Bee-haviors of Successful Sales Professionals

What do you think about sales people who always appear to be doing great regardless of how things are going? When things don’t go their way, they seem to have the ability to just shake it off and move forward. When things do go their way, they almost always act as if they expected it to turn out that way all along.

If you look at the way those people handle their sales careers, you might notice that they handle their accounts with that same kind of attitude and consistency too. They dress their best for every meeting and exude the confidence that goes along with it. They take their client’s calls, and take action to resolve issues, treating each situation they encounter as an opportunity rather than a problem.

They put their time and energy into their accounts just like other sales professionals do, they just do it with enthusiasm rather than complaints. The funny part is that they seem to look forward to handling whatever comes their way—both the good and the bad.

Back when you were starting your sales career, one of your goals was to make a good impression with every account. Chances are good that you went the extra mile when you could too. Granted, the accounts you’re handling now are probably bigger. You might even describe your current list of accounts as “comfortable.” But don’t let complacency and a poor attitude become an excuse for letting things slide with any of your key accounts.

As a sales professional, your livelihood will be heavily influenced by the quality of both your attitude and your process, and that means following the same protocols with each of your key accounts.

Making the commitment to being a great sales person is what sets the stage for long-term growth in sales revenue, and it’s a great disservice to your clients to assume that they can’t tell the difference between the sales rep who’s committed to doing what’s best for the them and the rep who’s just putting in enough face time to keep the account alive. They can. So, if you want your revenues to keep growing (because maintaining without growth isn’t an option these days) put aside some time to revisit your sales process, and your attitude.

What are you doing that works? What are you doing that hasn’t been working lately? How consistent are you with your sales process and protocols? Are there times when your assumptions (rather than your research) directly interfere with your process and/or attitude to your detriment?

I could go through the long list of things there are to look at, but you should be able to look at your process, and your attitude, and figure it out. If you’re having trouble deciphering or remembering what your personal sales process is, or you’re realizing that you’ve gotten off track and aren’t sure of how to get back on, or you’re struggling to reclaim your positive attitude, it’s time to schedule a consultation with me so we can figure it out, because:

There’s never a better time than the present to reignite the fire in your gut!

Alan Luoma: I am a Sales Coach with extensive experience in industrial sales, sales management, new

product development, sales and product training. I work with a great national sustainable packaging company and their exceptional distributors to increase sales. My success has been and is in utilizing the Pareto 80/20 principal in business and life. I have become an expert in seeking out and eliminating behaviors that prevent business people from being successful. I am a member of The National Speakers Association and New England Speakers Association. You can view my profile on LinkedIn, or contact me at Luoma@snet.net 

Pro Speakers

Hello Speakers, Business Owners, Future Entrepreneurs and Big Dreamers,  

 In this months article I would like to discuss Pro Speakers, which is an organization that is very near and dear to my heart. Pro Speakers is an advanced Toastmasters Club. The Club organized back in 2007 and that is when I joined as a Charter Member. There are two other Charter Members that are still active. When I first joined this club in 2007, I had made it through most of the Toastmasters manuals and achieved ATM-G as it was classified back then. I made a goal that year to stretch my speaking skills by either joining a National Speaking Firm or Hiring a Professional Speaker as a coach. In June of 2007, I was invited to a meeting where the Pro Speakers concept was introduced. The concept was to bring in members that were focused on speaking professionally for a fee or to accentuate their speaking skills to help move them further along in their career. For me, It boiled it down to this: "We were out to find uncommon speakers with incredible desire to push the envelope of greatness and deliver extraordinary presentations that will propel them onto their ultimate goal in speaking."

The entry to the club has a couple of prerequisites. If you were a Toastmaster you were welcomed to join as long as you completed your first 10 speeches out of the Competent Communicator Manual and secondly, you had to have a passion to be hired as a Professional Speaker for a decent speaking fee,. From my stand point I was rubbing elbows with the best, this was exhilarating. 

