-figures selling a 6-figure product/solution. They were pondering whether they were going to make the 100% Club. They were planning a night dinner with their loved ones. Now they are scared for their livelihood. Forget quota, will I even have enough money to pay the bills? Will I be sacked?
I use to have “Minor Video Deity” written on my business card. I remembered the old line from Ghost Busters” – IF THEY ASK YOU IF YOU ARE A GOD – SAY YOU ARE A GOD! I always remembered that my clients are looking to me to make everything great.
We all need to show the little bit of GOD that is inside of us. We are all looking for the little bit of GOD in others.
Today, being the day before Valentine’s weekend, I set up two introductory meetings for my outside sales reps. I could have been happy with two successes and called it a day, gone home hugged my family and told them I had a great day. Instead, I thought about my two sales reps, who had been working all day. They were going to see their loved ones this weekend, and when someone asked them “how are things going?” They might have replied “Well, good, considering the economy. . . ”. Instead, I called each rep and said, “Just wanted to let you know I got you a Valentine’s gift for the weekend . . .”. Now they can say the week ended great, they have an appointment with a major client they have been spending 9 months trying to set up an introductory meeting with these prospects..
On the way home, I thought about the two prospects for which I set up the meeting. They were probably going into this weekend thinking “How am I going to cut cost in the company without cutting jobs?” “How am I going to pull off this major company re-organization?” Now they can go home and tell their loved ones that “This guy called me today and told me about this solution his company has that just might be the fix our company has been looking for . . .”
Have faith in what you do. Have faith in what you sell. Know that the value you bring to your customers is making their lives better too. If you can’t be a Major Deity, be a Minor Deity like Cupid – share a little love too.
I use to have “Minor Video Deity” written on my business card. I remembered the old line from Ghost Busters” – IF THEY ASK YOU IF YOU ARE A GOD – SAY YOU ARE A GOD! I always remembered that my clients are looking to me to make everything great.
We all need to show the little bit of GOD that is inside of us. We are all looking for the little bit of GOD in others.
Today, being the day before Valentine’s weekend, I set up two introductory meetings for my outside sales reps. I could have been happy with two successes and called it a day, gone home hugged my family and told them I had a great day. Instead, I thought about my two sales reps, who had been working all day. They were going to see their loved ones this weekend, and when someone asked them “how are things going?” They might have replied “Well, good, considering the economy. . . ”. Instead, I called each rep and said, “Just wanted to let you know I got you a Valentine’s gift for the weekend . . .”. Now they can say the week ended great, they have an appointment with a major client they have been spending 9 months trying to set up an introductory meeting with these prospects..
On the way home, I thought about the two prospects for which I set up the meeting. They were probably going into this weekend thinking “How am I going to cut cost in the company without cutting jobs?” “How am I going to pull off this major company re-organization?” Now they can go home and tell their loved ones that “This guy called me today and told me about this solution his company has that just might be the fix our company has been looking for . . .”
Have faith in what you do. Have faith in what you sell. Know that the value you bring to your customers is making their lives better too. If you can’t be a Major Deity, be a Minor Deity like Cupid – share a little love too.
Monday, February 9, 2009
THe Art of the LEGO® Principle
I grew up with Legos®. My kids are growing up with Legos®. You can make a billion things with Legos®. Most of us have only made a couple of thousand Lego® creations. Which lead me to an interesting discovery. . . Our house has a box of Legos®. Like most boxes of Legos® it has been sitting in the closet. My daughter wanted a Lego® set for Hanukah. My son and I went down to the Lego® store. While he was reviewing the toys for his sister, I saw that they have a new set of Legos® with US Coast Guard ships and helicopters. I called my dad who is a retired Coast Guard Pilot, and told him about my find. Why had I never thought to build a USCG helicopter out of Legos®? When my daughter opened her present, my son brought out his old Legos® creations and the two played happy . . . Hence: the Lego® Principle.
We all have a list of clients we targeting for sales. Some of the prospects we attack vigorously; others languish in our closets. Those that are languishing are just as viable, we just have forgotten all the billions of possibilities that those prospects provide. We are busy chasing the hot prospects.
