Some doors a salesman should never knock...
The Author, Founder and Creator of REGENERETICS
Thursday, 7 January 2010
10 Things to remember about Cold-Calling
1. SHUT UP AND LISTEN MORE TO YOUR PROSPECT - It's really amazing how much you canlearn from prospects by just letting them do all the talking. Here’s a clue: The letters in the word LISTEN also spell the word SILENT.
2. STOP CALLING LOW-LEVEL EXECUTIVES - Start at the top of the food chain and makeyour first contact with the Business Owner! As they say in the Guggenheim Museum...Start At The Top. Your top level prospect will chime in with ‘Actually you should talk to (someone) who heads up my marketing here’. You have a choice. You can always call them on it and say, ‘Hold on, he will only refer it back to you. YOU are the one who can cut through the red tape and make this happen’. Or you could say, ‘thanks, can you transfer me?’ and then tell this Marketing guy that his boss recommends He talks to YOU!
3. CONTACT PROSPECTS THAT SAID NO TO YOU SIX MONTHS AGO! Remember, all prospect decisions are not set in stone. Also the person who told you no may have moved on, died or come to their senses. They said NO in a situation that was ‘then’. This is ‘now!’
4. IF YOU DON"T DO ANY RESEARCH ON YOUR PROSPECT PRIOR TO PICKING UP THE TELEPHONE THEN YOU'RE STUPID. At least take a minute or two and do some homework. The moreeffort you make when researching your prospect then the more effort your prospect will make to speak with you on the telephone. Don’t do too much. You don’t need to be an expert on what they do. That’s their job. Be an expert on what you do and let them tell you how great they are.
5. NEVER EVER GIVE UP AFTER THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH CONTACT! Keep calling your prospect till they say NO. Don’t hang up unless they either buy or die. You would be amazed at how close people are to a yes when they give up.
6. BE ENTHUSIASTIC - HAVE SOME PERSONALITY ON THE TELEPHONE. If you're not excitingto speak with on the telephone than how can you expect your prospect to even give you a millisecond of their time? You have to believe in yourself and your product and convey that over the phone. If you sound like you don’t care, they will assume you don’t care and guess what...neither will they!
7. PAUSE LIKE A BROKEN CLOCK - Pausing after your prospect's name and while your interacting with your prospects lets your prospect know they're important. It lets them know that you have a genuine interest in them. Pausing is a powerful sales tool. Most people find silence uncomfortable. You need to learn to embrace silence. When you ask for the money, STFU! That stands for Shut The Fuck Up. The first one to speak loses. My record on the phone is 3:27 minutes. Face to face? 12:47 minutes.
8. KNOW YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE LIKE YOU KNOW HOW TO WALK. The more you know about what you sell helps to create an atmosphere of consultative selling rather than product or service pushing. People buy from confident people. If you are confident about your business then you will convey that. People feel safe if they are spending money with someone who is confident. That said, don’t bluff if you don’t know the answer to something. Say so and tell them you will find out. They will like that. Not only because you will appear confident but also because you want to make sure that have the right information and you recognise that the point is important to them.
9. FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR PROSPECTS. Most sales are lost because you don't go the distanceto follow up with your prospect. You will be amazed at the amount of repeat business that isn't done. Follow up with a reason. If you sent information and you told them you were going to follow up in a couple of day then call them and remind them why you are calling. Don’t just call and pass the time of day. The girl in starbucks is there for that when they buy their latte in the morning. When they buy, and you deliver, call them and thank them and ask for more business. If you don’t ask you don’t get.
10. IT'S OK TO FAIL - If something doesn't work then just try something else. If you fail, learn why and DONT DO IT AGAIN. Cold Calling is not about throwing darts, it's about strategy and being innovative. And failure isn't failure. It's something else. Just like Broke is temporary but Poor is a condition. Failure isn't forever. Fail is feedback. When a person says no, that’s when your job as a salesperson starts.
2. STOP CALLING LOW-LEVEL EXECUTIVES - Start at the top of the food chain and makeyour first contact with the Business Owner! As they say in the Guggenheim Museum...Start At The Top. Your top level prospect will chime in with ‘Actually you should talk to (someone) who heads up my marketing here’. You have a choice. You can always call them on it and say, ‘Hold on, he will only refer it back to you. YOU are the one who can cut through the red tape and make this happen’. Or you could say, ‘thanks, can you transfer me?’ and then tell this Marketing guy that his boss recommends He talks to YOU!
3. CONTACT PROSPECTS THAT SAID NO TO YOU SIX MONTHS AGO! Remember, all prospect decisions are not set in stone. Also the person who told you no may have moved on, died or come to their senses. They said NO in a situation that was ‘then’. This is ‘now!’
4. IF YOU DON"T DO ANY RESEARCH ON YOUR PROSPECT PRIOR TO PICKING UP THE TELEPHONE THEN YOU'RE STUPID. At least take a minute or two and do some homework. The moreeffort you make when researching your prospect then the more effort your prospect will make to speak with you on the telephone. Don’t do too much. You don’t need to be an expert on what they do. That’s their job. Be an expert on what you do and let them tell you how great they are.
5. NEVER EVER GIVE UP AFTER THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH CONTACT! Keep calling your prospect till they say NO. Don’t hang up unless they either buy or die. You would be amazed at how close people are to a yes when they give up.
6. BE ENTHUSIASTIC - HAVE SOME PERSONALITY ON THE TELEPHONE. If you're not excitingto speak with on the telephone than how can you expect your prospect to even give you a millisecond of their time? You have to believe in yourself and your product and convey that over the phone. If you sound like you don’t care, they will assume you don’t care and guess what...neither will they!
7. PAUSE LIKE A BROKEN CLOCK - Pausing after your prospect's name and while your interacting with your prospects lets your prospect know they're important. It lets them know that you have a genuine interest in them. Pausing is a powerful sales tool. Most people find silence uncomfortable. You need to learn to embrace silence. When you ask for the money, STFU! That stands for Shut The Fuck Up. The first one to speak loses. My record on the phone is 3:27 minutes. Face to face? 12:47 minutes.
8. KNOW YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE LIKE YOU KNOW HOW TO WALK. The more you know about what you sell helps to create an atmosphere of consultative selling rather than product or service pushing. People buy from confident people. If you are confident about your business then you will convey that. People feel safe if they are spending money with someone who is confident. That said, don’t bluff if you don’t know the answer to something. Say so and tell them you will find out. They will like that. Not only because you will appear confident but also because you want to make sure that have the right information and you recognise that the point is important to them.
9. FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR PROSPECTS. Most sales are lost because you don't go the distanceto follow up with your prospect. You will be amazed at the amount of repeat business that isn't done. Follow up with a reason. If you sent information and you told them you were going to follow up in a couple of day then call them and remind them why you are calling. Don’t just call and pass the time of day. The girl in starbucks is there for that when they buy their latte in the morning. When they buy, and you deliver, call them and thank them and ask for more business. If you don’t ask you don’t get.
10. IT'S OK TO FAIL - If something doesn't work then just try something else. If you fail, learn why and DONT DO IT AGAIN. Cold Calling is not about throwing darts, it's about strategy and being innovative. And failure isn't failure. It's something else. Just like Broke is temporary but Poor is a condition. Failure isn't forever. Fail is feedback. When a person says no, that’s when your job as a salesperson starts.
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Time for a Wake-Up call
So here we are in a New Year and I am looking at a few newspapers. The broadsheets and the tabloids. I have been watching the news and listening to the radio and checking out the internet and I have seen some amazing stats.
36m mobile phones sold.
£3.5 BILLION taken in Oxford Street over the Christmas shopping period.
The average spend per person at Christmas was £85. (Which means if someone spent less than that on you tell him or her to take a hike!)
There was more money spent over the bar on alcohol than any other Christmas season.
More Champagne was sold this year.
More Holidays were given as Christmas presents than any year before.
More people ate out at Christmas than any year before.
More people had a catered Christmas or just had their Christmas Dinner at a restaurant than ever before.
More money was taken at the sales than ever before.
The queues were longer than any other year.
As I was reading all of this a couple of words kept popping into my head.
I don’t know whether these stats are real or just hype but even if the figures are half of those listed the same two words keep popping in my head.
As I walked around the streets of London buying presents I saw lots of people laden down with bags. The restaurants were full. The champagne bar was three deep in Selfridges. The food hall in Selfridges was packed to the rafters. You would need a shoehorn to get in. There was a queue for the changing rooms in all the major stores.
Those two words came back into my head.
The theatres were packed with people buying tickets for West End shows at £65 plus per time as presents.
Those two words?
Wait...there isn't a cab around. They are all full. Every cab driving by has a passenger. The tubes are packed. The streets are packed. Everywhere is packed and people are spending money like no tomorrow. 
"Cab!"
Great, he saw me.
"Where to Guv?"
"Monument, please." I said as I got in and closed the door with a satisfying clunk.
I am now in the back of the cab. Outside there are thousands of people with millions of carrier bags going in billions of directions. Billions of pounds being spent.
What were those two words again...?
"Done all your shopping?" the driver asked me.
"I think so," I replied, "It's a nightmare out there."
"Yeah..." he laughed, "Credit Crunch!?!?"
Oh yeah, those were the two words...what happened to that?
Resolutions
Happy New Year
New Year's Resolutions are a great way to set your intent for a positive, fulfilling year of growth and accomplishment. But, on the other hand, when the year ends, if you haven't completely fulfilled your resolutions, it can be frustrating.
This usually happens because New Year's resolutions are often too vague, and don't include practical steps that lead to a clearly defined goal.
So today, by all means, make your usual big-picture resolutions. But, in addition, I'm going to suggest you make some sub-resolutions.
Each of these sub-resolutions is designed to give you a long-term benefit (some of them even for a lifetime) with a minimum amount of time and effort. In fact, each of these sub-resolutions can be completed in anything from a few minutes to, at the very most, a few hours. And they're all either free or very cheap .For most of you, many of these items fall into the category of things you've "been meaning to do." Since chances are that you have already accomplished at least a few of the items on the list below, there's no reason why you can't take half a day this week and get at least six more of the items below done.
So, in the interest of the betterment of your future, the management of your life, and the fresh start of a new year, here are
THINGS YOU CAN DO IN ONE DAY TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE
1. Register your full name as a web domain if you haven't yet. You never know when you're going to want your personal website. If www.[yourname].com is already taken, don't worry - there are alternatives. For example, who owns jamesjoyce.com? Answer: A bar in Dublin beat the author's estate to it. But there are always other options, like hyphenating the name and getting james-joyce.net or james-joyce.org (check those sites now if you'd like), or choosing less common TLDs (or end letters) like .ws or .me.
For more information, homestead.com is a great site to register and design your own website.
2. Call your mobile phone provider. Ask if you can get a better calling plan based on your usage. This way you can afford to do the next item on this list.
3. Subscribe to a newspaper or magazine. Choose a topic that you don't know about - be it politics, fashion, culture, or technology- and sign up for the best periodical covering that topic. Rather than choosing the most popular magazine, select one that offers the most in-depth and interesting coverage, like Wired for technology or Foreign Affairs for politics or Mental Floss for culture. Yes, you could read it all online, but it's great to have a physical magazine to read when you're on the subway or on an aeroplane or waiting in line somewhere.
4. Get a passport if you don't have one. If yours has expired, get it renewed now. You never know when that great travel opportunity is going to occur, and you don't want to get stuck at home while your friends are at some great concert at the Acropolis in Greece.
5. Back it up. Most people don't take the time to do this, and regret it later. So copy your entire hard drive onto an external drive or USB stick immediately; if possible, download a program like Acronis True Image that will simplify the restoring process and regularly make backups (or for Mac owners, start using Time Machine or SuperDuper). Also backup your mobile phone, PDA, and any other personal-information-storing device.
