Jonathan Farrington's Blog

The sales results you create are based on your performance. Performance has many components for example, our activities and abilities are typically where many organisations focus on. Yet beneath the surface our beliefs about ourselves, our customers, our job, can either help or hinder our performance.

You may have heard the expression, “Whatever you believe you can do, you will and whatever you believe you can’t do, you won’t.” It is as if our beliefs (which are unique to us all) become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Our beliefs can act as huge barriers that stop us giving 100 percent to something.

Three stories that illustrate the impact of beliefs:

• On May 6th 1954, Roger Bannister was the first man ever to run a mile in less than four minutes. Before this, everyone had believed that it was impossible: Yet, in the same year, nineteen other athletes also ran a mile in less than four minutes….why? Because Roger Bannister had created the belief that it could be done and it was. Today, thousands of athletes worldwide run a mile in less than four minutes.

• Charlie Harris was a hobo (tramp/homeless person) in Chicago and was looking for a place to sleep on a very wintry and cold night. He discovered a trailer yard and broke into one of the trailers. As he closed the door of the trailer, it jammed and he could not open the door. After lighting a match, with horror he realized that he was stuck in a refrigeration trailer and would probably die from cold. He did die that night and the coroner found that he died from hypothermia. Yet, the trailer he died in was in for repair and not working. Charlie Harris’s belief that it was refrigerated killed him. (Story taken from Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins).

• The bumblebee has baffled scientists for years because aerodynamically it should not be able to fly. Yet, it believes that it can and it does!

The biggest obstacle to making a sale is believing that we will not – put quite simply:

“If you think you can you will, if you think you can’t you won’t”

Today’s News: There are still one or two places left for David Bain’s excellent internet marketing seminar in London – for more information, just click on the Purple Internet Marketing banner in the left-hand column.

Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot, Wally Adamchik makes a welcome return – “The Real Truth About ROI”

If you are involved in prospecting then you willl already know the challenges of persuading a prospect to give you the business. Ultimately there is a 4-step process involved in buying, that all of us must follow;

1. We have to feel MOTIVATED to make a purchase, irrespective of its type or size.

2. At some point after we’ve become motivated to want to buy, we make a DECISION to buy.

3. Then, after we have made a decision, we want to feel CONVINCED that our decision is the right one and at this stage we may seek approval and input from other people. Then we’ll make our purchase.

4. Finally, after making our purchase we seek REASSURRANCE. Interestingly, if sales people haven’t nurtured newly acquired customers, this can result in ‘Buyers Remorse’ and the customer will get ‘cold feet’ and cancel their order.

Every step of this process requires careful handling, yet if we lack the ability to motivate our prospect to talk to us, let alone buy from us, the other steps become redundant.

According to a growing number of International “sales gurus”; including Neil Rackham, David Sandler and Anthony Robbins, people are fundamentally motivated in two main ways:

1. What problem or pain they can avoid and move away from.

2. What pleasure or benefit they can move towards.

Imagine your alarm going off in the morning and you realise that you have to get out of bed. It’s just too warm and comfortable where you are, so you give yourself another five minutes. Then, after this time, you decide to lie in for another few minutes until you suddenly get a picture in your mind of your angry boss! The consequences of being late for your meeting with him, scares you into jumping out of bed.

Alternatively, imagine your alarm going off on the morning of your holiday. The prospect of sun, sea and Sangria fills you with excitement as you jump out of bed to start your two week vacation.

If a prospect feels content with their current supplier or their current situation, then it will be a huge challenge to motivate them to want to buy your product or service. That’s why every pain your prospect feels is an opportunity for you. Your task, during the initial fact-finding stage is to uncover their ‘pain’ and help them to dwell on their problems. The stronger the pain or the bigger their problem, the greater their motivation will be to move away from it. If you can convince prospects that your organisation can reduce one or more of their ‘pains’, then you will have suddenly discovered a powerful way to unleash their motivation to buy from you.

Today’s News: Kevin Costner said: “Build it and they will come” and he was right on the money. What a fabulous first few days for Sales Leadership Zone 

A really big “thank you” to all my buddies who have taken time out to lend their support – you are all very special people!

