Used, Abused & Monkey Style Kung Fu'd!

What's with us and our need to cling to a tired phrase long beyond its expiration date?

One of our Linkedin Group members (Sonja Mallery) started an interesting discussion on the most overused one liners in the marketplace. There were lots of interesting responses (62 as of this post) but perhaps the most interesting take away was that we each were guilty of at least a few of these.

So, without further delay, I want to present to you a Top 10 list of sorts inspired by a fun group discussion!

1) Adding the phrase "Full Service" to your elevator speech . . . So, does that mean you will check my oil and wash my windows?
2) The phrase "On the planet" . . . Well holy sh*t, you guys must be big because that's like one step away from "in the universe status" No?
3) "Just checking in" . . . Sure. Would you like a smoking or non smoking room?
4) "Let me be perfectly honest with you" . . . No thanks! Just keep lying to me instead. Please?
5) "At the end of the day" . . . Screw that, how about a "nooner" instead?
6) "Think outside the box" . . . Sure, just as soon as I finish trying to color inside of the lines!
7) Can you "sharpen your pencil" on this one? Will do, but first let me place another pin in the crack of the ass on the voodoo doll I have in your likeness.
8) I wanted to "reach out to you" . . . Alright but please don't feel up my face like Patty Duke did in that Helen Keller movie.
9) Irregardless . . . That isn't even a word dude.
10) "Is that your best price?" . . . Oh my God, how did you know that was my throw away price? Get out of my head!
10.5 "If I could show you a way to ______________ would you seriously consider our offer?" Your monkey style Kung Fu is ineffective dude!

So there you have it. Now if you'd like to really get the skinny on all the other tired one liners then march yourself right over to our Linkedin group discussion by clicking this link http://tinyurl.com/yg4rr9z

Wishing you a great week full of cliche free success!

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Sales Development On A Shoestring!

According to ASTD's 2008 State of Industry Report, the average working person in the US participates in just 1 day of career skills training each year. I bet you that there are quite a few people reading this right now thinking . . . "That's 1 more day than I received!"

Unfortunately, trainng is the first thing to go during challenging times and while I could literally go on for days about how foolish I think that philosophy is, I would rather offer some ways for you to keep at least some element of continual development alive.

The first thing I suggest (even for companies with hefty training budgets) is that each sales rep commit to investing in themselves by buying 1 sales book per month. We could have a lengthy discussion over who should be paying for that book, but we lose valuable training time by entering that debate. Here's another way of looking at it. Do you own stocks? Do you have a 401K? Well if you do, then you are investing in others. Perhaps its time to invest in yourself? We can always go to the library, but I prefer to own my books, mostly because I like to mark them up and librarians get pissy about that.

Here's where the fun starts. If you get a few employees on board with the "Book a month" club, you maximize your efforts because you can swap books out. Something else you can do that won't cost you a dime. Every now and again have a teammate do a verbal book report in one of the sales meetings. Here's how everyone wins. You will never "own" information better than when you have to teach it. Presenting it will also sharpen your public speaking skills and your team obviously benefits from the knowledge share.

Speaking of sales meetings, most suck! Let's be honest. Personally, I don't care what Jane's numbers are nor do I want to listen to administrative BS that would have made a better email for me to delete. On the other hand, there are educational components you can add to a sales meeting that will have everyone locked, loaded and ready for action. If you want the skinny on that, you will need to read my post on The Un Suckification Of The Weekly Sales Meeting http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/04/play-37-un-suckification-of-weekly.html

Mastermind Groups: This has been a key component of any training program I have implemented for the last 10 years. Its simply a gathering of sales reps (in person or by conference call), once to twice a month to discuss different sales topics. A few ideas for discussion: How do we get a prospect off the fence of indecision without compromising the sale, creative door openers, objection busters, compare intro letters, voice mails that get attention. You get the idea. It's a great venue for you to share best practices, strategies etc. I have one rule for my mastermind groups, it aint a bitch session! I encourage my reps to join two kinds of mastermind groups. An internal one and an external one meaning people outside your organization. By the way this is a great way for you to move some of those virtual (online) relationships from Linkedin, Twitter etc to real time.

Articles, blogs, e-zines: There is so much free information out there that you would probably need 3 lifetimes to read it all. Why not tap into some of that?

If you would like to peruse a virtual magazine rack of sales blogs, check out http://sales.alltop.com/

Websites such as www.salesopedia.com www.eyesonsales.com www.salesdog.com www.justsell.com are fantastic sites with tons of free articles and resources!