6. While you're at it, make photocopies of your credit cards, passport, drivers license, birth certificate, and other important papers. If you keep a journal or anything similarly irreplaceable, photocopy that. Keep these in a safe deposit box, parent's house, locked file cabinet, or any other secure location, preferably outside your own house. They'll be invaluable in the event of theft, loss, fire, or any other unplanned incident.
7. Look through your refrigerator and cabinets. Read the labels on the food. Stop buying anything high in saturated fats, trans fats,cholesterol, and sodium. And start shopping healthier today.
8. Get business cards. Don't have a business? It doesn't matter. Sites like vistaprint.com will send you 250 free ones (though there's a shipping fee of under £6). Never hurts to look professional
9. Learn how you work: I'm often asked what books I found the most useful for learning Sales, NLP and Business. I will be posting my recommendations next.
10. This is not for everyone, but some of you--and you know who you are--definitely need to do this: Throw out all your socks. Every last one. Now go buy new pairs that actually match and don't have holes in them. You'll feel like a new man. Remember, get black socks. White socks are for athletic activities only. I don't want to catch any of you guys here wearing white socks in the boardroom!
11. Buy a suit. (Or a dress if you're a woman.) But don't just get any suit or dress. Get one that's slightly closer to the size you want to be this year, whether it be a little bigger or a little smaller than your current measurements. Try it on every Saturday morning as a reminder to yourself to get in shape this year; until, one day, it fits perfectly, and you wear it out and feel like a million pounds
12. Decide to actually become a millionaire.
Happy New Year
Well how was your Christmas and New Year. Mine was good and now with 2010 here I have major plans both business wise and personal. Business will be discussed on here, personal is mine so it wont be!! Ha Ha.
I saw the new year in coughing my guts up and wheezing from a cough that developed the day before but now, as I write, I have beaten it with something called Benalyn Mucus (Catchy title, huh?).
It was recommended to me by the pharmacist in Boots the Chemist on New Years Day.
"It's the best" she said before finding that they had sold out.
She then shouted across the store, "Can someone check if we have any Mucus out in the Storeroom?"
That was a head turner!!!!
They didnt...so I bought it in Sainsbury's. If you get a cough, buy it...it kicks ass!!
I saw the new year in coughing my guts up and wheezing from a cough that developed the day before but now, as I write, I have beaten it with something called Benalyn Mucus (Catchy title, huh?).
It was recommended to me by the pharmacist in Boots the Chemist on New Years Day.
"It's the best" she said before finding that they had sold out.
She then shouted across the store, "Can someone check if we have any Mucus out in the Storeroom?"
That was a head turner!!!!
They didnt...so I bought it in Sainsbury's. If you get a cough, buy it...it kicks ass!!
Monday, 21 December 2009
Winston Churchill
I visited the Winston Churchill Exhibition at the Cabinet War Rooms on Saturday and I was amazed at the detail and level of information contained in the Museum, along with many of Churchills clothes, personal items and papers. From a discarded Cigar butt to the flag that draped his coffin it is an exhibition to see again and again.
I have long regarded him as the Greatest Britain of the 20th Century and seeing the rooms such as his bedroom, study, broadcast room, map room and cabinet war room it confirms my opinion that without Churchill there would have been jackboots on the streets of London. His leadership skills were unusual but very effective. In fact, if you are going to lead a country through a war and win it you are obviously doing something very, very right.
I have been looking at the leadership model of Churchill and find the following components...
I have long regarded him as the Greatest Britain of the 20th Century and seeing the rooms such as his bedroom, study, broadcast room, map room and cabinet war room it confirms my opinion that without Churchill there would have been jackboots on the streets of London. His leadership skills were unusual but very effective. In fact, if you are going to lead a country through a war and win it you are obviously doing something very, very right.
I have been looking at the leadership model of Churchill and find the following components...
A man of great Integrity Churchill was 65 years old when he first became Prime Minister. Despite his age he had enormous
There is no doubt that the extensive experience that Churchill had accumulated (including his mistakes and failings) were central to his leadership style. This experience helped to found his Vision . The lessons he learnt helped him to be Decisive and make the right decisions.
Leadership is nowadays all the rage. There are countless, books, articles, websites and conferences devoted to leadership and developing the qualities of great leadership. In light of his iconic status, the Churchill leadership traits exhibited in 1940-45 are set to be discussed and debated by scholars for years to come.
Charisma
Of course leadership itself is neither necessarily good nor desirable (Hitler, Stalin, Mao et al). Neither is it all about "charisma". Of course many leaders have been described as charismatic many were not.
Churchill, like Abe Lincoln, was not a particularly charismatic leader. This is in contrast to the devilishly charismatic Hitler. While Churchill had a powerful personality and wonderful Communication skills, no one wished to award him dictatorial powers for life (unlike Adolf!). Hitler radiated an almost super-human charisma. It has been said that after meeting Churchill you believed you could achieve anything. After meeting Hitler you believed that he could achieve anything! Churchill used this inspirational effect to build vital Collaborations
This difference between Churchillian Inspirational Leadership and Hitlerian Charismatic Leadership is wonderfully explored in Andrew Roberts' highly readable, stimulating and entertaining book "Hitler and Churchill - Secrets of Leadership".
It can be argued that far from leadership being "about charisma", rather charisma itself can weaken effective leadership: often leading to inflexibility, over confidence, inflated egos and "spin" over substance.
So leadership is not necessarily a good thing nor is it about charisma. In reality its not about a specific list of traits either. No two great leaders will possess the same list of traits or competencies.
Leadership is ultimately about getting things done that Drive to Take Action - and get results and imrpove performance. Its the ability to influence, motivate and provide the tools and environment to others so that they can best contribute towards the successful attainment of the goals of their community or organisation. Winston Churchill was a man of immense Courage and Creativity, these and his other qualities shaped the war during
I cannot recommend the Cabinet War Rooms to you highly enough. Take a trip there and you will be amazed.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Typical Call
Heres a transcript of a call...the opener...
"Hi, Its Dave Moore from Pulse Media. How are you?"
"Fine thanks."
"Good. Tell me, are you the person who handles the marketing for your company?"
"Yes, why? What is this about?"
"I am the publisher for XXXXXXXXXXXXXX for the NHS. I believe my readership, the NHS, is your target market, is that right?"
"Yes but I am not interested in advertising with you."
"I know. And the reason I know that is because if you were interested you would have called me. You would have been on the phone biting my hand off to get involved in the opportunity I have here."
"Really!"
"Yes, really. I know that you, like me, get lots of calls like this each day. Whats more, I have learnt that at least one of the calls is a special one; one that is worth listening to. This call is yours. Why dont you work more extensively with the NHS?"
"Its a difficult market to get into."
"I hear that a lot. Many of the companies that work with me had the same problem in the past. Fact is...I am already into the NHS on a number of projects and I can bring you in with us on this project."
"How would you do that?"
Bingo!
"Hi, Its Dave Moore from Pulse Media. How are you?"
"Fine thanks."
"Good. Tell me, are you the person who handles the marketing for your company?"
"Yes, why? What is this about?"
"I am the publisher for XXXXXXXXXXXXXX for the NHS. I believe my readership, the NHS, is your target market, is that right?"
"Yes but I am not interested in advertising with you."
"I know. And the reason I know that is because if you were interested you would have called me. You would have been on the phone biting my hand off to get involved in the opportunity I have here."
"Really!"
"Yes, really. I know that you, like me, get lots of calls like this each day. Whats more, I have learnt that at least one of the calls is a special one; one that is worth listening to. This call is yours. Why dont you work more extensively with the NHS?"
"Its a difficult market to get into."
"I hear that a lot. Many of the companies that work with me had the same problem in the past. Fact is...I am already into the NHS on a number of projects and I can bring you in with us on this project."
"How would you do that?"
Bingo!
Is Your Sales Manager An Idiot?
Yes, its true, if you're a sales manager and encourage or require your sales reps to make more than 25 calls a day then I personally think youre completely nuts! Youre crazy and you know nothing about the sales cycle. For you, achieving your sales numbers is all about the quantity of calls, but not the quality of the call itself. You want the best of both worlds, but the reality is you cannot have both.
With "too much" quantity, you sacrifice quality and as a result, you're actually creating limitations on the success of both you and your sales team.
The sales cycle begins with research. Research allows you as a salesperson to engage your prospect with qualifying questions to uncover needs. How can you take a genuine interest in your prospect with the expectation of making more than 25 calls a day? It's just not realistic.
Making more than 25 cold calls doesnt preposition you for sales success, it positions you for sales failure. Such an unrealistic sales goal of 25 or more calls is a myth. It's a belief system that is incorrect. Its a 'DISBELIEF' system. It makes you less effective, leads to job dissatisfaction and contributes to false beliefs that cold calling is an ineffective way to generate new business.
Many years ago, I became a victim to this school of sales thought. It made sense to me. It was my world. I was told that I could not be successful with less calls and that the only way to make my sales quota was to fire up my telephone and make from 50 to 65 or more cold calls a day. If you had told me to make less than 25 cold calls then my first reaction would have been, "Well, its all a numbers game and how can I make my sales quota by dialing less than half the required cold calls?" That was my thought process then, but today, its the reverse. It's a whole different story.
How did I go from one extreme to another extreme?
Its actually a simple answer. I learned the hard way. This article will hopefully be an eye opener for many and you can use this information to speed up your sales success! The reason why I was a former believer was because I didnt have a clear understanding of the entire sales process. I didnt fully understand each stage of the sales process. As a result, I was more focused on the mechanics of picking up the telephone and how fast I could get to the next call rather than on the exchange of engaging dialogue with my prospect. I was not taking a genuine interest in my prospect, but rather, I bought into an unhealthy belief system that started with my sales manager.
This unhealthy belief system (more calls equals more sales) removes the most important part of the sales process and this missing element is called consultative selling. This type of selling requires research, engaging dialogue and makes you put the prospect first. It's a more productive way to earn new business and with the expectation of some Sales Managers that you need to make more than 25 calls a day to make your numbers is just not true. It's not realistic. Don't buy into their misunderstandings and fears. Your success is not about quantity, it's about finding a healthy and realistic balance between quantity and quality.
With "too much" quantity, you sacrifice quality and as a result, you're actually creating limitations on the success of both you and your sales team.
The sales cycle begins with research. Research allows you as a salesperson to engage your prospect with qualifying questions to uncover needs. How can you take a genuine interest in your prospect with the expectation of making more than 25 calls a day? It's just not realistic.
Making more than 25 cold calls doesnt preposition you for sales success, it positions you for sales failure. Such an unrealistic sales goal of 25 or more calls is a myth. It's a belief system that is incorrect. Its a 'DISBELIEF' system. It makes you less effective, leads to job dissatisfaction and contributes to false beliefs that cold calling is an ineffective way to generate new business.
Many years ago, I became a victim to this school of sales thought. It made sense to me. It was my world. I was told that I could not be successful with less calls and that the only way to make my sales quota was to fire up my telephone and make from 50 to 65 or more cold calls a day. If you had told me to make less than 25 cold calls then my first reaction would have been, "Well, its all a numbers game and how can I make my sales quota by dialing less than half the required cold calls?" That was my thought process then, but today, its the reverse. It's a whole different story.
How did I go from one extreme to another extreme?
Its actually a simple answer. I learned the hard way. This article will hopefully be an eye opener for many and you can use this information to speed up your sales success! The reason why I was a former believer was because I didnt have a clear understanding of the entire sales process. I didnt fully understand each stage of the sales process. As a result, I was more focused on the mechanics of picking up the telephone and how fast I could get to the next call rather than on the exchange of engaging dialogue with my prospect. I was not taking a genuine interest in my prospect, but rather, I bought into an unhealthy belief system that started with my sales manager.
