Selling to Consumers | Sales Training Blog by Skip Anderson

Only 2 Years to Meet Your Sales Goals! The World is Ending!

 
So Hollywood tells us that the world is going to end in 2012. Yikes! That means we only have a couple years to meet our sales and career goals! Better hurry...

> Ask for help. If you need to find prospects as part of your selling job, start beating the bushes like you've never beat them before. Get out there. Time is of the essence!

> Learn how to close sales quicker than you used to. Whenever possible, accelerate the speed of the sales cycle for your prospects. Hurry up now...

> Do more of what you do well. If you sell well on weekends, work every weekend. If you sell well immediately after you get a haircut, get more haircuts. If you sell well after you work out, start working out every day. You get the idea.

> Don't waste your time. Some salespeople waste 80% or more of their time on unimportant non-selling activities. Stop doing that. Please.

> Clean up your act. If you're on the fringe of being a sales professional, clean yourself up and join the profession of selling instead of the dark underbelly of sales. Use unsavory business practices? Stop. Need a shave? Ditto. Sleeping with your prospects? Not anymore. After all, there's only two years left to sell. Sleep on your own time.

> Be remarkable. Perhaps for the first time in your life, become a remarkable salesperson. Do what it takes to cross the threshold of remarkability. 

What can you recommend to your fellow sales peeps to maximize their sales by 2012? Let our readers know! Post a comment!

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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It's Fearless Friday

I hereby proclaim today a "Fearless Friday." Be fearless today:

- Call your wealthy great uncle (finally) about your buying your product. You've wanted to do it for years, so pick up the phone today.

- Contact a local TV station about appearing on their morning show in a segment to talk about how your product can help consumers.

- Plan a publicity stunt to get attention.

- Commit to impeccable follow-up from those who have not yet purchased from you. Be a stalker (but in a good way).

- Trick out your car with signage of a complete car wrap for an advertisement for your business.

- If you don't normally canvas door-to-door, do it today. Pick a street, take a deep breath, and go knock on 25 doors. Every B2C salesperson should do this at least once in their life to experience it. And you may be surprised and get a handful of sales opportunities.

- Get a sales related tattoo. Your tatt doesn't have to be visible (and maybe shouldn't be depending upon what you sell and who you sell to), but your now-permanent tatt will forever link you to the selling profession.

- Go to your competitor to check them out, or if they sell in consumers' homes, have them out to your home. I'm amazed at the number of sales professionals who have never sufficiently checked out their competition.

- Do something outrageous today. In a sea of sameness, find a way to be different, memorable, and interesting. You sell appliances? Make a goal to sell more microwaves than anyone in the company today. You sell real estate? Serve your prospect lunch in the home you'll be showing them today. Sell TVs? Play This is Spinal Tap on all your screens today, and dress like your favorite Spinal Tap character while at work.

- Give free five minute chair massages at your retail store today.

- Wear a tux to work. Or a long, formal dress. Everyone else will be having business casual Friday, and you'll be calling attention to yourself.

- Many businesses hold promotions and fundraising for breast cancer (a very worthy cause), but consider raising money for testicular cancer (the most common cancer in men in their thirties and younger).

What can you do today that would be fearless, and would help either your business, your sales, your visibility, or your attitude?

If you like this post (or don't) please click on "comments" below and share your comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, in the financial, real estate, and insurance markets, and other consumer-selling industries.

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Don't Worry About H1N1 - NAS is More Dangerous

Forget about H1N1. Here's the real affliction making the rounds in the sales profession: Negative Assumption Syndrome (NAS). NAS is the real [career] killer.

Salespeople can be their own worst enemies! I see it often. Salespeople decide for their prospects if they're going to buy. Then, once the salesperson makes this decision, he acts in congruence with that decision.

As of this date, there is no vaccination for Negative Assumption Syndrome. But there is a remedy:

Let the prospect decide if they're not going to buy - Don't do it for them.

