Step 3: Create a Personal identity

Once your dream has been discovered, and the next stage of your life is defined, it must move from a concept, a dream, into a very present day reality. To begin that, you need to first truly own it, long before you even begin the process of making it a reality. “I would like to be a speaker.” feels dramatically different in your body that “I am a speaker.”

I worked with a woman who presented as wanting to become a teacher. She felt it was what she was called to do yet she had no idea where to even begin. Her approach was longing, hopeful, and fearful that it wouldn't happen.  I had her, each day, spend 5 minutes in meditation or reflection, in owning that she was a teacher, it was in her blood, she now simply needed the training and qualifications to do what she came here to do. More than once she told me that this attitude caused her to see the obstacles that arose as inconveniences rather than as stopping blocks that would prove she was on the wrong track.

Research has shown us that between 60 – 90 days is what it takes to shift a habit or a belief. Owning that new reality, “I am retiring”, “I am moving”, “I am a speaker” causes all the existing fears to come up in order to be dealt with rather than having them unconsciously sabotage your dreams. This clears the way.  

Form that new identity and you will begin to experience the freedom, expansion, and unlimited possibility it provides. 

Dorothy A. Martin-Neville, PhD, is a motivational speaker, author, coach, and psychotherapist who has spent her career helping others, through humor and faith, claim their dreams, eliminate self-sabotage, and become everything they were meant to be.

She can be reached at: drdorothyct.com    dorothy@drdorothyct.com   860-543-5629   

Sustainable Selling: Lesson #1

Okay… You finally secured the new account you’ve been after for months, and now you’re back in the office sharing “high fives” with your manager and your sales support team. It’s a good day.

But a funny thing happens over the next quarter. The account stops bringing in the numbers they started with. You ask customer service if they know what’s going on and get a shoulder shrug as a response. You take the initiative to visit the client (something you realize is long overdue) and find out: Your shipments to them have been arriving late or are on back-order.

·        There was a quality problem. The client sent a sample of the defect back, but they’re still waiting for a response.

·       They started doing business with you, but they haven’t seen you since.

·       They had a call from their primary customer service contact, but that person has “gone missing” too.

·       You realize they have a competitor’s product on trial, and know for a fact your price is better than theirs.

You leave the account’s office and sit in your car trying to understand what happened, but the truth is, you already know.

·       You took the account for granted.

·       You fell into the trap of thinking that the products and/or services they bought would meet their expectations without ever checking in with them to make sure.

·       You were busy courting other new accounts and assumed customer service was doing their job. 

·       You forgot that your competition was waiting for you to drop the ball.

·       You dropped the ball.

When we secure someone’s business, we look them square in the eye and shake their hands. But we all live and work in a world that’s gone digital, so it’s easy to forget the value of maintaining contact with the people we are already doing business with. It’s also easy to forget that a significant amount of business is lost due to poor recommendations of after the sale service.

It’s a competitive world. If you want to build a sustainable business or selling career, you need to do the following:

·       Don’t make promises you aren’t going to keep after you secure the account. 

·       Remember that it’s always better to over-serve a little than it is to lose a lot.

·       Treat every customer like you are asking for a referral after every order.

The winners in business are people who master SUSTAINABLE SELLING PRACTICES. They build long-term relationship with their customers—and enjoy the profits that go along with this approach to doing business. 

Alan Luoma is a Sales Coach and Speaker with extensive experience in industrial sales, sales management, and sales and product training. He holds key accounts with a national sustainable packaging company, is a motivational speaker, and provides sales training to individuals and groups. He is a member of the Hartford Springfield Speakers Network. You can view his profile on LinkedIn, or contact him at Luoma@snet.net

The Only 4 pages Your Website Needs (if you choose to have a website, that is)

(part 3 of 3)

In this 3-part article series my goal is/was to offer a different perspective on the seemingly endless, although good intention-ed, “you need to have a website” message. We covered an approach you can take to discover for yourself, if a website is right for you, or not (at that point in time), and alternative approaches you can take to achieve an online visibility if it was decided that “no, a website is not right for me at this time.”

What if after you had the Q & A with yourself, you realized you DO want a website? That ah-ah can be just as terrifying as it is exhilarating.

On one hand; you will have a website that people will visit, share, learn about you and your services and take an action-step (or two) that you offered to them (buy, sign-up, follow, join, etc.)

