Tag Archives: success

“You work too much”

30 Apr

I sat quietly as I listened to my 26-year-old Daughter lecture me on the perils of working “too much”.

“You miss out on so much Dad , You just need to slow down.”

I didn’t argue, and I certainly didn’t mention that I was about to extend my work day by an additional hour for Daylight savings time… I just smiled .

Finally I put my hand on her shoulder and said ” Sweetie, I have seen the damage of working too little.”

I just don’t know how to achieve great success without hard work !!
And I have found that the absence of hard work always equals an absence of success.

I have compiled a small list of things I don’t think you can ever have “too much” of

- Effort - Every time I apply more effort I reap more reward. NEVER FAILS !!

- Passion – When you love what you do it is infectious , You feel it, Your Customer feels it, And Your Family benefits from it

- Integrity – There simply is no such thing as being too honest

-Loyalty – A forgotten principle in todays Market place . Loyalty to the customer, and to the Company are high on my list of personal priorities .

- Drive – My cell phone is set to send me a message every Morning at 5 am it simply says “Get it All”

What would you add to the list?

Sell like your living depends on it

Donnie

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An Unfair competitive advantage

9 Apr

We all want it , That edge over our competitors.

That quality that sets us apart and makes us attractive to our customers and magnetic to our prospects.

They notice when we have it, They ask questions like “Where did they come from ?” and ” How did they suddenly get so good ?”

In the world of selling this edge is the product of a simple formula.

- Put in the work

The unattractive work, the time and effort needed to follow up, prospect, and develop. This is the hours of time on the phone. The sitting up late stuffing the mail outs. It’s the craigslist ads , the Sales blogs, Youtube videos, The bulletin board ads , and the list seems to go on and on.
It is the networking, The referrals , The constant reaching for new opportunities.
This work isn’t as pretty as the “close” , It doesn’t grab the head lines and the back slaps. No one gives out plaques and trophies for leg work, but it will pay off.

You’ll seem to come out of no where with a solid customer base, and a sales book to match. Your Customers will know you by name , and be certain, Your competition will too.

- Stay with the work

Dance with the one that brought ya !!

Often Sales people plateau.
We reach a level of success and the fundamentals that brought us here seem to take a back seat.
We get caught up in the spot light. We like the awards and the accolades, and who doesn’t?!. We enjoy being told we are a Selling machine. We like the paychecks, and the perks. This is a great feeling . The top of the field is the greatest of views.
BUT…
We need to look beyond the moment, be ready to fight once again, and be steadfast in our commitment to staying at the top of our game

But we need to realize that we are never invincible . Remember what made your competition vulnerable? They didn’t put in the work !!

Sell like your living depends on it
Donnie

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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

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5 things you don’t have time for

25 Mar

I will admit this could be a longer list,

But if you are going to be successful in sales ( Or life for that matter) , You simply Cannot make time for :

Gossip :
If you allow yourself to be the recipient of garbage, you will smell like it soon !! I have met sales people so devoted to the latest “news” that they soon became the latest news. Even if you are reasonably certain that the information you have is true, Learn to keep your mouth shut when damage to another is the only possible outcome. And in the words of Sandra Blanz ( My Mom and first mentor) “If they will talk to you about someone else, They’ll talk to someone else about you .”

Bitching
Complainers are a cancer to any organization. They will de moralize a Sales team and Crush the greatest of effort. I am amazed that they never run short of dis satisfaction. It seems everything bothers them . I once overheard a Sales person tell another ” Man we just have too much inventory, This place is turning into a candy store.” That same sales person complained later in the year when I dropped a line that was under performing. I recommend promoting constant complainers to the position of customer.

Blame
It was the weather, the ad campaign, the inventory, The Management, the customer . IT WAS YOU !! take ownership of your failures. Blame will rot you from the inside out. We all stumble, We all fail. You just can’t waste precious time dwelling on the past. Dust your self off, learn from your mistakes and Get busy !

Desperation
Desperate people do desperate things . It is a far better use of your time and energy to stop, take a breath and formulate a solid plan for success. Acting out of desperation will cost you profit and customers. Be careful not to develop commission breath . Remember the fundamentals that have brought you success in the past and apply them.

Destruction
To be more specific , self-destruction. Doing or saying that thing which will result in your certain failure . Among those that fail in our profession you will find a wide range of self-destructive behavior . Drug and alcohol abuse, gambling, Theft, dishonesty and many more . These are the tools with which failure builds its strong hold in our lives. Stay grounded , keep your moral compass pointed true North. You will lose much more than time slipping down these paths

Sell like your living depends on it
Donnie

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Holding yourself accountable for greatness

25 Feb

Holding yourself accountable for greatness

OK I know this is a simple title but I am going to introduce an exercise that I really want you to take seriously.
We spoke previously about the Greatness that is inside of you. That leads naturally to addressing the task of getting that Greatness to the “outside”.

In terms of unlocking and performing at a level of Greatness , you will have to go through a cuople of tough exercises

1. Discovering your worth
what it is that you deserve, What are you working for? What are you worth …
*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)
NOTE –> 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
Your raw honesty, Your dreams, Your aspirations, The VALUE of your effort .

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 committment
– 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

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WHAT DO THEY SEE?

6 Feb

I am always surprised to see myself in pictures and video. I don’t look at all like I expect to look. I don’t feel like a guy with grey hair and a gut…

But the camera doesn’t lie does it .

Consider for a moment that the way we see ourselves professionally, could also be very different from how others see us.

We may see our selves as a vocal advocate for improvement
And others may see us as a constant complainer.
How does this happen?
offering a steady presentation of problems without offering solutions, or even an attempt at helping , may very well seem to our co-workers as just general bitching.
Changing that image requires a shift from ” This is broken” to ” How can I help” .