Unfortunately, many salespeople don't use the remedy. Just like an expired bottle of pills wasting away in the back of the medicine cabinet, salespeople know they should assume the sale, but they forget. Instead, they exhibit NAS, like these salespeople:

- The rug salesperson who said to his coworker, "I know they're not going to buy...they said they were looking online for rugs...I'll bet they'll buy online."

- The real estate agent who - while driving to his open house - "The weather's too darned nice today...nobody's going to be out looking at houses today."

- The interior designer who says "I know you have to talk to your husband, so show him my plans and then let me know what you guys decide."

- The fitness club sales rep who thinks, "She can't buy a membership...she's got three kids! I only have two kids and I couldn't afford it if I didn't work here."

- The department store salesperson who never offers credit accounts because he says "Anybody who wants a credit card already has one."

- The furniture store sales representative who shows the cheapest recliner first, instead of showing the premium product first because "the economy sucks."

- The door-to-door salesperson who skips a house because "their bad siding tells me they can't afford a security system."

- The optical store rep who doesn't try to add on sunglasses because "times are tight and people can't afford two pairs of glasses these days."

You cannot predict the future. So don't waste time on dire predictions.

If you're going to make assumptions, then make assumptions that you ARE going to be successful, that your prospects ARE going to buy, that you WILL find a way to make it through challenges, that your hard work and sales skill CAN and WILL take you to new heights, that you MUST improve, and that you DESERVE to rise to the top.

Wherever your mind goes, your behavior follows, so select your assumptions carefully.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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The Inspirational Element of Sales Management

As a kid, I loved baseball. But I soon began to imagine myself as a great coach, or a manager of a team, not a star player like most kids. I guess it's no surprise I became a manager, a sales coach, and a sales trainer.

Part of managing a sales team is inspiring it to reach new heights of performance, just as an athletic coach might do. The similarities between coaching a sports team and managing a sales team are remarkable. 

Coaches sometimes rally their troops at half-time or between periods or before the ninth inning. Sales coaches rally their troops at the beginning of the month, at end end of the quarter, and at all times in between. I've been inspired by coaches speeches as a young athlete, and I've given my share of [hopefully] inspiring messages as a manager, and now as a public speaker.

Here's a nice coaching scene from the 2004 movie "Miracle," the story of the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team's win over the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union's team at the 1980 Olympics. Kurt Russell plays the late Herb Brooks (a fellow Minnesotan, which explains Russell's curious vocal inflection), a dynamic hockey coach who led the Americans to victory. This is about hockey, but with a few word substitutions, it could be about your team making its sales goal this month.

If you want to be a great coach or a great salesperson, learn from someone who knows how to do it. Here's a guy who's off to a great start:

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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It's Not Just Food and It's Not Just Selling

I love great food. I love to eat it, cook it, serve it, talk about it, and read about it. Dining at an excellent restaurant is one of my favorite pastimes.

I appreciate the care a chef takes to prepare an stunning menu. I'm so impressed with chefs like Charlie Trotter and Thomas Keller who give maximum attention to every element of a dish and of the dining experience as a whole. It's mind blowing, really. 

Take a look at this amazing menu from Thomas Keller's famous French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, California (Download pdf).

Zounds! A oyster and caviar sabayon. Duck foie gras with apricots, almonds, and toasted brioche. Pekin duck with sunchokes, pine nuts, arugula and cherry sauce. Coconut milk sorbet with lime foam and valrhona chocolate cocoa nibs with a mango-chili relish. Sign me up! The meal is a bargain at only $240. Food of this caliber is worth every penny. It's not just a meal, it's a celebration of life for the body and mind and spirit.

Look at photos of some of Keller's work at the French Laundry site here (go ahead, click on some of the links on the French Laundry site - it's wonderful). This isn't just food, it's art...and science...and amazing.

Watch a short interview with Charlie Trotter from ABC News here. He's not just a cook, he's an artist and technician who is obsessed with excellence. Just wait until you taste his food.