Want to get better with your phone skills? Check out www.businessbyphone.com and sign up for their free weekly e-zine.

Would you rather listen to a podcast? Say no more:

Here's a bunch of podcasts on how to network more effectively: http://www.smallbusinessadvocate.com/cgi-bin/archivesbybtsub.cgi?bt=708&sub=22&mediatype=1

Let us not forget our daily dose of Zig Ziglar: http://tinyurl.com/yj3h9y8

And since this blog post was all about continual and never ending improvement, you'll want to hear Tony Robbin's take on this: http://www.anthonyrobbinseurope.com/thankyou.htm

You can take these podcasts, articles etc send them to your teammates as pre work for an upcoming meeting and discuss. Perhaps you'll find yourself in a spirited debate. Fantastic! Perhaps that will lead to a new strategy that your team can own!

How about getting together with your teammates every now and again and each person does a 3 min presentation on something. Perhaps one of those articles, a topic such as social networking etc. When each person finishes the team offers constructive feedback.

In summary (God that sounds stuffy) I want to say that there is no substitute for having a professional development program at your company. There is much to be leveraged from having a team of people who are skilled at coaching sales professionals. If you don't have that or if you have recently lost that, I will get right behind you in agreeing that it sucks!

My follow up question whenever someone tells me something like that is "Now what?"

If you think for one moment that these challenging times represent something that we just need to ride out then all I can say, is that you are missing an opportunity to build amazing new muscles.

Don't ever let lack of funds, company policy, the economy or anything ever stand in the way of your professional growth!

Important Note: My friend Jared Wells from TSL Marketing tells me they are expanding and as a result have many open positions. Visit http://www.tslmarketing.com/careers.html for more info.

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Your Best Year Ever . . . Part I

Today, I have a two minute Youtube video, pretty much hot off the press. So sit back, relax and for God's sake, turn up your speakers so you can hear it! As always, the rule is simple . . . if you like it, please pass it along to your network. If you don't, then it deserves a one way ticket to the virtual dumpster!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KI5IkGqqjU

Be sure to check back later this week and I'll share a story about that cool kid in the picture! Wishing you your best year ever and the BELIEF that great things are on the horizon!

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The "Gift"

Tucked away in a safe place within the walls of my heart, is a vision of my Father, Christmas Eve some 22 years ago. I can vividly see the look upon my Father’s face, because it was a look that transcended all expression. It was beyond gratitude or joy and it was as if he were recording our faces, our voices and acts to be filed for ready access in the depths of his soul It was as if he had something to say, but couldn’t express it. I didn’t know what it was but I felt it to be deep and profound.

It was that Christmas that I learned something that I have referred to as “The Gift”!

12 days later a family meeting was called by my Father and he obviously had something on his mind. With a heavy heart he shared with us that before he was released from the hospital (a few days before Christmas) he was told that the cancer had spread and was given 3 months to live. He explained to us that he didn’t want to ruin our holiday and wanted to give the family the 12 days of Christmas.

That day the light bulb went off for me, as I realized that on Christmas Eve, my Father was drinking it all in for the last time. Less than 3 months later, my Father passed away.

So let me say it for you . . . where is “The Gift” in that? Seems to me to be an unnecessary emotional bomb that I just dropped on you. No? There are in fact, many. Please read on.

The first is a constant reminder that if my Dad could keep himself from wearing devastating news like that on his sleeve, perhaps I can keep whatever BS I’m going through off of mine! And let’s not pretend that we don’t know what I’m talking about either. I’m talking about the boss, the job, the A-hole who stole the parking spot, the kids, the wife, the bills, and for the “Bah Humbug” crowd . . . . the season!

When I am guilty of wearing those things on my sleeve (and I am), perhaps I am also guilty of getting in the way of someone else’s joy. Something for us all to think about next time we care to offer someone an invite to our pity party. Might be a “gift” in understanding that one!

The other “gift” is savoring the moment, involving all of your senses and living the holiday (and dare I say, our lives) as if this will be the last one. Someday we’ll be right!

I believe there is also a “gift” in catching yourself enjoying that moment. Don’t they call it the present for a reason? Personally, I think it sucks when we are enjoying a moment solely in retrospect! I triple dog dare you to catch yourself in the act of enjoying your life!