On the other hand; the overwhelm of where do you start, who to hire (or not), and what part(s) of the website to focus the most attention on (at this beginning phase) can lead to a similar procrastination as not knowing if you wanted one to begin with or not!

Without going into the depths of website design, development and promotion I would simply like to share with you The Only 4 pages Your Website Needs to give you a starting point for website success.

Here we go! 

• Home page (shocking!)
• Product or Service (oh, my – that was pretty obvious)
• About (needed but care is required with this one)
• Contact Us (yes, really)

In conjunction with the above; an added bonus, although to me not technically a “page” of a website, is also to include a blog (feed or otherwise linked) as well.

It really is that simple – invite them into the foyer of your business (home page) make them feel comfortable and offer them actions to take, share your story (about page) to create an emotional connection as well as stating your credibility, showcase your wares (product or service page) so they know exactly what problems you solve and what the benefits are to them, and finally make it super easy for them to find you (contact us page) so they can reach out to you; after all if they are on this page they most likely want to expand their experience with you.

You may very well have additional pages, but if you focus on these four you will feel less overwhelmed during the initial website building process and they ultimately will be the driving force of your website being found via a search query.

For each of the pages keep in mind how did the visitor arrived there (did you tell them to go, was it from social media or a newsletter or printed material, from another page of the same website) and now that they are there what do you want them to (specifically) know and what do you want them to do with this new knowledge (call-to-action).

With this simple approach you will have a powerful, sale generating website without overwhelming yourself in the process. I call that a win-win!

Looking forward to seeing you all again next month; not sure yet what the topic will be but…

Until then, happy marketing!

Chana Monahan

Greenhouse Graphics, llc. Where Ideas Grow

860-379-2974

grow@greenhousegraphicsllc.com

www.greenhousegraphicsllc.com

$25,000 for 5,000

Visualize along with me. You peek out from behind the stage curtain. You see people making their way to their seats in anticipation of your presentation. You are the Keynote Speaker for the evening session. The auditorium has capacity for over 5000 people and it is sold out. The audience is comprised of business owners looking for keys to success, sales tips, organization and marketing techniques and your about to take stage and speak.

You think back 2 weeks ago.......

The Event Coordinator called you and asked you to speak with 5000 Business Owners at their upcoming convention. These Business Owners are looking for a new direction and significant education to take their business to the next level. They have paid $50.00 per seat. Then the Event Coordinator asks you: “Do you have the talent and skill to do this and what is your fee requirements?

What would your answer have been? Let me give one. “ I am absolutely confident that I will meet and exceed your expectations for your guests. You and I will work on a fact finder survey for the audience so we pin point their exact needs and expectations. I will make sure they leave with meaningful and significant information……. my fee is $25,000 paid in full prior to the presentation plus travel, food, lodging and car service. I will overnight the contract to you please sign and send it back with a 50% deposit and travel arrangements. I will look forward to meeting you.

Let’s end the visualization right here.

What did you think of that mind ride?  

What if it was really you in the conversation with the Event Coordinator could you have closed the deal? How many conversations since the beginning of this year have you had with prospects to pitch yourself for a speaking engagement, one, five or ten? What does your prospecting report card of effort look like for this month an A+ or a D?

We are in the month of January 2015. When is your first paid speaking event scheduled for? Actually, I hope you have already had one. What is on the slate for February? What content are focusing on? What new material have you created? What is your niche market your seeking? Do you have the proper materials to support your presentation, one sheet, business cards and web-site? Have you created your prospect list of a targeted businesses to call? What does your Facebook page look like? What speaking organizations do you belong to? Again, what is your plan?

Your next paid speech is just around the corner. It may not be $25,000, what if it were $1000.00 and it was scheduled for next month. This is doable. You have to work hard at this day by day. It's not always easy…but it is worth it. If you have skill you need to step out and get it done. 

Write me about your success story. Have a great month.

John 

John P. Slosek, Jr. 

30 years as a Sales Professional and Insurance Agency Owner. He is currently an Exclusive Agency Owner for Allstate in Chicopee, Massachusetts. (413-331-3900) johnslosekjr@allstate.com.