But bazillions more people eat at Old Country Buffet or Golden Corral each evening than eat at Charlie Trotters in Chicago or Vegas, or at the French Laundry in the Napa Valley. More diners are happy to stuff themselves with a plate (platter?) overflowing with mac & cheese, roast beef, lime gelatin, mashed potatoes, broccoli and cheese "soup," and garlic toast than they are to experience the flavor nuances of impeccably prepared sauces, the inspiring textures of ultra-fresh vegetables, and the amazing flavor of perfectly prepared meats and fish.

A similar phenomenon exists in selling, too. Most consumer salespeople muddle through the day, if not their career, spewing information to and fro, taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, and doing enough to get by. Most have never read a book about selling and most have never attended a sales training seminar or webinar. Most have never hired a sales coach or read articles and blogs online about improving their selling skills. Most have never recorded a sales interaction to listen to it to analyze what's working and what's isn't. For most, good enough is good enough. Excellence is for someone else.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of selling going on out there, and that's a good thing. But to become a true professional, a leader in the sales profession, and a master salesperson, one's commitment and attention to detail must soar above the fray. You must allow yourself to become aware of subtleties in selling that others miss, of nuances that go unnoticed to most. You need to be passionate about excellence and customer service and prospects and your career. You need to be an engineer of processes, a painter of dreams, an interviewer of stellar standing, and a presenter of possibilities.

Please be more like Charlie Trotter and Thomas Keller. Anybody can cook at Old Country Buffet.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, and the financial, real estate, and insurance markets.

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5 Brief Motivational Videos That Are Motivational

Business motivational tools can be trite, over-produced pieces that play on emotions but rarely have long-lasting effect.

So I was very pleased when I ran across five brief "motivational" videos by Jerry Kennedy. Their messages are powerful, the production is simple, and the videos are fantastic. I know Jerry, and nobody is more genuinely interested in helping others succeed.

Have a look and get motivated today!

Jerry also created Motivation 101, a fantastic audio program which I highly recommend, too. I've listened to the audio program in my car a half dozen times and will continue to do so.

Jerry's You Tube videos:

Got Purpose?

Got Focus?

Got Passion?

Got Optimism?

Got Motion?

Check out Jerry Kennedy's Motivation 101.

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training.

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Are You Who You Say You Are? Time for a Reality Check

Are you one of those 180-degree people? You know, those people that say things that are completely opposite of reality?

For example:

- You say, "I'm not a complainer; I hate it when people complain." Yet, you are the biggest complainer in your company.

- You say, "I work sixty hours a week for this company." Yet, everyone around you knows that--in a good week--you invest thirty hours of your time on your job.

- You say, "I always ask for the sale." Yet, every time your sales manager observes one of your sales interactions with a real, live customer, you don't ask for the order.

It's time for a reality check. We are approaching the halfway point of 2009. It's time for each of us to look ourselves in the mirror and get a better grip on reality. All of us benefit when we approach reality in a more real way.

What are the issues you're facing that would benefit from greater reality?

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Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is mad about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

Fight or Flight: Which Have You Chosen?

There are some signs that the economy has reached it's bottom, and if that's true, we'll (hopefully) soon begin a (probably) lengthy economic recovery. Having said that, many salespeople and organizations are still struggling to deal with the present day realities of the current economy.

How have you chosen to deal with this economy? Fight? Or flight?

Only you can decide if it's time to pull up your roots and find a new gig. If you've lasted this long in your position, perhaps you've weathered the worst of the economic storm and your environment, although still challenging, will start to improve for you. If you're a fighter, you probably fall into one of two categories:

Those of you who are more long-term, future-thinkers are already thinking ahead a month or a year or beyond. You've strategized, created a plan to implement now that will position you in a stronger position down the road. You are fighters, not flighters!

Those of you who are more present, current-day thinkers are already stretching yourselves, developing new markets, new sales techniques, and working harder to overcome the current hardships. You are fighters, too!

