Unlocking Your Success

Yesterday, I was visiting with someone who saw me speak a couple of weeks ago. She is part of a large direct sales organization that sells products via home party. We were visiting about her business and she mentioned that she would like more parties on her calendar. "I just want to purchase some of the new inventory that just came out, then I will book some parties and show the new product." she told me. She did not have the extra money lying around to purchase the new inventory but had quite a bit of last year's product on hand. I recommended that she put some parties on the calendar, sell the inventory that she had, and then book additional parties in the future to show the "new and improved" line.

She was committing a huge mistake that sales professionals make every day. She was buying into the "I will when..." line of thinking. "When the kids start school, are done with school, we have new product, have discount product, Saturn aligns with Venus..." You get the picture. There is no substitute for activity. No matter what product or service you are selling, you make an appointment to be exactly where you are today 60 days prior. If you want to be busy and flush with business 30-60 days from now, I suggest you pick up the 300 lb. phone and start setting up appointments. Ask past clients to do business with you again. Ask people for introductions to help you grow your business.

It is very easy to buy into excuses instead of activity. Keep in mind that most people who agree with whatever excuse you may be buying into are not making the kind of money you would like to make. Go out there and go on an "excuses diet!"

I was watching a great businessman, Alan Wiess, this morning talking about the importance of constant improvement. What most people try to do is improve their lives 300% overnight and are disappointed that they can't do it. Then they give up. Alan recommended trying to improve 1% every day. At the end of 72 days, you are twice as good! (Kind of like compound interest, I guess)

Always Better Your Best!

I was one of the 100,000,000 people who witnessed last night's Superbowl. One of the greatest things about any Superbowl is the advertisements. Watching Brett Favre accept an MVP trophy in the year 2020 at the age of 50 was just hilarious!

Then I thought about the brand and expectation of Brett. What would happen if your business enjoyed the same expectation from the marketplace as he does. Here are a few nuggets of wisdom for you:

1. Expect to be around for a long time! I purchased a camera from a large electronics store a couple of years ago, along with the extended warranty. 9 months later, the store went out of business. This is a huge fear of any consumer. Even though millions of people don't watch you on television each week, it is important to be out in your community. Whether you communicate via attending events, sending email magazines, or blogging; make sure that you are making your presence known.

2. Be flexible. Brett Played most of his career with the Green Bay Packers. His contract forbid him from transferring to the Minnesota Vikings, so he went to New York for a quick stop over. What do you do when someone tries to shoot down your original plan? Will you give up, or find a way to make it happen? Keep in mind that it is much easier to accomplish what you want when you have a number of people helping you. Blabvertise your goals to everyone who will listen!

3. Take quick action. Brett is known for his bullet-like throwing style. The longer that the ball is in the air, the greater chance the opponent has to catch it. Are you taking quick, bullet-like action? If you put together one marketing campaign that doesn't work, take a step back, tweak it a bit, and launch something again. Marketing does not have to be expensive, but it is priceless.

While you may not need to play professional sports to learn lessons that will help your business, you can learn success recipes from any industry and apply them to your world!

Whether you are enjoy fishing or not, undoubtedly, you have dropped a line in the water at least once in your life. The parallels that exist between fishing and business are quite obvious.

1. Are you fishing in the right spot? Throwing a line into a pile of garbage may not be the best tactic for pulling in the kind of fish that you desire. The same is true for your business. Are you "fishing" for your ideal clients where they are, or where you feel most comfortable? I don't mean just the physical location. Are you tapping into the mental mindset that you customer has? Where are they at?

2. Business is down. Time to stop training and marketing. Yes folks, this belief embodies a special kind of stupid. Would it make sense to pull the bait off of your line if the fish were not biting? (Note: this is different than changing the bait) Most people realize that Fish= Bait + Location + Technique. Businesses (this includes solo-preneurs such as realtors, mortgage professionals, and network marketers) Need to realize that Sales = Marketing + Training + Branding.

The groups that are doing the best in their peer group in this economy realize that training and coaching are an investment, not an expense.

3. A line in the water while boating at 30 mph is not going to work too well. Neither will using the same "time tested" marketing and training techniques that worked several years ago. The most effective marketers understand that multiple step marketing tactics are essential to their success.

