http://www.salescoachinglive.com/blog/category/sales-leadership-2/ Blog categories... http://www.salescoachinglive.com/davekahle/blog/popcorn-and-other-marketing-mistakes-in-a-changing-economy/
That was the title on the seminar brochure I received recently. As I survey some of the forces flowing through our e...]]>
That was the title on the seminar brochure I received recently. As I survey some of the forces flowing through our economy, and witness the way in which they effect my clients, I have to agree. The Information Age is certainly one of the most turbulent times business people have ever seen.

And the force causing the greatest turbulence is rapid, unrelenting change. Consider this. In 1900, the total amount of knowledge that mankind had was doubling about every 500 years. Today, it doubles about every two years. And the pace continues to increase. One futurist predicts that today's high school seniors will have to absorb more information in their final year alone than their grandparents did in their entire life.

At the same time that things are changing rapidly, competition is increasing in almost every industry. Foreign competitors have entered our markets, the wave of corporate downsizing has transformed thousands of displaced executives into reluctant entrepreneurs, and the knowledge explosion continues to evidence itself in new technologies that often provide radically different ways of accomplishing some task.

The result?

Burgeoning competition in almost every industry. I have yet to meet an executive who has said, "I have fewer competitors today than I did three years ago." Continually growing numbers of competitors seem to be a characteristic of our economy that we are going to have to live with for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, these forces of rapid change and growing competition have brought a cloud of confusion to CEOs and sales executives trying to grow their businesses.

One common response to this cloud of confusion is what I call "Popcorn." Imagine kernels of popcorn simmering in hot oil in the bottom of a popcorn popper. As the heat grows, one of the kernels explodes and rockets off against the side of the popper. A few moments later, another kernel explodes and shoots off in another direction. Before long, the canister is full of careening kernels bouncing in every direction.

That's my analogy to the way in which many businesses attempt to increase their sales when the temperature created by growing competition gets hot. As the heat of the situation grows, they know they have to do something. Then along comes a good idea and, pop, like a kernel of exploding popcorn, they lunge at the good idea.

The good idea can be anything. Maybe it's a media representative who suggests a new advertisement. That sounds like a good idea. So, "pop", off they go after that good idea. Or it could be a sales person suggesting that a computer program will solve their problems. That sounds like a good idea, so "pop," off they go after that good idea. Next is an advertising agency suggesting a new brochure. That also sounds good, and "pop," like kernels of corn exploding in every direction, they expend money and energy in short term "good ideas."

Like kernels of popcorn, they frantically chase lots of good ideas hoping that one will be the answer to the marketing problems. The problem is that these good ideas rarely have any relationship to one another. And, they generally present superficial solutions to problems which are often deeper. The company's time and energy is diverted toward these superficial "good ideas," and away from the deeper solutions.

For example, an advertisement in a trade journal may be a superficial solution for a company that does not have a system for identifying qualified prospects. And a new brochure may be a superficial response for an organization that doesn't have a feedback mechanism in place to adequately understand its customers.

The unfortunate consequences are often more pressure, more confusion, and more energy expended in the wrong places.

Is there a better way? Sure. A far more effective response is to create a powerful sales and marketing system. A sales and marketing system provides an interconnected, measurable set of processes and tools that ultimately result in increased sales. Where would McDonald's be today without a system to consistently produce hot hamburgers? Where would Toyota be if they had no system to design and build new automobiles? The keys to success for these businesses has been their ability to create and manage effective systems to accomplish their goals.

Sales and marketing can be treated in exactly the same way. The process of acquiring customers and then expanding the business with them can be systematized. If you're successful in creating a working system, you'll be investing your resources in the most effective way, and producing predictable, regular sales results.

Your sales and marketing system should start with a thorough understanding of the needs and interests of the prospects. Fold into that an honest awareness of the unique value your company brings to the market, and you have the beginning framework for your system. Your system should focus on the highest potential market segments, and develop segment-specific processes and tools to help you reach your market in the most cost-effective way.

When your system is designed, you'll also have a set of criteria in place to help you adequately assess the potential in such things as advertisements, brochures, computer programs, etc.