The best sales fighters will do both: prepare for the future (after all, the weak will have already left, leaving you in a better position to benefit from an economic recovery!) while putting up sales numbers today that will pay your bills (and maybe even create wealth!) and keep your employer in business for tomorrow.

Flee if you must, but I encourage you to fight a stronger, better fight.

•   •   •   •   •

Begin engaging your prospects more effectively starting next week. Take the "Engage More...Sell More" webinar! Learn more.

If you like this post (or don't!), please consider leaving a comment. Subscribe to our free sales tips newsletter to read more sales tips and commentary about selling and sales.

Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is mad about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

Illegal Interview Questions, Sales Panic, and Smile & Move

1. Troublesome Interview Questions

As a business consultant, I am sometimes involved in teaming up to do interviews with one of my client companies. Every once in a while I hear an interviewer ask an inappropriate question to a job candidate. There are certain things you can't ask on a job interview, at least in the U.S. Read forbidden interview questions to make sure you know what you cannot ask of a job candidate.

On a related note, I received a job notice this week from someone who wanted to know if I knew of a candidate who would be a good fit for a sales opening. The posting said, "Only men are encouraged to apply." That's perfectly acceptable in some parts of the world, but not in the United States of course.

2. Play "Sales Panic"

This is a free online sales game which illustrates the steps of selling. Make sure you read the directions first.

3. Smile and Move

Watch the Smile and Move Video (I learned about this video via Jill Konrath of Selling to Big Companies fame - Thanks Jill). This three minute video has a really positive message. Smile and move today!

If you like this post (or don't!), please consider leaving a comment. Subscribe to our free sales tips newsletter to read more sales tips and commentary about selling and sales.

Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is mad about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

The Joy of Selling

A friend told me last week, "Nobody ever plans on being in sales, but a lot of losers end up there." And recently, I've talked to a number of salespeople who seem tired, frustrated, and even defeated. As a sales trainer and coach, it's my job to help them through those feelings so they can generate renewed energy and experience renewed success. Believe me, I'm happy to play that role and provide that service. It makes me joyful.

Sales is a wonderful profession. Selling is an excellent career for someone who is self-motivated, self-directed, enjoys people, enjoys getting paid for their accomplishments (at least those who work on commission can say that), and for someone who wants to strive to grow and learn, and create a good (even great) income.

Do you feel the joy of selling? The gasoline in the top-performing salesperson's gas tank is joy. Before you see any prospects, fill your tank today.

Joy is also a by-product of successful selling. The more joy we put into our day-to-day tasks, the more joy we''ll find in our "tanks."

Joy creates more joy. Sell with joy today - and always. 

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Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is nuts about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

It's Fearless Friday - Sell Without Fear Today!

It's Fearless Friday!

What does that mean? It means today you go out into the world and sell without fear. No fears are allowed on Fearless Friday. What are you afraid of?

- Failure?
- Success?
- Your prospects?
- Angry customers?
- Asking for the sale?
- Change?
- Challenging yourself?
- Picking up the phone?
- Asking for referrals?
- Networking?
- Cold calling?
- Door-knocking?
- Looking "like a salesperson?"
- Being a salesperson?
- Paperwork?
- Your boss?
- Your colleague?
- Doing something differently to get a different result?
- Learning?
- Working hard?

Many salespeople have a fear that is holding them back from the next tier of success. What is the fear that's holding you back?

Once you identify it, make today the day that you confront your fear head-on. Be fearless today. It's time for a new, better, more fearless you to make an appearance.

If you like this post (or don't!), please consider leaving a comment, or subscribe to our free sales tips newsletter.

Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is nuts about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

Selling Now

We're in constant transition. We live our lives in at the junction of our past and the future. That time is now.

Now is fleeting. Time marches on. In the sales profession, how we us our nows are important. What we accomplished a month ago or a year ago or twenty years ago really doesn't matter in the sales profession. And the future will matter when you get there, but it's not important in selling. In sales, it's what we do now that counts.

