Jeff Garrison

Sales Goal Setting

My approach to goal setting may be a bit different than most and I am sure to get emails and comments.

Start by Setting Low Goals!

This is especially effective if you are a business owner trying to fit business development in to your everyday chaos.

Follow This Plan

First of all, you can only control activity, not outcomes.  So don't plan outcomes.  For example, don't plan to "schedule a meeting" with a client, plan to "call them for an appointment".

Identify the daily sales activities that you must do on a daily basis to succeed.  (Email me for a free list if your are not sure where to start.)  For tomorrow, make a plan that includes these activities, but make the level of activity so low you can't fail to complete the plan.  When you execute your plan, give yourself an appropriate reward.  (I crack open a Guinness.)

After a few days, increase the amount of activity that you plan by a little bit.  Get it done and reward yourself. 

Over time, keep increasing the amount of activity until you discover a your daily maximum.

Here are the reasons I suggest this plan of action.

You Need to Build Planning Muscles.

If the failure to plan is not the number one reason that sales people fail, it is at least in the top two or three.  If you don't plan and schedule your sales activity each day, then eventually you will fail.  On the flip side, if you plan too much and don't execute them, you also fail. Either way, planning is not working for you!

This method helps you to establish the habit of planning.  You also learn the skill of making a realistic plan based upon the amount of time that you have.  Some days you will know going in that you have less time than other days for sales activity and you can plan appropriately.

Note that it should be the rare exception that you don't plan at least a bit of business development activity every day.  Just like going to the gym once every week or two won't get you in great shape, inconsistent sales activity barely gets any results.

You Need to Build Execution Muscles

Lots of business owners and sales people tell me they plan, but when I look at their plans, I see a lot of activity on today's plan carried over from yesterday.  They have no idea what is realistic because their plan is really just a giant to do list.

Finish your daily plan daily!  By the way, the last activity on the daily plan ought to be to plan for tomorrow. 

You Need to Build Positive Associations with Planning and Execution

I don't care how easy your plan is to accomplish. If you plan five days in a row and execute the plan every day, you will have done something that only a small percentage of business owners and sales people have ever done. 

You should feel great about yourself!

You Need to Build Your Confidence in Planning and Execution

Keep planning and executing every day and you will quickly start to see consistent results in terms of business development and sales.  After three months to six months, planning will be as habitual as brushing your teeth.  If you realize you forgot to plan, you may feel compelled to get out of bed to make your plan.

Finally, You Will Have Build a Pattern of Successful Planning and Execution

You may be thinking you don't have time to set low goals.  "Low" is subjective.  Just don't set daily activity goals that you will fail to execute more than 10% of the time.

You may be thinking that you can't afford to wait for your sales people to build their muscles.  Wrong, you can't afford to have them setting themselves up for failure most days.  Following this plan will foster the development of sales people that are far more effective, reliable, and happier than those of your competitors.

Tell me your thoughts.  Is this crazy or might it just work?

Do you have a daily sales plan?

Managing Sales Activity for Success

Discover how to Explode Sales for the Small Business and Sales Professionals with Sales Habitudes! 

Know, Like and Trust (Part 2)

You trust me. They trust me. I trust you. I trust them. You trust them. They trust you.

I was startled as I read these 6 sentences.

Weave them together in our lives and we weave our golden fleece. A golden fleece we can share collectively. Doncha think?

Like, Jason and his ship of heroes, we all seem to be on a journey seeking the golden fleece of a community based on trust. Who can we trust? Where can we trust? Why should we trust? How do we know we can trust? Hmmm?

Trust is the golden fleece for business, too. Trust from me is tantamount to a blank check. A vendor asked me the other day what was my budget for a project. I had no idea. Why? I trusted that vendor to tell me what I needed to spend to achieve my desired results. I trusted that vendor with this information. I was right. He told me what I needed to spend to achieve the desired results.

Another vendor may have seen that as a grand opportunity. They think to themselves: Here is the lamb in the marketplace taken to slaughter, er, sacrifice. A quick profit, a bit more cash-flow, this month and we’re done. True. And literally. Sacrificed at the same time are the future cash-flows from future clients who came to trust this same vendor from our word-of-mouth recommendations.

Some may read this as simple, even quaint. You think The ruthless world of business sacrifices trust early. Your observation would be accurate.

And therein lies the advantage. Trust is now THE key differentiator. Trust is a key value-add. Trust adds margins. Trust and its sidekick Respect are the top three decision-making factors for purchases.

Those margins come in the form of less need to compete on price and the resulting higher numbers of customer referrals and the reduced need for advertising.

Now. Ok. You’re sold. You trust me. How do you do it? How do you weave your golden fleece of trust?