This unhealthy belief system (more calls equals more sales) removes the most important part of the sales process and this missing element is called consultative selling. This type of selling requires research, engaging dialogue and makes you put the prospect first. It's a more productive way to earn new business and with the expectation of some Sales Managers that you need to make more than 25 calls a day to make your numbers is just not true. It's not realistic. Don't buy into their misunderstandings and fears. Your success is not about quantity, it's about finding a healthy and realistic balance between quantity and quality.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Fantastic response
I just spoke to a potential client and she said. "Sorry, I cant think and I cant TALK until February!"
"I said "When in February shall I call you?"
Silence at the other end...
"Have you started already?" I asked.
"I said "When in February shall I call you?"
Silence at the other end...
"Have you started already?" I asked.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Responses
Sometimes it is like pulling teeth. You email the confirmation over to your client and you write 'Please reply with "I AGREE TO YOUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS" and that is all I need to secure your position.'
What comes back more often than not?
"OK"
"GO AHEAD"
"YES WE WOULD LIKE TO"
"PLEASE TAKE THIS AS A GO AHEAD"
and the best one of all...
"WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME TO BOOK THIS?"
Christ on a bike!!!!! What do you have to do to get through to some people?????
What comes back more often than not?
"OK"
"GO AHEAD"
"YES WE WOULD LIKE TO"
"PLEASE TAKE THIS AS A GO AHEAD"
and the best one of all...
"WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME TO BOOK THIS?"
Christ on a bike!!!!! What do you have to do to get through to some people?????
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Sales Epidemic
There seems to be a hell of a lot of people off work at the moment. Flu, Cold, one of my people is off with Pig Flu (well, he is a bit of a swine!) and it seems like they are dropping like flies...at both ends of the phone.
The weather is bad; so it cant be sunbathing. The TV is rubbish; so it cant be that. What could it be? Not the truth!!??? Surely not!!! In a SALES ROOM?????
The weather is bad; so it cant be sunbathing. The TV is rubbish; so it cant be that. What could it be? Not the truth!!??? Surely not!!! In a SALES ROOM?????
Monday, 23 November 2009
Motivation
I recommend that you print this and put it where you can see it. In those down times when you get 'no,no,no' from your prospects, read it and then pick up the phone or knock on another door...
"I had it in my heart. I believed in myself,
and I had confidence. I knew how to do it,
had natural talent and pursued it."
Muhammad Ali
"I had it in my heart. I believed in myself,
and I had confidence. I knew how to do it,
had natural talent and pursued it."
Muhammad Ali
Puck It!!!
When asked about his outstanding performance on the ice, Wayne Gretzky replied, "A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be."
Where is your business focusing? I've found that one of the most powerful practices as an entrepreneur is to spend a day away from the office, dream a little, and envision my company 1, 3, 5 years into the future.
When I occasionally "fly into the future" it makes it easier to come back to the present, push through obstacles, and chart my course to the future I have envisioned.
Spend some time in the future and you'll be able to "skate to where the puck is going to be!"
Where is your business focusing? I've found that one of the most powerful practices as an entrepreneur is to spend a day away from the office, dream a little, and envision my company 1, 3, 5 years into the future.
When I occasionally "fly into the future" it makes it easier to come back to the present, push through obstacles, and chart my course to the future I have envisioned.
Spend some time in the future and you'll be able to "skate to where the puck is going to be!"
Friday, 20 November 2009
Glengarry Glen Ross
Blake: You're talking about what.You're talking about... Bitching about that sale you shot, some sonofabitch who don't wanna buy land, some broad you're trying to screw, so forth. Let's talk about something important. They all here?
Williamson: All but one.
Blake: I'm going anyway. Let's talk about something important. Put. That coffee. Down. Coffee's for closers only. You think I'm fucking with you? I am not fucking with you. I'm here from downtown. I'm here from Mitch and Murray. And I'm here on a mission of mercy. Your name's Levine? You call yourself a salesman you son of a bitch?
Dave Moss: I don't gotta sit here and listen to this shit.
Blake: You certainly don't pal, 'cause the good news is - you're fired. The bad news is - you've got, all of you've got just one week to regain your jobs starting with tonight. Starting with tonight's sit. Oh? Have I got your attention now? Good. "Cause we're adding a little something to this month's sales contest. As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired. Get the picture? You laughing now? You got leads. Mitch and Murray paid good money, get their names to sell them. you can't close the leads youre given you can't close shit. You ARE shit. Hit the bricks pal, and beat it 'cause you are going OUT.
Shelley Levene: The leads are weak.
Blake: The leads are weak? Fucking leads are weak. You're weak. I've been in this business 15 years...
Dave Moss: What's your name?
Blake: Fuck you. That's my name. You know why, mister? You drove a Hyundai to get here. I drove an eighty-thousand dollar BMW. THAT'S my name. And your name is you're wanting. You can't play in the man's game, you can't close them - go home and tell your wife your troubles. Because only one thing counts in this life: Get them to sign on the line which is dotted. You hear me you fucking faggots? A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing. ALWAYS BE CLOSING. A-I-D-A. Attention, Interest, Decision, Action. Attention - Do I have you attention? Interest - Are you interested? I know you are, because it's fuck or walk. You close or you hit the bricks. Decision - Have you made your decision, for Christ? And Action. A-I-D-A. Get out there - you got the prospects coming in. You think they came in to get out of the rain? A guy don't walk on the lot lest he wants to buy. They're sitting out there waiting to give you their money. Are you gonna take it? Are you man enough to take it? What's the problem, pal?
Dave Moss: You - Moss. You're such a hero, you're so rich, how come you're coming down here wasting your time with such a bunch of bums?
Blake: You see this watch? You see this watch?
Dave Moss: Yeah.
Blake: That watch costs more than you car. I made $970,000 last year. How much'd you make? You see pal, that's who I am, and you're nothing. Nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna work here - close! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit? You don't like it, leave. _I_ can go out there tonight with the materials you've got and make myself $15,000. Tonight! In two hours! Can you? Can YOU? Go and do likewise. A-I-D-A. Get mad you son of a bitches. get mad. You want to know what it takes to sell real estate? It takes BRASS BALLS to sell real estate. Go and do likewise gents. Money's out there. You pick it up, it's yours. You don't, I got no sympathy for you. You wanna go out on those sits tonight and close, CLOSE. It's yours. If not you're gonna be shining my shoes. And you know what you'll be saying - a bunch of losers sittin' around in a bar. 'Oh yeah. I used to be a salesman. It's a tough racket.' These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads. And to you they're gold, and you don't get them. Why? Because to give them to you is just throwing them away. They're for closers. I'd wish you good luck but you wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it. And to answer you question, pal, why am I here? I came here because Mitch and Murray asked me to. They asked me for a favor. I said the real favor, follow my advice and fire your fucking ass because a loser is a loser.
Williamson: All but one.
Blake: I'm going anyway. Let's talk about something important. Put. That coffee. Down. Coffee's for closers only. You think I'm fucking with you? I am not fucking with you. I'm here from downtown. I'm here from Mitch and Murray. And I'm here on a mission of mercy. Your name's Levine? You call yourself a salesman you son of a bitch?
Dave Moss: I don't gotta sit here and listen to this shit.
Blake: You certainly don't pal, 'cause the good news is - you're fired. The bad news is - you've got, all of you've got just one week to regain your jobs starting with tonight. Starting with tonight's sit. Oh? Have I got your attention now? Good. "Cause we're adding a little something to this month's sales contest. As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired. Get the picture? You laughing now? You got leads. Mitch and Murray paid good money, get their names to sell them. you can't close the leads youre given you can't close shit. You ARE shit. Hit the bricks pal, and beat it 'cause you are going OUT.
Shelley Levene: The leads are weak.
Blake: The leads are weak? Fucking leads are weak. You're weak. I've been in this business 15 years...
Dave Moss: What's your name?
Blake: Fuck you. That's my name. You know why, mister? You drove a Hyundai to get here. I drove an eighty-thousand dollar BMW. THAT'S my name. And your name is you're wanting. You can't play in the man's game, you can't close them - go home and tell your wife your troubles. Because only one thing counts in this life: Get them to sign on the line which is dotted. You hear me you fucking faggots? A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing. ALWAYS BE CLOSING. A-I-D-A. Attention, Interest, Decision, Action. Attention - Do I have you attention? Interest - Are you interested? I know you are, because it's fuck or walk. You close or you hit the bricks. Decision - Have you made your decision, for Christ? And Action. A-I-D-A. Get out there - you got the prospects coming in. You think they came in to get out of the rain? A guy don't walk on the lot lest he wants to buy. They're sitting out there waiting to give you their money. Are you gonna take it? Are you man enough to take it? What's the problem, pal?
Dave Moss: You - Moss. You're such a hero, you're so rich, how come you're coming down here wasting your time with such a bunch of bums?
Blake: You see this watch? You see this watch?
Dave Moss: Yeah.
Blake: That watch costs more than you car. I made $970,000 last year. How much'd you make? You see pal, that's who I am, and you're nothing. Nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna work here - close! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit? You don't like it, leave. _I_ can go out there tonight with the materials you've got and make myself $15,000. Tonight! In two hours! Can you? Can YOU? Go and do likewise. A-I-D-A. Get mad you son of a bitches. get mad. You want to know what it takes to sell real estate? It takes BRASS BALLS to sell real estate. Go and do likewise gents. Money's out there. You pick it up, it's yours. You don't, I got no sympathy for you. You wanna go out on those sits tonight and close, CLOSE. It's yours. If not you're gonna be shining my shoes. And you know what you'll be saying - a bunch of losers sittin' around in a bar. 'Oh yeah. I used to be a salesman. It's a tough racket.' These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads. And to you they're gold, and you don't get them. Why? Because to give them to you is just throwing them away. They're for closers. I'd wish you good luck but you wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it. And to answer you question, pal, why am I here? I came here because Mitch and Murray asked me to. They asked me for a favor. I said the real favor, follow my advice and fire your fucking ass because a loser is a loser.
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Voicemail
STILL hate voicemail. I just do not see the point in leaving a message informing the client who it is they need to avoid. I have tried it, left a lot of info, left a little info, left NO info and the results are alwys the same. 1% of voicemails are responded to. The biggest responder I have had is ?Hi this is Dave Moore. My number is XXXXXXXXXX. Would you please call me when you can because I need to speak to you about?? hang up. I got a call back a few times from people wondering what happened and I said I had no idea and that I left them a message explaining what I wanted, ?well, let me explain again?. Unethical, possibly but I am not convinced that voicemail works. I use my voicemail as a screener.
Computers and Software
Isn't it amazing how when you help someone with a problem on their PC, be it hardware or software, word goes around the office like wildfire and SUDDENLY...you are the IT guy!!!
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Eyes Wide open or Eyes Wide Shut?
The exact meaning of Eyes Wide Shut is debated. In the context of this blog post, I'm going to use the expression as a way of representing our perspective on counterfeit customers.
Counterfeit customers are customers that really aren't...well...customers.
The Reality
We've all done it. We've been assigned a new customer quota for the month/quarter/year. We immediately begin to think how we can manipulate the system to hit our quota. Our real goal is to silence sales management and we know we can do this by hitting our new account number.
Does this really help anyone? Eyes wide shut. In many cases, sales management has lost sight of the challenges of adding new accounts. They think all we need is a phonebook and a phone. End of story. Dinosaurs. Eyes wide shut.
Oh sure, the new account activity blossoms for a few months. But check back a year later. Everything is back where it was before the new business development machinations. Maybe even worse. Eyes wide shut.
This is a dysfunctional prospecting environment for both the sales professional and sales management. It produces smoke and mirror customers. It creates a lot of activity, but not any long-term gains. Eyes wide shut.
Counterfeit Customers
In our enthusiasm to hit our new account quota we kill anything that moves and call it dinner. Unfortunately, our kills don't come close to satisfying our appetite and there are never any leftovers. Are the following really new customers we want or need?
Cherry Pickers.