Tomorrow: You may have thought I might say “Rest” but in fact this weekend, I am working on the latest e-book with the Top Sales Experts team, due for launch in a couple of weeks – so no rest for me

But you have a great weekend, wherever you are, I will be here on Monday - JF

Motivation is a dynamic state that results in the desire, directional intensity and persistence of behaviour to achieve a long or short- term goal. Without motivation our sales performance, and consequently our results can be severely impaired. When we are feeling motivated, we light up our performance like a Christmas Tree, and equally when we feel de-motivated, everything seems to be much harder work.

As sales people, if we continually look to find motivation from outside of ourselves, then we are placing ourselves in a risky situation because it may not always be possible to have a drip-feed of motivation feeding us when we need it most. That’s why, the more we can understand about what motivates us personally, the more it helps us to tap into our internal motivational power.

We are all unique individuals and are motivated by what is important to us personally. The factors that are important to us can be described as our values and are the fuel that drives our behaviour. Our values are unique to us and we each have a different set of values based on different aspects of our lives. For example:

 - Career 
 - Relationships 
 - Finances 
 - Health and Fitness 
 - Family and Home 
 - Social Life 
 - Personal Development 
 - Spirituality

If we can discover our values in the context of our career in sales, we are consciously able to identify what is important to us and can therefore begin to notice ways to leverage our own motivation.
If we are doing a job that satisfies our most important values then we will feel highly motivated and energised. Sometimes when we feel de-motivated, it’s because we are not consciously aware that certain aspects of our job role are aligned to our career values.

The process to leverage our own motivation is:

1. Discover what is important to us in our career (these are our career values)
2. Prioritise our career values in their order of importance to us
3. Develop reasons why our current job role can satisfy each of our career values

Today’s News: If you want to hear what a highly motivated woman sounds like, you can catch my business partner, Nikki Owen in conversation with Clayton Shold of Salesopedia here.

Tomorrow: “No Pain, No Sale” an insighful look at what gets prospects to say “Yes, I will buy”"

The JF Book Review 

“PeopleSavvy For Sales Professionals” by Gregory Stebbins

At any one time, I typically have about twelve books on my study desk awaiting my attention: They either are “must reads” or are works I want to review, but unfortunately, reading time has been at a premium recently because of Sales Leadership Zone™.

However, I managed to find a small window because there was one book that was definitely on my “must read” list that I really wanted to get into and I am pleased I did.

Greg Stebbins is a name that I was familiar with and I always keep an eye out for his articles simply because they are informative, refreshing and concise; so when I discovered his book, I knew that it would be well written and I would learn a lot. That proved to be the case but it was even better than I had anticipated – much, much better

Greg is a rare breed of sales professional because he is also an academic – he earned an Ed. D. (Doctorate in Education degree) from Pepperdine University’s School of Education and Psychology over twenty years ago – and he has applied this hunger for knowledge to create a number of tried and tested resources for dramatically improving sales results.

His first selling “experience” came at the age of just six:

“When I was six years old, my parents enrolled me in a summer day camp. The camp was situated on over 20 acres of land and had only two water fountains. I asked my mother to buy me a small plastic canteen so that I could carry water around with me, because it seemed no matter where I was on the property, the walks to the water fountain were always long.

The first day, I had the canteen at camp the bigger kids started pestering me for water. I told them “Sure, a nickel a swallow”. They paid me the nickel and of course proceeded to drain the canteen and hand it back to me with a big smile. No worries, I would just fill the canteen up again and wait for the next customer.

The second day, I discovered “market positioning.” I figured if I stood halfway between the baseball field and the water fountain I would get lots of takers. I did and they paid me.

The third day, the camp counsellor confiscated my canteen. When my mother picked me up at the end of the day, the counsellor gave her the canteen and told her, “He cannot bring this canteen back with him. What he’s doing is bad and wrong”.

This seemingly innocuous event had a profound effect on young Stebbins, as he admits:

“As I grew, I got involved in more and more sales activities, ranging from going door-to-door selling tickets for Boy Scout fund-raisers, selling vitamins while in college, and entering into my first professional sales experience just before graduating from college.

With every successful sale, I felt great…and bad. I knew why I felt great. But why would I feel bad?”