He is also the host of the "Insurance Coach Radio Show" which has been continuously running for 13 years. His efforts are directed to promote personal change. The show steers towards personal growth and common sense education for his listeners.His personal email:  Insurancecoach@aol.com.                                    
The show can be heard every Saturday morning at 8 am on WARE 1250 AM or
 www.realoldies1250.net. John is also a Certified Speaker in the area of Sales, Personal Growth, Marketing, Leadership Skills, and Entrepreneurship. He is available by direct contact (413) 246-5037(text). Just in case the speaker you hired cancels, he will make himself available for last minute cancellations for your company or event. John is also licensed to teach John Maxwell material and multi-level marketing concepts.

A Powerful Communication Tool To Increase Your Business!

Every day we are inundated with messages.  How can you set yourself apart from everyone else in communicating with your client or customer? How can you send a powerful message that distinguishes you from all others and that will be thought about long after it is read? A handwritten note is a simple yet powerful tool that sets you apart as a professional with an appreciation for the importance of this old school method of communication. It also provides the reader with a sense of appreciation and gratitude and best of all is a fast, easy and effective way to communicate with those around us.

 

I have used this method of communication in my law practice and find it to be highly effective. There are a certain number of things that you can do to heighten this experience for the reader of your handwritten note that are worthy of mention, that include at least the following:

 

• Purchase engraved stationery-you may be amazed to find out how relatively inexpensive engraved stationery is that includes your name, initials, business name and/or company logo. The additional cost of making this very bold statement is well worth the added expense and is certain to make a dramatic impact upon the recipient;

 

• Come up with a sincere reason to send the card as there are many opportunities to send a preprinted card to an individual. A thank you for some gift, special service, a business lunch or dinner, or an acknowledgment of some type of act or deed. You could also forward some article that you have read about the individual, their company or family with a brief note acknowledging the article and congratulating the individual about the contents of the story;

 

• Make the message personal and not commercial.  Do not send a handwritten card or note in an effort to acquire business from the recipient. This is not the reason for sending a handwritten note and it detracts from the message. Do not talk about your business, include your business cards, or make it seem like you are attempting to send this note for reasons other than personal knowledge meant and appreciation; and

 

• Keep stamps in your office-it is always much better to place a stamp on the outside of the envelope rather than a metered one. You should hand write out the recipient's name and address on the outside of the envelope as it makes it personal.

 

In writing a personal note to a friend, business associates or client start by using a greeting along with the person's name. You should thank the individual for the deed, gift or gesture that you are acknowledging and indicate how this has made a positive impact upon you. You could also include an article or story that you have enclosed and indicate how you were happy to read about that individual's news worthy information. You should include some call to action at the end of your note such as meeting for coffee, lunch, a drink or some other activity and later follow-up with the individual about scheduling something. You should end the note with some familiar salutation and then sign your name. A "P.S." at the end of the note is a very powerful way to leave a message that the recipient will read before looking at the text of your note.

 

If you start to use this powerful technique on a regular basis you will find that you will be receiving calls from the recipients of these notes who will be quite appreciative of the fact that you took time out of your busy schedule to actually write out a note. It is important to mention that although penmanship is not a great consideration it is important that your handwriting be legible. If you employ this little used technique, which brings people back to days gone by, you will become memorable and will stand out from those around you.

 

Try it, you will be surprised by the responses that you receive!

6 Steps To Getting Your Paper Piles Under Control

Is your dining room table covered with a sea of paper piles consisting of mail, documents, magazines, circulars, coupons, to-do’s, children’s schoolwork, business cards, and miscellaneous messages? How does your office look? Whether you work from home or away, you need to have a consistent system for processing your daily paper.  Your sanity will thank you.

Step 1: Divide your paper into 3 piles: Keep, Recycle, and Shred.

Work each piece of paper on your table or desk area until all your paper has been processed. Remember to only make three decisions/piles: Keep, Recycle or Shred. Once this step has been completed you should have only three piles in front of you.

Step 2: Lets work the Shred Pile first.

You’ll need a shredder for this exercise. If you have an extreme amount of paper that needs to be shredded, then you may want to hire a shredding service? It’s usually about $50 per standard file box of paper. If you are shredding the paper yourself, continue feeding the paper into the shredder until the whole pile is gone.

Step 3: Now it’s time to work the Recycle pile.

Grab a big tall brown paper lawn bag and use that as your recycling bag. Label the bag “Recycle” with a black sharpie. If you don’t fill up the bag with your pile, leave it close by, so you can continue to fill it during future sessions, until it’s about three-quarters full. At that point, empty it into your outdoor recycling container. Now you should only have one pile remaining. Onto Step 4.