Customers that buy from us because we're the only company that has what they are looking for. No cross-selling opportunities exist here and loyalty is zero.
Convenience Buyers.
These customers view us as nothing more than a convenience store. In their world, our prices are out of sight, but they'll buy the minimum from us because we're handy, for now. They?ll always be small; they?ll always complain about price.
Give-Me-Credit Buyers.
This, of course, is a big problem during a recession. We're nothing but a bank to these customers. They want us to help them finance their business. Our credit department will be calling us for collection assistance.
High Maintenance, Low Volume Buyers.
These customers embody every aspect of Paretos 80/20 rule when it comes to investing too much time on small customers.
Accounts That Matter
We can differentiate between counterfeit customers and accounts that matter with the five-point test below. Checking all five of these boxes allows us to claim a customer as an account that matters.
1. The customer has made at least three purchases. One order does not a customer make.
2. They pay their bills according to the credit terms we've given them.
3. They purchase a broad spectrum of our products and services.
4. Not only does our employer make a decent ROI (i.e. net margin) on the customers purchases, but the commission income makes it worth the sales professionals time.
5. We are viewed as the incumbent supplier by the customer and are connected to the right decision makers.
Conclusion
It's important to evaluate our accounts. How many of them meet the five criteria above? This will give us a feel for both our number of accounts that matter and how much legitimate business development might be needed to fill the gaps.
We all sleep better with our eyes restfully shut when we have accounts that matter instead of counterfeit customers.
Counterfeit customers are customers that really aren't...well...customers.
The Reality
We've all done it. We've been assigned a new customer quota for the month/quarter/year. We immediately begin to think how we can manipulate the system to hit our quota. Our real goal is to silence sales management and we know we can do this by hitting our new account number.
Does this really help anyone? Eyes wide shut. In many cases, sales management has lost sight of the challenges of adding new accounts. They think all we need is a phonebook and a phone. End of story. Dinosaurs. Eyes wide shut.
Oh sure, the new account activity blossoms for a few months. But check back a year later. Everything is back where it was before the new business development machinations. Maybe even worse. Eyes wide shut.
This is a dysfunctional prospecting environment for both the sales professional and sales management. It produces smoke and mirror customers. It creates a lot of activity, but not any long-term gains. Eyes wide shut.
Counterfeit Customers
In our enthusiasm to hit our new account quota we kill anything that moves and call it dinner. Unfortunately, our kills don't come close to satisfying our appetite and there are never any leftovers. Are the following really new customers we want or need?
Cherry Pickers.
Customers that buy from us because we're the only company that has what they are looking for. No cross-selling opportunities exist here and loyalty is zero.
Convenience Buyers.
These customers view us as nothing more than a convenience store. In their world, our prices are out of sight, but they'll buy the minimum from us because we're handy, for now. They?ll always be small; they?ll always complain about price.
Give-Me-Credit Buyers.
This, of course, is a big problem during a recession. We're nothing but a bank to these customers. They want us to help them finance their business. Our credit department will be calling us for collection assistance.
High Maintenance, Low Volume Buyers.
These customers embody every aspect of Paretos 80/20 rule when it comes to investing too much time on small customers.
Accounts That Matter
We can differentiate between counterfeit customers and accounts that matter with the five-point test below. Checking all five of these boxes allows us to claim a customer as an account that matters.
1. The customer has made at least three purchases. One order does not a customer make.
2. They pay their bills according to the credit terms we've given them.
3. They purchase a broad spectrum of our products and services.
4. Not only does our employer make a decent ROI (i.e. net margin) on the customers purchases, but the commission income makes it worth the sales professionals time.
5. We are viewed as the incumbent supplier by the customer and are connected to the right decision makers.
Conclusion
It's important to evaluate our accounts. How many of them meet the five criteria above? This will give us a feel for both our number of accounts that matter and how much legitimate business development might be needed to fill the gaps.
We all sleep better with our eyes restfully shut when we have accounts that matter instead of counterfeit customers.
Friday, 13 November 2009
Rude Customers
For all Who Work With Rude Customers, shame you can't actually do this!
An award should go to the Virgin Airlines desk attendant in Sydney
some Months ago for being smart and funny, while making her point,
when Confronted with a passenger who probably deserved to fly as cargo.
A crowded Virgin flight was canceled after Virgin's 767s had been Withdrawn from service. A single attendant was rebooking a long line of Inconvenienced travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk. He slapped His ticket down on the counter and said, 'I HAVE to be on this flight and It HAS to be FIRST CLASS'...
The attendant replied, 'I'm sorry, sir. I'll be happy to try to help You, but I've got to help these people first, and I'm sure we'll be Able to work something out.'
The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the passengers Behind him could hear,
'DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?'
Without hesitating, the attendant smiled and grabbed her public Address microphone: 'may I have your Attention please,' she began - her voice heard clearly throughout the terminal.
'We have a passenger here at Desk 14 WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to Desk 14.'
With the people behind him in line laughing hysterically, The man glared at the Virgin attendant, gritted his teeth and said, 'Fuck You!' Without flinching, she smiled and said, 'I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to get in line for that too.
An award should go to the Virgin Airlines desk attendant in Sydney
some Months ago for being smart and funny, while making her point,
when Confronted with a passenger who probably deserved to fly as cargo.
A crowded Virgin flight was canceled after Virgin's 767s had been Withdrawn from service. A single attendant was rebooking a long line of Inconvenienced travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk. He slapped His ticket down on the counter and said, 'I HAVE to be on this flight and It HAS to be FIRST CLASS'...
The attendant replied, 'I'm sorry, sir. I'll be happy to try to help You, but I've got to help these people first, and I'm sure we'll be Able to work something out.'
The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the passengers Behind him could hear,
'DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?'
Without hesitating, the attendant smiled and grabbed her public Address microphone: 'may I have your Attention please,' she began - her voice heard clearly throughout the terminal.
'We have a passenger here at Desk 14 WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to Desk 14.'
With the people behind him in line laughing hysterically, The man glared at the Virgin attendant, gritted his teeth and said, 'Fuck You!' Without flinching, she smiled and said, 'I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to get in line for that too.
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Ultimate Guide to Sales Closing
More information soon but I am soon to launch the e-book for download. This is the book I give my sales staff. Its a list of counters and closes and is broken up into individual objection headers. Its known in the industry as a rebuttal book and is dynamite. It will be available to download immediately for only £100.00.
Full details soon...
Full details soon...
Advertising - does it work? Yes, if done right!
I am amazed at how advertisers, when they get no response from an ad they have placed, always blame the magazine. this is wrong.
The fault lies with the advertiser. plain and simple.
The reason? their advert was rubbish.
Tottenham Court Road is the biggest collection of electrical shops outside of Hong Kong. They all do business.
Lets imagine you open up an electrical shop in that road but nobody comes in, nobody buys. Are you gonna call Camden council and say "Tottenham Court Road is rubbish for selling electrical goods. i wanna move!" No. I think your first thought would be "What the hell have I got in my shop window?"
The advert in a magazine is the shop window. Make sure your customers realise that if they get it right it will work. If they get it wrong, its not your fault. You delivered to them. They didn't deliver to themselves.
The fault lies with the advertiser. plain and simple.
The reason? their advert was rubbish.
Tottenham Court Road is the biggest collection of electrical shops outside of Hong Kong. They all do business.
Lets imagine you open up an electrical shop in that road but nobody comes in, nobody buys. Are you gonna call Camden council and say "Tottenham Court Road is rubbish for selling electrical goods. i wanna move!" No. I think your first thought would be "What the hell have I got in my shop window?"
The advert in a magazine is the shop window. Make sure your customers realise that if they get it right it will work. If they get it wrong, its not your fault. You delivered to them. They didn't deliver to themselves.
11/11 update
Just had someone in the office not take part in the 2 minutes silence. They are now having a career change. They just do not understand the cost many people made to allow them to live the life they have right now.
11/11 Rememberence
I have just told my team to be off the phone at 11 o'clock to honour the 2 minutes silence. Its amazing how some of them, under 21, have no idea why. Scandalous!!! Lets make sure that we remember the brave service men and women that gave their lives to protect us.
Credit crunch
AS the recession continues to bite, fans of bargain bakers Greggs are going dough-nuts for the High Street chain.
The credit crunch-busting business aims to open 600 more shops in the coming years after selling a staggering 130MILLION sausage rolls last year.
Rising to the top ... Greggs favourites. While other High Street firms have suffered, the Geordie-based bakers have recorded a 3.8 per cent rise in sales over 12 months. Greggs' Meal Deals - any bloomer sandwich, a cookie or doughnut and a drink for £2.99 - have undoubtedly helped in these tough times. But it is their "iconic" 57p sausage roll which has led the way. There is now even a Greggs Sausage Roll Appreciation Society on social networking site Facebook. It is, according to its founders: "A group for all those people who find it difficult to walk past a Greggs without nipping in for a sausage roll when you can smell the aroma of the freshly baked sausage meat in pastry". One member, Travis Grant, boasted: "4-a-day. Love it!" And David Bradford rated them: "Best edible item in the world!" Greggs dates back to the late 1930s, when John Gregg started a business delivering yeast and eggs in the north east of England. He was called up to the Army with the outbreak of war in 1939, but his wife Elsie kept the business going. In 1951 they opened their first shop on Gosforth High Street - and it is still there today. Over the next 30 years the firm grew steadily, numbering 261 shops by 1984. Now their "Ready when you are" slogan and reasonably priced butties and pies have proved a winner in troubled economic times. Not everyone is happy with them, however. David Barling, senior lecturer in food policy at London's City University, is one food expert who has criticised their products. He said: "Sausage rolls wouldn't be ideal in any nutritional diet. "In the case of industrially produced bread, a lot of the nutrients are removed from the grain and then reinserted later as added-value extras. It is less healthy for us." Others have hit out at the levels of saturated fats, salt and sugar in Greggs' products. But the firm's marketing director, Scott Jefferson, has hit back. He said last night: "We sell 2.5million sausage rolls a week - at 57p they're one of life's pleasures. "As with all the food we make, our sausage rolls are free from hydrogenated fat, added trans fats and artificial colours. "We will be providing nutritional information for all our nationally available savouries and sandwiches in January so customers can make an informed choice." Clearly Mr Jefferson has plenty of satisfied customers in his corner to help him win his bun-fight with the nutritionists. One fan, builder Ryan Payne, 21, from Bampton, Devon, said last night: "Greggs is comfort food. When you've been out working hard on site all morning in the cold it's just the job. And it's cheap." Here are a few food facts about just how many Greggs goodies we munch through in a year:
I don't know what you think but, although Greggs is not part of a staple diet of mine, this is very impressive.
Have you ever worked out figures like this for your business? Have you worked out a metaphor for your company? Greggs could say that they sold a shedload of food and made a lot of profit but by using the metaphoe of Wembley Stadium, Newcastle to Sydney and the London Eye you really appreciate the size of the turnover rather than just facts and figures. Can you do the same with your company and make the point of how successful you are really hit home to your customers? Think about it!
The credit crunch-busting business aims to open 600 more shops in the coming years after selling a staggering 130MILLION sausage rolls last year.