A couple of years ago, “Information Security” was a hot topic. I couldn’t wait to call on prospects that needed information protection. There was one scandal or another on the news about major corporations with information leakage about their customers. This past summer, the news was all about the presidential election. No one was interested in Information Security. I had 100 prospects my client wanted me to track down for an introductory meeting. With every “It’s not on my top ten list.” and “we don’t have the money because of the economy.” I started to believe what my prospects were telling me. Then my client handed me four new prospect names. Suddenly, I had 104 prospects and the old prospects seemed new and fun, because I had four new prospects which were new and different. I got the creative spirit back. There were now a billion reasons to talk to prospects about Information Security. The prospects could hear the excitement in my voice. I got two new sales right off the bat. Not with the four new companies, but with two of the old prospects that were suddenly jazzed about talking about Information Security.
We all have a box of Legos® in our sales closet just waiting to be brought out. Dig through the prospects you haven’t called on in a year. Rediscover the billions of opportunities.
We all have a list of clients we targeting for sales. Some of the prospects we attack vigorously; others languish in our closets. Those that are languishing are just as viable, we just have forgotten all the billions of possibilities that those prospects provide. We are busy chasing the hot prospects.
A couple of years ago, “Information Security” was a hot topic. I couldn’t wait to call on prospects that needed information protection. There was one scandal or another on the news about major corporations with information leakage about their customers. This past summer, the news was all about the presidential election. No one was interested in Information Security. I had 100 prospects my client wanted me to track down for an introductory meeting. With every “It’s not on my top ten list.” and “we don’t have the money because of the economy.” I started to believe what my prospects were telling me. Then my client handed me four new prospect names. Suddenly, I had 104 prospects and the old prospects seemed new and fun, because I had four new prospects which were new and different. I got the creative spirit back. There were now a billion reasons to talk to prospects about Information Security. The prospects could hear the excitement in my voice. I got two new sales right off the bat. Not with the four new companies, but with two of the old prospects that were suddenly jazzed about talking about Information Security.
We all have a box of Legos® in our sales closet just waiting to be brought out. Dig through the prospects you haven’t called on in a year. Rediscover the billions of opportunities.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
THe Art of Objections – Yes, that is exactly why I’m calling.
The number one problem in Sales is Objections. You need to agree with the prospect. The most successful technique I learned is to say “Yes, that is exactly why I’m calling.”
WE HAVE NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET!
“Yes, that is exactly why I am calling. We are talking with companies right now that have no money for at least 18 months; however, they are using this downtime to do the research so that they can present the proper solution when the money comes back. . .”
I have discovered that many CIO’s are worried about their jobs. When asked for a solution to the companies problems they have to come up with the right answer that will work the first time. If your solution really is as good as you say – they will find the money sooner. If it isn’t that good – you need to sell a different product.
I DON’T HAVE TIME RIGHT NOW!
“Yes, that is exactly why I’m calling. I am trying to find out if you are working on President’s Day. I’m working that day, and I am trying to find out if you have to work that day too . . .”
You will be surprised how many top executives have to work partial days on American only holiday- especially executives working for multi-national companies. Also try the day before “Major Holidays” like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, etc. Most of the “TEAM” has taken the time off so there are no team-meetings.
Always make the executive feel that you have done your homework and are prepared to meet them, because you understand the situation at hand.
WE HAVE NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET!
“Yes, that is exactly why I am calling. We are talking with companies right now that have no money for at least 18 months; however, they are using this downtime to do the research so that they can present the proper solution when the money comes back. . .”
I have discovered that many CIO’s are worried about their jobs. When asked for a solution to the companies problems they have to come up with the right answer that will work the first time. If your solution really is as good as you say – they will find the money sooner. If it isn’t that good – you need to sell a different product.
I DON’T HAVE TIME RIGHT NOW!
“Yes, that is exactly why I’m calling. I am trying to find out if you are working on President’s Day. I’m working that day, and I am trying to find out if you have to work that day too . . .”
You will be surprised how many top executives have to work partial days on American only holiday- especially executives working for multi-national companies. Also try the day before “Major Holidays” like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, etc. Most of the “TEAM” has taken the time off so there are no team-meetings.
Always make the executive feel that you have done your homework and are prepared to meet them, because you understand the situation at hand.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
THe Art of Coaching Girl’s Sports
We all need therapy. My therapy is coaching children’s sports. I’ve coached both girl’s and boy’s soccer. My total experience in playing soccer is spring leagues in high school. I was by no means the best soccer player out there; however, I had the sheer will to make thing happen.
