We play mind games on ourselves all the time. The more you over think, and over analyze, the more irrational your expectations become. It's funny how while we prepare for a crucial conversation that we always set ourselves up to expect the worst. We prepare for "what if he says this?" and "what if she doesn't like when I say this?". We always expect that its going to go the opposite way of our desire. The more crucial, the more we think we're going to have to put up a fight........and we prepare accordingly. This isn't a bad thing, after-all thorough preparation is key to a crucial conversation. Allowing it to become assumably negative is where you can get yourself into trouble.
I find that more often than not, the conversation actually goes much better than we expect. We allowed ourself to paint a picture of a very negative environment, and it didn't have to be quite that negative after all. I'm not saying these conversations always end positively, I'm simply stating that they usually don't go as poorly as the expectation that we have created.
Here's where I find trouble.............then what? You have prepared to plead your case and fight the battle, and there is no positivity in sight. Then you get there, and there is no fight..........then what? You probably haven't prepared for this event, where there is an opportunity to actually build positive momentum. A key opportunity to get better is actually missed, because we have only prepared for the worst, but never prepared for the best. This happens in business, family, and friend relationships.....and in all aspects of life.
Never stop thoroughly preparing, but don't only prepare for the worst. You may miss an opportunity.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Preparation is First
I've learned that one component to sales that will put you ahead or behind before the meeting even begins is the preparation put into the meeting prior to. I have a meeting in College Station, TX mid-morning tomorrow. On a typical day, I would leave Dallas by 6:00am to arrive easily by 10am. They are calling for a chance of icy conditions tonight, which could make for a stressful morning trying to get out of Dallas. I made a last minute decision to drive half-way tonight, to give myself plenty of breathing room in the morning.
This trade-off assures me a stress-free, and productive morning, before meetings start. I would have so loved to spend the evening at home with the family, but the trade-off is well worth the sacrifice. For me, if a day begins stressfully, it is difficult to ever get it on track and in a chaotic comfort zone (how I like it). On the flip-side, if things go as planned before 10am, days are much easier to keep on track and under control.
Preparation to get to a meeting is something that I've always been good at, and it has paid off time and time again. One of my weaknesses lies in the next step of preparation. I find more often than I would like, that I get to a meeting and am missing some of the supporting documentation or samples that would have helped me make the meeting more productive. I'm constantly regretting that I didn't have something printed out, or a solution well thought out prior to needing it. I always get it in the form of a follow-up, but that doesn't keep the momentum building at the right time. I'm trying to get better.............I must get better.
I am always impressed with my financial advisor. He is a fast-paced, successful salesman, with tons of clients. Yet, every time I come to his office for a scheduled meeting, he has tons of documents printed out for me, with my name on them, highlighted where he knows I'm interested. Some of these documents I have requested prior to the meeting, and some he initiated on his own. While I'm with him, I get the sense that I am the only client he works with........the most important client of all. This is all due to his preparation. I gather sales tips from him every time we're together, and look forward to our meetings for this reason. He brings value to me, and he has my business for life because of it.
**I am a loyal Marriott member, but can't stand Fairfields. I sit in one tonight, regretting that the only fitness equipment at my disposal is a treadmill and bike. But hey, at least this Fairfield has a fitness room!!
This trade-off assures me a stress-free, and productive morning, before meetings start. I would have so loved to spend the evening at home with the family, but the trade-off is well worth the sacrifice. For me, if a day begins stressfully, it is difficult to ever get it on track and in a chaotic comfort zone (how I like it). On the flip-side, if things go as planned before 10am, days are much easier to keep on track and under control.
Preparation to get to a meeting is something that I've always been good at, and it has paid off time and time again. One of my weaknesses lies in the next step of preparation. I find more often than I would like, that I get to a meeting and am missing some of the supporting documentation or samples that would have helped me make the meeting more productive. I'm constantly regretting that I didn't have something printed out, or a solution well thought out prior to needing it. I always get it in the form of a follow-up, but that doesn't keep the momentum building at the right time. I'm trying to get better.............I must get better.