A well-designed system allows you to move out of the desperate reactive mode characterized by "Popcorn" and into a confident pro-active mode.

Here are seven questions to determine whether you're operating from the "Systems" perspective or the "Popcorn" mind set.

1. Do you have specific, realistic objectives for your sales and marketing efforts?

2. Have you precisely identified your highest potential market segments?

3. Have you identified the sequence of decisions that a typical prospect goes through to come to a decision to buy your product or service?

4. Have you identified the key activities and processes that must take place on a monthly basis in order for you to reach your sales objectives?

5. Do you have a monthly measurement of the quantity and quality of your key marketing activities?

6. Are you able to track exactly how much it costs to create a customer?

7. Do all of your marketing collateral (website, brochures, ads, etc.) directly support the purposes and processes of your system?

Obviously, a positive answer to those questions indicates that you have a well defined sales and marketing system in place. That means that you have gone from reactive to pro-active marketing, and that you're well on your way to regular, predictable sales. Negative answers mean that you have some work to do to bring your sales and marketing efforts into a proactive mode to allow you to successfully compete in the turbulent 21st Century.

Bring your business into the 21st Century by tapping into the wisdom at The Sales Resource Center. Visit http://www.davekahle.com for more information.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/davekahle/blog/popcorn-and-other-marketing-mistakes-in-a-changing-economy/ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:39:40 +0000 Dave Kahle http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions-2/ http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions-2/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:10:28 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions/ http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:09:51 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/opinions-everyone-has-one-at-least-one/ I have often heard that opinions are like anal orifices, everyone has one! The fact is that just like parts of our own body, we not only have opinions...
Our ownership of opinions is absolute regardless of the facts!! Two plus two always equals four. New York City is the largest city in the United States. San Francisco is on the west coast. These are objective facts.
Red is better than blue. Chicago is a more dynamic city than LA. The Packers should win over Minnesota (said before the season begins). These are ALL opinions and their truth lies solely in the eye of the beholder.

Before we enter in a discussion about what is “Better” for someone we care about, we need to take a minute and review what their opinions and beliefs are. That review can take many forms. Here is one possible way to begin the evaluation.

1. What is their underlining belief system?
2. What in their background could influence the critical viewpoint or decision?
3. Who else will influence this discussion / decision?
4. Why am I involved in this discussion / decision?
5. What impact will this have on their resources - mental, physical, financial
6. What do I KNOW about their opinions that will come into play?
7. What are the facts? Are these truly facts or MY opinions of the facts?

These are first steps. Remember that a person’s opinions are critically important to them and they will defend them to the death! If you think this is a bit of an exaggeration then look to the Middle East, the Middle Ages, witch hunts, the Hatfield verses McCoy feud, Democrats verses Republicans, USC verses UCLA and High School Football in Texas!!

Treat people’s opinions as if they are as precious as their children. They might have had them longer!]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/opinions-everyone-has-one-at-least-one/ Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:13:59 +0000 Ben Farmer http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/passion/
Without passion, there is no fun!!

One of our best friends is p...]]>
Without passion, there is no fun!!

One of our best friends is passionate about abandoned St. Bernard dogs. This became a mission that has lead to the rescuing of hundreds of these beautiful animals.

Passion is the reason Jonas Salk invented the Polio vaccine and when asked why he did not patent it stated when asked by famed reporter Edward R. Murrow “Who owns this patent?", Salk replied, "No one. Could you patent the sun?"

Here are a couple of key ways to know what you are passionate about:

1. Does your voice get stronger when you are talking to others about building a house?
2. When someone asks your advice on a finding new customers do you find yourself giving them all sorts of advice?
3. Do you find yourself going on and on about Golden Retrievers?
4. Do bridal dresses give you goose bumps?
5. When you are tired and you get a call to go do something that involves a subject does your exhaustion disappear?

If this happens than more than likely you are passionate about these particular items.

When someone asks me about helping others be successful, I have to hold myself back. When someone mentions a golf game, I am there.

Now translate this to business. What about your business turns you on? Is it that your office is a great place to work? Do your clients send you thank you notes? Are you award winners in your industry? Do you make a difference in your clients lives? How do you fulfill their wants and needs? How do you make communication better in the office, with your sales force, with your clients? Are you passionate about adding value to you clients lives? If so, how?

