Sudden Death

Sudden Death

I don’t like going to the Doctor much but he’s a smart and funny guy, so it’s kind of bearable.

Bantering with him last week (cuz’ the longer I can keep him talking, the less prodding he ends up doing – which is fine with me), I joked about how I read that recent studies suggested a daily aspirin regimen could cause some nasty side effects like stomach issues. (I don’t have a problem with the daily aspirin he recommended but like I said, the more I keep him talking….. )

Anyway, being funny but mostly smart, he said, “Well then don’t take the aspirin Einstein, it’s no big deal to me. The side effect though could be Sudden Death for you – so have fun with that.”

Hilarious.

But it hit me as a bit more poignant as I walked out of his office thinking about how we do some horn blowing at work about the perceived awful side effects of doing this or that, but sometimes we forget the side effects of making a change to something we know works could be a lot worse.

You can give up walking over to talk to someone or using the phone: Heck, a stroll down the hall wastes time because you don’t know if someone is there. A phone call or Skype doesn’t get recorded so you don’t have a record of what you talked about like email does. But truth is, face to face and/or voice to voice carries a gazillion other intangibles that are still valuable. And the “Sudden Death” impact of giving that up? Sudden Forgetfulness of YOU. Do people only know you by your emails? If so, you matter little to them no matter how many you write.

You can give up making quality cold calls: Cold Calling has awful side effects at times that can be painful, depressing and darn near ruin your day or week. So you can hire someone else to do it for you or fire off a gazillion emails and skip it altogether, hoping the darn phone rings. Or you can suffer the Sudden Death side effects of not cold calling and not make any sales at all. Good luck feeding the kids with that.
You can give up saying fervently “Thank you” or “I’m sorry” or “I appreciate you” or “Mr.” or “Ms.” to customers: After all, everyone has no time, everyone is busy and heck, there are a lot more important things I should be saying to customers. But no, your getting in the words “today’s special promotion is…” or the “the confirmation number is…” or the “best number to reach you if we get disconnected is…” doesn’t trump the power of the smaller phrases or titles. The Sudden Death impact of losing those little ones is the erasing the difference between you and someone that can be replaced by a computer.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

Numbers Matter

Numbers Matter

“You’ve been a customer for many years…”

“We have a lot of customers where you are….”

“We build a ton of websites for small businesses….”.

Shoot me now.

Numbers matter.

No specific numbers can sound like you are lazy. No specific numbers can sound like you are reading from a script. No specific numbers sounds like you don’t care. No specific numbers says you are probably making it up anyway.

Trust is low in the marketplace. No specific numbers makes it worse. Customers and prospects are yearning for numbers – real numbers, real proof that you are credible or that you do care.

If you know how long a customer has been with you in the number of years or months, share it. If you don’t know- find out and share it every time you contact them.

If you know exactly how many customers you have that are just like the prospect you are talking to (i.e. exactly how many in their town/city or exactly how many just like them (their line of business) are already customers)), then share it. If you don’t know- find out and share it every chance you can.

If you know how many websites or widgets or thingamajigs you have that people use or buy or love then share that. If you don’t know- find out and then spit it out.

Numbers are credible. Numbers are proof. Numbers get attention. Numbers earn you a first look or even a second look. Numbers get you sales.

Numbers Matter.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

On Dislodging

On Dislodging

You best be getting better at dislodging the competition. It’s going to get harder out there.

Oh sure it’s fun to sell products/services to small businesses who have never had a website, or any online meeting software, or water/ coffee services, or insurance, or you fill in the blank.

And it’s not just fun, it is darn easier too. Everyone knows that.

Every salesperson ormarketer knows it is a heck of a lot easier to get that small business into some product or service they never had before than to dislodge the competitor and stealmarket share.

I remember us sales people back in the day ( I was one of them), nearly careening into each other as we screeched out of the parking lot upon hearing a new construction site was opening up. Oh to be the first one there to sell the contractors on stuff! So much easier than kicking out the competition.

But you can’t bank on being first anymore – it’s just harder. More competition from not just your local region but from around the world. More competition because that small business prospect is not waiting for your knock or your call but is on the web looking at you and your competition making decisions and placing orders while you are snuggled in your bed unawares.

