It’s that time of the year gang. Our Companies are busy putting the final touches on their business plans for 2010. It begs the question, where are we as Sales Professionals and Sales Managers on doing the same? All too often the beginning of the year brings with it New Year’s Resolutions that most often fall to the wayside by February and not get done.
The key is a SYSTEM to enhance the probability of achieving our goals. If we want to see different or improved results, then what is needed is different behavior or actions. I’ve certainly brought this to everyone’s attention before-December is perfect timing to actually take action and put the SYSTEM into place. So, here goes.
We all have heard from many sources the importance of putting our goals in writing. The problem is, even if we do that, all too often the RESULTS don’t materialize. Our chances of actually getting done what we set out to get done will be enhanced when we put all four parts in play.
If you took the steps last year in putting together your goals and plans, take inventory as to how you fared. Try to assess the causes of any shortfalls. This will help in designing your plans for 2010.
The written plan portion is where we identify the KEY ACTIVITIES that will be necessary to achieve the goals. I find it helpful to break the goals down into more digestible “bites” than “annual”. If you can break your goals down into months, and then weeks, we sharpen our focus and can then do the same with identifying the activities that will need to be done. On the selling side, these might include the # of face to face appointments, the # of outbound calls, the # of trade shows, the # of marketing initiatives, etc. For each of our businesses, we can identify the actions that lead to sales; do them consistently and the sales materialize. Another set of categorization worth tracking is where your sales are to come from: existing customers, new customers and referrals.
The system of measurement is where we physically record what our activities actually were on a daily/weekly/monthly basis and compare them to the written plan. Focus on the variances and dig deep as to the “whys”. This, then, can lead us to taking corrective actions to get moving again in the right direction.
The system of accountability is having someone (a Sales Manager?) or even having several people hold you accountable to the planned activities, at least on a monthly basis. The more meaningful these people are to you in life, the better.
I promise you this “micro management” is not “pleasant or easy”. Too many Sales Professionals complain about this “micro management”. I think of top performing athletes, whether in the college ranks or the pros, and compare the degree of “micro management” going on there as to what I’m recommending for Sales Professionals. Heck, the athletes would say this is “really easy” compared to what is expected of them! Witness the remarkable transformations of people on the TV program “the Biggest Loser”, in terms of weight loss, health improvement and overall life disposition. None of the participants look to be “happy” about the daily activities “imposed” by their trainers. BUT, they sure look happy with the RESULTS! All four parts of the system need to be in place to generate the results.
Over the past year I’ve had so many people tell me of their appreciation that I shared my goals with them, as an example of the process. An added benefit for me was all those additional eyes out there increasing the pressure on me to “take action and make things happen”. So, I’ve decided to do so again this year. One “warning”: I’ve been doing this process for many decades and as such the level of detail I go to is “over the top”. For most people, the setting of goals can be (and probably should be) much more simplified. While I have an extensive business plan as well, what I am sharing are my “non-business” goals for 2010. Looks to be a very busy year, and you can view my goals in writing athttp://jackdaly.blogspot.com/. Next month I will share my annual report of how I fared compared to my goals for 2009-stay tuned!
Sales & Management Summit
April 16, 2010 – Detroit, MI
Full Day Smart Selling
May 14, 2010 – Dallas, TX
Full Day Smart Selling
September 23, 2010 – Kansas City, MO
Full Day Smart Selling
September 24, 2010 – Los Angeles, CA
Full Day Smart Selling
September 29, 2010 – Green Bay, WI
Full Day Smart Selling
September 30, 2010 – Montreal, QB
Full Day Smart Selling
October 20, 2010 – Denver, CO
Full Day Smart Selling Workshop
November 11 & 12, 2010 – Chicago, IL
Sales & Management Summit
November 19, 2010 – Vancouver, BC
Full Day Smart Selling
CALL JENNIFER FOR REGISTRATION DETAILS 888-298-6868
OR EMAIL HER AT [email protected]
WEBINAR SCHEDULE FOR 2010– If you’re serious about upgrading your results in 2010, get serious about upgrading your culture. Creating a winning culture was the biggest secret to growing my success at the companies I’ve built. It will pay big rewards for you too. Click here to sign up for this session and more of my upcoming webinars where I’ll teach you how to make it happen
#1 Feb 16 Mgmt A Winning Culture by Design – The Secret to Your Ultimate Business Success
#2 Mar 23 Sales Beating Call Reluctance & Getting thru the Gatekeeper
#3 May 4 Mgmt Getting the Most from Our Sales Teams
#4 July 13 Sales Managing Objections, Asking the Best Questions, & Improved Listening Skills
#5 Aug 17 Mgmt Compensation, Rewards, and Recognition for Sales People
#6 Nov 16 Sales Sales Rx: Sales Systems & Process Checklist
TAKING ACTION– As a catalyst to encouraging others to “take action”, we feature what others are doing and experiencing with their initiatives following our training sessions. Hopefully these will prompt each of us to take action!