It took him thirty years to uncover the full impact of his summer camp experience but once he had identified the real cause of his angst, he began what he calls “my quest” to not only better understand selling behaviour but also buying behaviour; This is because as he correctly identified, virtually every sales book ever written, is based on the experience of a salesperson and provides, as he suggests, a “one-dimensional” perspective. He says:

“I also discovered that in the last 40 years there has been much more written on how people buy and the process (es) they use. There has also been a wealth of information published that looks at things like trust, persuasion, influence, behaviour in sales situations, motivation, building customer relationships, etc. Yet most of this information was written for scholars and uses heavy, academic language. It wasn’t ever intended for or made really accessible to sales professionals. More importantly, much of this information, while academically validated, hasn’t been field-tested by real-world people who make a living by selling every day. You and I both know that there is a long distance between theory and practice”.

Greg has invested an enormous amount of time – years in fact – investigating and experimenting, to design proven systems that really do work and it took courage and perseverance:

“Some of what I developed I had to abandon because I couldn’t figure out how to teach others how to produce the same results I had accomplished. Probably the comment I heard most was that my new resources were simple, but not easy. They did take work to master. (Well, of course they did. If they were obvious, everyone would have discovered them and would have been using them! That’s what makes the difference between salespeople and sales professionals.)”

The end result? In his own words:

“So, it is with a voice of encouragement that I tell you that what you will take away from this book is not only assembled from the most current understanding of interpersonal psychology, but has also been tested where it counts the most – on the street. These are solid resources that work. The concepts are simple; the application takes work. However, I guarantee you, they work. My goal in sharing them with you is to help you, the sales professional, become more successful, more effective – in a word, more Peoplesavvy”.

If you only buy just one book on the art of selling professionally this year, make it this one. I cannot recommend it highly enough and I feel privileged that Greg and I have discovered each other and communicate often.

 Sales Psychology Expert Gregory Stebbins has helped over 20,000 sales professionals become the point of differentiation while their competitors struggle with how to differentiate their product and service. In his book PeopleSavvy for Sales Professionals, he unveils for the first time his simple but groundbreaking plan to win your customers’ trust and business forever. Get your free sneak preview at 
http://www.peoplesavvy.com/

Today’s News: My good buddies Clayton Shold and Wendy Weiss are in conversation over at Salesopedia and I urge you to tune in to hear pearls of wisdom from “The Queen Of Cold Calling” – her majesty is in fine form!

Tomorrow: I reveal the secrets of self-motivation!

The JF Guest Author Spot

While many of my clients are entrepreneurs I also work with several fortune 500 corporate divas. Recently a corporate diva client of mine mentioned to me that she was having a really challenging time with her team feeling angry and resentful. She and her team had both been working very hard over this past summer.

Being the exceptional client that she is, Mary-Anne, practiced her Law of Attraction skills in her work on a daily basis. “Nothing seems to be working” she lamented “They’re just miserable and I feel really badly about this because they’re such a great group of people. They work hard but no matter how much I verbally appreciate them they don’t hear me.” Literally she was holding her focus diligently on her team’s success.

After much discussion I asked her if her team were actually appreciating themselves. Are they recognizing, acknowledging and celebrating their daily success’? Stumbling and stammering Mary-Anne finally came to the conclusion that they actually were not. “They’re too busy to see the forest through the trees most days.” Which in essence, I pointed out, means that they are not looking at the bigger picture.

They were focusing solely on the negative and were not giving themselves or others on their team the appreciation they required. We can be all “touchy feely” about this but the reality is as human beings we all want to be acknowledged for a job well done. Having this kind of appreciation helps to shift the group’s focus to things that are more positive and away from it’s feeling of anger. It helps them to create a much more pleasant environment and defuse those nasty resentments.

But how do you shift the energy and focus of a group of anxiety ridden corporate types???? Not unlike an angry mob mentality if you’ve ever seen them. Some times it’s just not a pretty situation. I conveyed to Mary-Anne a story from my corporate days. I had adapted a version of Jack Canfields “Success Journal” for my own needs. I love this because you have the group doing the activity together. Each team member lists 5 successes, the reason why it was a success for them then the next step they will take. They then are focusing on the success and maintaining their focus on what needs to be done next. (PS this is not a to-do list!)