And soon, very soon – every small business new or old, is going to have things like a website package, online meeting services,POSsoftware, promotional products, outsourced legal support, business cards and more often right at the time of their business launch and just as likely right at the time you decide to give them a ring or a knock on their door. Now you may be lucky and all that business belongs to you, but I’m guessing you’ve got a bigger quota to hit than relying on that pipe dream.

All is not lost – Here are 5 Keys to Dislodging:

Find The Trigger: When you need to dislodge a competitor or another means in which the client is getting something done, search for that opening -be it a new sales leader or business partner that moves in, a new location that opens up or they just started putting a Twitter logo on their materials. Whatever that trigger is – there is a chance that new blood, new ideas or new budget is involved and your chances of dislodging have just gotten better.
Make is Easy & Fast & Painless to Come to You. Get it all done inside 24 hours; be it the product, the demo or the proof that gets in the clients hands. If you can, offer to cancel the competitor service for the client (like Geico does). Pain to change and pain to switch is as big an enemy of dislodging as anything else.
Remove The Risk; If there is no pain to “try you out” or “run side by side” or “guarantee you will be more satisfied” then you have great shot. Gutsy stuff for sure but what you do with that shot is what really matters. And do the math, compare this CTA ( Cost to Acquire) versus CTA for new business and you’re often surprised it’s cheaper.
Say it/ Script it: “I want you to come to us”, or “We can do better than what you are doing today” are great phrases. I know one group of sales people today who are having success dislodging by saying right up front to customers – ” This year we are committed to an aggressive approach towards competitive packages based on an annual volume.”
Be Incomparable or Comparable ( not anywhere in between) : Sometimes the worst thing you can be is “kind of like the other guy “. Nothing bores like a perceived commodity. Be, and accentuate the difference(s) hard or go straight up head to head ( like Flo’s Progressive insurance company ads do.) If you are decidedly different in one area – that is your lead story. If you are similar across the board to the competition; share that, be an advocate for getting the right solution for the client and beat the competition more often than not on price, service or quality.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

The DIFM Kid

The DIFM Kid

I gave up. January 1st was the day that I was done.

I gotta just focus on what I do well and maybe do that better.

Now I pay a 14 year old whiz kid (a friend of my son), to just do technology stuff for me now. “The DIFM Kid” (Do It For Me) is what I call him. (He is pictured here as rendered by my wife) I don’t pay him a lot. But the ROI is unbelievable.

Let him set up the Netflix on the Wii, let him set up my wife’s new Facebook Business Page, let him figure out how to connect the piano keyboard to the PC so we can record some of my son’s music. Let him figure out why the wifi sync doesn’t work or why we need two Routers now because of all the stuff using whatever it is they use.

I’m not stupid. Some people (and this is hilarious) think I might be a little on the “techie” side of the ledger. ( LOL- that’s called Acting man) but it is getting harder out there. I don’t have the time, but I have the need.

I just realized no matter how many manuals and instructions I read, or how many tutorials or videos I watch, I’m not going to get it. Or I am not going to get it done fast enough. Or sometimes I am going to make it even worse. And maybe I need to focus on what I do well already and quit wasting time on stuff I don’t.

And now word has spread about “The DIFM Kid” and me using him. Now everybody in the extended family is asking for him. He disappears on Sundays 3 towns over at brother in-law’s house to go set up a new TV or to fix a slow laptop or to connect a transmitter to an outside thermometer. There’s a darn waiting list for him and texts asking “When is “The DIFM Kid” gonna be around? ” Things are looking great for him.

There are a lot of us out there feeling that way, consumers and small businesses alike.

You don’t have to look that far to see that Do It For Me services are going to explode not just in my family but in the marketplace too. I see them every day grow stronger and stronger where I work. They’ve been around forever, but now the speed in which new becomes old, or good becomes just OK or keeping up becomes “What the hell just happened?” is accelerating at a pace where DIY ( Do It Yourself) might soon feel so yesterday.