Be passionate and make a DIFFERENCE!!]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/passion/ Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:48:14 +0000 Ben Farmer http://www.salescoachinglive.com/scottconover/blog/fear-of-not-making-your-quota/ FDR’s famous inauguration quote “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This has never been more true than in sales.

Most people today are...]]> FDR’s famous inauguration quote “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This has never been more true than in sales.

Most people today are driven by fear and most sales leaders lead by fear. As a result, your decisions are driven out of fear. This behavior is holding you and your sales team from meeting your goals.

We are now 2 months into the year, sales professionals have received their quotas and have been pounding the pavement to drum up new leads and close deals. Many are already finding that they are not trending in the right direction to meet their quotas. They are beginning to feel that heavy weight of their quota and are fearful of not obtaining that number. If not caught early, this will paralyze you and your sales team. Being fearful of not attaining your quota will quickly become a self fulfilling prophecy. My suggestion and what I have found to help sales professionals meet their objectives is to not constantly focus on where you are against your established quota.

Nobel Prize Winner: “Business people who do not know how to fight worry, die young. How many of the things we worry about are worth that price?”

So, you may be asking yourself “How do I go about embracing my fears?” To answer that question, let’s take a step back and review what I hear most regularly while assessing the mindset of sales professionals and sales leaders. It is very apparent that they are fearful of two things that they can't control. Let’s see if you can pick out what those two things are.

Here are some of the statements that I hear most regularly in our assessments.

Sales Professional: That number is bigger than last year and I couldn’t hit that one. What if I don’t hit my numbers? How does that make me look? How quickly will I be able to find a new job?

Sales Leader: What if I fire underperformers? What will that do to the morale of the team? It took me a long time to hire these individuals, what if I can’t find someone to take their place? How much time will I lose in hiring and retraining someone else? How much market share will I lose? How will I meet my team goal or investor expectations?

If you are like most people you probably saw a lot of random questions but if you analyze each statement you will see the commonality across the board. The commonality that you see in all of these statements are that most people live in either the past or the future which are two things that can’t be controlled. Begin asking yourself as to what is holding you back and you will probably see that you share the same common traits as your peers.

As a ship has compartments that can be sealed to prevent water in one compartment from flooding another, so too do we need to seal off the past and the future. “We cannot live one moment in either of those eternities and to try to do so could ruin both our minds and bodies. We can be content to live the only time we possibly can – TODAY.” – Dale Carnegie

I like to use this question to some of the people that I coach. “If you were to go from Dallas to New York and there were no signs, compasses or GPS devices to get you there, what would you do?” Some get it right but most struggle. For those that don’t get it I will begin working with them through a series of questions to get to the answer but to summarize, the smart thing to do is to find someone who has already taken that journey and question them about what to take with you on your journey, where you should turn and what you should look out for to ensure a speedy and safe journey.

My suggestion is that you do the exact same thing with your sales career. Begin to look at the individuals that are successful in your organization. Focus on the processes that has helped them be successful and you will become successful. Ask for help in creating your process. You will find that people are willing to help those that ask for help and take action.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/scottconover/blog/fear-of-not-making-your-quota/ Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:32:53 +0000 Scott Conover http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/don-t-forget-about-your-college-roots/ As I continue with my discussion on how to build your personal sphere of influence, I want to focus this entry on after college and what activities I ...
As a member of Lambda Chi Alpha International Fraternity, I had the opportunity to volunteer as an alumnus in various roles. I was elected President of my chapter’s Alumni Board in the spring of 1997 and served in that capacity until 2005. Through that role I was able to reach out to many other alumni members within my fraternity who graduated before I did and the other alumni members of the fraternities and sororities at Eastern Illinois University. That helped me meet new people and create new connections. Some of those connections I still actively talk with today and do business with.

I also had an opportunity to become the Chapter Advisor for a newly formed chapter at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. This opportunity opened the doors for me as I met several people affiliated with Northwestern University who knew a lot more people than I did. I was able to leverage those relationships into many new ones for myself.