I decided to have my angry mob present their success journals around 5:30 each day. Everyone needed to come to this 15-minute meeting at the end of the day prepared with his or her sheets filled out. This was to be a 30-day exercise. With great excitement I pitched it to my team. Much to my dismay, I was nearly egged on the spot. “I already have too much to do!” said one. “I don’t need another thing that will make me feel badly about what I do here!” quipped another. Other notable reactions ranged from: “you’ve gotta be kidding me?” And “Oh brother here she goes again with this self-help stuff.” There were many sets of eyes rolling and deep huffs exhaled.

Determined not to be discouraged I smiled at all of them and very sweetly said “I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to see how excited you all are about acknowledging not only your success but the success of your fellow team mates. I can see how excited you are! It warms my heart! I’ll see you at 5:30pm today to kick this process off.” (yes, sarcasm works wonders especially when you use it to completely ignore negativity! Ha!) The tension was thick for the entire day as I witnessed the team, in less than veiled whispers, talk about this task.

The first day was tough, the next day a little easier but then finally they all got into the process. All of sudden they were realizing just how astounding they were. They saw they were empowered and appreciated by me, the vice president, as well as other teams within the organization. The everyday tasks that seemed so mundane started to take on more meaning for them as they could finally see where they sat in the big picture of things (seeing the forest through the trees). Even the members of the team with the least experience started to realize their importance and meaning to the people around them. This shifted their focus to more positive things and they all began to feel more fulfilled and happy.

The exercise ended after 30 days but the impact was pretty amazing. On the toughest days I’d hear them saying to each other “ok, don’t get discouraged, tell me about a success you had today.” Or talking to themselves they as: “What was my success today?” It’s subtle and gentle but it is something that helped to shift the workload anx to a higher, more productive and lighter place. And the not-so-angry mob continued on their way using the tools they resisted so fiercely. They learned how to move out of that dark spot we all can get ourselves into sometimes.

Are you doing this for yourself? Do you acknowledge your own successes daily? Hummmmmm, ok mother nurturers and father guides, you’re on call here as well. How often do you acknowledge your own successes each day and appreciate yourself for a job well done?

If you’re not dealing with an angry mob then you only have yourself to worry about. Here are 4 ways you can accomplish this everyday that won’t take a major chunk of time out of your life – unless you choose to do so.

1) The Big List of FIVE – At the end of everyday make a list of things you consider a personal victory for your job, your business or in your personal life. The key number here is that there must be at least FIVE items on your list.

2) Download Your Day – Call a friend or colleague – one that is supportive of your success. Time each other; for 5 minutes talk about the success’ you had during the day and why they feel so good.

3) Tiara Moments – Find the prop that makes you feel most special: a set of gold stars, a magic wand or in my case a tiara. At the end of most days I sit at my computer & place my tiara atop my head (yes, I am a cornball!). It makes me smile and I can easily recount what was good that day to myself. It also makes me laugh at the things I didn’t do so well. Use your prop as a way to formally acknowledge your finer moments. Kids really love this technique!

4)Book a Special treat for yourself – This could be something you do at the end of the week to congratulate yourself on your accomplishments. A great massage, a facial, a session with your favorite personal trainer or a fabulous dinner out with your special someone.

Appreciate yourself and the people around you! This will help to keep you in a positive space and maintain a much healthier focus for yourself and those around you.

Maria Gamb The Anti-Sabotage Expert is founder of NoMoreSabotage.com, helping hundreds people learn how to undo sabotaging patterns thereby attracting more success & abundance into their lives. She is a well-known & respected expert on Anti-Sabotage Principles & the Laws of Attraction for Success speaking nationally to audiences whose members want to overcome blocks to success. Maria coaches female entrepreneurs & other motivated professionals to overcome self sabotaging patterns, limiting beliefs about money, success, relationships & improve their own intuitive skills along the way.

Today’s News:

Yee hah!! It is launching at 12 noon GMT (7am EST)

It’s an opportune moment to say a few words of gratitude – to our superb technical team headed up by Jacqueline Male our Commercial Director, to our brilliant graphic designer Bill Jeckells of dreamfishdesign and last but not least to my business partner and MD at the Sales Practitioners Group Nikki Owen, for continuing to share my vision

Tomorrow:The JF Book Review – this week a unique and compelling piece of work from Gregory Stebbins , “PeopleSavvy for Sales Professionals”

Customers like to feel reassured that the purchase they are about to make will do everything that the sales person has told them it will do. Why? Because there is a principle based around social proof that effectively confirms, “If other customers like this, it must be good”.