Jack-
Just wanted to let you know I got my first of many new “coaches” after your Ironman story. I have lost 14lbs, since Thursday, and signed up for the ½ Ironman in Panama City for May 8, 2010, then will do the full Ironman in November of 2010. I plan on getting a couple more coaches for this goal. I am looking forward to seeing your newsletter and finding out about your coaching abilities regarding my enterprise. I currently am the CEO, Sales manager, and number one Sales Man of my organization. NOT ANY MORE! I have begun recruiting for the Sales Manager and other Sales Men to take my place in those roles.
Kirk McElreath
Hey Jack,
I attended your seminar this morning and I was truly inspired. I have been listening to motivational speakers on a wide range of topics for many years. I must say you were the most motivational and practical I’ve ever heard so thanks for being excellent. I run a small business and plan to be one of the 20% who takes action by applying many of your ideas into my business…immediately. The process already began as soon as I got back to my office today. I started by sitting down with each of my 3 sales people who also attended, and I asked them to write down the 3 most important take aways they got from you WHICH they INTEND to implement. I also asked them to write down the 3 most important things they think my company can do to help them grow their sales and also asked them to list their top 5 “canned” questions they can use in the field. Of course their responses will be just the beginning of our journey towards making them and ME far more accountable for our results. Very specific goal setting, measuring and accountability is coming soon for all my sales people and myself. And I look forward to implementing many other ideas I gained today as well and will. Also, today you showed one of your custom cards that contained sales statistics on the cover, would you billing willing to share that copy with me from the cover and inside the card? Many of your ideas I can and will execute on my own, but it would helpful to get the copy on that card, I think that one in particular can be very helpful to my sale.
Thanks again,
Michael Feldman
Here’s the schedule of cities I will be conducting programs in over the next 3 months (some for clients, others are open seat workshops). I may have flexibility in my scheduling for lunch, dinner or more should someone have an interest. If you see I’m headed to your part of the world, feel free to email [email protected] with your interest and Jen will do her best to accommodate any requests.
January-San Francisco, Jacksonville, Des Moines, Las Vegas, NYC, Charlotte February-Indianapolis, Tampa, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Orlando, Phoenix, Tucson & Scottsdale
March- D.C., Detroit, Connecticut, Orange County
If you are interested in having Jack work with you team while he is traveling abroad here are some of the countries he will be visiting in next year. Contact [email protected] for more information.
July 2010- Australia
September 2010- South Africa
IN THE NEWS
Top 10 Lessons from the U. S. Navy- this remarkable blog post was forwarded to me from my good friend Damon Gersh, posted by Guy Kawasaki. We can all learn so much about CULTURE and Leadership from this piece- Take 10 minutes and learn.
This is a guest post by Bill Reichert, my colleague at Garage Technology Ventures. He and I recently joined other bloggers for an overnight trip on the USS Nimitz. The USS Nimitz is an aircraft carrier that’s named after Chester Nimitz (Nimitz signed the US/Japan surrender terms that at the end of World War II). The Nimitz has a crew of approximately 3,000 men and women. When an air wing is deployed on it, the total number of personnel becomes 5,000. It is part of Carrier Strike Group 11.
Very few people have the opportunity to experience life on a nuclear aircraft carrier up close and personal. Recently, I had the extraordinary experience of spending a day and a night at sea in the Pacific on board the USS Nimitz. I was part of a Navy outreach program to give ordinary landlubbers like me a perspective on the mission and operations of a naval strike group.
I was excited. Who would turn down a chance to get on top of a nuclear power plant driving 100,000 tons of steel through the ocean, with 5,000 men and women handling scores of aircraft, carrying thousands of pounds of bombs and missiles, burning thousands of gallons of jet fuel a day, with margins
measured in inches, and tolerances of seconds?
