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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Sales Tweet #81

by Rick Baker
On Nov 8, 2010
Sales Tweet #81 Ernest Seller thought Selling to VITO was a sequel to The Godfather.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
As mentioned at Sales Tweet #15, Ernest is a natural born salesman. With that going for him, he knows sales training and sales-education literature are a complete waste of time. So, he hasn’t read Selling to VITO. Actually, he hasn't read any sales book. He prefers Sports Illustrated. He is also keen on looking at pictures of Harleys...he will buy any magazine that has a Harley on the cover. And, he likes fishing books...not a lot of them but one or two a year. He also reads the comic section of the daily paper. And, he listens to Country & Western music. And he...

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Thought Tweets | Ernest Seller

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Sales Tweet #80

by Rick Baker
On Nov 5, 2010
Sales Tweet #80 Roses are red. Violets are blue. Ernest Seller's out selling. How about you!
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Ernest wrote that. He takes care to explain he stole the first two lines from a very famous poem written by some ancient guy named 'Anonymous'. Ernest added the sales touch to the poem…he deserves full credit for that. Anyhow, it's been great to be able to share some of Ernest's personal thoughts and creativity with you today.

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Thought Tweets | Ernest Seller

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New People = Opportunities

by Rick Baker
On Nov 4, 2010
We have a few ways of thinking about those ringing phones, those buzzing emails, those stacks of incoming paper.
 
The first thought that crosses our mind can be: I am too busy.
 
Or, the first thought can be: Here come some New Things laced with Opportunities.
 
From time to time I remember the lesson taught in a sales management course, several years ago…when I was a young sales manager.
 
The lesson went like this:
  • Sales Manager “A” receives 20 customer phone calls a day, cringes every time these customers call to complain about product problems, sales staff problems, delivery problems, etc. Sales Manager “A” can not wait to get home at the end of the day. Sales Manager “A” can barely manage to get out of bed in the morning and come into work.
  • Sales manager “B” also receives 20 customer phone calls a day. Yet, Sales Manager “B” enjoys a dream job…loves to come into work, hates to leave, etc.
The instructor then asked,
 
“Why is Sales Manager “B” doing so much better than Sales Manager “A”?”
 
Totally stumped me…
 
How could that Sales Manager “B” possibly enjoy all those days on the phone dealing with all those complaining customers? [I knew I didn’t enjoy it.]
 
Perhaps:
  • Sales Manager “B” had some innate problem-solving gift?
  • Sales Manager “B” had some problem-solving tool like P=2S+O?
  • Sales Manager “B” had some other trick up a sleeve?
“No”, explained our sales instructor, the customers of Sales Manager “B” were calling to compliment Company “B” on the amazing performance of its sales force.
 
I often think of this lesson when I see a stranger’s email address in my Email Inbox.

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Leaders' Thoughts | Optimism & Pessimism

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Sales Tweet #79

by Rick Baker
On Nov 4, 2010
Sales Tweet #79 Free up some time by improving your concentration skill. CDs and books will educate you on concentration.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
This is the 2nd Sales Tweet linked to the Thought Post titled ‘Successful People Have More Time’. These Sales Tweets contain suggestions on how to make better use of that most-precious resource – Our Time.
 
This Sales Tweets series is called “Free up some time”. Each tweet in the series starts with the words Free up some time…so this series of suggestions will stand out in the www.spiritedezine.com website.
 
Note: I have avoided calling these ‘time-management’ suggestions. A more accurate description would be ‘action-management’ suggestions….or ‘thought-management’ suggestions.
 
As the introduction - Free up some time – states, the suggestions are aimed at creating Good Habits that, at the end of the day, allow us to feel ‘WOW - that was a day well spent’.
 
As the series progresses, I will begin to provide CD and book recommendations.
 
A link to the ‘Successful People Have More Time’ Thought Post.

Tags:

I'm too busy! - I don't have time! | Thought Tweets

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Factors that influence how we think and what we do

by Rick Baker
On Nov 3, 2010
Figuring other people out…now there’s a challenge.
 
There is much to consider.
 
The task is a worthwhile one: but, where to start?
 
2 suggestions on how to prepare for doing a better job of understanding other people:
  1. Riders, Elephants, & Their Paths: Dr. Jonathan Haidt’s metaphor
    • The Rider: the logical part of us that struggles to control how we think and how we act
    • The Elephant: the emotional part of us that tends to do whatever it wants
    • The Path: the situation, which will alter Rider-Elephant action
  2. Primary and Secondary Factors that Influence How People Think: Dr. David J. Leiberman
    • Primary Factors:
      • Self-esteem…the person’s view of self-worthiness
      • Confidence…how the person feels about the task/situation at hand
      • Level of Interest…does the person have a vested interest, what's at stake
    • Secondary Factors:
      • Effort...how much emotional, physical, financial work must the person do
      • Justification...the person’s rationalization
      • Beliefs...the person’s beliefs, whether or not those beliefs are true/accurate
      • Mood…the person’s frame of mind
 
More about understanding other people in future Thought Posts…
 
Footnotes:
Link to Dr. Jonathan Haidt.
Link to Dr. David J. Lieberman.

Tags:

Emotions & Feelings @ Work

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Sales Tweet #78

by Rick Baker
On Nov 3, 2010
Sales Tweet #78 If you respond to Requests For Proposals then what's your strategy for maximizing success?
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
 
I have never been a fan of the RFP process. I suppose that is due to my preference for niche marketing over forcing one’s business communications to conform to the demands of 3rd parties.
 
On the other hand, I recognize in many organizations business development relies on a base of RFP success.
 
So – how does a business go about maximizing its success under 3rd-party ‘controlled’ RFP processes?
 
We have spent time teaching business developers how to improve results.
 
Here are a few samples of our advice:
 
• Build relationships well in advance of the RPF issue
 
• Understand the Probable Client
o Through pre-RFP discussions
o By thoroughly understanding the RFP questions
o By knowing or surmising what lies between the lines of the RFP questions
 
• Work to guide the RFP process
o Innovate…use R&D to gain advantage over competitors
o Have amazing products and services that few, if any, can match…get those in the RFP specs
 
• Answer the questions and make it easy for the Probable Client to find and understand your answers
o Don’t insert a bunch of your cookie-cutter mumbo-jumbo
 
• Offer options
 
• Offer Valuable stuff you know your competition cannot deliver

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Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Sales | Thought Tweets

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