Jonathan Farrington’s Blog

We are all always looking to become more time efficient, so today I am going to share some tips with you. 

When planning your time, the following suggestions can help you become more time efficient:

• The first vital step is to become consciously aware of how you are spending your time. People who complain that they “Don’t have the time” have unconsciously created bad habits that need to be highlighted.

This conscious awareness is best achieved by keeping a time log of everything they do for one month so they have ‘the problems’ clearly identified before they look for solutions.

• Start with identifying your long- term goals first, because it creates a context for all your activities. Having a clear vision of what you are aiming for, gives you motivation and momentum so that day-to-day decisions that arise can be easily made because you are able to evaluate them in terms of “Is this activity moving me closer towards my goal?”

• Prioritise and schedule tasks on a monthly, weekly and daily basis according to their priority of importance to you. Because people’s efficiency is optimised when they have good work/life balance, it helps to plan in time for family and self so that these areas aren’t compromised. By working on your higher priority tasks first you are able to channel more of your energy and concentration into important activities. As your energy and concentration starts to fade so does the priority of the tasks that you are working on.

• At the end of each working day, make a ‘To Do’ list for the next day. This pulls out what needs doing onto paper, freeing your mind from worry, so that you can sleep more peacefully. Once you’ve completed your list and before you prioritise, review each task and ask yourself three questions:

- Do I need to do this? (If your answer is “No” then delegate the task)

- Do I need to do this tomorrow? (If your answer is “No” then remove it from your ‘To Do’ list)

- Does this task add value to my organisation and myself? (If your answer is “No” then why are you doing it?)

It takes twenty-one days of consistent focus on doing something differently to establish that activity as a habit.

Therefore, it helps to review your daily tasks every evening for twenty-one days by asking yourself the following:

- Did I accomplish all of my high-priority goals?
- Did I reach or surpass all of my other goals?
- Did I invest as much time as I planned in persuading  others?
- Did I contact every prospect that was on my list today? If not what prevented me?
- How much time did I spend prospecting for new customers?
- How much time did I waste procrastinating today?
- What is the most productive thing I did today?
- What is the least productive thing I did today?
- What could I have avoided or eliminated?
- How much did I spend doing something that will profit me?
- Can I devote more time here?
- Was today a productive day for me? For my company?
- Did I take care of all the paperwork I needed to care of?
- How many of today’s activities have helped me achieve my goals?
- How much time did I allocate to my family, friends etc.?
- What can I do to improve the quality time I need to spend with my family/friends etc?
- How much time did I allocate to me?
- If I could live today again, what would I change?
- What did I do today that I feel really good about?

For busy sales people, working smarter requires paying attention to non-urgent and important tasks. This is best achieved by having a proper understanding of how they are spending their time, identifying where their time wasters are and planning into their schedules the non-urgent and important activities.

According to George Murphy, CEO e-Justify-it, he proves that just the process of paying attention to specific areas will increase those areas results by at least 5%. Therefore, if sales people are encouraged to become more time-aware, even if they don’t do anything else, they will generate 5% more time.

Today’s News: Just one more week before we launch the Top Sales Article Of The Year poll and this week’s nominations are excellent - take a look here 

Tomorrow:On the JF Guest Author Spot is my friend Leslie Buterin, a real cold calling guru and she is in fine form. 

The JF Guest Author Spot

Define What You Want and Write It Down by Jeb Blount

You want something. You have goals. You have dreams. The reason I know that you have dreams and goals is that as a Sales Professional or Business Leader, it’s just in your nature. It is likely that you chose sales as your profession because you recognize that no other career in business today offers more opportunities for achievement and success.

As individuals our goals and dreams are unique. For some of you, what you want can be complex and for others extremely simple. Some of you want bigger homes, financial independence or cool toys. Others want to put their kids through college without going broke or have more time to spend with them while they are little. Some of you are looking for better personal relationships, career advancement or more money. What matters most is that you find a way to get what you want, and that you leverage your talents to make your dreams come true.

Defining what you want will not be easy. It will take practice and patience. Get some help from your significant other, your friends, manager, or a coach. They can provide you with perspective and feedback that will help you be honest with yourself. Of course, the most important thing you can do is start! A written goal is motivation’s playing field. When you write down your goals you turn energy into action. Action is motion. Motion creates momentum. Momentum moves you forward towards your dreams.

Do you know what you want? Do you have a dream? Do you know what motivates you to get up each morning, hit the streets and be your very best? Think about it… then write it down.

Five PowerPrinciples for Winning Goals

1. Goals Must Be Specific: This means exact, clear, precise, and unambiguous.

2. Goals Must Be Time Bound: The act of defining “when” creates urgency. Urgency forces action, harnessing your desire, removing complacency, and overcoming procrastination.

3. Goals Must Be Attainable: It is important to shoot for the stars and ignore the limits. However, if too many of your goals are long shots you’ll end up becoming frustrated. Getting regular wins helps you stay motivated and on track.

4. Goals Have Steps to Success: Big goals are always achieved through a series of small, measurable steps, and these Steps to Success (your plan) must be defined and written down if you want your big dreams to come true.

5. Goals Must Be Written Down: A written goal is a powerful force. It constantly tugs at you, pulling and pushing you towards your destination. It is there, written in stone, and it cannot be ignored until it has been reached. The PowerPrinciples Goal Sheet™ is designed to help you write down your goals and plan your Steps to Success. Get a free PowerPrinciples Goal Sheet™ at www.salesgravy.com.