If you get the chance, I recommend coaching girl’s sports- you will learn more about yourself and your ability to motivate others than any training you can take. WHY GIRL’S SPORTS? I found that some boys are forced to play sports by their parents. They have no desire to be there, and little desire to get better. Girl’s on the other hand join sports because they want to be there. Some join because their friend’s are playing, some join because they love to play, and some join because they love to win. The key is they love. If only co-workers came to work for the same love of the game . . .
Here are the top five things I learned that can be applied to business:
1) SHOW THEM DON’T TELL THEM
Actually my brother sent me this about ten years ago when he was coaching girl’s sports. Too many times we tell people what we want them to do but we lose it in the translation. Last fall, the third grade girl’s soccer team THE BEDFORD SHARKS lost a game 8-1, I was beside myself because none of the Sharks were chasing down the other team when they got the ball. Dozens of times, the other team came in from the right with two players and the defensive Bedford Sharks player on the left would not come over to help. After the game was over, I asked my daughter why she wouldn’t come over and help. She told me, “You said my job was to defend this side of the field and I did.” Well, she did exactly what I told her to do.
2) IF IT AIN’T WORKING- FIX IT
Well coach, you taught them the wrong way to play soccer. . . I forgot that this was their first time they had played soccer competitively. They didn’t know the big picture. They didn’t know strategy. They knew that they loved to play soccer, they loved playing with their friends, and a few loved to win. Well, that’s a lie. They loved to score, they didn’t love to win or lose. I loved to win. You can’t teach someone to win, but you can find what they love to do and show them what to do so that they end up winning. So the rules of the game changed: Players on the back line – you’re job is to get the ball over the midline has fast as possible. Players on the front line – you’re job is to get the ball in the net as fast as possible. With this new mission statement, I was able to show the players on the back line how to work together to get the ball over the midline and how to get the front line to score.
3) GO WITH THE FLOW
The team only won 2 games the whole season. It was the most successful season I’ve ever had. What were the real goals of third grade girl’s soccer? Teach them teamwork. Teach them to score. Teach them to stop the other team from scoring. Teach them soccer skills. Well actually that is a lie too. The real goals??? Have them learn teamwork. Have them learn to score. Have them learn how to stop the other team from scoring. Have them learn soccer skills. Have you ever tried to teach someone a skill and they just don’t get it? That is kid’s sports. During practice we played a lot of games that required them to use soccer skills and figure out strategy . . . Sounds like business training. Some of the games worked well some failed miserably. The games that worked we did every other practice. Those that failed, well as a coach you want to try new things and new motivation. Some just don’t work. If it isn’t working- move on. Remember what motivates your team. When these girl’s were in first grade I told them about my father. He is retired a Coast Guard helicopter search and rescue pilot. I told the girls they were now rescue pilots. I had them start behind one goal post. I stood on the sidelines of midfield and kicked their balls out onto the field. Their job was to find their own ball and take it all the way down the field to the other goal which was the hospital. The game transformed into “SAVE THE BABIES”. We played this game a half dozen times before I forced them to take a break. And they were mad I made them take a break. Now the traditional coach would have told the team that we are running sprints, and everyone is going to sprint the whole field 6 times. I had accidentally tapped into the LOVE OF BABIES as a motivator. In third grade, this is still one of their favorite games. The parents are amazed that I can get the girl’s to sprint the whole field because they want to.
4) IT’S MORE THAN THE TEAMMATES
In sales, we always want to get to the decision maker who can cut the check and buy our product. We forget that there are influencers who can kill a sale. In sports, they are called parents. Every teammate needs a ride to practice. This team was also motivated by love of parent. At the end of every practice the girls would have a scrimmage for about a half hour. If they had a good practice, they got the ultimate prize- a scrimmage against the parents. Now we had parents with mad skills, parents with no skills, brother and sisters who played soccer. I’d bring the influencers out onto the field. To make the game fair, I would come up with rules to handicap the “OLD SHARKS” – only one touch on the ball, no running (only walking), you have to hold hands with a teammate, etc. By the end of the season, I had all the parents showing up a half hour before the end of practice so they wouldn’t miss the scrimmage. The last couple of practices were in the New England cold of late October, sometimes it drizzled. And still the whole team would show up. Everyone wanted to show up – for the love of soccer, for the love of friends, for the love of well- family.
