Posts Tagged ‘sales leader’
Something happened this weekend that reminds us all that we should not only appreciate the ultimate sacrifices made by our brave men and women fighting for our freedom, but also take time to thank the living and show our appreciation for all that they have done to help us achieve our successes.
The incident I am referring to is the untimely passing of the legendary child actor Gary Coleman. The child star of Different Strokes stormed into our living rooms in the early 1980’s, broke down racial barriers and touched the hearts of many with his loveable and sassy personality. Unfortunately, after the show Different Strokes went off the air, Gary’s fortunes came to an abrupt end and the rest of his life was saddled with financial and personal woes.
You may ask how this is different from all the other stories of child actors who could not smoothly transition into adult life. What’s different is not so much Gary’s story, but the untold story of how his loved ones wished they had repaired their relations with him and his wife before it was too late.
Gary sued his parents and manager for allegedly mishandling his earnings from Different Strokes. Estranged from his parents at the time of his pre-mature death on Friday, his mother told the Associated Press that she had prayed that “nothing like this would happen before we could sit with Gary and Shannon and say, ‘We’re here and we love you.’ ”
We have Memorial Day to thank and remember those who made the Ultimate Sacrifice. We have Thanksgiving to give thanks for all of our riches.
We have 362 days a year to thank everyone who has made a difference in our lives and to simply say we love you. Use each and every one of those days to give thanks. Saying thank you and showing appreciation while people are alive allows them to experience your true heartfelt feelings. Don’t wait until it’s too late and you are then forced to say “I wish I only said…..”
Tags: Business Development, Closing sales, cold calling, cold calling techniques, Communications, Customer Loyalty, customers, employees, Family Relations, Influence, Leadership, leadership speaker, leadersship expert, leadrship, marketing, motivation, Motivational Speaker, Negotiation, negotiation speaker, Negotiations, Personal Relations, Public Sales Seminar, Retail Sales, Retail Success, ronkarr.com Larry O'Donnell, Sales, Sales Boot Camp, sales coaching, sales leader, sales leadership, sales motivation, sales process, sales speaker, sales strategies, sales trainer, sales training, Sales Training Program, sell effectively, Success, teamwork, Telemarketing, Telemarketing sales, value added sales, voice mail
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In the gym of my daughter’s high school (Northern Valley Old Tappan-NVOT), there is a banner that reads-
Welcome to NVOT-Where sportsmanship is an expectation. So please let the players play. Let the coaches coach. Let the officials officiate. Let the spectators be positive.
This sign caught my eye because all too often I see people in leadership roles who don’t understand what they are supposed to be doing. For example, sales mgrs often travel with sales reps and usually take over the call under the guise of trying to get the deal. I know we must close the business. However, the true role of the sales manager is not only to come in and save the day, but to also coach his people on how to effectively sell. That means letting the salesperson do the talking so you can see where the gaps are. Then, once the call is over, the mgr should review the call, identify the gaps and provide guidance. Then go on to the next call and do the same process.
This is critical because if the sales manager always closes the deal, then the salesperson never really gets trained on how to do it and will not be able to do it when the sales manager is not there.
Bottom line. Are people in your organization really doing the things they are supposed to be doing. If not, the growth of the business is at stake. Like the sign says- Let the players play, let the coaches coach, etc.
If you want to give your salespeople a great education on how to double, triple or quadruple their sales, check out Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way and our Two Day Sales Boot Camp Happening in Two Weeks!
Tags: Business Development, Closing, Closing sales, cold calling, cold calling techniques, Customer Loyalty, customers, employees, Increase Profits, Leadership, leadership speaker, leadersship expert, leadrship, marketing, motivation, Motivational Speaker, Negotiation, Negotiations, ronkarr.com Larry O'Donnell, sales leader, sales motivation, sales strategies, sales trainer, sales training, sell effectively, Success, Telemarketing, Telemarketing sales, value added sales
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You know the old saying “if you have nothing nice to say about somebody then say nothing at all”! Well, here’s a new saying: “If you don’t have your facts in order, don’t bother marketing to your audience”! Just like saying something bad can turn people off, so can saying something stupid and untrue in your marketing pieces. It will kill your brand!