Step 4: We saved the Keep Pile for last, because this pile needs to be worked into two more piles: Current and Archive.

Once you have worked all the paper in the whole Keep pile, you should have two piles on your desk or table: Current and Archive. The Current pile will consist of relevant information like bills to be paid, future appointments and meetings, newer coupons and circulars, and other important current paper. The Archive pile will consist of paper you don’t need to access on a regular basis, like insurance documents, real estate paperwork, Healthcare benefits, Auto history, Investments like 401k, Taxes, etc.

Step 5: What do we do with the Archive pile?

File it into a standard metal office file or any file of your choosing, which does not need to be accessed on a daily basis. Create a file folder for each subject and label it clearly with a marker or labeler.

Step 6: What do we do with the Current pile?

Create a Ticker Filing System to file daily paper. See this Tickler File Video for more detailed instructions. You will need 45 folders for this system: 31 for the days of the week, 12 for the months of the year and 2 for blank paper and recent paid bills. You will also need a portable file holder.

Following these 6 bite-sized processing steps will help you tackle your daily paper with confidence. Stay tuned next month, when we dive into Time Management.

As a Professional Organizer, Speaker, Author, Podcast Producer & Host, Rick Woods helps residents and businesses make room for clarity, by getting rid of the clutter that gets in their way.


Rick’s newly released book “Make Room for Clarity” is a step by step guide to getting rid of the clutter that gets in your way. Available on Amazon.Listen to Rick's free weekly iTunes & Stitcher podcast "Make Room For Clarity", which focuses on interviewing business & health experts by visiting www.makeroomforclarity.com.


Inquire about Rick's professional organizing business, "The Functional Organizer, LLC.", which focuses on decluttering, organizing, paper filing and time management by visiting www.tforganizer.com.

Vocal Variety Vital for a Speaker to Connect With & Influence Their Audience

Late last year I had the privilege of speaking to an audience of more than 800 business professionals.

I arrived at the venue early so I could experience the opening keynote speaker.

The woman's topic was perfect for the audience, non-verbal communication and body language.

She told great stories and had great experiential activities that were quick and easy for audience members to participate in at their seats.

It was a very good keynote with one exception.

For 50-minutes the woman talked, virtually non-stop.

After just 10-15 minutes I was exhausted.

It seemed as though she didn't take a breath the entire time.

It was hard to listen without a break in her speech pattern.

Audiences need a break during the a speech, and this can be done in a couple of ways:

1) Provide some short downtime and opportunities for assessment by asking a rhetorical question people can reflect on for a few seconds. This is good for when you transition from one point to another.

2) Vary your speech pattern by speaking fast in some parts and slower in others. Raising and lowering your voice at different times in a way that reinforces a feeling you are trying to convey or evoke. Otherwise, you risk a monotone pattern that puts the audience to sleep or becomes a pattern that is difficult to listen to long-term.

3) Take a breath and pause.

You've heard the term, "silence is golden."

The audience needs the silence to digest the previous point.

You need it to create a smooth transition to the next point. 

And, remember, the silence will draw the audience in waiting on what you're going say next.

Wouldn't you like an audience leaning in to hear what you're going to say next?

If so, give them that chance.

Learn simple, easy to apply, World Class Speaking strategies to set you apart when you join the PresentationPower for Leaders Community and receive a weekly Presentation Power Tip that can transform your presentation skills.

---

Skip Weisman is The Leadership & Workplace Communication Expert, and is a member of an elite group of international World Class Speaking Coaches. Skip works with the owners of companies with between 6-60 employees to transform workplace communication in 90-days and create a more positive, more productive and even more profitable company. Additionally, he coaches and trains business professionals and professional speakers to become a World Class Speaker and presenter that can inspire and motivate any type of audience.  You can learn more about Skip at www.WorkplaceCommunicationExpert.com and www.SkipWeismanSpeaks.com .

#1 Resolution in America? Have More FUN!

You'd think in this downtrodden economy that the top 10 New Year's Resolutions of Americans would be focused toward generating more business, finding a job (or better job), setting higher bonus goals, and the like.

