Archive for Sales
Social media and security
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With the rise of social media use, businesses have to consider strategies for protecting their intellectual property and sensitive data. Sophos, a security firm, discovered that 60% of the 500 businesses polled believe Facebook to present the largest threat to company security. That does not go to say that Facebook has had more security woes than Twitter, MySpace, or LinkedIn. But the perception stands that Facebook is the octopus that reaches into more homes and businesses than any other social media platform currently on the internet.
Businesses will not likely block employee access to social media sites, primarily because these sites are increasingly used for marketing and sales tactics. Since social media lends itself to the casual exchange of information, now is the time for companies to create a chapter in the procedures manual — “Best practices for social media on the job.”
Rising toward success
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Zig Ziglar once said, “The number one tool in your sales arsenal is your integrity.” In the media, we hear stories of how great business people or public figures fall, on account of an ethical or moral misstep.
Dr. Henry Cloud (Integrity: The Courage To Meet the Demands of Reality) argues that successful individuals embody three things — 1) A core set of Competencies, 2) Ability to build Alliances, and 3) Character.
Who a person is will ultimately determine if their brain, talents, competencies, energy, effort, deal-making abilities, and opportunities will succeed.
Integrity is not the thing that saves you; it’s the thing that makes you rise toward success.
The Difference Between Sales Success and Failure
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Last week, I asked the question, “Is the sales mindset shifting?”
I want you to know exactly where I stand.
Selling is about being tough, confident, smart, adaptable, competitive, strategic, active, compelling, aggressive, professionally persistent, solution oriented, and slightly empathetic… It’s about hunting, and it’s about closing! If anyone is hoping to hear about a warm, fuzzy, cozy, softy approach to sales… it won’t come from me.
Sales people who win focus on…
- Cold Calling – This is the toughest part of sales. 1st priority… “opening the call”. Get that right and you will win!
- Emailing – Keep it short, sweet, and compelling.
- Follow Up – Provide a continuous flow of updates, new information, ideas, and solutions!
- Building Rapport – Making a connection, building trust
- Uncovering Needs – Asking great questions
- Applying Solutions – Matching appropriate products and services, building value
- Overcoming Objections – Understanding the real issues and easing prospect concerns
- Closing – Think like a bulldog… act like a kitten… get the deal!
Sales people who fail focus on…
- Not Being Intrusive - Don’t worry about being intrusive. You’re either going to get the deal or you’re not. Make yourself a priority!
- Waiting to Hear Back - The top performer you are competing against isn’t “waiting to hear back.”
- Ratio of Calls to Appointments – If you are focused on ratios and percentages… you will lose. To win, focus on volume and “end result” goals!
- Networking Events – Please stop inviting me to these… they are a waste of time!
- Keeping Things Tidy – Is it just me, or do non-performers have the cleanest desks?
- Too Much Empathy – Sales people with high empathy don’t succeed.
- Research – Your best research and fact finding happens while sitting in front of your prospect.
- Being Perfect - You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to win!
What else would you add to these success and failure lists?
Check Out These Related Articles!
- 10 Tips for Guaranteed Sales Success
- 2 Simple Goals for Cold Calling Success
- 7 Foundations for Sales Greatness!
- Driving Unbeatable Sales Numbers!
- Should I Leave a Voice Mail?
Social Media Strategy: 6 Areas of Focus for 2010
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The last few months have been all about thinking… thinking about ways to keep getting better! Normally I write things down from the beginning, but this year for some reason, I delayed putting things on paper. As the new year approaches, I won’t delay any longer.
I’ve put together a rough draft and thought it would be a good idea to share my strategic plan with you! I think we can help each other in two ways.
First – Your opinion matters, and I know you have some ideas for ways I can make your SalesBlogcast experience even better! Tell me what you like most and suggest ideas for improvement.
Second – The other reason for sharing my plan is to spark a few ideas that will help you build new strategies going into the new year!