I am always impressed with my financial advisor. He is a fast-paced, successful salesman, with tons of clients. Yet, every time I come to his office for a scheduled meeting, he has tons of documents printed out for me, with my name on them, highlighted where he knows I'm interested. Some of these documents I have requested prior to the meeting, and some he initiated on his own. While I'm with him, I get the sense that I am the only client he works with........the most important client of all. This is all due to his preparation. I gather sales tips from him every time we're together, and look forward to our meetings for this reason. He brings value to me, and he has my business for life because of it.
**I am a loyal Marriott member, but can't stand Fairfields. I sit in one tonight, regretting that the only fitness equipment at my disposal is a treadmill and bike. But hey, at least this Fairfield has a fitness room!!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Those Darn Competitors
I always make it a point to stop into competitors completed projects any chance I get. Of course, I'm hoping to find any type of failure or bad news that they are experiencing, that I can use for future ammo. The truth is, every now and then, the competitors work looks pretty good. That was the case on a project that I stopped in on today. I came out of there with no ammo. Nothing but a small sense of defeat and resentment at myself for not doing a better job at winning that project.
The competitors are not always as bad as we make them up to be in our own imagination. They are often times very similar to us, just trying to make an honest living. No, this isn't always the case, and no, this is not the picture of them that I paint in my mind......but it's the truth.
I've learned to tell clients when I believe they have a job well done by one of my competitors. If it's true, they know it as well as you know it......and it does no good to pretend otherwise. Clients appreciate this.
In the end, our world revolves around competition. It makes us all better, and it makes the goods and services available better......for the most part. Embrace competitors, and allow them to make you better. Remember that if there were not competitors, there would never be the feeling of victory!!
The competitors are not always as bad as we make them up to be in our own imagination. They are often times very similar to us, just trying to make an honest living. No, this isn't always the case, and no, this is not the picture of them that I paint in my mind......but it's the truth.
I've learned to tell clients when I believe they have a job well done by one of my competitors. If it's true, they know it as well as you know it......and it does no good to pretend otherwise. Clients appreciate this.
In the end, our world revolves around competition. It makes us all better, and it makes the goods and services available better......for the most part. Embrace competitors, and allow them to make you better. Remember that if there were not competitors, there would never be the feeling of victory!!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Talk Just to Talk
I am an advocate of speaking up, putting in your two cents, and letting it be known when you agree or disagree. I am also a firm believer that when someone opens up the floor for a volunteer......it is better to volunteer than to be left behind.......but that subject is for another day.
I am not a fan of situations that arise where people talk just to be heard. You all have seen this happen. Someone attempts to take over a meeting, get on their soapbox, and tell us all what we should be doing better......while all the while, they have not been doing their part to set the example for us. The "you should do this" or "if I were you I would have done that" or "we should be doing this.". When you evaluate these situations, often times the person preaching is, or has been, in our shoes. Is that what they did, or are doing? It's doubtful, otherwise the leader in the room would be pointing out to everyone that we should handle the situation more like that guy. In many cases, the guy at hand has not himself done what it is he's saying we should do.
I believe this is a strategy of deflection. If he can point out what we're doing wrong, it draws attention away from his weaknesses. He's bringing the attention to himself, simply to
draw the attention away from him.......if that makes any sense.
Do's and don'ts should not be taught from one person to another by preaching them, they should be taught by setting an exemple to follow. Suggestions are much more powerful when the person teaching has done it before, and is willing to do it again. Most of us our striving to be leaders, but all of us are looking for leaders to follow. Even the best leaders follow the example of leadership before them. Leadership is not something you gain by standing up and saying what we should be doing differently. Leadership is not self-proclaimed. Others around you decide if you're a leader worth following, and this is something that is too often over looked. The phrase "don't talk about it, be about it" is a great demonstration of what I look for in leaders. I dont want someone to tell me what they would do if they were in my shoes, I want them to lead me into execution. If you want to be a leader, all you have to do is simply lead.
**I allowed convenience to take precedent over better judgement tonight, and in doing so, I convinced myself that Applebee's has some of the worst food imaginable. Kudos to the Springhill Suites in Las Cruces, NM.......it's one of the nicer ones I've been in.
