selling4aliving

Of course this means moving forward in our sales production, but there are other areas where we have to be focused on forward progress as well.

1. Move forward with your learning

       We need to understand the value of information  . and the momentum that in produces in our lives
    When I was a young person I witnessed a book burning.  (for those of you that have never seen one, this is where a group of people get together and burn a book that opposes their ideals )  My mother took me by the hand, pulled me aside and whispered in my ear.  “Donnie there is no such thing as a bad book!”  now I am older and I know that she painted with a broad brush, but the message was, that there is knowledge to be found in books, and I needed to look for it.
     This exchange launched a life time of reading in me, I read constantly.  books, articles, white papers, magazines, just anything I can get my hands on.  I have learned that training materials are like chicken, you have to eat the meat and throw out the bones.
  I happen to enjoy and value reading , but maybe you prefer videos, or CD’s  The point is the same, move forward with your learning.

2. Move forward with personal improvement

    Work on you !!  Stay healthy, get a good nights sleep . eat well.  All the knowledge in the world will fail to produce results if you cant function physically.
In my humble opinion , you will do well to avoid over indulgence in alcohol and other recreational intoxicants.  If you are hindered at work by your activities at night, you are costing yourself valuable earning opportunities.

3. Move forward in your vision

    Many people set a goal, and when they achieve that goal they figure that they have succeeded and now they are done. 
     The  thing about reaching the top is that there is always another top to reach.   The best among us know the driving force that a personal goal can provide.  Always be looking for a new vision, a new target to reach, challenge yourself to move onward and upward.

4. Help someone else move forward
    One measure of success is how many lives you influence along the way. I want you to experience true success as a Sales person.  Help your team mates to keep moving forward .  The rewards of this cannot be measured in simple dollars .  It will me measured in life long affiliations, a great reputation, and an attitude of grattitude .

Sell like your living depends on it
Donnie
   

  Your nervous because the Sales people you have met seem very polished, and quite comfortable in their role.   They don’t seem to worry about working for commission, in fact they prefer it.

Maybe you have been very successful in another field and just want a change.  Perhaps , you find your self among the ranks of the newly unemployed and are just exploring the option. Or possibly you know enough people doing this ,and doing it well, that it looks very appealing to you.

The good news is that this is a great profession.  It can be a very well paying profession .  It is easily the most rewarding thing you will ever do for a living.

So in light of advice to a sales job seeker ;

1. IGNORE THE MYTHS

   Sales is not a “liars club”   Professional Sales people take a great amount of pride in operating with integrity and being honorable in their business dealings
  Sales people are not just “smooth talkers”  All that polish and self confidence is a result of serious study and a commitment to training
  Sales is not a “cut throat “ industry   Make no mistake , this is a tough gig, but just as in any competition, their are winners and losers .  This is the simple truth of competition .
  Sales is not an “easy”, or “gravy” job  To do this well, and to do it with long term success, you must have a dedicated path of learning and the discipline to train every day

2. LOOK HARD AT THE ORGANIZATION

They are looking at you, you in turn ,need to investigate them.

Talk to the best of their team – Don’t waste time talking to the whiners and complainers , ask around ,find out who the top performers are, and speak with them .  Most will be happy to give you a glance “behind the curtain” as to the companies sales practices and support.

Talk to their customers – This is the real “Judge and Jury” on the Team.  If the customer base is unhappy the Firm is not succeeding and probably will not handle their people any better.  ** an exception to this would be the team that is rebuilding after a period of bad management .  If this is the case, they will be very upfront about wanting to develop a better team, and what they are expecting you to bring to the table . **

3. DIVE IN WITH ENERGY AND COMMITMENT
 
No one will expect you to know every thing when you start , but they will expect you to bring the heart, and enthusiasm that you will need to excel  BRING IT !!   . Soak every one like a sponge , learn every thing you can, READ READ READ , take home brochures, read phamplets, ( read this blog )  buy a sales book, watch sales videos.  saturate yourself with good training.

