Tag: growth

  • 10 Commandments of Success

    10 Commandments of Success

    In an election year, the concept of a promise takes on odd meaning.

    What can we believe…. What can we not…..

    Sadly, these promises cannot be counted on, certainly not as a guarantee. Leaving us to wonder:

    When will the day come that we can believe a guarantee?

    Great news for you:  That day has come. Today. Right now.

    As a result of our work with dozens of companies, hundreds of sales leaders and thousands of sales reps; we have distilled these 10 Commandments of Success which, if followed, WILL increase your sales. I personally guarantee it.

    The 10 Commandments of Success:

    1. Simplify: 

    Many reps make the path to success overly complex. Today, I spent hours reviewing opportunities where reps over-engineered simple concepts and put an undue burden on their prospects for actions that the rep should be completing. Keep simplifying the task until it’s in its simplest, most elemental state. Put as little burden on your prospect as possible.

    Make it as simple as possible but no simpler.’  Albert Einstein

    2. Commit:

    Too many reps ‘kinda’ want to do a deal but in reality, they aren’t willing to do whatever it takes to win. Instead, they partially commit to many opportunities, weakly pursuing them and winning very little. If it isn’t worth winning, don’t bother. If it is, be willing to do whatever it takes.

    Want to delve deeper? I recommend this book: The Ultimate Secret to Getting Absolutely Whatever You Want by Mike Hernacki.

    3. Plan: 

    How many times have you gone to a meeting where you are the star and yet you didn’t have a clear map for these 3 basic elements: 1) your goals for the meeting, 2) the prospects goals for the meeting and 3) your expected next steps? Without at least a basic plan, you are slowing down your path to success and wasting everyone’s time.

    Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.’ Sun Tzu.

    4. Move: 

    Ok. Planning is great but Action is greater. When in doubt, friggin’ DO something. Make a call, do some research, edit a proposal. Many times even the wrong action is more powerful than doing nothing correctly.

    Have a Bias for Action’ , learn more in Tom Peters’ book In Search of Excellence.

    5. Listen: 

    <shock> Your clients really don’t give a rip what you have to say until they KNOW you have listened to them from your core. No, not listened to ‘respond’. Truly listened to understand and echo back to them what you heard. Listening creates intimacy and trust. You MUST have these to do meaningful deals.

    Seek to Understand before you seek to be Understood’.  Stephen Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

    6. Focus: 

    ‘Value’ is the only currency today. If you aren’t trading in that, you are in the commodities market. Value aligned to a prospect’s known (or unknown) Business Pain is the only way to do meaningful business.

    ‘Focus on what is Vital and ignore what is Trivial’ . Greg McKeown, Essentialism.

    7. Be Brave: 

    So many reps that I coach admit with embarrassment that they are afraid in their sales cycles. Awesome! Sometimes it IS a bit scary. BUT…. We must pursue anyway. It is OK to be afraid. What is not OK is to have that fear paralyze you. Please read Feel the Fear…. and do it Anyway by Dr. Susan Jeffers. It will liberate you.

    8. Be Honest, with YOURSELF: 

    Often times, we don’t like what we know or suspect. So we do the smart thing: IGNORE it. That solves nothing and only prevents us from being successful. Reps that embrace whatever the truth is and build a realistic plan to deal with it: WIN. Reps that don’t: LOSE. It’s THAT simple. Save yourself the heartache and Run to the Truth

    9. Persevere: 

    Starting is easy. Buzzy, fun, exciting…. And then it gets hard. It doesn’t go well. Sh*t hits the fan. We get discouraged. Here is what I know: At some point, the big deals that I have been involved with were really ugly, beaten up or even dead but, because we chose to fight on and endure, we were able to cross the finish line victorious.

    ‘Have the Courage to Endure.’  Ruben Gonzalez, The Courage to Succeed.

    10. Be different: 

    We frequently feel we have to do something crazy when, in the end, our prospects simply want to count on what we say we’re going to do. I saved this one for last as it’s been the biggest success maker for me and our clients at Span the Chasm. Simply follow Larry Winget’s #1 Rule of Business (and relationships) from his book, The Idiot Factor:

    1. Do what you said you were going to do
    2. The way that you said you were going to do it
    3. When you said you were going to get it done.

    BOOM! (mic drop)

    You might have noticed a lot of books referenced in this post. Here is a bonus: Read.

    Find a partner and hold each other accountable to reading a book per month for a year. It’s an important factor in your own personal development.