The first years membership held at least 12 members and most of them highly polished  and motivated speakers. At least six of the members drove 60-90 minutes one way to attend these meetings. That along intrigued me. The meetings consisted of 2-3 speeches that averaged 7-10 minutes long. You were then strictly critiqued for 2 minutes by each member with succinct purpose, advice and what you needed to do to improve. When you were about present a speech to grammatical experts and professional speakers you knew you had to be prepared and on your game. The critiquing absolutely made you better.The term "Shark Tank" was eventually coined for our club. In the eight years that have since passed, many of the original charter members have moved on, most of them achieved the goals and their purpose from this club. There are many great stories of success! I could cover another page of the successes that have been spawned because of Pro Speakers but I will save that for my Demo Speeches that I am giving for the Club this year. Pro Speakers is searching for new members that would want to push the envelope with speaking skills, being hired as a Professional Speaker, or moving up in your particular firm to do training and other skill set meetings. If your club or organization would like me to do an introductory presentation about the group please get in touch with me to schedule a presentation. If you have that inner passion to stretch your abilities in speaking come and visit us. 

Next blog: February 25, 2016

Contact Information:

PROSPEAKERS

Club Number:1029995, District 53, Area F61

Location: Agawam Senior Center
954 Main Street Agawam, Massachusetts 01001 United States 

Meeting Times: 1st & 3rd Thursday 7:00 pm 

http://www.toastmasters.org/Find-a-Club/01029995-prospeakers




     “The Insurance Coach”

          413-246-5037 (text) 

          John P. Slosek, Jr 
     Insurancecoach@aol.com

    "The Insurance Coach ™"
 Insurance Coach Radio Show 
Airs Every Saturday Morning 8am 

   www.realoldies1250.net          

Find me on Facebook".https://www.facebook.com/theinsurancecoach 

THREE FIRST STEPS TO HELP YOU LEAD AND SUCCEED

Are you about to become the new manager of a department, section, or facility? Congratulations!

(See September's blog, http://bit.ly/1W4F336)

Here are three first steps to start you toward success.

Your first step is…to stand still and breathe. Unless your new staff is doing something right this minute that can end your career today, you will accomplish more by observing than you will by risking a misstep due to your momentary lack of knowledge. Think of the adage about fools rushing in. Even if you are already familiar with the department you have not experienced its culture and dynamics from this vantage point.

Your second step is to examine your new arena. Take notes. Check the statistics, investigate what is being tracked, and how. What metrics need adjustment? Who is on your team, what are their strengths, who are your internal vendors and customers? Which areas need improvement? This is your best opportunity to make a thorough assessment of the department, the challenges, and the talent you have inherited.

Bear in mind that the staff has legitimate, time-honored reasons for their methods. What appears to be inefficient or outmoded has served a purpose in the past. So be humble, be respectful, and check your assumptions by asking questions as you move forward.

  

Step number three is to analyze your findings and create action plans based on priorities you have identified, in addition to any priorities your own manager may have outlined. You have learned what the issues are, who your ‘go to’ members are, and you have made astute observations. These three first steps have prepared you to be a successful leader.

Jeannie Newman is the founder and Chief Solutions Officer of JZN Associates, which offers a full menu of soft skill solutions to agencies, organizations, and corporations, such as motivational and informative talks, lunchtime learning sessions, half day events, and program series. 

Her personal mission is helping individuals realize their full potential through improving their Emotional Intelligence. Find out more at jznassociates.com, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

The Magic Carpet Ride.

Thirty seven years ago I was sitting at the supper table with my family when there was a knock on the door. It was our next-door neighbor that stopped by quickly to invite my father to a business meeting on becoming successful.He said a very sharp businessman is traveling in from North Carolina to discuss ways to build personal success and increase your income.  He told my father the meeting would be at 7 PM and asked my dad if he would attend. My Father accepted the invitation. 

At this point in my life I was seeking change and trying to find a better direction in my life. I had attended College for business management and my big goal in life was to be a store manager. After going through a couple years of preparation and being mentored by other managers, I realized in my heart it wasn't for me. I went to college for it, I told everyone I was going to be a store manager,but down deep, it wasn't my passion. If I continued to accept this fate, I would end up living in average common life today for just a paycheck and waking up each day with regret. 

I believe most Americans live this way, they are selling their daytime hours for dollars and giving up control of their freedom for that period of time. I made a commitment to myself, that was not going to be me. 

I was really frustrated that my neighbor didn't invite me to the meeting. Instead of stewing the whole night and pouting because I wasn't invited, I decided that I was going to crash the business meeting and see what this guy from North Carolina had to say.

I arrived at my neighbor's door and was greeted by his wife. I told her I wasn't invited to the meeting, but I want to come anyway. She told me there were no seats left, but I could  sit on the stairs on the way down to the meeting room and look through the banister. That is exactly what I did.