What are you doing with your now? Today will never happen again. Once it has past, it will be gone. Right now, you have an opportunity for sales success, and you will never have that opportunity with that moment in time ever again. Honor now and take action in whatever manner will bring you the career success you're looking for.

Your time is now.

With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Special thanks to Jeffrey Sartain for inspiring today's post.

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Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is nuts about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

Sell with Enthusiasm

Don't we just love it when we run across an individual with sincere, genuine enthusiasm? It could be an athlete, a public speaker, a politician, a teacher, or a new friend, but people love to be around enthusiastic others.

We're talking about real, natural, enthusiasm here, not faked enthusiasm. Nobody likes to be around someone who isn't really enthusiastic but is trying to act like they are.

If you could watch a video recording of your last dozen sales interactions, or your last week at work, or your last week at home, where would your life rate on the enthusiasm meter? How would your customers rate your enthusiasm? Your coworkers? Your manager? Your employees? Your family?

Today, be enthusiastic about:

• your product;

• your company;

• your job (lots of people don't have one right now);

• the opportunities you have in your career;

• your life; your family; your friends; your health, if it's in good shape;

• your potential as a sales professional; and most of all...

• your prospects.

Do you need a bit of inspiration to help you along today?

I'm a big fan of classical music (and lots of other music, too). I was blown away by a TED video of a youth orchestra from Venezuela under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel (The 28-year-old Dudamel will become the Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic this fall). In the video, these young musicians play extraordinarily difficult music with incredible enthusiasm. Even if you're not into orchestral music, I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch this video. It's awesome. Crank the volume!

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Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is nuts about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

March: In Like A Lion

It's the first of March today, which means we have two months of 2009 under our collective belts. That means the year is one-sixth over, with five-sixths remaining. Are you on track to accomplish what you need to in 2009?

The economy is challenging for many of us (for some, that's an understatement - it's downright frightening). Some businesses are in turmoil or transition, while others are chugging along at near-normal pace.

But whatever you want or need to accomplish this year, you now have one-sixth less of the year in which to do it. Time is moving along despite the challenges in your career or company, so if you want to be moving along, too, you've got to make sure you've made one-sixth of your goals for 2009 already.

The beginning of March is an excellent time to "FEAC":

F = FOCUS. The "down economy chatter" can hypnotize a salesperson into a lack of focus. Combat that effect and refocus yourself mentally on the tasks at hand.

E = EVALUATE. Any plan needs periodic reevaluation, and with one-sixth of the year behind us, this is a great time to do it. What's working? What's not working? Do some analysis and and make some conclusions.

A = ADJUST. Salespeople, like much of the general public, seem to have a preference for readjustment on New Year's Day. But why wait ten more months before you adjust the direction of your efforts? With five-sixths of the year remaining, it's a great time of the year to make small or big changes in your direction.

C - COMMIT. Renewing commitment to your goals now can help you maximize the rewards of the next ten months. A major reason for sales failure is a lack of commitment on the part of the salesperson; don't fall prey to a lack of commitment.

So you've got five-sixths of the year remaining. Yes, it's tough out there. But make the most of it as you dive into March 2009 (why not enter March like a lion?).

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Skip Anderson is the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and management consulting company. Skip is nuts about helping companies and individuals sell more. 

Business Knowledge from Cyberspace

I just love learning. Not only do I have an office (and house) full of books, I have the internet, which I scour for worthy reads. Start out your Friday with a learning moment and check out the following:

Mason Hipp writes about the "The Art of Self-Motivation". He presents a step-by-step plan for achievement through self-motivation.

The teachings of Brian Tracy have been a major factor in my success. Watch his video, "You Are What You Think."

Bill Sadick tells us it's time to change our minds. Read his post over at Nice Selling.

A study has shown that more dominant individuals achieve more influence with others. Read the Time article, "Competence: Is Your Boss Faking It?"

The Hustler would rather fold his socks than go sell. Read "The Closed Mouth Goes Hungry.