That smacks of opportunity. Be ready- The next DIFM Kid could ( or maybe should) be you.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

Time Forward

Time Forward

Sales isn’t about moving the ball forward. Sales isn’t about getting to the next agreed upon step. Sales isn’t about pushing it through the pipeline.

That’s way too advanced.

Sales is about earning time forward.

Sales is about doing so well in the first 5 seconds that you earn 10 seconds more from the prospect or client. Sales is about doing so well in the those next 10 seconds that you get the big prize which is maybe 30 seconds more of that prospect or client’s attention.

And if you nail those 30 seconds really, really, really well you might just get the equivalent of what feels like a week’s worth of time in this rough and tumble world of Sales, and earn maybe 5 whole minutes more.

And then and only then, you may garner the right to purchase (yes, I do mean purchase) more of your prospect or client’s time.

You see, time is the most precious commodity there is today. Worth more than gold I’d say. And to earn this time at the beginning and to do so well that you get the chance to buy more of it later, that my friends, is what you ought to be obsessively focused on doing right now with all of your time.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

Your Favorites & Mine

Your Favorites & Mine

Happy Friday and New Year,

Here’s a quick look back at 2011.

The votes are in (ok the views). Here are the top 5 (listed 1-5) most viewed blog posts at this site in 2011; presumably your favorites. Good taste I’d say and thank you for your readership. I’ve added 5 others I’d add as my favorites.

Look around a bit. What’s the worst that can happen? Steal something shamelessly and grow the business?

Top 5 Most Read Posts (2011)

You Had Me At Hello (and then, you just let me go)

The Most Powerful Phrase In Sales

Offline, Online & Flatline

My 25 Secrets Of Selling To Small Businesses

Help For Looooonnngg Sales Cycles

My 5 Favorite Posts of 2011 (aside from above!)

Customs Fail and Redemption

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

Drug Reps Selling Differently

An article from yesterday’s Wall Street Journal very much worth the read.

Drug Reps Soften Their Sales Pitches

Interesting. A Softer sell. A different kind of sell.

And Sales are going up.

Interesting to read what happens when a sales rep becomes a resource to the physician.
Interesting to read what happens when a sales reps shifts focus on providing more help to the physician’s patients.
Interesting to read what will happen when a sales rep becomes a real help to the physician allowing her to get more time to see patients.

It’s not a stretch to replace each word physician in the bullets above with Small Business Owner or Banker or Distributor etc. And to change each word patient to customer.

Nope, not a stretch at all.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

3 Little Words That Will Rock Your World

It’s not “I love you” cuz’ I don’t. Not really.

But no worries ( and sorry if I just rocked your world :)), those aren’t the 3 little word types I’m talking about anyway.

Actually, I’ve got 3 sets of 3 little words that are a heck of a lot better than what we usually say.

These words are perfect for pros in Sales, Marketing, Training, Leadership or just plain ol’ Life in general and should be used all day long.

So good are these 3 little words that they will Rock Your World. They will do better than that and make Glorious your entire 2012 if you chose to use them liberally.

So the question is, do you want to improve your performance, have people really love you more, crush quota or get promoted this year?

Oh Hell Yes! (Um…These are any of the 3 little words I am talking about- but I like them).

Here they are. Print these and tape this across you’re the face of your smartphone- that way I know you won’t forget them.

“What I Can”: Oh to have a dollar for every traditional phrase I hear of “there is no way” or “I can’t” or “It is not possible to hit that date” and I’d be super rich. “What I can” followed by the word “do” or “say” or “give” is so much better. Simple psychology here- focus on the positives or what is within the realm of possibility. The opposite i.e. “can’t” is an automatic tension raiser. Use “what I can” this in sales, coaching and collaboration and people, no matter what you do, will see you as someone who always says “yes!”

“What We Believe”: This is especially for you sales and marketing types. Usually we blather on about “What we have” in the realm of the products or services, or options and promotions etc. Instead of starting your sales and marketing conversations with “What we have are ____ and ____…” replace it with “What we believe is small businesses should take advantage of______ “or some phrase like that that espouses intelligence. Customers/ Prospects know your darn products (heck they went online before they called you!). What they want is advice and counsel. They want a company or a person that has an opinion, a belief. It’s less risky that way. They want to hear what you believe. Do this and you will make more sales.