The power of using testimonials during different stages of the sales process increases sales when ‘real’ customers are seen or heard testifying as to how beneficial a product/service has been for them. They increase your credibility because they are third-party endorsements rather than words out of your own mouth. The goal of a customer is to predict the future about a product/service, and by offering real stories from other real customers can turn a picture of your proposition into a tangible experience.

When using testimonials there are a number of elements that can maximise their effectiveness:

The more specific a testimonial is the more power it has for the customer. For example; “Great company, great service” lacks meaning because it is vague and doesn’t tell the customer anything. Consider the impact when a testimonial becomes more specific: “I was really impressed with this company’s speed of service. They pulled out all the stops so that I had product sitting in my warehouse within 24 hours.”

Every testimonial should include the customer’s name, title and organisation (if relevant), and ideally a photograph of that person. This helps to convey the authenticity of the testimonial and builds credibility.

Dividing testimonials into different aspects of the sales process can be really useful. When used in context they create more impact. For example; if a sales person is struggling to get an appointment with a prospect, a relevant testimonial could help persuade that prospect to agree to a meeting: “It took me 2 years before I agreed to meet this company. Having worked with them almost a year, I wish I’d seen them earlier.”

Within the context of the sales cycle, testimonials can be used at many stages, particularly:

Initial letters/emails to request a meeting
Sales presentations to reinforce key points
Objection handling and negotiations
Post – meeting follow up to provide reassurance
Managing ongoing relationships with regular contact

Validating the benefits of your product or service can be achieved brilliantly by using a video format for your testimonials at the end of your presentation. This provides a powerful ‘benefits-driven’ summary that confirms and proves your claims. Just remember, the only thing better than saying the right thing at the right time is when your customers do it for you–and better.

You and your team are already acutely aware of your most frequently encountered objections. That’s why testimonials should acknowledge and mention these objections, before explaining why they still decided to buy from your organisation. For example: “I was initially surprised with their prices until I saw the quality of their product and experienced their vast range of promotional services.”

Testimonials are really powerful when they acknowledge an objection that paces the probable experiences of your prospects, and then wipes out the objection with an overarching benefit.

When requesting testimonials you are looking to obtain a genuine viewpoint that praises your organisation/product/service. Therefore, the best time to ask for this is when your customer has experienced the benefits of your product/service. To help busy customers respond to your request, provide them with other examples of testimonials so they can see how easy they are to write. It also helps if you can provide them with a simple structure to follow, for example:

Why did you agree to meet us?
What persuaded you to buy our product?
What benefits have you gained from using this product?
How would you describe our level of service?

Today’s News: If you haven’t already checked out Jill Konrath’s upcoming Sales shebang you really should – I had a very long chat with her last Friday and she confirmed that she fully expects it to be over subscribed.

Tomorrow: You really do not expect me to be talking about anything other than the launch of Sales Leadership Zone tomorrow, do you? It will be live at 12 noon (GMT), that’s 7 am EST for you early birds!

As the launch date of the Sales Leadership Zone™ draws ever nearer, I thought it pertinent to share with you the vision that prompted us to conceive this highly ambitious project, which will finally be delivered by my wonderful team here at SPG next Tuesday – September 25th 2007.

Having worked with hundreds of organisations during my career, where I have helped, supported and developed sales leaders, I am aware that many of those sales leaders were promoted into their role because they were top performing sales people. Yet, the role of sales person and sales leader has so many differences, which frequently result in the newly promoted sales leader feeling out of their depth and overwhelmed by their newly acquired responsibilities.

In 2004, a significant piece of research was conducted involving 2663 organisations: The report highlighted the fact that a major barrier to sales success was a failure to select and develop a sales leadership team capable of nurturing and fully developing their sales people’s potential. (You will be able to gain access to the full report on The Zone)

The majority of sales leaders, new and experienced alike, say they do not have sufficient time or the resources to train and develop their sales teams. They are so focused on sales results, and so accustomed to achieving success through their personal pursuit of those results, that they overlook their greatest potential source of power – the power to achieve optimum performance levels from their teams.