I am not a fan of situations that arise where people talk just to be heard. You all have seen this happen. Someone attempts to take over a meeting, get on their soapbox, and tell us all what we should be doing better......while all the while, they have not been doing their part to set the example for us. The "you should do this" or "if I were you I would have done that" or "we should be doing this.". When you evaluate these situations, often times the person preaching is, or has been, in our shoes. Is that what they did, or are doing? It's doubtful, otherwise the leader in the room would be pointing out to everyone that we should handle the situation more like that guy. In many cases, the guy at hand has not himself done what it is he's saying we should do.
I believe this is a strategy of deflection. If he can point out what we're doing wrong, it draws attention away from his weaknesses. He's bringing the attention to himself, simply to
draw the attention away from him.......if that makes any sense.
Do's and don'ts should not be taught from one person to another by preaching them, they should be taught by setting an exemple to follow. Suggestions are much more powerful when the person teaching has done it before, and is willing to do it again. Most of us our striving to be leaders, but all of us are looking for leaders to follow. Even the best leaders follow the example of leadership before them. Leadership is not something you gain by standing up and saying what we should be doing differently. Leadership is not self-proclaimed. Others around you decide if you're a leader worth following, and this is something that is too often over looked. The phrase "don't talk about it, be about it" is a great demonstration of what I look for in leaders. I dont want someone to tell me what they would do if they were in my shoes, I want them to lead me into execution. If you want to be a leader, all you have to do is simply lead.
**I allowed convenience to take precedent over better judgement tonight, and in doing so, I convinced myself that Applebee's has some of the worst food imaginable. Kudos to the Springhill Suites in Las Cruces, NM.......it's one of the nicer ones I've been in.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Selling for Friends
Selling turns into relationships turns into friendships. THIS is the most rewarding part of our job. Don't get me wrong..........winning, succeeding, making money.........those are the achievements that keep us going each day. But when you step back and look at the big picture, the friends that are created through our efforts are the rewards that will far out-last the money and the victory lap.
Sales people that run from one potential client to the next, checking them off of their list as won/lost, and never turning back to cultivate a relationship............are simply missing out on one of the great perks of our profession. I don't mean checking in on them periodically, inviting them to a company party, and sharing lunch with them. I mean getting to really know them and their family, sharing yours with them, and caring about each others lives outside of the business at hand. This is the ultimate reward.
Relationships can be forced and somewhat faked. We can pretend to care for one another in order to maintain a source and service for future needs. In some cases, this is the best we can hope for. True friendships are genuine, caring, and tying even once positions extend past the point that business can be done. I would take a lasting friendship over a one-time business deal any day. The beauty is, in most case you don't have to choose. After all, clients do business with who they like and feel comfortable with...........that should be you.
Sales people that run from one potential client to the next, checking them off of their list as won/lost, and never turning back to cultivate a relationship............are simply missing out on one of the great perks of our profession. I don't mean checking in on them periodically, inviting them to a company party, and sharing lunch with them. I mean getting to really know them and their family, sharing yours with them, and caring about each others lives outside of the business at hand. This is the ultimate reward.
Relationships can be forced and somewhat faked. We can pretend to care for one another in order to maintain a source and service for future needs. In some cases, this is the best we can hope for. True friendships are genuine, caring, and tying even once positions extend past the point that business can be done. I would take a lasting friendship over a one-time business deal any day. The beauty is, in most case you don't have to choose. After all, clients do business with who they like and feel comfortable with...........that should be you.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
OCD Off His Game
I have OCD tendencies, especially when it comes to routine and preparation. Examples are:
- I quadruple check a hotel room before leaving, to make sure I haven't left anything behind
- I walk around my truck to ensure the doors are locked, prior to leaving it at the airport
- I must wake up before 5am on weekdays, because I need to get a head start on my competitors
- I must get some sort of exercise before I start my day, just to get the blood flowing
- I must be on my computer no later than 7:00am, to wrap things up from the prior day and get some breathing room before the day begins
This week Dallas has been hit with an ice storm for the ages, forcing me to cancel my week of trips. That's nothing out of the ordinary. But this time, the ice has turned everything upside down, canceling school for 3 straight days, and closing many commercial businesses. So, this morning I follow my my every day "in-town" routine, trek through the ice to the gym to arrive by opening time of 5am. Nobody's there, so I get on the website to find out that opening is delayed until 7am due to ice. What now? There's no place for me to go at 5am. So I go back home, return to the gym at 7am, rush through a workout, and get on the computer at 8:15. It took until lunch time to overcome the anxiety from getting out of my routine.
