Salez Minute 
Just Do It! by Breandan Filbert
Jan. 25, 2012 | Anonymous
Just do it!
Nike may have made a billion dollars on that phrase but in sales you can make a jillion (as my 9 year old would say). How often do you find yourself overthinking an issue rather than just pushing for a next steps?
Example: John is on a sales call and his prospect has just greeted him with the news that the account that was potentially a ‘deer’ for him (could feed him for a month) was about to turn into a ‘bear’ (he can eat for the winter). Pretend you’re John, do you…
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Say ‘that’s fantastic, what has changed internally’ and proceed on with the initial agenda for the call which was gathering the scope of work.
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Get flustered and go for the close.
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Start overthinking and underselling – meaning you are worried about saying or doing the wrong thing so you become hesitant about asking tough questions to flesh out what is truly in this opportunity.
Professional athletes train for hours and hours each week so that when they are in the moment and the pressure is on their body and brain know what to do. Imagine autopilot settings and they have conditioned the response to happen. How is this any less critical than your success in sales? Sales is about process, not personality. Malcolm Gladwell talks about what defines an ‘expert’ in Outliers (awesome book by the way, go buy it)and it’s not someone who is particularly gifted or talented in any one area, but someone who has devoted 10,000 hours (roughly translated to 5 years of 40 hour weeks) to becoming the best in the world at what they do.
So how long have you been in your career? Professional sales? Many of us have exceeded the requirement to become expert but we have not trained ourselves in the process so that when the prospect throws you a curve ball you don’t think about it, the process tells you to uncover why he threw it. So you do it. Instead we overthink, freak out, and wimp out.
You are in sales whether you chose this career path early or not. Whether you like it or not. Whether you signed on for it or not. I don’t care what position you are in your company you are in sales, internally or externally. So find out why your prospects (employees are internal prospects, potential clients are external) would buy from you. Learn the process they are going through now to change their buying behavior – and trust me, it’s different than it was last year. So truly, what got you here won’t get you there. Discover what process you can conduct that will best satisfy their decision making process- and there are many on the market. My personal favorites are Miller Heiman, Sandler, Integrity Selling and a host of others. Find the methodology that works for your business, study, and practice, practice, practice so when that curve ball comes – you handle it with grace and Just Do It!
To learn more about developing a prospecting system that works for you while you are reading this blog and improving your own sales process visit our Executive Briefing.
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Have a great week and Good Selling!
Breandan
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Would you just Stop! by Breandan Filbert
Jan. 18, 2012 | Anonymous
In coaching sales people I have found many similarities to raising children. Not that sales people are childish at all, but we tend to be an emotional and reactive lot. Take Ben for example, he knows he has to book 2 appointments every day to reach his sales goals, but setting appointments is not his most fun thing to do in his day. He’d rather research companies to call, read his trade journals, call his buddies to network (of course) and fill in the blank with any other activity we find to put off doing what we know we should do. We’re all guilty of this, even my super productive sales people. Maybe our prospecting effort is good but would rather not fill in our CRM with our meeting details. It’s not fun. I would rather have fun. My natural child resists my adult every day.
But who’s running the show? Is your inner child in control, or does your adult stay in command?
If you’re honest, you probably will admit to the child allowing procrastination to creep in, so here’s how to corral your inner 9 year old.
- Stop what you are doing right now, yes I know you are reading my blog – but ask yourself, Is what I’m doing right now taking me closer to or farther away from my goals. If the answer is farther from, then set it aside to no-pay time activity.
- Know your goals. Not a vague fuzzy idea of your goals. But how much you want to make, how many clients you have to land, number of appointments scheduled, referrals given and received, your exact number of conversations to hold each and every day to attain those goals.
- Use your calendar. Plan each day the evening before. Review your accomplishments and what you didn’t do. Does it need to get done? If not, dump it. If so – Do It! Take charge. Put it on your schedule and don’t allow your inner 9 year old to run your life.
- Celebrate. Reward your child when you are successful. Recognize their contribution to your energy and enthusiasm and foster that through your personal goals and rewards. Have a party! Take a group of friends out and everybody let your children out to play!
These are just a few of many great ideas out there on maintaining focus on productive activities. What are some of your favorites? How do you stay focused on your high payoff activities and not waste time?
For more ideas on productive prospecting visit our Executive Briefing link.
Good selling!
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Prospecting: Intentional Success by Breandan Filbert
Jan. 16, 2012 | Anonymous
Who will your best client be in 2012? Do you know what they look like? How big they are? What market they are in? Stage of growth or reduction? Your products and services they will utilize? What value will you provide to them? Impact to their company's bottom line?
