Does this "Sandler Stuff" work in a Commodity Business?

This was a question posed today in our training by someone who was relatively new to the program. In fact, today was week one. So what is the answer? Well, as always, the room came to the rescue with an answer. You know the best lessons come when the students become the teachers.

The example was given that in a commodity business such as buying a truck load of sunflower seeds the client does not always buy strictly on price. Sure that is a consideration. When all is said and done there are lots of things that go into the decision making process. Will the sunflower seeds be there when they said it would be? Will they be in good shape (wet or dry)? Will the process of ordering it and getting it delivered by an easy one? Will the terms be right?

The question then becomes, how do you let your prospects know all of this? By asking the right questions, and finding out what is important to them about their sunflower seeds and the process. How was it handled in the past? Do they currently get their deliveries on time from their current vendor? Are they happy with their current terms?

Sure you might still have to be part of a bid. And, if you do it right, you will develop the "trusted advisor" relationship with your prospects and clients so that the bid is a formality because of the bond you have developed. Why? Because they know you care. You not only asked but you listened and heard. So whether you are selling sunflower seeds or office equipment you still can have an edge over the other vendors who place their bids.

Where should I spend my time?????

Because I am a mother of two young boys as well as a women in business, I find time to be my biggest commodity. As I make my schedule for the week and I know I have behaviors to do, my challenge is not to waste time. Further, I need to utilize the limited time I have as wisely as possible. So today as I did my planning in solitude (at 5:45 am) I felt a little overwhelmed. What to do? When to do it? Where should I invest my efforts?

When all else fails, do the next right thing. If your list is too long and your time too short, prioritize. Figure out what will give you the most bang for your buck. For me, I fit in a meeting and made some calls. I organized my week and got a handle on the rest of the month. Now the key is to implement once the plan is set.

I always have to build in flexibility in my plans. For example, today I needed to reschedule a meeting with an associate due to switches in someone else's plan. The good news is I've learned about having a Plan B.

So make a plan, work the plan and adjust where needed. When all else fails, be flexible and do you personal best.

Cold Calls

Today I sat down to do calls. It's funny how many things need to get done when the phone needs to be picked up. I'd look at my list and then the phone and then I would remember to check my email. Then I'd look at my list and then the phone and then I remembered I needed to fax a document. Hmmm. What seems to be the problem? Yes, even I have to overcome my own fears and insecurities to make those dreaded cold calls.

As a volunteer for the Chamber I can remember sitting in a room full of people and cell phones banging out call after call and not blinking an eye. It was easy because I was a volunteer and it wasn't about me. Yet, here I am calling for me and our training center and I find the phone feels like a 100 lb. weight.

Here's the good news. I can do it and so can you. All you have to do is try. Each time you do you get better at it and it gets a little bit easier. It is like anything you do, with practice and repetition it gets easier. It's like a muscle that you train or a habit you start. Sure there are other ways of getting business. However a good sales funnel needs to be filled with a variety of activities.

So keep in mind the following:

• Cold calls are not forever, just till you build a good referral base.
• It's only part of your program. You need to have other items in your tool box of getting business like networking, marketing and referrals to name a few.
• Finally, no one has ever died from making a cold call. You will live to sell another day.

Take heart, you can do it. If I can, anyone can.

We've Moved

Our new training center is open and it is awesome. When I first walked into the building I was amazed by the size of the building. Then I opened the door to our office. It really took my breath away. The hardwood floors, the beautiful walls and the large training center with the tables, chairs and whiteboard ready to go.

After Ed gave me the official tour of the building I made a pot of coffee. Helps to start the day off right for me. Then I sat down in one of our offices to make calls and work on the computer. It was an amazing feeling. I truly believe this center is poised for big things as we help our clients grow in their businesses. The center is warm and welcoming. I look forward to our next round of training next week.

Don't Give it Away

Tuesday Ed gave a great "ah ha" moment through a cute story. We were discussing getting paid what your worth. He commented that his doctor only charges for a test if it comes back with a diagnosis. Of course everyone had a blank stare on their faces and then he said it again with a bit of a grin. Then the light bulbs went on. Of course the Doctor charges you for his services even if he performs a test that comes back negative. And yet, he noted, professional sales people are still giving things away. It was interesting to watch that moment and the lights go on.

So charge what your worth. Charge for you spec. work or proposals. You are worth it and if nothing else, you were paid for the work you did even if they take your bid and shop you with your competitors.

