by Admin | Mar 4, 2013 | Networking
This morning I conducted an interview that was underwhelming to say the least. Very nice guy, great background, solid credentials. Vanilla. Here’s why I wanted to hire him in spite of that… 1. He suited up – Mentally and physically he was sharp dressed. Well spoken. Good communicator. Thoughtful. 2. He prepared – In his binder (no it wasn’t full of women;-) was a copy of my Linked In profile, I was very clear when I set the interview up of who I was interviewing for and he tracked down me, my background, and was prepared. He had also thoroughly researched my client and knew where they were strong and where they were not. 3. He engaged – he was nervous, he hasn’t really interviewed for years and was very rusty. What he was not rusty with was making eye contact, firm handshake, asking questions. 4. He didn’t quit with no – into the interview about 15 minutes I knew he wasn’t the guy for my client. So what, he knew I knew a ton of other people. Then he really went to work with uncovering which other individuals I knew of who were hiring someone who looked just like him. 5. He made it easy for me to help him – he asked what he should do to prepare for his next interview, so he would wow the interviewer. He’ll get better with practice, and I feel good about helping him. 6. He followed through – I indicated a client who had need of someone who did look just like him, he asked for his name, best method...
by Admin | Feb 15, 2013 | Uncategorized
I work with sales pros all day every day and it seems like most come in with the common focus of any business is good business and let’s just get more. When I ask you who your clients are, what is your response? Is it anyone? Or in the words of one of the cosmetics professionals at a networking event I was presenting at replied – I work with anyone with skin and hair. So the whole world is open to you, you should experience wild success, right? Wrong! Here’s why… If everyone in the world is a prospect, where do you start? It’s pretty overwhelming isn’t it? Do you know how you actually make $? Not just income – profit! And when you look at this, you begin to find the Pareto principal is alive and well in your book, like it is with most of us. That’s the rule of 80/20 or 80% of your results come from 20 % of your efforts. What happens to your workload if instead of working with everyone, you just describe to me your best client – be as specific as you can without divulging confidential information. Such as, my favorite client is an attorney who is very good at what he does, works in a very specific field – actually environmental law. Has great client relationships and is now assuming the position of Rainmaker, like it or not. That’s much more descriptive than ‘I work in the Professional Services Industry’. Where did you mind go when I described my client? Normally the response I hear is ‘I was thinking of...
by Admin | Feb 12, 2013 | Prospecting, Selling
Up and down and up and down goes the pipeline. You call like mad and network like crazy and guess what? You get business! Yeah! But be careful what you ask for because then you have to serve what you sell. Suddenly you get wrapped up in client work and about the time you can breathe you look up and ‘Oh Crumb!’ my pipeline is empty. Then you start all over again. Lather, rinse, repeat. Let’s talk about some simple (not easy) concepts to execute to stabilize your cash flow and client service (oh and your paycheck too). I’m going to keep it pretty simple to give you something to begin performing consistent activity leading to consistent results. You will have to refine this as you begin your own prospecting effort, but let’s get going… First, you need to recognize that your prospecting activity consists of face to face or scheduled meetings with prospects, clients or someone who can lead you to a prospect or client. That means: Bumping into someone does not constitute a meeting. Networking and catching someone for a 2 minute conversation does not count as a scheduled meeting. Cold calling and never talking to anyone does not result in paytime activity. Hanging out on Facebook with 335 of your college buds is not considered pay time activity. Drinking coffee with co-workers who will not buy anything from you is not considered prospecting activity. With that clear, let’s talk about what a scheduled contact collaboration meeting needs to sound like… What does their typical prospect look like – industry, revenue, #of employees, decision maker, problem experiencing,...