Jeb Blount is CEO of The Sales Leadership Group, author of PowerPrinciples, the creator of the popular internet sales community, SalesGravy.com and the host of the top rate Sales Motivation Podcast, SalesGravy: PowerPrinciples. You can read more about Jeb here

Today’s News: Interesting message from my friend Garret Loporto yesterday:

Hey Jonathan,

Here’s to you and all the other crazy ones. Check out this 1 minute Apple ad honoring your kind …
See it here: http://www.ConcordSociety.org/crazyones
Rock on,
Garret
Author of The DaVinci Method

If you think you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur, you can take his test here

Tomorrow: To finish the week, “The Logical Close” - if you need to close, here are some tips.

The JF Guest Author Spot

Making A Good First Impression Is In Your Hands by Greg Stebbins

As sales professionals we’re told to make a “good first impression.” The most significant first impression we’ll make is shaking another person’s hand. Think about it; have you ever recoiled from a limp, dead fish handshake or winced in pain from a bone crusher? How about your end: do you know what your handshake is telling others about you?

More than just physical contact, a handshake conveys a wealth of psychological information. We walk away from a handshake saying things like, “You know, I just felt real comfortable with her” or “Don’t know why, I simply don’t trust that guy.” Most people don’t spend time probing the depths of this unconscious communication; they just have a “feeling,” or a sense that their “intuition” is telling them something. However, there are things you can use by looking a little more closely at the experience.

What can you learn from another person’s handshake? What are you communicating through your handshake? Quite a bit, according to a study directed by University of Alabama associate professor of psychology Dr. William Chaplin. The study reported that more extroverted people had firmer handshakes and that this usually made a much better first impression. Nothing new in that statement, but what was interesting was that women who had firmer handshakes were also evaluated positively. Women with firm handshakes were deemed more open than were women with less firm handshakes. This runs counter to the stereotype about women being evaluated negatively when they take on traditional male characteristics—including hand strength.

Other research into non-verbal communications and specifically handshakes has provided some refinement on this idea. Much of this will be obvious to you, some might not. Regardless, not only will you get a sense of what your handshake communicates, you’ll be able to refine your interaction with others based on what their handshake tells you.

Sweaty Palms – Few people enjoy grabbing a wet rag. Shaking hands with a person whose hand feels like a wet rag is very uncomfortable. When a person is nervous their sympathetic nervous system often becomes overactive, sometimes resulting in sweaty palms. Do what you can to put this individual at ease. If you tend to be nervous on sales calls and have sweaty palms, you might discreetly blot your right hand on a handkerchief—or even on your pants or skirt—just before the handshake.

Dead Fish - Indifferent handshakes that feel like the person has no bones in their hand often indicate being passive or reserved. This handshake ranks as the number two least favored. Individuals with this type of clasp are generally not people-focused. Knowing this, you can tailor your presentation to de-emphasize the people aspect and focus more on the mechanical or thing-focused benefits. Exceptions to this rule might be musicians and surgeons whose livelihood depends on sensitive hands and who are therefore reluctant to open up to a bone crusher.

Brush Off – A quick grasp and then a release that feels like your hand being shoved aside. This handshake is a statement of “it’s my turf and my agenda that matters, yours doesn’t.” Listen first to what the person wants before talking about your ideas for them.

Controller – You feel your hand being pulled toward the person or strongly guided in a different direction, perhaps towards a chair. People who do this are controllers, which means they want to dominate any inanimate or animate object in the room (and that would include you). If your goals are different than theirs there may be challenges ahead. Do more listening than talking and see if you can find common ground so these individuals can control the situation toward your desired objective.

Politician – Your hand is firmly grasped as in a normal handshake. However, their other hand may cover yours or be placed on your forearm or shoulder. Unless the two of you are good friends, this is a form of false sincerity. The person is attempting to communicate that the two of you have a deeper relationship than you actually have. After receiving this kind of handshake, I recommend you check your pockets or purse to see if anything is missing. Similarly, be cautious about relying on this person’s word for anything and be attentive in your dealings with them.

Finger Vise – When someone grabs your fingers and not your entire hand it is meant to keep you at a distance. These people are often insecure. If they also crush your fingers they are adding a show of personal power, which is also designed to keep you at a distance or at least create some fear of challenging them. I wouldn’t recommend you be submissive, however it will serve your purpose to be somewhat deferential to them.

Bone Crusher – The message of squeezing your hand until you cringe is clearly designed to intimidate you. Even when the person may not know how strong they are, there is still a message of intimidation and power behind the grip. You don’t have to pretend to be a wimp with them, and, in fact, they may respond positively to you if you present yourself with strength. Just don’t get into a hand squeezing contest when you shake because then it becomes a competition and even if you win, you’ll lose.

Lobster Claw –The palm of your hand is touched by the other person’s thumb and finger(s), not unlike the claw of a lobster. The person doing this fears connecting at a deep level and may have challenges building relationships. Take your time, allow them to open up at their own pace. As they become more comfortable with you their handshake may actually change. Once they fully accept you, they can be a client for life.