It all starts with each of us. Always. Trust, integrity and respect may be the ultimate proof of this axiom. Here are a few simple steps to expand, renew, rebuild, repair or build a reputation of one that can be trusted:

What would you tell your mom?

Simple, quaint. But as I read these stories of corporate ethical lapses, big and small, I always wonder: would they tell those stories to their moms? Would they, could they, sit straight-faced and say No, mom, those interest-only loans you are barely able to afford now...are risk-free. Interest rates will never rise AND property values will always increase by 25 - 100% a year. You are safe. Besides, I would never put my quarterly bonus ahead of your long-term financial needs.

So. Moms are always smarter than they let on. Assume your mom knows all. Would you tell her what you just told that customer? No? Then don’t. Tell that customer, employee, vendor or partner, investor or stakeholder the same truth you would tell your mom if your mom were in their shoes.

This appeal to your heart doesn’t work? Ok.

What story do you want others to tell about you...today?

This gets to legacy. But legacy has the sheen of something...down the road. Legacy implies, A compilation of your life’s achievements with some convenient editing in the mix.

No. The question is:What story do you want told about you today?

Oh, are prepared to read this story ...on every social media forum you know and 3-4 others you do not know? And these would your story told in the eyes of your customers, employees, vendors and partners...your stakeholders. These are the ones whose word-of-mouth, and purchases, make your brand.

Too many companies are shocked, shocked, they say to see what’s written about them on the web. For some reason, they think...who knows.

But, we all talk. We have done it all of our life. In fact, we celebrate our first words as a bellwether of progress. And then we’re off and running and we can’t stop. What do we talk about most? Well, in business, we talk most about those companies who disappoint us the most. Negative word-of-mouth is far more extensive, far more exciting, and shared by far more people, than positive word-of-mouth.

So. What story do you want others to tell about you...today? The story like my vendor will write with me? Or another story? Don’t forget: it is our choice, it is our creation.

What movie do you want to direct and then review at the end of your day?

We review (and wish we could edit, often) the movie we created each day with our actions and conversations. We do this as we sit quietly or wait for sleep to rescue us.

What movie do you want to direct and then review at the end of your day?

Again, it is our choice, our creation.

Listen.

Our truth is always heard through the filters of our audience. Too often, our truth is spoken to our questions. That may not be the truth nor the questions of our audience. Their questions, their comments, help us see their truth. So, we can honor it and speak to it. Listen.

Shipmates.

We cannot do this alone. Technically, ok, maybe. The illusion of the self-made anyone aside, those first 6 sentences for this post are written only with others. The others are our shipmates. Like Jason and his pals, the Argonauts, we all need each other’s help. We each have tools and resources, strengths and skills, to help each other. Otherwise, it is far simpler to do it ourselves.

I’m going to list those who I consider a shipmate on my journey. This may surprise them. But every day is a good day to surprise those who have inspired you. In no particular order: Seth Godin, Jackie Huba/Ben McConnell, Steve Farber, Steve MacGill, Ed Welch, Erika Andersen, Susie Poirier, Stephen Lynch, JC Garrison, my wife aka The Puhwincess, Hearts Club...I leave out many. I apologize. I’ll recognize you at a different date.

Now, speaking of Jason, his Argonauts and their journey...we have a similar journey. But, our journey differs from theirs in one big way. The fleece we seek is not found out there, wherever there is. It is found...in here (double chest bump like the athletes do), where our hearts and minds, our integrity, our families and friends together are found. And it’s value is far greater.

Disclaimer. This part three of a series with Jeff Garrison, the owner of this blog. Here is his first post on this series. His post inspired me. Jeff inspires me. You will be inspired, also. I read 3-4 times. He offers inspiration, great advice and actionable resources. You should read it 3-4 times, or more, too.

This became possible because I know Jeff. Mike Sansone introduced us. Over time, and with social media, I got to like Jeff. And over time, I trusted Jeff. Jeff's a shipmate. We have no titles on this ship, other than shipmate. But, Jeff pushing for this series makes him a valuable shipmate. Invite him to join your ship on your journey.

Know, Like, & Trust (Part 1)

Zane Safrit and I have corresponded about the simple truth of Know, Like, & Trust and decided to each take a whack at it with our keyboards.  Part 1 will address getting to Know and Like someone and Zane will write about Trust in Part 2.

Generally, we all desire to be known and liked.  As business people wanting to influence the market, we need to appreciate the rule that people prefer to say yes to individuals they know and like.

Becoming known is fairly easy these days with the number of networking opportunities and the number of social tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter, facebook, YouTube, and podcasts.   So, how do we go from being known to being liked? 

Let's look at what research tells us about liking and how we ethically employ this information to establish better relationships.