Last night I got a letter addressed to me. First problem is it was addressed to my full name which is Ronald. I never use it in business, social or in any settings. On the cover of my book Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way it says Ron Karr. Right there, they lost me because this letter smelled of being a rotten form letter where the sender knew nothing about me.
But Wait! It gets better. The sender of this letter is the sales rep who sold me my Audi Q7 in 2007. There is a huge punch line here so you’ll want to keep reading. I promise you are going to like this!
In his letter, the sales rep starts with “Happy Anniversary! It’s been three years and no doubt many long and winding roads since you drove away from our dealership in your AUDI Q7. We sincerely hope you are enjoying every stretch of asphalt, every twist and turn in this remarkable vehicle.” The letter goes on to ask for referrals and to let him know of if he can be of service to me.
The letter was dated May 3rd!
Here’s the punch line! I turned in my AUDI Q7 on April 16th to this very same sales rep. He took the car in and sent the papers to the leasing company. He knows I bought a competitor’s car. And yet on May 3rd he sends me a letter hoping I am still enjoying the AUDI experience!
Maybe this is a clue on why I left AUDI to begin with. Their customer service experience in the service dept did not justify the value of high prices. Obviously the sales experience was equally pathetic.
What we have here is someone who learned a marketing tactic of sending letters with the customer’s name on it to appear they are customized to the client. This is a useless tactic if you know nothing about your customer to begin with. Especially your existing customers! With this vain attempt in showing he cared about me he has literally destroyed any value I had left for the AUDI Brand and for his own personal brand.
Many of you reading this probably would never do such a stupid and senseless act. But are you doing minor things that in the end are going against the brand image you are trying to build and market?
Yesterday I had lunch with a client at a restaurant that is doing great but in a spot the last 4 owners failed miserably. I wondered why this guy was so successful. My client responded that any restaurant is only as good as the last meal served. In other words, each and every interaction has to be supportive of the brand you are building. If not, your customers will not come back again.
Now, please forgive me for a brief commercial. But we are ecstatic about announcing our all new Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way Sales Boot Camp in June. It will provide you with the tactics and strategies on how you can Double, Triple and Quadruple both your Top Line Revenues and Bottom Line Profits! Click here for more info! This program will ensure your customers keep coming back to you and buying more stuff! That is my promise and guarantee to you!
Tags: Business Development, Closing, Closing sales, cold calling, cold calling techniques, Customer Loyalty, employees, Leadership, leadership speaker, leadersship expert, leadrship, motivation, Motivational Speaker, Negotiation, Negotiations, Retail Sales, ronkarr.com Larry O'Donnell, sales coaching, sales leader, sales leadership, sales speaker, sales strategies, sales training, sell effectively, Success
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Instead of concentrating on being more successful, work on increasing the velocity in your efforts on a daily basis. What is velocity? It is the ability to get more done in less time. It is about gaining speed, power and momentum in your actions to achieve your goals in less time than originally anticipated.
Granted this is what we all want. But how many times do we let the small things in life mess with our velocity. Things like false assumptions. Too often we take people’s words and create our own stories as to what we think they are saying. Then our actions are based on these stories we have created and often miss the mark. It happens in sales and leadership all the time. And we wonder why we don’t get the sales or move the organization forward in a timely manner. There goes your velocity!
How about when you don’t think things through clearly and you operate out of a task mentality vs. purpose mentality. Yes, you may be busy. But are you doing the necessary work that needs to be done so you can achieve your goals? If you are letting your tasks drive you vs. your purpose, there goes your velocity!
How about when we try to influence others based on what we need vs. what they want and need? Are your recommendations truly being heard and acted upon? Or are they being received as some pushy sales pitch or order that is less likely to be accepted? There are two types of actions in this world: The limited action necessary to keep one happy and pretend you are doing your job, and the action of being all-in; where you are doing whatever it takes to get the job done. If you want people to accept your ideas, support you and be all-in, make sure you’re positioning them in the context of how they are going to benefit. Not because you need it. If you don’t change your context, there goes your velocity!
