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Thought Tweet #431

by Rick Baker
On Mar 12, 2012

Thought Tweet #431 How to Master Sales: learn how to ask good questions, listen, think, & share solutions.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Despite the views of new-era social-media gurus, the Sales function is not dead. The Sales function will live and breathe as long as people do. The essence of Sales is 'people, one-to-one, exchanging value'. It is incorrect to conclude people are no longer doing that. It is equally incorrect to assume that's going to change. Sales - or barter, or trade, or whatever term one chooses to use for it - is part of the human condition. 

PS: about the Art of Asking Good Questions

Tags:

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

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Should You be in a Sales role?

by Rick Baker
On Mar 8, 2012

To be or not to be...in a Sales role...that is the question.

There is another question: isn't it time to re-invent the Sales role? The quick answer to that question is - Yes. A longer answer will follow in a future Thought Post.

Today, the question is - Should You be in a Sales role?

In order to answer that big career-choice question, you should break it down into bite-size pieces. For example, you could ask then answer the following questions. You could use your answers to create lists of the 'pros' and cons' about your choice of a Sales role.

Here are some of the questions you should consider then answer Yes No or Maybe:

Yes No or Maybe - Do I have self-knowledge about my Strengths?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I have self-confidence, even when the going gets tough?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I think Sales is a very-important business function?

Yes No or Maybe - Am I interested in other People?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I have a strong work ethic?

Yes No or Maybe - Am I a self-starter, with lots of energy and drive?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I know how to listen?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I know how and when to stop talking?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I have a pleasing personality?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I enjoy delivering value?

In addition, at some point the questions will involve other factors...the company you will work for, the product/service you will sell and, of course, the Clients who will buy your product/service.

Yes No or Maybe - Does this Company creates and delivers value to its Clients?

Yes No or Maybe - Does this product/service is of value to Clients, whom I know I can serve well?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I know how to go about selling this product/service and delivering value to these specific Target Clients?

Yes No or Maybe - Am I enthusiastic about working at this specific Sales role?

 

PS: the more Yes answers the better. In fact, a single No answer could mean you should seek another career, another company to work at, or another product/service to sell. And, about Maybe answers - BEWARE - successful Sales people do not like Maybe answers!

Tags:

Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Sales

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"Time" Management

by Rick Baker
On Mar 6, 2012

First of all, I believe we all understand we cannot manage time. We cannot slow down clocks or speed them up...the ticking of the clocks was agreed upon and set by our scientific forefathers long before we were born.

We can, however, manage our thoughts and our actions. We can manage the energy consumed by our thoughts and actions.

Managing our energy, that's an important thing to do.

I don't think too many people would argue with that last point.

Manage your energy!

That's good advice.

***

Related to managing your energy, here are some questions to consider.

Per day, on average, how much time do you spend:

  • 100% concentrating/focusing on a single task?
  • concentrating on a single task, as best you can, while being interrupted by people, thoughts, noises, etc?
  • multi-tasking?
  • stewing about things that happened in the past?
  • being annoyed by things other people do?
  • being instructed by people who have authority over you?
  • giving instructions to people who follow you?
  • worrying about things that could happen in the future?
  • getting present?
  • meditating?
  • thinking or saying - "There are not enough hours in the day"?
  • learning how to focus and concentrate?
***
 
You have energy.
 
You can only use it 2 ways:
  1. Thinking
  2. Acting
The next level of detail...
 
You can only use your energy 4 ways:
  1. Thinking in a manner that aligns with your Goals
  2. Thinking in a manner that does not align with your Goals
  3. Acting in a manner that aligns with your Goals.
  4. Acting in a manner that does not align with your Goals.
These apply regardless of how clear or how fuzzy your Goals may be.
 
These are the 4 ways you use your energy.
 
These are the 4 ways you spend your time.
 
You can, by doing #1, choose the right 'balance' of these 4 ways...
 
...or you can not do that.
 
To the extent you choose and do #1 you can maximize #3, make the best use of your energy, and spend your time in a way you define as - well.... as in time well spent.
 
***
 
Really, what would you rather say...
 
"That was time well spent."
 
or
 
"There are not enough hours in the day."
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tags:

Change: Creating Positive Change | Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | I'm too busy! - I don't have time! | Measure & Monitor | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions

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Do you have a "SELLING PURPOSE"?

by Rick Baker
On Jan 26, 2012

Business Leaders: do you have a Selling Purpose?

Here is the way Spencer Johnson1 presented this concept in 1985:

"MY SELLING PURPOSE

is to help people get

the good feelings they want

about what they bought

and about themselves."

He went on to add:

"I quickly reduce my stress

because I no longer try

to get people to do

what they don't want to do.

When I sell On Purpose,

it's like swimming downstream."

(I did not add the underlining...that was in the book.)

Now, that advice can apply to:

  1. Sales people,
  2. Leaders,
  3. Everyone who wants to sell an idea, &
  4. Everyone who wants to inspire other People.
I propose it be applied to all 4.
 
Leaders need Purpose...and they should do things On Purpose.
 
Leaders need to explain their Purpose to the People who are following. And, Leaders need to repeat, repeat, repeat...ideally, using sticky stories.
 
Leaders should aim to have less stress...that applies to them and to their followers...that only makes good sense...Right? Purposeful, focused action generates less stress than haphazard, unfocused fire-fighting...Right?
 
And, the bottom line...
 
People want to feel good.
 
 
Footnote:
  1. 'The One Minute Sales Person', Spencer Johnson (1985)
 
 
 

 

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS! | Leaders' Thoughts | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Sales

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Some Questions about DELIVERS

by Rick Baker
On Jan 13, 2012

The most-successful leaders take regular time outs to ask themselves tough questions.

The main reason they ask themselves questions is to better understand how well they are performing as leaders.

And the  most-successful leaders write out the answers to these questions so they do not have to rely 100% on their memories when they perform periodic reviews of their leadership performance.

What sorts of questions do the most-successful leaders ask themselves?

Answer: here is a sampling of...

Some Questions about DELIVERS

Are my people making better choices than the choices my competitors are making? [Discipline]

Are my people expending their energies in constructive ways? [Energy]

Are my people learning from their mistakes? [Learning]

Do I really know what motivates my people? [Intention]

During a typical workday, what percentage of the time are my people focusing on business? [Vigilance]

Do I understand what my people are trying to communicate to me? [Empathy]

Do my people believe they will achieve their business goals? [Resolve]

How often do my people deliver near-perfect performance? [Strengths]

Tags:

Communication: Improving Communication | Entrepreneur Thinking | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success

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Your Feelings & Your Bottom Line

by Rick Baker
On Jan 5, 2012

Business Leaders: how do you feel when your bottom line is positive, healthy, and growing?

When your bottom-line profits are pretty darned good, do you feel:

  • Terrible? or
  • Nothing? or
  • Pretty Darned Good?
I am going to hazard a guess and say, "When your bottom-line profits are pretty darned good you feel Pretty Darned Good".
 
So, to some degree, perhaps to a large degree, your bottom-line profits impact on how you feel.
 
There is a cause-and-effect at play here.
 
Good bottom lines lead to good feelings.
 
How about flipping it around...
 
Wouldn't you agree with the following: Good feelings lead to good bottom lines!
 
 
PS: In fact, isn't it impossible to imagine how bad feelings could ever lead to good bottom line profits?

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Change: Creating Positive Change | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Optimism & Pessimism | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions

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