Every sales leader who places an increasing emphasis on performance management will create more productive sales teams. As Colin Mattey, Director, BT Commercial & Brands summarises so eloquently “Performance Management has come to the fore recently in BT Commercial & Brands, and that’s a great thing, but you have to create frameworks where people can actually deal with performance management.”

I believe that the future trend for producing world-class standards in sales leadership will be achieved not by traditional classroom-based training alone. Until sales leaders are equipped with the resources, competence and motivation to want to accept the mantle of developing their own sales teams, any training is likely to be a tactical ‘one-off’ fix, born out of desperation to ‘hit that target’ rather than a sustainable planned approach that can be weaved seamlessly into the sales leader’s role.

According to Pavita Walker, Director, Organisation and Leadership Development at Barclays Group, “Sustainable shifts in behaviour will only ever be realised when sales leaders have the skills and capabilities to provide coaching ‘in the moment’. The greatest value will be created by investing in building coaching capability and providing resources for support rather than endless programmes that rarely have impact longer than a three-month period.”

As the whole sales profession continues to evolve, methods of the past become old-fashioned and redundant, overtaken by new exciting ways to boost sales in today’s global competitive marketplace. Yet, this in turn can be confusing and costly because how can a sales leader choose a method from the thousands of methods available with complete peace of mind?

Sales leaders are busy people with a huge variety of development requirements which means that the option to source development and knowledge based on what each individual wants, when they want it, can best be provided through a type of online sales library, where learning is categorised into key areas for speed of reference and provided in bite-sized chunks for easier implementation.

This principle led me to form a new and exciting partnership with Nikki Owen, Managing Director of Trainique Ltd and the creator of The Sales Activator® who also has a wealth of experience when it comes to the development of sales professionals – in fact between us, we have more than 60 years sales leadership experience.

Our first co-operative initiative is the Sales Leadership Zone™, a unique and dedicated resource for sales leaders that contains hundreds of hours of tools, techniques and support.

The Zone is a place where sales leaders can ‘pick and mix’ what they want, according to their own requirements. From sales team development sessions and sales team health checks to online sales leader competency profiling and essential techniques for sales leaders, this site can be likened to a sales leadership encyclopaedia – it is an absolute “must have” for time-strapped sales leaders everywhere.

Today’s News: You want more news? OK, this week Jill Konrath introduced me to a new initiative launched by a very savvy guy called Jeb Blount and he and I have communicated this week – I think you will be impressed: www.salesgravy.com

Tomorrow: I rest

The JF Guest Author Spot

Networking is a social activity. As such it ebbs and flows in tune with the annual business calendar. Many professionals lose sight of the annual business cycle and how it fluctuates, often dictating the pace and productivity of networking. Check out the list below and reflect on how it has affected your efforts. Then use the information as you prepare for the next quarter.

First Quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar). This part of the annual cycle is a little slow out of the gate. Don’t expect much activity on an individual or group level for the first part of January. Most people, even the most successful professionals, seem to suffer from the “Christmas hangover” until mid-to-late January. Events are not usually well-attended until early February when people get caught up from the December layoff. Groups generally shift into high gear during February, then hit a hiccup as the annual March Break hits. Most groups tend to meet before or after this short holiday period as many professionals and entrepreneurs schedule a holiday where it’s a little warmer. Keep this fact in mind as many marketing plans are delayed or go off-track because of this (seemingly) sudden obstacle.

First Quarter Networking Success Strategy. Make sure you emphasize any major self-marketing effort for February. This will maximize your impact on the group. Expect delays in any project or relationship-building exercise that extend into March. You may not be taking a holiday at this time, but most successful entrepreneurs and professionals do.

Second Quarter (Apr/May/June). The business cycle builds at this time of year. Most professionals increase their quantity and quality of networking activity during this three-month span. Networking groups move into high gear and membership attendance at functions is usually high. This timeframe also includes additional group activities such as trade shows, conferences and special events. This is an opportune time to create new contacts and leverage involvement through efforts such as group presentations or sponsorship of events.