Gratitude is yet another gift that I have taken away from that event. Gratitude that I saw the moment when my Dad was savoring his last Christmas. In that moment, I was able to share something very profound . . . a moment when someone who had come to the end of their journey was counting their blessings!

Additional “gifts” come from that knowledge too. All of us have an expiration date. If you knew you were on your final 3 months would you be filled with regret or gratitude? Even more “gifts” come our way with the ability to start, right now in positioning ourselves for a “regret free” life!

There’s still more, I promise!

If we can’t embrace gratitude, how about refusing to allow resentment to enter our lives? Not once during his final days did he ever convey feelings of resentment for a life cut short at 65! Instead of anger that Christmas Eve, he was grateful. And don’t think that I’ve never had to face anger and resentment in my own journey. There were many times when I was rebuilding my life that I allowed those feelings to creep in. Reflecting back on Dad’s last Christmas Eve always gave me the necessary kick in the ass I needed to stay the course. Speaking of which; do you need a swift kick in the ass? It’s OK if you do, mine has been numb from the necessary kicks from time to time!

“The Gift” is also an opportunity for us to become selfishly selfless. It means finding a need, thinking beyond ourselves and giving unconditionally. How?

Giving of encouragement. Never, ever underestimate the power of giving someone the ability to take another round!
Giving of our time, our patience and our genuine interest!
Giving of our prayers . . . who doesn’t need a little spiritual good press these days?
“The gift” of forgiveness as well as “the gift” to remove our ego’s long enough to ask someone else to forgive us!

And in true "Charity begins at home" spirit . . . how about the gift of forgiving yourself and understanding that "failure" is merely part of the process of becoming successful.

“The gift” of giving someone their "flowers" while they are alive (instead of later on their tombstone) by telling them you love them, what they mean to you, how they’ve inspired you, what you’ve learned from them etc. Just give them their tribute now, so they too can enjoy a “gift”! The ultimate "gift" is the urgency to do that now!

“The gift” of joy we feel when we know we helped create joy in someone else’s life.

The final "gift" is the ability to take our own sad stories, challenges and speed bumps and somehow take something from it! In that moment, you may have something that becomes "a gift that keeps giving"!

With that, I want to thank you all for my “gift” . . . the opportunity to share something personal that profoundly shaped my life. I share it with the hope that it will breed numerous “gifts” to you and all those who surround you this holiday season!

Please take a moment to look, to savor and to embrace the many gifts that surround you! They are there. Sometimes we just need to look a little harder!

Oh, and before I forget . . . Dad, thank you for “the gift”!

Wishing you and your family blessings of peace, joy and more “gifts” than could ever fit under your tree!

Happy Holidays!

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100 Totally Random Sales Tips!

I've put these tips together for you in a free 15 page PDF . . . no strings attached. Actually, you have to do two things. First, shoot me an email ctstrainer@yahoo.com requesting it (I never sell my email list nor will I ever spam you. Promise!) The second is that you forward the PDF to your network should you find value in the 100 + tips. Fair enough?

