Are You Keeping up with the Joneses
Some things never change.
“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”
Will Rogers
What will you do when you find out the Jones family is as broke as yours?
Good Habits Good Retirement
I just got back from taking two of our Grandsons to Basketball Camp.
Josh who runs the camp every Christmas break is not only a very good Basketball Coach but also a Great Motivator. Each day of the camp he presents the group with a lesson or message of the day.
Today’s lesson was having a goal. He began by asking the kids what they wanted to be when they grow up. The answers ranged from Horse Rider to Engineer. It surprised me not one wanted to be a Pro Basketball player.
Josh continued by asking how many went to sleep last night by nine o’clock. A few raised their hands. Again he asked how many went to sleep by ten o’clock. Most raised their hands. Again he asked how many went to sleep after eleven o’clock. The rest raised their hands looking tired and sleepy. After all, this was their Christmas Break and I would expect them to stay up late and sleep-in in the mornings.
He then began the lesson. To reach their goal when they grow up they must begin by developing and having good habits. He shared his goal was to be a pro basketball player. He would get up at 4:30 in the morning and go to the gym. Shoot hundreds of shots, lift weights, eat lunch, take a nap then back to the gym for more practice and a couple of hours of scrimmages. He was to bed early each night so he would be well rested for the next day. He did this everyday during his summer vacations. Not only did he become a very good College Basketball player he did play some Professional Basketball before becoming a Coach and Teacher. It was the good habits he developed, learned and used each day that helped him reach his goal.
While sitting there listening to Josh talk to the kids I found myself thinking what good habits I wish I had developed at their age. It also got me thinking, I probably need to work on developing some new habits now that I’m retired.
“Retirement is almost like when I was a kid. Being a little bit scared but still excited by not fully knowing what the future will bring.”
I guess if Josh would have asked me what I want to be when I grow up I hope I would have said to have a healthy and productive retirement. To be the best I can be in my remaining years.
To meet this goal I will need to make sure I’m maintaining and developing good retirement habits and goals like:
- Getting plenty of sleep
- Exercising each morning and remaining active
- Trying to learn something new every day
- Working to maintain good social connections with family and friends
- Finding ways to pass on the lessons I’ve learned over the years to our Kids and Grandkids
- Limiting the Cookies and Ice Cream
It would be easy to develop bad habits in retirement. Almost like the kids that were staying up late and wanting to sleep late in the morning instead of getting up and going to camp. In retirement it’s Christmas break everyday.
At the end of the lesson Josh returned to his question of what time did you go to bed last night. He told them to be the best at whatever they wanted to be would require them to be well rested before starting each day. He asked the group to raise their hands and commit to try to get to bed early and be ready and well rested for camp the rest of the week. I believe all agreed.
Even old grandad sitting in the stands raised his hand a little.
Like I said earlier, Josh is a Great Motivator.
Setting Goals in Retirement
I don’t know what I was thinking. I either forgot or didn’t see the need last year to set goals for this past year. Heck, I was retired and could do what I wanted. What would be the point of going through the time and effort of goal setting?
Boy, was I wrong!
Now, I find myself questioning if I had set some good goals would the past year been any different? I have no doubt with a better retirement plan and good set of goals my transition from work to retirement would have been less stressful and more enjoyable. (I’m planning on discussing ” What I Should Have Given More Thought Before Retiring” in a future post)
If Goal setting was so important and beneficial in my working life why would I think I no longer needed to set some good Smart goals now that I’m retired.
For most of my sales career, the last couple of weeks in December, I along with our sales team would take time to reflect on the past year, review last years sales and personal goals and develop 3 to 5 good meaningful Smart goals for the upcoming year. Goal setting didn’t stop there. We would review our goals quarterly and make any needed changes throughout the year. This process helped us define our purpose and direction for the year.
Annual planning in retirement my be one of the most important exercises you can do for yourself when retired.
If the thought of setting goals causes your blood pressure to rise or you have never been successful setting goals in the past let’s look at it another way. Maybe in retirement we should look at it as an annual plan. Just plan 3 to 5 things (goals) you need or would like to achieve over the next 12 months that would make a difference in your life. If things change during the year you can adjust your plan or modify your goals. As you get better at goal setting or planning you will find less changes are needed.
Keys to a Successful Retirement
Many think three keys to a successful retirement are Money, Health and Time.
I think these keys are a good place to start in the annual planning or goal setting process:
Money – review last year’s income and expenses, anticipate this year and future years needs and wants, then set a goal and make a plan to reach your goal. You probably already have your financial plan in place, so now is a good to to review it and make changes as needed. If you have an advisor you may have already had your annual meeting and have this plan in place. If not, do not skip this step as it’s most critical for a successful retirement.