And    Sell like your living depends on it !!
Donnie
  

I am re printing my posts below

From a thread in the group ” Car Dealer”  found at  www.Linkedin.com

The qualities that make good sales manager are the same qualities that make any sales leader great,
1. Loyalty – To the team and the company
2. Uncompromising integrity – He is an example to be followed
3. A Positive Attitude – He not only presents the attitude but insists on it from the team
4. A sense of the deal- he has to see the opportunity , and the path to capture the sale
5. A coaching Spirit – He is the front line coach
6. A Teachable Person- The best of the best know they are still learning every day
7. An encourager – he is the guy to go to when times are hard
8. An out pouring nature – he gives of himself
9. The sales person’s back up Plan – he is always ready for the T/O , goes in when all else fails, comes through when the game is on the line
10. He is profit minded – A great Sales manager understands that he is not just managing people but also deals, He sets a pattern of profitibility and stays the course
11. He is a respectable public “face” of the company, of good reputation and character
12. He is the right arm of the GM or dealer principle – willing to stand in the gap and lead the organization as a whole when needed

On the topic of assessment, The bar is and has always been, RESULTS.

I dont think a long standing record of results is available to a manager who lacks the personal qualities that make a good leader. he will experience short term success but no longegivity in his accomplishments.

I respectfully disagree that reputation is key, I have found some very talented leaders that were working in small venues, and really had no audience for their accomplishment. They were just as qualified as the Leaders that were well known in major markets, and frankly showed more humility.

Although I have to state that a good reputation will follow good work even if it isnt wide spread across a Market.

As to the new manager, I say look for leadership qualities in their current role. They may not in fact be the top salesperson, But they will always be a leader, A systems follower, a cheer leader for the team as a whole, and exhibit a passion and work ethic above their peers.

In terms of his tool box

1. He or She needs to be an accomplished, tenacious closer – no compromise here, They must be able to get it done
2. Must be able to “see” the deal – I know this is a vague statement but it is an intuition that tells the manager there is a deal here even when a salesperson is giving up
3. They must be able to Train with commitment – DAILY meetings are not social hours they are for generating winning teams
4. They must be a goal setter – no fluff here, clear- concise -attainable , MEASUREABLE goals
5. They must be able to manage a MERIT BASED sales program, rewarding those that reward the organization
6. They cannot have a history of socialization with their reports – this is very important in a new manager

If you currently are not a memebr of http://www.linkedin.com/  I strongly suggest that you join.  I have found it to be a valuable resource for me in my day to day challenges

sell like your living depends on it
Donnie

For example in one episode BJ and Hawkeye are ribbing Charles on taking too long to operate. His response is a stunning nugget of Sales GOLD .  ” I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, and then I move on. “

You see, I have learned that I would rather do one thing great, than to do a number of things and only do them adequately

>First, however you have to decide who you are professionally, and what you can do well

For me it is clear :   I am a Sales Manager, I manage deals, and motivate sales people to achieve .

I am not a technician, I am not an accountant, nor am I able to do those things well . Sure , I understand technical aspects of my product, and I have an understanding of the numbers. But I could not be successful in either of these roles.  Why?   Because I am a Sales manager.

>Once we have have cleared up our role, we must get to work on doing it well.

Mastering one’s craft used be a source of pride in this country.  You started a new job as an apprentice then worked your way up to an assistant and then worked from there to be certified, and after much learning and work you were considered to have mastered the craft.  Today we seem reluctant to put in the effort or the time needed to really master anything.

Success takes work.    There is no short cut here, You simply cannot be a great sales person and not put in the work.   It takes Study, practice, rehearsal, and a focus on the goal .

STUDY
 I have not done this up to this point in my blog, but I would like to make you a few recommendations of trainers that I know to be the best at what they do:
Mike Whitty   -> www.mikewhitty.com
Grant Cardone – > www.grantcardone.com
Paul Cummings -> www.paulcummings.com
Dan Waldschmidt -> www.edgeofexplosion.com

These folks do not pay me to endorse them, nor do they even know that their sites are recommended here, but I know they are committed individuals and have dedicated their lives to developing great sales teams.