5) THERAPY
Have you ever seen a team lose by 2 goals and they think it is a greatest day ever? That’s girl’s soccer. Win or lose the team ran off the field, lined up to shake hands, and then gathered to talk about what we wanted to work on during practice. The girls were telling the coach what they wanted to work on! Who doesn’t want to be part of a team like that? At the beginning of the season, these girls didn’t know the left side of the field from the right*. They had never played team passing soccer. They lost the first 4 games by 6 or more goals each. The spirit of “wanting to get better” never diminished. Who doesn’t want to be on a team like that? Because you know what? That’s what makes a winning team.
*When the team switches sides at half time, the girls didn’t know that left and right now apply to the other side of the field.
If you get the chance, I recommend coaching girl’s sports- you will learn more about yourself and your ability to motivate others than any training you can take. WHY GIRL’S SPORTS? I found that some boys are forced to play sports by their parents. They have no desire to be there, and little desire to get better. Girl’s on the other hand join sports because they want to be there. Some join because their friend’s are playing, some join because they love to play, and some join because they love to win. The key is they love. If only co-workers came to work for the same love of the game . . .
Here are the top five things I learned that can be applied to business:
1) SHOW THEM DON’T TELL THEM
Actually my brother sent me this about ten years ago when he was coaching girl’s sports. Too many times we tell people what we want them to do but we lose it in the translation. Last fall, the third grade girl’s soccer team THE BEDFORD SHARKS lost a game 8-1, I was beside myself because none of the Sharks were chasing down the other team when they got the ball. Dozens of times, the other team came in from the right with two players and the defensive Bedford Sharks player on the left would not come over to help. After the game was over, I asked my daughter why she wouldn’t come over and help. She told me, “You said my job was to defend this side of the field and I did.” Well, she did exactly what I told her to do.
2) IF IT AIN’T WORKING- FIX IT
Well coach, you taught them the wrong way to play soccer. . . I forgot that this was their first time they had played soccer competitively. They didn’t know the big picture. They didn’t know strategy. They knew that they loved to play soccer, they loved playing with their friends, and a few loved to win. Well, that’s a lie. They loved to score, they didn’t love to win or lose. I loved to win. You can’t teach someone to win, but you can find what they love to do and show them what to do so that they end up winning. So the rules of the game changed: Players on the back line – you’re job is to get the ball over the midline has fast as possible. Players on the front line – you’re job is to get the ball in the net as fast as possible. With this new mission statement, I was able to show the players on the back line how to work together to get the ball over the midline and how to get the front line to score.
3) GO WITH THE FLOW
The team only won 2 games the whole season. It was the most successful season I’ve ever had. What were the real goals of third grade girl’s soccer? Teach them teamwork. Teach them to score. Teach them to stop the other team from scoring. Teach them soccer skills. Well actually that is a lie too. The real goals??? Have them learn teamwork. Have them learn to score. Have them learn how to stop the other team from scoring. Have them learn soccer skills. Have you ever tried to teach someone a skill and they just don’t get it? That is kid’s sports. During practice we played a lot of games that required them to use soccer skills and figure out strategy . . . Sounds like business training. Some of the games worked well some failed miserably. The games that worked we did every other practice. Those that failed, well as a coach you want to try new things and new motivation. Some just don’t work. If it isn’t working- move on. Remember what motivates your team. When these girl’s were in first grade I told them about my father. He is retired a Coast Guard helicopter search and rescue pilot. I told the girls they were now rescue pilots. I had them start behind one goal post. I stood on the sidelines of midfield and kicked their balls out onto the field. Their job was to find their own ball and take it all the way down the field to the other goal which was the hospital. The game transformed into “SAVE THE BABIES”. We played this game a half dozen times before I forced them to take a break. And they were mad I made them take a break. Now the traditional coach would have told the team that we are running sprints, and everyone is going to sprint the whole field 6 times. I had accidentally tapped into the LOVE OF BABIES as a motivator. In third grade, this is still one of their favorite games. The parents are amazed that I can get the girl’s to sprint the whole field because they want to.
