Tag Archives: retail selling

READY – SET – GO !!!

5 Apr

There we were, four boys about twelve years old, lined up in a row , facing roughly a block of of neighborhood road.

My little sister was the starting gun. She called out with all the authority her little voice could muster ;

“READY”

A quick few breaths , A short little dance hopping from foot to foot…

” SET”
Down into a stanced position crouched, eyes on the goal…

“GO!!!!!!!”
We were off racing for the pride of the block, who would win , who would have that sacred title FASTEST

(Admittedly, it wasn’t usually me .)

No, I didnt drag you down memory lane to show you I wasnt a fast runner.

I hoped to paint this picture in your mind, as I relate it This Great profession of ours.

You see one thing we all have in common at the “Starting line” of our Day, is that we all want to win. We sometimes have different definitions of what a win is, but we all want to win.

READY
Is your mind right? is your attitude positive? Have you gotten enough sleep? Eaten a good breakfast? Have you spent some time in quiet preparation for your day ? Did you plan today’s events yesterday? Are you studied up / prayed up/ and propped up?

SET
Now is the time to narrowly focus on the goal. Summon the Greatness within you, and see yourself with the victory. You CAN do this . You WILL do this , There is no one and nothing that can convince you that you are anything less than the very best at what you do .

GO!!!
Dont hold back, give it every thing you have . Let the Wisdom and Strength that is inside of you Flow to the outside. Overcome fear and doubt and LAUNCH yourself into VICTORY.
Who is better? Who is Stronger, faster, and able to rise above the average ? YOU ARE

Sell like your living depends on it
Donnie

Are you planning to work ??

5 Dec

It is the time of year when Salespeople begin to think and plan for next year

You hear all sorts of clichés’ this time of year like

* Next year I’ll work smarter not harder…

* Next year I will be solutions oriented…

* Next year I will be more focused…

And the list goes on and on,

What you don’t hear nearly as often is ” Next year I will work harder”

What is our adversion to hard work, Why do we avoid even the thought of it ?

The pattern of Sales success is  fairly simple to figure out

The people putting in the work reap the rewards !

Lets set the plan for sales success next year, and if we are serious about earning better money, and enjoying the next level of success let’s make that list look something like this :

I will put in the effort that my competition is not willing to put in

I will keep working even when the clock says the day is over

I will not accept failure with anything short of everything I could have done to avoid it

I will not skip steps and short change my customers to save myself some work

I will be accountable for my own success I do not have time for whining and blaming

I will put in the time it takes to know my product

I will sell like my living depends on it

 I know it sounds like work…   That’s because it is work 

Mistaking Process for Greatness

18 Jul

In my last post I stirred some great conversations when I wrote that our competitors had mistaken Process and precision for greatness

Several emails came in telling me that process and presision were the key elements of a great sales team.

Let me better explain my thoughts ;

Consider the British army in the revolutionary war.  They were well rehearsed, they had process and precision.  But all the process in the world couldnt overcome the determined hearts of a people wanting a better life !!

processes are important, precision is needed, but when they are your only focus, you will fail to grow

- And you wont even notice that you have failed

                                     You end up so wrapped up in the Frame that you miss the picture .  Your competitor comes along with the desire to make NEW ART, and you are busy framing an old print. 

When you finally realize that you are left behind, you’ll be raising your hand from the back yelling “ME TOO!”

- You’ll have meetings asking the same tired minds for new ideas

- You’ll  examine your ” Core” and look for ways to improve the process

- You criticize the better , faster competitor and say things like ” They are a flash in the pan.” or ” They will be gone soon!”

WAKE UP !!  THAT “FLASH” IS IN YOUR PAN !!!

We have to push our selves harder

We have to guard our creativity, nurture it, and be fearless with it

We have to hold our dreams captive, and express them at every opportunity !!

We cannot be intimidated by the status quo

We cannot worship at the alter of process, We have to be innovators, Thinkers and Players

WE have to sell like our living depends on it !!!!

we have to be DANGEROUS !!!!

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as always feel welcome to comment, or send me an email at donblanz@gmail.com

Tell me about your successes and share your ideas and thoughts

Please tell your friends about our site !!