But NO! America's top 3 resolutions are all aimed at personal happiness:

#1 - Have more fun

#2 - Find time for myself

#3 - Be happy

As a prosperity coach who constantly reminds clients that "Success without happiness, just isn't success," I am heartened and indeed excited about these top resolutions! The truth is - making more money is the easy part. Creating a happier life - now that takes internal focus and commitment.

Congratulations to Americans for making FUN a top priority!

Linda Spevacek is an innovative speaker, author and coach who can help you create prosperity across all aspects of your life. For speaking topics and programs, visit www.ExpertProsperity.com

The framework to outwitt the devil. Part 1 - Intro

You can be exposed to many different philosophies, models, ways of thinking, and technologies when studying self improvement.

Many of these philosophies seem to conflict.

So how do you internalize this wisdom in a way that is useful for you?

The answer is personal for everyone.

My mentor told me about Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil and this book has become my answer.

Outwitting the Devil: The Secret to Freedom and Success

Written by Napoleon Hill in 1938. Deemed to controversial to be published. It was hidden in a drawer for over 70 years. 

In 2011 the book was finally published long after the death of Napoleon and his wife.

Over the next few months, I will be sharing my interpretations and wisdom gained from this book.

It is my intention to give you insights into my philosophy, simplify your belief system, and bring you happiness.

Today's I am writing about the history around the writing of this book.

Napoleon Hill met Andrew Carnegie in 1908.  Mr Hill wanted a way to pay for law school. Mr Carnegie wanted a factual record of what made men successful.

The result was 20 years of research and interviews with over 500 individuals viewed as successful and 2000 who where called failures.

Napoleon Hill received no pay for agreeing to this opportunity and had to "hustle" to make a living. 

In the 30 years it took to write write Think and Grow Rich and Outwitting the Devil the world experienced World War I, The Roaring 20's,  The Great Depression, and the beginning of World War II.

Napoleon personally faced poverty, the lost of his savings and his home in the Catskills Mountains, and had to run for his life.

This experience was needed to discover what Andrew Carnegie calls your "other self"'.  Stay tune for next month's post about the "other self"'

If your looking for health and happiness coaching please visit me at 

www.michaelegerhealthcoach.com

Failed at your New Year's Resolution.

Do you consistently fail at your New Years Resolution?  

 A recent article written by Forbes Magazine reports that of the 40% of Americans who set New Years Goals only about 8% actually achieve their goals.
Why is that?  Is it that many set the goal to high, such as quit smoking cold turkey.  Or could it be that often we are caught up in the moment of celebration and feel ambitious so we set more than one goal such as to eat healthier, smaller portions and exercise every day.  What tends to makes either of those goals barely unachievable is the lack of preplanning, New Years resolutions are generally spontaneous and set on New Years Eve.
Please don't be discouraged, there is a way to make your goals attainable.  

First there has to be a why.  What is your "why" for quitting?  Is it financial, emotional or just spontaneous?  Your why must having meaning to you.

Second you must have a start and end date.  Well so for this example we have a start date.  Lets say for argument sake you decide to ween yourself from smoking a pack a day to nothing.  Analyze and collect data of your smoking habit, when, where and why you smoke.  With the information collected decide if there is times when you smoke that you can just eliminate or if you feel you must smoke all the times that you do.  

Third, determine how many times of the day you can or are willing to give up your smoke break and make a commitment.

Next, make an incremental time line to cut back a cigarette in blocks of time.  Be sure to have a support in place for when you feel the urge to smoke, whether it be a person or an activity to take your attention off your urge to smoke.
Finally, acknowledge and celebrate your milestones as you accomplish them.
The success or failure of your goals are determined by being clear of the goal and why you want to achieve the goal, knowing what you can handle, committing to a beginning and end date, creating a plan of steps you are going to take to reach your goal, finally taking the time to appreciate the steps you are taking to achieve your goal.
Call or email me and we will make this New Years Resolution your last failure!

Virginia Ann Griffiths

Parent Time & Stress Management

We Leap Coaching 

weleapcoaching@gmail.com

(860) 485-8341

FIVE USEFUL TOOLS

Last month I assured you that a complaining customer is actually a gift, in part because you cannot correct a problem until you know that one exists.

There is another reason for you to welcome the complaining customer: The fact that your customer chooses to engage with you is evidence of their loyalty to your company. Whether or not you are able to solve the customer’s initial complaint, your conversation with them is your opportunity to strengthen the bond they share with you.

