January Tip of the Month – Before Coffee

A few weeks ago I noticed on twitter a tweet declaring: Coffee Guy

“Many people spend more time preparing their coffee than planning their day.”

I was guilty of this when I was fresh out of school. I would show up for work minutes before being late, tucking my shirt tail in, combing my hair and wiping the sleep from my eyes. Never once thinking about planning the day ahead.

If you fall in this category, I have 7 things you can do starting today to help you begin to plan and organize your day.

This is my routine:

  1. Before going to bed, I think about the things I did not get done or any unfinished tasks that I need to finish. (I guess this should be last on the list but my planning starts the night before.)
  2. I allow a few minutes first thing in the morning to again think about what I did not get done the day before and start deciding whether those items still need to be on my to-do list. I do this while preparing my morning coffee. (Who said I couldn’t do two things at the same time.)
  3. Before jumping into the day’s work or opening emails, I review my calendar and begin creating my to-do list for the day. (I will usually look at my calendar right before shutting my computer down the day before as well.)
  4. Next, I go ahead and create a list of things I need to get done today. (I’m old fashioned and write this list on a yellow legal pad.)
  5. Finally, I identify the must-do tasks and put a star by those. If possible I do those things first.
  6. As I progress through the day I scratch off the tasks when completed.
  7. Before heading home I review the list for things yet to be done and as I mentioned above look at my calendar to see what I have coming up.

It’s really that simple!

I have found that if I don’t have my day planned first thing in the morning, I usually end up getting nothing done or feel completely out of sync for the day.

But that’s just me!

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 each week that I think may be of interest.

If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!

Starts with a Great Foundation

I am often questioned why I work so hard teaching and emphasizing the Sales Basics. We all want to hear and learn about the latest and greatest thing that is goingStrong Foundation to help us grow sales. It’s almost as if we look or wait long enough we will find the easy button to success.

Until we find that easy button, the key to being successful in nearly anything we do, including sales, starts with a Great Foundation.

It starts with a Great Foundation

I was raised in a Construction Family. My Dad and many of my Uncles were General Contractors and built or helped build many of the recognizable buildings in our town. Most of these buildings were built back in the fifties, sixties and seventies (you can tell I’m getting old as this doesn’t seem so long ago) and are still standing today. While some of these buildings don’t look the same as they did back then, they continue to be great buildings with thriving businesses occupying many of them.

I have no doubt the reason these buildings are still standing and in such good shape is their foundations are strong. I’m sure there was never a thought of cutting corners especially on the foundation. Dad knew the foundation had to be done correctly to ensure the building would be strong and last. I remember Dad using the same people throughout his years of contracting. Not because they were the cheapest but because he knew he could trust them to help build the best building possible starting with the foundation.

The Bank Building

One building in particular is a fifteen story bank building which resembles the United Nations building in New York. Dad was initially hired by the Architectural firm who designed the building to oversee and inspect the project to make sure it was built in compliance with the plans. Not long after the project started he became the Project Manager and later the General Contractor finishing up the building. All this leads up to the point that he knew the building was built right and strong.

Within in a year of the building being finished it was struck head-on by a very strong and deadly Tornado. At the time it was the strongest tornado ever recorded. The May 11th tornado devastated our entire downtown and unfortunately killed 26 people. While other buildings were left to rubble or twisted so badly they had to be condemned the bank building structurally stood strong.

I remember shortly after news that downtown had been destroyed, Dad jumping into his truck and heading downtown. Within a few hours he was back at the house making calls to suppliers and sub-contractors to begin securing the building. I didn’t think much about it until recently but even with such a devastating hit on downtown he never questioned the strength of the bank building’s foundation and structure. He knew it was built strong and never feared it collapsing or needing anymore than just “fixing up”.

Back to Sales

Much like building a building, a successful career in sales (or anything else) must start with a strong foundation you can trust. If we get the foundation right we can build a strong and long lasting career. With a commitment to making sure we have sound and strong fundamentals in place, we know we can weather any storm. If we have the basics down and continue to practice doing the fundamentals right, we will be prepared for any set back and when the latest and greatest thing comes along we will be ready.