Rising to the top ... Greggs favourites. While other High Street firms have suffered, the Geordie-based bakers have recorded a 3.8 per cent rise in sales over 12 months. Greggs' Meal Deals - any bloomer sandwich, a cookie or doughnut and a drink for £2.99 - have undoubtedly helped in these tough times. But it is their "iconic" 57p sausage roll which has led the way. There is now even a Greggs Sausage Roll Appreciation Society on social networking site Facebook. It is, according to its founders: "A group for all those people who find it difficult to walk past a Greggs without nipping in for a sausage roll when you can smell the aroma of the freshly baked sausage meat in pastry". One member, Travis Grant, boasted: "4-a-day. Love it!" And David Bradford rated them: "Best edible item in the world!" Greggs dates back to the late 1930s, when John Gregg started a business delivering yeast and eggs in the north east of England. He was called up to the Army with the outbreak of war in 1939, but his wife Elsie kept the business going. In 1951 they opened their first shop on Gosforth High Street - and it is still there today. Over the next 30 years the firm grew steadily, numbering 261 shops by 1984. Now their "Ready when you are" slogan and reasonably priced butties and pies have proved a winner in troubled economic times. Not everyone is happy with them, however. David Barling, senior lecturer in food policy at London's City University, is one food expert who has criticised their products. He said: "Sausage rolls wouldn't be ideal in any nutritional diet. "In the case of industrially produced bread, a lot of the nutrients are removed from the grain and then reinserted later as added-value extras. It is less healthy for us." Others have hit out at the levels of saturated fats, salt and sugar in Greggs' products. But the firm's marketing director, Scott Jefferson, has hit back. He said last night: "We sell 2.5million sausage rolls a week - at 57p they're one of life's pleasures. "As with all the food we make, our sausage rolls are free from hydrogenated fat, added trans fats and artificial colours. "We will be providing nutritional information for all our nationally available savouries and sandwiches in January so customers can make an informed choice." Clearly Mr Jefferson has plenty of satisfied customers in his corner to help him win his bun-fight with the nutritionists. One fan, builder Ryan Payne, 21, from Bampton, Devon, said last night: "Greggs is comfort food. When you've been out working hard on site all morning in the cold it's just the job. And it's cheap." Here are a few food facts about just how many Greggs goodies we munch through in a year:
Enough steak bakes to place 329 on every seat at Wembley Stadium.
Enough sausage rolls laid end to end to reach from Newcastle upon Tyne to Sydney, Australia.
Enough jam doughnuts to give seven to every person who went on the London Eye in 2008.
I don't know what you think but, although Greggs is not part of a staple diet of mine, this is very impressive.
Have you ever worked out figures like this for your business? Have you worked out a metaphor for your company? Greggs could say that they sold a shedload of food and made a lot of profit but by using the metaphoe of Wembley Stadium, Newcastle to Sydney and the London Eye you really appreciate the size of the turnover rather than just facts and figures. Can you do the same with your company and make the point of how successful you are really hit home to your customers? Think about it!
Friday, 23 October 2009
The Past Does Not Equal The Future
Many people get discouraged when they look at what has happened so far in their lives. They say, "I guess I just wasn't cut out to be a success. I've never really made anything work for me."
Every successful person knows that when it comes to success, the past does not dictate the future. If you look at your current results to define who you are and how successful you can be, you may disempower yourself and even limit your future success. It's like driving to work and figuring out where to turn by looking into the rearview mirror instead of at the road ahead of you. It doesn't produce good results.
Your current situation is the direct result of your past thoughts, decisions and actions. If you look at your current situation and make decisions about who you are and what you can have based on those results, then you will repeat the same thoughts, decisions and perhaps even actions that got you where you are today. What this guarantees is that you will get the same results again and end up with more of whatever you have now.
When you change your thoughts, you will change your results. If you understand this principle, you can change your life. This is a new way of thinking for most of us... but true success begins only when you turn away from the things you don't want and begin to focus on what you do want.
Every successful person knows that when it comes to success, the past does not dictate the future. If you look at your current results to define who you are and how successful you can be, you may disempower yourself and even limit your future success. It's like driving to work and figuring out where to turn by looking into the rearview mirror instead of at the road ahead of you. It doesn't produce good results.
Your current situation is the direct result of your past thoughts, decisions and actions. If you look at your current situation and make decisions about who you are and what you can have based on those results, then you will repeat the same thoughts, decisions and perhaps even actions that got you where you are today. What this guarantees is that you will get the same results again and end up with more of whatever you have now.
When you change your thoughts, you will change your results. If you understand this principle, you can change your life. This is a new way of thinking for most of us... but true success begins only when you turn away from the things you don't want and begin to focus on what you do want.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Increase your Chances of Talking to a Prospect
10 Tips to immediately increase your chances of talking to someone!!!
1. Prospect: "We're not interested."
You: "What exactly are you not interested in?"
(This is a great response to use with prospects and gatekeepers when they've given a response before you've even made a pitch. Many of them will stop and ask you what you're offering. )
2. Prospect: "How did you get my name?"
You: "Um, I'm not sure. I think you attended a trade show a while ago and we got your card."
You (#2): "I asked the receptionist who I should speak with."
(When cold calling, don't say you're just calling names in your database. Prospects hate being treated as a number. Knowing that their name is in some database is equally disturbing. Try to personalize your call as best you can.)
3. Prospect: "Can you call me back in 6 months (or later)?"
You: "Sure. What's going to change by then?"
(Your prospect may have a legitimate reason for pushing back or she may just be brushing you off. Don't waste time chasing prospects who will never buy. Asking what's going to chance will let you know for sure.)
4. Prospect: "Can you send me some information?"
You: "You know, a lot of people tell me that just to get me off the phone. Is that what's happening here?"
(Use this response only if you feel you the prospect is just trying to get rid of you. Don't waste time and money sending information to prospects who have no intention of buying what you're selling. How will you know? Use your gut.)
You (#2): "Sure, where should I send the info? (Get the address). "You know, we're actually going to be over in that area in a few days. Can we give you the information in person?"
(Great response for appointment setters or salespeople whose goal is to set up a meeting.)
5. Prospect: "We're happy with our current vendor."
You: "That's not a problem. A lot of our current customers started off with your vendor but once we proved our value they switched."
(This gets the prospect thinking that maybe there are better products or services than what they're using.)
6. Prospect: "We handle everything in house."
You: "That's great because our product (or service) doesn't replace your internal staff. We work with them to make their lives easier."
(Many people fear what you're selling will eliminate jobs. This response will put them at ease.)
7. Prospect: "You'll have to call our corporate office."
You: "Who should I ask for?"
(Don't cold call if you don't have to. Get a name and when you call let the prospect know who referred you.)
8. Gatekeeper: "Can I take a message?"
You: "No. Don't worry about it. I'll try him later."
You (#2): "Does he have voice mail?"
(Some gatekeepers will actually take a message. Others use taking a message as an excuse to qualify you. As soon as you tell her what the message is regarding, she may tell you your prospect is not interested. Use your gut and determine if taking a message is really the gatekeeper's motive.)
9. Gatekeeper: "She's on another call."
You: "I'll hold."
(Do this only if you really have the time to hold and are not bogged down with a dial quota. Waiting for your prospect to get on the line is better than trying to catch her in the office.)
10. Gatekeeper: "May I tell him what it's regarding?"
You: "Just tell him it's (say your name). He'll know."
(This works well when you're speaking with gatekeepers who are just weeding out salespeople. In many instances they will put the call through because it sounds like you already know the prospect.)
1. Prospect: "We're not interested."
You: "What exactly are you not interested in?"
(This is a great response to use with prospects and gatekeepers when they've given a response before you've even made a pitch. Many of them will stop and ask you what you're offering. )
2. Prospect: "How did you get my name?"
You: "Um, I'm not sure. I think you attended a trade show a while ago and we got your card."
You (#2): "I asked the receptionist who I should speak with."
(When cold calling, don't say you're just calling names in your database. Prospects hate being treated as a number. Knowing that their name is in some database is equally disturbing. Try to personalize your call as best you can.)
3. Prospect: "Can you call me back in 6 months (or later)?"
You: "Sure. What's going to change by then?"
(Your prospect may have a legitimate reason for pushing back or she may just be brushing you off. Don't waste time chasing prospects who will never buy. Asking what's going to chance will let you know for sure.)
4. Prospect: "Can you send me some information?"
You: "You know, a lot of people tell me that just to get me off the phone. Is that what's happening here?"
(Use this response only if you feel you the prospect is just trying to get rid of you. Don't waste time and money sending information to prospects who have no intention of buying what you're selling. How will you know? Use your gut.)
You (#2): "Sure, where should I send the info? (Get the address). "You know, we're actually going to be over in that area in a few days. Can we give you the information in person?"
(Great response for appointment setters or salespeople whose goal is to set up a meeting.)
5. Prospect: "We're happy with our current vendor."
You: "That's not a problem. A lot of our current customers started off with your vendor but once we proved our value they switched."
(This gets the prospect thinking that maybe there are better products or services than what they're using.)
6. Prospect: "We handle everything in house."
You: "That's great because our product (or service) doesn't replace your internal staff. We work with them to make their lives easier."
(Many people fear what you're selling will eliminate jobs. This response will put them at ease.)
7. Prospect: "You'll have to call our corporate office."
You: "Who should I ask for?"
(Don't cold call if you don't have to. Get a name and when you call let the prospect know who referred you.)
8. Gatekeeper: "Can I take a message?"
You: "No. Don't worry about it. I'll try him later."
You (#2): "Does he have voice mail?"
(Some gatekeepers will actually take a message. Others use taking a message as an excuse to qualify you. As soon as you tell her what the message is regarding, she may tell you your prospect is not interested. Use your gut and determine if taking a message is really the gatekeeper's motive.)
9. Gatekeeper: "She's on another call."
You: "I'll hold."
(Do this only if you really have the time to hold and are not bogged down with a dial quota. Waiting for your prospect to get on the line is better than trying to catch her in the office.)
10. Gatekeeper: "May I tell him what it's regarding?"
You: "Just tell him it's (say your name). He'll know."
(This works well when you're speaking with gatekeepers who are just weeding out salespeople. In many instances they will put the call through because it sounds like you already know the prospect.)
Friday, 16 October 2009
Steve Jobs
In the last month I have found myself more and more interested in the whole Steve Jobs thing. By “"Steve Jobs thing” I mean the management model used. It rages against the normal protocolic (is that a word? If not, then its © me) systems of management. I read and hear reports that he is a nice guy, friendly, supportive and a people person. I also read reports that he is a megalomaniac, control freak, thief of other people’s ideas, tyrannical bully.
Whatever he is, what he does works. He has a great team behind him and I can only assume that he instils loyalty. Either that it is a form of Stockholm syndrome, like when the kidnapped people start to empathise and side with their captors. The Apple seminars are like a motivational rally. He is supposed to have an aura about him, which is known at Apple as a reality distortion field. Basically he has charisma. Nearly all of the powerful people you meet, or the ones perceived to have power, will have that. I don’t think or believe that they have it. I think we create it through our apprehension or interest.
The basic tenets of the Steve Jobs business model are strange, but they are effective. Some of them look out of place, or questionable. Nevertheless, they work.
Get Busy.
Face hard decisions Head On!
Don’t get emotional.
Be firm.
Get Informed – don’t guess.
Reach out for help.
Focus means saying NO.
Stay focused.
Focus on what you are good at; Delegate everything else.
Be a despot.
Generate alternatives and then pick the best.
Design pixel by pixel.
Simplify.
Don’t be afraid to start from scratch.
Avoid the Osborne effect.
Don’t shit on your own doorstep.
When it comes to ideas, anything is game.
Don’t listen to your customers.
Find an easy way to present new ideas.
Don’t compromise.
Design is it's function, not just looks, sound and touch.
Thrash it out.
Include everyone.
Partner with ‘A’ players, fire Bozos.
Seek out the highest quality.
Invest in people.
Work in small teams.
Don’t listen to “yes” men.
Engage in intellectual combat.
It's OK to be an asshole as long as you are passionate about it.
Find passion.
Use the carrot and the stick to get great work.
Put boot to ass to get things done.
Celebrate accomplishments with unusual flair.
Insist on what seems impossible.
Become a great intimidator.
Be a part time ingratiator.
Work people hard and yourself harder.
Don’t lose sight of the customer.
Study the market and the industry first.
Don’t consciously think of innovation.
Concentrate of products.
Remember that motives make a difference.
Steal.
Connect.
Study.