Hand Wrestler – Your hand is taken normally and then twisted under the other person’s. This is usually done aggressively. Be very careful in your own presentation as this person is absolutely committed to being on top, regardless of what they say they want.

Tea Cup – This handshake feels normal except that there is no palm-to-palm contact. The other person’s palm is cupped, like a tea cup. This handshake indicates that the person is hiding something from you. It might just be a serious case of shyness or it could be something more substantial. Always check for missing information when working with this individual.

In any sales situation, the more you know about the person you’re dealing with, the better you can communicate with them and let them know you are there to serve their needs. Primed with the information presented here, you can start of creating a strong first impression by being aware of your own handshake, and learning the hidden messages in your client or customer’s. Then making a good impression is truly in your hands.

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/book.htm

You can also read more about Greg here

Today’s News: The tension is mounting! We just have three more weekly winners to announce over at Top 10 Sales Articles and then we will have our nine monthly finalists who will be competing for Top Sales Article of 2007. A poll will open on Top 10 from Monday December 17th and close at midnight GMT (7pm EST) on December 30th.The winner will be announced on New Year’s Eve

Tomorrow: I look at the preparation stage of negotiation - it is what I call the “Essential Stage”

The JF Guest Author Spot

The Most Important Question by Kevin Eikenberry

It all started out so innocently.

I was preparing for an interview and the interviewer had sent me some of the questions to help me prepare.  I was successfully thinking about how I would answer each question until I got to this one:

What is the most important question we can ask?

I didn’t have an immediate answer.

This may seem strange – after all, I have been training and telling people for years that better questions will get us better results and I’ve encouraged people to collect great questions – to ask ourselves and others at the appropriate times.

I’ll admit when I first read the question I started thinking of ways to squirm out of answering the question; rationalizing that it would be impossible to pick just one.

In the end, I did pick one (I’ll get to it in a minute.)  But after another week of reflection and thought I’ve added two more.  I forced myself to stop at three, trying to focus on some core principles that would underlie these great questions. 

I picked these questions for the power they can have for us in helping us lead happier, more productive and successful lives.  I believe these questions apply to us at any age, at work, at home and everyplace else in between.

So I hope you will excuse me for having more than the one question advertised by the title of this article.  If you do, here we go . . .

What is most important to me?

This was my answer during the interview.  I explained that asking this question can help us set goals, help us prioritize our tasks for better time management, and help us create a better balance in our lives – work, family and personal balance. 

Asking this question will help us set better goals – and goals that are truly important to us (as opposed to a goal that you feel someone else wants you to attain or you somehow think you “should” attain).  From a time management and balance perspective we can ask the question globally or more directly – as in what is most important, right now? Asking this version of the question will help you have a clearer perspective.
Why?

Why is the question of our children who we would all recognize as tremendously proficient learners.  “Why” is the question of curiosity.  When we ask the “Why?” question we open our minds to possibilities and options – and allow ourselves to find solutions to problems.

Our brains are designed to solve problems; to find answers to questions. Asking “Why?” creates a gap and identifies a problem to be solved.  Asking “Why?” is a valuable way to increase our curiosity about the world around us and therefore increase our learning – about anything we are curious about!

In addition the “Why?” question help us better understand our intention for any action we might take.  When we have a clearer and more powerful answer to the why question, we literally begin to catapult us towards change, learning and our goals.

What can I/did I learn?

As human beings we are learning beings, and yet we don’t always learn as intentionally and consciously as we could.  The “Why?” question can get us on that path, but this question helps us take advantage of the learning opportunities that surround us in our everyday lives.

Asking “What can I/did I learn?” is the great question that allows us to reflect, learn, grow and improve.

Are these the most important questions we can ask?  I believe they certainly are among the most important questions we can ask.  As you can see that can have a tremendously powerful impact on all phases of our lives.

I encourage you to do things as you finish reading this article.  First, I urge you to ask yourself a personalized version of the question I was asked - What is the most important question I can ask?

And secondly, ask yourself that question, and the ones I’ve suggested more often.  The questions are powerful, but it is your answers that will change your results and your life for the better.

Potential Pointer: Asking ourselves powerful questions – and thinking about our answers - is one of the most valuable things we can do to improve our results, happiness and success.

  Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. You can learn more about him and a special offer on his newest book, Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at http://www.RemarkableLeadershipBook.com/bonuses.asp

You can also catch Kevin over at Top Sales Experts

Today’s News:

   Today’s Top Sales Expert of the day is  “The Sales Hunter” Mark Hunter, a real professional’s professional and an immensely experienced sales guru - read more about him here

May I take this opportunity to wish all my friends, colleagues and readers in the U.S.A, a very happy Thanksgiving - enjoy

Tomorrow: “Honing Your Questioning Techniques”

A lot of people think they know an awful lot about motivation but in reality, most of their theories are based on the very outdated “Carrot and Stick” principle: I discovered Hetzberg many years ago and his thinking in this area is very advanced.

The first set of needs defined by Hertzberg is called “Hygiene Needs” and deal with a person’s relationship with the environment. They consist of how people are treated at work.

* Do you pay them well?

* Good working conditions?

* Human relations - the nature and quality of their supervision.

* Status

* The nature of the Company’s policy and administration.

They are called Hygiene Factors, because if the factors are right, they prevent people from being dissatisfied in their working environment, so they keep people from being unhappy and that is their function - but they do not motivate.