There are six key areas where I will focus my attention in 2010…
- SalesBlogcast.com
- Posterous
- Job Board
SalesBlogcast.com
Focus: Sales and Leadership strategies for top producers
Goal: Exceed 25,000 email subscribers by year end
Actions:
- High Quality Content
a. Post a minimum of 2 to 3 articles per week
b. Find a minimum of 2 to 3 guest articles per month to promote other people’s great ideas - Instead of sending 2 emails per week through the blog, transition to sending email subscribers only one email per week. (Include new articles, posts, and job listings from SalesBlogcast, Posterous, and Job Board)
- RSS Subscribers will continue receiving updates every time there is a new post
- Get invited to speak at 1 to 2 conferences, events, podcasts, etc. per month
Posterous
Focus: Share all topics of interest, including business, sales, leadership, technology, social media, news, sports, etc.
Goal: Generate a minimum of 2,000 daily page views by year end
Actions:
- Write a minimum of 3-5 Posts per day
- Integrate with SalesBlogcast blog
- Help other people by promoting their stuff, telling their stories, and sharing their ideas
Job Board
Focus: Sales, Marketing, Advertising, and related jobs
Goal: Help people find jobs!
Actions:
- Upgrade to a product that will allow for a more professional look. The service must also provide tools to improve my ability to interact with visitors.
- Provide job seekers with the ability to post their resume.
- Give recruiters and hiring managers resume search capabilities.
LinkedIn
Focus: Build the LinkedIn Sales and Leadership Community
Goal: Exceed 50,000 group members by year end
Actions:
- Begin sending SalesBlogcast.com Group members one broadcast message per week. This will replace the second email I was sending through the blog. (Include new articles, posts, and job listings from SalesBlogcast, Posterous, and Job Board)
- Revisit the value of moderating the group discussions forum. Is it worth the time and effort? (LinkedIn has yet to provide group managers with any moderation tools)
- Visit other sales groups to reconsider the use of sub groups. My initial impression was that sub groups were of little value.
Other LinkedIn Must Do’s -
- Get back to participating in the LinkedIn Q&A forums
- Post at least one question per week
- Answer questions where I can add value
Twitter
Focus: Share as much value added content as possible
Goal: Exceed 100,000 followers by year end
Actions:
- Daily participation and interaction
- Promote other people’s stuff more than I promote my stuff
Facebook
Focus: I need to figure out ways to make better use of Facebook. I just launched a fan page, but I’m not sure if that’s more valuable than simply having a regular profile page. I also have a group page, but have not focused nearly as much on building the community that we’ve built on LinkedIn. Although I’ve not yet discovered ways to produce results from on this platform, I just have a feeling that it has great potential.
Goals and Actions: TBD
So that’s the plan so far!
What suggestions do you have that will make my plan better?
What’s in your strategic plan for 2010?
Check Out These Related Articles!
- 6 Ways to Improve LinkedIn Groups
- Is Your Tweetfolio Credible?
- Networking for Results
- 7 Tips for Getting the Job You Want!
- Achieving Greatness in 2009
Is the Sales Mindset Shifting?
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I’ve been thinking about things, and you know how I get when I’ve been “thinking about things.” Of course, I have to share it with all of you and get your opinion!
I’m wondering about mindset, and how sales people think. To share what I mean, I’ve got a couple of examples…
Recent Conversation:
I was talking to one of our business partners who I brought into a potential deal. I asked him…
“Have you been able to reach the prospect to discuss your services?”
“No,” he responded, and informed me that he had left one message.
To which I replied, “I’ll make another call as soon as I get back to the office.”
And he said, “As long as we’re not being intrusive… right?”
Recent Email Exchange:
I recently had an email conversation with someone who shared these thoughts…
“My feeling is that most people would prefer email communication over phone for several reasons:
- They can deal with it on their own time.
- They don’t have to feel pressured
- They don’t have to feel guilty for deleting an email where they might feel uncomfortable saying no on the phone.
- A prospect deleting my email means I can email them again later with a slightly different message… where I wouldn’t feel comfortable calling again after an outright no.”
Articles I’ve Read:
I’ve run across articles about “lead nurturing,” and most recently stumbled upon a blog post encouraging us to, “Stop Hunting Customers and Penetrating Markets – Start Speaking the Language of Caring.”
