Category Archives: Winning

Getting an edge on your competition

Performance, Presentation, Winning

Worried about being aggressive? The opposite is just as bad!

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I was talking with a business owner friend, Bob, the other day. He’d recently made the decision to NOT do business with a company he was considering.

That’s not so uncommon.

What was interesting was the REASON Bob wasn’t going to become a client.

Here’s how it played out:

This company had something Bob needed.

Bob attended a webinar to learn more and kick the tires. He really liked what he saw.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Next, a salesperson called to follow up and see if he’d gotten value from the webinar. He had!

Then, the salesperson said he would send Bob some more information and if he ever needed anything, he should just call them up!

And, then they hung up.

And, Bob was left hanging…  Continue reading Worried about being aggressive? The opposite is just as bad! →

Fill the Funnel, Goals, Irreverence, Performance, Prospecting, Winning

Break this Sales Commandment: KNOW THY COMPETITION

breaking wallI was listening to an absolutely brilliant speaker the other day – talking about sales. Most everything he said was right on the money and I loved it. But, he said one thing that I just don’t buy!

He asserted that successful salespeople should know their competition inside-and-out.

Now, why in the world would you do that?

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Here are the three DEADLY things that happen when you know your competition inside-and-out:

Continue reading Break this Sales Commandment: KNOW THY COMPETITION →

Buyers, Irreverence, Performance, Winning

The Busy-Prospect/Binge-Watching Paradox

Binge-watching is a thing. I know it. I’ve been traveling and everywhere I go – whether I sit in First Class or Coach. Whether I’m speaking to senior management or rank-and-file. Everyone’s got their guilty-pleasure binge-watch shows.

It can be Netflix or Amazon or Hulu or DVD’s of past seasons. Even those who “don’t own a TV” or “don’t watch TV” are binge-watching on their device of choice.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Yet, we kid ourselves into thinking that our inability to get a prospect’s attention or to close the deal has something to do with the fact that they are super-busy.

The reality is that they are just too busy for you!

People make time for all sorts of things! They spend time surfing YouTube, catching up on Facebook, hanging at the bar or a restaurant with work buddies or other friends. Reading stuff, listening to stuff, or watching stuff on the treadmill at the gym.

Even in the middle of the work day, people stop everything for the “hair-on-fire” meeting – or maybe just to talk over the water cooler.

I mean, don’t you do that stuff?

The problem isn’t that your prospect doesn’t have time – they just aren’t spending it on you!

You have simply failed to become Irresistibly Relevant.

Continue reading The Busy-Prospect/Binge-Watching Paradox →

Authenticity, Creativity, Dignity, Loving Life, Performance, Winning

When cold calls SIMMER!

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When cold calls SIMMER!

This article is nearly 3 years old, but it is an all-time favorite!

Enjoy!

Wow! Did I have SOME FUN this week! 

I was doing my cold calls. (Ugh, you think, COLD CALLS – So do I, by the way!)

But, I am always looking for creative ways to make my cold calls instantly WARM (like throwing them in the Microwave for thirty seconds – DING!)

I sort of surprised myself with this one.

Before I made one of my calls, I checked my contact out on LinkedIn.

Guess what! 

My key prospect contact is directly related to one of my rabid fans!

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

So, what did I do? 

I reached out to my rabid fan BY PHONE – (PLEASE stop hiding behind emails. It SO doesn’t work –  it makes you feel like you’ve actually done something. You haven’t.)

I told her — “Carol, I am reaching out to ABC Company and I see you are directly related to Amanda who I’d really like to talk with.”

Carol called me right back!

She was so excited! She said “Yes! Amanda SHOULD be talking with you. In fact, her boss is even better. I am going to call them and make an introduction personally.”

Then, came the surprise – Carol went one better

Carol went on to tell me all about what the company was dealing with and why they needed to talk with me so badly.

Then, she said, “After you talk with them, call me right back. I will follow up and make sure they know why they should buy. Besides, you should be talking with Amanda’s boss – who happens to love me.”

Here’s something EVEN cooler. 

Carol is a prospect!

She hasn’t even bought our product yet. But, she was so tickled to get my request for her help that she told me that she had committed to buy and mapped out her own company’s budgeting process.

Carol and I are now partners! 

What a win!

If you could have ALL of your cold calls simmer like this, wouldn’t you LOVE doing them?

Tell me about YOUR awesome-sauce strategies. I want to hear. Perhaps I will feature you in my cold-calling boot camps!

Love your life UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Creativity, Dignity, Irreverence, Loving Life, Performance, Winning

Lighten up, Francis! (And do more business, too!)

Ever notice how SERIOUS you are about your business?

Have some fun and STAND OUT!

Ever notice how much you LOVE to do business with people who are fun?

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

I got this Out Of Office message today and just HAD to share it with you:

“Hello!
Is it me you’re looking for?
’cause I wonder where you are
And I wonder what you do

Yes, Lionel Richie said it best.

I am on the road until the 11th and will have limited access to email. I will reply  you as soon as possible. And remember to have fun.”

Now, THAT is a guy I want to do business with!

How can you add more fun, personality, and plain old STAND-OUTNESS to your work?

It will make you look like a rock star and have people want to play with you. Which turns into money and friends. Both of which are good things.

Go out and…

Love ’em UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Dignity, Goals, Loving Life, Performance, The Art of Selling, Winning, Wisdom

Being Two-Headed In Sales – You Must Win Both Games

If you’re going to be truly great in sales, you are going to have to master the fine art of being two-headed about your work.

Let’s pause for a moment to let the 15-year-old boy in each of us have a good snicker – “She said two-headed, dude!”