One form of hygiene that has long been practised is to deny people fair treatment at the beginning. For example:-

“I am not going to pay you as much as the going rate, but prove you can do the job, and I will make it up to you later”.

The trouble is that you can never make it up. That lack of fair treatment at the beginning will never be forgotten and normally leads to a revenge psychology on the part of the employee. In other words, they will get back at you later because they cannot forget the remembered pain. The principle here is very simple - Treat people fairly, because it is in your own and their best interests.

The other set of needs of people is caused by the fact that they are human beings and therefore, not only do they not want to hurt, so treat them well (Hygiene), but they want to do something. They want to grow and show what they can do. They want to be able to say at the end of the work experience not that they vegetated, but that they are more than they were (know more, can do more and, therefore are more) and the only way to measure this by what they have done in that experience.

They are therefore asking these questions:-

* Do I achieve? Am I contributing?

* Am I given increased responsibility?

* Am I advancing and growing?

* Is what I do meaningful and significant? Is it interesting?

* Is my ability recognised?

These are “The Motivators”. These are the variables that managers can use to motivate people, because people who want to do something, want to do it - that’s motivation.

Referring back to carrot and the stick, Hertzberg suggests that anyone can be made to do anything, so long as they are threatened or bribed enough, but do they want to do something? The answer is no.

In other words, people can be got to move by what he calls ‘K.I.T.A.’ - Kick in the Ass - and if more movement is needed, more K.I.T.A. is needed. K.I.T.A. can either be:-

Positive - Offering people a reward, bonus or an incentive;

or

Negative - Threatening them.

By the use of K.I.T.A. then, people can be got to move but unless they want to do a good job because they want to do a good job, they are not motivated.

One of the other problems about applying K.I.T.A. is that it normally causes a short term improvement in productivity, at the cost of a long term decrease in the average days work, because a reward once given becomes a right. So if we want to talk about motivated performance, we have got to talk about -

The Motivators which are:-

Achievement

Recognition for achievement

Meaningful and interesting work

Increased responsibility

Growth and development

In other words, the quality of the human experience at work.

A point that Hertzberg insists is vital is that the Motivators are not more important than the Hygiene Factors; each of them has to be given equal importance, because each of them is vital if motivation is going to be strong.

One of the most important variables in creating motivation is training, because motivation is a function of ability and the opportunity to use that ability. So the more ability you can give people by training them, the more they will want to do. One problem that has been very evident in industry is the lack of the second factors in the equation - that of opportunity - and Hertzberg has, therefore, promoted the Job Enrichment Movement.

So, what should a job contain?

* A range of responsibilities and activities to keep a person interested.
* Areas of growth, since all jobs should be learning experiences.
* Direct feedback, since how a person is doing should not be dependant upon someone else telling them - they should be able to see for themselves.
* The responsibility for checking one’s own quality, because that responsibility cannot be delegated to a control system.
* Direct communication between that person and the people they need to communicate with, not via supervisors or managers.

Herzberg suggests that the situation will improve and productivity will improve when management is prepared to say:-

“It is our fault. We didn’t know how to manage people well; we just knew how to hurt them well. We didn’t respect them enough or challenge them enough or give them enough satisfaction”.

When Managers are prepared to say that, then a new understanding will come.

Today’s News: My plan is to highlight each of the Top Sales Experts and introduce them to you one by one, because there is so much collective talent within the team.

 Today, I would like you to meet Leslie Buterin, one of Jill Konrath’s “Sales Shebang” keynote speakers and a very bright, dynamic and highly experienced sales guru.She is the author of the best selling “Secrets To Scheduling The Executive-Level Sales Call” You can read more about Leslie here 

One of the adjudication panel described this week’s ten nominated articles over at Top 10 Sales Articles, as the best selection he had seen so far, you can check them out here

Tomorrow: My guest is good friend and leadership guru, Wally Adamchik

Active listening is a powerful way of listening and responding to customers, that improves mutual understanding. It is the foundation of effective communication and demonstrates real respect. According to Nancy Kline, author of the book ‘Time to Think’, when you are listening to someone, much of the quality of what you are hearing is your effect on them.

Giving good attention to people makes them more intelligent. Poor attention makes them stumble over their words and seem stupid. Your attention and your listening is what is important. When we are in conflict, we can sometimes contradict the customer, denying their description of a situation. This tends to make them defensive and they will either lash out or alternatively, withdraw and say nothing more.

However, if they believe that we are really tuned in to their concerns and want to listen, they are more likely to explain in detail what they feel and why. This in turn gives sales people a much greater chance of being able to develop a win-win solution.

Your role in the sales situation alternates between sender and receiver of messages. The very best sales professionals devote a large portion of the sales interview to listening, because sincere listening demonstrates sincere interest. Ultimately, good listening is the shortest distance between you and more sales; better sales, faster sales.

How often has a customer said something that has been misinterpreted by you? If you accept the view that everyone is unique, then every word has a different meaning to different individuals? What we say can be different to what we actually mean, because we all have to edit our thoughts in order to communicate them in words. We do this by a combination of deletion, distortion and generalisation

Communication involves four steps:

1. Sensing the message and the stimuli that goes with it
2. Interpreting it (to be sure you understand)
3. Evaluating it (never judge before you understand)
4. Reacting (either verbally or non-verbally)

That’s why it pays to listen with your eyes as well as your ears. Frequently, a gesture, an expression, will reveal as much or more than words. Therefore, effective listeners seek to understand the meaning behind their customers’ words. This requires giving the other person full attention and demands conscious practice.