4) IT’S MORE THAN THE TEAMMATES
In sales, we always want to get to the decision maker who can cut the check and buy our product. We forget that there are influencers who can kill a sale. In sports, they are called parents. Every teammate needs a ride to practice. This team was also motivated by love of parent. At the end of every practice the girls would have a scrimmage for about a half hour. If they had a good practice, they got the ultimate prize- a scrimmage against the parents. Now we had parents with mad skills, parents with no skills, brother and sisters who played soccer. I’d bring the influencers out onto the field. To make the game fair, I would come up with rules to handicap the “OLD SHARKS” – only one touch on the ball, no running (only walking), you have to hold hands with a teammate, etc. By the end of the season, I had all the parents showing up a half hour before the end of practice so they wouldn’t miss the scrimmage. The last couple of practices were in the New England cold of late October, sometimes it drizzled. And still the whole team would show up. Everyone wanted to show up – for the love of soccer, for the love of friends, for the love of well- family.
5) THERAPY
Have you ever seen a team lose by 2 goals and they think it is a greatest day ever? That’s girl’s soccer. Win or lose the team ran off the field, lined up to shake hands, and then gathered to talk about what we wanted to work on during practice. The girls were telling the coach what they wanted to work on! Who doesn’t want to be part of a team like that? At the beginning of the season, these girls didn’t know the left side of the field from the right*. They had never played team passing soccer. They lost the first 4 games by 6 or more goals each. The spirit of “wanting to get better” never diminished. Who doesn’t want to be on a team like that? Because you know what? That’s what makes a winning team.
*When the team switches sides at half time, the girls didn’t know that left and right now apply to the other side of the field.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
THe Art of Proofreading
Nothing can sabotage you more than a poorly written presentation. Proofreading is not spelling and grammar checking. Proofreading is READING. I am blessed with one of the best proofreaders known to man – my son. Ever since Alec has been able to read, I have had him read any article I published; any presentation I am about to make; or any letter I am about to submit (we just haggled about whether to use semicolons . . .). If you want to get a real feel for what you wrote, have an 8 year old read your article aloud back to you.
First, it has to make sense to you. Many times you know the material so well you forget to add all the details to help connect the dots.
Second, if it doesn’t make sense to an 8 year old, you are probably making it more complex than it really has to be.
Unfortunately, Alec is now 13 years old and is a better writer than I am. The point being most of us feel that we are terrible writers so we try to hide what we write until the very last second, and then spring the presentation on our audience. BE PROUD THAT YOU HAVE FAULTS AND FAILINGS. Find a proofreader- nearly anyone will do because we are all pretty bad at it.
However, the best person to pick is someone who you would like to HONOR by having them be “the first to read what you wrote”. You will gain so much insight into what you said versus what you really wanted to say.
If you can’t find a proofreader, record yourself reading it, and then play it back. It might be two o’clock in the morning and the presentation is the next day – but you have to do it.
UPDATE 2017: I now have a type to talk app. that reads it back to me, and I can change between 10 different voices.
First, it has to make sense to you. Many times you know the material so well you forget to add all the details to help connect the dots.
Second, if it doesn’t make sense to an 8 year old, you are probably making it more complex than it really has to be.
Unfortunately, Alec is now 13 years old and is a better writer than I am. The point being most of us feel that we are terrible writers so we try to hide what we write until the very last second, and then spring the presentation on our audience. BE PROUD THAT YOU HAVE FAULTS AND FAILINGS. Find a proofreader- nearly anyone will do because we are all pretty bad at it.
However, the best person to pick is someone who you would like to HONOR by having them be “the first to read what you wrote”. You will gain so much insight into what you said versus what you really wanted to say.
If you can’t find a proofreader, record yourself reading it, and then play it back. It might be two o’clock in the morning and the presentation is the next day – but you have to do it.
UPDATE 2017: I now have a type to talk app. that reads it back to me, and I can change between 10 different voices.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
What Percent of my Time should be Spent Cold Calling
On Linkedin a person posed the question: “HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD I SPEND COLD CALLING?” Answer: Enough to fill your goal!!! It doesn’t matter whether it is a personal goal or a goal set by the company here the formula I use. . .
Take each of the prospects in your pipeline, and assign each one a percent value for the chance of it actually occurring. Use either 90%, 75%, 25%, or 10%. Some people use 50%, but really, there is either a good chance it is going to happen or not a good chance it is going to happen.