1. Athletes and musicians warm up, so should you! Before hitting the phones, call your own voicemail. Listen and evaluate.
2. Follow the 2 minute rule whenever presenting something. Every 2 minutes make it interactive. Ask a question, involve them and for God’s sake come up for air.
3. Add a PS to your auto signature and use it as free ad space by informing people of products and services you offer. Example: “PS Ask me about how our blah blah blah helps companies achieve blah blah blah.”
4. Change your perception of the word “No” No isn’t a door slammed shut for all eternity, it simply means Not Now!
5. Every verbal agreement gets a written confirmation. Next time someone agrees to something like “Call me next month and we’ll set an appointment” Confirm it by sending a handwritten note.
6. Don’t ever call someone “To check in”. Seriously Dude!
7. According to BASEX, the average American loses 2.1 hours each day to office interruptions. Track your time for two weeks, analyze and ask yourself how you can get some of that back.
8. Do you ever get nervous before either a speech or hitting the phones? Try holding a ceramic cup of warm water. It travels the nervous system and has a calming effect.
9. Don’t ever just read a book and then put it down. Read it, summarize the key ideas and then write out how you are going to implement those ideas into your life! Bonus points if you re approach that book later in your life.
10. Manage your time better by asking yourself: “Is this the best use of my time, right now?” If it isn’t then you need to adjust Moy Pronto.
11. Confucius say: “A bad month doesn’t happen on the 30th dude!”
12. The next time someone puts you on the spot and asks you an awkward question, ask them “Before I answer that, I’m curious, what prompted you to ask that” It will buy you time and put the onus of awkwardness right back on them!
13. 25 Creative Tips Get In The Door found here: http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/05/25-creative-ways-to-get-in-door.html
14. Before going out to battle each day, put your body armor on by reading/listening to something positive.
15. World’s Greatest Time Management Tip: Just Say No!
16. Give yourself a pep talk. Remind yourself of all you have accomplished. Rinse, repeat and then give someone else a pep talk!
17. “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves” Carl Jung. Think about that next time someone pisses you off. You’re welcome! J
18. Networking Tip: The last thing you should do before a networking event is make sure you are “current” Check their website, the local business journal and the news so you are versed in what’s happening today.
19. Networking Tip: The first thing you do after a networking event is send thank you’s to all you had a chance to chat with.
20. Consider using an accountability partner. Nothing jolts success like mutual swift kicks in the rear!
21. Give value to your network by playing matchmaker. Who can you introduce to each other today?
22. Successful people look in the mirror. Pick one area you want to improve upon and take immediate action toward improvement. Kick it up a notch with an accountability partner.
23. Get better at Linkedin by clicking here: http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/07/linkedin-right-way.html
24. One of the biggest mistakes with regard to Pre Call Planning is in Googling the company and individual only on the first appointment. Things change and you need to be in the know. Set up a Google alert for ALL your customers and top prospects.
25. Just a reminder to “conquer the world” at home too. All the success in the world isn’t worth neglecting the things that truly matter.
26. Colonel Sanders took 1009 “No’s” before getting the “Yes” that launched KFC. How many “No’s” do you have in you?
27. Watch Glen Gary Glen Ross & Boiler Room, have a good laugh, then make a note to NEVER do those things J
28. Listen to comedy right before you hit the phones. It’s hard to be nervous or uptight when you just laughed your ass off! I highly recommend the Jerky Boyz but they may be a tad offensive for some.
29. Zig Ziglar’s Goals Setting and Achieving Them On Schedule and Tony Robbins Personal Power program are fantastic goal setting programs for you to consider.
30. So with 170 billion emails per day (abcnews.com) the average consumer being exposed to 3,000 ads (FastCompany Magazine) the average buyer getting at least 40 calls per day and people now doing the work of at least 1 other employee due to downsizing . . . what’s your plan to stand out?
31. Need to figure out a prospect’s email protocol? Learn the Google trick here http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/02/play-22-google-trick.html
32. Cool MP3 on how to adapt to different types of people. http://alessandra.com/platinumrulespeech
33. Working “smarter” can’t ever be an excuse for not getting our uniforms dirty! Here’s to working smart and having to change a filthy uniform at the end of each day J
34. The 12 ‘clock Reality Check: Each day at noon you should be halfway through your objectives. If you aren’t, then adjust at noon not 5 to 5!
35. “Everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was” Just a reminder to begin that thing you’ve been putting off. There are no dress rehearsals in life.
36. Networking Tip: It aint about you! Make it about them!
37. Cure for Procrastination . . . Use some “TNT” as in Today, NOT tomorrow!
38. Use a digital voice recorder to jot down the names of all the companies you pass when you are racing to that appointment.
39. Use your camera phone to take a picture of the building directory for later reference. Bonus points if you hum the James Bond theme while you do it!
40. Use “T Formations” to increase your leads. On your next appointment, visit the business to the right, to the left and across the street giving you 3 new leads for every new appointment. Not too shabby!
41. Use continuation questions such as “How so?” “Can you give me an example of that?” “Please elaborate” etc to get to the core of your prospect’s needs!