To become excellent at listening, there are three main techniques:

1. Build high levels of rapport and trust your instincts.

When two people have established high levels of rapport, they unconsciously pick-up on the feelings of each other. At this point the sales person may get an instinct about something the customer ‘feels’, which is important feedback that is driven from their unconscious mind.

Trusting these instincts can sometimes prove to be a challenge for people who work in a corporate, logical environment, yet the ability to ‘listen’ and act upon these instincts can make the difference between a good listener and a great listener. If for example, you have created rapport and start to feel nervous, then chances are so is your customer. Imagine the impact of asking, “I’m getting a sense that you’re feeling nervous about this, what specific concerns do you have?” will have on your customer.

2. Demonstrate that you are paying attention.

This really encourages the customer to continue talking and helps put them at ease because they can see that you’re interested in what they are saying. Using noncommittal words with a positive voice tone that neither agree or disagree with what is being said, will ensure that the customer remains motivated to want to continue talking. For example, “I see”/ “Uh-huh”/ “That’s interesting” are great ways to achieve this. Nodding your head and taking written notes are also effective when demonstrating your interest.

3. Clarifying your understanding.

Adopting a consultative approach means that it’s vital to fully appreciate your prospect’s requirements. Even if you think that your prospect has made them very clear, it’s good practice to summarise your understanding of them. For example: “So what you’re saying is (requirement).” “You obviously value (requirement) as being very important to you.” These summaries will strengthen your relationship and demonstrate a genuine desire to really understand what they want. Rephrase their main points at regular intervals and ‘play them back’ to them. This helps them see if they have said exactly what they wanted to say and to make sure you understand. Put their feelings into words. This will help them evaluate and perhaps modify their statement…and it gives further evidence of your understanding.

Today’s News: Clayton Shold is in conversation with Susan Friedman, The Tradeshow Coach over at Salesopedia - you know, these interviews are just getting better and better. You can listen in here

Tomorrow: Well, you can anticipate that there will be much burning of midnight oil, as the launch of the Top Sales Experts site gets ever nearer: I am off to the UK next week and looking forward to travelling at high speed from London to Paris now that the new link to St. Pancras is opening:-)

So as always, wherever you are in the world, have a great w/e and make sure you come back next week please. 

The most valuable resource we have is time and sales people more than anyone know how challenging it can be to cram everything that needs to be done into their available time. According to Stephen Covey, author of ‘First Things First’ we should focus on our high priority tasks, those that provide the biggest levers towards achieving our goals. That is why being clear on what you want to accomplish in every facet of your life, will determine the importance and therefore the priority of everything you need to do.

Essentially, we spend our time on tasks that are categorised into one of four areas:

1. Urgent and Important – these activities will include crises, pressing problems, deadline-driven projects, meetings and preparation for all of these things. Whilst we do have to spend time on these tasks, it is vital to appreciate that many of them become urgent because of a lack of planning.

2. Important and Non-Urgent – these activities include preparation, prevention measures, planning, relationship building and creating. In fact, all these types of tasks can be summarised as activities that are directly linked to the accomplishment of our long-range goals.

3. Urgent and Not Important – these activities will include interruptions, some phone calls, some emails and reports and those types of tasks that we may enjoy doing - popular activities. The term ‘urgent’ can create the perception that these types of tasks are important.

4. Non-Urgent and Not Important – these activities will include trivia, some phone calls, junk mail, time wasters, watching mindless television shows and anything that we do to escape doing those tasks that we need to do. If we are battered by spending too much time on urgent activities, we may seek solace through doing these types of activities. We can summarise these tasks as those that waste our time.

When working on urgent tasks, two things are likely to occur. Firstly, the feelings of urgency, creates an adrenalin rush that can fill us with a sense of excitement. Once the urgency has been withdrawn from our situation, we can feel down and depressed. This develops into an addiction to urgency – we crave the highs and do whatever we can to avoid the lows. Secondly, urgent tasks can create a ‘choking effect’ when we feel so overwhelmed that it impairs our ability to think clearly. Neither reactions are helpful if we want to remain in a peak state over a long period.

Many people who experience ‘burn-out’ have spent too much of their time working on urgent things, this creates an imbalance and they simply become exhausted. They simply cannot see ‘the wood from the trees’ and negative thoughts begin to dominate the positive ones. Many sales people become stuck at a certain level of success because they have allowed themselves to become buried under countless details, demands and activities that drain their energy.

When people have more balance and more free time to devote to important tasks they are rejuvenated and better equipped to increase their productivity. This is why spending a larger proportion of our time on activities that are important yet not necessarily urgent gives us a greater sense of control over our lives. Planning your time accordingly will save you time and ensure that you remain focussed on those tasks and activities that take you closer to your goals. Also by scheduling your tasks, you are more likely to complete them.