Physical attractiveness seems to create a halo effect that causes us to attribute other positive traits to people such as talent, kindness, and intelligence.  Fortunately since most of us are average, there are many other factors.  This is good to know so that we don't allow ourselves to be unduly influenced by someone because of their extraordinary good looks.

We like people who are Similar to us.  This could be in the area of opinions, personality traits, dress, background or lifestyle.  So open up a little bit.  Don't compartmentalize your "business self" and your "non-business self."  Let people get to know you. 

A lot of people resist this idea, especially online.  Who has not heard someone say, "I don't get Twitter (or facebook).  I don't want to know what someone had for breakfast."  Neither do I.  But if they are eating at my favorite restaurant, I would find that interesting.  Your online profiles and the conversations you participate in are perhaps the best way to show who you are and to develop relationships based upon similarities.  Furthermore, when you run into people "in real life," there is more to talk about.

Praise and Compliments, when not crudely transparent, enhance liking.  Learn to see people in such a way that you are able discover their unique quality and virtue.  Then look for ways to tactfully acknowledge it.

One of the most powerful ways to compliment someone's intelligence or perspective is to listen to them speak and to ask questions to clarify and enhance understanding.  Another is to introduce them to others in your network and share their successes.  Online you can comment on their blogs, tweets, and facebook page.

Familiarity through repeated contact enhances liking.  Simply put, get engaged and stay in front of people.  Go where your prospects and customers are.  If they are networking at the local Chamber of Commerce meetings, show up and talk with them.  If they Tweet, you Tweet.  Send a regular newsletter and include your picture.

Mutual and successful cooperation enhances liking.  Volunteering with the Chamber of Commerce, being a member of a Rotary Club, or being on a non-profit board are all places where you can find opportunities for mutual and successful cooperation.  From a sales or customer services approach, we should frame the issues in a way to promote the mutual cooperation to solve a client's need.

Finally, Association with positive things enhances liking.  This could be an event such as a Halloween party a friend of mine has every year for his friends, neighbors, and clients or the Central Iowa Bloggers meet up the first Friday of every month or something simple like lunch.  Breaking bread together has an unexpectedly powerful effect on liking.

As you can see, one can employ a strategy and tactics to enhance liking in their target market and it can be done with integrity and by being your real self.

For an in-depth treatment of these ideas, pick up Robert Cialdini's book Influence: Science and Practice.

Finally, share with us your thoughts and ideas regarding liking.

Photo on flickr by Liverpool Chamber of Commerce

The Problem is the Opportunity: Branding

Recently I was working with a sales person who is early in her career as a financial adviser.  I asked her what makers her different from others.  Why would somebody buy from her as opposed to one of her competitors.

"That is the problem," she responded.  "We are all selling the same thing."

That statement is usually followed by, "It's really all about relationships."

The "problem" here is truly the opportunity! 

Everyone can BRAND themselves in a different, inviting, and relevant way to their target market.  It is not necessarily easy to hit upon that thing that resonates with people and will make them gravitate to you and it takes sustained effort over time, but everyone can establish a brand.

First, pick a niche.  What subset of your target market can you focus on?

Second, determine what unique knowledge, skills, resources, and experience is uniquely important to that subset and start developing those areas in which you are deficient.

Third, start telling this subset of your target market about your unique focus. 

Fourth, stay focused.  It will take time before this pays dividends.

The Problem is the Opportunity: The Economy

Barry Moltz recently sent me a copy of his new book BAM! Delivering Customer Service in a Self Service World.  The book begins by challenging a lot of customer service myths and wisdom such as "the customer is always right."  He points out that we have heard statements like so often that we just accept them as truths.

So what kind of "truths" do we blindly accept in sales?

We have heard and said a lot over the last year about the economy.

• Nobody is buying. 
• Companies are hoarding their cash. 
• We can't grow in this economy.
• When the economy gets better ...

How much sense do these statements really make?  Yes, the economy has been shrinking over the last several quarters (until this most recent quarter), but commerce has not stopped all together.

What most people perceive to be the problem is the opportunity!

Because many businesses are marketing and conducting their selling activity like "nobody is buying," those of us who don't buy into the gloom and doom should be out there marketing and selling like Field of Dreams. 

Let's call it Economy of Dreams: If we will execute our marketing plans and planned sales activities, people and companies will buy! 

Therein lies the power of owning a Winning Sales Paradigm.  If you believe in the "nobody is buying" perspective, it will impact the quality and quantity of marketing and sales activities that you plan and execute.  Not surprisingly, sales will drop.

On the other hand, you don't have to believe the economy is better than ever, but you need to behave like it is.  There are prospects right now that have problems that you can solve who also have the financial resources to buy your solution. 

Don't let the "problem" hold you back.  Find the opportunity in it and take action today!