The Gut Factor

I have come to determine that this factor is probably the most critical factor in determining success. At least that is the case for me. In my previous world, I built a business on guts and did not even know it. I just kept on and before I knew it I had a real business.

Now that I am "selling" for a profession it is a whole new world. I guess I need to work the gut muscle again, it has begun to atrophy. So where do I begin?

• Well it starts with a plan, and then work the plan.
• I realize I will have to do the hardest things first or they won't get done.
• I will build rewards into my plan as I make small accomplishments. (I need to give myself those strokes.)
• It means facing head on the "brutal facts of your current reality."
• And for me, it means reaching out for help to all my resources. (I don't do that well.)

The payoff will be worth the workout. I guess it really is no pain, no gain. So I am doing my stretches and getting ready for the workout.

Hold Your Ground & Take The High Road

I just read an interesting article about underground workers undermining the contracting business. In the article it noted that companies are underbidding on projects by as much as 50% and getting the jobs. How do they do it? Well they hire illegal immigrants or pay people under the table (cash), and therefore keep their overhead low. The problem is becoming so big the government is getting involved. Read the article, it's fascinating. Notes From the Underground Economy

In the article a contractor is optimistic.

Although he gets underbid by competitors using underground workers, McLaughlin, the contractor in San Francisco, says he has found a viable niche: homeowners who want proof that the contractors they hire are licensed and covered by
workers' compensation policies, but don't want to pay the prices that larger contracting firms charge. Until the government settles on a way to assimilate the stealth labor force, McLaughlin says, he'll refrain from turning to the day workers who line the sidewalks of San Francisco's Cesar Chavez Street every morning, gesturing to passing pickup trucks in hope of landing a job for a few hours. But once he can hire them legally, he's looking forward to it. "The work ethic of those guys is unbelievable," says McLaughlin, who regularly logs 12-hour days. "They put me to shame."

This story really made me think about our system and why bidding is not always the best answer. Obviously, there are times you have to place a bid. However, without developing a relationship with the client/prospect and getting a full understanding of the project and their decision making process, it is a no-win situation. And if they are only looking for the lowest price no matter what the consequence, does it make sense to play in their game. I think not.

The Power of Communication

It's funny what you take for granted. I recently became painfully aware of how important communication can be. I tend to have a very low key style of doing things. I basically do things but don't generally feel the need to make a big deal of things. It became a big deal. Now I understand that even though I know I do, it doesn't mean people know I am doing.

So for me I have learned the power of a "cc:" on my emails and just a quick email in general. When you are working with clients and in particular prospects, make sure you let them know you are working for them or on their stuff. Jot them a quick note or copy them in your correspondence. I believe this simple item can go a long way into building a strong bond with who ever is important in your world.

Your 30 Second Commercial

As I work with clients, one of the areas they work on is changing their 30 second commercial from one that is based on FAB (Features and Benefits) to one that shows how you can help solve problems (pain). At a recent presentation that I did for the Women's Network of York on how to take networking to the next level, I shared the following two questions. As the table discussed these questions, they were able to do some very cool networking. Remember you are networking all the time.

1. You are at a dinner party with some of your best friends and someone says "By the way, I've never really understood what you do, can you tell me what you do and who would be a good client for you." What would you say? How can you be prepared to answer that question?
2. At the same dinner party you overhear your friend talking about a challenge they are facing in their business, can you think of ways you can offer help through your circle of influence. Come up with ways on how you might be prepared to help a friend.

Remember the best way to become a trusted advisor is to help others with out expecting something in return. Usually people who are grateful find ways to help you. That is what the second question is all about. Always keep in mind how you can help your friends and clients. They will in turn help you.

Is it June Already???

I sat down and reviewed my schedule and I realized it is June. Yes, we are in the 6th month. I know for me that meant the realization that I am no where near where my goals say I should be. Hmmm. So it is time to get serious and revisit the goals, adjust the plan and come up with a strategy.

Are you where you expect to be? Are you ahead of schedule? Do you have a plan? or Are you flying by the seat of your pants, hoping to get a good ride?

If it is the latter, it is time to get a plan. This is a great time to get serious.

Lessons Learned Again

This is why there is a President's Club. You just cannot get all the lessons there are to learn in 8 weeks, it takes a lifetime of learning.