Today’s News: As I promised yesterday, here are the male contingent, who will be lining up on the Top Sales Experts site next week, in no particular order: Wally Adamchik, Kevin Dwyer, Kevin Eikenberry, Joe Heller, Steve Martinez, Kelley Robertson, Gregory Stebbins, Paul McCord, Jeb Blount, Greg Stewart, Mark Hunter and JF -yep, that is a group of very big hitters

Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot, I am delighted to welcome Craig James who is making his debut - it really is an excellent piece of writing.

”Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals.” Aristotle

One of the single, most important skills that a salesperson can possess is to set goals that are so well defined, and so compelling, that they become embedded deep into the unconscious mind, consequently acting as a powerful force that drives motivation and behaviour. If your sales team lacks clarity about why they are doing the job that they do, their sense of purpose will become diluted and as their sales manager you are losing out on a massive piece of their potential.

The art to achieving whatever you want is to have a clear picture of your goal in your mind. You’ve probably heard this so many times before that the power of this one thing may have escaped you. According to Prentice Mulford (1834-1891), “Every thought of yours is a real thing - a force.” To put it another way, thoughts become things.

We are all connected to each other and the universe through our energy that ebbs and flows constantly. In fact we are like a powerful electro-magnetic transmitter where our thoughts vibrate at a certain frequency and attract to us, that which we are thinking. In his bestselling book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill states, “That “the subconscious” mind proceeds to translate that impulse into its physical equivalent”.

Yet the mistake made my many sales people is that they don’t think about what they want, they think about what they don’t want. The human mind is unable to deal with negations, such as “I don’t want to miss target” or “this prospect will always go for the lowest price”. In these examples, your unconscious mind will create ‘miss target’ and ‘prospects who only buy from the companies who offer the lowest prices’. If you are asked not to think of a blue tree then your mind has already started thinking of a blue tree!

Therefore, when helping your sales team set goals for themselves, they need to focus on what it is they want, rather than what it is they don’t want.

The clearer people are about their goals, the more leverage they create because they start to attract them at an unconscious level. This means that having a picture of their goal and imagining how they will feel achieving their goal can be extremely powerful.

Having goals and well-formed outcomes will stretch and develop your team’s ability, keeping them challenged and motivated.

During a sales meeting you can give them the time to identify and write down what they want, which is the first step to creating a SMART goal.

SMART stands for:

Specific - because it becomes more real when you are detailed. Imagine concentrating the rays of the sun using a magnifying glass into a force powerful enough to start a fire. This is exactly what happens when you are specific about your goal, because your power to achieve it becomes more focused.

Measurable - if you have been very specific about your goal, then you are going to find it much easier to know when you have achieved it. If there is no way of knowing what you have achieved then it’s vital you develop a way.

Achievable - having the faith and the belief that your goal is stretching yet realistic, generates more clarity, drive and determination. This in turn empowers the goal setting process. If your goal is so big that you genuinely believe that it’s impossible, even though it’s what you want, your unconscious mind will hold you back because it wants to preserve your energy from being used unnecessarily.

Relevant - sometimes it can be easy to set ourselves goals that are not really our own goals, they are the goals of others who have influenced us to think that we should want them too. If our goal doesn’t have any real relevance to us, then we will find it difficult to form an emotional attachment or connection with that goal.

Timed - people often find that if they have a certain amount of work to be done within a specified timeframe they will take the allotted time to complete their task. You may have noticed that when you are busy you tend to get more done. Sometimes if we have less to do and there isn’t a deadline to do it by, the tasks can take longer. Putting a time for when we want to achieve our goal by, works in much the same way and is a vital component for our own motivation.

Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot I am delighted to welcome back, Diane Helbig.

The JF Guest Author Spot

“The Power of a Symbol” by Kevin Eikenberry

We all have symbols in our lives. As nations our flags and landmarks are two examples; as organizations logos or specific stories or situations may be symbols; and as individuals perhaps a picture, award or collectable fits this description. These symbols can remind us of our beliefs, of our loyalties, of our accomplishments and much more. Whether physical like a flag, symbolic like a story, or memory-anchored like a picture these can serve us in powerful ways.

None of this is new or revolutionary to you.

What may be revolutionary to you though is how we can use these symbols to our advantage as individuals and leaders.

Let me start with some examples.

The Rock. The picture at the top of this article is of a rock I received recently. The Rainmakers organization in Indianapolis recently began a tradition at their events where the leader brings a rock, and writes on it “Be More, Serve More” (a part of their mission and purpose). Then during the meeting all participants sign the rock. At some point in the meeting that rock is presented to someone in the group who has made a difference, lived the Rainmaker’s ideals or is in some other way deserving of the recognition. Started as a way to reward and recognize without breaking their budget, it now is a powerful part of the organization’s culture. It also is a highly valued award, meaningful in many ways to each recipient.

The Bands. In anticipation of my new book Remarkable Leadership we had green rubber wristbands (ala the Lance Armstrong Livestrong bands) made that say “I am Remarkable!” We purchased these and gave them to people because we believe in the message that people are remarkable and that they need to be reminded. I can tell you that, having worn one of these bands daily for nearly two months so far, it is a powerful reminder. While it isn’t a conscious reminder each time I look at it, I consciously notice multiple times a day and it reminds of that fact for myself and, perhaps for the point of this article, it reminds me in a tangible way of our mission at the Kevin Eikenberry Group - to help people reach their remarkable goals.