Second Quarter Networking Success Strategy. This is a high-activity segment in the annual cycle. Use it to develop new contacts and expand your network. Take advantage of any marketing opportunities as they will have maximum impact. There is a danger of losing control as activity builds. Utilize a follow up structure that keeps you in touch and helps stay on track.

This Quarter (July/Aug/Sept). Many professionals hit the proverbial wall at this time of year. They are not prepared to shift gears as our society slows to a crawl in mid-June. Most networking groups shut down for the Summer, the exception being a group bar-b-q or golf tournament. Most professionals will lose about a month of momentum in their business cycle: a week before they leave, gone two weeks then a week catching up when they get back. This mindset stays in place until the second week in September when everyone wakes up for the Fall rush.

Third Quarter Networking Success Strategy. Summer networking becomes a one-on-one activity that takes a holistic approach. Use innovative and leisure-oriented activities as networking efforts. Focus on the personal aspect of colleague conversations to build stronger relationships. And be ready for when the switch turns on September 15th.

Fourth Quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec). This is known as the “Golden Quarter” in the business world. It actually starts in mid-September when people come out of the Summer doldrums. The focus is now on business until mid-December. Networking groups work at full speed with many events and functions filling the calendar. Like the second quarter, there is usually a host of networking opportunities. This changes again in early December as most people begin their Christmas schedule. The talk again turns to personal issues and family agendas take over.

Fourth Quarter Networking Success Strategies. Be ready for the sprint in mid-September. It’s incredible how people seem to wake up and the networking mindset moves into full swing. It’s all-business, so stay on top of new contacts and use your follow up system as you could easily miss some hot contacts. Lead the Christmas slowdown by focusing on a holiday mindset. You can actually use this perspective to accomplish more relationship-building at this time of year.

Michael J. Hughes has spent over 38 years in the business world. He honed his business and managment skills with world-class retail organizations: Woolco-Woolworth (now Wal-Mart) and Canadian Tire Corporation, one of the most successful retail franchisor companies in North America. He has invested the last fifteen years building Michael J. Hughes Consulting & Training Inc., a business development and management consulting practice. He is a successful entrepreneur, business coach, international trainer and speaker, and respected author

To receive a FREE copy of his Summer Networking Strategies 10-page Executive Overview, email him at info@NetworkingForResults.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . http://www.networkingforresults.com/

Today’s News: My very good friend, Joe Heller, “The Revenue Warrior” is in conversation with Clayton Shold of Salesopedia and you can catch the entire interview here: http://www.salesopedia.com/content/view/1031/10347/

Tomorrow: It’s time to role out Sales Leadership Zone which launches next Tuesday – be very excited!!

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cheshire Cat

“I don’t much care where” said Alice

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat

“– So long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation

“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat “If you only walk long enough.”

Lewis Carroll
(Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland)

Sound familiar? Well it doesn’t have to be like that: Every successful person you know has a game plan and maybe you should think about having one too! Here is how I plan:

Always begin with long-term goals and work backwards. Your long-term goals are probably the most difficult to set anyway, so if you set those first, you accomplish the tough stuff right up-front.

Long-term goals should be five-year projections and three areas you may want to consider when you set them are personal accomplishments, status symbols and net worth.

Medium-term goals are usually three year projections and the same criteria can be used – but again think productivity not production and consider the activity that will be necessary to achieve success.

Short-term goals will demand most of your attention and these are usually a twelve-month projection although you can set ‘immediate goals’ which have a 90-day projection.

You must believe you can achieve all of your goals – otherwise you will not achieve them.

Setting a Well Balanced Diet of Goals:

It is essential to set personal as well as career goals to keep your life well balanced. If all your goals are connected to your commercial life, you will have trouble taking time out for family and friends because you will always be pushing towards the next career goal.

Remember:

Work smarter not harder. Setting personal goals gives you a life after business.

Put Your Goals in Writing:

Once you have formulated your goals it is time to make your final commitment to them by putting them down in writing. This is undoubtedly the single most important step in goal setting because until they are inscribed somewhere they are merely wishes and dreams.

After you have written them down, your mind will start seeking out whatever it will take to make them a reality.

Remember:
The moment you start moving forward towards a goal, is the moment you start to succeed.