PRACTICE & REHEARSE
  I have said this before   sell everyone !!  your kids, your spouse, your team mates, anyone who will stand still long enough !!!!!  practice and rehearse your presentation.  work on it until it is second nature.  learn to sell with purpose, and a plan. know where you are in the presentation, and be able to anticipate what is coming next. be prepared.

FOCUS
  Remind your self every day what it is you are working for.  write down your goals and read them every morning. remember the words of YODA  ” Do or do not, there is no try “

Sell like your living depends on it
Donnie

In terms of unlocking and performing at the level of Greatness that is inside of you, you will have to go through this tough step.

1.  Discovering your worth
   Other wise known as what it is that you deserve
   *Step in front of a mirror  ( preferably at home and when you have lots of time )
   * Ask yourself  ” What am I worth? “
   DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO LEAVE THE MIRROR UNTIL YOU HAVE AN ANSWER IN MIND  (hint its not all about money)
   Now reader this question isn’t for your spouse, its not for your boss, It is for you.  This isn’t about any one’s opinion, assessment, or goal.  This is about you

2. The Second question will come quite naturally ;
     If I deserve these things, Why don’t I have them
   No excuses, no blame, just raw honesty .What or who is holding you back? How many opportunities to improve have you missed?  What obstacles have you allowed to stand in your way? what is keeping you from being great?  IS IT YOU ?????

  This is tough, but if being great was easy, everyone would be operating that way.

3. Develop a Plan of action
     This isn’t a “resolution” to be lived a while and forgotten.  This is a Life altering plan that will shape your future and it should be treated as such
                                         – What needs “fixed”
                                         – What will it take in terms of commitment
                                         – What will it take in terms of Work
                                         – What is a reasonable time table
                                         - Who can you lean on for direction and assistance
                                         – Where is your passion level? ( Are you ready to do what it takes?)

Of course I do not have the room here to go much further into this but I think you can see the Path

Sell like your living depends on it
Donnie

Sounds like I have a formula here that may just change your life,  That’s because I do. 
This formula is inside of a container that you already have with you, as a matter of fact that container is YOU

I have met a lot of sales people in my life, some just seem to know how to get that inward fire stoked, while others, try as they might, cant seem to get it burning
  These poor guys try it all, energy drinks, loud music,jogging in place, they manage to get their blood pumping for a short burst… but soon find they burn out.
  If this is a picture of you, the situation is very simple , you just haven’t learned a  basic truth.

 THERE IS GREATNESS INSIDE OF YOU
  We have all heard of the men and women who against incredible odds, and impossible circumstances manage to survive.   Things like being lost in the wilderness, Trapped in demolished buildings, Stranded on snow covered mountain tops.
   We have read the stories of the people who lift cars off of children, run through blazing fire to save a loved one, or some other feat of heroism.
These folks are built just like you and I. They are wonderful complex human beings.
 They are People who find Greatness inside of themselves.

  So what about you?  do you think you were skipped in this department ?  Absolutely not !!   This tenacity, this determination, this supernatural charge of energy is waiting inside of you.

 Unlocking it starts with your unwavering conviction
  You cannot be willing to accept less than greatness in yourself. 
    Don’t rest your head on the soft pillow of self pity, it will lull you to sleep and you will be doomed to a career filled with mediocrity and average success.
  You must push yourself to be better today than you were yesterday.  You have to get up every morning and find within you that determination and drive that will carry you to the top of your selling game. 
   I am not a doctor, nor a professional trainer. I am not a guru by any one’s standard . But this I KNOW without the sincere conviction that you are capable of great things, you will never achieve great things
You cannot be willing to accept less than greatness in yourself. 

You must call your self to action
  Develop the daily routine of “Calling yourself to the task at hand.  I will give you a daily affirmation that I believe will help you to do this.  You are welcome to use it “as-is” or modify it as needed.