Thanks Dominic!

I'm coaching my four-year-old son's kindergarten soccer team.
We had our first game and practice last night.
It is the first time I have coached any kind of sport.
It is also the first time my son has played a team sport.
I was so proud that he scored the first goal!
What made the the night really great though happened after the game.

As kids and parents were leaving and I was walking back to the car with my son, one of other players, Dominic, passed by with his parents and with an excited face yelled "thanks coach!"
I can't tell about how cool a feeling that is and the spring it has put into my step today!
We talk all the time about having a mentor or coach in your professional life.
It is one thing to be a coach or mentor for another adult, however
if you haven't served in that capacity in some way for a kid I really recommend it.
No matter what Dominic does in his athletic career or I do in my coaching career, I'll always be known as "Coach K" to him.
That is a cool feeling.
Thanks Dominic!

Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

Rod Stewart & Barry Manilow as Salespeople?

Dave Kurlan, author of "Baseline Selling" and founder of Objective Management Group, has written many great articles over the years (including several I've linked to in this blog).
I thought this one was fun:Rod Stewart & Barry Manilow Could Be Your Veteran Salespeoplehttp://bit.ly/9gbDzx

In the article Dave argues that Rod and Barry putting out "safe albums" of covers and standards for older fans. This is the equal to a veteran salesperson who has developed a list and now is sitting back farming the renewals and not going after new accounts or even trying new ideas with the old clients to get more revenue from them.

In addition to the questionable ambition of Rod and Barry, I would also hold the record management accountable. My guess is they know that Barry and Rob fans will purchase anything they record, so it is safe revenue for the record label. This is just like a sales manager who doesn't want to upset a veteran salesperson because they don't want to risk losing that piece of their overall revenue goal by forcing them to change, and having them quit. The revenue generated for the label by Rod and Barry, while it my shrink a bit from album to album, is still a certain amount of revenue they can count on from year to year.

I'd also argue that the record management might have tried to get Rod and Barry to record something different to gain new fans and Barry and Rod might have refused. Instead of dropping them from the label, management wants to keep them around for as long as they can produce some revenue rather than let them go to the competition. This is just like a sales manager who instead of dumping the veteran and giving the developed list to someone that will actually work the accounts to get new revenue, they keep the veteran person on because then the current company gets the revenue and not a competitor.

While huge hot acts like Elvis or The Beatles don't come along everyday so it can be scary to drop an act because you don't know initially how you are going to replace their revenue, there are plenty of acts like U2 or Metallica that have started small but kept doing the basics better and better and now they are huge revenue makers. Sales managers need to get salespeople on their staffs that do the basics and become big rather than keeping the veteran salespeople who have lost the fire and are slowly fading into oblivion. Some of the new and upcoming salespeople may turn out like Metallica and be solid revenue producers for years, others may turn out more like Britney Spears, hot for awhile, then become too much of a burden on the company and need to be dropped. Some of the new salespeople might be like Hanson. They get to the top and the salesperson and company ride the wave, but then they crash and the salesperson is never heard from again. Some acts when given the right management and coaching (like Britney Spears got when her dad took over her management) get another chance and make hit albums again. Other acts like Autograph are one hit wonders and flame out. The secret is to recognize which way the salesperson is going and act accordingly.

I'd argue in either case your company is better off taking a chance on an early U2, an unknown Carrie Underwood, or an up & down Brittney than hanging on to a staff of Barry Manilows and Rod Stewarts.

Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

What Grades Are You Getting?

This week has been a bit crazed so far.
We're reaching back into the archive for another good reminder from Jeff Gitomer.
Thank you!
Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

What grades are you
getting in business?
All WOW!s…
Remember when you were in school and you got your report card?

And you were so nervous that you didn’t open it, because you thought there were bad grades, and you just couldn’t look? Or worse, you thought your parents would be angry?

Finally, on the way home from school, you couldn’t stand it so you looked. Or you traded cards with a friend and looked at each others. You got a C in math, you felt you didn’t deserve it, and you hated old Mrs. So-and-So?

You only got six report cards a year. One every six weeks. They were progress reports and grades for that marking period. And you had to wait another six weeks to improve or redeem yourself.

Fast-forward a few years (or 20) to life, job, career, sales, service, co-workers, and customers.

Report cards are now instant, and they come in all forms. Verbal communications from co-workers, comments from your boss both good and bad, customer compliments for a job well done, or botched email, text, IM, or voicemail from anyone. Even a hand-written note.

Report cards are now instant. And they can come at any time. You get them every day from co-workers and from customers, but the grading system is different – they call them word forms, not letter forms.

