Are you being persistent or impatient?

A sales person recently reached out to me to see if I was interested in learning about a product that he felt would help my business. His email was interesting enough to catch my attention so I agreed to a telephone call and I said that it would be several weeks before I had time to speak with him. 

 He replied and said, "Send me a few days and times and we'll set it up." Like most people, business took over and so I did not respond immediately. That was on Tuesday.

 Thursday, he sent me an email that was a duplicate of the previous one.

On Friday, he sent me another email requesting that I send him some days and times to connect.

Was he being persistent or impatient?

You might disagree with me but I think he was impatient, not persistent.

 From my perspective, he was focused on his agenda which was securing a meeting. And I respect that. 

 However, it was evident that he did not consider my situation which is the fact that right now I am very busy - both in my business life and personal life. 

 Had he waited three or four days before he sent the last email, it would not have felt like he was stalking me. But, because he reached out three times in just four days, he caused me to change my mind. And that resulted in a lost sales opportunity.

 There is a significant difference between persistence and impatience and make sure you don't cross that line. It could cost you!

Have a productive and profitable week!!!

Self Confidence

A Businessman was deep in debt and could not see any way out.

Creditors and Suppliers were demanding payments. He sat in the park, deep in thought, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly an old man appeared before him and asked, "I can see that something is troubling you seriously".

After listening patiently the old man said, "I believe I can help you". He asked the man his name, wrote out a cheque and put it into his hands saying,

"Take this money, meet me here exactly one year from today... and you can pay me back at that time".

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

The businessman saw in his hands a cheque for $ 500,000... signed by Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world.

"I can erase my worries instantly" he realized. But instead, the man decided to put the uncashed cheque in his safe, knowing that it might give him the strength to work out to save his business and to use this only in case of dire emergency.

With changed thinking he negotiated better deals, restructured his business and worked rigorously with full zeal and enthusiasm and got several big deals.

Within few months, he was out of debt and started making money once again.

Exactly one year later he returned to the park with the uncashed cheque.

As agreed, the old man appeared.

But just as the businessman was about to hand him back the cheque and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. "I’m so glad I caught him" she cried. "I hope he hasn’t been bothering you much. He always escapes from the mental hospital and tells people that he is Warren Buffet", saying this she took the old man away.

The surprised man just stood there, stunned! All year long he had been dealing thinking that he had half a million dollars behind him...

Its not the money, real or imagined that turns our life around.

It is our Self-confidence that gives us the power to achieve anything & everything that we want.

Have a Confident life..!!!

Perfect Sales Tip - Never Give Up

Ever wonder why prospects don't respond immediately to your emails?

There is a really simple reason.

They have more important "stuff" to deal with every day that is more important than your solution.

Yes, your product, service or solution might be the next best thing since sliced bread (where did that expression come?) but it's highly likely they have other, more pressing issues that need to be dealt with.

Allow me to share two recent examples.

A few weeks ago, I spoke with a prospect about training for his team. He and his colleague are very interested in pursuing this idea. However, after I sent a proposal it took almost several weeks before he responded and that was after I sent a follow-up email. His response included, "You can imagine the workload lately is certainly not slight, so please forgive us if we don't respond right away!"

The second example is a personal one.

A family member recently experienced a serious medical issue and I couldn't concentrate on work. It was difficult to concentrate and focus on work so I postponed calls, a few meetings and even declined some work because I wanted-actually needed-to deal with her situation.

Turmoil has always been an issue in the business, but in today's business world it has become even more prevalent. Turmoil, change and uncertainty has become the new normal.

I will go on record and say that virtually every one of your prospects has more important issues to deal with than implementing your solution.

Rather than get frustrated it is important to adapt.

Look at their business from their eyes.

Be patient.

Find ways to stay in contact with them.

But don't give up.

If you can find creative ways to keep your name in their mind and empathize with their situation you will stand out from your competition and eventually earn the business.

How to Sell

1.  Do research on my company before approaching me…

2.  Do create a simple, direct email headline, 3-5 key bullet points of what you want and why…

3.  Do create a framework for follow-up and stick to it. Every sales process is different, but in general terms, if you've introduced your company and followed up 2-3 times without response or progress, move on…

4.  Do share valuable insights with me. Send a relevant white paper or article with specific follow up to why this matters to me…

5.  Do attend conferences and events and meet me in person. Get your elevator pitch right and I'm likely to listen…

6.  Do have a great website (ideally mobile) that I can check out. Help me easily connect the dots between your outreach and what your company does…

Finally, remember that the way you position yourself at the beginning of a relationship has profound impact on where you end up!

