Manage Distractions

I had a sales manager once say that a successful sales manager is one that manages distractions successfully.
Makes sense.
I'd expand that to say that before every sales call or meeting you also have to manage your distractions so you approach your sales event in the right frame of mind.
Here are a couple of things I do to help reduce distactions in order for me to get what I need to do-done:


1. Avoid checking email as the first task of the day.
Email is a great tool to communicate, however it can also open the gateway to distractions.
Ever open up an email from a client or friend and the next thing you know you've wasted 10 minutes looking at links to YouTube videos, jokes, or stories? Avoid that by waiting to check on email. The great thing about email is that it will still be there in your inbox waiting for you. I generally try and wait for 30 minutes after I start work before checking email.

2. Set a daily schedule on Outlook or other calendar to do a task like prospecting. Then stick to that schedule. Really stick to doing that task and nothing else in the time allotted.

Two tricks to make sticking to your agenda easier:

a. don't make the time length too long. Don't schedule four hours to prospect. Schedule an hour at most then move on to something else. If you set a task for a shorter period of time it adds urgency to get the task done in that time. It also helps prevent you from getting bored.

b. "reward" yourself for completing the task. When I finsh prospecting for the hour I take a 5-10 minute break to do something else like write a blog, read the news, read a book, something that will help me in my job, but related to it and not a total time waster. Reading a book for 10 minuites is  good mental switch and also helps you become more well rouonded and able to talk about multiple topics with cleints.

The toughest part of learning how to avoid distractions is to tell people to not interupt you during the time you need to do your task. Once you do that a few times people will get the idea to not bother you during those times and you will accomplish your tasks and to do lists.

Thanks!
Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

February 2012 Jokes

This month is more of a puny story than the usual puny jokes.
Just mixing it up a little bit.
Thanks to MT for submitting the story and JK for sending the picture.
Thanks to all of you for reading!
Ev

My inconclusive travel plans 2012

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.

One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!

I may have been in Continent, and I don't remember what country I was in. It's an age thing.

PLEASE DO YOUR PART!

Today is one of the many National Mental Health Days throughout the year. You can do your bit by remembering to send an e-mail to at least one unstable person. My job is done!

Life is too short for negative drama and petty things. So laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly!

From one unstable person to another... I hope everyone is happy in your head - we're all doing pretty good in mine!

Recruiters! How to Prospect, Network, and Sell Better

Recently I published an article with the five hardest jobs to fill in 2012.
5-hardest-jobs-to-fill-in-2012
I posed the question where we will find candidates for these hard to fill positions.
The answer is we have to prospect more, network more, and sell those candidates we do find even better to the companies that are our clients.

So where to get started? I went back into the archives. Try these:

How do you prospect better:
1. Overcome the 12-types-of-sales-call-reluctance
2. Change Your Ways
3. 7-pre-call-tips-for-making-cold-calls

How do you network better:
1. What-makes-good-LinkedIn-invitation
2. Why and how Salespeople can start a blog
3. Don't-forget-your-school

How do you sell better:
1. Voicemail-strategies-for-salespeople
2. 8-cold-calling-tips
3. Ask for Referrals

Thank you for reading these, or in some cases reading them again!
Feel free to search my blog for more tidbits on selling, prospecting, and networking from myself and other experts.
Good luck in 2012!
Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

5 Hardest Jobs to fill in 2012

From my personnel experience this prediction is so far correct. I don't know where we will get the talent. Do you?
Ev

5 Hardest Jobs to Fill in 2012
by Keith Cline

The year flew by mostly because it was a very, very busy one.

Although the economy continues to face many challenges, the startup and tech industries are very much alive. The IPO window slightly opened up for companies like LinkedIn, Pandora, Groupon, Zynga, and Carbonite. We saw monster rounds of funding for companies like Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox. The appetite for seed and angel investing was extremely active. Tech incubators and accelerator programs kept popping up.

It was also a very busy year for hiring at startup companies, as you know, and it doesn't look like that will slow down in 2012. We've certainly seen opinions on both sides of the fence as to whether or not there is a tech bubble or 2012 will be another active year of investing. I'm an optimist and I believe the pace of investing will remain consistent. Yes, some companies will fail, of course, but others will scale and grow their teams at a steady clip.

Hiring the best of the best is an absolute must if you are going to build a successful company. You will need to be prepared to compete against big companies with deep pockets and other up-and-coming startups that also have blue chip investors and a game-changing idea.So, what are the most competitive areas for talent these days? Here's a look:

Software Engineers and Web Developers
The demand for top-tier engineering talent sharply outweighs the supply in almost every market especially in San Francisco, New York, and Boston. This is a major, major pain point and problem that almost every company is facing, regardless of the technology "stack" their engineers are working on.