Personal Note

Dad passed away nearly twenty years ago. It brings me great pride to see the buildings he built and knowing how proud he was of his work. I also know that he and Mom worked hard to build as strong a foundation in me and my brother as he did with his buildings. They never skimped or cut corners. Always encouraging and sometimes making us be our best. I believe he knew the foundation he built for and in our family would remain strong and last for years. He knew that we could survive the worst of storms and would need no more than a little “fixing up” from time to time.

So when asked why I spend so much time teaching and training on the basics I guess it’s because I was raised that way.

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 each week that I think may be of interest.

If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!

Goals and Plans

We are well underway in the New Year. I hope you have taken time over the past few weeks to think and come up with a few goals you are committed to achieve thisGoal Plan year.

If you have your goals identified, it is time to begin writing and preparing a plan to help you achieve these goals.

The “Plan” is the roadmap you will use to reach your goals.

Sometimes we have difficulty distinguishing between Goals and Plans.

James Clear in his article on Entrepreneur.com “Forget Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.” does a great job explaining the difference in Goals and Plans or as he calls them “Systems”:

  • “If you’re a coach, your goal is to win a championship. Your system is what your team does at practice each day.”
  • “If you’re a writer, your goal is to write a book. Your system is the writing schedule that you follow each week.”
  • “If you’re a runner your goal is to run a marathon. Your system is your training schedule for the month.”
  • “If you’re an entrepreneur your goal is to build a million dollar business. Your system is your sales and marketing process.”

His premise in the article is if you only focused on the plan or system you would still reach your goals. It’s the plan or system that is most important not the goal.

I think this is mostly correct!

For example:

If your goal is to lose weight and you only focus on the scale each week will you lose weight?

Probably not!

But if you have a plan or system in place to control what you eat and requires you to increase your daily exercise routine do you really need a scale to reach your goal?

Again probably not!

All the stepping on the scales you do will do nothing to help you lose weight with the exception of the calories you may burn walking to the scales.

The same goes with setting goals to improve your sales. Just setting a goal will have little effect on your sales performance. It will be the plan or process you put in place that requires you to do the things each day to improve and grow your sales that will make the difference.

Before you say “Wes” you said in an earlier post that just by setting a goal and writing it down you are 10x more likely to achieve your goal. I still standby what I wrote.

While a goal without a plan or process is less likely to achieve the greatest results, a well thought out goal with commitment and written down is much better than no goal at all or a goal that you don’t take the time to write down.

Back to our example, if your goal is to lose weight this next year and are truly committed, even without a plan you will begin to watch what you eat and try to exercise more each day or week. If you can maintain this commitment, at the end of the year you will most likely step on the scale and weigh less. However, without a process or plan in place you may not be able to optimize your weight loss and begin to get discouraged at some point during the year and go back to eating as you did in the past.

Same goes with setting sales goals. Even without a plan, if you are committed to grow sales, you will increase your activities needed to grow and improve your sales. If you can keep up the pace your sales will improve and you can reach your goal. But without a plan or process in place this level of activity may and probably will slowly diminish as will the chances of reaching your sales goals.

So here’s my takeaway.

At the very least:

If you are struggling to come up with clear SMART goals that you can commit too, you may want to make sure you have a plan or process in place that will at least ensure you are headed in the right direction.

or

If you have a good clear goal you’re committed to achieve but can’t seem to put a plan together, make sure you write your goal down and share it with others you trust.

I’m not trying to give you a way out of the goal setting process but trying to make sure you do “something”.

I see too many Sales and Account Managers give up during this process and just drift along without a plan year after year. Never reaching their full potential or achieving their desired results. I encourage you not to find yourself in this position.

There is some very good information on the web to help you with the process. I would suggest going to MichaelHyatt.com. Michael Hyatt has devoted a great deal of time and effort in helping his readers understand the Goal Setting process. His thoughts are priceless.

Also, James Clear at JamesClear.com who I sited in this article writes a blog that discusses breaking bad habits and putting processes or systems in place to help you improve your everyday life.

You may also want to look back at past articles I have written on the topic of goal setting.

I believe setting good goals and creating a plan or process around these goals is clearly the way to best insure you achieve what you desire.