The Red Herring. Have you ever been to a meeting where the group got off topic? (Sorry for asking a silly question.) I had a client once who called those side topics red herrings - things that weren’t the real issue at hand. That phrase caught on within the team and soon someone showed up with a plastic red fish at a meeting - and dubbed it the red herring! The team decided to use the fish as a reminder of red herring topics - anyone could playfully toss the fish in the direction of someone if they thought a conversation was off topic. This gentle reminder has helped this team run more effective meetings for a long time - in large part because of a symbol.

The Stone. I carry a small stone in my pocket everyday to remind me of the importance and value my wife and family play in my life. Do I “know” that I love and value them? Of course I do. But this stone, this symbol, grounds me on a regular basis. I find myself holding the stone often when making a decision or thinking things through. This touchstone to the most important things in my life helps me make better decisions and think more clearly. It isn’t the stone itself that is helping; it is the meaning and message it signifies to me that makes all the difference.

We can draw much from these examples. First, notice how symbols can serve as a recognition or a reminder or both. As an individual if there is something that you want to be reminded of a symbol can be a powerful way to remind yourself. The symbol need not be elaborate or fancy (notice the stone example above), as long as the meaning and message attached to it is valuable.

The same is true in organizations - the physical representation doesn’t have to be glossy, shiny or valuable - a rubber fish or a retaining pond rock is certainly none of these. Again, the power comes from the meaning and message.

Does this mean that we no longer need to buy watches, plaques or awards? Not necessarily, but remember that the $100 or $500 plaque may mean nothing (or even be counterproductive to the intended goal). Have you ever or do you know anyone who received a plaque or recognition that didn’t value it for some reason? If so, the disconnect comes from a lack of meaning and/or sincerity and has little or nothing to do with the physical manifestation.

Symbols are powerful and can aid us personally and organizationally as we attempt to improve or move toward valuable goals. Use them wisely and sincerely and this underutilized tool could become instrumental in your future success.

Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. You can learn more about him and a special offer on his newest book, Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at http://www.RemarkableLeadershipBook.com/bonuses.asp

NB: “The Power Of A Symbol” was voted top article of the month for September, over at Top 10 Sales Articles and now goes forward into the Top Sales Article Of The Year final in December - well done good buddy and good luck!

Today’s News: I can confirm that the brand new Top Sales Experts e-book will be available at the end of this week, packed with previously unpublished work by this very special group of sales gurus: You will be able to download it for free here

Tomorrow: As you will know, Wednesday is usually the JF Book Review day, but I am travelling on business until the end of the month and as a consequence, time is at a premium. I will however compensate you with a very interesting and highly readable post - “Closing With Ease”

The JF Guest Author Spot 

It’s been said, “That no one has enough time yet, everyone has all that there is.” Simple concept - except when you’re living your life in the multi-tasking lane.

For most of you - your reality is too much work, information overload, struggling to balance your family and your work, and not enough time to get everything done.

Well, I struggle with the same things you do. While I don’t have all the answers - I do have a couple of ideas that you may find helpful.

Here are four simple ways you can take control of your time and your life:

1. Handling paperwork.
The one thing about paperwork is that it’s endless. All the prognosticators who long ago said that the advent of computers would eventually eliminate paper were totally wrong - at least when I look at my desk. The junk mail you receive is never ending. Add to that correspondence from your company, from your manager, from your customers, personal bills, and everything else under the sun adds up, if you’re not very careful, it adds up to one very big distraction.

The control center for most professional salespeople is the home office desk. A desk filled with clutter creates efficiencies that only worsen with more clutter. Here’s a suggestion for dealing with paperwork that I personally use and have found to be very effective.

It’s called the four D’s:

1. Do something with it. If you can’t do something with it right now - you shouldn’t be touching the paperwork at all. One of the keys to efficient office management is to touch paperwork only once if at all possible. The best way to do this is to schedule time for the sole purpose of dealing with your paperwork.

2. Delegate it to someone else. Delegation isn’t easy especially when you know you can perform the task better than someone else. The fact that you can perform the task better than another person is no reason for you to perform the task. First - consider the value of your time. Next - consider the priorities that take precedence over this particular task. Never, never, never do anything that you can get someone else to do for you. Simply stated that’s the art of delegation!

3. Defer doing something until you have more time to deal with it. Okay, you have set aside a chunk of time to do your paperwork. One of the items in your stack of paper requires research and follow-up and you estimate that you’ll need 45 minutes to get the job done. Defer doing anything until you can block out 45 minutes on your calendar. Just keep moving through your paperwork.

4. Dump it! That’s right dump it - get rid of it. My guess is that 20 - 40 percent of everything that crosses your desk can be trashed immediately and without regret. If the worst thing does happen, that you need something you have previously tossed away, worry not, because someone else in your organization will have a copy for you.

All that paperwork that’s on your desk doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You realize of course that stack of paperwork isn’t capable of managing itself. Rely on the four D’s to maintain control of your desk. Properly managed your desk will become an asset for you instead of a major liability.

Unfortunately, when it comes to paperwork, you’re either in control or out of control. It’s your choice.

2. Don’t Stash It - Trash It
Are you surrounded by stuff? Of course you are - if you’re like most salespeople. The tendency, when it comes to stuff, is to wait and procrastinate putting this thing we call “cleaning up” off to a later and more convenient time.