A failing grade is “What were you thinking?” The next highest is “Let me speak to your supervisor.” The middle grade is “Thanks” or “Good job.” It’s passing, but not great. The second highest grade is “Great job. I really appreciate that.” And the highest grade is, “WOW!”

When someone tells you “WOW!” it means you did something they were not expecting, or you performed or delivered beyond their expectations.

WOW! comes one of two ways: reactively customers call about something wrong and you react and respond all the way to a WOW! Or proactively you uncover a need and fill it before the customer knows it was going to happen. The easiest example is a backorder where you call the customer in advance and give them choices.

But it could be something like a new way to install or use your product, or a new item that just came in that you thought would be perfect for the customer. Or you had an idea that you gave to your company or your customer, and their response was WOW!

When someone tells you “WOW!” it means that you have gone the extra mile. WOW! and extra mile are siblings - equally valued - and one leads to the other. When you go the extra mile, someone will say “WOW!” And when someone says, “WOW!” it means you are going the extra mile.

You helped someone when they weren’t expecting it. You created a service response that went beyond your customer’s expectations. Or you performed a random act of kindness…and got a “WOW!”

Negotiating a Great Salary

I've published lots of advice on how companies should recruit salespeople, however here is some advice that salespeople often ask when interviewing for a job.
This comes from Kim Lankford. For more information and articles by her click the link provided.
Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"
Step-by-Step Guide to Negotiating a Great Salary
By Kim Lankford http://www.core-usa.com/interview/Step-by-StepGuide.html#Topic40 ,

Here's a secret: Employers rarely make their best offer first, and job candidates who negotiate generally earn much more than those who don't. And a well-thought-out negotiation makes you look like a stronger candidate -- and employee.

"We found that those people who attempted to negotiate their salary in a constructive way are perceived as more favorable than those who didn't negotiate at all, because they were demonstrating the skills the company wanted to hire them for," says Robin Pinkley, coauthor of Get Paid What You're Worth and an associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business.

You can start laying the groundwork for your salary negotiation even before the first interview. Here's a step-by-step guide:

During the Interview Process

•Do Your Research: Before the interview, learn about the company's salary ranges and benefits as well as industry salary ranges. Also learn about the company, its competition and the industry. Then think about what you want from the job, both in terms of salary and benefits, as well as opportunity and upward mobility, Pinkley says. This information will become valuable during the interview and salary negotiation.

•Don't Talk Turkey Too Early: "You never win by talking about money early on," says Lee Miller, author of UP: Influence, Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want . "The time to talk about money is when they've fallen in love with you." Before that, you're just one of many easily dismissed candidates. But once the employer has decided you're right for the job, "it becomes an issue of, ˜how are we going to make this happen?'" Miller says.

•Avoid the Salary Requirements Trap: Pinkley tells people to say: "I completely understand why this is an important issue -- you're trying to determine who you want to continue in this process, and it doesn't make much sense to pursue candidates you aren't going to get. Secondly, I know that the tendency is for people to lowball their salary range, because they don't want to get out of the pool. My preference is to figure out, independent of these issues, the degree to which there is a good fit here and the extent to which I can bring value to this organization and the extent to which I'm going to be fulfilled and involved and committed to this position. I suggest we wait to have the salary conversation until you're prepared to make an offer."
If they still want a number, leverage your research to talk industry-standard ranges, not specific numbers.

At Time of Offer

•Strike First: Try to mention a specific salary before the employer does. This will start the negotiations in your ballpark. "The whole negotiation is based on that first offer," Pinkley says.

•Don't Commit Too Quickly: The employer often offers the job and salary simultaneously. Never say yes right away -- even if you like the offer. "I would always come back and try to get more," Pinkley says. Tell them you'll give them an answer within a certain time frame.

•Make Them Jealous: If you've been interviewing for other jobs, call those prospective employers, tell them about your offer, and see if they can speed up the interview process -- or make you an offer. Knowing you have another offer will make you more attractive to them.
When it's time to answer the first employer, mention the other employers' interest to help boost your value. But don't make up offers. It's easy to check, and the interest alone will help you look good.

•Articulate Your Expectations: Tell the employer what you want from the job, in terms of salary, benefits and opportunity. "It may be time off, flexibility about where you work, autonomy or ownership over a particular area, it may be your title -- whatever has a perceived value to you ," says Joyce Gioia, president of the Herman Group, a think tank of management consultants and futurists.

•Negotiate Extras: If the employer can't offer you the salary you want, think about other valuable options that might not cost as much. Miller always recommends asking for education, which can make a big difference in your long-term marketability.

