3 SALES TRUTH YOU CAN HANDLE

Did you get a chance to look at what I discovered after studying the research behind 10,000 hours of sales calls?

Now we know EXACTLY why top producers close more sales than anyone else...

But before you click on that link, I want to drive home a few IMPORTANT facts about life in the 21st century.

There are three unfortunate "sales challenges" we face in today's environment.

Here are the three "sales realities" that are affecting your sales today -- no matter what industry, niche or product you sell.

First -- look around you. Look at your nightstand. Look inside your pocket. Chances are, you'll see a smartphone. 

Nearly every person seems to have one these days...

How does this affect our ability to sell in the 21st century?

Quite simply -- information about you, your product, service, reviews, competition... and price... is at the touch of a fingertip these days.

It's so easy for your prospect to dig up anything. If they see something they don't like... or something better... they're gone.

That's one sales reality of the 21st century.

Here's number two: Everyone has a smaller wallet these days.

Frankly, the economy has not improved as much as we'd like to think it has since 2008. Consumer spending is still unstable.

And that means you have to fight that much harder to make a sale.

If you sell to businesses, be prepared for a battle.

However -- if you know the "seven key results areas" top performers focus on... and how they practically avoid negotiations and "price wars"...

You can make sales without "fighting prospects."

That's "sales reality" number two.

Here's the last one: The world is getting smaller and smaller.

Just 25 years ago, the idea of a "video phone" was still science fiction. And now, anyone on Earth with a Skype account can talk with people half-way around the world... face-to-face.

What does this mean for you? It means anyone can sell to anyone.  

Back in the day, there were "regional areas" for sales teams. Companies would break up territories.

Today, you're competing against practically anyone, anywhere. 

That's tough, but it doesn't have to be.

ORGANIZING HINTS FOR COMBATING OVERWHELM

Even if you know how to get organized, sometimes it seems like there's so much to do you don't even know where to start! Here are some hints to get you going and keep you on track.

 

1. Break your job into small chunks. If you're going through lots of paper, take a pile and put it in a nice looking basket. This is your project basket. Concentrate on sorting only these papers until you're done, preferably out of sight of the rest of the job. Then refill the basket and repeat.

 

2. Set aside small blocks of time. Don't commit an entire weekend to organizing your closet. First, decide what your organized closet will look like and make a plan. Using a plan helps keep you on track and frees you from rethinking the project every weekend.

 

3. Promise yourself to work for 2 hours at a time, then do something fun as a reward. Working for a limited amount of time instead of working until a task is complete means there's a defined beginning and end to keep things in perspective.

 

4. Make a master list. This is a complete brain dump of all you want and need to do. It may be long, but getting it on paper will unclutter your head.

 

5. Hire an organizer. An organizer can offer you skills and experience, but also an objective, nonjudgmental eye to help you from getting bogged down.

 

6. Pretend it's not your stuff. Try some tricks to gain objectivity such as pretending you're an archaeologist, or you're helping a friend.

 

7. See the trees, not the forest. To find the trees, try looking at your desk through a paper towel tube (professional organizer Judith Kolberg's idea). When you can literally only see one pile at a time the project seems more manageable.

 

8. Arrange your work space so that you have to get up from your chair regularly as you work. Movement will help dissipate nervous energy and bring you back into your body.

 

9. Think of getting organized as a gift you give yourself, because you're worth it.

 

10. Know that you are not alone. Having clutter isn't something people like to talk about, but it's very common and it doesn't mean you're a bad person. Overcoming it involves learning skills, not changing who you are.