A “90%” means that you have just about finished the contract – there might be some legal terms that need to be approved.
A “75%” means you’ve finished selling, and started the contract talks.
A “25%” means you met the right decision makers, but you haven’t gotten to the contract phase.
A “10%” means you are working your way through the company to find the final approval maker.
Take the value of each contract and multiply it by the percent value:
$100,000 x .90 = 90,000 Project A
$50,000 x .75 = 37,500 Project B
$150,000 x .75 = 112,500 Project C
$300,000 x .25 = 75,000 Project D
$60,000 x .25 = 30,000 Project E
$100,000 x .25 = 25,000 Project F
$100,000 x .25 = 25,000 Project G
$100,000 x .10 = 10,000 Project H
$200,000 x .10 = 20,000 Project I
$100,000 x .10 = 10,000 Project J
$100,000 x .10 = 10,000 Project K
$100,000 x .10 = 10,000 Project L
Total of Projects 455,000, If your goal is $600,000 then use have a shortfall of $145,000 or 24%. You should be spending 24% of your time either cold calling or business networking to find new clients.
If you do not have the hours in the week to spend that much time hunting for new prospects you need to find someone who can. Some companies have inside sales people calling for the outside sales people. Other companies outsource the whole demand generation process.
Take each of the prospects in your pipeline, and assign each one a percent value for the chance of it actually occurring. Use either 90%, 75%, 25%, or 10%. Some people use 50%, but really, there is either a good chance it is going to happen or not a good chance it is going to happen.
A “90%” means that you have just about finished the contract – there might be some legal terms that need to be approved.
A “75%” means you’ve finished selling, and started the contract talks.
A “25%” means you met the right decision makers, but you haven’t gotten to the contract phase.
A “10%” means you are working your way through the company to find the final approval maker.
Take the value of each contract and multiply it by the percent value:
$100,000 x .90 = 90,000 Project A
$50,000 x .75 = 37,500 Project B
$150,000 x .75 = 112,500 Project C
$300,000 x .25 = 75,000 Project D
$60,000 x .25 = 30,000 Project E
$100,000 x .25 = 25,000 Project F
$100,000 x .25 = 25,000 Project G
$100,000 x .10 = 10,000 Project H
$200,000 x .10 = 20,000 Project I
$100,000 x .10 = 10,000 Project J
$100,000 x .10 = 10,000 Project K
$100,000 x .10 = 10,000 Project L
Total of Projects 455,000, If your goal is $600,000 then use have a shortfall of $145,000 or 24%. You should be spending 24% of your time either cold calling or business networking to find new clients.
If you do not have the hours in the week to spend that much time hunting for new prospects you need to find someone who can. Some companies have inside sales people calling for the outside sales people. Other companies outsource the whole demand generation process.
Friday, January 9, 2009
THe Art of 30/300/3000 for Cold Calling and Networking
Cold Calling or Networking- which is best? The answer: Yes. The purpose of Cold Calling and Networking is to fill the very front of your pipeline. Both have a time and place, and I think business people should do a blend of each. How you create your blend depends on your skill set. I can make over 300 “cold dials” in a day. My very best day was over 800, but that was on a Friday before a Holiday and almost nobody was picking up the phone. It was also a terrible day to network too, because most of the people with whom I would business network were gone for the day.
The reason most people fail at Cold Calling and Business Networking is because the are trying to Cold Sell and Business Netsell (Neither works very well- and usually back fires). What you are really trying to do is get an introduction to the right person. The goal of either method is to “Buy more time with the right people”.
When I Cold Call, I come up with a 30 second pitch that will hook the listener into giving me five more minutes to explain my pitch. Then I close by asking for 50 minutes for a face to face meeting at a later date. 30 seconds buys me 300 seconds which buys me 3,000 seconds.
When I business network, I come up with a 30 second elevator pitch, which will get the person to ask me a question which will give me 5 minutes to explain further. Then I close by asking for 50 minutes for a face to face meeting at a later date.
Gee Jeff those look awfully similar . . . Of course!!! That is by design. Most professionals skip the 30 second pitch and try to hammer everyone they see with the five minute pitch. An unsolicited 5 minute pitch is the quickest way to kill a prospect’s interest.