42. Consider checking out job boards such as monster, careerbuilder and hotjobs as a possible lead source. Companies that are hiring are doing so for a reason!
43. Success Magazine is a must read for the aspiring Jedi!
44. Stephen Covey once said “Most people do not listen with an intent to understand. Most people listen with an intent to reply” How are you doing in the listen to understand department?
45. “We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action. Fear is nature’s way of warning us to get busy” Dr Henry Link. Just a friendly reminder to get out there and get after it!
46. When was the last time you watched yourself on video tape? It’s a great way to improve your skills!
47. Use a mirror by your phone. What you see is what your prospect gets. You know smiles can be “heard” the same way a poor disposition can be. I’m just sayin
48. Get a headset or a long phone chord and get in the habit of moving when you prospect. The energy is contagious! Plus you look really important pacing around the bull pen like Gordon Gecko in Wall Street!
49. Make sure you are using multiple venues of prospecting such as phone, email, snail mail, networking, social networking, creative etc. Each prospect responds differently to different approaches so why limit yourself?
50. Consider “sparring” with your teammates before hitting the phones. Through objections at each other. Raise the bar by having to respond with 3 different responses.
51. The next time you send a letter to a prospect, put it in a colored envelope and hand address it. It will resemble a personal card and get opened!
52. Sometimes the best way to a prospect’s heart is through their stomach. Go to the bakery and ask them to bake a big cookie with the inscription “We want to take a bite out of your business!”
53. The next time someone wants you to call them back next month to set up an appointment, respond with “Why don’t we pencil it in now and I’ll make a note to confirm with you to make sure the date still works with you as we get closer”
54. At least once a day ask yourself “Is what I’m doing moving me closer to my goals?” If the answer is “no” then adjust your course!
55. It is absolutely imperative that you take time to think and strategize. Check this article out for details http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/03/play-25-sunday-morning-coffee.html
56. Lots of free resources to “get back to school” with your sales http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/08/sales-professionals-back-to-school.html
57. “Your job is to never be a bore. If you are a bore, slap yourself” Jack Welch. Reflect on that one today!
58. Would you ever take a call or worse yet, make a call from a public restroom? If so, quit sales and get help. Note to everyone else: Don’t borrow cell phones J
59. When was the last time you taped your end of a prospecting call? Listen for “ums” “you knows” Do you sound confident? How’s your message. Football coaches view the video tape of the game, perhaps you should too!
60. When asking a client for a referral, cue their memory by giving them groups of people to think of. Groups could include family, friends, golfing buddy, Linkedin contacts. You get better results when you prompt their thinking.
61. A nice way of getting all the decision makers present is to simply ask “Who else, beside yourself should join us?”
62. A common mistake when setting up meetings is to get the highest level of decision maker there. Yes, we need them, we also need to get the people feeling the pain there as well. A person at 30,000 feet may not feel it the same way.
63. Want to improve the quality of your communication? Ask a better question!
64. Want to tap an area you might be missing? Try the sales department as a possible point of entry! Here’s a shock: Salespeople love to talk and might be able to point you in the right direction!
65. When answering an objection, answer the objection and then redirect the conversation towards a commitment. Example “John, why don’t we get together anyway, we have some ideas that might be able to impact some of the work you are doing with _________. How’s your schedule for early next week?”
66. Objection Buster: “Upside/Down” This is when you present an upside for taking an appointment with you and then following it with a nonexistent downside. Example: “The upside is that I have some ideas that really speak to your 4th quarter initiative you spoke about in ABC Gazette. The downside, other than a few minutes of your time, I can’t think of one”
67. Try sending an initial email to several decision makers, including folks higher up in the food chain. Put them all on the “To” address line so no one accuses you of getting cute. The beauty of this approach is that it inspires internal chatter and can put peer pressure on the key contact to take a meeting with you if there is a known need for improvement.
68. Once you’ve gotten the whole “dress for success” thing down, don’t forget the often neglected areas: Your computer bag, the notebook you use instead of a pad folio, your pen, the interior of your car, your trunk etc. Shine those shoes and pop a breath mint while you’re at it J
69. The next time you find yourself thinking something represents “Sales 101” ask yourself this question “Is it sales 101 and I’m already doing that or is it sales 101 and I need to START doing that?”
70. Use fear as a counselor and not a jailer. Counselors help us get better. Jailers immobilize us. Change the word “fear” to respect. It will keep you from getting sloppy!
71. Be careful when you give your name, phone number, directions etc. Things we say often are often rushed when we say them. Slow down, and communicate clearly as if it were the first time you ever presented that info.
72. Want to get to the point quickly in your next client meeting without playing “20 Questions”? Ask “Granted I called you, but what prompted you to take this meeting today?”