Health – This may be the hardest of the three keys to plan. You need to give an honest evaluation of your health. Over the past year what has changed? Are there any medical procedures needed for the next couple of years? What can you do to improve your health? Now’s the time to make the plan. If there is an surgery or procedure needed, plan when you want to have it. If you need to lose a little weight or want to start walking every day, set your goal, make a plan and get to it. I’m thinking if I can do good on this goal I may squeak out an extra year or two of healthy living.
Time – How much time do we have in retirement is the great unknown but what I do know is every year that passes is one less year I have to live. Time is why I think goal setting or annual planning is so important. If we have a limited amount of time why would we not plan to spend it as wisely as we can? Maybe you have a bucket list of things to do in retirement. With good planning you may be able to empty the bucket before your time runs out. Without a good plan your bucket list may only be a bucket of dreams.
I’m leaving it to you to come up with 2 additional Smart Goals that will make a difference in your life.
You may already have daily, weekly or monthly plans. You may already have your goals and plans in place and do not need this nudge or encouragement to get started. The point of this is to use this time to think big. Reflect on the past year but plan on what you can do this next year to enrich your life in the future. I think a goal without a written plan to get there is just a wish. Write your goals down and share them with others who will help hold you accountable.
If this is your first attempt at annual goal setting and planning you will be surprised the benefits and what you can accomplish. If goal setting has always been an important part of your past there is no sense to stop now.
For a review on Setting Goals and Smart Goals check out a blog post I wrote A Goal Setting Refresher back in 2013.
Let’s get to work and get those goals set!
Retired!
Common Sense Isn’t Common Practice
Common sense and common practice much like knowing and doing are not the same.
I know it’s obvious but knowing how to sell and putting that knowledge into practice (doing) continues to be a challenge for many sales professionals.
As sales professionals we have a tendency to make the sales process over complicated.
We work hard learning advanced techniques to catch our customer’s attention.
We spend hours making sure our presentations will dazzle our customers.
Sometimes we even resort to trickery and manipulation to get the sale. (This makes no sense please don’t do it!)
Yet, with all this done we don’t get the order!
Why?
“More often than not, when we fail to get the business (order) it’s because we failed to put common sense into common practice.”
Common sense tells us that:
- We need to connect with our customers.
- We should talk about things our customers want to talk about not what we want to talk about.
- We shouldn’t waste our customers time by not being prepared.
- We should be very knowledgable and focused on the products and services we sell.
- We must consistently provide value to our customers.
If this is common sense, why can’t we make it common practice?
Our customers do business with companies and sales professionals they Know, Like and Trust.
This just makes common sense.
I truly believe to be successful in sales its no harder than to put common sense into common practice.
If we listen to what our customers are asking and how they want us to engage them, we then need to put common sense into common practice.
Once we have this knowledge (information) from our customers it’s time to get to the doing.
- Follow your customer’s lead.
- Look for solutions to their problems and concerns.
- Begin implementing the sales skills and processes we’ve been trained to do.
- Provide value with each and every conversation and sales call.
- Engage with them the way they want to be engaged.
Sales success is not complicated it’s just common sense put into common practice!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across that I think may be of interest.
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P.S. – If you have been reading my blog for a while and feel it would be of value to your friends, co-workers or other salespeople you know, I would appreciate your recommendation. Your referral would be greatly appreciated.
Now let’s get out there and put common sense into common practice!
Are You a Winner or Whiner?
Again, I’m flying back to Texas from North Dakota writing this week’s post. (I can’t think of a better way of passing time while on a plane.)
A little about last week’s post.
With the exception of being accused of promoting cruelty to frogs (which I vehemently deny), last week’s post “The Water’s Great Hop In!” seemed to strike an accord with some.
However, I think I mistakenly left the impression that everything we’ve done as sales professionals in the past is now wrong and to be successful we must change everything we know and do.
Nothing is further from the truth.
I think change may be as simple as the frog hopping out of the pan before the water starts to boil (last week’s example) or taking a close look at ourselves.
Realizing change is needed and being willing to make the necessary changes may be all it takes to make a difference in our sales career.
But before you can start to change you must take a hard look at yourself.
You need to ask yourself:
“Are you a whiner or winner?”
Two Types of Salespeople
In my view there are two types of salespeople:
The whiners and the winners.
The whiners aren’t very good at selling. They spend lots of time feeling sorry for themselves and looking for something or someone else to blame.
Contrast this with the winners, who have no time for bitching and complaining. They’re too busy selling and making money.