The 30 second pitch allows me to see if my listener is the right person. If they aren’t- I want a referral to the right person.
By setting up the 30/300/3000 rule with the first person you meet, they are more likely to introduce you to the other decision makers in the company. The goal is to move down the pipeline by lining up the right people who can sign the contract.
The best thing about Cold Calling and Business Networking is that they very rarely compete for the same hours of the day. Most Business Networking hours occur when most people aren’t at their desk – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. So you need to develop both skills. Some people have better phone skills. Some people have better in-person skills. Some people have time during the day to make calls at work. Some people have time to network at daily gatherings.
Truth is, most professionals are very good at getting prospects through the sales pipeline and are terrible at finding prospects to get into the pipeline. Mostly, because companies spend a lot of money teaching you how to sell your products and services and not much time teaching you how to fill the pipeline. So you meet a prospect and start selling which ends up failing. They rely on you to find your own external sources to teach you how to network and how to cold dial to get introduced to the right person. Every year, you should learn better networking and learn better cold dialing. And remember the 30/300/3000 rule!
The reason most people fail at Cold Calling and Business Networking is because the are trying to Cold Sell and Business Netsell (Neither works very well- and usually back fires). What you are really trying to do is get an introduction to the right person. The goal of either method is to “Buy more time with the right people”.
When I Cold Call, I come up with a 30 second pitch that will hook the listener into giving me five more minutes to explain my pitch. Then I close by asking for 50 minutes for a face to face meeting at a later date. 30 seconds buys me 300 seconds which buys me 3,000 seconds.
When I business network, I come up with a 30 second elevator pitch, which will get the person to ask me a question which will give me 5 minutes to explain further. Then I close by asking for 50 minutes for a face to face meeting at a later date.
Gee Jeff those look awfully similar . . . Of course!!! That is by design. Most professionals skip the 30 second pitch and try to hammer everyone they see with the five minute pitch. An unsolicited 5 minute pitch is the quickest way to kill a prospect’s interest.
The 30 second pitch allows me to see if my listener is the right person. If they aren’t- I want a referral to the right person.
By setting up the 30/300/3000 rule with the first person you meet, they are more likely to introduce you to the other decision makers in the company. The goal is to move down the pipeline by lining up the right people who can sign the contract.
The best thing about Cold Calling and Business Networking is that they very rarely compete for the same hours of the day. Most Business Networking hours occur when most people aren’t at their desk – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. So you need to develop both skills. Some people have better phone skills. Some people have better in-person skills. Some people have time during the day to make calls at work. Some people have time to network at daily gatherings.
Truth is, most professionals are very good at getting prospects through the sales pipeline and are terrible at finding prospects to get into the pipeline. Mostly, because companies spend a lot of money teaching you how to sell your products and services and not much time teaching you how to fill the pipeline. So you meet a prospect and start selling which ends up failing. They rely on you to find your own external sources to teach you how to network and how to cold dial to get introduced to the right person. Every year, you should learn better networking and learn better cold dialing. And remember the 30/300/3000 rule!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
THe Art of Networking in a Down Economy
It’s a Down Economy. WHOOOOO HOOOOOO! Opportunity can only be found in an up or a down economy. Already your competition has called it quits- “When the economy is this bad there is no reason to network. Bla bla bla ” They couldn’t be more wrong. Now is the best time to network. Let’s face it– we are all scared. We are all looking over our shoulder to see if we have a job next month . We are checking our bank accounts to see how long we can survive without a job. We are not sticking our heads out for anyone or anything. Sounds bleak? In business, we call these “pain points”, and the beauty of it if everyone is looking for help to solve these pains. We are narrowing down the number of people with whom we network to those people who can be counted on in a down economy, and they don’t have the luxury of making any mistakes. So be the “one” that they can turn to and count on. So here are the top three things to do for the next 12 months. BE POSTIVE. It’s all about attitude. When the economy is down, it’s easy to be positive because everyone is so negative. One small positive comment looks ten times more positive than it did six months ago. Go out and network and talk about what is working well for your company. Professionals want to surround themselves with people who can see through the adversity and look for opportunities. We have truckloads of lemons out there start making lemonade. When someone ask you how badly you