When you or your staff lack the training to manage a customer complaint, you might shy away from it, or mishandle it, either of which results in a less than positive outcome. So here are five useful tools for you. 

1. Greet the complainer in a warm and professional manner, putting aside any bias about the validity of the complaint.

Until your staff learn proper techniques, they are at risk of reverting to childhood default mechanisms, which involve self-defense, or denying responsibility, or turning blame back on the customer.  That’s when they are most at risk of uttering pathetic responses like, “That wasn’t’ my fault,” or, “It’s always been done that way,“ or, “Nobody else has had a problem with it.” These are not relationship building mindsets. The best way to nurture the relationship~~and your bottom line, for that matter~~is by responding to the concerns with respect and an open mind.

2. Practice active listening techniques.

3. Explain your next action step and time line.

4. Thank the customer for bringing this to your attention!
 

Whether you agree with them or not, they have let you know that they care enough about your company to go to the trouble of contacting you. Nurture that!

5. Follow through.
 

The follow through is as important as the expression of gratitude. If you fail to keep your word, you have effectively sabotaged your entire effort.

We have been discussing a complaint made by a fairly dispassionate customer, as opposed to an irate customer.  That scenario will be discussed in a future post.

In the meantime~~~Happy weekend to all!

Jeannie Newman is the founder and president of JZN Associates. She has a wealth of experience in staff training and customer retention across several industries,
in both the for profit and non-profit arenas. Find her at JZNAssociates.com.

Welcome back Fellow Movers and Shakers!  The date is January 16^th.

Today’s Blog:  “The Sales Process”

No matter who you are, what you sell, or who your prospective customer may be. . . The Sales Process is a series of steps which answer a specific question that is critical to your customer.  What’s In It For Me?     A process gives us the ability to identify what are the most effective steps, and a way to replicate them in future situations!  A process is a checklist which allows you to “check off the box” as you build the foundation that will help maximize your success.  In time, the process becomes second nature, a habit, and that is when we’re prepared to handle the variety of potential opportunities that arise every day.

The Sales Process

Know your Client – Cold calling/prospecting is one thing, but before you meet with a potential customer, you should have an idea of how you want the meeting to progress.  PLAN for what you want to accomplish, but PREPARE to take the meeting further if the opportunity arises.  Nothing worse than having a buyer ready to buy, and a salesperson who’s not ready to sell.  Strong preparation and preplanning will ensure that your time is as productive and successful as possible.  You will gain more, and your customer will appreciate it.  This step will “set the stage” for making the most of every sales call.

Call Opening – You set the stage for your call in the first 5 minutes; but what stage do you want to set?  Building trust and a relationship with the customer is important, and can be time consuming.  YOU must manage the call opening so you don’t spend all your time talking about a recent ski trip, and then there’s no time for business. . . . which is after all, the reason you’re sitting there in the first place!  You have to be prepared to move from small talk or an unrelated issue to what you want to discuss. 

Establishing Needs – If you’ve done your diligence in identifying and pre-qualifying true potential clients, then you’ve already determined they need your products and services.  But do they know?  Getting your customers to realize that as clearly and as passionately as you do is the art of establishing needs.  Ask questions you already know the answer to.  Make them say the words, and if they won’t. . .say it for them as you clarify portions of the conversation.  As Dale Carnegie would say, “get them saying yes!”  

Presenting Solutions – Once you get your client to realize they have a need, then now is the time to show them what ideas you have that will answer their need aka. . .solve their problem!  You can tell and show them what the issues are, but they’ll be much more interested in what they can do to alleviate them.  They may very well object, but that’s ok too, it’s their right.  YOU have to be prepared to handle their objections.   If you are not successful in “closing the deal” then you must consider what went wrong.  Were they wrong prospect, did you not identify the problem, did you not convince them that you were the solution?  Every sales call can be beneficial in that it teaches you what to do better in the future.  Sales is not always intuitive, it takes practice.

Gaining Commitment – You go thru your sequence; your client is nodding in agreement, it doesn’t get better than this.  You’re at the conclusion of the meeting and there’s a dreadful moment of silence.   You just look at each other waiting for the other to make the move.  Now is not the time to be bashful. . . .ASK FOR THE BUSINESS! ! !  Many sales are lost simply because the salesperson did not ask for the order.  Asking for the business creates a YES – NO situation.  If the buyer is ready to say YES, then they should be willing to move forward.   If they are not, then now is your opportunity to find out why, and re-address their concerns.  As a mentor of mine told me. “if you don’t ask, then you don’t get”.

