Jeffrey Answers a Question about Overwhelming Prospects with Data | Real World Sales Wisdom
May 20, 2013 by 2 Comments
RSS readers click here for video.
In your business:
Video is the new brochure.
Video is the new testimonial letter.
Video is the new proposal.
Video is the new training manual.
Video is the new instructional manual.
Video is the new letter and email.
Here’s what to do (and here’s what I’m doing) to keep your business up to speed:
1. Take video of something every day. I don’t care what it is. A thought, an idea, an article, a brochure, a sales presentation, a customer testimonial, or a little kid sliding down a slide.
2. Make a list and create a pile of everything you have that’s printed. Make a game plan to replace it with something more current than 600-year-old technology.
3. Gather your best customers and have a video party. Begin asking them why they buy from you, on video. Then ask why they would recommend you, on video.
3.5 Whatever it is you’re selling, take advantage of every new channel of distribution. The old ways of selling, the old ways of marketing, the old ways of promotion, and the old ways of branding are no longer applicable – other than for a history lesson. It’s all changed with 4G speed, 10-hour batteries, social media, and flat screen TVs.
INTERESTING THOUGHT: As we head toward a paperless society, all the screaming environmentalists will have to find a new cause. Paper will go away by evolution, not by people screaming, “Save the Trees!”
If you are looking for some kind of model, take a close look at mine, and emulate it. So far it’s working well. But be careful, and check back often, because everything will be different by next year.
The best way to win in this economy is simple: stay in front of the losers.
Make a Sale on Monday. It Does Wonders for Your Week.
May 13, 2013 by 2 Comments
If you’re looking for consistency in selling performance, try these steps. You won’t believe how lucky you start to get.
Monday. How you do on the first day of the week sets the tone for the rest of it. And how you do on Monday is based entirely on how smart you worked last week. If you are disciplined enough to follow these methods, you won’t believe the difference it will make in your week and your productivity.
1. Make a sale first thing Monday morning… Set an appointment for early Monday morning you are confident will buy. It makes you feel great to capture a sale to start your week. Sets you in motion and gives you a mental boost to work harder (and make another one).
NOTE WELL: Since there are a lot of companies having sales meetings on Monday AM, you’re as productive as you can be with an appointment. You can start making sales calls after 10am. (If time permits you can also try a few calls before 8am. Lots of decision makers are early risers.)
2. Learn something new… Listen to a training CD in your car or at home (or both), and instead of listening to the same old news or music, try to feed your head with new knowledge that will help you make that first sale. When you learn a new technique on the way to an appointment, you can try it out in minutes.
3. Make at least 5 appointments for the rest of the week… Why not have a Monday full of success and positive anticipation. It’s up to you. Pick up the phone and work at it.
4. Work like hell all week.
Friday. How you do on the last day sets the tone for next week. Most people slack off. If you work intensely on Friday, it will ensure success next week and give you good reason to have a great weekend.
5. Learn something new… Continuing your sales education throughout the week on a regularly scheduled basis is as important to your success as any other aspect of sales, but make sure you listen on Friday morning.
6. Make a sale on Friday afternoon… Schedule a close for Friday afternoon… nothing like ending the week on a positive note.
7. Confirm and solidify your Monday appointment on Friday… If you worked hard the last four days, you’ve already set your “Monday AM make–a–sale” appointment. Call the prospect on Friday and confirm it.
8. Make at least 5 appointments for next week… Why not guarantee yourself a full schedule next week? Spend your weekend relaxing instead of worrying about how few appointments you have. Make this commitment to yourself: I won’t leave work on Friday until I have 5 appointments and I’ve have set my Monday appointment/sale.
8.5 The secret to a great week is to use Monday as a springboard. The bigger secret is to trigger it by making a “sale” call on Monday. The biggest secret is you having enough qualified prospects in your pipeline to make that Monday sale possible. Keep your sales pipeline full. PREPARE for your success or it won’t occur.
Sounds simple. Make appointments, listen to CD’s, make sales. It is simple. It just isn’t easy. But if you work intensely, you can do it. I can make one promise to you… follow these guidelines and you’ll have sales consistency (you’ll also earn money).
Now you know the secret. I’ve given you the answer. The question is what will you DO with the answer.
Self-Evaluation of the Basic Elements of Leadership
April 18, 2013 by 1 Comment
AM I THE LEADER I WANT TO BE? Leaders rarely get to evaluate themselves. Below is your opportunity to take a brief look in the mirror. Take a few moments and give yourself an honest response as to your present skill level.
NOTE WELL: If you only look at this list and don’t actually circle a number, you will not improve, nor will you have a guideline by which to do it. When you circle the numbers, you’re telling yourself where you are and giving yourself an opportunity to grow to where you want to be.
This is a self-evaluation of the basic elements of leadership. To determine where you stand, note the number to the right of each statement that represents your personal status.