have been affected by the economy reply: “well you know just the other day (fill in the blank with something positive). At a car dealership, they told me that car sales were down, but car repairs are up. At a restaurant, they told me they are getting a lot more college age clients during the holidays. At a Plant Nursery, they are selling holiday decorations. FOLLOW THROUGH.20Professionals are dropping useless people off there list- especially, useless vendors! The easiest way to judge the value of people is whether they follow through with promises. You need to make a promise and follow through with it. A promise has two key components – the delivery and the time limit. You need to promise the delivery of some item or information and you have to put a time limit as to when the delivery will be competed. “I’ll get you have paperwork by Tuesday at four o’clock.” “I’ll talk with Tom this Friday, I’ll send you an e-mail over the weekend, and I will call you 10:00 on Monday.” Business people have more problems now than they did six months ago. And their current networking partners/vendors are under the microscope. Professionals are open to fixing every problem in their life right now. Anyone who can help take a load off their shoulders is a “valued person”. The value of a relationship is being screened by the success of follow through. Do not miss any scheduled meetings or appointments. Do not miss any scheduled meetings or appointments. Yes, I said it twice. Apathy and excuses will kill your business in a down economy. If you belong to any networking groups, non-profit boards, etc. You need to be there as planned. DO A GOOD DEED. I go to a Pow Wow in my town every year, and a friend of mine is one of the vendors. One morning no one was buying anything and she remembered that she forgot=2 0to appease the spirits by doing a GOOD DEED that morning. She gave a small girl a necklace for free. Suddenly she had a bunch of people come over to buy from her booth. Every religion has a name for it. Call it what you will- it works. In a down economy it works even better. Every day, do something nice. At every networking event, do something nice. Good Deeds reflect the fact that you are someone who will make an extra effort. Yesterday, my co-worker was having a problem with a sales pitch. I dropped what I was doing and we worked on his sales pitch for an hour. My neighbor called me at work and asked if he could pick up my children from daycare so I didn’t have to hurry across traffic in the freezing rain. My friend picked me up a book on Service Oriented Architecture for Dummies because one of my major clients specializes in SOA. The key to GOOD DEEDs is that we all think about them, in a down economy, you have to take action and do them. So chin up, the opportunities are out there. There is a whole world of pain and suffering just waiting for you to step up and help. Go out and network. Listen to their pain. Create opportunities. Be positive. Follow though. Do a good deed.
Why the title?
In December 2008, I sent out a message to a small group of friends about how to network in a down economy. A friend of mine from BNI said I should blog in this world of doom and gloom, because I have a positive outlook on life. At Christmas dinner, my neighbor Effie told me to start I should create a place on blogspot. So with school cancelled on account of ice and snow, I finally made the time to start.
But Jeff why the title? And who taught you to spell?
I spell well, but I type horribly. Hundreds of thousands of times I've spelled "THe". It has become a trademark of mine. Spell checker is a wonderful thing. The "THe" reminds me that I can laways get better, and I should always proofread my work.
There is an art to everything. There is an Art to being Better. Most of the time we just forget to practice being Better! We breath all the time, but we need to stop and take a deep breath every once in a while. Mostly, we are so busy at work that we forget to take a step back and see if there is a better way to do our job. My goal is to find all those great tactical ways that are the Art of being Better.
My life as changed a lots since 2008. This blog moved from being about networking, to becoming the home of 100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients. And just to let you know my typing has not improved, but I want to thank Google Chrome for adding spellchecking so that has improved. Grammar checking would be next.
But Jeff why the title? And who taught you to spell?
I spell well, but I type horribly. Hundreds of thousands of times I've spelled "THe". It has become a trademark of mine. Spell checker is a wonderful thing. The "THe" reminds me that I can laways get better, and I should always proofread my work.
There is an art to everything. There is an Art to being Better. Most of the time we just forget to practice being Better! We breath all the time, but we need to stop and take a deep breath every once in a while. Mostly, we are so busy at work that we forget to take a step back and see if there is a better way to do our job. My goal is to find all those great tactical ways that are the Art of being Better.
My life as changed a lots since 2008. This blog moved from being about networking, to becoming the home of 100 Meals You Never Thought You Would Eat Pureed - Recipes for Head and Neck Cancer patients. And just to let you know my typing has not improved, but I want to thank Google Chrome for adding spellchecking so that has improved. Grammar checking would be next.
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