Your comments are always appreciated. Please share your comment by clicking "comments" below.

Skip Anderson is a professional speaker, sales coach, and the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to our free sales tips newsletter.

Stuck in a Recession Pity Party?

Many of us are under the tremendous pressure of the current state of the economy. For some, no matter how hard you try, the dark cloud of the economy seems to be always present. So what do you do? How do you handle the dark cloud that is the current economy?

One thing you can do is watch this video. My guess is that it will help you, in some way. Thanks to Tim Ferriss and Fabio Platero for calling my attention to this video:

For those of you struggling with the economy, or anything else for that matter, please keep on keeping on.

I greatly appreciate it when you comment on my blog posts. If you have something to say, please comment now...

Skip Anderson is a professional speaker, sales coach, and the Founder of Selling to Consumers Sales Training, a B2C and retail sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to our free sales tips newsletter.

Get Up Off Your Butt Today

Economic times are challenging; I get that. Need some inspiration?

Here's a video about a fellow Minnesotan who might inspire you to get up off your butt today and do something to take care of business.

Please share your comments by clicking on "comments" below. If you you use Digg or Stumble Upon, please consider using the Share This button (below) so others can find this post.

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company specializing in sales training in retail, in-home selling, and services. Subscribe to the free Sales Tips newsletter.

Sales Skills or Attitude? Which Matters Most?

Which person will outsell the other? The salesperson who uses great sales skills but a bad attitude, or the person with a great attitude and who doesn't use sales skills?

The person who uses the skills, of course.

Now, it's true that most people with great sales skill also have a great attitude. But people who have achieved excellence in athletics, marketing, politics, and many areas of human achievement - including selling - have great skill first and foremost. Athletes win games because they have the skills to get the job done (I don't agree with the commentator that says "he had the presence of mind to reach out and catch the pass;" that's hogwash - he had the skill to do what needed to get done!) Successful marketers are successful because they make the right decisions to get the desired outcomes. Great salespeople have the right sales behaviors to achieve sales excellence.

Skill rules. In what areas of the selling world are your skills strong? Where are they weak? Emphasize your strengths and repair your sales weaknesses (by learning, practicing, getting coached, etc.) and you have a formula for success. A great attitude won't hurt, either.

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Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company specializing in retail sales training, in-home selling sales training, and other consumer selling sales training. Subscribe to the free Sales Tips Newsletter.

Break My Slump Day

In a slump?

Make today Break My Slump Day. Do something unexpectedly nice for your customers or prospects today. You're doing this not nearly so much for them as you are for you. Break My Slump Day will help get you out of your funk. Engineer some motivation for yourself!

Here are some ideas, but I'd like to hear your ideas, too:

- Visit the best bakery in town this morning, and put a platter of sugar cookies out for your customers in your retail store today.

- Bring a container of chocolate covered macadamia nuts to every prospect you visit today (in their homes or in your office)

- For every prospect appointment you have today, tell your prospect that you're going to donate $10. Show the prospect a list of five charities, and ask him to select one. After you've made the donation, mail the receipt to the prospect so they can declare it on their taxes.

- What other ideas do you have for Break My Slump Day?

Please share your comments by clicking on "comments" below.

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Make The Most of the Remaining 4 Months of 2008

2008 is two-thirds history, and we have one-third of the year remaining. Are you on track to meet your sales goals for 2008?

For many in sales, it's been a challenging year given the state of the economy. If you've survived thus far, that's a good sign. Now what can you do to ensure you make maximum use of the remaining four months of 2008? Here are some suggestions to keep you on track and to avoid getting sucked in to negative thinking:

1. There's something on your to-do list that you should have been done by now.

We all get busy with customers and customer service issues and internal activities, but many salespeople have had good intentions to do some particular thing that could positively impact their sales figures, but just haven't done it yet. This is a great time to re-evaluate and get that thing, whatever it is, done!