Your mind is probably riddled with these and similar thoughts.
“Not now.”
“I’ll set it aside and take care of it later - when I have more time.”
“I’ll rack it up by stacking it up in a neat pile.”

How would you like to immediately feel good and look good? You’re thinking, who wouldn’t want to pull a switch to feel good and look good. It’s really quite easy and only requires a touch of discipline.

Actually, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. The only thing you need is a large trash can liner and some “reckless abandon.” Here are the easy steps:

1. Trash your office. You will really enjoy doing this - trust me. With your trash can liner in hand begin with your desk. Without re-stacking anything toss away everything that isn’t absolutely essential to your selling success. Begin at one end of your desk and work your way through to the other end of your desk tossing away everything that’s unnecessary to keep. This includes magazines you haven’t read, files that you haven’t used, projects that you haven’t done, papers that you haven’t filed, and notes that you haven’t read. The first time you do this can be painful. But remember, if there’s no pain there’s no gain.

2. Trash your briefcase. Take a couple of pages from your daily newspaper and lay them on the floor. Empty the contents of your briefcase onto the newspaper that’s now on the floor. Isn’t it amazing, what you have accumulated and stashed away in your briefcase? You know the drill - toss away everything that’s not essential to your selling success. Everything else goes back into your now very clean and organized briefcase.

3. Trash your car. The two times your car is the cleanest is the day you buy it and the day you sell it. Depending on what you sell your car may literally become your second office. Your office on wheels can take on the untidiness of your home office if you neglect it.

Start with the trunk - what a mess that can be, and toss away everything that isn’t absolutely essential to your selling success. Proceed to your car’s interior so you can clean up and toss away everything between and under the seats. Now that you’ve trashed all the unnecessary stuff - you may as well get the car washed, and even detailed if necessary.

Ask this question often. Should I stash it or trash it? What do you think?

3. The key to finishing is starting.
Recently I did a postcard mailing to promote my No-Brainer Selling Skills Boot Camp. One side of the postcard had a photograph of a salesperson, dressed in a suit, running, with both arms extended high over his head, one with a briefcase, as he dashed across a red ribbon finish line.

It was a great picture capturing a successful moment. It reminded me, and I don’t know why, that you’ll never cross the finish line until you cross the starting line.

How many things are you thinking about doing that aren’t getting done?
How many priorities do you have perched on the back burner in your territory?
How many things could you start doing today that would provide you with an immediate payback ($$$)?
If finished is better than perfect then starting is better than procrastination.
Before you cross the finish line you have to cross the starting line.

(Begin, dart, spring, jump, effect, enable, rouse, proceed, or breakthrough.) What are you waiting for?

4. Maintain your focus.
Seven years ago I did a sales training program in Colorado. The meeting was held about two hours north of Denver, in a lodge situated in Roosevelt National Park. My client was, Low Alpine, a manufacturer of outdoor gear. Specifically, they made the stuff that Mt. Everest climbers use to trek up that mountain.

My two-hour presentation was scheduled right after lunch. The speaker, who preceded me before lunch, had an extremely interesting topic. He had a slide presentation showing his various attempts at climbing the incredible MT. Everest. As you might imagine it was a powerful and extremely insightful presentation about the art and dangers of mountain climbing.

There were 25 salespeople at this meeting. Their climbing gear was sold to retailers. So they knew all about the climbing business. They also knew, by reputation, many of the names the speaker referred to.

Throughout his presentation everyone was glued to his seat with anticipation. He mixed his stories with slides, which was extremely effective.

Just before he ended his presentation he asked the group a question. He remarked, “There’s a time when you’re climbing, when you can almost feel depressed. You just feel low and down. Do you know when that is?”

My imagination started to run wild especially since the highest I ever climbed wasn’t even climbing, it was an elevator ride to the top of the Empire State building. I thought surely the salespeople in the audience would know the answer to his question. They responded with things that I imagined; when you first begin the climb, when you only have 100 yards left, when you reach the top, and when you begin your descent. The speaker’s body language and facial expression gave it all away - no one was even close.

I was surprised by the answer - maybe you will be too. He said, “Climbers get down when bad weather sets in.” He went on to explain that when bad weather sets in you can’t see the peak - you lose sight of your goal and become easily distracted.

You might be wondering, what if anything does this have to do with time management? I see a very clear correlation. You see, like a mountain climber who can’t see the peak, salespeople and entrepreneurs without clearly defined goals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) are more susceptible to daily interruptions and distractions, and more likely to waste your precious time resource.

You don’t have to climb Mount Everest to appreciate how important keeping your eyes focused on your goals is to achieving your ultimate success in sales.

Well, that’s a wrap - four simple ideas on how you can take more control of your time and your life.
Let’s go sell something . . .
  
 Jim Meisenheimer has worked with 496 corporate clients. Last year 83.3% of his sales training business was repeat business. Jim Meisenheimer, Inc. has achieved 18 consecutive years of increased sales and profitability. Author of seven books, Certified Professional Speaker (CPS), you can learn more about Jim and his Knock Out Selling Skills program at www.meisenheimer.com .
 
 
Today’s News: The brand new Volume 2 of the Top Sales Experts e-book will be ready for launch next week and having just had a quick look at both the content and the new design, I know that you will enjoy it very much.

Tomorrow: ”The Creation Of An Objection” - ever wondered where an objection starts from? I will reveal all.