Why am I asking all these questions? In sales aren't you at the mercy of fate with who you will work with? Not really. In the past 12 years I have spent coaching and training sales people, some successful, some not so much - the common thread with the intentionally successful producers is their determination and planning of their market early in their sales career. That's not to say happy accidents don't happen in your prospecting effort, after all we know that Luck is merely preparation meeting opportunity as quoted by some really smart guy I can't remember the name of right now. (If you know it, please reply). And hard work is it's own reward and how many other quotes can I share with you, the list goes on...
The point is if you get sick and tired of taking what life hands you, act with purpose in your prospecting effort. Determine who will be your best client this year.
How?
I'm glad you ask, here are the 3 steps you can take right now for intentional success in your prospecting effort.
1. Look at who your best clients were last year. Not just the biggest and most profitable, but also the ones you enjoyed working with the most. Who did you invite to your lake house with the family. I mean really enjoy building a relationship professionally and personally. Perhaps you were life changing in your results. Tell me who they are and what they look like and I don't mean hair and eye color, but mindset of decision maker and company philosophy. Chances are when you have that clear description you can tell me and someone else what they would look like so I can introduce you to someone I know who looks just like them.
2. Pick your industry/vertical. It's always easier to be a big fish in a little pond with your prospecting effort. The narrower your focus is the better your definition of the value you provide can become. You will also find the competitive space becomes smaller and more intimate. This means you can more effectively leverage relationship to oust incumbents to land new clients. The reasons to specialize are many especially in a heavily commoditized market. Let's say you sell employee benefits. If you work with any size company in any market you compete in an 'apples to apples' perspective that makes it easier to base decisions on price. Now let's pretend your specialty is bio-science and you were a chemistry star and almost decided to become a dr. but dropped out of medical school to sell - work with me here. What happens when you are having conversation with the CEO of a research facility about the challenges of launching a revolutionary new wound care product that you actually studied some of the chemical components of in your college research session. Now you are developing a completely different relationship. This is why my favorite clients are fellow horse lovers. Many show the same type horses I do and our networking events take place on Friday afternoons over trail rides. Are you with me on this? Ok, moving on.
3. Determine growth stage. Do you like working with big companies? Small companies? Family owned businesses? Again define what type client you have been able to accomplish stellar results with. Then find more of them. A great place to look is in various awards programs for companies. Example. One of my clients decided he wanted to work with women execs. So he went to the Business Journal for the Book of Lists that listed the top 25 women execs in KC. Then he rotated his list to pick the next 2 names. By the end of the year he had met nearly all 25 (a couple moved out of town) , gained valuable experience on market approach, landed some new awesome clients and developed relationships with new key Center of Influence relationships that continue to support him.
There you are, a few more thoughts on how you can make success in 2012 intentional and not accidental in your sales career.
For more information on productive prospecting strategy download our free Executive Briefing on 9 Steps to Productive Prospecting.
I look forward to hearing of your success 'On Purpose'. Have a great week and good selling!
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Success - Accidental or On Purpose by Breandan Filbert
Jan. 11, 2012 | Anonymous
2012 is here whether you like it or not. This time of year brings reflection, celebration and sometimes regret. Many of the folks I talk to each week have had a mixed bag with the economic challenges, changing market conditions, political uncertainly and overall unwillingness to move forward and make something happen. My clients in construction are challenged with the lending environment, clients in insurance are dealing with the uncertainty of health care reform, financial service professionals have a turbulent market, fill in the blank with your challenge from the above or perhaps you are dealing with you own. What's a sales person to do?
Environments such as the one we are in right now leave you in one of two places, the 'Waiting Place' referred to in Dr. Seuss's the Places you will Go (A must read, my favorite book this year) or the 'On Purpose' place. In the waiting place you are at the mercy of circumstances out of control of your own life and destiny. At the mercy of your clients, prospects, competition - name the reason for lack of results. In the 'On Purpose' place you recognize that while many circumstances may be beyond your control - how you react to challenges is completely in your control. So here's a few thoughts on how to change your address.
1. Recognize the positive that happens each and every day. What you reflect on will reproduce itself. You think about crummy stuff and all it seems you are surrounded by is crummy stuff. Think about good things and good things are every where you look.
2. Watch your altitude. Not attitude but whether you are looking up and forward or down and inward. For example - if you have to make a tough call do you stand up and look at the ceiling or sit at your desk with your head in your hands? Try the higher altitude and watch your outlook improve.
3. Set goals and treat yourself when you attain them. Pretty basic but 95% of the sales people and business owners I work with do not have personal goals or rewards when they overcome obstacles. So how often would your teenager clean their room if they never got to borrow the car for the weekend out or other carrot you dangle? Not very long, but yet how often have you promised yourself something you never deliver on. Make yourself a promise and keep it.