- by Claire Tompkins

USE STRENGTH, ELIMINATE WEAKNESSES

Two principles came through clearly at the World Class
Business conference: High achievers use their
strengths and eliminate their weaknesses.
Winners know what they do best, and they focus on it.
They understand their market, their resources and their
talents, and they deploy their assets to maximum advantage.
In business, you always want an "unfair" advantage by doing
something that sets you apart from your competitors, that
gives your customers unique value, and identifies you as
the very best in your field.
Focus on and specialize in your strengths. Use them to
your advantage every day, in every way possible.
Similarly, winners know and accept their limitations. They
do not struggle or "try" to do things that do not interest
them. They are not defensive or embarrassed about this,
they simply acknowledge that they cannot serve everyone and
turn that "weakness" to their strategic advantage.
Never spend time doing things that do not interest you, or
for which you have no talent or skill. If you can, simply
don't do them at all. If they must be done, delegate them.
Hire someone to do it for you, or form an alliance with
another business to your mutual advantage.
Profitable businesses know what they do best. They get
very good at it and charge a premium for the quality they
deliver, and they never, never drown in the swamp of low
quality, high-cost frustration. Do what you do best and
eliminate the rest.

TO GET RICH, SERVE YOUR CUSTOMERS

This week I heard a cute story about a golf instructor who

asked a student what the basic, fundamental purpose of the
game was. The student replied, "To enjoy a great sport?"
No. "To enjoy the company of friends and play well?" No,
no, no!
The instructor replied, "The point is to get the little
white ball in the hole as efficiently as possible!"
Sometimes in business we forget the most basic
fundamentals. I've heard business people argue about the
basic purpose of being in business. Some say it's to make
a profit, because unless there is a profit, the business
will eventually cease to function. Others say the point is
to provide a valuable service or a great product.
In my opinion there is only ONE reason for any business to
exist, and that is to serve the needs of it's customers.
Of course, as a practical matter, you must make a profit,
you must operate legally and ethically, and provide value.
But in the end, the only real measure of a business is
whether or not it serves it's customers well.
If you serve the needs and desires of your customers, they
will do business with you, and that will allow all those
other things, like profits, to happen. If you fail to
serve your customers well, in the long run nothing else
matters.
In the end, the customer IS always right. The customer is
the boss. The customer is the final inspector, the final
supervisor, the absolute "owner" and manager of the
business and their opinions come first. Successful
businesses from Walmart to Home Depot to Amazon, to your local
hair dresser all understand this.
Know your customer. Understand their needs, their desires,
even their preferences, and serve your customer. It's the
key to success.

A LIST WORTHY OF YOU

Most people have been told to organize their day and work
with a "to do" list. We've been told to list our priorities,
write them down, start at the top and check each one off

as it's completed. Unfortunately, my experience is that very few
of us either do that, or find it satisfying.
There is a better way.
I recommend creating a list of your top values, the things
that remain constant over time, and then designing each day
around those life-choices.
Most people can quickly name the handful of people,
relationships, projects and purposes that are most
important to them. These might include their career, their
families, their health or something as concrete as buying a
new home. The specifics are different for each of us, but
most people can identify their personal list.
The problem is that most of us never actually WRITE IT
DOWN! 

My suggestion is that you write down your 5 or 10
top priorities and keep the list where you can see it, and
will actually read it each day. Review it each morning.
Smile as you read it, picturing each item in your mind.
Then, design your day and your "to do" list around those
major priorities. Sure, some days will be spent on trivial
errands or whatever, but most days, most of the time, focus
on activities that reflect your "life list".
Over time, your list will evolve as your priorities change,
but if you have the right items on your list, and the
wording is "perfect", reminding yourself of your true
priorities and your true passions each and every morning
will make a huge difference. Try it!

STEPS TO A SUPER ATTITUDE

DECIDE HOW TO REACT

 

It is not what happens to you that counts. It is how you react to what happens to you, especially when you have unexpected problems of any kind.

 

Here are four things you can do to assure that your attitude is the very best it can be, under all circumstances.

 

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE

 

First, whatever challenges you face, focus on the future rather than on the past. Instead of worrying about who did what and who is to blame, focus on where you want to be and what you want to do. Get a clear mental image of your ideal successful future, and then take whatever action you can to begin moving in that direction. Get your mind, your thoughts, and your mental images on the future.