Be flexible.
Burn the boats.
If you miss the boat, make sure you catch it.
Look for big changes in the world that can be used to your advantage.
Set a deadline.
Don’t worry where the ideas come from.
Don’t worry where the tech comes from.
Leverage your expertise
Trust your process.
Don’t be afraid of trial and error.
Embrace the team.
As you can see, there are a few rules here that make you think, ‘WTF?’ but these are the basic rules of Steve Jobs’ management/ business style.
Whether or not we agree with them, they work for him. Mention Apple and you see Steve Jobs. Mention iPod and you think of Apple and then Steve Jobs. His seminars for Apple are like a self help guru spouting technobabble. Apple is fast becoming, or has become, the company everyone would like to work for instead of Google, or if Google were not recruiting. I read that Jobs has had some organ replacement procedure after a tumour on his pancreas. He is now back at work and I wish him well, though I doubt he is reading this. Jobs is a buddhist, interested in Zen who hardly drinks and doesn't smoke. His background involves hallucinatory drugs so he has tried it, didn’t like it. Or if he did, he realised that drugs and running a major corporation doesn't mix. I read he has a passion for pineapple Pizza.
The thing I like and respect about Steve Jobs is that he appears to be a kick-ass, take no bullshit, kinda guy. Remember. He started Apple, got downsized (which is French for getting F*%ked and then sacked) and then came back on his own terms and now runs it. Ya gotta admire that...
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Dont Worry - Be Happy - ANYTIME
A non-judgemental, and non derogatory, posting about Comic Relief. Enjoy! Unless you are from over the borrrrrda! Hoots ya dog!
Well. Comic Relief has been and gone thankfully. I don’t know about you but I am fed up with people begging. It’s either this campaign, this flood, this famine or this lame excuse. I am not tight. I am not miserable. I just object to the whole scenario.
What gets on my nerves more than the begging? The fakeness of it all.
People wearing their pyjamas to work. Why? It wasn’t to raise money. There were chuggers and raffles and quizzes all over the place doing that.
I walked through an office on Friday and people were wearing their pyjamas, dressing gowns and wigs. I donned the wig and a red nose for the obligatory pic but was soon over it all.
The challenge I have with this is that this is a false sense of fun. It's a one-day thing. People act like this because of an outside influence. A form of peer pressure. "We are doing this to help others". Well, here's the deal Shylock: You could have a lot of fun every day if you put your mind to it and did it for no other reason than you wanted to. I don’t mean you have to wear a red nose, a wig or dress up like a gay boy at a Mardi Gras.
What I am saying is that you can get up in the morning and, Carpe Jugular – seize the throat!
Squeeze every drop of joy you can out of each experience. Aim high. Do things you would never dream of. Say things you only internalise. If your boss is a bitch or a bastard, tell them. Call people on their shit. Don’t let people hinder or stop you. Do not buy into their bullshit. Help other people. Give to people without expecting anything back. You will get it back tenfold when you least expect it.
‘Be positive’ sounds like a blood group but it's more than that. See yourself successful, see yourself having a great time, and see yourself having fun. Instead of waiting for Red Nose Day do it Every Day!
Now go out and do it without charity.
Well. Comic Relief has been and gone thankfully. I don’t know about you but I am fed up with people begging. It’s either this campaign, this flood, this famine or this lame excuse. I am not tight. I am not miserable. I just object to the whole scenario.
What gets on my nerves more than the begging? The fakeness of it all.
People wearing their pyjamas to work. Why? It wasn’t to raise money. There were chuggers and raffles and quizzes all over the place doing that.
I walked through an office on Friday and people were wearing their pyjamas, dressing gowns and wigs. I donned the wig and a red nose for the obligatory pic but was soon over it all.
The challenge I have with this is that this is a false sense of fun. It's a one-day thing. People act like this because of an outside influence. A form of peer pressure. "We are doing this to help others". Well, here's the deal Shylock: You could have a lot of fun every day if you put your mind to it and did it for no other reason than you wanted to. I don’t mean you have to wear a red nose, a wig or dress up like a gay boy at a Mardi Gras.
What I am saying is that you can get up in the morning and, Carpe Jugular – seize the throat!
Squeeze every drop of joy you can out of each experience. Aim high. Do things you would never dream of. Say things you only internalise. If your boss is a bitch or a bastard, tell them. Call people on their shit. Don’t let people hinder or stop you. Do not buy into their bullshit. Help other people. Give to people without expecting anything back. You will get it back tenfold when you least expect it.
‘Be positive’ sounds like a blood group but it's more than that. See yourself successful, see yourself having a great time, and see yourself having fun. Instead of waiting for Red Nose Day do it Every Day!
Now go out and do it without charity.
Monday, 23 June 2008
Queue Jumping
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.
They rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'
'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'
Puff! She's gone.
'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'
Puff! He's gone.
'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
They rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'
'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'
Puff! She's gone.
'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'
Puff! He's gone.
'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
Power - Some have it, others haven't
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.
A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'
The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested.
All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'
The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested.
All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
Un-Pro Pro-Brook
Pro-Brook are a publishing company who were working out of serviced offices in Borough High Street but have now moved to a small room in Woodbridge having trimmed down the work force to one person working from home. They publish a few magazines, twice a year-published annually (??) and I worked for them for a couple of years at their London Bridge office. They class themselves as a next generation publisher. Their website is under construction....
But now, here's an interesting story...
A company gives you a contract, you read it, you sign it. Nowhere in that contract does it say that if your client decides not to pay, we will clawback your commission.
OK? Well, hang on, because you are in for a bumpy ride.
You are a salesperson selling advertising space over the telephone. Your job is to convince your prospect that advertising in one of the magazines and journals your company produces is a great idea and you use your skills to liaise with all of the relevant people to ensure that you get a faxed booking form back with a signature on it. That is success. That is your job, end of story. You have made an agreed percentage of the total amount of the deal as commission and that is paid to you at the end of the sales month which is the month you sold it in. In other words: sell in June, up to the 25th and the money is in the bank at the end of June.
What you do not do is worry about anything else, like chasing copy, chasing payment or even the printing process. Or so you would think...
You sell a half page advertisement to a company in Barbados and the deal is that they get a free half page. The deal is £2,950 for one half page. When the copy arrives for the two half pages there is so much information on the two half pages that someone, other than you, decides to give your customer a FULL page in the magazine. Not only that, they give them an additional full page free of charge. The cost of the two full pages is actually £9,900. Your customer has only paid £2,950. Someone other than you, the Directors themselves, made that decision.
You go to print and the customer is very, very happy. A couple of months later, in October 2006, you contact the customer and say that you want to secure the space again in the next issue. You explain that you know, and they know, they got a fantastic deal last time. The rate card for a full page is no longer £4,950 but now £5,450. Last time they only paid 29% of the value of what they got. To sweeten the pill you allow them to not only have a free full page but you will only charge them the old rate card of £4,950. They are happy, and they fax back a booking form for the amount, SIGNED! Your job is over. Two weeks later you are paid on that deal (along with some others).
The company have fixed terms of: "payment is due within 14 days of invoice".
2006 rolls into 2007 and you, and the rest of the sales team, continue to sell. As the time of publication approaches you hear that "a couple of the advertisers have still not paid". You pay no attention because you believe, like everyone else would, that there is an accountant/ legal team dealing with this.
Then the accountant disappears off the face of the earth (on holiday) and one of the Directors starts to call lots of people asking for money. To all of you it sounds like he is calling everyone that has advertised. That can't be true?
It transpires that, rather than only a couple of people not paying, only a couple of people have paid and the Director is chasing them for payment. He even states that the accountant 'wasn't doing his job properly'.
You, and the others, carry on selling.
We are told that the Bank Manager is making a visit to the company. Can we all look busy and dress in a businesslike fashion? A massive clean up takes place. he arrives, they take him to lunch.
Quote: "Have you got half a sec?"
That is the Directors way of telling you that he wants an important word with you, and he only has 'half a sec' as he is running out the door at 3:30pm to have an acupuncture session. Instead of telling you during the day when he had more than adequate time to sit down and discuss the matter in a professional way he opts for the cowards way of, "look, I am very busy and I am off to have some acupuncture, but..."
"Patterson haven't paid and we will have to take your commission back."
Let's look at the comments made and then the facts.
"They are not returning our calls and we cannot get them to pay" True, but then they have signed a contract and that is binding.
"We cannot sue them, it's too costly." No it isn't. What's more, they have signed a contract and you have them over a barrel. Furthermore, they are members of the tax organisation which you are publishing the book for so they will not want to jeopardise that, especially as the President of the organisation, who you publish the magazine they were advertising in, is the person paying you to publish it.
"They work in a far flung island offshore and they are financial experts." So what pal, that's your problem. It was ok to call them and sell them. If they are financial experts then they shouldn't have signed the fucking contract in the first place if they didn't want to go ahead.
"They won't tell each other that we don't pursue. They don't talk to each other." The organisation is a membership which holds three meetings a year for networking purposes. The directory we publish gives names and contact details of the members so they can call each other up. The organisation actively promote networking!
"You'll find that we can clawback the commission because it is in your contract." No it isn't. Nowhere in the contract of employment does it state that commission can or will be clawedback.
The killer points are these:
The deal was done at the beginning of October 2006. They want to clawback the commission almost 9 months later!
It's a legal/ credit control issue: nothing to do with the salesperson.
This 'Director' has given the salesperson no warning as he told him at the time his salary was due to be paid. In fact, he said he 'may have to clawback the commission' a day after he already had decided to claw it back. The salary was worked out and sent to the system on Tuesday to hit the bank account on the friday. In other words: Gutless!!
It contravenes the contract of employment as this issue is not covered in the terms.
If you do not pursue them you will send out a message that clearly states: Sign the contracts, you don't have to pay, don't worry about it. They are too scared to sue you.
In the end, it's a joke. A financial joke that will have massive and painful repercussions. If you think I am making all of this up, I am not. This is really happening. In the 21st century!
Who lives in a publishing house like this?
Oh, by the way. These are the two owners of the company mentioned above.
Trevor Brooker (Getting pissed on a salesmans clawedback commission)
But now, here's an interesting story...
A company gives you a contract, you read it, you sign it. Nowhere in that contract does it say that if your client decides not to pay, we will clawback your commission.
OK? Well, hang on, because you are in for a bumpy ride.
You are a salesperson selling advertising space over the telephone. Your job is to convince your prospect that advertising in one of the magazines and journals your company produces is a great idea and you use your skills to liaise with all of the relevant people to ensure that you get a faxed booking form back with a signature on it. That is success. That is your job, end of story. You have made an agreed percentage of the total amount of the deal as commission and that is paid to you at the end of the sales month which is the month you sold it in. In other words: sell in June, up to the 25th and the money is in the bank at the end of June.
What you do not do is worry about anything else, like chasing copy, chasing payment or even the printing process. Or so you would think...
You sell a half page advertisement to a company in Barbados and the deal is that they get a free half page. The deal is £2,950 for one half page. When the copy arrives for the two half pages there is so much information on the two half pages that someone, other than you, decides to give your customer a FULL page in the magazine. Not only that, they give them an additional full page free of charge. The cost of the two full pages is actually £9,900. Your customer has only paid £2,950. Someone other than you, the Directors themselves, made that decision.
You go to print and the customer is very, very happy. A couple of months later, in October 2006, you contact the customer and say that you want to secure the space again in the next issue. You explain that you know, and they know, they got a fantastic deal last time. The rate card for a full page is no longer £4,950 but now £5,450. Last time they only paid 29% of the value of what they got. To sweeten the pill you allow them to not only have a free full page but you will only charge them the old rate card of £4,950. They are happy, and they fax back a booking form for the amount, SIGNED! Your job is over. Two weeks later you are paid on that deal (along with some others).
The company have fixed terms of: "payment is due within 14 days of invoice".