Let’s make this year our best year ever!

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 each week that I think may be of interest.

If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

 

Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!

Why Do Good Customers Leave – Reoccurring Theme

Why do good Customers leave?Couple in love

Maybe it’s because we stop treating them the way they want to be treated!

Let me make what I think is a good or maybe not so good analogy.

Dating:

When you first begin dating you don’t really no how things may end up. So you do your very best to empress and show your best side. In reality 
you’re selling your “butt” off.

As things progress, the need to empress slowly goes away as you begin to gain trust and a level of comfort in the relationship.

If all goes well marriage is the next step and a partnership begins. ( It gets no better than this we think.)

For the first few years all is great (the honeymoon period). However, we may begin to overlook the little things that made us so attractive while we dated. We begin to take things for granted.

Slowly, things begin to fade. The shine goes away. If we are not careful and start doing the things that made us attractive while we were dating, someone new may come along and begin treating them the way they want to be treated.

Let’s stop right there. No need to go any further as you know how the story will end if we don’t change something quick.

Is this a reoccurring theme in your personal life?

It’s like the movie “Groundhog Day” except you are the star.

Selling:

When you first begin calling on a customer you don’t really know how things may end up. You do everything you can do to empress them and show you are the person they’ve been looking for.

You would never think about canceling or showing up late for an appointment.

You’re engaged in their business and come prepared with ideas and suggestions that provide value and you start to become someone they can trust.

As things progress you make sure to pay attention to details. You always do what you say you will do and when possible over-deliver, exceeding any expectations.

Next thing you know, you have become more than a salesman. You become thought of as a partner and trusted advisor.

You may want to think of this as the “honeymoon period.” You can probably do no wrong. Most if not all of your ideas and suggestions are welcomed and valued. Even if you make a mistake or your quote is little more than the competition it is often overlooked or shrugged off as not important. (It gets no better than this we think.)

But at some point the honeymoon ends and the shine starts to fade.

Without the work and effort you gave your customer initially you may begin seeing your sales go away. The trust and value you created will begin to leave as you become more and more complacent in the relationship.

Where you would never be late for a meeting, you start showing up a few minutes late or just cancel it for something you feel is more important.

The little details begin to be not as important as you know/think your customer will understand.

Before you know it, your customer becomes unsatisfied and starts looking for someone who will provide them the things you once provided.

Again, let’s stop right there. You know how he story will end if no changes are made.

Is this a reoccurring theme in you sales life?

Groundhog Day all over again.

I hope you can begin to see the reoccurring theme.

Dating and Selling are much the same. The work really begins after the courtship and honeymoon ends.

If you see your relationships starting to slip away you must begin treating them way you did when you first started dating or calling on them.

You must consistently show and remind them you are still the person they were looking for.

You have a huge advantage over your competitors as you already know what they want in a relationship.

Don’t wait to long to get started nurturing and rebuilding your relationships as time is not on your side.

Remember Groundhog Day and get yourself away from this reoccurring theme!

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 each week that I think may be of interest.

If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!

Much to be Done

With the holidays quickly approaching there is much to be done. Christmas presents to be bought and wrapped, fudge and cookies to be made and maybe a party orMerry Christmas Ornament two to attend.

This is a great time to celebrate our successes over the past year and to be thankful for all the past year has given.

I can think of no better profession to be a part of than that of a Sales Professional and for that I am truly thankful.

But with one year ending and one soon to arrive we must begin setting goals and planning for next year.

Over the past several months I have discussed the importance of planning and setting goals. If you would like to refer back to some past articles, just click here on Goal Setting.

It is my hope that many of you are already setting goals and making plans to reach your goals. I am reminded of the article which we discussed how

“Those that set goals and write them down are 10 times more likely to achieve what they desire than those who don’t set goals.”

I encourage you to spend some time over the next couple of weeks thinking about the things you really want to achieve over the next 12 months. Don’t be afraid to think about goals that will require you to stretch and do things differently than you have in the past. I am asking that you think about:

  • Goals that can and will make a difference in you and your families lives.
  • Goals that will help build long lasting relationships with customers and co-workers and
  • Goals that help you improve or become the person you want to be.