•Quantify Your Value and Performance: Mention your value in quantifiable terms, such as how much money you saved your company and how your projects increased revenues by X thousands of dollars, Gioia says. Then tell them specifically how valuable you expect to be in your new job.

You also can add a few contingencies showing your confidence in your performance. You could ask the employer to give you a salary review after six months rather than a year or for a year-end bonus if you make a certain amount of money. "It shows that you believe in yourself and are committed to bringing what you say you can do," Pinkley says. "You believe you are going to bring significant value to the organization.

How Salespeople can deal with the Impostor Syndrome

When doing a search on my tag line, "A Heck of A Nice Guy," I saw this article by Chip Camden.
In his article he talks about IT consultants, however if you substitute our titles of "salesperson," "sales manager," "sales trainer," or "sales consultant" you can relate to the same things Chip mentions.
Thanks Chip!

Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

How consultants can deal with the Impostor syndrome
Date: September 10th, 2010
Author: Chip Camden
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/project-management/?p=2075

Last week, we engaged in some highly critical navel-gazing, as we brutally examined our level of expertise with the help of the Dreyfus model. The point of that exercise is to realistically assess where you are so you can improve; it isn’t meant to “put you in your place” or discourage you from pursuing consulting. This week, I examine some of the dangers of thinking too poorly of your own abilities, as well as why that happens and how to address it.

Now you may be thinking that most of the consultants you know don’t need any help in this area — they think too highly of themselves already. Don’t confuse a portrayal of self-confidence with actually possessing it. The loudest blowers of their own horns often do so because they sense that they need to convince people of their worth — which can be a symptom of poor self-esteem rather than real confidence in their abilities. If you know you’re good, why do you need to assert it?

I’d wager that most of the people who suffer from a low opinion of themselves are the ones whom you would least suspect — those who are most successful. In 1978, two clinical psychologists named Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes created the term Impostor Syndrome to describe a phenomenon in which successful people fail to appreciate their own abilities, ascribing their achievements to luck or their knack of fooling people into thinking that they’ve got it together when they feel instead as if they had no control over their success.

I think that consultants may experience this phenomenon more than those in other professions. Our vocation provides little or no structured advancement or official recognition. Employees receive promotions, pay raises, and perhaps awards to indicate official recognition of their achievements. These set expectations within the company for the opinion that everyone should have about their abilities. We have to demand our own rate increases — clients don’t generally volunteer to do that. We often work on our own, so feedback and assessment don’t occur naturally — we have to seek it out. Furthermore, we often have to operate outside our field of direct knowledge. Sometimes we have to do a lot of research, or try things until we figure it out — but we think that our clients expect us to know what we’re doing.

Consultants tend to be perfectionists. And those of us who are autodidacts are especially susceptible; we don’t have the specific degree or certifications to point to and say, “See — I do know this stuff,” even though our years of experience may have trained us far better than any coursework could have done.

All of this can lead to the feeling that we’re “winging it” and hoping that nobody finds out that we haven’t a clue. So, what’s wrong with having that feeling, besides the knot in the pit of your stomach as if you were landing a B-52 loaded with bombs without any flight training? For one thing, it can make you feel even more overwhelmed than you are, increasing procrastination and possibly leading to burnout. If you start to give those voices credence, then you may start to try to cover up evidence of your incompetence: failing to admit your mistakes and shuttling the blame onto others. If you deny and suppress the feelings of inadequacy, then they can grow larger than life and compound all of these problems.

Tips for dealing with the Impostor syndrome:
Face it head-on. Admit that you sometimes feel like a charlatan — that you think the impression others have of you is false, and that you feel somewhat to blame for that misconception.

Realize that you aren’t alone. This phenomenon affects many highly successful people. Guess what — they aren’t any better than you are. Humans have some sort of hero worship instinct that makes us deify the people that we respect. When people start doing that to you, it’s natural that you should feel like it’s misplaced. So think about all the people whom you think you could never be like, and remember that they’re only human. They’ve made plenty of mistakes too, and probably don’t feel like they deserve their celebrity any more than you deserve yours.

Accurately assess your own achievements. Sometimes I like to step back for a minute and pretend that I’m my own acquaintance. If I knew someone who had done all the things that I’ve done, good and bad, what would I think of them? I’d think they were a phenomenal learner and a creative thinker who makes their share of mistakes but always tries to learn from them, and who is often confused by human relationships. That isn’t so bad, is it? If that’s the picture others are getting, then nobody’s getting fooled. If I’m still trying to hide parts of that, then I need to learn a little self-acceptance.