2006 rolls into 2007 and you, and the rest of the sales team, continue to sell. As the time of publication approaches you hear that "a couple of the advertisers have still not paid". You pay no attention because you believe, like everyone else would, that there is an accountant/ legal team dealing with this.
Then the accountant disappears off the face of the earth (on holiday) and one of the Directors starts to call lots of people asking for money. To all of you it sounds like he is calling everyone that has advertised. That can't be true?
It transpires that, rather than only a couple of people not paying, only a couple of people have paid and the Director is chasing them for payment. He even states that the accountant 'wasn't doing his job properly'.
You, and the others, carry on selling.
We are told that the Bank Manager is making a visit to the company. Can we all look busy and dress in a businesslike fashion? A massive clean up takes place. he arrives, they take him to lunch.
Quote: "Have you got half a sec?"
That is the Directors way of telling you that he wants an important word with you, and he only has 'half a sec' as he is running out the door at 3:30pm to have an acupuncture session. Instead of telling you during the day when he had more than adequate time to sit down and discuss the matter in a professional way he opts for the cowards way of, "look, I am very busy and I am off to have some acupuncture, but..."
"Patterson haven't paid and we will have to take your commission back."
Let's look at the comments made and then the facts.
"They are not returning our calls and we cannot get them to pay" True, but then they have signed a contract and that is binding.
"We cannot sue them, it's too costly." No it isn't. What's more, they have signed a contract and you have them over a barrel. Furthermore, they are members of the tax organisation which you are publishing the book for so they will not want to jeopardise that, especially as the President of the organisation, who you publish the magazine they were advertising in, is the person paying you to publish it.
"They work in a far flung island offshore and they are financial experts." So what pal, that's your problem. It was ok to call them and sell them. If they are financial experts then they shouldn't have signed the fucking contract in the first place if they didn't want to go ahead.
"They won't tell each other that we don't pursue. They don't talk to each other." The organisation is a membership which holds three meetings a year for networking purposes. The directory we publish gives names and contact details of the members so they can call each other up. The organisation actively promote networking!
"You'll find that we can clawback the commission because it is in your contract." No it isn't. Nowhere in the contract of employment does it state that commission can or will be clawedback.
The killer points are these:
The deal was done at the beginning of October 2006. They want to clawback the commission almost 9 months later!
It's a legal/ credit control issue: nothing to do with the salesperson.
This 'Director' has given the salesperson no warning as he told him at the time his salary was due to be paid. In fact, he said he 'may have to clawback the commission' a day after he already had decided to claw it back. The salary was worked out and sent to the system on Tuesday to hit the bank account on the friday. In other words: Gutless!!
It contravenes the contract of employment as this issue is not covered in the terms.
If you do not pursue them you will send out a message that clearly states: Sign the contracts, you don't have to pay, don't worry about it. They are too scared to sue you.
In the end, it's a joke. A financial joke that will have massive and painful repercussions. If you think I am making all of this up, I am not. This is really happening. In the 21st century!
Who lives in a publishing house like this?
Oh, by the way. These are the two owners of the company mentioned above.
Tim Probart (Lifesize)
Trevor Brooker (Getting pissed on a salesmans clawedback commission)
Monday, 2 June 2008
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Monday, 11 February 2008
Loose Ends
How many people do you know say, 'Let's just sign the paperwork and we will get all the other stuff sorted out at a later date!'?
Here is something I find really strange. Why on earth would anyone, if they are in their right mind, allow you to lock them into a contract that at a later date may change?
Would you want to be signing a piece of paper that would be either worthless, or worse, turn out to be even more costly to you and have deep implications into your business or wealth at a later date?
No, is the answer, so...
Never leave loose ends.
My mentor, Ari Onassis, would always tie up all the loose ends of a contract at the very start.
It is like my lesson 'kill the monster early'.
If you do all the finer details at the start then there can be no questions later, and no problems either. Nor can there be any costly surprises.
I have a phrase that I have used on many occasions in training and in my own life and it serves me in good stead.
Every time I have negotiated a contract I have thought of it and I have worked by it,and it is this:
"If you tie up all the loose ends at the start they will never become undone. If you leave the loose ends undone at the start, they will remain undone and you will never, ever, be able to tie them. What's more, they will become very expensive!"
Here is something I find really strange. Why on earth would anyone, if they are in their right mind, allow you to lock them into a contract that at a later date may change?
Would you want to be signing a piece of paper that would be either worthless, or worse, turn out to be even more costly to you and have deep implications into your business or wealth at a later date?
No, is the answer, so...
Never leave loose ends.
My mentor, Ari Onassis, would always tie up all the loose ends of a contract at the very start.
It is like my lesson 'kill the monster early'.
If you do all the finer details at the start then there can be no questions later, and no problems either. Nor can there be any costly surprises.
I have a phrase that I have used on many occasions in training and in my own life and it serves me in good stead.
Every time I have negotiated a contract I have thought of it and I have worked by it,and it is this:
"If you tie up all the loose ends at the start they will never become undone. If you leave the loose ends undone at the start, they will remain undone and you will never, ever, be able to tie them. What's more, they will become very expensive!"
Monday, 28 January 2008
"Referrals" Are a Waste – Introductions are Gold.
"Referrals" Are a Waste – Introductions are Gold. Referrals get your calls answered and open otherwise closed doors, right? Not really, explains Paul McCord, a leading authority on referral selling.
Rick's client was somewhat uncomfortable with his request. The sale had gone well enough--everything considered. But this last question about referrals was a little uncomfortable. His client was completely caught off guard. He wasn't the least prepared to give a referral and wasn't comfortable giving one. But Rick asked and stood his ground until his client coughed up the name and phone number of one of his vendors that might be able to use Rick's services.
Rick was excited; as the referral he received was to a company he had wanted to get into for quite a while. Better yet, it was a referral to Nadia, the company's COO, the exact person he had been wanting to reach. He quickly thanked his client and headed to his office to call his new prospect.
As soon as he was in his office, he picked up the phone, called Nadia, and got her assistant who, despite Rick's insistence that one of the Nadia's clients had asked him to call her, refused to put him through. Instead, the assistant insisted that Rick leave his name and number, and she would pass the information along to Nadia who would call if she were interested.Rick tried several more times to reach Nadia. He called and left messages. He took the liberty of emailing her. He sent two letters. Finally, after months of trying, he gave up.
Unfortunately, this scenario is played out thousands of times a day. Salespeople get "referrals," thank their client, rush off to call the prospect, and never have the opportunity to make contact.
Why is this such a prevalent result of "referrals?
"Because Rick didn't get a referral. He simply got a name and phone number. For Rick, and most other salespeople, a name and phone number and the permission from the client to use the client's name as the referring party are considered a referral. In reality, it is nothing but a name and phone number.
By simply getting the name and phone number and running off to make the phone call, Rick committed the most common error salespeople make when they get a referral. He failed to capitalize on the power of the referral and instead turned it into a warm call.
The power of a referral is its potential to open doors, generate interest, and get an appointment. Seldom can a referral sell for you. That's not the goal of a referral. The goal is to open a door and, hopefully, begin the relationship from a position of strength and trust.
When you receive a referral, you are hoping to build a relationship with the referred prospect based on his trust and respect of your client. If the prospect trusts and respects your client, a portion of the trust and respect he has for your client is imbued to you because someone he trusts referred you. However, that trust is useless if you fail to set an appointment with the prospect. In many cases, the fact someone he trusts gave you the prospect's name and phone number is not enough by itself to convince him to meet with you. You need something stronger than just your client's name to open the door.
That extra push is a direct introduction from your client to the prospect.
A direct introduction is powerful for several reasons:
• It is unusual. It isn't often that someone is personally asked by someone he trusts to meet a salesperson. The act itself places you in a different category than other salespeople.
• It demonstrates trust. A direct introduction demonstrates a high level of trust. Most people will not go to the trouble of taking the time and effort to give a direct introduction unless they have a high degree of trust and respect for the person they are introducing.
• It makes it difficult for the prospect to decline a meeting. There is implied pressure on the prospect to meet with you since he doesn't want to offend the client.
A call using the client's name doesn't have the power of an introduction and gives the prospect an easy out––he simply doesn't accept your call or declines a meeting. After all, the client wasn't really involved––you simply used the client's name.
On the other hand, a properly executed introduction virtually guarantees a meeting.
In most instances, you have three introduction methods at your disposal:
A letter of introduction written by you for your client's signature
A letter from the client to the prospect is the most basic form of introduction. Rather than asking the client to write the letter, write it for him on his letterhead for his signature. Let the prospect know what you accomplished for the client; let him know why the client referred you; give a specific time and date to expect your call; and have the client ask the prospect to let him know his impression of you and your company after you have met.
Mail the letter and then a day or two after the prospect should have received it, give him a call. Don't introduce yourself first. Rather, introduce the letter and client first, then move to asking for the appointment.
A phone call from your client to the prospect
A phone call is stronger than a letter and almost guarantees an appointment as it is very difficult for the prospect to say no to your appointment request while the client is on the line. The call gives the opportunity for the prospect to ask specific questions of your client and to get detailed information. Do not have your client call unless you are present––you want to know exactly what was said.
A lunch meeting with your client, the prospect, and yourself
A stronger method than either a letter or a call, a lunch meeting allows you to get to know the prospect as a friend before you get to know him as a salesperson. Like a phone call, it virtually guarantees a private meeting. Also, in a lunch meeting, your client becomes your salesperson and you're there as the consultant. Although a very powerful introduction format, most clients will only agree to do one, maybe two at the most, so use judiciously.
If you want to turn your "referrals" into real referrals, don't settle for just getting names and phone numbers. Learn how to turn those names and phone numbers into real referrals through a direct introduction to the prospect. Not only will the number of appointments you set go up-your sales will increase, your income will increase, and you'll find selling to be a lot easier.
Rick's client was somewhat uncomfortable with his request. The sale had gone well enough--everything considered. But this last question about referrals was a little uncomfortable. His client was completely caught off guard. He wasn't the least prepared to give a referral and wasn't comfortable giving one. But Rick asked and stood his ground until his client coughed up the name and phone number of one of his vendors that might be able to use Rick's services.
Rick was excited; as the referral he received was to a company he had wanted to get into for quite a while. Better yet, it was a referral to Nadia, the company's COO, the exact person he had been wanting to reach. He quickly thanked his client and headed to his office to call his new prospect.
As soon as he was in his office, he picked up the phone, called Nadia, and got her assistant who, despite Rick's insistence that one of the Nadia's clients had asked him to call her, refused to put him through. Instead, the assistant insisted that Rick leave his name and number, and she would pass the information along to Nadia who would call if she were interested.Rick tried several more times to reach Nadia. He called and left messages. He took the liberty of emailing her. He sent two letters. Finally, after months of trying, he gave up.
Unfortunately, this scenario is played out thousands of times a day. Salespeople get "referrals," thank their client, rush off to call the prospect, and never have the opportunity to make contact.
Why is this such a prevalent result of "referrals?
"Because Rick didn't get a referral. He simply got a name and phone number. For Rick, and most other salespeople, a name and phone number and the permission from the client to use the client's name as the referring party are considered a referral. In reality, it is nothing but a name and phone number.
By simply getting the name and phone number and running off to make the phone call, Rick committed the most common error salespeople make when they get a referral. He failed to capitalize on the power of the referral and instead turned it into a warm call.
The power of a referral is its potential to open doors, generate interest, and get an appointment. Seldom can a referral sell for you. That's not the goal of a referral. The goal is to open a door and, hopefully, begin the relationship from a position of strength and trust.
When you receive a referral, you are hoping to build a relationship with the referred prospect based on his trust and respect of your client. If the prospect trusts and respects your client, a portion of the trust and respect he has for your client is imbued to you because someone he trusts referred you. However, that trust is useless if you fail to set an appointment with the prospect. In many cases, the fact someone he trusts gave you the prospect's name and phone number is not enough by itself to convince him to meet with you. You need something stronger than just your client's name to open the door.