 

No one is dreaming for you !!

27 Jun

 

Upper management is not taking the time to dream for you !

                                                          Your friends aren’t dreaming for you

                                               The folks that supply your product aren’t dreaming your dreams

The competition couldnt care less if you have dreams

You have to dream for yourself !!

And it’s important

  I know mom told you not to be a day dreamer.   The teachers at school told you to be a planner not a dreamer.

Some Sales trainer that meant well, cautioned you to set REALISTIC goals , and forget the dreams.

But we need dreams, we need GREAT BIG WONDERFUL DREAMS !!!

Consider these fifty Quotes on Big dreams :

1. “It may be that those who do most, dream most.” – Stephen Butler Leacock

2. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau

4. “The future you see is the future you get.” – Robert G Allen

5. “Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing.” – Adolph Monod

6. “When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.” – Greg Anderson

7. “Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.” – James Allen

8. “Follow your heart and your dreams will come true.” – Anonymous

9. “Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” – Pamela Vaull Starr

10. “When you have a dream you’ve got to grab it and never let go.” – Carol Burnett

11. “What’s the purpose of living if you don’t go after your dreams?”Samson Reiny

12. “Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.” – Dr. Dale E. Turner

13. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

14. “Capture your dreams and your life becomes full. You can, because you think you can.” – Nikita Koloff

15. “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” – Anatole France

16. “For those who dare to dream, there is a whole world to win.” – Dhirubhai Ambani

17. “No dreamer is ever too small; no dream is ever too big.” – Anonymous

18. “Not fulfilling your dreams will be a loss to the world, because the world needs everyone’s gift — yours and mine.” – Barbara Sher

19. “Keep your heart open to dreams. For as long as there’s a dream, there is hope, and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living.” – Anonymous

20. “I have had dreams, and I’ve had nightmares. I overcame the nightmares because of my dreams.” – Jonas Salk

21. “Any dream worth dreaming, is worth the effort to make it some true.” – Evan Gourley

22. “Go for it now. The future is promised to no one.” – Wayne W. Dyer

23. “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”  – Lao Tzu

24. “At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable.” – Christopher Reeve

25. “This one step: choosing a goal and sticking to it, changes everything.” – Scott Reed

26. “Life is short, live bold! Be heard, be you, dream big, take risks, don’t wait.” – Misty Gibbs

27. “It’s better to have an impossible dream than no dream at all.”Anonymous

28. “All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” – Brian Tracy

29. “The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.” – Ben Stein

30. “Don’t live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable.” - Wendy Wasserstein

31. “If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more, to dream all the time.” – Marcel Proust

32. “Be willing to be uncomfortable. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. It may get tough, but it’s a small price to pay for living a dream.” – Peter McWilliams

33. “Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the action stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.” – Anais Nin

34. “Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” – Napoleon Hill

35. “There is always a realistic way to fulfill any dream. There has never been a dream that you can’t have — at least, not the heart of it, not the part you love the most.” – Barbara Sher

36. “If you can imagine it, You can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.” – William Arthur Ward

37. “Have the courage to . It’s the first step towards attaining your destiny.” - Nikita Koloff

38. “Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.” – Tupac Shakur

39. “If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

40. “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau

41. “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” - Life’s Little Instructions

42. “You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” – James A. Froude

43. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”Anonymous

44. “If I can dream, I can act. And if I can act, I can become.” – Poh Yu Khing

45. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

46. “Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.” – John Updike

47. “You can live your dreams if you can embrace change. It’s by taking chances that you’ll learn how to be brave.” – Nikita Koloff

48. “If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.” – Les Brown

49. “If you don’t have a dream, how can you have a dream come true?” – Jiminy Cricket

50. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. ” – Harriet Tubman

 

The Greatness inside of you!!

15 Jun

YOU have greatness inside of you

                                                               You were born with enormous potential

You have been overcoming since you starting learning !!                  

Think about ,  You walked, but you had never walked before.  You spoke, but you had never spoken before .  You have been a high achiever for your entire life. 