It's crazy that a scenario like this throws me off, causing me to rush through the morning to try to catch up to where I should be. I need to overcome this, as when my OCD tendencies are interrupted, I get off my game. I cant afford to be off my game. I'll work on it, and I'll get better. It looks like I get to practice soon as schools are canceled again tomorrow. Another 7am gym day?
- I quadruple check a hotel room before leaving, to make sure I haven't left anything behind
- I walk around my truck to ensure the doors are locked, prior to leaving it at the airport
- I must wake up before 5am on weekdays, because I need to get a head start on my competitors
- I must get some sort of exercise before I start my day, just to get the blood flowing
- I must be on my computer no later than 7:00am, to wrap things up from the prior day and get some breathing room before the day begins
This week Dallas has been hit with an ice storm for the ages, forcing me to cancel my week of trips. That's nothing out of the ordinary. But this time, the ice has turned everything upside down, canceling school for 3 straight days, and closing many commercial businesses. So, this morning I follow my my every day "in-town" routine, trek through the ice to the gym to arrive by opening time of 5am. Nobody's there, so I get on the website to find out that opening is delayed until 7am due to ice. What now? There's no place for me to go at 5am. So I go back home, return to the gym at 7am, rush through a workout, and get on the computer at 8:15. It took until lunch time to overcome the anxiety from getting out of my routine.
It's crazy that a scenario like this throws me off, causing me to rush through the morning to try to catch up to where I should be. I need to overcome this, as when my OCD tendencies are interrupted, I get off my game. I cant afford to be off my game. I'll work on it, and I'll get better. It looks like I get to practice soon as schools are canceled again tomorrow. Another 7am gym day?
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
"Off the Record"
Is there such thing as off the record? Perhaps if you're interviewing for a newspaper, or giving a statement to an attorney............yes. In sales........no. What does that mean when someone during the work day says "this is off the record?" It means that they're going to tell you something, but they don't want you to recall it, refer to it, or credit it back to them. It basically means that they don't want to be liable for any fall-out that might come from passing this knowledge on. Well, that's simply not possible in day to day business.
We all get the choice to either say something, or not say it. If you choose to say it, you better be passionate about it's message, and own up to what it creates. If you're spreading gossip, saying it's off the record does not exclude you from the chain. If you're giving an opinion, saying it's off the record does not make you less opinionated.
We should all stand up for what we believe in. Stay consistent, share your opinion, tell us how you feel, pass on info that you think is pertinent.............and then own up to it. If you think hard about saying something, before you say it.........and then you still determine that it's worth saying, there should never be a reason to say anything "off the record." If you don't want your message referenced in the future, simply keep your message to yourself.
Thinking things through should be a focus in every aspect of life, every day. Determine what you think is right, wrong, important, and worthy..........and then own it. Everyone will appreciate it, and find value in it.
We all get the choice to either say something, or not say it. If you choose to say it, you better be passionate about it's message, and own up to what it creates. If you're spreading gossip, saying it's off the record does not exclude you from the chain. If you're giving an opinion, saying it's off the record does not make you less opinionated.
We should all stand up for what we believe in. Stay consistent, share your opinion, tell us how you feel, pass on info that you think is pertinent.............and then own up to it. If you think hard about saying something, before you say it.........and then you still determine that it's worth saying, there should never be a reason to say anything "off the record." If you don't want your message referenced in the future, simply keep your message to yourself.
Thinking things through should be a focus in every aspect of life, every day. Determine what you think is right, wrong, important, and worthy..........and then own it. Everyone will appreciate it, and find value in it.
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