That extra push is a direct introduction from your client to the prospect.
A direct introduction is powerful for several reasons:
• It is unusual. It isn't often that someone is personally asked by someone he trusts to meet a salesperson. The act itself places you in a different category than other salespeople.
• It demonstrates trust. A direct introduction demonstrates a high level of trust. Most people will not go to the trouble of taking the time and effort to give a direct introduction unless they have a high degree of trust and respect for the person they are introducing.
• It makes it difficult for the prospect to decline a meeting. There is implied pressure on the prospect to meet with you since he doesn't want to offend the client.
A call using the client's name doesn't have the power of an introduction and gives the prospect an easy out––he simply doesn't accept your call or declines a meeting. After all, the client wasn't really involved––you simply used the client's name.
On the other hand, a properly executed introduction virtually guarantees a meeting.
In most instances, you have three introduction methods at your disposal:
A letter of introduction written by you for your client's signature
A letter from the client to the prospect is the most basic form of introduction. Rather than asking the client to write the letter, write it for him on his letterhead for his signature. Let the prospect know what you accomplished for the client; let him know why the client referred you; give a specific time and date to expect your call; and have the client ask the prospect to let him know his impression of you and your company after you have met.
Mail the letter and then a day or two after the prospect should have received it, give him a call. Don't introduce yourself first. Rather, introduce the letter and client first, then move to asking for the appointment.
A phone call from your client to the prospect
A phone call is stronger than a letter and almost guarantees an appointment as it is very difficult for the prospect to say no to your appointment request while the client is on the line. The call gives the opportunity for the prospect to ask specific questions of your client and to get detailed information. Do not have your client call unless you are present––you want to know exactly what was said.
A lunch meeting with your client, the prospect, and yourself
A stronger method than either a letter or a call, a lunch meeting allows you to get to know the prospect as a friend before you get to know him as a salesperson. Like a phone call, it virtually guarantees a private meeting. Also, in a lunch meeting, your client becomes your salesperson and you're there as the consultant. Although a very powerful introduction format, most clients will only agree to do one, maybe two at the most, so use judiciously.
If you want to turn your "referrals" into real referrals, don't settle for just getting names and phone numbers. Learn how to turn those names and phone numbers into real referrals through a direct introduction to the prospect. Not only will the number of appointments you set go up-your sales will increase, your income will increase, and you'll find selling to be a lot easier.
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
What Football Managers Know and We Don't
For many of us, amateur commentary and critique of 'professional' football is a national pastime. It's a shame we don't pay such close attention to our business. Take a moment to ponder this……
* How would you feel about investing £millions in a new player for your team without having seen him play beforehand?
* Once the player joined your team, how regularly would you want to see him play in order to assess his ability, strengths and weaknesses?
* How personalised would his ongoing coaching be to ensure his fitness and skills continue to improve?
I can take a fairly accurate educated guess on your answers. So I'm wondering why we don't apply the same principal to our sales professionals?
* Why is it that companies continue to invest millions in a sales team in order to grow their business without ever really seeing the sales people in action?
* Why are salespeople are rarely assessed and coached in the field to improve their performance and thus maximise the organisation's return on investment?
* Why is it that there is little emphasis on improving the skill and knowledge levels of salespeople other than, perhaps, a little 'product' training?
I saw an advertisement last week, which read 'Sales Director wanted £28 million'. Although this appeared to be the salary, it was of course, the estimated cost to the company were they to make the wrong selection.
* Why are many senior management teams so cavalier about measuring the real return on investment achieved by their sales team other than tracking revenue?
* Why don't they understand where, and what added-value help is necessary to increase sales performance?
What do you know about the standards of performance of your salespeople and will this be enough to achieve your corporate goals? Surely it is sheer madness to ignore the part of your business that is potentially capable of generating such massive growth and profit both now and in the future?
And so back to football
Before purchasing a player you would study his track record. You would assess both his fitness and his skills (such as passing, shooting, heading the ball and his ability to accurately position and read the game). Scouts and management would observe the person playing prior to making such a huge investment. Judgements in relation to their ability to blend into the team would be considered seriously, a thorough medical would take place and a contract negotiated.
Now let’s see what often happens in many UK organisations when it comes to selecting, managing and growing a successful sales team…
New salespeople are often recruited from a steady stream of (often irrelevant) c.v's from selected organisations which have a vested interest in placing their candidate. The interview process is often informal and based on 'gut feel' because the sales managers performing interviews are unprepared, under time pressure and inadequately experienced in selecting top sales performers.
A manager often interviews a candidate without the ability (or recognition that it's necessary) to match the Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills and Habits of the candidate with the requirements of the job. In addition, the candidate is rarely evaluated in a real life situation - we don't get to see the 'player' on the 'pitch'. Joint interviews of candidates are decreasing due to time pressures. Proof of previous sales performance, P60 supporting evidence of past earnings and, perhaps most surprising, references, are seldom requested.
Very often, the end result is the selection of the wrong candidate which then takes many months to become apparent. By which time of course, you're stuck with the problem of reversing your expensive decision with employment law and numerous other ramifications to consider.
The Lynch-Pin Point
In this age of the Internet isn't it more cost effective to invest less cash on finding the candidate while investing more in the correct selection process?
Recruiting the wrong salespeople is extremely expensive, time consuming and unproductive so why do we not insist on a professional selection process in the same way that football managers do?
Your new salesperson joins the team…
Once on board, our football manager would insist on continued meticulous screening in training and during match play whilst an on-gong personal programme of coaching and improvement was agreed.
But our Managing Director…
Gives the new sales person a territory and a sales target based on the organisation's requirements (i.e. top down quota). The person may be given an induction programme and perhaps even some product training if he's lucky. However, he seldom receives ongoing job assessment and coaching and 6 months later has, in all likelihood, still not benefited from a visit with his manager. The company management adds to this folly by implicitly supporting the lack of standards of performance, systems and methodologies required to measure the necessary quality and quantity of sales effort.
The board of directors usually ignore these issues when markets are buoyant and business is going well. The reality is that in fact, they are missing £millions in lost opportunities. They then react in 'panic mode' when sales are decreasing which often results in new management appointments to allow the same problems to occur once more - only dressed in a different wrapper.
This is not the way to plan for success and it is certainly not the way you would run a football team!
We call this 'management by hope'.
So why isn’t the sales function producing the return on the investment required?
Listed below are some snapshots of what we have seen over recent years
* The detail of the sales function is seldom understood at board level. The belief that if you simply 'do more' you'll get the result is frighteningly common. No attention is paid to the 'doing more' of 'what', or to 'whom'.
* The direct sales plan is not integrated into the marketing and business plan and the disconnect is apparent.
* The sales management team is usually rewarded for achieving short-term revenue and profit goals with little measurement of the qualitative and quantitive parts of the job.
* Structured up-skilling and 'leader & coaching' programmes seldom exist.
* Apathy and low work rate within the sales organisation. (The drumbeat is too slow.) "If Bill hits his targets and only works 4 days per week, why do I care if he plays golf every Friday?" No thought is given to how much more Bill could achieve, how this would effect his motivation and indeed, how his targets were set!
* Lack of a 'sales culture' and excitement
* Lack of recognition of true professional selling
* The introduction of the Internet and e-mail has given salespeople another excuse not to make contact with customers and cultivate their network
We are in danger of seeing standards of sales performance reduce year by year unless we take action now.
So what are our choices?
It's very simple really…Organisations can continue in the same vein and leave sales results to chance, just hoping things improve…or they can take action.
How to change?
It is not possible to cover the whole spectrum of sales issues regularly facing Managing Directors but here are a few checklist items that you could take action on now.
*Ensure your sales propositions are articulated and clearly understood by the salespeople and your customers. Your customers must really understand the business deliverables of your products and services and the implications of choosing an alternative.
*Ensure you have a leader of sales who really understands the sales function and allocates time to managing it properly. Forbid them to be in the office for more than a small portion of the working week.
*Prepare open questions that establish the needs and wants of your customer and then relate their needs and wants back to your products and services.
*Prepare a 'person specification' template to ensure the standards for existing and new people are met.
*Be sure you know how you want the salespeople to spend their time.
Introduce a professional selection and retention programme for all new and existing salespeople.
*Use outside expert resources where appropriate to plug the skill, knowledge and experience gaps within your own organisation.
*Plan, manage and measure the quality and quantity of sales effort taking place and compare this with the pre-agreed required activity to achieve the result.
*Immediately introduce 'bottom up / top down' planning to check the credibility of your revenue plan
*Link forecasting systems to the quantity, direction and quality of activity required rather than just to historical sales results
*Know and understand how your sales team stacks up against the competition
So where do you start?
* Start with a thorough review of your sales organisation. The people, procedures, processes and current performance and highlight the areas for immediate, medium and long-term improvement. This can be done very quickly and at a quite low cost
* Build a programme to manage change and improvement by introducing standards and key performance indicators and ensure salespeople and management 'walk the talk'
* Where necessary, for fast, expert advice, appoint an external organisation that has a proven track record of implementing change and improving sales performance.
Do not think you can fix these issues by sending your people on a training course. You'd be better off taking your team for a 'fun day' and you'll change no more. Remember the football manager who works with his team, shares his experience and improves their skills at the coaching ground? While training might be helpful in the short term, there is no substitute for getting 'on the pitch' to play and being observed in real live situations.
It takes a brave executive, especially a Sales Director to admit they need outside help -- but all sportspeople have a coach who is continually improving performance so why should it be different for your sales professionals?
Conclusion
A 10% improvement in sales performance will make a vast improvement to the profitability of a company and in most companies, this is very achievable. However, it does require an investment of time, and some money. It requires people to stop some of the unproductive things they are doing now, and instead, to spend their time focused on what is truly effective and productive.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
--Benjamin Franklin
At some point, whether you're ready or not - things must change.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Do You Need to Fire Your Employer?
If you're involved in sales for your company, think about all the things your employer does for you. Your employer pays for virtually 100% of your training, your marketing, your gas and cell phone expenses, as well as client lunches and entertainment. Your employer invests hundreds of dollars per month in your career, yet knowingly allows you to:
- waste time or blow off work.
- go home early or come in late.
- stand around and complain with other salespeople.
- pad your call reports.
- perform at a level far below your potential.
Whoa! Why would an employer pay for all this, then allow you to waste that investment? Do you really want to work for someone who says they want you to succeed, then knowingly allows you to do those things that lead to failure? What kind of employer does that?
Unfortunately, the one for which the majority of sellers work. And if you work for that person, you have no one to blame except yourself - because you're the boss.
You are your own mini company with a single client - the one that you sell for today. You're leasing yourself, your knowledge, and your skills to this firm. If you have strong relationships with your prospects and clients, you're also leasing them to your client. When you revoke your lease to the company you currently sell for and take on a new client, you take all your training, skills and abilities with you - as well as your clients. That means that one hundred percent of the time, money and energy you invest in your sales business is for your benefit - not the company for whom you sell. No matter your product or service, you're the boss. As such, you must hold yourself accountable for your actions and investments in you - your company.Do you demand the best from yourself, or do you allow yourself to go through the motions of selling? Do you seek to get the most from the time and money you invest, or are you satisfied to just get by?
As an employee, are you happy with your employer? Do think your boss demands enough from you and helps you achieve your full potential?
Just because you receive a paycheck doesn't mean that you aren't self-employed. In reality, you sign your own commission check. The company you're leasing yourself to simply verify your earnings and then signs them back over to you.Don't be fooled into believing that you work for IBM, GE, Microsoft or any other “employer” other than yourself. You're your own CEO and, like any other CEO, you must demand the best. If your company isn't capable or willing to hold you accountable, maybe it's time to fire your employer!
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