What could possibly go wrong? As a Prius-driving, granola-eating, anti-gun, Left-Coast Californian, I do not fit the stereotype of the typical armed forces booster. I am inclined to favor green technology over weapons of mass destruction. But I discovered during my visit that many of us who are working in non-military organizations, and who may not have given a second thought to the Navy as a model, would do well to understand how a small city floating on the ocean works. From startup entrepreneurs to seasoned executives, we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy, from the enlisted men and women as well as from the commanding officers.
When we got to the Naval Air Station on Coronado Island in San Diego, we received a quick slide presentation before we flew off to the Nimitz, a hundred miles or so off the coast. Then again, when we met with the admiral on the ship that evening, we got another slide presentation. There were five or six dot points on the power point slides outlining the mission of the Navy, but frankly I can’t remember them all. All I can remember is the impression that, fundamentally, the mission of the U.S. Navy is to make the world safe. It’s a pretty ambitious objective. You may approve or disapprove of this as the best use of taxpayer money, but if you spend any time on a nuclear aircraft carrier, you have to admit they do a pretty impressive job.
During about thirty hours of immersion with sailors and pilots (and public affairs officers), I realized that were several principles at work that make the Navy so successful-principles that are not at all unique to running an aircraft carrier-representing important lessons for everyone interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, teamwork, and management:
Inspiration: Having a big, meaningful goal is a tremendous force for inspiration, motivation, and cohesion. The Navy’s mission is not some vague, abstract, feel-good paragraph in a business plan; it is very concrete, and very easy to understand and internalize. In addition to defending America, fighting terrorists, and rescuing victims of piracy, the Navy takes enormous pride in their role in helping the tsunami victims in 2004, and in helping the Katrina victims in 2005.
While everyone I talked with had his or her own particular story, everyone had a distinct and powerful pride in what they had accomplished and in the people around them. It was frankly astounding. Even in the best organizations, in my experience, such a core consistency of pride is extremely rare. Of course, most organizations don’t have a mission as inspirational as the U.S. Navy.
Perspiration: If everyone buys into the goal, you can get an amazing amount of work done, including regular sixteen hour days with very low pay. The Nimitz does not offer a 9-to-5 workday. Some days, crews are on the flight deck for fourteen or sixteen hours, into the wee hours of the morning, inhaling noxious fumes and making sure every plane gets back safely. And then after the planes get back at midnight, the maintenance crew is still at work making sure the planes are ready for the next day. A maintenance chief told me that, given the age of the planes and the stress of carrier flying, it is typical that a plane requires twenty-five hours of maintenance for every hour of flight time. That seems inefficient, but the alternative is unacceptable. You don’t want to fly a plane that is anything less than 100
percent maintained.
Teamwork: As much as the movie Top Gun created the impression that it’s about competing to be Number 1, the ethic in an actual operating situation is intensely about team performance. Watching the crews maintain, fuel, setup, and pilot F-18s for flight, it’s clear it’s not about who’s the hottest dog on the deck. Every single person counts on other members of the team to enable them to get their part of the job done, and no one person can take credit for success, or benefit from another’s failure.
Recruiting and training: There is a common misperception that the military attracts the lower performers in our society who have no other choices. The Navy is very fortunate to have more people who want to join than there are available slots. But more important, the men and women who make it through training are astoundingly competent people. The lesson here is that it’s not about fancy degrees and prior polish; it’s about a commitment to excellence in each individual, and the willingness to work to exhaustion to make sure you live up to your commitment.
Accountability and continuous improvement: There is no contradiction between an intense ethic of teamwork and the need for individual accountability. In the Navy, everything is monitored and measured.
Every system has to perform at 100 percent, and for every system there is a person responsible for making sure that happens. Every cycle of take-offs and landings is measured and scored. And every score is assessed to figure out a way to do it better. During launch cycles, the drill is to get a plane catapulted off the deck every sixty seconds. According to our hosts, during the training exercise we watched, the greatest variation off that was fifteen seconds. Wouldn’t it be cool if O’Hare could match that?
Respect: In the Navy, if you don’t like someone because of their race, or creed, or whatever, you have the opportunity to change your mind, because that person may be living in the bunk fourteen inches away from you. Respect isn’t just an altruistic ethic, it’s a necessity.
More so than any other institution, the U.S. military has been successful at integrating America’s young men and women. I’m sure the Navy is not perfect in this regard, but when I looked around the bridge and saw the incredibly diverse team of men and women who were calmly, confidently, and competently
running this multi-billion dollar acme of American technological accomplishment, I thought why can’t all of America be more like this? Actually, most high tech companies are well integrated when it comes to race and creed (less so gender), but when it comes to respect among individuals, most organizations have a lot to learn.
