The Sales Sage

Making Your Net Work… Part 2

April 14, 2009 – 6:00 am

“The way of the world is meeting people through other people.” Robert Kerrigan

The second installment of the networking series will focus on WHERE we network. The short answer to this question is – everywhere. However, I caution those of you who offer your business services or drop your company name at every encounter you have with a new person…more on this later.

Let’s consider some places that are great for networking.

1. Local Chamber of Commerce or Civic related groups. Level one networking – best for generating awareness for you and your company. Everyone at this type of event is there for the same purpose – to meet others who may be interested in their business service or product. Upside: people in are generally open and welcoming to new individuals which makes it easy to make new contacts. Downside: many of these new contacts will not have a product or service you are interested in and it may be difficult to find real customers for you.

2. Charitable Organizations (can include alumni or any non-business, group or club). Level two networking – best for spreading awareness of you and getting referrals. I am an advocate of giving back/being active in your community, so this can accomplish two goals. One you can gain great personal satisfaction in getting involved in an organization that means a lot to you personally and two you can become exposed to incredible people in your community. However, I must warn you to proceed with caution. I have mentioned in several previous posts that it must be about you giving first, before you receive. If your sole purpose for getting involved in xyz group is to make business connections – people will very quickly sniff out your insincere intentions and this will most certainly backfire on you. The best way to proceed is to get involved and as people get to know you, opportunities will present themselves naturally. Upside: Giving back to the community is never a bad thing, great exposure to a diverse group of interesting people. Downside: No guarantees any business will ever result, if you force your business objectives in this setting it will turn people off and will definitely back fire on you.

3. Industry Associations. Level three networking – best for spreading awareness of you, your business, gaining referrals, leads and customers. Joining an industry association is the best way to network with potential contacts that can possibly do business with you. Where many individuals go wrong with industry associations is they join, go to a couple lunches a year and never do anything else. The thing about most industry associations, is unlike the Chamber events, most tend to be more closed in terms of the “cool kids” tend to stick together at lunches and events, this makes it a little intimidating for the new kids on the block. How do you overcome this? Get involved…join a committee. Upside: The contacts you meet have the highest probability of actually becoming a customer. Downside: Clique can be hard to break into.

We have identified the three levels of networking and three basic types of places/events you can go to for networking. All are important pieces to the networking puzzle, so make sure to work each type of event into your networking plan.

Next post…WHO should you be networking with?

By Karen | Posted in Networking | Tagged communication, create positive impression, Networking, tools to succeed | Comments (1)

Making Your Net Work…Part 1

April 10, 2009 – 6:00 am

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” - Jane Howard

We are going to begin the “Networking Series” with understanding the reasons why networking is important.

There is the obvious reason – meet new people. But…does just meeting people help you? If you collect their business card, go back to your office and forget them…then no, of course it doesn’t. However, if you take time to get to know your contacts, what they have to offer and share with them what you have to offer…in the long run …it will benefit you both. Even if at first it doesn’t appear you have immediate needs for each other.

Why else do we network?

· Get more leads, more prospects, more business

· Build relationships

· Obtain referrals

· Spread awareness of you and your organization

· Connect the dots of your network

· Find jobs

· Find employees

· Learn about the marketplace

· Gather HOT off the press information about your community

The list could go on and on, but the important point to gain here is…

Networking isn’t about collecting business cards.

We see them at every networking event, the “guy” who collects cards to go back and show his boss what a good job he did at the event du jour. I’m going to implore you to not be that guy. He isn’t gaining anything other than, well, collecting a bunch of cards.

What I want you to do is to begin thinking of networking as building your own community of friends and colleagues that you can help and, inturn can help you. The important part here is you can help. The first part is you helping them. Harvey Mackay, author of “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty” got it right when he referred to it as “making a deposit into their checkbook”. If you have not read this book on networking – it is a must read…go out and read it now.

At the very core, networking is about building a NET of people who surround you – who you can trade information, leads, and ultimately business with. Without a network you really can’t survive – so go out and start building your network now.