Servicing the Customer – Now that you have the order, your job is done. Right?  Wrong.  In fact it’s just really begun.  Those that succeed long term in the profession of selling (and in building their brand) know that their follow-through, follow-up and consistent service is what will keep the sales machine running well.   If you drop the ball on any part of what you committed to your customer you are less likely to do business with them again.  Your customers have choices; don’t give them a reason to choose a competitor, especially after you did all the legwork!

My name is Bill Miranda.  I can help you develop World Class Customer Service organizations, Marketing Strategies, and Dynamic Sales Strategies and Tactics. 

E-mail me for more information, and a free telephone consultation.

Next Month:  “Building Your Business; Review, Delegate, Review”

Are you lying to yourself?

It's important to know that your mind plays “dirty” tricks on you.  That is, your perception of reality is never reality itself.  Rather it is your mind’s version or internal representation of reality. 

This causes blind spots – beliefs you have that cause you to be unaware of factors and situations that are causing your business success strategies to fail.

Example: “It’s impossible to find and hire good people.” 

Blind spot#1: Frequently the reality is that you need to hire people because too many have left because they weren't having a positive work experience. Chances are they weren’t acknowledged or rewarded for good work, not ever asked for their opinion, or didn’t have a sense of belonging to the team. (And many more)  Many of them give up and stop producing because they believe no one truly cares.

Blind spot #2:  Since the people on your team are not trying anymore, it looks like they don’t care.  In reality, they feel disconnected and unappreciated…so they stop doing their best.  This change can occur within a few months after being hired.

It’s complicated and there is not enough space here to give it a more analysis.

Developing strategies and plans is a healthy practice for leaders to do. However, if your strategies include significant blind spots they are doomed from the outset.

Remember, you filter every experience through your own learned behaviors, experiences, beliefs, values, interests and states.  As a result, this filtering process distorts, deletes and generalizes your sense of reality. It feels like you know the truth.  Often it is not real.

• Where are you missing critical external cues that your strategies need to be adjusted?  
• Where are you over-estimating your abilities or those of your managers and leaders?  
• To what extent are you attached to your own strategies as being correct that you cannot perceive better ways of reaching your destination?

 The first step to get past blind spots is to be aware of every thought, assumption, belief (disguised as fact) and point of view with which you currently identify.  Challenge it. Especially when you believe you are right.

Find out how to clear your blind spots and create greater success in your company.

Contact me, Ann Meacham, at ann@leadyourteams.com or call 860-788-3504.  Click here to schedule a Free Leadership Strategy session.

Overcoming obstacles to take your business to the next level

 
Doing things the same way you always have will not propel your business to the greater level of success it could have. You owe it to your clients to provide the best service possible, not just really good service but great service. And you owe it to yourself to have a business that is not only financially successful but also rewarding.

Sometimes you have to take a step backward to propel things forward.

My story helps to make this point. After building a very successful financial planning and asset management practice, it became obvious to me that in order to take the business to the next level I had to make major changes. I made the decision to take a six figure pay cut and put more money back into the business. Technology was updated. The office was remodeled for better work flow. And hiring and training new staff put the right people in place. Within two years not only had I made back the money I lost, but the net income to the business was greater and on the right path to continue to grow.

Think about how you have been running your business and if you stay on this same path, where your business will be in one and three years. Is that where you want it to be? If not, determine the changes you need to make to get things on the right path. If needed, hire an expert to help. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money.   

You need to constantly improve your business to stay ahead of the competition or you run the risk of being left behind by others in your field that offer better or more current service.



Nancy D. Butler Brief Bio

After building a business from scratch as a single parent with no other source of income and only $2,000 to her name, to approx. $200 million in assets under management, in 2007 Nancy sold her practice and became a national professional speaker, business coach and award-winning author. She now helps business owners do a better job for their clients and improve their bottom line and helps individuals live more successful, fulfilling lives and realize their dreams. 

Nancy has been quoted in many local and national publications including USA Today, Money Magazine, Playboy magazine, The Chicago Tribune and The Day and has been a speaker for major corporations such as Pfizer, General Dynamics and Dow Chemical. Nancy has also been a guest on several television and radio shows.

Contact Nancy for a free consultation at nbutler@aboveallelse.org.