4. Hang out with good people. Do your friends have great relationships with family and friends, successful careers, financial stability and overall balance in their life? Or are they struggling financially? Can't get along with anyone? Make sure you surround yourself with people you admire and respect, you will become a person who is admired and respected.
This list is not complete and I'm sure you have a lot of methods you employ to make your success on purpose instead of letting life happen to you. Please share your thoughts and let us learn from other 'On Purpose Producers. If you found any of these ideas helpful please pass them along.
Have a Great Day and Good Selling!
Breandan
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Summertime and Living Is Easy? by Breandan Filbert
Aug. 04, 2011 | Greg Furstner
Summer is a great time to take stock of referral partner relationships and figure out who will you focus on in 4th quarter. Yes I know it's a busy season with family and vacations and life happening. But who continues to make time for you? Who is continuing to prospect?
I will give you a few things to think about as you sift through your CRM (customer relationship management system such as ACT!, Outlook, Sales Force, etc). First of all, what is the level of influence of your natural market - those immediately surrounding you? As you think about Center of influence, are they lovely people -great to hang out with but don't have the influence to refer you? Or are they suppliers - their influence is with middle management, not senior level decision makers? Movers & Shakers is where the influence begins - these are the people who know who is doing what with whom (as one of my client's phrases it, they know where the bodies are buried and who placed them there;-) And last but not least is Contact with Clout- this person makes a recommendation and it is acted on by the end of the meeting, their influence is that great.
Networking is moving online, we are finding more people in the 'room' of social media. A fun tool I just found that measures on-line influence is Klout. If you take a moment to go to the SalezWORKS facebook page you can find the link and also I shared my Klout score -apparently I just entered the room of social media! Please like our page and follow us for more insights on summer evaluation of referral partners, also join us on Twitter!
More to come, stay tuned...
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Mar. 07, 2011 | Breandan Filbert
An interesting quote I received via e-mail this past week referred to the best vitamin to grow friends – B1. This is simple but true with friends and also referral partners. How many of you would be successful if you walked into a bank that you didn’t have an account and then asked to withdraw $100? Yet we do the same thing when we make a request for a referral with someone that you have done nothing to build a relationship with.
What if you found people who recognize the value of relationships, and hopefully you are one of these. Recognizing the value of relationships means you must have genuine interest and curiosity in those around you and your focus needs to be on how you can help others get what they want in order to get what you want. This is the first and foremost criteria that must be present in succ
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May. 25, 2010 | Greg Furstner
Disclaimer: Prepare for a 2 x 4 directly between the eyes. I am not responsible if the proverbial 2 x 4 leaves a mark.
I work with compensation a lot, especially sales compensation. I have 2 compensation tenants that I know are universally true:
- I have never met somebody who truly thought they were paid enough
And
- Compensation is an emotional topic that people find difficult to have a rational discussion about
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Apr. 22, 2010 | Greg Furstner
Tis the season to clear out drawers, deep clean, and re-arrange our household. Summer is coming and we will be caught up in frenetic activity with kids, vacations and a host of personal obligations. This means we are giving away and throwing away things we haven’t touched in a year or longer, right? That is the buzz on the getting organized shows and topical in magazine articles. But what is happening to our relationships? Are we cleaning those out? Or do we need to clean them up?
I am finding I have lots of great people I know that there have been wonderful relationships with through the years that I have just not had time to connect with. My referral partners of yesterday have often had business market or focus changes that have affected our ability to serve as referral partners for one another. Then I have t
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Mar. 19, 2010 | Greg Furstner
Being that we are in the midst of March Madness and Spring Break we could talk about basketball or beaches but instead I thought we should visit about the current times we are living in. While the year began well for the majority of people I have spoken with, things seem to have slowed down again, with a few exceptions. I am certainly not here to belly ache about it and not sure I can explain it but I know the economists (who are a heck of a lot smarter than I am) have told us the economy is already on the way back. So why did a group on the internet find it necessary to launch an initiative earlier this month to stimulate referrals to small busi
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Feb. 22, 2010 | Greg Furstner
Late in 2009 I was sitting in a presentation by a Senior VP of a major Company headquartered in Kansas City. He was speaking about the ways he is engaged by various Business Development Professionals and what his expectations were of them when he did speak with them. I thought reviewing his major points here would be a great refresher for all of us.
- Initial Contact. E-mails, cold calls, mailings and free stuff don’t work on him. He hits delete and gives the stuff to his staff. If he answered every unsolicited voicemail or correspondence he would get nothing done. He only speaks with individuals who are recommended to him by those he trusts.
- Modulated Persistence. Once an individual is referred to him, it may take awhile until there is A conversation. Stick with it. However, there is a fine line between persistence
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