Creative Design and User Experience
After engineers, the biggest challenge for companies is finding high-quality creative design and user-experience talent. Since almost every company is trying to create a highly compelling user experience that keeps people engaged with their product, it is tough to find people who have this type of experience (especially with mobile devices including tablets) and a demonstrated track record of success.

Product Management
It is always helpful for an early-stage company to hire someone who has very relevant and specific experience in your industry. This is especially true for product management, since the person in this role will interface with customers and define the product strategy and use cases. However, be prepared, as it will be a challenge to find people with experience in these high-growth industries: consumer web, e-commerce, mobile, software as a service, and cloud computing.

Marketing
I'm not talking about old-school marketing communications. Companies are looking for expert online marketers who know how to create a buzz of inbound marketing or viral traffic through the web, social media, and content discovery. Writing a good press release just doesn't cut it anymore, as everyone is looking for the savvy online marketing professional who understands how the current state of the web operates and knows how to make it work to their benefit.

Analytics
Since data is becoming more and more accessible, smart companies are increasingly making decisions driven by metrics. Analytics is becoming a central hub across companies where everything (web, marketing, sales, operations) is being measured and each decision is supported by data. Thus, we are seeing a high level of demand for analytics and business intelligence professionals who almost act like internal consultants; they help determine what should be measured and then build out the capability for a company.

Sucky Salesperson: Lying to a Client

photo by: Everet Kamikawa

In the beginning of 2012 I wrote about getting more sales by calling clients back:
Make-more-sales-call-them-back
Here is another example of a sucky salesperson missing an opportunity by not only by not calling a client back, but by lying to them in the first place...


I recently purchased a security system.
The president of the company, whom I had met before, came to the meeting along with his new sales rep.
For the record I am a very easy sale.
I tell you what I want your product to do.
When it should be delivered.
What and how I will pay for it.
If you can answer those three questions you'll probably sell me something.


In the meeting we went through price and delivery and what I want from the system.
I wanted three things:
A, B, C.
We decided that A was the most important. B was second most important. C was a nice thing but ultimately discarded.
The potential problem with B was with my door locks. I showed the president and the salesperson my door locks. Both said there would be no problem with the locks and the system as it was described and installed. Both said they would be back with a proposal in the range of Y with a maximum of Z within three days.


During the meeting the president did all the talking about the system. In fact I joked several times that the rep shouldn't talk so much. Seven days later I got the proposal from the rep. It was Z and not Y. I was assured twice by the rep that the system would work for A and B and no problem with the door locks.

Day of install arrives. Installation is half done. The rep shows up. I ask when the installers will hook up the system to the door locks. I was told by the sales rep that the "system would not work with the locks and the president was looking for a solution." The rep said they would have an answer to me within a day.


SALES LESSON:
IT IS WRONG TO SELL SOMETHING YOU KNOW WON'T WORK, THEN TELL A CLIENT SOMETHING WON'T WORK AFTER IT HAS BEEN PAID FOR AND DELIVERED!


Apparently the sales rep thought saying "oooops" would be all that was needed to be done.
(I wrote that column already: Sucky-salesperson-forgetting-fees)


Five days after the install of the system I receive a proposal for making the system work with the door locks for an additional $1,000!


SALES LESSON:
IF YOU BREAK THE RULE ABOVE IT IS UP TO YOU TO FIX IT AT NO COST TO THE CLIENT!
IF YOU DON'T, SEVERAL CUSTOMERS WILL BE LOST AS THE TICKED OFF CLIENT TELLS EVERYONE THEY KNOW NOT TO USE YOU!


Here's the kicker:
Neither the president or the sales rep have called me back to see if I want the proposed solution or how I'm enjoying the part of the system that was installed. Seems like they're pretty scared because they know they lied. I wouldn't want to make that call either.
Thanks!
Ev
"A Heck of A  Nice Guy and a Good Salesperson"

Why Recruiting is the Toughest Sales Job

I've been a professional salesperson for about 20 years.
In that time people have asked me what I think is the toughest sales job.
Selling cars? Selling radio or newspaper ads?
My answer has always been that being a recruiter is the toughest sales job.
A lot of people look at me a little confused, especially other recruiters, when I say that.

Think about it.
1. As a recruiter you are always calling candidates and convincing them, really selling them, on the idea to first come and apply at your company.
2. If you work at a staffing company you have to also stand out from your many competitors.
3. After the candidate comes in you have to sell them on the idea of working with your agency as exclusively as possible, or if you don't work for a staffing company then you have to get the candidate to work for your company.
4. Then you have to sell them on working for your client. Client? Yes, you have to sell companies too in order to get them to use your company.
5. Then you have to sell your client that your candidate is the person for them.

For every placement you make you have to sell a number of people to get that one "final sale." 
Being a recruiter is the toughest sales job.

Thanks for reading!
Everet"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

Sucky Salesperson: Forgetting Fees

Sometimes I meet other salespeople that drive a flashier car than me, wear a better brand of suits, or have a more expensive watch/house/toys, etc. and I think to myself, "I must not be that good in sales" because I don't have that stuff.


Then they open their mouths...and prove that THEY ARE THE ONES THAT SUCK IN SALES!
Here is one recent example:


I recently had to purchase a bundle of equipment. I've known the salesperson for a year and have grown to trust his advice because when I've researched what he  told me it turned out to be correct. When the time came to purchase what I needed I was happy to give him the order because  I had grown to trust his expertise. I told him my budget. He of course went above it. It was workable and the benefits outweighed the extra cost, but I stressed to him that my budget was done and there was no more. I told him I wasn't playing a sales game. That was all I had.
I received the invoice and sent in the check.


I then received a second invoice for labor. When I questioned my rep he said "I forgot to factor that in."
Forgot?! He knew about the equipment purchase for a year and then "forgot" to factor in the labor which was 15% of the total invoice?
I asked him what he could do about it since it was his fault.
He said he got the company to cut the bill by 50% because they usually have a labor charge of 30%!


I had planned and budgeted for further equipment in the not too distant future.
I think I will be waiting for a bit longer than normal to make those purchases.
A whole year of goodwill and trust shot down with one invoice.


Everyone makes mistakes. How could he have made this up this error to a customer?
1. Apologize multiple times in a sincere way
2. Ask me how he could make up for it
3. Depending on my answer, come up with two or three ideas and let me choose what I want, for example:

• Apply the 15% extra that I have to pay to my next order and tell me what the price is now so that when I order in 6 months my discount is not eaten up by a 15% price increase
• Give me the total of the 15% in supplies for free
• Double the 15% to 30% and apply it to supplies or equipment
• Cut me a check for the 15% once I pay it as a "refund"
• other ideas?

Don't be that kind of salesperson that doesn't take responsibility. You might eat some costs in the short term. Long term you save a customer and a lot of income.

Thanks!
Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

8 Simple Rules for Becoming a Great Recruiter

I found this article by John Sullivan. I thought it read like a lot of the articles I've seen about becoming a great salesperson. Just one more bit of proof that what I've been saying, and what John Sullivan says in point #6, that being a recruiter is really about being in sales. It is my contention that it is also the toughest sales job.
If you are getting a start in the business or need a refresher take a look at this article.
Thanks!
Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

Eight Simple Rules for Becoming a Great Recruiter
by
Dr. John Sullivan
Read Original Article Here

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to train thousands of recruiters over the years. Most turn out to be pretty good at what they do, but a select few strive to and eventually become great recruiters. Here are eight simple rules that lead to greatness in recruiting.

1.Read everything. Scan everything you can get your hands on that relates to a) recruiting, b) your industry, c) business in general, and d) HR in general. It will make your conversations with prospects richer and your candidate assessment questions more productive. But most importantly, it will provide you with names of key leaders and up-and-comers that you can use to use for referral sources.

2.Build a learning network. Identify a few other recruiters who want to become the best in their field. Together, build a “learning” network to share ideas and best practices. Take advantage of technology to make it work with recruiters from around the world.

3.Use metrics. Great recruiters follow the numbers in order to continually improve. They track precisely what works and why. You, too, should track the best sources, tools, selling techniques, and learning sites. Treat recruiting as a business and track your business impact and ROI everyday.

4.Get a mentor. Identify other great recruiters and excellent managers. Then ask several to mentor you. Recruiting is one field where it’s hard to grow without contacts.

5.Rely on referrals. In a fast-changing world, you can’t keep up with the latest changes and the key players on your own. Great recruiters rely on others (referrals) as their primary “finding” tool. Once you realize that top performers always know other top performers, you are home free.

6.Recognize that you are in sales. Finding the very best candidates is only half of the game. Selling candidates (on the job and on your firm) and convincing managers (to read resumes, to interview rapidly, and to trust your judgment) is what separates the best recruiters from the rest. Take a sales class and build relationships with top salespeople to learn how to get candidates to listen to you and accept your offers.

7.Do your market research. You can’t sell anything if you don’t know what candidates and managers expect. Hold surveys, interviews, and focus groups to identify what candidates and managers want. Research is the key to any recruiter’s success. What you absolutely must know is: a) when top performers are ready to shift jobs, and b) what it will take to get each top performer to change jobs (in other words, their job-switching criteria).

8.Focus and prioritize. There isn’t time to do it all, so focus on top-performing candidates who are currently employed. These candidates are harder to land, but worth the effort. Next, focus on a) helping top-performing managers, b) filling key jobs, and c) top-performing business units. This will increase your impact, visibility, and learning speed. Do not, under any circumstances, listen to anyone who tells you to focus on the average. Focusing on the average will just make you average!


Follow each of these rules religiously and you will be a top recruiter. I guarantee it!

Why Your Networking Sucks — And the Secret to Doing it Right

I found Therese's blog, "The Unlost," and found it to have some refreshing insights or ideas that I've talked about but written in a refreshing way. For people that tell me social media and networking don't work for them, I always ask how they approaching people. Therese has a blunt way of saying what I do. Thanks Therese for making what I try and tell people easy to understand.
Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"

Why Your Networking Sucks — And the Secret to Doing it Right

Read Therese's Original Article Here
By Therese Schwenkler

Wanna know a secret?
Your networking sucks.

No worries, though. Mine used to suck, too, until I discovered the secret: stop networking altogether.
See, a few years ago I was a young professional, fresh out of college and ready to conquer the world. “It’s all about the people you know,” everyone told me. And so I went out to meet some people — I went out to “network."

No matter how hard I tried, though, and no matter how many people I talked to, it never really got me anywhere. I couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong. I couldn’t understand why people weren’t offering me jobs or leads or becoming my new BFFs. Instead I was lucky if they even remembered my name.

Fast forward two years to the fall of 2011. I stared at my computer screen in disbelief. “I’d like to fly to Boise and meet you in person. I’m really interested in what you’re doing,” read the message in front of me.“Me?” my voice echoed around the empty room. I looked around to see if there was any other Therese Schwenkler he could have been speaking of. Nope, it was just me.

Soren Gordhamer, the founder of the Wisdom 2.0 Conference? The guy who knows all these awesome people at Google and Facebook and whose sold-out conference features Eckhart Tolle (one of Oprah’s favorite peeps)? Soren Gordhamer wants to come talk to me? In my hometown of Boise, Idaho?This was only the first of many unexpected and wonderful relationships that I’ve built in the past half year, one of many that have helped shape me into the person I am today.

So what am I doing differently now? How did I go from being a complete networking loser to forming relationships with some of the most genuine, most interesting, most well-connected people around?
It’s simple, really: I dropped the whole notion of “networking” and did something completely different instead — a little something I like to call “non-networking.” Here’s how it’s done (or rather, here’s how it’s not done).

How to non-network in two simple steps:

1. Develop your own brand of awesomesauce


Awesomesauce is simply that thing that makes you interesting. It’s that thing that makes you, well, you.
Joel Runyon has it. So does Amber Rae. And Charlie Hoehn. You know what those people stand for when you see their names, right? That’s their awesomesauce.Have you found your awesomesauce? If you haven’t yet, get on it. Otherwise you’ll forever be out of the game.

When I started growing my website, The Unlost, I unwittingly discovered my own brand of awesomesauce. All of the sudden people started coming to me. Bloggers and authors and brand strategists and entrepreneurs — suddenly they wanted to know who I was and what I was doing.

The concept’s simple, really: When you’re doing something interesting and unique, something that’s truly you, when you’re infused with energy and passion and life, people become intrigued. People want to get to know you. And that’s the goal of networking, right? Developing your own brand is simply coming at it from a different angle. Everybody — yes, everybody — should take the time to discover and build their own brand of awesomesauce.

2. Stop caring about results and start caring about relationships

You know what’s complete bullsh*t? Trying to “befriend” someone for the sake of getting something from him or her. That’s what. Instead of making connections because you want something from that person, ask yourself one question: What can I truly give to this person?

When I started “non-networking,” I sought out people I found interesting, those whose beliefs and values were in line with my own. Then I asked myself what I might be able to offer them.

If I had an idea for their project or heard about something they might be interested in, I’d let them know. If I thought that what they were doing was awesome, I’d tell them. If I thought of any way I could add value, I’d offer it.

More importantly, though, I quickly realized that the best thing I could offer anybody — regardless of who they were — was a genuine interest and appreciation for the person they really are. No fake bullsh*t, just genuine regard for the inherent value within them.Give it a try. Shift your question from, “What can I get from this person?” to “Who is this person at his or her core, and how can I best appreciate this person for exactly who (s)he is?” In many cases, the friendship, the connection, the relationship, is worth more than what you might’ve asked for anyhow. The relationship is the reward.

And yet I often find myself in a state of grateful awe for what I do end up receiving in return: wisdom beyond my years, true friendship and connection and understanding, and the confidence to know that, dammit, maybe I’m not just a nobody. Maybe I really do have something special. As corny as it sounds, when amazing people believe in me, I believe in myself. It’s more than I ever could have asked for — without ever having asked for anything at all.


Therese Schwenkler is passionate about bringing more & better direction to today’s generation. Get more from Therese at her blog, The Unlost.