73. The next time someone tells you your price is too high, don’t ask, “how much?” right off the bat. Have them put the higher price into a context by asking “Compared to what?” Sometimes you will hear “I’m not sure, it just seems high” Gives you something easier to fight and buys you a few extra seconds to lose that “Oh crap!” feeling.
74. Make it a habit that every time you receive a commission check you reinvest in yourself somehow. A book, a cd, a seminar. We invest in others when we buy stock. How about a sure thing known as “YOU”
75. Make it your mission to move all these virtual relationships you have to real time!
76. Reduce prospects going MIA on you by saying this at the end of your “first time” appointments. “(name) Hopefully you feel I was upfront and honest with you today. I’d like to ask one favor of you. At some point you are going to make a decision. You may decide yes, which is always cool as I make my living on the word Yes. You may decide No, not as a good as a Yes, but I will know where I stand with you. The worst place for us to be is a no decision. Can I ask that either way you’ll let me know?”
77. The next time someone suddenly has to run it by someone else, say this “I understand and do you plan on recommending us to (name)?” They will most probably say Yes. “Does (name) generally go with your recommendation?” They will most probably say Yes again. “Is there any reason why we can’t go ahead in the meantime, subject to the disapproval of (name)?”
78. Ask a client why they chose you. It may surprise you and offer you a new approach for future clients!
79. Want to know a killer rapport building technique? Ask better questions. Ask the questions no one else asks. Ask the questions that make the other person stop dead in their tracks and think about their business challenges/opportunities in new ways!
80. Are you doing the whole Automobile University thing by listening to instructional/motivational cd’s during your windshield time?
81. In the words of the immortal Wedding Crashers “Rule #76: No excuses . . . Play like a champion!”
82. Chances are, sooner or later someone is gonna want to play “let’s make a deal” with you. Why not sharpen your negotiation skills by reading The Secrets of Power Negotiation For Salespeople by Roger Dawson. If you Google the author, remember, Roger not Richard or you will get that ass from Family Feud!
83. Just a note for you to stop taking it all so seriously. Have some fun along the way and pass the fun along to others!
84. African Proverb: “If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do you no harm” May 2010 be the year we all evict our internal enemies from our lives!
85. Refuse to go to your grave with your music still in your head!
86. Have 3 compelling reasons for calling a prospect. If you can’t think of any, don’t call!
87. You can get a good look at a T Bone steak by sticking your head . . . well, you know the rest. Rent Tommy Boy and have a good laugh today. Life is way too freakin short!
88. Many reps fall into the trap of conducting a thorough needs analysis only on the first appointment. Things change and we need to stay current. Make sure you do this regularly with your clients.
89. If you aren’t keeping a journal, please report to the Principal’s office and check out this article by a really cool dude: http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/11/50-ways-to-rock-your-journal.html
90. Successful Sales Reps focus their time on the 3 Big Rocks: New Account Acquisition, Account Retention and Account Development. All other activities are scheduled around the “money activities” Too many reps do the opposite.
91. Remedy for “Ums” and “You knows”: Slowing down and better preparation. Tape yourself for a reality check.
92. You can prompt a prospect (say that 10 times fast) to relive pain by asking more questions that begin with “Tell me about a time” “Can you share with me an example of . . .” And what happens when we retell a story that’s unpleasant? Gold star if you said “You get mad all over again” Emotions are very powerful in sales. Make sure you get your prospect in the proper state.
93. Always “We/We” before you leave your appointment. We/We as in “What else should we have discussed that we couldn’t get to today?” and We/We as in “Who else besides yourself should join us next time?” Note: If it’s a long ride then we/we needs to be embraced on the traditional level.
94. Nike has it right: “Just do it” Regrets are a bitch!
95. Remember “No” is a conditioned response to any offering via phone. With that in mind, what’s your plan to get beyond that “No”. And just for a goof, why not call everyone who told you “No” this year.
96. Dale Carnegie once said “There are always three speeches. The one you practiced. The one you actually gave and the one you wish you gave” Look at each appointment the same way and take the most important element with you . . . The Lesson! Note: I said the last part, Dale was cool but not cool enough for that cool ending to his thought. Just putting that out there J
97. Consider setting up a phone “mixer” with 5-6 others from your network. It’s a great way for you to play matchmaker and gain additional visibility! Remember to invite Paul Castain. I’ll bring the virtual Margaritas!
98. Need to break away at a networking event but don’t know how to do so politely? Try this “You know (name) I promised myself that I would go outside my comfort zone today and really try to meet as many people as possible. If you don’t mind, I want to try and push myself a bit. I really enjoyed talking with you and hope we can chat again soon” If that doesn’t work say “Look Brad Pitt” and run in the opposite direction. If that still doesn’t work, call me and I’ll come get ya!
99. Go on a 30 Day Social Media Diet! http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/10/30-day-social-media-diet.html
100. Understand that sometimes our attitude needs an enema! http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/09/when-your-attitude-needs-enema.html

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