You have been reaching goals and passing milestones for a lifetime !!  You have impresed and inspired those around you.  Your story is littered with success!!  Look at you… YOU ARE GREAT

NOW suddenly as an adult you have doubts, You wonder if you can reach new plateaus.  You question your abilities and hesitate to reach for more.  Insecurity and fear become road blocks ‘

You have failed before

Hey it happens, If you havent failed you haven’t tried .  Failure isnt a stopping point, It is a check point.  Its a time for review and assessment, a time to take a breath and then start the next push .  Its a learning experience, a story teller, It makes you stronger, faster and better equipped for success.

Dust off, Shed a tear if you need to, stop for prayer and comfort of a loved one.  But DONT STOP .  Let that inner Greatness take over, be the over comer you were born to be !

I just wanted to remind you this morining, that YOU are great.

THE FLOW IS HEADING THE WRONG WAY !!!

8 Jun

Speaking with another Sales Manager …

 ” Donnie I finally just quit fighting it, and learned to go with the FLOW “

NO !! , THE FLOW IS GOING THE WRONG WAY !!

You hear it put in a lot of different ways ;

 It is what it is ,   Thats the way we do it here, Same ole same ole.  

Weve all seen it, a once great, innovative , cutting edge sales team stops growng.

 They stop caring,.

Someone or something convinces them that there is no profit in keeping pace.

Fear replaces Energy and Failure becomes the accepted way of doing business.

They settle into a groove and just sit still until somebody shows  up and turns the lights off.  

Many times this tide could have been turned.  Someone has to stand up, speak up, and LEAD.  Silence in the face of ruin is a waste !!!  Going quietly into the abyss is a plan for those without dreams and goals.

We need to kick and scream !!!

Shout from the rooftop if you have too .  Wake em up, Shake em up , Train em up,

Working against the current is tough !!  It’s lonely !  It’s a damned hard position to be in.

BUT IT’S WORTH IT !!

STAND FOR POSITIVE ENERGY AND POSITIVE CHANGE .  BE A PILLAR OF SUCCESSFUL THINKING.

And

Sell like your living depends on it

Lesson’s from the finance department

24 Apr

 

I have had the privilege of working with some of the best Finance and Insurance professionals in the  business. 

I have been mad at them, happy with them, frustrated with their process, and even amazed by their ability,

but ,most of all ,I have learned from them.
 
  • It’s math not magicfailing to take into account the proper financial structuring of a deal, may make the deal look great on the front end, but it virtually guarantees you are wasting the customer’s time. Successful delivery requires that the LTV ( loan to value) and the initial investment meet bank criteria.  Even the best of the best can’t overcome poorly structured transactions.   This forces your finance Manager to work backwards in your deal.  He/She if forced to Change the details of the transaction, and present the new details to a customer you failed to prepare. This will cost you money, time, and the trust of your customer.

     

  • Protecting Information is Everyone’s jobSales people tend to see this as the sole responsibility of a Finance professional . It is a complete disrespect to your client not to care for and secure all of their personal information. You may think it is clever to photo copy docs for your records, but it is not only unethical, it is illegal.   This seems easier for a new Sales person to grasp than an “Old dog”   so listen up old dogs,  The days of keeping open files on your previous customers that include their credit criteria are gone !!   If you cant get this any other way, imagine that the clerk at walmart is taking home your bank card information ” Just in case” .   Not a great thought is it?  STOP doing this.

 

      • Rates and Terms are not determined by the F & I dept.Whether they are good or bad, at the end of the day it is the customer’s credit record that will determine the tier he falls into ,and the rates that are available to him.  Often sales people think that Finance determines the rate based on the profit they would like to make.  While there is mark up in rate, the tier and base rate are determined based on the customer’s prior credit history and the level of risk the bank is willing to take.

 

            • Faking it is NOT making itYou may think boosting income or job time or other factors on a credit application is a slick way of getting around the system, but it will in fact introduce you to another system. The Unemployment system, or worse the Prison system

 

  • There is no room for Guesswork - Finance is an exact science, guessing at the payment and quoting “ scenarios” are not doing you or your customers any justice. In fact they frustrate the process and the client. Get your finance manager involved when questions of rate and term surface. You’ll  find your customer enjoys being given the facts as they are, and not your best “guess” 

 

  The Finance manager is your team mate, they are not an obstacle to your success they are in fact a catalyst for it. 