I know this is a strong statement but after years in business and sales I believe it’s that simple.
If you are a winner, you’ve probably adapted to the changing sales environment (hopped out of the water early on) and are enjoying sales success.
If you are a whiner, I suspect the water keeps getting hotter, what you’re doing is not working and you are not seeing the success you think you deserve.
I don’t know how to say it any nicer:
“Quit whining, take responsibility for your own results and jump out of the pan of boiling water.”
Conclusion
Be a winner not a whiner.
Do it today!
Do it right now!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across that I think may be of interest.
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P.S. – If you have been reading my blog for a while and feel it would be of value to your friends, co-workers or other salespeople you know, I would appreciate your recommendation. Your referral would be greatly appreciated.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
The Water’s Great Hop In!
I’ve heard you can drop a frog into boiling water and the frog will quickly jump out but if you put a frog in water and slowly increase the temperature the frog will
remain in the water even after the water begins to boil. Slowly killing the frog. (Please don’t try this experiment at home!)
So, what does this have to do with Sales and Salespeople?
Much like the frog being put into hot water, if a person is thrown or jumps into sales without the desire to be a sales professional or they realize sales is not for them they will either quit (jump out) or ask to transfer (hop out) to another position.
Most of us will not stay where we are not comfortable or fear survival. Usually, never getting back in sales (the water) again.
But, in most cases, we are in sales because we demonstrated the ability or potential ability to sell early in our sales career. We may have been uncertain and a little scared if we could make a living in sales. However, we were most likely excited and comfortable with our decision. Much like a frog being put in room temperature water.
We probably thought “this water ain’t bad”. (Can you tell I’m from Texas?)
Over the next few years, our skills naturally got better, our income continued to increase, life was good. But, if we were not watchful things slowly began to change. Just like the water temperature slowly increasing and the frog being unaware of the change.
Things are always changing:
- New and better products introduced into the market.
- Innovation happening so quickly we can hardly keep up.
- Strategies that worked in the past aren’t working anymore.
We may begin saying to ourselves “I’m working harder than ever but I seem to be getting nowhere.”
I suspect the frog realizes something isn’t right as the water gets hotter but doesn’t know the reason. “The water was great when I hopped in!”
Is the temperature of the water changing around you?
Let’s not kid ourselves, it doesn’t matter if you are just starting out in sales or a seasoned sales professional change is happening at a quicker pace than ever before.
If you are selling or doing things the same way you did 10 years ago, 1 year ago or even last week you may be falling behind.
Over the next few weeks I plan to dive more deeply into the topic “What can I do to keep from finding myself in boiling water?“
I would like your thoughts.
If you are having struggles growing or keeping your sales up, aware something has changed in your effectiveness as a sales professional and not quite sure what, or would like me to address a particular topic please drop me an email or leave a comment below.
I will try to share your concerns and provide helpful information as we discuss the ever changing sales environment.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future post’s automatically sent to you via email, please sign up below or in the “sign up and connect” section on my website.
You can unsubscribe at anytime.
P.S. – If you have been reading my blog for a while and feel it would be of value to your friends, co-workers or other salespeople you know, I would appreciate your recommendation. Your referral would be greatly appreciated.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
No More Customers?
What would you and your company do if you found out that the customers you currently have will be your last.
No more new customers!
Would you treat them differently?
Our Most Important Generation
Back in March, Seth Godin published a post “No More Kids?”
He posed the question “What in some sort of sci-fi solar flare cataclysm, it was impossible for humans to have more kids?”
“No more babies.”
What a horrible thought!
His point was, would we treat our last generation, “our youngest students” differently if we knew they were the last.
Would we do everything we could do to make sure we did things right for this last generation?
Would we make sure to be there for them in times of need?
Would we see they were provided every opportunity to be the best?
I believe we would.
I think we would name this last generation the “Most Important” generation instead of calling them X, Y or Z generation.
Our Most Important Customers
Seth went on to ask, what if you knew you would never have a new customer?
What if you were faced with no chance of new prospects, competitors aggressively soliciting your customers (probably the case already), and your company and your family’s future resting solely on your current customers?
Would you treat your customers differently?
If you intend to remain in business I suspect you would begin to do things much differently.
Talk about being focused!
I can only imagine.
Would you dare make another unprepared sales call?
- Not if your life depended on it!
How about customer service?
- Service Excellence would replace Customer Service.
What about on-time deliveries?
- Never late – never sorry!
What about inventory and inventory turns?
- Would turns really matter?
Conclusion
Would you not focus completely on building trust, providing value and growing strong relationships that would last under any circumstance?