Today’s News: I think it would be interesting to share with you my current reading and so from next week, Wednesday shall become known as “The JF Book Review Day“ There are just so many good sales/business related books around at the moment, but finding the time to locate them, let alone read them, is a challenge – but by committing to share what’s new and what’s good with you, I will force myself to allocate more reading time, so we both win :-) PS: I am reading an absolute belter at the moment, but you will have to wait until next Wednesday to find out! 

Tomorrow: Occupying the “JF Guest Author Spot” is a new friend and a networking guru, Michael J Hughes.

The JF Guest Author Spot

Terminating Telephone Terror by Wendy Weiss

What can strike terror into the heart of even the most successful sales professional or entrepreneur? What can crush self confidence, destroy self esteem and leave even the most seasoned quivering with humiliation and defeat? The Terror of Cold Calling.

Top Ten Tips for Terminating Telephone Terror:

1. Make telephone calls.
Few things are more terrifying than the unknown. The fear you create for yourself is far worse than the reality of cold calling. Once you start making telephone calls and continue making telephone calls it gets easier. You overcome fear by doing.

2. Make a lot of telephone calls.
If you have only one prospect to pursue, that prospect becomes overwhelmingly important. If you have hundreds of leads, no one prospect can make or break you. The more calls you make, the more success you will have.

3. Prepare.
Prepare for cold calling the way you would for any major presentation. Know what you want to say, how you want to say it and how you want to represent yourself, your company, your product or service. And know the goal of your telephone call.

4. Practice.
If you are new to cold calling or uncomfortable with cold calling practice your pitch out loud. Role-play with friends or colleagues. Practice various sales scenarios. This way you will not have to worry about what you are going to say, you will be prepared and you can focus in on your prospect.

5. Start with less important leads.
It will be good practice and less stressful. Once you feel more comfortable, start working on the more important leads.

6. Stay calm.
You will for the most part be talking to people who will appreciate your call. If a prospect is rude, remember: This is not personal. They may just be having a bad day. Move on.

7. Realize your priorities and your prospect’s priorities are different.

You want an immediate “yes,” your prospect may want to finish a report, finish a conversation, start their vacation.… Be very careful not to read negative or extra meaning into early conversations with your prospect or prospect’s secretary. If, for example, your prospect’s secretary says that your prospect is “on the phone,” “in a meeting,” or “out of the office,” that does not translate to “My prospect knows that I am calling and is avoiding me.”

8. Accept some things are out of your control.
If a prospect does say “no” ultimately that is out of your control—but what is within your control is continuing to prospect and continuing to make calls. It is also within your control to improve your cold calling skills, take seminars, read books or hire a coach-then fewer prospects will say “no.”

9. Play Arlene’s game.
The object of Arlene’s game is to focus on rejection. The goal is to reach 100 points. You get 1 point for every rejection. Give yourself 1 point for every “no” answer. If your prospect says “yes,” that’s a bonus! Focus on acquiring points. The more calls you make, the more points you acquire. When you reach 100—You Win! Give yourself a prize!

10. Have fun!
This is not life or death—it’s only a cold call. The fate of the world does not rest on you and your telephone. You will not destroy your company or ruin your life if a prospect says “no.” Loosen up, be creative, have some fun!

Wendy Weiss “The Queen of Cold Calling,” is a speaker, sales trainer, sales coach and author of the book, “Cold Calling for Women.”

She is recognized as one of the leading authorities on lead generation, cold calling and new business development and she helps clients speed up their sales cycle, reach more prospects directly and generate more sales revenue.

Visit her site to download the free Special Report, “How to Write an Effective Cold Calling Script.”

Upcoming Events:

Tues., October 2, 2007 Cold Calling College Live Begins

View more upcoming events here. http://www.queenofcoldcalling.com/calendar.html

Today’s News: The more vigilant amongst you will soon notice a new Skype ad banner in the left hand column: Yes, that’s right, I am offering a limited amount of online consultancy for just $2 per minute – “$2 per minute Jonathan, are you insane, that is ridiculously cheap” I hear you exclaim. “Ha” say I, “I am not doing it to make my fortune; I am keen to see if the concept really works and if it does, then I may just extend it to a certain group of buddies of mine” – as I always say, watch this space!

Tomorrow: When you know where you are going, you are much more likely to get there – so tomorrow some thoughts on effective goal setting – until then.