    I have worked this concept with many reps to date and have never heard negative feedback. Your personal success matters to us at Span the Chasm.  Try these out, let us know what you think! I guarantee you’ll see results, if you stick to it and COMMIT.

    BONUS!

    You may have noticed I used a lot of quotes in this blog. Quotes are powerful teachers and provide daily inspiration for me. We gather wisdom and new insights through quotes. I’ve assembled my favorite 10 success quotes in a handy PDF.

    Click here to download and place it on your desk for daily inspiration!

  • The Cost of Being UN-Thankful

    The Cost of Being UN-Thankful

    REPUBLISHED from November 22, 2016

    As we approach the final holiday season, is anyone else sick of being told to be Thankful? Or is it just me?

    We are up to our ears in Turkey-day. The Christmas ads are already pouring in. I can certainly feel some ‘Bah-Humbug’ brewing deep in my soul. We all agree that these are times of political and social unrest.

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  • 3 Lessons in Sales Wisdom from a Buddhist Monk

    3 Lessons in Sales Wisdom from a Buddhist Monk

    When you walk, you don’t feel the ground. You feel your foot.

    A bit of wisdom transcends the ordinary day-to-day from Thich Nhat Hanh (TNH), the aging Buddhist monk.

    Before you think this is a ‘spiritual’ blog, be reassured that my reflections on the readings of TNH are in the realm of improving sales. There’s much wisdom to be extracted from the venerable teacher that can dramatically help YOU.

    TNH Sales Wisdom for you.

    1. A lack of ‘self’ tied to the moment: TNH owned his robe, a set of chopsticks and his bowl. For all else, he relied on kindness and generosity. By holding very little, he was able to accept and create much. He remains one of the most influential people despite his poverty and small stature.

    TNH Sale Lesson: It’s not our entrapments like expensive watches, fancy cars, high-end pens and custom suits that bring value to our prospects. It is us. The sum of our experience. The years of wisdom gained from laboring for others. Our value is INTRINSIC, not EXTRINSIC. (Personal confession: I own custom suits, expensive watches, fancy cars and high-end pens. I am preaching to myself and always evolving!)

    2. An open, present mind: Buddhist refers to the ‘mushin mind’. It’s a mind full of knowledge, experience and wisdom and yet, at the same time, presence. TNH writes much on the concept of being present and you simply can’t be ‘present’ within your environment if you’re focused on things outside your immediate moment. It takes a mushin mind (empty mind) to do that. You cannot be filled with your past. You cannot be filled with thoughts of the future. You cannot be filled with expectations of the moment. You simply need to ‘be’.

    TNH Sales Lesson: To really be able to ‘meet your prospect where they are’, YOU need to be there too. Imagine how your prospect feels when you are COMPLETELY present. Not frustrated with the phone call that just went sideways. Not fixated on the presentation tomorrow that you’re unprepared for. Not ‘managing’ your current meeting to a preset outcome. Instead, you are actually THERE. All of you. THERE.

    3. Life is fully integrated: This moment, which fully deserves our best us, is only a moment. It IS important AND it is A moment. One of many. One of 2.85 TRILLION moments that you’ll live. While each moment has merit, stressing about each one vs engaging with each one will create two very different results. Chaos and anxiety OR peace and growth.

    TNH Sales Lesson: This meeting. This deal. This ________. It matters. It really does. And it doesn’t. If it’s successful, be grateful. If it’s not, learn. In the end, it doesn’t define you. If understood, it can prepare you. Relax. You deserve it. Your prospect deserves it. Your peace and serenity need it.

    ‘Only now do I see what is here before me.’

    To see what is here before you, you must be ‘now’. Be that. Your prospects, clients, family, friends and your world all deserve a present you.

    Yes, the wisdom of a small monk matters. If understood and put into practice wisely, it will serve you well. I’d love to chat with you about it.

    #BeGreat!

    P.S. If this topic sparks something in you, I recommend you further explore the teachings of TNH. Check out this book ‘Inside the Now: Meditations on Time’

    (Image Credit – http://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/)

  • The Moments that Matter

     

    It’s a question that I get asked frequently:

    Why are you such a maniac at work ? What drives you?

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  • The Essentialism Steps for Success

    The Essentialism Steps for Success

    It’s true. I’m an idiot….

    For those of you who know me, that wasn’t a surprising statement. But, apparently……
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  • EVERY Deal has these Three Competitors – Do NOT Ignore Them

    EVERY Deal has these Three Competitors – Do NOT Ignore Them

    Your product, solution or service was great.  Revolutionary even.  Your positioning has been solid.  Your prospect would be crazy not to invest.  Yet, you lost the deal.

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