Continue growing your skills by investing in yourself. Great ideas really don't care where they come from. I would suggest that you chart your efforts, and modify as needed.

"I'm so busy! I have x and y and z to do today!" screams the busy entrepreneur. The interesting thing is that he will probably say the same thing the next day, and the next week, and the next year; unless he works harder on the business than in the business.

I am a big fan of delegation, yet it was one of the hardest mindsets to embrace. Most entrepreneurs will say something to the effect of, "No one cares about my business the way that I do. I need to do it myself." While that may be true, those are words coming from someone who does not own a business, but a job. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making the point that an entrepreneur should develop "manageritis" and not hustle to grow his business. Let's keep in mind that any entrepreneur makes the most money marketing their business.

I understand that if you are a plumber, you technically only make money when you are doing the plumbing work. However, if you focus and plan on marketing your plumbing services via networking, referrals, and the like; you may stumble upon relationships that can provide additional streams of revenue that you would not have realized while your head was under a sink.

My challenge to you is this:
1. Invest 30 minutes today to share your business with someone. If you do not have top of mind awareness with your prospect base, you will flounder. Don't want to talk to friends about your business? Get over it.
2. Nurture a relationship with other business professionals in your community who you may be able to help. For example, when I owned a carpet cleaning business I regularly sent business to an air duct cleaning guy. He also sent me carpet cleaning clients.
3. Track your marketing efforts. What gets tracked gets done. This can be mailings, phone, internet, or in person. Just know how well your efforts are producing a return on your investment.

Remember, you are responsible for your economy. Regardless of what the media, other people, or colleagues may say; there are people out there who would love to hire you!

"The sweet taste of a low price quickly fades as you realize what you bought did not meet your needs." This was a saying that countless successful businesses have drilled into their sales organizations. What most people may not realize is that there is a sale made every time. Either the salesperson sells the client the product or service, or the client sells the salesperson their objection.

When was the last time you were glad that your purchased the lowest quality tool, television, or dental service? I firmly believe that quality pays, it does not cost. Here are a few tips for increasing your effectiveness in dealing with a price objection:

1. Demo, demo, demo. Get your product in the client's hands, help them visualize what their business would be like if they did not have to deal with the headaches that your product or service will remedy.

2. Listen. God gave you two ears and one mouth. Unfortunately, many salespeople have a chronic case of diarrhea of the mouth. They won't shut up! Listen to what your prospect is telling you, then help them find the solution.

3. Deal with the price objection up front. There will always be someone who offers a similar product or service for less money than you. Always. Sell benefits and quality. This is also a fantastic place for you to show your prospect client testimonials.

4. Ask for the business. I don't know why many people are afraid to ask for the business. After all, the customer can't shoot you and eat you; they can just say "No." That positions you in the exact same place as you were when you walked in their door.

Beware of people who only sell based upon price. The cost associated with going with the least expensive option is usually far more expensive than the investment of a quality product!

Shelly and I were enjoying a bit of relaxation time over the Christmas holiday. One evening, a commercial came on for some new miracle drug that can help people stop smoking. This commercial had all of the standard pharmaceutical staples: silver haired people walking, laughing couples, and some great testimonials from the actors about how this drug changed their life. The interesting piece of this advertisement was that out of a 90 second commercial, 60 seconds were taken up telling you about all of the potential effects of the drug.

Everything from skin disorders to sexual dysfunction to mild psychosis (really!) and everything in between! Needless to say, the advertisement did little to get me excited about their drug. If I were a smoker, I can't honestly say that the benefits would outweigh the risks of taking this drug.

That got me thinking about the "Warnings" that many entrepreneurs listen to throughout the day. Do you have a question about how to proceed with a business opportunity? Why not ask my family and friends who have no clue about business. Interested in buying a piece of investment property? Why not ask the people you know who are not investors.

Be very aware of the conversations that happen between your ears. 2010 can be your best year ever if you create a fertile environment for your dreams to grow. Create a personal board of directors who you can work with that will keep you accountable to your goals. Napoleon Hill talked about the power of the mastermind in Think and Grow Rich. This group of 3-5 people can help inspire, motivate, and at times tick you off. However, they are a necessary tool for anyone who wants to be successful in business.