We may see ourselves as a most valuable asset working tirelessly on building our sales book
And others may see us as someone that doesn’t care about the success of his overall team
The very definition of an asset is one that adds value to the whole of a team or organization.
Blindly selling with a total lack of respect for the support process behind you is destructive.
When you sell this way, you will constantly give up your profit to make the customer happy with the service disconnect YOU CREATED. Thus reducing your contribution and lessening your worth .
Changing this image will require that you take a look at EVERYONE involved in your Customer process. Recognize and respect their contributions to your success and communicate effectively with them

How do “they” see you?

Share in the comments some other ways we can change / improve the perception of our team mates

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THE POWER OF WORDS

1 Feb

” The weather is horrible”
“My customers all have bad credit”
” No one cares about quality, Price is king”
” The economy is bad”
” I have the worst luck”
” Service always messes up my deals”
” I just can’t sell anything”

These may seem like ” just words” but they have the ability to shape your destiny !

Consider these quotes from the oldest selling manual :
“…But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
“For as a man thinketh in his heart so is he.”

And this wisdom from sales great ZIG ZIGLAR :

In our society today we tend to accentuate the negatives instead of the positives. One example is the “alarm clock” we use to wake ourselves up in the morning. Realistically, when we hear an alarm it generates fear or anxiety. When somebody robs a bank, an alarm is sounded; when there’s a fire, someone sounds an alarm. Perhaps waking up to an alarm helps explain the profusion of negative words we use. If you rethink the issue of your clock you will realize that it is really giving you an opportunity. When you hear it ring, you have the opportunity to get up and go. A whole day full of possibilities is available to you once you hear your “opportunity clock.” If you can’t hear it ring, that might mean you’ve gotten up and gone! That could be bad. Some people refer to the electrical appliances on street corners as “stop lights,” “red lights,” or “traffic lights.” Factually speaking, they are “go lights.” They were put there to make traffic “go” more quickly, safely and smoothly.

Many people refer to the first slice on a loaf of bread as the “end,” when in reality every loaf of bread I’ve ever seen has two beginnings. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that is not necessarily earth-shattering, but I challenge you to use the terms “opportunity clock” when you relate your wake-up procedure and “beginning” when you describe the first slice of bread in a loaf. And the next time someone asks you for directions, send them down to the first “go” light. I assure you, a smile will cross your face and that’s the first step in developing the right mental attitude, which is prerequisite for optimum performance. Think about it, and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Sell like your living depends on it !

Donnie

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Sell like you mean it

23 Jan

“Give me 3 days and I will change your life…”

This is the Sales pitch I heard as I walked with two of my friends past the Paul Cummings booth at the RVDA convention in Louisville KY several years back.

I stopped , and listened as this dynamic Salesperson explained his program, handed me DVD’s and scheduled his follow up call.

A few weeks later I was in Georgia and they were delivering on the promise !!

No this isnt an ad for PDCWWE , although you would be well served to use them. It is however a great example of todays topic

Selling on purpose: Quality Sales presentations and Closing don’t happen by luck, chance, and fate. It is a practiced and reherarsed event.

Consider the example above :

1. He captured my attention
This almost Apostolic promise grabbed me instantly ! How could this stranger know anything about my life?
He obviosly had no previous knowledge of me, but he did have…
–> Confidence in his product and services
–> Energy and enthusiasm
–> The drive to present his product to every prospect

He was prepared for my interest
Ofen Sales people launch with out a plan, they hope to wing it on the off chance they can get someone to listen.
This Sales person was well prepared with product knowledge and materials needed to present his case. he had a plan, a goal, and a clear path to get there.

He Made the roles and terms clear
I was told at the very opening greeting, I would have to give of my time to receive the benefit of his service. The purpose of our interaction was not disguised. He didn’t attempt to bait me with ” consultancy” or “analysis” . He was there to sell me on his product, and I was there to buy . Our roles were established from the first handshake, and it came as no surprise that he asked me for my business.

Sell like your living depends on it..
Donnie

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Lessons from Christmas Morning

28 Dec

As I sat drinking my coffee late   Christmas Morning, I surveyed the chaos that was my living room

  All of my Grandkids and Children were home for Christmas .

The main event was over, what was nicely wrapped packages is now debris covering the floor

As you might guess, I see a sales lesson in all this

Let me share with you three observations on selling I learned from Christmas morning

1. Intense Marketing pays off

  Santa Claus doesnt care who you are or what the state of your finances, He will sell you on those 5 minutes of Joy Christmas morning.  He will convince you that this event will be life changing. You will spned whatever time needed to fulfill that emotional desire, and he doesn’t apologize for it.

2. Amazing service is expected

All those little people who sit on the big guys lap EXPECT him to deliver. They will never hear that there was a delay in shipping, or he couldn’t get the product ready, No delays, no excuses, Just great service.
And that level of service is what has built this Jolly old Elf’s reputation !! For millions of Children worldwide he is the GO TO guy. Their loyalty to him is unmatched and their faith in his ability is rewarded on Christmas morning.

Someone has to clean this up !!!

Service after the Sale !!! that shredded paper and those empty boxes will be taken care of, That tree will be stored neatly for next year, and the food will be refrigerated and eaten for days. None of these will be celebrated acts, they will happen in the quiet times after the festivities . But celebrated or not, be sure this work will be done .

Ok I’m gonna finish this coffee, find my “some assembly required” tool box . and get busy

Hope you had a Great Christmas
.
Sell like your living depends on it !!
Donnie

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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 

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