I was at a conference sponsored by a large high-tech firm, and because they were a high-tech firm, they were going to be fancy and high-tech and put QR codes on everyone's namebadge with their contact info. In theory, you would scan the QR code with your smartphone and download their info directly and this would make networking more efficient. In practice it was a pain in the ass. I got tired of aiming my phone at someone's badge and trying to keep everyone physically still enough for it to work. And it was a huge interruption in the flow of the conversations I was having. And then there was the afternoon my phone battery … [Read more...]
The Sales Truth I Learned Managing a Band
When I was a younger (and hopefully cooler) man, I played in a band called The Jesters. I started the band with my friend Jim, and we split the duties - he would work on the music and I would get us gigs. Here's what I learned that would help me sell in every other part of my career: Bar and club owners didn't care about our music - they cared about getting people in the door who would drink beer and eat food. Focus On Their Needs Being a great band was important to us. We spent a lot of time practicing and writing songs. We worked on our stage show to make sure that our fan base would grow and people would come out and see us. But for … [Read more...]
3 Keys to Creating a Great Sales Contest
I've coached a lot of sales managers and leaders on how to drive business with their teams. One of the most common tools they reach for is the sales contest. They tend to think that a good sales contest is the panacea for all their issues - that the only thing keeping their people from having explosive results is a mix of excitement and fear... [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVQPY4LlbJ4] Most sales contests, however, fail to create meaningful change. They usually end up rewarding top performers (who would have produced great results anyways) and demotivating those on the team who could really use the help. Too often they end … [Read more...]
Act a Little Happier than You Feel
A quick tip you won't find in most business books: Act a little happier than you feel. Whether you are talking to a client or prospect, sending an email to your boss, or attending a networking event, make your disposition a little cheerier than you normally would. Smile a little more, be a little more animated, and when someone asks you how you're doing, say "Great! Thanks for asking." Attitude Has Impact Two things I want to point out. I'm saying act a little happier. I'm not saying that you should be inauthentic and Pollyannaish. But if you are having a bad day, it doesn't mean you have to be completely gloomy and whiny. How … [Read more...]
5 Rules from Zombie Survivors for Business Development
An undead zombie is shambling towards the lone survivor, arms outstretched, low moan coming from its chest. The plucky hero raises a machine gun in an attempt to ward of the attack and fills the zombie full of lead...but the zombie keeps coming! Because the hero didn't shoot it in the head! And everyone who's seen a zombie movie knows that the brain is a zombie's weak point! ...It's frustrating to watch the characters in a zombie movie make the same fundamental mistakes over and over again. It's just as frustrating to watch sales people and business development reps fail to take care of the basics when they meet with prospective … [Read more...]
How to Stop Fearing Sales Objections with this Magic Phrase
One of the reasons people don't like to sell is that we don't like rejection. As young children we develop a deep-seated fear of being abandoned by those that we love, and it follows us into adulthood. So there's this subconscious connection that's created between this fear and a prospect saying no. But we also avoid asking for business because we don't know what to say if the other person doesn't say yes or no. That's why most of us will only "ask for the order" when we already know the answer. It could be a formal sales situation where you are asking a prospect for a business deal. But it could also be an internal meeting where … [Read more...]