Ok, so I think I’ve shared enough examples to start asking questions. Is it possible for a sales person to do both… on one hand…
- Worry about being intrusive
- Be willing to have prospects deal with it on their own time
- Have a stop hunting mentality
…and on the other hand… also have the ability to…
- Be mentally tough enough to overcome the brutal challenges and the rejection to consistently exceed quota every month
- Be persistent enough to stay in front of the prospect
- Be hungry about attacking the market to find new opportunities
Can a sales person effectively manage this double mindset?
Do the most successful sales people exude one mind set more than the other?
What about non-performers… do they relate to one line of thinking over the other?
Check Out These Related Articles!
- Prospects Going Into Holiday Mode
- Hot Leads Getting Colder by the Minute
- Rebuilding Your Team With “The Core Four”
- Mental Toughness
Looking back at 2009 – the iPod
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Whether we prefer classical or jazz, hip-hop or alternative, country or pop, we move to the beat of our chosen music, and today more than ever before, music is not only accessible but transportable. On October 21, 2008, Apple reported to have sold over 220 million iPods. Since October 2004, the iPod product line has enjoyed the lion’s share of U.S. digital music player sales (over 90% of the market for hard drive-based players).
With the invention of the iPod and other music devices, our favorite tunes are available on-demand. According to wiki-statistics, the top 5 recording artists (worldwide) include The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, ABBA, and Queen (in that order). A recent WSJ article announced that Bing Crosby’s rendition of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” is the top selling song of all time. Guinness World Records pronounced that sales of this 67-yr old song reached over 50 million copies, with album and other sales taking the total above 100 million (WSJ, “The Best-Selling Record of All,” Roy J. Harris Jr.).
Viewers of Nightline know the question sometimes posed to musicians, “What’s on your playlist”? The answer is often personal and thoughtful, offering viewers a pocket guide into someone’s musical soul.
All I want for Christmas is a snood!
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It seems that Americans this winter season have a number of things on their mind — H1N1, the 10% unemployment rate, and an uncertain 2010. The fashion industry is good at setting trends. This time around, it seems to have measured human psychology by creating the SNOOD — an accessory that is half-scarf, half-hood.
A Wall Street Journal article, “Can the Snood Save Christmas?” highlights the appeal of this latest accessory. “I love this idea of protection that it gives,” says Burberry’s Christopher Bailey, and Gap’s Simon Kneen likened the snood to “a Linus blanket.”
Retailers hope that the snood will beef up holiday sales by offering women and men warmth, style, and a feeling of security. In a time when the 401K may be lackluster, the chic snood promises bang for your buck.
post by pathways
Happy Boss’s Day
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Some people have wondered if Hallmark invented Boss’s Day to increase card sales. On the contrary, this holiday was first registered in 1958 by Patricia Bays Haroski, who chose to honor her boss (her own father) on October 16th, since that was his birthday. Four years later in 1962, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner officially proclaimed 10/16 as Boss’ Day. Hallmark did not start selling “Boss Day” sentiments until 1979.
Whether you manage many or just one, enjoy these quotes:
There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else. (Sam Walton)
The person who knows HOW will always have a job. The person who knows WHY will always be his boss.
(Alanis Morissette)
More power than all the success slogans ever penned by human hand is the realization for every man that he has but one boss. That boss is the man – he – himself. (Gabriel Heatter)
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E-books are becoming mainstream
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Photo by The Heads of State (The New York Times, October 3, 2009)
Film and music industries have battled illegal copy and distribution. Piracy is a somewhat newer problem for book publishers, and it highlights the up and coming sales of e-books. Consider this excerpt from Randall Stross’ article, ”Will Books Be Napsterized?” (The New York Times, October 3, 2009).
Until now, few readers have preferred e-books to printed or audible versions, so the public availability of free-for-the-taking copies did not much matter. But e-books won’t stay on the periphery of book publishing much longer. E-book hardware is on the verge of going mainstream. More dedicated e-readers are coming, with ever larger screens. So, too, are computer tablets that can serve as giant e-readers, and hardware that will not be very hard at all: a thin display flexible enough to roll up into a tube.
So will readers transition from going to the library, local bookstore, online distributor to downloading text and reading on the screen? For those who believe it’s impossible to imagine giving up the bound page, think about the evolution of newpaper circulation. How dirty are your fingers from flipping the black and white page lately?
post by pathways