by Admin | Feb 9, 2013 | Referrals
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a relationships with someone that just sent you business consistently day in and day out without any investment of time on your part? I see a lot of people fall down with expecting people to be thinking of them without doing anything remain top of mind with their center of influence relationships. I have the fun of working with people in a lot of different industries and one of my clients, Marc, is a sales genius who happens to broker airplanes. Our conversation this morning was about what autopilot really does in an actual airplane with wings, an engine, with a propeller-+ that flies. I was thinking autopilot was like cruise control you would set and then pop open the latest best seller, be able to run below and make yourself a cocktail, take a nap or enjoy the in-flight movie. Of course, that is not the case. I learned there are aircraft in which you have an autopilot that merely maintains level wings and altitude, in other words, it simply goes straight at that same speed. Then there are some aircraft in which you can set the system to basically run your flight from takeoff from once you get it in the air until you are ready to land. The difference is, of course, dependent on aircraft model, features and how much you are willing to spend (since that plays a role in how many bells and whistles you get). But bottom line, there are still systems that if you walk away from the controls, you will fly into the side of...
by Admin | Feb 7, 2013 | Networking
Timing is everything. We know that luck can play a huge part in the success of our careers. Yet, when you start knowing people who land great jobs, work with great clients or get the best promotions, you start seeing that these people have a huge network behind them of mentors and supporters. The real question then is: When do you invest in those relationships with your time and energy? When you need them? Or when you don’t? I was having a conversation with one of my current class participants – Frank – and he’s a pretty networked guy. The conversation turns to the biggest pet peeves we have with folks who are great at coming to connectors to ask for help with making a conversation happen. Being generous folks that connectors are, they drop what they are doing and initiate an introduction to a great opportunity for the person making the request. For the requester, the job is landed or the client engaged and happily ever after ensues. Connectors do this regularly, so when doors are opened for someone and that same someone has the opportunity to help someone else, there is an expectation of a level of effort to payback what someone has done for them. It is not about payback; it is about reciprocity. Connectors understand that connections happen when you need them, because you invest in people when you don’t need them. You don’t do it expecting quid pro quo. You do it because you recognize to get what you want, you must help others get what they want. You pay it forward. You establish...
by Admin | Feb 5, 2013 | Referrals
Little things mean a lot, and often it’s the little habits top producers consistently practice that lead to their success. They don’t let things drop. They’re better at follow up than we are. They can afford to hire an assistant and you are stuck doing your own admin. Blah, blah, blah. All good reasons but I thought I would share with you one of the success traits I see that differentiates successful prospectors from the rest of the world who has meetings, but never seems to accomplish anything. So what do they do? They get a next step. An outcome. A conversation with a mutually agreed up on agenda. They don’t live in the world of assumptions. They don’t add time into their schedule when they have their calendars with them, they know how much longer it takes to get something done if you have to rely on email communication – back and forth, does this date work, no, how about the week following… and before you know it – you’re ‘out of the notion’ as my Grandmother used to say. And what could have been a great relationship goes by the wayside. There’s my rant for the day – now what you do with it is up to you. Will you determine together if there is a next step? Discuss what it looks like? Book the meeting? Invite other attendees who would benefit from the relationship? Make it happen… It’s all you! Ready to take action but not sure what to do next? Join us for the 9 Steps to Productive Prospecting webinar or live event. Contact us...
by Admin | Feb 4, 2013 | Goal Setting and Achievement, Prospecting
Watching the Super Bowl game with a houseful of football fans I always look at different things than just the plays. I really don’t get football, but it seems as if the winning athletes are certainly ‘suited up’ and ready to give it 100%. I know this is the game of the year, and it is especially interesting to see 2 brothers coaching against each other – imagine how conflicted you might be to annihilate your opponent when you have to sit down over Sunday dinner next weekend with them. Yet, having sons I also see how competitive they are. But this post isn’t about sibling rivalry. What I find notable about this game is how much the Ravens really want this. They are not approaching this game with a ‘let’s play it safe’ mindset. Even when they get knocked down they are struggling to get back up and back in the end zone. I don’t know the rules, but it seems like each individual is out there thinking of when they get the ball how will they get it down the field. They want it and are willing to fight to make it happen for them. When the blackout occurred that stopped the game for more than half an hour you saw the players continue to stretch and keep loose to remain on top. Even when the 49ers did their darndest to take it back, the Ravens fought to keep the win. I’m thinking about the last week I experienced in coaching my clients – and in networking with other professionals. It seems like we are happy to...