2. Realize that flexible, creative sales people are likely to be the winners in this challenging economy.

Maybe the old ways and old strategies won't do it any more. Don't just be willing to change; CHANGE!

3. Start planning for 2009.

Forward thinking people make things happen. Don't focus on the past; focus on the future. Your planning for 2009 will even help you focus in on the last four months of 2008.

4. Make your new year's resolutions NOW.

And put your resolution into action right now (you'll get a four-month jump on everybody else's resolutions). Reach out to new information. Read a book. Don't let yourself get stuck in a rut. Recommit to your career and your quota. Energize yourself. On September 1, 2008, act as if it was January 1, 2009.

Please share your comments by clicking on "comments" below.

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Skill and . . . Motivation

Successful selling is always about skill. The better your skills, the better your results. But once in a while, it's also about motivation (you've got to be motivated to put those skills into play).

Here's a motivational video.

What do you think of it? How does "motivation" impact sales performance? What is the role of motivation in achieving stellar sales results? Please share your comments.

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Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Breathe Again

Negative people have a way of getting their claws into you and not letting go. Their psyche hovers over you like a storm cloud, always at the ready to do damage. They make the air you breathe heavy and difficult to "digest." Potentially pleasant moments get infected with the bacteria of negativity, which makes it difficult to enjoy your work or your business, to get your work done, or make progress toward your goals. Sometimes negative people exhaust me.

Divorce yourself from the negative people around you.

What seems like might be a step backward is almost always a leap forward. Whether the negs are co-workers, bosses, employees, customers, or friends, sometimes the best solution is to cut the tether. And when you do, the negativity goes away, too. Then, you can breathe again. Aaaahh...air...

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Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

I am a Sales Trainer

After a training session, I like to pass around a form and ask participants to fill it out. On the form, it says:

"I am willing to change..."

There are ten lines below this phrase.

I ask participants to write down sales behaviors they are willing to change - starting today - to improve their sales performance. I ask them not to be general, such as "...to close more effectively," but to be brutally specific, such as "...how I don't look customers directly in the eye when I ask for their business."

I am not a motivational speaker. I think motivational speakers can be entertaining, but I believe they have a temporary effect on long-term sales improvement.

I am a sales trainer. In my view, a trainer teaches new behaviors. The challenge is how to get training participants to implement those new behaviors and put some old ones to rest so that their sales performance will improve.

My "I am willing to change" form encourages training participants to make a decision about behavior change while it's fresh in their mind and while the topic is at the top of their consciousness. This is close as one can get to a commitment for change. After this, it's up to the individual, with the help of their sales manager or coach, to see the process through and ensure that all the talk about change is not just talk, but is truly change.

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Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

What is it YOU want?

Joe Girard wrote "How to Sell Anything to Anybody." Here's what Joe said:

"You have to want something. And you have to know what it is. And you have to see every move you make as a way of getting whatever it is you want."

I love that quote.

What is it you want?
 
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Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Sometimes Reality Sucks

My travel agent retired last week. Yes, I still use a travel agent (for roughly half of my travel plans).

I knew she was retiring, but I didn't bother to plan ahead and find a new one. So I called a new travel agent last week and said, "I need a good travel agent" to the person who answered the phone.

Here's what I wanted to hear: "Great! Thanks for calling! My name is Jodi, what's your name? I'm the great travel agent you're looking for! How can I help you?"

Here's what I heard: "Is this a corporate account or an individual account?" (I answered). "Will this be a personal or business trip?" (I answered). "Where are you going?" (I answered). "When do you need to depart?" (I answered). "When will you return?" (I answered).

The travel agent (a salesperson, you know) I had spoken to in my imagination was a much better salesperson than the one I talked to in reality.  

Here's your goal for next week: Be the salesperson I imagined, not the one I actually talked to.