Today I saw lots of "aha moments" for people. Our clients are out in the trenches trying this new approach and guess what, it's working. Some are struggling with how to make it work better, others are feeling uncomfortable because it is not how they have been wired and others are just in the sponge mode, taking it all in. That's what it is all about. Every week we get back together to see what's working, what's not and why.

President's Club, when it is all said and done, is a place to come and debrief, rest and learn some more. The best way to learn is to try and then take a look at what you just did and get some feedback. It's great to have a safe place to come to and say, "Hey this feels uncomfortable, how can I make it work better." And then suddenly find the answer for yourself right in the room.

Sharpen the Saw

One of the habits that Covey talks about is "Sharpen the Saw" which means hone your skills and stay on top of your game. One of the ways I do that is by participating in a local Toastmaster's Group. We meet the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evening of the month. What is great about our club is that we all get turns to grow in different roles. One day you might be speaking or actually running the meeting. You also could be evaluating a speech or helping give candidates impromptu speaking opportunities.

• For me Toastmaster's has given me confidence to speak to groups or one on one with a client.
• It helps me think on my feet. You never know what is around the corner and I like to feel like I can handle any situation as it arises.
• I provides me with the tools I need to learn how to prepare a presentation that falls within the timelines proscribed and how to get my point across in a way that people will understand.
• It has taught me leadership through the various roles I have performed. I was just elected President of our club and will start in that role in July.
• It is also a great place to meet like-minded people who might be able to do business with you.
  

No matter where you are in life, this might be a good tool for you to help you sharpen your saw.

I Love Tuesdays

It's Tuesday and that means it's Quick Start and President's Club. I always feel re-energized after I go to one or the other and sometimes both, depending on my schedule. No matter how many times I go through it, I hear something new and different. I might have been said before, I just wasn't ready. Or maybe it is something new.

The beauty of the system is that we learn from each other. David Sandler discusses on one of his tapes that clients want to know that you have walked in their shoes or moccasin's before they will trust you with their pain. The truth is that we don't always have an opportunity to have those same exact experiences, but at the trainings someone else might have and we can learn. Their stories can be our stories, if we really internalize and learn the lesson.

So even though today was a rainy, dreary day, I knew the sunshine would be there waiting for me. For it is through the group we grow and build each other up.

When Partners Don't Speak the Same Language

Well, not actual language, but are they talking on two different channels. I just talked to someone who is frustrated because a person she's involved with on a project is a "Generalist," talks in concepts and does not give details. She commented on how their constituents are going to want and expect the details. The partner on the other hand feels that if they give too much information they will overwhelm their constituents which will leave them confused and unhappy. He wants to open dialogue and get them thinking.

Interesting that I just came from the seminar that Ed gave on Magical People Skills. Based on the information I gleaned from this seminar, I see this as a difference of styles with one being Macro and the other being Micro. The truth is they are both right. Some people will be overwhelmed by a detailed presentation and others will feel cheated by a presentation with concepts and no implementation strategies. And the truth also is that some will be thrilled with both.

It's great to have these skills. It is clear the more you know about people, how they behave and why, the better you will be able to communicate with them in a way that will allow you to gain better understanding.

Help Others and They will Help You

I think it is Zig Ziglar who always says, "If you help enough people get what they want, they will help you get what you want." There is some truth to that. I have found my most effective prospecting tool and relationship building tool is help connect people. Over the years I have had the opportunity to get to know many people in our local business community. Often I am in a position to give a referral to someone. I have found that over the years, but just listening and keeping my antenna up, I am able to connect people who might not have met otherwise. I have also found that those same people are very grateful and have been in a position to do the same for me.

So when you are out meeting people at a networking event, like a Chamber BAH (Business After Hours), keep your antenna up. You might just be able to help someone else and at the same time be in a position to be helped yourself.

Why a System?

I went to a great meeting today hosted by the Women's Network of York. The presenter was Louis Lavetan and he represents FranChoice. He gave an extremely detailed and interesting presentation on how to choose a franchise, and how to determine if a franchise is right for you. What I liked best was that he broke it down into simple steps. There were 8 key points and he gave great insights into how to work the system. What really struck me about his presentation was that fact that he took something that is very important - the decision to buy and start a business and broke down the decision step into a "step by step process".

One of the things we talk about at our training is the fact that what we offer is a proven system that works. You can look at any sales call that you have ever been to and debrief it to see where in the system you might have failed. Was there good Bonding and Rapport? Did you get enough pain? It is a great way to learn and grow. In fact, we tend to work with a lot of engineers and technical people because they love having a blueprint to something that seemed like smoke and mirrors.

