Selling In 2012.

"Arrived too late, act already done." ~ Nostradamus.

In 2012 many commentators predict massive and sudden destructive events of global and even cosmic proportion that will result in the loss of billions of human lives. Some suggest the Earth itself may be destroyed with the loss of all life. ~ So what are we to do?

Sell A Whole Bunch Of Stuff.

If there was ever a time to prospect, qualify, and sell better than you've ever done before. Now is the time. Hell it's the end of the world. Forget tomorrow, social media, and all the long term stuff.  ~ Sell 'em now.

Close 'em up.

Come on ~ In 2012 just be the selling machine you've always wanted to be ~ what have you got to lose? The world is coming to an end. ~ So here's what you do. Forget all the smart advice. Guillotine the gurus. Swig down some coffee you closer. You don't need to learn or listen to anyone any more. It's the end ~ Armagedon is upon us.

Be a widget warrior this year, a transaction terror. Let's move some merchandise. Think about it. Those that mind don't matter. Those that matter won't mind. Enough of all the fluff - Let's Focus. ~ Do it for your Family and your Friends  ~ The 'experts' say that it's all over so...

• Profile your prospects.
• Pitch "Today is the last day" (because it really is)
• Close em up now. ~ Today.

Get out there and sell.  TODAY ~ You're A Selling Machine.

 
 
 

Too Cool.

"Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire". ~ Arnold Glasgow.

The young salesman was sitting down with his mentor at one of those gut level meetings that the old man liked to call one on ones. When in fact they were more like the Spanish inquisition. Yep it was just like being strung out on a rack. Every question was direct and brutal. Every answer given drove a follow up question and a next action. The young man hated it at the time, but years later he cherished the lessons.

"Why do most salespeople miss out on sales?" the old man asked.
He didn't wait for an answer ~ "Because they're too cool" he said.

They're too cool to ask the really tough questions. Too cool to ask about timelines, budgets, or the approval process and they're definitely too cool to make cold calls or to ask for the order.  So they wait. They figure if they just wait then they won't have to hear no. ~ Rejection isn't cool.

They figure it's better not to see, hear, or say the stuff they'd rather not. Better to just wait. The cool salesperson doesn't want to seem too eager or enthusiastic. Too energetic or too accessible. They figure that they've got a reputation, an appearance to uphold. But you know what?

If you don't get the sale what kind of reputation do you have? 

The old mentor looked the young man straight in the eye and said ~

Don't Ever Be Too Cool.

Passion & People.

" I want to put a ding in the universe" ~ Steve Jobs.

Success, in any field, comes down to passion and people.

Pursue your passion and surround yourself with really good people.

It's The Leads.

" When you reach the top keep climbing." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.

An ambitious young salesperson was determined to get to the top no matter what it took. So he embarked on a quest. To find out what it takes to get to the top of the sales board he visited hundreds of companies around the country and asked everybody one simple question. "Why is the same salesperson always at the top of the board?" In every company, every year, it seemed to him that the same salesperson always came out on top. Earned the most. Won the most awards and led the pack.~ Every Year ~ Why is that? ~ he asked.

And every other salesperson answered ~ It's The Leads.

Then he returned to his company and sought out a wise old mentor.
A man who had been in sales for over half a century and would give him the straight skinny. After retelling his experience to the old campaigner he asked ~ "So is it the leads?" The seasoned veteran smiled and said ~ Yes. ~ But let me explain. The very best get the very best. That's how the world works, he said. A lot of salespeople need to grow up and recognize that business, and life, is all about dependability. Customers depend on it. Management depends on it. Shareholders depend on it and Employees families depend on it. Someone has got to deliver dependably. Those at the top of the board have made it a habit to deliver results dependably. ~ That's It.

So yes, he said, it's the leads. ~ But think about it this way:

L = Leads.

Whether you inherit, earn, are given, or prospect leads yourself you need to deliver dependably on them or they will go to someone else.

E = Expectations.

Those at the top of the board have higher expectations. Of themselves and what they do with leads. They expect and deliver results.

A = Actions.

To get to the top of the board you'll need to get yourself, and others, to take uncomfortable actions. You'll need to get leads to take action.

D = Deliver.

All the talk in the world won't get you the best leads or to the top of the board. You will need to deliver results first young man.

The old mentor gazed up at the sales board in his office and said...
Yep  ~ "It's the leads ~ but to get the best leads you will need to deliver results first. He smiled and said ~ "Isn't that a bitch?"

The Future.

"The empires of the future are the empires of the mind."
~ Winston Churchill.

What if we could all learn from pure data? ~ If we could get our news without spin and agenda? ~ If we could access information that was completely devoid of opinion or subjective input? ~ If our searches returned more than advertisements or paid placements constructed to simply monetize a query? ~ What if our inquiry returned completely neutral FACTS and OPTIONS. What if we could communicate with a being that delivered pure DATA? Well we can't of course because someone, somewhere, a human being, has to upload that data.

But just imagine the possibilities if we could remove the subjective aspect of information. If we could always trust that the communication back to us was totally free of agenda and personal perspective.

Business decisions, Buying and Selling, Personal Development, Health, and all the affairs and inhabitants of our world could be advised with pure, unadulterated, logic. No politics, no spin, no right or left, no disagreeable diatribe fueled by preconceptions and preference. Yes it would be cold and colorless. Lacking in emotion and ego. Empirically empty and devoid of desire. It certainly would remove instinct and ambition from the equation and it would lack the soul that has created musical, literary and artistic masterpieces throughout history. But it would be interesting to see how it would effect our decisions and world.

As children we learned from books, people, and experience. But what if we each had a data android. One that could provide us with unvarnished advice. Pure clarity. Not as a playmate but as a resource of reliable, agenda free, guidance. Imagine... No politics. Truly unbiased news and credible guidance available without an agenda.

Imagine ~ The Future.

The Eagle.

"Don't quack like a duck. Soar like an eagle." ~ Ken Blanchard.

There's a story told by Arapaho indians to young men who want to become warriors. It's about a test they will have to take to become a respected leader. The test is a fitting fable for any leader who wishes to work with the very best, the eagles, in any field of endeavor.

Eagles fly the highest of all living beings. Their nests are found at the peak of the tallest mountains. A rite of passage for any young man who would become an arapaho warrior was to scale the mountain and collect feathers from an eagles tail and bring them back to the chief of the tribe. With a rodent attached to him, to attract the mighty bird, the warrior began his climb. As the eagle swooped down to snare the tasty morsel the young man would grasp the king of the sky and hang on for dear life. The eagle would scream and tear at the young warriors flesh with it's razor sharp talons as the Indian tried to pluck feathers from its tail. The mighty bird would dig deep into sinew, flesh, and bone testing the warriors resolve and determination to complete his task.

The best soldiers, salespersons, and people in general are eagles.
The truest warriors, those that fly the highest, have claws and mighty sharp talons. Eagles are not the easiest to coach, lead, or work alongside. But... If You Want The Best ~ You Must Be The Best.

Be Happy.

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be"
~ Abraham Lincoln.

There 's something special deep inside human beings. Something that inspires us. It's something that makes us happy. It's the traits that we admire. The ones that prompt us to quote, salute, recognize and respect those we share this planet with. The ones that make us smile.

When we notice them, when we see these traits in others, all of life makes sense. Look For Them ~ Find Them ~ Appreciate Them and...

Be Happy.