(1=never, 2=rarely, 3=sometimes, 4=regularly, 5=all the time)
I maintain a consistent positive attitude. 1 2 3 4 5
I embrace change as opportunity. 1 2 3 4 5
I deploy courage. 1 2 3 4 5
I take risks. 1 2 3 4 5
I listen with the intent to understand. 1 2 3 4 5
I communicate to be understood. 1 2 3 4 5
I delegate and empower others. 1 2 3 4 5
I understand others. 1 2 3 4 5
I understand myself. 1 2 3 4 5
I understand my situation. 1 2 3 4 5
I am committed to being my best. 1 2 3 4 5
I administer with excellence. 1 2 3 4 5
I am able to recruit the best people. 1 2 3 4 5
I hire the best people. 1 2 3 4 5
I retain my best people. 1 2 3 4 5
I train everyone and myself. 1 2 3 4 5
I consistently motivate my team. 1 2 3 4 5
I consistently inspire my team. 1 2 3 4 5
I lead by example. 1 2 3 4 5
Total your noted numbers from the previous step.
Leadership Scorecard
85-95 You are the leader I want to be taken to. This book
will help you strengthen and reinforce every
aspect of your excellence.
75-84 You’re a good leader. Dedicated and focused.
You’re now ready to go from proficiency to
mastery.
67-74 You’re a leader, slightly out of focus. The
strengths in this book will help you get
back to 20/20 vision.
59-66 You’re leading, but you lack high-level skills.
Dedicate yourself to mastering the fundamental
concepts in this book.
40-58 You’re struggling to lead. Read this book twice,
taking notes as you go, THEN make personal
plans to master the strengths in this book before
you assume any more leadership responsibilities.
GO BACK: Check the box to the left of any element where
you circled a 1, 2, or 3. Use the checked boxes to create
your personal game plan by creating an action plan for how
you will master each element you need to improve on.
Jeffrey Answers a Question on Cold Calling | Real World Sales Wisdom
April 16, 2013 by 1 Comment
RSS readers may click here for the video.
Here are 12.5 real world connection strategies to eliminate cold calling. These are not “no brainers.” They’re “brainers!” They’re ideas and strategies that require smart, hard-working people to turn the strategies into money:
1. Build relationships and earn referrals. Visit existing customers. Offer ideas and help.
2. Use LinkedIn to make new connections. Use the “keyword” search feature to uncover prospects you never knew existed. Then connect without using the standard LinkedIn wording. Be original.
3. Ask your informal network of connections to recommend customers. Building and maintaining local and industry specific relationships are critical to building your success. Pinpoint people who respect and admire your ability, the same way you respect and admire theirs.
4. Network face-to-face at the highest level possible. Not an “after hours” cocktail party. Join high-level executive groups and get involved.
5. Join a business association – not a leads club. Someplace where owners gather.
6. Speak in public. All civic groups are eager to get a speaker for their weekly meeting. Be the speaker. If you give a value talk, a memorable talk, EVERY member of the audience will want to connect. You’ll have the potential to gain fifty “cold call” connections each time you speak.
7. Speak at trade shows. Why not get praise for the great speech you gave at the conference every time someone walks by your booth, instead of trying to get them to putt a ball into a plastic cup.
8. Write an article. Nothing breeds attraction like the written word. I am a living example of what writing can do to change a career. Get in front of people who can say yes to you and become known as an expert.
9. Write an industry white paper. CEOs want to create great reputations, keep customers loyal, keep employees loyal, have no problems, maintain safety, and make a profit. Write about how your industry does that and EVERYONE will want to read it (and meet with you). White paper, or brochure? You tell me… Which one gets you invited in the door? Which one earns you respect? Which one builds your reputation? And the ouch question: Which one are you using?
10. Give referrals. Yes, GIVE referrals. What better way to gain respect, cosmic debt, word-of-mouth advertising, and reputation? WARNING: This requires hard work.
11. Send a once a week, value-based message to existing and prospective customers. For the past decade, my weekly email magazine, Sales Caffeine, has been a major source of value to my customers and revenue to me. Where’s yours?
12. Contact current customers who aren’t using 100% of your product line. You have gold in your own back yard. No cold call needed. Call existing customers and get more of their business.
12.5 Reconnect with lost customers. This little used strategy will net you more results than any cold call campaign on the planet. It takes courage to connect, but once you discover “why” you lost them, you can create strategies to recover the account – often more than 50% of the time.
Jeffrey Gitomer’s Win Now!
April 7, 2013 by 3 Comments
You can’t change things in THE world, but you can change things in YOUR world. ~Jeffrey Gitomer, author of Win Now, a new book only available on Kindle, now available on Amazon!
The Sale Re-defined | Jeffrey Gitomer
April 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Unless you help your customers win, you will continue to lose. ~Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Sale Re-defined, a new book only available on Kindle, now available on Amazon!
Got Attitude?
March 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
“If all it takes is an angry stranger to ruin your day, what are you going to do if something really serious happens? Why give someone else control of your life like that?” -Jeffrey Gitomer