Overcoming fear: On a busy aircraft carrier, there are a lot of things that happen that are really scary, and people die. Despite the macho prototype of the Navy pilot, in private these pilots admit that landing a jet on a moving carrier at night is a downright terrifying experience. Watching a series of jets land at night, you get the impression that it must be pretty easy, because they do it so well. But it isn’t easy, and even with years of practice and experience, it’s nerve-wracking. And you do it, because it’s your responsibility and that’s the only way the mission gets accomplished.
Work/Life balance: It’s hard to imagine how people in the military handle being away from their families for months at a time, in environments that are almost entirely work. It’s clear that it is not easy for most. My impression is that the Navy tries to ease the strain by creating a work environment that is much looser and more casual than we expected. We thought the crew aboard the ship would be much more heavily starched than they were, and that the interactions between subordinates and superiors would be much stiffer. We were amazed at how relatively easygoing everyone was, considering that they were responsible for one of the most massive concentrations of firepower on the planet. When you are on the line, there is no slack, and there is no room for anything less than 100 percent. But when there is a break in the action, you can relax and be human.
Reverence and irreverence: The week before our visit, the Nimitz lost five crew in a helicopter accident. These were not strangers; these were co-workers and friends. Among the pilots, it seems that everyone has at least one story of a good friend who was lost. For these men and women, death is all too real. There are memorials around the ship to remind everyone of those who have given their lives in the service of their country. At the same time, there is an irreverence that pops up quite frequently, sometimes when you wouldn’t expect it. The captain, in welcoming us, referred to the aircraft carrier as being “kind of like a jail, except there’s the possibility of drowning.” Not exactly what you would expect to hear. And the whole call sign culture-pilots with nicknames like “Freak Show” and “Booger,” to make sure no one takes themselves too seriously and everyone appreciates that even the best of the best are human.
One-hundred percent performance: From moment to moment, the operations on board a nuclear aircraft carrier expose the crew to an extraordinary degree of danger. A simple mistake can result in death, and much of what is being done on the ship and in the air is not at all simple. But they make it look simple. We watched scores of planes take off and land on a moving platform without a hitch. The key is training, training, training, and total focus and dedication when you are on the line. The activity on the flight deck
looks a little random and pretty informal-no stiff spines or tight formations. But in the end, you realize you’ve watched an amazingly choreographed ballet, with an underlying intelligence and efficiency that
comes from a lot of people working together to optimize the total performance of the organization.
Those are my top ten lessons from the U.S. Navy. Some of my colleagues on the trip have some additional perspectives to add. (You can see links to their travelogues below.) But all of us discovered that we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy.
Certainly the Navy is not perfect. As in any organization, there are egos and frustrations and resentments. And people make mistakes, and bad things happen. Not everyone agrees with every decision made up the chain of command, or back in Washington, DC. The Navy understands that it is not well-served by squashing free thought, but everyone in the Navy appreciates that there is a time and a place for debate, and the deal is that you are signed up to do what the organization needs you to do once you are on the line.
Not every entrepreneur wants to model his or her organization and culture onthe Navy. For many entrepreneurs, indeed, that is a very unappealing concept, but that’s because they don’t really understand what makes the Navy one of the most effective organizations on the planet. Like any other successful organization, it’s about the people, not about the technology. The key is harnessing the incredible potential of every individual through inspiration, training, and teamwork.
Honor. Courage. Commitment. Not bad principles for any company.
Coaches Corner
THE HOLIDAYS: RELATIONSHIPS “PRIME TIME”
by Dan Larson & Dave Wilen
The holidays are a prime time of year to strengthen your relationships with your key customers. No matter what you sell, when you create a better relationship with your customer, they will do more business with you. When you have a relationship with a buyer-they believe in you. They have confidence and trust in you. So how can you utilize the holiday season to help you build trust and build your relationships?
If your customer base consists of small businesses, then gift giving is an excellent way to say thank you for their business… but also to foster the loyalty they’ve shown over the past year. This helps to solidify relationships and actually tilt the playing field in your favor, in some cases. A well-conceived business gift will speak volumes about your integrity, thoughtfulness and sincerity and may make the difference between you and a competitor. What to give can be the most difficult part of the process. Get creative to come up with something unique that stands out above the rest while keeping in mind the nature of your business relationship. Avoid anything inappropriate. Think about what makes them unique, what they would appreciate greatly and try to make it as personal and connective as possible by reflecting their interests.