Write your goals down, think about them, then choose 3 to 5 goals you are truly committed to achieving over the next 12 months.

Don’t worry about making your plans to achieve your goals just yet, we will get to that after Christmas.

For now enjoy the holidays, celebrate with your family and friends and begin to think about the successes you want to celebrate next Christmas!

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 each week that I think may be of interest.

If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!

Tune the World Out and Your Customer In

Just how good are you at staying focused, not letting outside distractions interfere with the task at hand and being fully engaged with those around you?Turn off Cell Phone

I think as Sales Professionals most of us think we are pretty good at it. Heck, I’ve always been able to walk, talk and chew gum at the same time. But when it comes to being able to really focus and fully engage on more than one or two things at the same time I’m not quite as good as I thought.

A few months ago at a sales training seminar, we were given a homework assignment that didn’t seem too hard. We were asked during dinner to turn our cell phones off and focus on the person or persons we were talking to and not get distracted with what was going on around us.

Simple huh?

It was not as easy as you would think.

We went to dinner at a popular sports bar and grill. Football and baseball were on all the TV’s. The place was packed and very noisy. We had a group of over 12 people at our table all wanting to talk at the same time. The guy setting across from me was determined to discuss old movies that he considered “classics”. We had been in class all day and I knew I had calls and emails that needed attention. Not to mention tired and ready to go to bed. (I’m getting old and like to go to bed early)

In this atmosphere how could we possibly concentrate on anything?

The next day in class we discussed how hard it was to tune out the distractions and concentrate on what the person we were talking too was really saying and the effort it took to stay involved in the conversation. Especially, if we were not the one driving the conversation or interested in the topic. But I think we all agreed how enjoyable the dinner was and how much we learned just by staying fully engaged in the conversations.

Surprisingly or maybe not so surprising was the thing that most of us found the hardest was not being able to check our cell phones every few minutes as normal.

The purpose of the assignment was to remind us how difficult it is to focus on our Customers with so many distractions constantly going on around us.

How often do you call on a Customer and find you are not focusing on them or what they have to say?

If you are listening, are you fully engaged in the conversation?

Can you “Tune the World Out and Tune Your Customer In?”

So here is your homework assignment for the next few weeks.

Before each sales call:

Turn your cell phone off.

Tune the outside distractions out.

Then:

Focus on your Customer and their needs.

Listen and fully engage in the conversation.

I believe you will quickly see the quality of your sales calls improve and as you become more engaged you will see your Customers become more engaged as well.

This is something called the “Theory of Reciprocity” which is – responding to a positive action with another positive action. I will discuss reciprocity in a future post as I think this is crucial in the sales process.

Please give this assignment your best efforts and let me know how it goes. I can promise you it won’t be easy but with practice and intentionally eliminating outside distractions your sales performance will improve.

And don’t forget to always “spit”out your gum before making the sales call!

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 each week that I think may be of interest.

If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!

Stop Start and Keep

Three questions you need to be asking your Customers – Start Stop and Keep.Start Stop Keep

  1. What do we need to stop doing? 
  2. What do we need to start doing?
  3. What do we need to keep doing?

I first heard this series of questions while listening to “The Sales Playbook Podcast” by Paul Castain. I regularly listen to this podcast and recommend it but be aware he is hard hitting and at times uses colorful language that may be a little offensive to some.

The Stop, Start and Keep series of questions is an effective feedback mechanism that allows others the opportunity to evaluate our efforts. By asking these questions your customers will be able to express their wishes, identify their concerns and let you know their expectations.

Too often, we do things the way we do because “that’s the way we have always done it.” By asking these 3 questions you may quickly realize that some things need to change and some should not.

**Be careful, if you and your organization are not willing to listen to the answers to your questions, don’t ask the questions.**

Be prepared to hear that some of the things you think you do best may be some of the things your customers want you to “stop” doing.

Your customers may also ask you to “start” doing things that may require additional capital or require you to do things differently.

While the “stop” question will be extremely valuable to hear and to understand the changes that may need to be made and it is the “start” question that will provide opportunities in the future it’s the “keep” question that will help you identify your true value to the customer.