Lou actually gave the following reason for a system, and I wanted to share it with you. When it comes to starting a business and/or buying a franchise, his system helps you:

Save
Your
Self
Time
Energy
Misery

We talk about pain in our world, and the system (Submarine) is a great cure for sales misery.

“Do you think you could close this sale?”

A friend of mine went into a local electronic store to purchase a big screen TV. She had the money and was ready to buy. Her son was in karate and had a limited amount of time to spend on the purchase and she has a short buying cycle. She found the TV that she wanted and it was $2,000. She found a sales person to help her and gave him a credit card. As David Sandler would say, “Do you think you could close this sale?”

As I mentioned before, she was short on time, which she communicated to the sales associate. Instead of processing her order, he insisted in trying to sell her more complimentary products that would work well with the TV, she had chosen. Guess what happened? He lost the whole sale. He had her money in his hand and lost the sale. My friend said she needed to leave and would have to buy a TV another time.

I am sure the person never even knew he lost the opportunity. My friend walked away angry and said she will never go to this story again. In addition, she decided she really did not need a TV that badly so she kept her money to spend another day.

The moral of the story is “Sell Today, Educate Tomorrow.”

It's not too late to go back

At a recent meeting, one of our clients shared a story that I found encouraging and inspirational. He is a young salesperson who is really learning the system. He was working with a client he knows well. In the course of their conversation they asked for a ball park figure for a new server (they sell computer solutions). He made the comment that he just put a similar one in another client's office for $4,000. They said great, get us one. When this young buck went back to the office he found out the real solution was going to cost more like $9,000. He was not sure what to do next. After sharing his story with our group, we encouraged him to go back and fall on the sword.

The following week he came back to our meeting. He was sitting on the edge of his seat. You could see he could not wait to tell us how the appointment went. He shared with us that he went back to his client and told them he made a mistake and needed to talk with them. When this event was all said and done he not only got $9,000 for the server they set aside $10,000 for maintenance cost. He behaved when it was tough and it paid off. So what did he learn:

• He figured out that he has "money" issues and that his clients don't mind spending money for a good solution.
• He was vulnerable and teachable and was able to really learn from this experience and through that teach to the group.
• The group worked as a team to problem solve and further demonstrate that if you fall on your sword, you will be rescued.
  
• He learned not all customers are the same, not all solutions are the same and he needs to slow down to speed up.
• He learned there is more to learn and is back at our latest QuickStart and is focused on learning the effective use of Up Front Contracts.

I see a lot of growth in him and know that in a year or two, if he continues on this path, he will be an amazing professional salesperson.

Focus Grasshopper

I recently found out through an assessment, well I already knew, that I have trouble concentrating. I can loose my focus. It probably comes from being a multi-tasker who always has had to juggle many jobs at once. So I am working on improving my concentration skills. In my quest to gain this skill, I turned to my library. I revisited the book The Power of Focus by Cranfield, Hansen and Hewitt. It is an easy read, and I am enjoying it thoroughly. It states a formula for success that they likened to a Blueprint which I thought was helpful. I am a visual, and I could see the Blueprint. Simply stated: B-ALERT:

Blueprint: My strategic plan for the day. Priorities, appointments, projects. Review the night before or early in the morning.

Action: Concentrate on the most important activities that will move you towards accomplishing your sixty-day goals.

Learning: Expand you knowledge through reading, cassettes, video, mentors, courses.

Exercise: Re-energize for thirty minutes.

Relaxation: Eliminate daily stress. Nap, meditate, listen to music, family time.

Think: Take time to reflect on the day. Review goals, visualize, develop new ideas, use a journal.

This was helpful to me as I work on improving my concentration skills and creating an environment that will be conducive to achieving my goals.

The Morning After

As I sit here with my second cup of coffee, and try to focus my brain, I think about how the Expo went. I, of course, enjoyed myself immensely. I am clearly in my element there. But was it productive. Having fun and making it an effective use of my time are two different things.

• I re-established connections with some former clients and paved the way for a future contact.
• I met four new people that I would call suspects (one who really needs our training) and might be in need of our services.
• I behaved and have set a course of action for future behavior.

Overall, yes it was a good use of my time. Today on my behavior plan I am going to make some calls and do some follow-up and rest a little. I am tired but energized.