How Not to Sell

1.  Don't send me an email with a picture of a cat in handcuffs with a headline that says "It will be Cat-a-Strophic if we don't meet. Gimmicks are always an iffy approach since you don't know whether the recipient will get your humor.

2.  Don't call my cell phone and leave a message to call you back on an urgent matter. I don't know you; it's unlikely it's urgent to me.

3.  Don't send me a threatening email that says we're losing out to our competitors, and then list the competitors and claim that they are your customers. Why would I work with a firm that's already supplying our competitors if you pitch it this way?

4.  Don't diss me because I haven't answered your unsolicited email. Just because you've sent me 10 emails about your service doesn't make it my responsibility to respond. And as a bonus, don't state "you're obviously not the right person in your organization to discuss this".

5.  Don't bait and switch me on Linkedin .... ie connect under the pretense of one thing and then immediately turn around and start selling.

6.  Don't send me a Questionnaire / Survey Monkey link asking me to explain why I'm not interested in your services. And then call me to see why I haven't responded to your Questionnaire.

7.  Don't send lengthy, overly technical emails outlining 10 benefits to working together without checking to see what business I'm in.

I like it when sales people recognize how busy we all are, which is why I appreciate a simple, thoughtful approach to Business Development

Time to be Grateful & Thankful

When you get down because selling is a tough career choice.

Be grateful that your earning potential is only limited by your personal efforts (assuming of course, you earn commission).

If you spend a lot of time behind the wheel of a car or in an airplane.

Be grateful that you have this opportunity compared to people who are confined to working in an unpleasant environment (toll collectors' jump to mind).

When you face those challenging and difficult customers.

Be grateful for these opportunities to improve your skills and keep learning.

Competition gets tougher every year.

Be grateful that you have so many resources (books, blogs, YouTube, newsletters, etc.) that can teach you how to stand out from the competition.

It seems that price is more of a focus.

Be grateful when you engage a decision makers in a conversation about the value you can bring to their organization rather than a price discussion.

It's stressful striving for sales targets every month or quarter.

Be grateful you have this challenge because there are many highly-qualified people who would just love to have a job.

And now, on a personal note... 

·  I'm grateful that I have a career that I absolutely love.

·  I'm grateful that my clients push me to learn more and improve my own sales knowledge and training skills.

·  I'm grateful to have a network of great friends and business colleagues.

·  I'm grateful that I have a terrific life which supports me and gives me a different perspective with the business challenges I encounter.

·  I'm also grateful I have terrific family who loves me unconditionally.

·  Lastly, I am grateful to all my readers who point out my typos! Send me questions and offer suggestions for this...

                                       

"Sometimes life knocks you on your ass... get up, get up, get up!!! Happiness is not the absence of problems; it's the ability to deal with them."

The secret to eliminating the "I'm just following up" call

"How do I get someone to respond to my calls or emails? I've sent him information but now I can't get in touch with him." 

The short answer...you don't.

You can't force anyone to reply to an email or return your call. However, if you set it up properly, you will never have to say, "I'm just following up."

The key is to establish a day and time for a subsequent conversation BEFORE you send your prospect any information. And, just as a FYI, if you're sending corporate brochures, you can disregard this post because this type of information seldom entices a prospect to make a buying decision.

Here's the approach I have used to reconnect with my prospects after an initial call or subsequent discovery meeting. Before I end the call or meeting, I say something like, "John, I will get that proposal to you by close of business on Wednesday. When is a good day and time to review it with you?"

If they tell me to call later in the week or early the following week I politely press for a specific day and time.

"Does Friday at 10:15 am work for you?"

In most situations, they say yes or give me an alternate time. Then, immediately after the call--and this is critical--I send them an Outlook invite which places me on their calendar.

I have consistently found that this approach practically eliminates the "I'm just following up" call because now they are expecting my call and we have a specific reason to talk.

Have a productive and profitable week!

Excuses! Excuses!! Excuses!!!

Having worked with sales people for almost five long years and Yikes! Has it been that long already?!?), I have heard virtually every excuse why they don't or can't reach their sales targets.

Here are just six of the most common sales excuses I hear...

The competition is cheaper. While there will always be companies who sell the same or similar product as you, very seldom is the competition as cheap as you think.

No one answers the telephone anymore. Yup. That's often true. However, the telephone is just one method of connecting with your customers and prospects.

No one returns my calls. Most people don't return phone calls they are too busy or you haven't given them a compelling reason.

My territory is too small. While a small territory may have a limited number of new sales leads, it opens the door to create additional sales opportunities within your existing customer base.

My territory is too big. Nice problem to have! Although a large territory presents challenges from an account maintenance perspective, this issue can be remedied by focusing your attention on the right customers.