Next post…WHERE to start building your network…

By Karen | Posted in Networking | Tagged communication, create positive impression, Networking, tools to succeed | Comments (1)

April Showers bring Networking Flowers

April 7, 2009 – 6:00 am

“As the world changes, one thing will remain constant: the relationships you develop over a lifetime” – Harvey Mackay

Springtime is a favorite season for so many – we shake off the dull of winter, peel off the wooly sweaters and take a big breath of fresh air. Flowers begin to bloom, trees sprout their leaves and little critters start hatching all over our yards… it is a time of newness.

In celebration of this newness, I can think of no better time than now to bring up the topic of networking, because for much of the population – networking is not something that comes naturally – like spring. It is something that is uncomfortable, forced, possibly even hated. So, why not tackle it head on when things are blooming and hatching? Like that mother bird that pushes her chick out of the nest, we are going to gently push you into the direction of becoming a better networker.

After all, if you are in sales, or for that fact, if you want to participate in life…

It is very difficult to survive without developing and maintaining your network.

For the entire month of April – my posts each week will be dedicated to the subject of networking. Think of it as a Networking 101 crash course – now go out and enjoy spring – there is some good work coming soon.

By Karen | Posted in Networking | Tagged Add new tag, build better relationships, communication, Networking | Comments (0)

5 Reasons Sales is Like Dirt Track Racing

April 3, 2009 – 6:00 am

“Just as there are no little people or unimportant lives, there is no insignificant work” – Yelena Bonner

What? Dirt track racing? Perhaps you may think I’ve gone off the deep end. You may not even be familiar with dirt track racing. To educate you – it is exactly what it sounds like. Driving around a circle of dirt in a car. Why do you care? Maybe you don’t, however if you stick with me – I promise you’ll gain some great insight into sales.

5. All dirt track cars accumulate mud. This mud has to be scrapped off after every race – sometimes – 3-4 times per night. It is a small job. It isn’t glamorous like changing tires or fixing sheet metal, but it is very important – the more mud on the car, the less likely it is to run well.

This teaches us – even small jobs are important. If you think the smallest piece of business is not worth your time – then you could be overlooking a great source of potential revenue. Make sure to evaluate each piece of business on its merits…you never know what else might be out there.

4. You must pay attention in the “pits” or you could get run over. The pits are where all the cars park when they are not racing. This is a very busy and dangerous place, the drivers are not watching you – you must be alert and watch them.

This teaches us – if you don’t pay attention to your customers…others will. Don’t be run over (or by) because you weren’t paying attention! Make sure to keep in touch, check back to make sure they are happy, even better – always be asking for ways to improve.

3. It isn’t what a car looks like, but what is under the hood that counts. A car might have some great eye-catching graphics on it, but if it doesn’t have a good engine…it will never finish first.

This teaches us – don’t judge a book by its cover. Don’t make assumptions about a company or organization without getting to know them first – your future best customer may come from someplace unexpected.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask your competitors for advice. I think this explains itself, however see #1 for a little bit more.

This teaches us – Don’t be afraid! The worst thing someone can tell you when you ask for advice is – No. However, often times the person you are asking is flattered and will be happy to share a few nuggets of wisdom with you.

1. Play nice with your competitors. Thanks to my husband – I have a close up view of dirt track racing every week. When he first got back out on a track, after a 10 year hiatus, he tried to be friendly with everyone at the track. He did this for 2 reasons – it shortened his learning curve & the last thing he wanted out on the track was an enemy in the car next to him.

This teaches us – you cannot have too many friends when in a selling situation. Remember to keep competition friendly. You never know when you are going to need to ask for help from the “other guy”. Whether that be referring a piece of business because you can’t accommodate it, or even better, gaining a piece of business because they can’t.

Now you have learned 5 things from dirt track racing. I thought a little something light and hopefully unexpected would be fun on a Friday…thank you Don for the inspiration.

By Karen | Posted in On the lighter side | Tagged take a break, tools to succeed | Comments (2)

The Power of Patience

March 31, 2009 – 6:00 am

“Patience and Perseverance have a magical effect, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish” – John Quincy Adams

Patience – the last segment in the Power Series – and the one “virtue”, if you will, that ties the previous segments together. For, without patience, the others are much more difficult.