So to say the least, my fraternity life did not end when I graduated, the networking only began for me. I have told many undergraduates that I have worked with over the years that when you are talking to potential new members about why to join our fraternity make sure you discuss the networking potential after college for them. At the time they might not care, but in the long run they will as eventually most people graduate from college and leave, but after graduation having doors open when looking for a new job is a better way to go.

Being involved as an alumnus with Lambda Chi Alpha was just one activity I have been participating in since graduating college that has paid off for me personally. If you were a member of fraternity, sorority or another activity while in college, now is the time to re-connect with the various people from those activities, it might just pay off for you. It is never too late as I am sure those activities are always looking for talented alumni to volunteer their time.

I also had an opportunity to chair a committee at the International level with Lambda Chi Alpha which dealt directly with networking. It was called the Joseph T. Charles Mentor Program and I helped take that program to the next level. I will go into more details in my next entry on what this program was and how it operated. I am sure you will find it interesting.

Copyright © 2011 Kevin T. Piket]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/don-t-forget-about-your-college-roots/ Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:13:12 +0000 Kevin Piket http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/what-is-a-personal-sphere-of-influence/
One common phrase you will here from me is...”I have a person who can do that for you...” Simply put, in my personal sphere of influence I probably have a referral for just about anything you can think of that you might need in your life. This didn't happen over night though, it has happened over many years of meeting new people and then in turn being referred to other people from those whom I have just met, kind of like a domino approach...one contact falls into another. I have used this sphere quite a bit during my real estate career as Realtors are known as the "contact" people; Realtors always have someone to refer you too. During my time here at Sales Integrity, these contacts have helped me get meetings with people who I feel my company can benefit. Either way, I am always working my sphere and adding new people to it on a weekly basis. I also like helping people connect with each other and my personal sphere of influence helps do that too.

When you can be become the “go to person” for your clients, that is when you are extremely valuable to them. Always be in a position to be the first person they talk with when they think of something they need. If you can't get it for them directly, it is always nice to be able to say...”I can you refer you to someone who does that”.

Copyright © 2011 Kevin T. Piket]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/what-is-a-personal-sphere-of-influence/ Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:38:42 +0000 Kevin Piket http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/building-your-personal-sphere/ As I mentioned in my last entry, I wanted to discuss how you build your own personal sphere of influence from the ground up. There are many parts to h...
Finding a professional networking organization that just doesn't have its hand out each time you show up is hard to find. I have always had the philosophy that you get out of something what you put into it. Call me crazy, but I think that this should apply to networking groups too. I have found that too many networking groups want to know what you bring to the table while never telling you what they will bring to you. That is a one-way street and one I would not like to go down. Networking groups should consist of members who are givers, not just takers!

The Naperville Jaycees is a 200+ member organization who believes in building leaders through community service. Oh yeah, this group is filled with 21-40 year-olds who are very successful with their careers and families. The age group for this organization inherently allows for networking to happen especially when Gen X's & Gen Y's get together. I have found that the people who join this organization are givers and don't have their hands out looking for something in return…it just happens naturally. It is kind of the “you scratch my back I will scratch yours” philosophy.

I am sure there is a Jaycee chapter near where you live that you can join and I highly recommend you do. I think it will add value to your life and I am sure you will add value to the organization. In fact, you can go to http://www.usjaycees.org/ to find a local chapter. There is nothing better than joining an organization where you can sharpen your leadership skills by organizing events which would in turn show potential clients your real work ethic. I get business from the Jaycees because I have been told I do it “the right way”, which means rolling up my sleeves and getting involved. It shows the members my work ethic and my leadership skills. I have helped organized events and I have taken leadership positions within the organization...not to get business, but rather because I enjoy it and it happened to get me business. Also, the Jaycees are a great organization to get your family involved too as there are plenty of things for the kids to enjoy.

In summary, join a group like the Jaycees where you can show case your leadership skills, when you are in the community group, don't be a wall flower, get involved and show your strengths and finally have fun with it…life is too short not to have fun and enjoy what you are doing, especially when it involves your free time.

Copyright © 2011 Kevin T. Piket]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/building-your-personal-sphere/ Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:00:28 +0000 Kevin Piket