 

THINK ABOUT THE SOLUTION

 

Second, whenever you're faced with a difficulty, focus on the solution rather than on the problem. Think and talk about the ideal solution to the obstacle or setback, rather than wasting time rehashing and reflecting on the problem.

 

Solutions are inherently positive, whereas problems are inherently negative. The instant that you begin thinking in terms of solutions, you become a positive and constructive human being.

 

LOOK FOR THE GOOD

 

Third, assume that something good is hidden within each difficulty or challenge. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a major proponent of positive thinking, once said, "Whenever God wants to give us a gift, he wraps it up in a problem." The bigger the gift you have coming, the bigger the problem you will receive. But the wonderful thing is that if you look for the gift, you will always find it.

 

SEEK THE VALUABLE LESSON

 

Fourth, assume that whatever situation you are facing at the moment is exactly the right situation you need to ultimately be successful. This situation has been sent to you to help you learn something, to help you become better, to help you expand and grow.

 

DECIDE TO BE POSITIVE

 

A Positive Mental Attitude is indispensable to your success. You can be as positive as you want to be if you will simply think about the future, focus on the solution and look for the good. If you do what other successful people do, if you use your mind to exert mental control over the situation, you will be positive and cheerful most of the time. And you will reap the benefits enjoyed by all successful people.

 

ACTION EXERCISES

 

Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into
action:

 

First, become solution-oriented with every difficulty you face. Make a habit of looking for the answers to your questions, the solutions to your problems.

 

Second, seek the valuable lesson in every adversity. Make a list of every idea or insight you can gain from every setback or difficulty.

 

Third, think on paper. Take some time to write out every detail of the problem, and then take the most logical next step to solve it.

ELIMINATE WEAKNESSES, USE STRENGTHS

Two principles came through clearly at the World Class
The business conference this: High achievers use their
strengths and eliminate their weaknesses.
Winners know what they do best, and they focus on it.
They understand their market, their resources and their
talents and they deploy their assets to maximum advantage.
In business, you always want an "unfair" advantage by doing
something that sets you apart from your competitors, that
gives your customers unique value, and identifies you as
the very best in your field.
Focus on and specialize in your strengths. Use them to
your advantage every day, in every way possible.
Similarly, winners know and accept their limitations. They
do not struggle or "try" to do things that do not interest
them. They are not defensive or embarrassed about this,
they simply acknowledge that they cannot serve everyone and
turn that "weakness" to their strategic advantage.
Never spend time doing things that do not interest you, or for which you

have no talent or skill. If you can, simply
don't do them at all. If they must be done, delegate them.
Hire someone to do it for you, or form an alliance with
another business to your mutual advantage.
Profitable businesses know what they do best. They get
very good at it and charge a premium for the quality they
deliver, and they never, never drown in the swamp of low
quality, high-cost frustration. Do what you do best and
eliminate the rest.

STRATEGY 17

Recently, I heard a business consultant, whose name I've
forgotten, interviewed on the radio and he claimed it takes
an average of 17 contacts for a customer to make their
first purchase from a new business. Now, I have no idea
where that statistic came from, and I doubt it has any
precision to it, but it does contain an essential business truth.
This week, two clients made dramatically different comments
about their expectations for success. One volunteered that
she was developing a marketing plan she could maintain "for
at least a year, to see if it will work". The second noted
that she had offered a program, "but no one signed up, so I
guess I'll have to try something else."
Note the difference in expectations and perceptions of
business realities.
The first understands that building her business,
attracting customers and achieving profitability is a long-
term process. She's intentionally thinking in terms of a
cost structure she can maintain for many months, even if
there are few initial sales. The other client tried it
once, it didn't work, so wants to move on and try
"something different".
Now of course, I hope your sales come quickly, easily and
profitably, but in designing your business, always think in
terms of sustainability. Design systems so you can support
them financially and emotionally for the long-term. It may
take 17 invitations, or 17 weeks, or 17 promotions, or 17
conversations before you become one of those famous, "over-
night sensations"! Plan accordingly.