As I peered through the banister and listen to the speaker I was impressed. I recognized that  he was well spoken, dressed in a blue suit, white shirt and a red tie. His black shoes shined like a mirror, his Rolex watch sparkled like diamonds, and there was an impeccable red and white Cadillac in the driveway that looked like it just left the showroom. As a young man I was seriously IMPRESSED. He spoke of success and financial increase..
He told everyone sitting in that room that you can change your position, your status and your wealth at any moment in your life by making a decision. He spoke about creating a vision that would keep you awake at night.

He laid out a pattern for success. It was undeniable. As an 18 year old I understood it completely. I never heard words or intellect like that in my life. He discussed the cycle of income in particular businesses. I learned that America's residual purchasing habits relate to residual income. He mentioned about gaining a piece of America's distribution network of various products and companies that will pay you continual royalties after each and every purchase. He mapped out how this could play over a five year period of time. He showed how wealth could be created.

I began to fully understand what he was discussing. He shared an 8-step process to fully build and increase my income. He continued on with power statements:

     -  Don't let getting a college degree deter you away from the true passion .
     -  If you have an opinion that will help others give it and stand by it.
     -  Financial debt is death to success and a great attitude.
     -  You are who you associate with.
     -  You make a living from 9 am to 5 pm and create a great life from 5 pm to 9 pm.
     -  Pay cash for everything you can. If you cannot afford it, wait until you can.
     -  People will judge you in the first 7 seconds of a meeting you. Always smile, dress for
        success, and shine your shoes.
     -  Always leave a great impression behind when you leave a conversation.
     -  Find a strong proven company that will pay you residual income that you resonate with
        and work the daylights out of it until you reach financial security.
     -  Self confidence is one of the top key factors to success.

Every person in that room walked out except me! Some thought he was full of it, others thought that because he drove a Cadillac he was a shyster. Most of them did not resonate with his vision. I personally thought that they were either afraid of change or were simply negative thinkers. I caught the vision he put forth...I made it my life's mission to make his philosphy work. That night became my magic carpet ride !!!!!!!

I look forward to sharing my August 25, 2015 blog with you.

   “The Insurance Coach”

       John P. Slosek, Jr 

   "The Insurance Coach ™"
Insurance Coach Radio Show 
Airs Every Saturday Morning 8am 

   www.realoldies1250.net          413-246-5037

Find me on Facebook".https://www.facebook.com/theinsurancecoach 

   

3 Ways to Connect With Thought Leaders Through Podcasting

One of the big advantages of podcasting is that it allows you to connect with leaders in your field. As a podcasting producer and host I've been able to connect with the top authors, bloggers and speakers in my field. Below are 5 of the best strategies that I've found for connecting with thought leaders and increasing your credibility and visibility with a podcast:

1. Interview thought leaders
One of the most effective ways to connect with the top people in your industry is to interview them. You'd be surprised at the number of people who will say yes if you ask them to appear on your podcast. You are providing exposure and credibility for them. Interviewing authors and speakers in your field is a great way to start a relationship with them which can lead to additional opportunities and exposure.


2. Comment on thought leaders work in your podcast
If you are doing a solo podcast, where you are not interviewing guests but speaking directly to listeners, you can still connect with thought leaders in your field. Read their blogs, watch their videos and listen to their podcasts and then do a podcast episode about your reaction and reflection to their work. Encourage your listeners to visit the thought leaders blog and give the url for their website on your podcast. Then you can send your podcast episode directly to the thought leader and start a conversation with them.

3. Share your podcast in social media groups
Find social media groups that contain influencers and connectors in your field and join the conversation. As people share their struggles and challenges, you can do a podcast episode that answers their questions. You can then share your podcast episode and ask for feedback. Sharing your podcast episode as part of the conversation will allow you avoid being "spammy" and will make you a resource for solving the problems and challenges that the thought leaders in your field are facing.

Podcasting is a powerful platform to connect with the top people in your field and demonstrate your own thought leadership. As you share your thoughts and reflections on challenges in your niche, people will start to look to you as a thought leader. Using the above strategies will help you rise to the top in your field, increase your credibility and visibility and grow your business.