Embrace your failures. A failure is not the smoking gun that demonstrates once and for all that you’re an impostor. As the old saying goes, “If you never failed, you never tried.” Analyze each failure to learn what you could have done differently. Recognize yourself as part of the system that needs adjusting. But get off the moral high horse about never making mistakes — that will never happen, nor is it desirable. Fear of failure can paralyze your efforts. As one of my early mentors once told me, “I’d rather you make ten wrong decisions than to take the same amount of time making one right decision.”

Don’t blow off praise. If it’s genuine — not just trying to get on your good side — then accept it for what it says. You did something that someone else appreciates. Even if it wasn’t all your doing, you had a hand in it. Accept their thanks with humility.

Use self-effacing humor. You can’t possibly believe that you project a falsely superior image of yourself if you’re always joking about your own foibles. Here’s the paradox: people will think even more highly of you when you do. “He’s not only a wizard, but a heck of a nice guy too.” This also sets a tone for yourself, so you don’t take yourself too seriously.

Get to work! The best antidote to thinking that you’re a fake is to get things done. Prove that you’re for real.

Have you ever experienced the Impostor syndrome? If so, how did you deal with it?

Cold Calling All Brians and Kevins

This article was written by Mike Carroll at Intelligent Conversations.
It stars me!
Thanks Mike!
Ev

Cold-Calling-all-Brian-s-and-Kevin-s

Yesterday, in celebration of St. Patrick's Day, my new sales person sorted his prospect list to create a sublist comprised of Presidents, CEO's and Business Owners named Brian or Kevin. I think he also searched for executives named Bridget, Molly, Liam and Fergus, but he couldn't find any in our database. The calls sounded something like this:
"Hi Brian, it's Everet Kamikawa."
"Hi.... Everet..."  
"Brian, it doesn't sound like you know who I am...."
"No, I don't."
"That's ok, I'm not sure we've met. Can I tell you why I called you this morning?"
"Sure."
"I'm calling everyone in my database named Brian to wish them a Happy St. Patrick's Day and tell them about some trends we're seeing in the market. Happy St. Patrick's Day!"
"Thanks, that's pretty funny. So tell me, what do you guys do?"
And that's how most of the calls went. This approach was both funny and unexpected, which lowered their "sales defense shields" and allowed Everet to get into productive conversations about how we help growing companies grow even faster by fixing the people, systems and strategies that impact sales. Out of 39 cold calls he had 7 conversations and booked 3 appointments, which is a pretty good day when calling the C-level.
Who says you can't have fun while making cold calls?

Before You Hire A Sales Superstar...

The most important decision you as a manager have to make is hiring the right salespeople and recruiters to represent your company and sell your services or products.
If you hire the right salespeople the company and everyone in it makes money and we all win.
How do you do it?

OVERVIEW Every sales manager battles with finding that one person who is going to be a sales superstar. Make the right decision and you’re a rock star! Make a mistake and the consequences are severe and long lasting. Before you start recruiting you need to understand:

• Why traditional hiring processes don’t work for sales people
• The critical steps you must take to shorten the time from hire date to revenue production
• Why sales people are different and how the unique challenges they face compared to other new hires raises the stakes in terms of making the right hiring decision
• Understanding the true cost of a sales hiring mistake (typically 3x annual salary)
• Identifying exactly what you are looking for in a new sales person and what they need to have done successfully to thrive and produce at your company
• Writing the killer ad that will attract the best candidates for your position – and allow the weaker candidates to opt out before they even apply
• Sourcing – where to find the best candidates and how to stand out in a crowded field of potential employers
• Screening – understanding how to tell the difference between sales people who can sell from those who actually will sell
Thanks!
Everet Kamikawa"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

Should Salary be in a Sales Job Ad

I've read, written, and rewritten thousands of job ads in my career. When clients ask for feedback on an ad, the number one place where I get the most resistance from clients is when it comes to including the salary in the job ad.

Let me paraphrase recent conversations with clients:

Client: Should you include the salary in your sales recruitment ad?
Ev: YES!

Client: Then my competition will know what I'm paying.
Ev: Your competition already knows. Competitors know competitors and people talk. Salespeople talk to other salespeople in the industry. Previous job seekers have told other job seekers. There are websites that give salary ranges for industry and markets. If competitors really want to know what you are paying your salespeople they can find out pretty easy. I've even had a manager that had no problems telling customers and prospects how much I made!