Velocity is the key to success in sales, leadership, negotiations, customer service and just about anything else in life. Ask yourself, what can I do today in my conversations and actions that will add velocity to my life and help me achieve my goals quickly? Here’s the funny thing. Your answer, if you think this through clearly, has more to do with how you can help others succeed vs. your own success. This is what generates true velocity!
Velocity is the key theme woven throughout the entire book Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way!
Tags: Business Development, CBS, Closing, Closing sales, cold calling, cold calling techniques, Customer Loyalty, employees, Increase Profits, leadership speaker, leadersship expert, Motivational Speaker, Retail Sales, ronkarr.com Larry O'Donnell, Sales, sales coaching, sales leader, sales leadership, sales motivation, sales process, sales speaker, sales strategies, sales trainer, sales training, sell effectively, Success, Telemarketing, Telemarketing sales, value added sales
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Why did Steve Teel of Teel’s Baseball (academy softball and baseball) bring me in to speak with their coaches on sales skills? The answer is simple. Coaches need to know how to communicate to all of the buying influences if they are going to grow their business.
Steve Teel is a smart business owner. He knows there are several buyers in any sale. In his market, you have the kid taking the lessons. Let’s call him or her the end user. You also have the parents who sign the checks. They usually have a different set of needs and desires than the kids do. And then you have the area coaches who can act as a great source of referrals.
Steve realized that if his coaches do not spend time with the parents asking about their expectations, they will feel neglected and the possibility will exist that the coaches will fall short in certain areas. Steve understands that his coaches need the same set of skills a professional sales person uses. Afterall, any coach at any level has to sell their ideas to their students or clients. Therefore, you need to know how to ask the right questions, how to present the ideas so they are acted on and how to listen to your customers.
After spending an hour with his coaches, the results were dramatic. Some coaches left with a renewed sense of purpose regarding the tremendous impacts they have on the lives of their young clients. All of the coaches now have a greater appreciation of the role the parents play in the success of their lessons and are now making them an active part of the process.
Bottom line, referrals have increased as have revenues from satisfied clients.
By the way, Teel’s Baseball was very successful before they brought me in. Like all successful companies, they realized there were things they needed to pay attention to if they were going to stay at the top.
What things do your sales people need to pay attention to in order to get to the top or stay at the top? What increases are you looking for in your sales career and life? If you are looking to increase your sales and earnings, then get your copy of Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way today! This is the book I used for the presentation to Teel’s.
Tags: Business Development, Closing, Closing sales, cold calling, cold calling techniques, Customer Loyalty, customers, employees, Leadership, leadership speaker, leadersship expert, leadrship, marketing, Motivational Speaker, Negotiation, negotiation speaker, Negotiations, Retail Sales, Retail Success, ronkarr.com Larry O'Donnell, sales leader, sales leadership, sales motivation, sales process, sales speaker, sales trainer, sales training, sell effectively, Success, SuperBowl, teamwork, Telemarketing, value added sales, Waste Management
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What would you do with a client, even if he is retired, who claims you added millions of dollars to his bottom line, not top line? You stay in touch in with the guy.
On Tuesday, I called John Treace, retired EVP of Sales for Xomed Surgical and Wright Medical and ask about his thoughts regarding today’s sales environment.
He said something very interesting: “The only way to come out of this recession strong is to sell your way out of it. You have to sell what you have. That means you need to have a strong sales force in all areas. Any weak area can cause significant loss of revenue, even for the big players. Why? Because the little guys are doing anything and everything to claw their way to survival.”
Is there any part of your sales operation that or sales process you feel is not as strong as it should be and needs to be addressed in order to maintain and increase your sales revenues and market share? That is the question I am posing to my clients. Please give it some thought and feel free to call me to discuss your findings. I am confident we can help you address these issues soon enough to ensure attainment of your 2010 goals.
Great News! Just heard from my publisher yesterday that Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way continues to sell and is even selling stronger than when it was released in 2009. From the comments we have heard, people are getting the answers they need to strengthen their sales process and thrive in this recession.
Tags: leadership speaker, leadersship expert, Sales, sales coaching, sales leader, sales process, sales speaker, sales trainer, sales training, value added sales
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