Stop listening to the "can't do" crowd and start listening to the "can do" crowd.

I really get a kick out of some businesses. The businesses who "get it" understand that they must continue to market and be creative no matter what the economic circumstances. The businesses who don't...are not in business for very long. Either that or they go running to the government for some of our taxpayer dollars.

We were visiting the sleepy town of Stillman Valley, IL this weekend for a wrestling tournament that our 16 year old was participating in. Wrestling tournaments are a great activity, however, they are very long. Usually the families leave after eight to nine hours and are tired, hungry, and sore from sitting on bleachers all day.

Upon pulling into the town, there was a restaurant advertising "FREE CHEESE FRIES FOR ALL WRESTLERS!" Brilliant marketing! Let's look at some numbers:
1. 500 people at the tournament.
2. Let's assume that 10% of the attendees decided to eat at the restaurant to get the "free" fries.
3. The average family of four will spend $40 (even after the free fries)
4. The restaurant earns $2000 it didn't have when they opened.

The days of "holding back" great information or product from customers has long since passed. We live in an age of give to get. What are some simple products or services that your business can provide for free to help generate additional revenue? A free special report on your field of expertise, a free dessert with meal purchase, a free car wash with oil change. What ever you decide to offer, do it with gusto. Some promotions will work, some promotions will not work. The only guarantee is that if you do nothing, you will gain nothing in return!

I remember when I was just starting in my sales career, my boss had recommended that I read "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. At the ripe age of 21, I knew it all. I gave him all of the excuses that most people say when they are presented with the idea of reading a book. Whether it was having no time, not wanting to take a break from my sales momentum, or solid ego of not wanting to believe that I did not know everything; I was fighting it all the way.

He then said something that will stick with me forever. He said, "Dave, I have read 11 books so far this year." He then pulled out a notebook which listed the books and ideas that he was able to pull from those books and act on. Then he had another column that displayed money, health, relationship, or other goals. Being that I was 21, money was paramount to me and I quickly added up the numbers listed on the page and came up with nearly $145,000.

"Did these books help you earn $145,000?" I eagerly asked.
"No. What I did with the knowledge that I learned from those books did. Knowledge is not power. Knowledge combined with action is power." He sat back his chair and eagerly looked at me smiling.

I don't know what I looked like at that moment, but I guarantee my mental wheels were spinning at lightning speed. I rushed to the book store and purchased a number of books that I thought I would never read. After a couple of days, nothing changed in my world. However, after about 10 days new ideas and ways of thinking crept into my everyday life. I began to realize the importance of constantly learning and applying what I learned.

My business grew geometrically and I began to accomplish more and more with less and less. Let's face it; great ideas do not care where they come from. My challenge to you is to pick up a book or two and dive into your personal development. The greatest way to predict your future is to create it. Let reading be the genesis of your journey for success!

I am amazed at what I learn from dogs. When our golden retriever, Chloe, hears her leash rattle; she starts going nuts. When she hears the food being poured, she comes running. If there is a car that pulls into the driveway, she eagerly wags her tail and looks out the window to see who may be coming to visit her. Despite the numerous visitors that pull into the drive, the door rarely reveals a visitor for her. Still, she still approaches each sound with the same passion and excitement.

How many times have you been presented with an opportunity or a suggestion and passed it off without even giving it a second glance? Maybe the opportunity of a new job, a business opportunity, or a relationship comes your way; instead of approaching the opportunity through the eyes of "can be" they tend to view through the eyes of "can't be."

Would you have invested in a small company run by a bunch of long haired kids in the early 80's? What if that company went on to become Microsoft? What if you are not living up to a fraction of your potential because of fear? What could your 2010 be like if you approached opportunities with a tail wagging excitement instead of the muting power of earmuffs?

Think of two people who walk onto a car lot. One person walks around, looking at cars, and is using his decision making skills to determine that he can not afford anything. The other person walks around the lot, using the same decision making skills to decide how they can buy the dealership.

Life is a series of firsts. The greatest growth in life comes when you say "Yes" to risks and opportunity. My challenge to you is to approach every opportunity with your tail wagging, waiting to see what lies beyond the door!