About Doug:

Doug Foresta is a veteran podcaster who helps coaches, authors and speakers to start podcasts that help them expand their reach. He is the founder of the 30 Day Podcasting Challenge and host of the popular Coachzing Show on iTunes and Stitcher Radio. For a free 30 minute consultation, contact Doug at 413-883-5518 or dougforesta@gmail.com 

The Hallway of Choices



A passage way seems to be in view at the end of this hallway. The passage way is a metaphor representing your chief definite aim in life, your ultimate goal or that "one thing" in life that you must have before you die. At the end of this hallway the "one thing" you seek awaits for you to show up.
There are hundreds of doors leading up to that passage to your goal. The doors on the left represent sacrifices, disciplines, hard work, commitment, integrity, good habits, good environments, pursuit of education and faith based decisions. The doors on the right represent no true life structure, bad habits, poor effort, lack of education, addictive natures, terrible environments, lack of faith, poor attitude and continued bad decisions. The right side correlates to a failure mindset and zero results outcome.
Our life is the sum of our choices and disciplines over the last year, last five years and last 10 years.
How would you sum up your life accomplishments in 2014, have you improved or have you suffered setbacks?
As you gaze down the hallway in the picture above, what is that "one thing" you want to accomplish in 2015? To accomplish great things you may have to leave old environments behind and eliminate bad habits that may be holding you back. You need to make the right decisions not just once and a while but all the time. If you have been in and out of the doors on the right side it is time to cross the hallway and start entering the doors on the left side. Start right now with setting a plan for yourself. Copy and paste this picture on your computer or journal and write that "one thing" you will pursue in 2015. SET OUT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS "ONE THING" NO MATTER WHAT!
The following is my Pattern for Successful Change.
This is "Golden Nugget #3" .
1. Purchase a Good Journal: Document your life progress everyday. Commit to 15 minutes of journalizing everyday. It should become your biography of change.
2. Define that "One Thing": Write it in your Journal. What is it that your going to attempt in 2015? What will make you truly happy so that you will enjoy this ride through life?
3. Leave the right side of the hallway mentioned above: In the month of January make a commitment to eliminate the worst habit you have in life. "Do not make this a New Years resolution! Make it your personal commitment to you!" If you're successful in eliminating the first bad habit, attack the next bad habit you have in the month of February. If you haven't eliminated your first one in January stay with it. In fact, if you only eliminate one bad habit in 2015 you should consider yourself a success.
4. Adopt Three Positive Attributes to your Life: Write these attributes in the front of your Journal so you see them everyday when your are journalizing your progress.
5. Read a book a month in 2015: Complete a book once a month that will assist you in attaining that "One Thing" you are in pursuit of.

I look forward to hearing about your positive metamorphosis in 2015.

Sincerely,
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.


6

Prepare Your Team for Victory

Has your company recently experienced a setback or struggled in a certain area? Most organizations experience highs, but must also deal with the lows – it’s a little thing called “adjusting” which can improve their overall performance. If your business kept doing the same thing, they would keep getting the same results. If it’s working – great! But, if it’s not, we need to make some changes. But how?

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, I can’t help but think of football. A group of 11 guys on each side are battling to score the most points to win the game. If you don’t play football, you can always participate in a Fantasy Football league. It’s a great way to build and sharpen useful life skills like: preparation, research, strategy, and risk. You can’t win a season, by ignoring your team. You must constantly check up on your team and make weekly adjustments.

Let’s look at Fantasy Football as a model for building a winning team. Follow these steps and apply them to your “real” working team, and see positive results.

Hire the right people. Did I say hire the best people? No, because you can’t always afford to hire the best, but you can ask the right questions in an interview, which can lead to the future star. In Fantasy Football, we start each season with a draft. During this step, we pick each individual player for our team, but we must do our research before the draft to build a successful team. All the top players get picked by the competing teams in the first few rounds, so you need to do some digging to find the “diamonds in the rough” in the later rounds.

Always look to improve your current team. Are some members of your team, holding you back from peak performance? Have a conversation with them and let them know your expectations. If they don’t improve in the coming weeks, you need to make some adjustments to your team. In Fantasy Football, you are only as good as your team. If certain players are constantly getting injured or are consistently performing below expectations, your team will suffer some losses in the standings. You need to drop the underachievers and pick up some new hungry talent on the waiver wire. This will ignite some energy on your team and help you win some games.

“Football teaches you hard work. It takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to have spectacular results in both business and football.” – Roger Staubach

The best companies don’t rest on their laurels. They are constantly improving and always searching for the “right” talent to create a winning team. It’s easy to be complacent and sit back, but if are willing do your research, prepare and take some risks, you can compete with the best of them.

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.

Listen to Rick's free weekly 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.