I guess what I’m trying to ask “What would be the “importance” of you last customers?“
Maybe said better, “Are you currently providing them the same service and value you would if they were your last?”
Seth Godin ended his post with this sentence:
“What happens when we treat children and customers like maybe, just maybe, they’re the last chance we get to get it right.”
Please leave a comment below or email me and let me know:
What would you change or do differently if you knew your current customers may be your last?
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
If you would like to have future post’s automatically sent to you via email, please sign up below or in the “sign up and connect” section on my website.
You can unsubscribe at anytime.
P.S. – If you have been reading my blog for a while and feel it would be of value to your friends, co-workers or other salespeople you know, I would appreciate your recommendation. Your referral would be greatly appreciated.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Book Chat: The Greatest Salesman in the World
“Often I’ve heard you say that no other trade or profession has more opportunity for one to rise from poverty to great wealth than that of a salesman.” Og
Mandino
I’m rereading “The Greatest Salesman in the World ” by Og Mandino as I fly back home from North Dakota.
This is my third, fourth or fifth time to read or reread this book as evidenced by the worn and dog-eared pages along with highlighted sentences and notes scribbled throughout the book.
It’s a quick read being only 111 pages but is packed full of sound advice and 10 principles if learned and followed will make a huge difference in your sales career.
All of this is woven around the story of a young camel boy who learns the secrets to sales success by following just 10 simple principles and becomes known as the greatest salesman in the world.
Over the past year I’ve been trying to follow the lessons in the book. (It hasn’t been that hard)
Without a doubt, this book has made a drastic difference in my approach to sales and sales management.
I should also say it has change the way I approach many things in my life.
None of the principles are anything I didn’t already know. Heck, most are common sense and already practiced. However, Mr. Mandino presents these principles in a way that leaves readers (me) feeling inspired and thinking “now I understand what it takes to be a great salesman”.
Many of the posts I’ve written over the past year,especially “The Rainmaker Series” of posts, were inspired by this book. In these series of articles I discussed:
- Know, Like and Trust
- Persistence
- Emotions
- Replacing bad habits with good habits
I also have begun recommending and coaching the teachings from this book. (I wish I had known about this book sooner.)
Conclusion
I highly recommend “The Greatest Salesman in the World” and would consider it required reading for anyone who aspires to be the best.
My favorite quote from the book:
“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future post’s automatically sent to you via email, please sign up below or in the “sign up and connect” section on my website.
You can unsubscribe at anytime.
P.S. – If you have been reading my blog for a while and feel it would be of value to your friends, co-workers or other salespeople you know, I would appreciate your recommendation. Your referral would be greatly appreciated.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
To Be Perfectly Honest With You
If you find yourself using the phrase “to be perfectly honest with you” in your sales presentations or in normal conversations with your customers you need to think about what you’re saying.
This week we had a manufacture’s representative introduce his new products to our sales team and a few of our customers. We catered lunch, had a decent crowd (hint: if you provide food people will show up) and was looking forward to learn something new.
Instead, what I heard was a repetition of “to be perfectly honest with you” each time he tried to emphasize something important he was going to say or make something he was about to say more believable.
“To be perfectly honest with you …”
This was like someone scratching a chalkboard with their fingernails. Every time I heard this phrase, I cringed and hoped others (especially our customers) weren’t feeling the same way.
I began to wonder, if what he said before saying “to be perfectly honest with you” wasn’t honest and now what he’s saying is or did he feel he had to preface his upcoming statement with “to be perfectly honest” before he felt comfortable being less than honest?
I hope neither statement is true.
Most likely, this is just one of those annoying words or filler phrases that creep into our presentations that are not needed, such as:
- “right”
- “uhh”
- “you know”
I’m pretty sure there was no intent of dishonesty but it did leave me questioning his choice of words.
I really couldn’t tell you much about the new products he was showing but I think the food was pretty good.
I do know for me, the presentation was sidetracked by a simple phrase.
Conclusion
So, what do you think when someone begins a statement with “To be perfectly honest with you?”
Does this make you wonder about the truthfulness of what they are saying or is it just the sales coach in me being overly critical?
Please email me your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you.
If you find yourself needing to start a sentence with “To be perfectly honest with you …” you probably want to consider or reconsider your words more carefully!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future post’s automatically sent to you via email, please sign up below or in the “sign up and connect” section on my website.
You can unsubscribe at anytime.
P.S. – If you have been reading my blog for a while and feel it would be of value to your friends, co-workers or other salespeople you know, I would appreciate your recommendation. Your referral would be greatly appreciated.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
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