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Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Six Beliefs

In a recent thought-provoking article, Jonathan Farrington says there are six beliefs that can have a positive impact on your sales performance in a recent thought-provoking article. Here is his list of the six beliefs:

1. Every individual is unique and their perceptions are true to them.

2. Communication is successful only if it achieves your desired results.

3. Resistance from another person usually signals a lack of rapport.

4. Flexibility improves success.

5. There is no failure, only feedback.

6. Accepting 100% responsibility creates transformation.

Read Jonathan's entire article about empowering sales beliefs.

Please share your comments by clicking on "comments" below.

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Fear of Rattlesnakes

My family went camping last summer for the first time in three years. Our daughter, six years old at the time, was excited to go camping because she's heard so much about it, but couldn't remember actually doing it.

When we arrived at our campsite, I explained to our daughter that there were rattlesnakes in the area where we were camping. We live in Minnesota, and rattlesnakes inhabit only a small area of our rather large state. To most Minnesotans, rattlesnakes are creatures you only see on the Discovery channel, not creatures you casually encounter on a hike.
   
"Rattlesnakes?" my daughter asked. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, for real," I said. "There really are rattlesnakes that live in this part of Minnesota."

My daughter's eyes were huge, and the look on her face was one of fear. She told me she was concerned about rattlesnakes attacking us in our tent or while we were sitting around the campfire.

It took a lot of patience and a lot of explaining, but by the end of our camping trip, our daughter realized that, although rattlesnakes surely exist and they could surely be dangerous, it was not worth worrying about. She learned to overcome her fear of rattlesnakes (at least until she actually runs into one!).

Salespeople have fears, too. Some salespeople fear rejection, fear making follow-up phone calls, fear addressing sensitive issues with a customer, or fear giving an important presentation. Just as my daughter learned to manage her fear of rattlesnakes in Minnesota, salespeople can overcome their fears, too.

Deal with fears head-on. If you fear making phone calls, make more phone calls this month than you've ever made before. If you fear rejection, call every prospect in your database and give them an opportunity to reject you. For most people, fear is manageable. And managing fear can remove this roadblock to sales success.

Please share your comments by clicking on "comments" below.

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Little Improvements Are Big Things

I became a fan of Altoids® years ago (see my previous Altoid-related post). I became an even bigger fan when they came out with Altoids Smalls™ a few years ago. They're smaller than regular Altoids and they're sugar free, and best of all, they keep my naturally stinky breath minty and fresh. This is an important characteristic when one spends a great deal of time training, consulting, and public speaking (nobody likes a foul-breathed business consultant).

My only problem with Altoids Smalls has been that the cover on the tin is hard to slide open. Often, my thumb would slip, which prevented it from opening. Or, I would press down on my thumb to attempt to get some traction, but the cover of the tin would dent inward.

The Altoids posse must have had some complaints (or identified the problem themselves), because when I stocked up on Smalls recently, I noticed that they made a superb revision to the design of the tin's cover. Now there's an indentation that perfectly fits my thumb, allowing the lid to easily slide open to reveal the bevy of freshening morsels located underneath.

Bravo to Altoids for this little improvement to their product.

Constant improvement is one of the qualities of top-performing salespeople, brands, and companies. What little things can you improve about yourself? Your company? Your image?

Little improvements make a big difference in:

- sales results
- customer satisfaction
- self satisfaction
- employee satisfaction

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting firm. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Success in Business: Just like Success in Sports?

A sports analogy is often used by trainers and speakers to illustrate a point about business and selling. I sometimes tire of those sports analogies, even though I find myself doing the same thing occasionally when I am speaking, training, or writing.

Former sports psychologist Jeremy Cross thinks some elements of "mental toughness" that help make a successful career in sports are similar to the elements needed for success in business. Read The Secrets of Success: The Mental Toughness Game. 

What do you think? Please share your comments.

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting firm. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Selling is Tough. Never Give Up.

Here's a sappy but nice video.

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting firm. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

It's True: One Degree Makes All the Difference

There are lots of tacky motivational business videos out there. But I like the 212° movie. If you haven't seen it, you can see it here.

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting firm. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.