If your customers have difficulty identifying things you are doing well and that you need to “keep” doing, you may not have the relationship with them you desire. If they don’t perceive value in what you are currently doing it is obvious change is needed.

On the other hand, you will know you are providing value to your customers if you are doing the things your customers want you to keep doing. You can be assured it will be the things that add value to your customers that they will ask you to “keep” doing.

Remember it’s not what you think you do good or bad, it’s what your Customer thinks that makes the difference.

Asking the question is the key. Don’t be afraid of the answer as you will never know unless you ask.

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 each week that I think may be of interest.

If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!

Are You a Valuable or Viable Salesperson?

A Salesperson that only talk’s about product and price may be a viable resource to their customers but it’s the Sales Professional who provides value by seeking solutions that:

  • Decrease the customer’s overall cost
  • Increase the customer’s productivity and
  • Improves the customer’s buying experience

that will be considered a Trusted Advisor and hopefully a Valued Partner.

Please ask yourself these questions:

Are you providing a “viable” or a “valuable” service to your customers?

Are you providing a service that “only” adequately meets your customers needs? (Viable)

or

Are you providing a service as an Sales Professional that not only meets your customers needs but includes “you” becoming an additional resource for them to use as needed? (Valuable)

Becoming a resource and providing value is the only true way to differentiate yourself from your competition!

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 each week that I think may be of interest.

If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!

The Rainmaker Series – Over Achievers

This is the last in a series of posts that I have called The Rainmaker Series. It has been my intent to help identify some of the common traits or characteristics that IRainmaker Yellow Umbrella believe most Top Sales Producers or as I have referred to them as Rainmakers have that makes them so successful.

The Traits I have Identified so far as “common in Rainmakers”:

  • Hard Working
  • Goal Clarity
  • Emotional Intelligence (People Smarts)
  • Great Social Skills

The final trait or characteristic I see in “All” Top Sales Producers is they are “Over Achievers” and are always looking for opportunities to Over-Deliver.

I’m not sure if “Over Achievers” should have been the first trait I mentioned in this series or if last is it’s proper place.

Maybe this is much like the chicken or the egg. (Which came first?)

Is it the desire to over achieve that makes the other characteristics so important for the Top Producer or is it that being a hard worker, having goal clarity, people smarts and great social skills that drives the Rainmaker to be an over achiever?

I will leave that to another discussion but without the desire to over achieve and never willing to settle for “just” being average that makes the difference.

Rainmakers:

  • Naturally set their standards higher than others.
  • Demonstrate a self-confidence that nothing is to big for them to tackle.
  • Set goals for themselves that others would see as not achievable.
  • Tenacious in making sure their customers needs are taken care of first. (This at times makes them a pain-in-the-butt to their managers and co-workers.)
  • Always doing the little things better than others with the realization that it’s the little things that matter.

If you go back and read any of the previous posts in the Rainmaker Series I think you will see “over achieving” is a common element throughout the series.

Each of the 5 traits and characteristics discussed in this series of posts are common in all of us but Rainmakers and our Top Producers do them better or at least more consistently than others.

Rainmakers know the value of “Over Delivering” and exceeding their Customers expectations and are driven to do what it takes to gain trust and grow sales.

While I have tried to keep the series focused on Sales and Sales Management, these traits are most likely common among any Top Producers no matter the Profession.

If you are the Rainmaker or Top Performer in your company or organization congratulations. I hope you see the traits that I have identified in yourself and you should be very proud of your accomplishments.

If you are not quite where you want to be, please:

  • Work on the traits you that are weak.
  • Strengthen the characteristics which you are strong.
  • And try to exceed others expectations by always working to be the best you can be at anything you do.

Again, the  5 Common Traits and Characteristic in Top Performers and Rainmakers that make them successful are:

  1. Hard Working
  2. Goal Clarity
  3. Emotional Intelligence (People Smarts)
  4. Great Social Skills
  5. Over Achievers

I hope you have enjoyed this series of articles. If you missed an article or would to go back and read the series again I have them categorized as “Rainmaker Series”.

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 each week that I think may be of interest.

If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!