Thanksgiving rolls around in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. The day after Thanksgiving is one of the craziest shopping frenzy days of the year. Whether you do or do not participate in the shopping madness that officially kicks off the Christmas season, you may be able to take a lesson or two from the manic shoppers on Black Friday.

I have done the "Black Friday" experience before. It is somewhat of a hazing experience, yet if executed properly can be very valuable. The process usually starts post-meal on Thanksgiving day. Think of many people struggling to stay awake after a turkey and carbohydrate overload, fighting over the hundreds of pages of advertisements in their local newspaper. They are usually armed with markers, circling their favorite "deals" featured in the newspaper. They plan the attack plan. Where to? When? What time do we need to wake up? How should we dress?

Whether you found great deals or not on Black Friday, think of some crucial lessons that all of us can learn from the experience. Why not apply the same amount of planning and execution towards your business.
1. Figure out what you want. Maybe you circle something maybe you write it down. Vague goals produce vague results.
2. Plot out an attack plan. While you may not need to hurdle people to get the latest and greatest toy to achieve your goals, approach your plan with some passion. Successful people focus more on the "why" instead of the "how".
3. Execute! Remain flexible. You need to take massive action to achieve your goals. The universe rewards momentum, so get off to a quick start and take a bold step!

I am looking forward to creating a fantastic December and a record 2010. Are you?

Always Better Your Best!

Every once in a while I come across a story about some genius who bleaches a piece of currency and tries to turn it into a higher value piece of currency. For example, they would bleach a $5 bill and run it through their printer so that it looked like a $50 or $100 bill. As you can imagine, the Secret Service doesn't really appreciate that kind of activity.

That made me think about currency. Obviously, I would rather have a $100 bill than a $1 bill. They are both made from the same material, but the value is determined by what is printed on and in them. Your value is determined in much the same way. Studies have shown that a high school drop out makes much less than a graduate who makes much less than someone who has a degree. One aspect of that value is what is put inside the person's head.

Education and ideas do not care where they come from. The next time you walk into a wealthy person's home, ask to see their library. Chances are they have a personal library somewhere in the home. I would imagine that they did not decide to purchase a bunch of books because they had empty space to fill. I would surmise that the books helped create the ideas that created the wealth.

What have you done to add value to your currency today? Listen to audio books, read, attend a seminar. All of these activities are a great way for you to turn your $1 bill into a $100 bill...without getting arrested! Always Better Your Best!

I had the unique experience of jumping out of a perfectly good plane a few years ago. Prior to boarding the airplane and jumping out of it, the skydiving club educated us via a detailed ground school class. Through experience they knew it was a lot easier to figure out potential problems in the classroom than while plummeting to the ground at a high rate of speed.

Our instructor had completed hundreds of successful jumps and assured us that if we followed what he told us, we would have a great experience. Needless to say, none of the people in our group was going to "figure out our own way" to jump. Not a smart idea. We learned how to exit the plane safely so we didn’t have an encounter with the propeller, how to fall in the right posture, when to pull our chute, and how to land safely. The jump went off without a hitch and it was a fantastic experience. We understood and knew that the person we had been listening to knew what the heck he was talking about and that we were all in a much better situation to listen to his every word rather than “trial and error” which could be catastrophic.

Fast forward a few years later where I found myself as a sales manager running the #1 vacuum dealership in North America with my great friend and sales genius, Joe DelVecchio. We had 150 total sales people and had nearly 60 people coming in every day to sell full time, door to door. To insure success we would track everything: number of demonstrations, the number of referrals, the number of sales, and the number of owner referrals.

One day, we realized that the closing ratios weren’t adding up. Most direct sales closing ratios are 1 sale for every 3 or 4 demos. We were running 1 sale for every 6. In the morning meeting we decided to let all of the reps know that there were two people out of the 80 demonstrations scheduled for that day who were friends of Joe. They had been briefed on how the demonstration was supposed to run, no short cuts, including the appropriate closes. It was like a secret shopper, but the sales person would visit the shopper instead of the other way around. If the rep happened to do a demonstration for one of those people and did everything right, we would reward them with $200 cash the next morning.