“What Most People”: Throw away everything else – these are the most powerful words in sales,marketing and training. There is comfort (especially in a sketchy economy) in what other “like” people or businesses do. Just lead with these 3 words! You don’t need to explain it, tee it up or cringe before you say it. “What most people buy is the _____”. Or “What most people say is within 120 days they see great results”. You get it. But no one really says it often enough. People and businesses (especially some say, small businesses) wont’ move till they know it works and most others are doing or using it. Say it 50 times a day or more and you win!

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

Great Gifts For Sales People

4 Gifts Your Sales People Need This Year

This one is for all the sales leaders and coaches out there….

Looking for that perfect little something for your salespeople this year? Look no further. And no worries, I checked this list twice.

Hands Free Gift Cards: Instead of adding more for your sales persons’ hands to do next year; take something away. Entering orders in 7 systems, 3 tracking sheets, 2 CRM’s and the partridge in the pear tree isn’t selling. That’s called data entry. Sales people need to read and think and speak and sell and then read and think and speak and sell some more. I get the efficiency and information gathering piece and you do too. But I know there are gifts out there, be they tools or support that can take some burden off the hands. More Hands Free = More Sales.

25- $5 Expired Scratch Tickets . Ah…. the joy of wishing and praying and of hoping the luck comes in will be dashed (Holiday pun intended) when you hand over these 25 expired loser tickets. It’s one of the better gifts for sales people because even though it is downright mean, it’s a great message that that kind of good luck don’t work no more in sales. Every scratched ticket does not get you closer to a winner, that’s for sure. Same for unconscious dials & smiles! Sales is not about spraying (or scratching) and praying!

A Coaching Promise. No -, a real one! Not the same old coaching you do all the time – you know that kind right? The kind where you talk about the numbers and say cool stuff like “What are you going to do to hit those numbers?” or” “I’ve noticed a decline in your performance lately, What’s up?” conversations. Heck, Siri can coach like that. I mean a coaching promise on the “How” to hit those numbers. I mean a coaching promise that has you show, preach, teach and demonstrate how it’s done. Real Specific, Real World and Real Time means Real Sales.

A Stronger Point of View: I don’t mean yours, I mean your company’s. Selling today is less and less about discovery and digging and probing and uncovering the darn needs of a prospect. It’s more and more about being attractive. Sales people need the powerful story; the powerful differentiators and the powerful point of views that attract prospects to the sales rep and into the conversations – not push them away. Boiler Room & Glengarry Glen Ross are so 90’s – it’s 2013 and the world’s a lot smarter, a lot less trusting and just plain different now.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark.

Hard Work Redux

Hard Work Redux

It’s not unusual to go home now and need to study work documents, emails and Power Points all night long it seems just to be ready for work the next day. It can feel like you are studying for a final exam. And some neuroscientists say our ability to think and learn has outrun our ability to remember, execute and act upon what we know. Yep, that feels about right sometimes.

Our customers’ and prospects’ knowledge relative to us is pretty clueless – at least in spaces we need to be good at. That’s new. Used to be everyone kind of knew what we knew. Not much rocket science to understand what a business card was for, but a “landing page”? Yeah -you see.

I can’t sell my colleagues, learners or bosses on stuff and visions like I used to anymore. Now, I gotta really teach em’ first; really spend a lot of time educating before I can get anyone onboard. Nothing wrong with that. Just the way it is now. Bet it is for you too.

Hard work used to be – let’s face it, a lot below the neck. Push harder, run faster , show up more often, beat the other guy to it, keep dialing, keep smiling, drive all night, stay later, get in earlier, never give up, never take “no” for an answer, etc etc.

Now the hard work seems like it’s in your head now. Again. Like it used to be.

Know more, read more, analyze more, compare and contrast more, strategize more, think more, share your perspective and insight more, study more, research more.

Ain’t nothing wrong with that. That’s the way most of us were brought up in school.

Never thought the stuff you did in school would help you in the real world eh?

Things are different now.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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