Client: Should I lie about the salary and put a high number in the ad?
Ev: No! Don't lie. You don't have to put every little nuance of the compensation package like all the various bonuses, incentives, and contests you do, but you should give a realistic number that the salesperson can hit if they do the work.

Client: If I put the salary in the ad I'll attract just those candidates that are looking for the money.
Ev: Depends on what the rest of the ad says. If you are paying a base of $100,000 and don't explain anything else about the job except cliches, you will get people that apply just for the money. If you qualify what they have to do to get that $100,000 (call on presidents, travel 40% of time, etc.), then you will discourage people that don't have the skills from applying.

Client: I don't talk about money with others so I'm not going to put it in.
Ev: I understand that some people are not inclined to talk about money because of where and how they were raised, or it hasn't been relevant to their job. Salespeople HAVE to talk about money with clients and prospects all the time. If YOU can't talk to them about money, how can you ask your salespeople to talk to their clients about money?

Client: Good salespeople don't care about money so much as opportunity and the challenge of closing the business.
Ev: Partially true. Opportunity needs to be there. The opportunity has to be in the form of two main things:
1. opportunity to make a ton more money than current/previous job
2. opportunity to advance into a sales manager role, or different role in the company that the salesperson covets.
There are some people that thrive on the challenge of selling a particular product/service in a particular market/industry, however all salespeople face the "challenge" of closing business so that is not a unique selling point unless the product or service you provide is so unique that the challenge of closing the business is an experience of its own. Selling old Formula One cars might be a good example. http://www.f1-sales.com/stock.htm

Client: If my salary is lower than what people are expecting they won't apply.
Ev: Better they know ahead of time and don't apply than get through the system and waste your time to turn down your offer at the end of the process.

Client: What I can afford to pay a salesperson won't attract the top talent.
Ev: I love this question. Good salespeople exist at all skill and income levels. It is more important to get a salesperson with the right sales skills, desire to be in sales, and commitment to being the best in sales, than it is to get someone who has made six figures in the past. Find me a person with the right desire and commitment and I can teach them selling skills. If their head isn't on straight about sales as a career, it doesn't matter how old or experienced they are in sales and they won't listen to what I'm trying to teach them. They will ultimately fail. I'd rather have a sales team made up of people that previously made $30k-$50k, had hunting and closing skills that were rough around the edges, and with a desire and commitment to succeed rather than a bunch of slicksters that grew comfortable with their money and forgot how to dig for new business.

Client: Yeah that is nice. I still can't afford to pay top talent.
Ev: I wasn't finished with my diatribe yet...
Make the base the smaller part of the compensation plan. Offer a higher commission rate than your competitors. Usually a radio salesperson lasts between 2-3 years at a station. The radio station group I sold for years ago was notorious for retaining top talent for 8-10 years or more. Why? They had good management and paid commissions 1-5% higher than the competition. That was reflected in customer loyalty as they had the comfort of always dealing with the same salesperson who understood their business.

Client: I only want people that have made six figures in the past.
Ev: Why? Is it really necessary to sell your product in your market (sometimes it is!)? What is more important, how much money they made in the past or what their skills and mental make up is? Either way, see the above answer.

Client: How much of base should I offer?
Ev: Generally salespeople want to know that there is some sort of base to cover mortgage, childcare, and maybe one more concern. If those bases are covered it is less distracting and the good salesperson can be excited about the unlimited potential. It obviously has to make sense for your level of business income as well.

Client: What about the commission rate?
Ev: General guidelines here. Start by looking at the industry norm. If your business can warrant it, increase it by a couple of percentage points. More importantly, DON'T place a cap on commissions. As the salesperson sells more the company should make more. Sliding commission scales are a bit dumb too because the penalize the salesperson for bringing in bigger deals (companies or management can be concerned that salespeople are making "too much" money). I've seen salespeople bring in million dollar deals, only to split it up into two deals because the commission rate on $500K was greater (15%) than $1M (12%). The company was concerned that they would have to write a $150K check on the $1M deal and that was "too much" to pay one person. That is stupid and a disincentive. In the example above the salesperson still got their $150K commission.

To summarize my advice for what to put in an ad would be:
1. list realistic first year earnings
2. specify a base
3. is it a commission, or draw
4. what are bonus plans based on (margin of deal, volume of deals, etc.)
5. costs the salesperson has to cover
6. in the case of straight commission how many months salary should they have in reserve
7. average sales cycle
8. who are they calling on (position titles)
9. how much competition in market
10. other benefits besides the traditional (health, life, etc.) like car allowance, or sports tickets, restaurant trade, anything else the sales person can see as adding to their income or subtracting from their personal expenses

Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"