My sales targets are unrealistic. Top performing sales reps set their own targets which are usually higher than the quotas established by their boss. If they can do it, so can you.

You can make all the excuses in the world but it doesn't change the fact that you and only you are accountable for reaching your sales targets.

Eight rules for Success @ Work

We desire success at work and a satiating career. But what does it take to get there? In this article, I have jotted down traits that I have always adhered to. These work for me. These generic guidelines transcend industries and will help you too. If widely followed, they will also make the work environment a positive place for everyone.

1.    Be open-minded: All workplaces are not the same. So, it is best not to bring in rigid notions about your job, your team or your company. Instead, being open-minded allows you to imbibe the company culture and to successfully navigate through its dynamics. Observe, understand and quickly calibrate yourself to your new work environment.

2.    Learn: Boredom at a job typically sets in when you stop learning. Consistently strive to learn new skills and to apply them more efficiently. As Tennyson says, work “to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.” This will keep you enthused and help you deliver more value for your organization.

3.    Enjoy: Work with a happy spirit. When you relish your work, your passion for what you do will show. Your happy and amicable demeanor will also influence positivity in the larger organization. On the other hand, if you don’t appreciate your job, step back and re-evaluate your fit/needs and pursue your heart.

4.    Communicate: Listen well and respond well. It is important to know your audience so you can customize your verbal or written communication. Think ahead, anticipate follow-up questions and be ready. Ensure that your message avoids ambiguities and is not warped or lost in translation. Share information, provide timely updates and call out expectations. Don’t be afraid. Communicate.

5.    Set the right expectation: Right from day one, you have to draw the line on what you want to do, are willing to do, and can do. Of course, this needs to be balanced against situations that need you to step up. If you have been stretching yourself at work without indicating so to your managers, you will be setting yourself up for that level of productivity all the time. This will ultimately lead to a bad work experience.

6.    Be diligent: Good work ethics are a must for success. You cannot expect your workplace to reward you if your commitment to the organization is not evident. The relationship between the employee and the company is built on mutual commitment, and diligence is integral to this dynamic. These four lines sum it all- “The heights by great men reached and kept

Were not attained by sudden flight,But they, while their companions slept,Were toiling upward in the night.”

7.    Be yourself: You shine best when you are your natural self. Attempting to be someone you are not will result in unhappiness and also stunt success. When you have an artificial persona at work, you will also be outshone by others who can naturally perform similar responsibilities as their flair and interest levels will be much higher than yours.

8.    Be a good human: This one is closest to my heart. Your work place, much like your life outside of it, is all about people & relationships. Be it your bosses, peers, other teams, reports or customers, please display empathy. Put yourself in their shoes and appreciate the alternate perspective. In some situations, empathy and kindness are branded as weaknesses. On the contrary, they generate trust and foster a great working environment.

The truth is that there is no universal framework for success at work. It depends on individual capabilities and company DNA among other things. It also rests on whether you love what you do. However, you ill maximize the chances of your success by following a set of rules. The tenets I have articulated here resonate with me. Hope they provide you a basis for realizing your career goals too.

Satya Nadella email to employees on first day as CEO

From: Satya Nadella

To: All Employees

Date: Feb. 4, 2014

Subject: RE: Satya Nadella – Microsoft’s New CEO

Today is a very humbling day for me. It reminds me of my very first day at Microsoft, 22 years ago. Like you, I had a choice about where to come to work. I came here because I believed Microsoft was the best company in the world. I saw then how clearly we empower people to do magical things with our creations and ultimately make the world a better place. I knew there was no better company to join if I wanted to make a difference. This is the very same inspiration that continues to drive me today.

It is an incredible honor for me to lead and serve this great company of ours. Steve and Bill have taken it from an idea to one of the greatest and most universally admired companies in the world. I’ve been fortunate to work closely with both Bill and Steve in my different roles at Microsoft, and as I step in as CEO, I’ve asked Bill to devote additional time to the company, focused on technology and products. I’m also looking forward to working with John Thompson as our new Chairman of the Board.

While we have seen great success, we are hungry to do more. Our industry does not respect tradition — it only respects innovation. This is a critical time for the industry and for Microsoft. Make no mistake, we are headed for greater places — as technology evolves and we evolve with and ahead of it. Our job is to ensure that Microsoft thrives in a mobile and cloud-first world. 

As we start a new phase of our journey together, I wanted to share some background on myself and what inspires and motivates me. 

Who am I? 