An interesting thing happened that day. Instead of the 1 in 6 closing ratio, our group closed 1 in 2.6. The next morning, the reps came in fired up and excited. They had earned almost $21,000 in commission collectively the day prior. We placed every demo sheet in a hat and drew two names for the $200 cash. Frankly, Joe and I never did have any secret shoppers that day, but the lesson was the same. If you do the right things, every time; you will get the right results.

Do you have a business where your sales force roams free and doesn’t produce? Don’t get me wrong; if you have a salesperson that achieves fantastic results and puts on a clown suit to do it, that’s fine with me. However, most salespeople will flounder without a system and burn up the leads and opportunities that they’ve earned or have been given. There’s a reason why your name is on their paycheck, or that your name has the title of sales manager beside it. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a better salesman than everyone. It should mean that you understand a system of selling that can be duplicated and shared with others.

Here are a few things I draw upon to this day from my early years in the vac business that I’ve found to produce fantastic results for my top consulting clients who achieve consistent breakthroughs:

#1. Set up a demo board of achievement for salespeople to qualify and aim to make it onto. The demos or customers on this board are usually those who are unassigned to any particular representative and walk or call in saying things like, “I’d like to buy. Can you sell me product?” The reps MUST hit a goal the month prior to be on the demo board.

#2. Maintain a sales tracking system and check it often. This can be called a “pipeline” or “sales funnel”. Track the number of prospects talked to; follow up, results, and referrals. It is imperative that you maintain records of the customer’s contact information.

#3. Reward the right efforts, not just the results. Everyone has had days where you work your tail off and sell nothing. Everyone has had days where they are unstoppable. Applaud the effort; however, don’t let a salesperson become a “professional visitor” instead of salesperson. Track closing and referral numbers carefully.

I would imagine that the “success tracks” in your business have been laid. The question is, “Are you making sure your team is staying on the track?” Like the story to open up this article, don’t let them pack their own parachute until they’ve proven they can be successful and safely manage your business!

Dave Sheffield is an expert in leadership and motivating others to be the best they can be. For additional tips and resources visit: www.theshef.com.

Last night the entertainment world was rocked by a very talented young woman. Taylor Swift, who is 19 years old, accepted 4 awards at the Country Music Awards show. Ironically, the one common denominator among the artists whom she beat out to win Entertainer of the Year was that she was an opening act for them on their tours.

Despite the millions of fans who are cheering for her and celebrating her success, there was one thing that Taylor Swift said that was profound. "Everything I have wanted has just happened to me." She started her career with passion, goals, and hard work. She knew it would not be an easy road, but she was more focused on where she was going to instead of what she was going through.

How can you learn from this success recipe? Regardless of the goal, starting point, or condition; several things remain constant:

1. Have a clear picture of what you would love to achieve. Remind yourself of it throughout the day.
2. Celebrate the little victories, no matter how seemingly insignificant.
3. Be prepared to do anything to make it happen!

While goals and dreams are nice, they are nothing without action. Put energy and passion into action and you will be unstoppable!

When I visit with many sales professionals and ask them, "What is the finish line or goal of your client transaction?" I hear the same response nearly every time. "To write the order."

While writing the order by definition separates sales professionals from professional visitors, there is one huge missing piece that is worth thousands or even millions of dollars. The referral.

Many people think that by asking for a referral, or introduction to someone who may enjoy your product or service; they will jeopardize the sale that was just made. If you did that poor of a job demonstrating the need for your product or service, then you deserve to lose the deal. There is no stronger form of advertising than third party recommendation. Here is how one of my friends in the flooring industry asks for referrals.

"Thanks for your order, Mrs. Jones. Could you help me out? I like meeting nice people like you who have floors in their homes. Do you have any friends or neighbors that you could introduce me to who have floors in their homes?"

The customer usually laughs and mentions a few people. Many weak sales professionals will hand the new client a stack of cards and say something like, "If you can hand a couple of these out and tell them to call me..." If you listen hard enough, you just may hear the cards hitting the garbage can on the way out the door.

The most effective way to capture those leads is to follow up with something like, "If you could just write down their name or address in my client log book, I'd love to just drop them a note and introduce myself."

You want to be the person in charge of your referrals. If you are leaving referrals in the customer's mind, you are leaving money on the table. The worst thing they can do is tell you "No". They can't shoot you and eat you.