 Abusing their system, and asking them to work out side of ethical lines  will short circuit your career. 

Take some time and learn what it is that they do, how their process works, and how to make the it work for you and your customer.

 

Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

 

 

The Economy between your ears

17 Apr

  We are starting to hear the rumblings again !!

 

  The doom sayers are once again out in force , ” Gas Prices are too high, Credit is too tight, and people just aren’t buying “

DON’T GET SUCKED IN !!

  The formula for sales success doesn’t change because of economic conditions, It remains a constant even when every thing around it changes

                                                                                      SUCCESS STILL FOLLOWS HARD WORK !!

                                                                                                                             It’s funny how factors beyond our control affect us  very little, when we apply focus and energy to what we can control.   Frankly, Your just too busy to fail, You don’t have time for it.  the Customers you sold last year ,last month, and yesterday are counting on you for good follow-up.  They need a confident, trust worthy source to send their friends and family to.

   That customer that is watching his pennies  has to have you available, to ensure that neither his time or investment is wasted .   He doesn’t want to hear about the economy,( he is living in it).  He searches you out for fresh perspective, and a reason to move forward with his purchase.  THATS YOUR JOB !!

  Put down the newspaper, Its robbing you of energy and enthusiasm.

                                      Put on the cartoon network instead of the morning news if you must watch TV in the morning.    A laugh to start  the day will do you more good than some talking head telling you how bad it is !!

                     STOP  attending  services at the coffee pot congregation and the smoking area sanctuary, Where the message is always the same old negative spew !!    Your needed in the sales arena,.  There is money to be made, and Customers to take care of.

STOP attending services at the

 “coffee pot congregation”,

and the “smoking area sanctuary” Your needed in

 the SALES ARENA

 

 

It’s the Economy between your ears that sets the tone

for sales success, You have complete control of the

content and contributions going in, and the effort

going out.  So… How’s the economy??

 

Surf or get wet

5 Apr

 I have to admit I have never been on a surf board, However in observing the sport I have reached the conclusion that it is much dryer on the top of the board than beneath it.

  Our profession has some similarities.

WE HAVE WAVES OF OUR OWN TO NAVIGATE

 - A Changing customer base  -  Our customers are more educated and have more information at their fingertips than ever before  – The good news is, so do we !!!  We have the  ability to meet our customer’s  needs  faster and with better effeciency 

- A Changing Sales process  -  Gone are the days of sign here financing, and with them went the lazy sales efforts of yesterday.  I have met many Sales people who lament for the “good ole days “  The times when the financing came easy and the effort was minimal .  This wave is a big one we have to surf daily !!  The good news is, our buyers are stronger and more committed to the purchase.  their hard work and good credit are rewarded with low interest rates and perks that are reserved for those that have earned them 

A Changing sales environment  -  Remember the sales people that treated our customers like they had no value?  They raked in the easy money lieing on the credit applications, forging the facts, and in general destroying the buyer and the reputation of their company.   They have gone on to easier pastures, We that remain are relieved to see the return of solid ethics and financial responsibility.  Sure it takes more work to do things right but the rewards are fantastic !!

  Surfing the waves of change is a skill we learned to work on every day.

Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

Are you a builder??

15 Mar

A mentor of mine shared this little Diddy with me years ago

The Author is unknown, but the moral is timelessly true

Which Are You? 

I watched them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a busy town.
With a heave-ho and a lusty yell,
They swung the beams and the side walls fell.

I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled?,
The kind you’d hire were you to build?”
He laughed and said, “Why, no indeed!
Just common laborers are all I need.
They can easily wreck in a day or two
What builders have taken years to do.”

And I thought to myself as I went on my way:
“What part in the game of life do I play?
Am I a builder who works with care,
Measuring life by the rule and the square?
Am I shaping my deed to a well-made plan,
Patiently doing the best I can?
Or am I a wrecker who walks the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down?”

 

Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

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