It takes patience to sit down and write out your thoughts of gratitude to the people you need to thank in your life.

It takes patience to put time into researching the companies you want to work with in order to become more knowledgeable about them.

It takes (a lot) of patience to use a silent pause when you want to speak right up.

It takes patience to be positive when everyone around you is negative.

And last, but not least, it takes patience to be honest…especially when it is so much easier to just stretch the truth in order to get the deal done.

If you were to ask 100 people what their biggest fault is – I bet more than 85% would answer “lack of patience”. That is an easy one to put out there, right? It doesn’t sound THAT bad to admit we aren’t very patient.

However, when you take a step back and see that patience affects every other aspect of our life…there is an argument that patience is the one quality that we most want to have and the one that we can’t live without.

By Karen | Posted in Power Series | Tagged communication, Power Series, tools to succeed | Comments (0)

The Power of Honesty

March 27, 2009 – 6:00 am

“Honesty is not only “the first step toward greatness,”—it is greatness itself.” – Bovee

Honesty…. What a loaded word – it means different things to different people. It can be twisted and turned and tied up in so many different ways – so much that it really doesn’t look much like honesty any more.

Dictionary.com says Honesty means:

The quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness.
Truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.
Freedom from deceit or fraud.

My question is – Why is it so hard for us to be honest?

Because we have stuff to hide and the stuff we have to hide might hurt us.

But, I say to you. ..what if you turned it around? What if you found a way to take the things you think you need to hide and make them a plus? After all, isn’t there a plus side to everything? Even if you have to really look hard for it? Not every customer is going to need your service – but some customers are. Focus on those.

Be honest…don’t force yourself on the customers who don’t fit you…you might win them at first, but you’ll lose them in the end.

Be honest…if you mucked something up – own up to it…everyone makes mistakes – people will forgive you.

Be honest…if you have something to say that you think someone else doesn’t want to hear – say it anyway…practice the art of “it isn’t what you say, it is HOW you say it….”

Being honest is hard work, but it is worth it. You will earn the respect of your friends, colleagues, customers. Now go forth and be HONEST!

By Karen | Posted in Power Series, Rules to Live By | Tagged communication, create positive impression, loyalty, Power Series | Comments (0)

The Power of Positive Thinking

March 24, 2009 – 6:00 am

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope” - Helen Keller

A couple months ago I wrote a post about succeeding in a down economy. Today, we are still in an economic downslide and no-one is sure when we will hit bottom. And yet, as with all things…what goes up –must go down AND visa-versa.

Things will get better. We all know this – even though at times it is very hard to remember.

Attitude – positive and negative can have a transforming effect on your life.

Have you ever known someone who was grumpy all the time for no particular reason? They act like Mr. Cranky-Pants every day, skulking around with a scrawl on their face… and then… they comment on how rude the bank teller is to them. Ironic. Does it ever occur to them if they were a just little friendlier – they might get a little friendlier back in return?

Especially, in sales attitude can be a self-fulfilling proficiency. If you start to go down a negative path, then it is possible that sales will start to slip – if sales start to slip you will start to feel more negative, you’ll stop working as hard because you aren’t as motivated and you will spiral down more. However, if you stay positive – then it can have the opposite effect – you work hard and then you get a sale – this totally pumps you up and you start working harder to make more sales – it gets better and better.

Now I’m not here to say that we can’t have bad days or to weigh in on legitimate medical reasons why someone may be feeling blue. This is a sales blog – I’m not a medical professional. What I am saying – is that generally speaking we have a choice each morning to have a positive or a negative attitude.

Even in tough times – you must do everything in your power to stay positive and work hard. The strong will survive this downturn…don’t you want that to be you?

