The Job Nobody Dreams Of

Old School Sucks

I recently came across an article written by a "former" salesperson of CareerBuilder.com and his experience as a rep for one of the country's largest recruiting site. His training consisted of a canned script-presentation that was supposed to be delivered on every sales call...of which he was supposed to make 125 each day. He was also taught all the objections that would come up and how to handle them. What is this...1950? You can read the article (and the responses) here. 

Obviously I am not going to argue about making a hundred calls a day Science of Cold Calling but doing it in such a rehearsed way is stupid. You can have an outline of what you want to talk about but the conversation needs to be tailored based on who is on the other end of the phone call.

Use yourself as an example...getting phone calls from prospective vendors is part of the job. Who would YOU rather hear from...someone talking from a script or someone who might actually help you? Good salespeople act as resources to their clients and prospects.

When you go "Old School" and read from a script and focus on memorizing comebacks to every objection you get...you will not find much success. That's why most companies dumped this sales approach decades ago. Smart salespeople can find ways around these restraints and still keep their job...OH and sell more!

ASK what their biggest challenge is! Tell them you talk with hundreds of people a week and often act as a clearinghouse or middleman for solutions to client problems. You might not have an answer now but you could end up talking with someone next week who had the same problem and figured it out. Ask them for permission to call back if you come across a great idea someone else used.

Think about this...you are not asking them to call back to try and shove your product or service down their throat...rather to share a strategy that actually worked for someone else who had the exact same problem. Use the fact that you talk to hundreds of people a month! Make yourself valuable by being a "think tank" or depository of industry best practices.

This type of selling can easily be assimilated into your normal daily routine. It requires just another 30 to 60 seconds but positions you so far above the zombies who just smile (or more likely frown) and dial.

Happy Selling!

Mission Accomplished

Back in May I wrote about always asking for what you want Don't Ask - Don't Sell. Yesterday the dream came true for my son. We spent an hour along with someone who has the same security clearance as the President of the United States!

David Boren is the former Governor and Senator from Oklahoma who is currently President of Oklahoma University and a security adviser to President Obama.

Buzz and I spent an hour in his office just talking about life, foreign policy and the fact that my Huskers just beat OU! You get what you ask for and I made it happen for my son. Now, it's time for Dad to meet Angelina Jolie!

Happy Selling!

Is Talent Overrated?

There are a lot of similarities between sports and business. To be successful you have to work hard, maybe have a smidgen of luck and definitely have a plan to succeed. But what about "Talent?" Do those born with special gifts (the ability to run fast for sports or communicate well in business) have a legitimate advantage over those "normal" people? I don't think so.

The "thing" that levels the playing field is effort...usually effort OFF the field or AWAY from office or business meeting. There are two quotes that bring home this concept...

• Bobby Knight - "Many have the will to win...few have the will to prepare to win."
• Ed Foreman - "Successful people do the things unsuccessful people don't like to do."

Think of the greatest athletes of our generation: Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. They are famous and ultra successful, not because of their talent (which they certainly have) but because of their over-the-top practice habits. Something a lot of pro athletes abhor...remember Allen Iverson's famous rant..."We talking about practice!" In case you didn't know...he had missed a team practice and couldn't understand why everyone was upset. The great ones have a "no exception policy." They do those things that no one else wants to do without exception!

It's actually quite easy to stand out in your own "arena"...just do the little things that 99% of your peers don't want to do, i.e. practice that proposal or research potential clients instead of watching TV; Go to the gym after work instead of happy hour.

When you think of it...the ability to stand out over time is pretty simple. Those who were born with some type of advantage (talent) usually flame out because they don't understand the effort it takes to overcome challenges. Make the effort to "prepare to win" and do the little things that create success, things most people don't enjoy doing. Effort beats Talent long term every time!

Happy Selling!

Relationships and Bank Accounts

Capital can come in many forms. The obvious one is cash...you can't get too far without it. "Emotional" capital can be equally important and should be treated as such. Emotional capital comes from your relationships (I am referring to business related relationships in this post). Those friends and colleagues that you can call on in a time of need or opportunity can sometimes be more important than cash.

To build up your Emotional Capital you need to work on your relationships. You need to be there for people and become an asset to them. It might be as simple as sending an article to them periodically, letting them know you are thinking about them. Technology makes this process easy (instead of mailing an article in a magazine you email the link).

Use LinkedIn and Facebook to keep track of friends and business associates (some of my best clients are my Facebook friends!). You can view their status updates to see what is going on in their lives and find opportunities to help. Still think you are too much of a loner to network? Read the article from my friend Shari Alexander about Networking for Introverts.

Relationships and Emotional Capital require the same discipline as saving money but luckily there are tools to make it easier. You can't discount the additional returns outside of business that cultivating relationships can bring! I've used both Facebook and LinkedIn to connect with new friends and reconnect with people I haven't seen in 30 years. While I am sure they would help in any way I asked...the personal enjoyment I have received is priceless.

Happy Selling!