I am 46. I’ve been married for 22 years and we have 3 kids. And like anyone else, a lot of what I do and how I think has been shaped by my family and my overall life experiences. Many who know me say I am also defined by my curiosity and thirst for learning. I buy more books than I can finish. I sign up for more online courses than I can complete. I fundamentally believe that if you are not learning new things, you stop doing great and useful things. So family, curiosity and hunger for knowledge all define me. 

Why am I here? 

I am here for the same reason I think most people join Microsoft — to change the world through technology that empowers people to do amazing things. I know it can sound hyperbolic — and yet it’s true. We have done it, we’re doing it today, and we are the team that will do it again. 

I believe over the next decade computing will become even more ubiquitous and intelligence will become ambient. The coevolution of software and new hardware form factors will intermediate and digitize — many of the things we do and experience in business, life and our world. This will be made possible by an ever-growing network of connected devices, incredible computing capacity from the cloud, insights from big data, and intelligence from machine learning. 

This is a software-powered world. 

It will better connect us to our friends and families and help us see, express, and share our world in ways never before possible. It will enable businesses to engage customers in more meaningful ways. 

I am here because we have unparalleled capability to make an impact. 

Why are we here?

In our early history, our mission was about the PC on every desk and home, a goal we have mostly achieved in the developed world. Today we’re focused on a broader range of devices. While the deal is not yet complete, we will welcome to our family Nokia devices and services and the new mobile capabilities they bring us. 

As we look forward, we must zero in on what Microsoft can uniquely contribute to the world. The opportunity ahead will require us to reimagine a lot of what we have done in the past for a mobile and cloud-first world, and do new things. 

We are the only ones who can harness the power of software and deliver it through devices and services that truly empower every individual and every organization. We are the only company with history and continued focus in building platforms and ecosystems that create broad opportunity. 

Qi Lu captured it well in a recent meeting when he said that Microsoft uniquely empowers people to "do more." This doesn’t mean that we need to do more things, but that the work we do empowers the world to do more of what they care about — get stuff done, have fun, communicate and accomplish great things. This is the core of who we are, and driving this core value in all that we do — be it the cloud or device experiences — is why we are here.

What do we do next?

To paraphrase a quote from Oscar Wilde — we need to believe in the impossible and remove the improbable. 

This starts with clarity of purpose and sense of mission that will lead us to imagine the impossible and deliver it. We need to prioritize innovation that is centered on our core value of empowering users and organizations to “do more.” We have picked a set of high-value activities as part of our One Microsoft strategy. And with every service and device launch going forward we need to bring more innovation to bear around these scenarios. 

Next, every one of us needs to do our best work, lead and help drive cultural change. We sometimes underestimate what we each can do to make things happen and overestimate what others need to do to move us forward. We must change this. 

Finally, I truly believe that each of us must find meaning in our work. The best work happens when you know that it's not just work, but something that will improve other people's lives. This is the opportunity that drives each of us at this company.

Many companies aspire to change the world. But very few have all the elements required: talent, resources, and perseverance. Microsoft has proven that it has all three in abundance. And as the new CEO, I can’t ask for a better foundation. 

Let’s build on this foundation together. 

Satya

Sales resolutions that will make 2014 your best year ever

I will be the first to admit that I don't make New Year's resolutions...I set goals instead. However, I thought it was an appropriate topic for the year's first newsletter. Here are 6 resolutions that will help you make 2014 your best year ever regardless of how long you have been selling. 

I resolve to...

1. Make prospecting a priority

Devote a specific amount of time to look for new sales opportunities. It is easy to get sidetracked and distracted by more enjoyable tasks but if you dedicate consistent time to prospecting every day and week, your sales will consistently grow.

2. Use a variety of approaches

Don't get lazy and rely solely on one or two prospecting methods to generate to new opportunities. To achieve the best results, use multiple approaches. This can include cold calling (telephone, face-to-face), networking, attending conferences and trade shows, asking for referrals, etc.

3. Research your prospects

The key is to do just enough research to get some insight into your prospect's business so you can effectively position your product, service or solution.

4. Develop a new and powerful opening

Get right to the point and reason for your call. Show that you have done some homework and that the research you did is relevant.

5. Develop and ask thought-provoking questions

Weak and feeble questions that every other sales person asks will not help you stand out from your competition. Instead, develop tough, deep, probing questions that make your prospects sit up and think and take notice. 

6. Create a powerful and effective proposal or presentation

The most effective sales presentations and proposals focus on the prospect's situation. They avoid lengthy commentary on the sellers company. They are short and to the point. They do not contain marketing hyperbole or corporate-speak. Most importantly, they clearly answer the "What's in it for me?" question every prospect has running through their head.

Resolve to incorporate these concepts into your sales activity/routine and make 2014 your best year ever!