by Admin | Jul 26, 2012 | Networking, Prospecting, Referrals
This topic always strikes up a great conversation when I have it during one our Productive Prospecting workshops and it has been the source of many large and painful train wrecks for professionals in their careers. The rule of “that which gets rewarded gets done” is often understood but the execution is fraught with many potential dangers. From the appearance of impropriety to perceptions of an employee receiving ‘kickbacks’ to potentially someone feeling insulted over ‘just doing the right thing’ leaves a lot of room for error. Too many people think of rewards in terms of monetary compensation only when there are so many other rewards that are often more meaningful (and, frankly, less risky). Today’s post will discuss a couple of options that we have found successful in motivating many quality referrals to our clients and perhaps you can share your experience also. Our first example: An insurance agent who sold P&C (property and casulty) insurance to large employers in the Springfield area partnered with another agent who sold Employee Benefits offered a 50% commission split to provide access to his clients for benefit sales. Much business was written and both producers were happy. The P&C producer retired after a year and a half and the benefits producer got to keep the client relationships. Things to consider: Was there on-going access to additional referrals was gone after the producer retired? What if the Benefits producer got paid 1/2 but still had to do all the work? How would the clients feel knowing that the reason the introduction was made was for sales people to make $, not necessarily...
by Admin | Jul 16, 2012 | Prospecting, Referrals
It’s interesting to pause and reflect as I enter my 2nd decade of coaching and my 5th decade of life. I have been a student of sales since I chose that as my career leaving college and have seen many trends even in that time span. And yet, the more things change the more they stay the same. Referrals still work and are the key to the gold of new sales. Many steps to get to referrals also remain the same. Today’s post will share with you simple steps to build and grow great relationships… When I first started outside sales, I was selling of all things – sales training. My boss (the guy who got me into this) told me to sit down and make a list of the 20 people I knew that would help me and could get me in front of business. Of course, I didn’t think I knew anyone and sat there looking at a blank sheet of paper for what seemed like hours. Then it hit me, it didn’t have to be people that I had known forever! If I had a conversation with them, I knew them. I recognized that there wasn’t a relationship yet, but it beat a cold call. I was off and running! Here’s how it works… Make a list of great contacts you made during networking events, previous job contacts, personal friends in the business world, etc. There is no magic in the number 20, but you need a goodly number to get started to yield a few good relationships that can be mutually beneficial. Start a 2nd...
by Admin | Jun 29, 2012 | Goal Setting and Achievement, Prospecting, Selling
There has got to be a pony… The Supreme Court decision in late June 2012 has been a source of speculation for many sales professionals I have encountered over the past few weeks as well as a major contributor to uncertain market direction and the focus of many business owners. I work with professionals from many industries who are impacted by this decision at one level or another, either as a small employer, insurance agent who just had his market focus decimated, or legal professional who will be hired to make sense of it all. The common theme from each one of these is…Now what do we do? This brings to mind a story that my grandmother shared with me – and now I would like to share it with you. Twin baby girls were born to a very poor family. The parents recognized they couldn’t have any hopes of raising both babies and chose to give one away to a wealthy family in a nearby town who had desperately wanted children for many years. Both girls were raised in loving homes. We dropped in for a visit when both girls were 8 years old. The little girl raised by wealthy parents was led into a room full of toys, books and games. She dove into the pile and began digging frantically. She began sobbing and crying because she couldn’t find the ball to play with in pink only blue. The second little girl was taken to a filthy stable and left alone. We come back a couple of hours later and find her digging into a huge pile of...