Being Two-Headed In Sales

Back to our regular programming.

The thing about great salespeople is they have their head completely in the game.

But, they are playing two games simultaneously – each at 100%. 

GAME #1
Truly great salespeople are in it to win it! They are ambitious and strive to be #1 – no matter what. They are going to crack the code, find the secret sauce.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Continue reading Being Two-Headed In Sales – You Must Win Both Games →

Cold Calling, Creativity, Dignity, Loving Life, Performance, Presentation, Winning

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Who’s the greatest of them all?

An all-time favorite tip to being wildly successful in sales – on the phone – is “Sell to the Mirror”. 

Be the greatest YOU in the mirror!

When you are selling to a mirror, you sound like an actual human being – because you are relating to the person in the mirror as another human being.

You can see when you’re smiling – which comes through on the phone.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

You can see when you’re sitting or standing (prefer standing) in a confident manner – which comes through on the phone.

You can relax and be yourself – instead of all stiff and weird – and that comes through on the phone!

I urge you to get a full-length mirror (if you have an office set up for that) – or at least a small one on your desk. You will see gi-normous results!

And, if you happen to be in a setting where you are selling on an open floor – and this just doesn’t work for your office environment – print out the article below and take it to your manager!

http://blog.bridgegroupinc.com/sit-your-team-up-for-success

When you sell into the mirror, it is much easier to Love ’em ALL UP! (Which comes through on the phone).

Now you can be the greatest salesperson of them all!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Goals, Performance, Winning

Very Superstitious – Cracking the Activity Code

Are you a salesperson with a superstition problem? You are not alone.

It happens to all of us. You are dialing and emailing and socialing and then, seemingly RANDOMLY, a deal pops up out of the blue.

Nothing’s been closing. Nothing’s been moving. Nothing seems to work, and then – BOOM! Deal closed. 

Crack the Sales Code – Lose the Superstitions

How did that happen?

What were you wearing? What did you have for lunch? What cup were you using for your coffee? Should you do more of that?

Let me offer you some freedom.

What happened was that you were in action. 

You were committed.

You weathered all of the “no’s”. You did the dialing.  You did the emailing. You did the socializing.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

It was not clothes, the tuna sandwich, or the cup.  It was YOU!

As much as it seems like things fell out of the blue, they didn’t. You were in action. It created activity. Activity breeds activity.

Stay in action. Don’t make things up – that will just distract you. 

Go and Love ’em ALL UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Creativity, Goals, Loving Life, Performance, Winning

Wide Open Spaces – and other things you might not know about being a top producer

Didja ever notice how your best ideas come to you in the shower? Or while you’re at the gym? Or on a really long hike?

Didja ever notice how awesome it feels when you look at your day’s schedule tomorrow and there is NOTHING there?

Didja ever notice that time management experts don’t really talk about that stuff?

Wide Open Spaces Release Natural Genius

I have been a top performer and producer for many, many years and I have had the profound privilege to know some of the most innovative and important people of our time. These are CEOs of Fortune 1000 companies, world-renowned experts in their fields of science and math and marketing, business leaders who change the way people live their lives with the products and services they bring to market.

And they all have one thing in common. They work hard. There is no doubt about that. And they are very, very focused on mastery of their craft. To be sure.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

But, they also have another very important thing in common.

They have wide open spaces in their schedules.

Wide open spaces that allow their natural genius to fly free. To lead them to the right answers, to explore the book in front of them,  or meet the person on the plane next to them.

I believe that our brains do not work in a linear fashion. I believe there is no such thing as control and we fool ourselves when we try to exert control as a way to get where we want to go.

I believe we are all blessed with natural genius and it is a joy when it is let loose upon the world.

Look at the greats! Every one of them had some part of their schedule that they gave over to wide open spaces. Edison with his “lights out, doors closed” quiet time. Churchill with his morning “constitutionals”. Leaders who schedule themselves three weeks non-stop on the road and one week completely off!

The list goes on and on.

As an example, one of my friends – ex-CEO of one of the most successful tech firms ever – told me that when he has a really tricky problem to solve or  a big deal to land – he goes to the ski slopes for the day.

Can you break the addiction of control and linear thinking to allow your true greatness to shine through?

Love your natural genius UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Goals, Irreverence, Performance, Uncategorized, Winning

I’ll have some Tortoise with my Hare please! (On the side).

We all know that slow and steady wins the race, right? That tortoise story is ingrained in our psyche. The Hare LOOKS like he’s hot stuff, but it’s the Tortoise who crosses the finish line and leaves the Hare looking like a big fat blow-hard fool.

That is all well and good.

Unless you’re the Hare. 

How about adding some Tortoise to your Hare?

What if you are the one who makes big things happen from time-to-time? Like breakthrough things? Things that open new markets? Things that make people say Ooooh and Aaaaah? Where does that leave you?

Or, what if you are more like the Tortoise when it comes to delivering your service, but you are more like the Hare when it comes to selling your service (as many small business owners are) – on again and off again as the mood strikes?

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Maybe, just maybe, you can have both! I am discovering that you absolutely can. And it requires just one little magical thing…

Consistency

I’m not so sure WHY it works, but I am finding that it absolutely DOES WORK. And, I’m learning over-and-over that it doesn’t just work for me. I am hearing that putting this magical power to use is the key to many professionals’ success.

The Paradox of Consistency

The crazy thing about consistency is that quantity plays almost no role in it and quality plays less of a role than you would think.

In other words, if I want to reach a particular sales goal or business goal or financial goal, putting even a small, consistent practice in place makes a surprising amount of difference.

Continue reading I’ll have some Tortoise with my Hare please! (On the side). →