By Karen | Posted in Power Series, Rules to Live By | Tagged build better relationships, create positive impression, Power Series | Comments (21)

The Power of Silence

March 20, 2009 – 6:00 am

“It is a great thing to know the season for speech and the season for silence” – Seneca the Elder

Most people in sales have tendency to fill space with words. It is not uncommon to hear sales people speaking so quickly they can barely catch their breath. They fill every space with a word afraid-if-there-is-a-void-they-will-fall-into-a-hole-of-blackness. The main pitfall with this is the customer will miss a lot of what is being said because they are distracted by the fast speech.

Conversely, there are sales people who love to use long pauses of silence as a show of power. This power play is intended to make their prospects uncomfortable. The main pitfall with this is – is the sales person building trust with their client when they are initiating a power struggle? Nah… the sales person is stroking their own ego. I will argue, they might win some deals with this tactic – a higher percentage of deals will be lost because their customers are irritated or just ticked off.

Silence can be very powerful – however I encourage you to use it mindfully.

Use a silent pause in a presentation when you want to emphasize a point.
Use a silent pause when you are asked a question and need to think about the answer (even if you know the answer).
Use a silent pause when the conversation is wrapping up you want to ensure you have covered all the points or questions that needed to be asked.

Pausing at the right time, for the right amount of time can show your clients you are moving forward thoughtfully and cautiously. It also demonstrates that you aren’t in a rush. This is a very important point to remember – customers – today more than ever – do not want to be rushed into making a decision. When they see you –their sales person is willing to pause – they might actually move quicker than you had hoped…

I will now take a silent pause for the weekend – I encourage you to do the same! J

By Karen | Posted in Negotiate to succeed, Power Series | Tagged build better relationships, communication, loyalty, negotiation, professionalism | Comments (0)

The Power of Knowledge

March 17, 2009 – 6:00 am

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” – Benjamin Franklin

It is undeniable – the more you know, the more powerful you are. But how as a sales person can you take this fundamental truth and use it to your advantage?

By making sure you always research the facts before entering a situation.

Going to call on a new customer? Before you pick up the phone do your homework… and don’t just go to the company website – that is too easy. Google the company name – read all their press good and bad. Understand their company history, past and present officers, who they have done business and why they are or aren’t doing business with them anymore.

Putting together a proposal? Ask as many questions as possible (without becoming annoying) to gain a clear picture of the business you are bidding on. If you have a lot of questions, break them up over a couple of conversations. The opportunity to have a few shorter conversations versus one long one is preferred and will build a better relationship. Why? Because you will have more face time with the customer.

The bottom line is YOU CAN NEVER KNOW TO MUCH about your customer, what they do, who else they do business with or who they compete with. Make it your mission to become an expert in your customers business – this will help you understand them better and will lay the foundation for a strong business relationship. The more they can view you as someone who understands what they do – the more they will trust you. The more they trust you…the more they will buy from you…..and isn’t that good for everyone?

By Karen | Posted in Power Series, Questioning | Tagged build better relationships, Questioning, tools to succeed | Comments (0)

The Power of Gratitude

March 13, 2009 – 6:00 am

“The word that is heard perishes, but the letter that is written remains.” - Proverb

We live in a world of quick and easy – we want everything and we want it now. Think about it, when your computer is not working – how long will you wait before you start going a little crazy? Ten, fifteen, twenty seconds – a minute feels like an eternity.

We drive fast, we eat fast, we think fast and we go faster every day.

This is why – when it comes time to really say thank you to a customer – it really pays to slow down and write it out.

Nope – I don’t mean sending an email Vs: txt. I mean putting pen to paper and writing an old-school thank you note. That’s right, stationary, pen, your hand-writing on a note.

It makes all the difference in the world.

Interviewing for a new job? Send a REAL thank you note!

Gain a new piece of business? Send a REAL thank you note!

Lose a big piece of business? Send a REAL thank you note and…be sincere about the fact that you lost the business. It’s OK – we all win some and we all lose some. It is HOW you win and lose that really matters AND makes an impression.

Most of the population will continue to send text messages and emails to thank the people in their life. Go above and beyond by sending personal correspondence – trust me – you will be remembered for it and for all the right reasons.

By Karen | Posted in Tools for success | Tagged build better relationships, communication, create positive impression, lagniappe, written correspondence | Comments (1)

The Sales Sage: