13Mar/091

Stay Positive

Earlier today, I was watching one of the more prominent morning news shows, on which the special guest was a financial analyst. The analyst spoke about the current state of our economy and was, for the most part, very positive. She went on to say that while most view the current economic sluggishness as a negative, it is during these types of slumps that true entrepreneurship has historically begun to develop as a result of people’s need to finds jobs or ways to increase their own financial stability.

She went on to point out that some of the United States’ most famous innovations came to fruition during the great depression— including Xerography (leading to the Xerox corporation), dry electric razors, Laundromats, car radios and the board game Monopoly.

In response to her profound optimism, the anchor of the show displayed a response that was simultaneously condescending and critical. He quickly diverted attention from the positive financial analyst, and went directly to the other guest — who of course was far less positive and tried his best to convey the media norm of futuristic doom and gloom.

In my opinion, it was the financial analyst who had the right outlook on matters; while things are down right now, as salespeople we must continue to stay positive and focused on creating opportunity. Sometimes we just need to shut off the TV and not read the news. Sales are hard enough without being bombarded by negativity all the time. The reality is, while companies and consumers are definitely taking a more conservative approach to their budgets, they are still spending money every day. Just continue to position yourself as the industry expert and focus on the customer and our rewards will come!

Filed under: Sales Motivation 1 Comment
11Mar/090

Consider A Complementary Prospecting Plan

For savvy salespeople, personal prospecting means implementing a personal marketing plan. It’s not cold calling. With that in mind, I wanted to share an idea that really isn’t brand-new but may be something worth thinking about when looking for buyers in today’s ever-toughening economic situation.
With buyers becoming harder and harder to find, the time may be right for you to reach out to organizations you may have previously viewed as possible competitors and try to establish some sort of collaborative relationship.

You’re probably thinking “What in the world is he talking about?”

What I’m saying here is that you may want to sit down and think hard about organizations that are parallel to your industry; organizations that sell products and services that complement (and could sometimes potentially compete against) what it is you sell. Then, reach out to these organizations and create a cross-referral agreement.

A perfect example in our world is something that ties in with one of the business services we sell here at The Brooks Group: personal assessments for hiring.

Many times in the past, when we’ve advised a client that a potential hire was not going to be a fit for their environment, they’ve asked us if we knew of any reputable recruiters. In the past, we had to admit that we really couldn’t recommend a solid placement firm (and we frankly didn’t want to, as many of them offer assessments of their own). However, one of our salespeople recently built a relationship with a proven placement agency and created a solid cross-referral agreement. Now, when asked if we can recommend a recruiter to one of our assessment clients, we say “absolutely!” And on the other side of the coin, we are finding that our recruiter advocate is sending assessment business to us.

In conclusion, if you can think of complementary businesses (or a product or service that you don’t currently offer, but can refer someone to) — reach out to that organization yourself and develop a relationship! In short, competition is good. However, cooperation is great when we’re all working as hard as we can to find qualified buyers!

Filed under: Professional Selling No Comments
9Mar/091

FedEx Office Puts Integrity Above Income

It’s refreshing to come across a company that does the right thing, even when no one is looking. While I was in Denver facilitating a sales training class last week, my client added three more students at the last minute. I normally carry an extra set or two of student materials with me just for those circumstances; however, this time I was one short.

Fortunately, there was a FedEx Office store on the first floor of the hotel, and one of the students offered to take a workbook there to make a photocopy. She returned a few minutes later and told me the clerk refused to reproduce the workbook because of the copyright markings on each page. At this point, I took the workbook to the store myself, presented proof that I worked for The Brooks Group and explained it was indeed okay to print a copy. Within minutes, I had an extra workbook in my hands.

Ironically, the clerk tried to apologize to me. No apology was necessary. In fact, I thanked her and her manager for turning away business to do the right thing. Chances are they could have taken the cash and no one would have ever known or cared.

During my future travels, I may come across similar circumstances. I’ll need to make extra copies, and I already know where I’ll go to get the services I need. Well done FedEx Office; you’ve earned a new and loyal customer.

Submitted by:
kevin

Filed under: Customer Service 1 Comment
3Mar/093

People Don’t Leave Companies; They Leave Bosses

Think about your career and the steps you took to get where you are now. I bet the companies you left for "a better opportunity" was more because of your manager. Maybe your manager never took an interest in you; maybe he/she was more of a boss instead of a leader; maybe the glass was always half empty instead of half full. The bottom line is you left because you viewed your manager as a liability instead of an asset to you and your future ... right? Now, take a moment to look at the sales management level at your organization. They are the key to working through this difficult economy.

Do a quick check on your sales management level ... just answer yes or no ...

  1. Does your sales manager(s) lead by example?
  2. Does your sales manager(s) recognize and give credit to his/her staff publicly and privately?
  3. Does your sales manager(s) have an individual plan for each staff member?
  4. Does your sales manager(s) hold themselves and his/her staff accountable for results?
  5. Does your sales manager(s) communicate clearly and daily with their staff?
  6. Does your sales manager(s) spend time in the field with his/her staff to coach?
  7. Does your sales team view your manager as a role model or mentor?

If you answer 'no' to any of these questions I would recommend you focus your "sales improvement" program on your managers rather than your sales staff. I have never seen an average sales staff with an outstanding sales manager. If you can answer 'yes' to all 7 questions above your sales management level will propel your sales through this economy and ahead of your competition when things improve.

Filed under: Professional Selling 3 Comments
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