If your customer base consists of medium or large businesses then gift giving is possibly off limits. Businesses must tread carefully as corporate gift giving has several legal, ethical and practical questions attached to it. In the eyes of many observers there is a very fine line between business gift giving and bribing, and it is seldom clear when the line is crossed. TIME MAGAZINE reported in 1965, that “in Finland, any gift exceeding $30 is considered a straight bribe” (TIME, 1965), but the situations today are rarely so straight-forward. Some research also indicates that gifts of high value, and gifts to prospects rather than existing customers, affect supplier choice negatively. In many instances it is not even acceptable to take a prospect or customer out to lunch without paying separately.
So how do we coach sales people to use this wonderful time of year to solidify their relationships with all prospects and customers? That’s easy; call or visit as many customers as you can personally. No email, no letter, no card, just contact them personally. Tell them how much you appreciate their business this year, and how you look forward to continuing to earn their business next year. Be more interested in them and what they are doing for the holidays or what challenges they’re facing in their world than you are in selling them something.
You should also send a holiday card. Whether it’s for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, New Years, Holiday Season, or all of the above. Be sure to sign it personally with a note thanking them, in addition to whatever your printed message says. Using the Send Out Cards program recommended by Jack, works great for this. (Visit www.sendoutcards.com/jackdaly) As an added value, offer to help them over the course of the next year, so that you can be seen less as a vendor and more as their partner.
Sales Managers: Remember the job of a sales manager is to grow your sales people, not to make sales. With that philosophy in mind, your sales people are your most important customers. Use this time of year to strengthen your relationship individually with each seller. When you do this effectively, watch their productivity soar.
If you are a Sales Manager and want to strengthen your relationships with your sales team, contact us to receive a free “The Sales Manager Relationship Guide: 44 Things You Need to Know About Each of Your Sales People”. Contact either Dave at [email protected] or Dan at [email protected] or call Jennifer at (888) 298-6868.
CONTINUOUS SELF DEVELOPMENT
Business Relationships That Last by Ed Wallace.
In the business world, we call it “Blinding flashes of the obvious”. That is, that outstanding relationships are the key to annual sales success. Up until now, I’m unaware of anyone who developed and shared a simple approach to turning contacts into trusting relationships, until I read Ed Wallace’s book. Here is just a sampling of takeaways:
-Understand how your customer’s Relational GPS-their goals, passions and struggles-will help you create business relationships that last.
-Relational capital may be the most undervalued, least understood, most ignored-yet the most important-asset in your company and in your own portfolio.
-Research indicates that merely one out of four corporations formally tracks the relational aspects of its sales processes in support of its plans.
-Your credibility, integrity, and authenticity constitute the essential foundation upon which you build relational capital in the business world.
-Ironic though it may seem, saying “I don’t know” can open the doors to a healthy discussion about possible solutions and resources that could lead to an answer.
Applying Ed’s approach to fostering successful business relationships will go a long way to building your business, regardless of the condition of the economy.
TAKING ACTION- Jack Daly Blog
TAKING ACTION-While we publish this newsletter on a monthly basis, you can get a regular feeding of “Jack Observations and Tips” by making visits to my blog- http://jackdaly.blogspot.com.As I make my travels around the world, I’m regularly confronted with examples of terrific sales and service examples, as well as the horrific. I’m using my blog to shout them out, so we can all learn from both the good and the bad out there. Check it out.
TWEET TWEET – http://twitter.com/Ironmanjack
For those of you not up and running on Twitter, here’s a few of mine you recently missed. And secondly, when are you gonna get with it? Planning on being last?
CONNECT WITH JACK- OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA
JACK DALY BUSINESS TOOLS
For years I have been underscoring the importance of regularly “touching” your prospects, customers and clients. In my training Workshops, I share examples of many ways to do this activity that will ensure you stand out from the competition. One of the more effective tools I’ve used for years has been taking photos on my calls and other occasions and quickly turning them into photo cards with my own personalized messages. These simple cards have generated me several hundreds of thousands of dollars in business over the past couple years, and the momentum continues to grow.
These are full color greeting cards sent right from your computer keyboard – the system does all the work of printing, stuffing envelopes, adding a stamp, and mailing. Fully automated campaigns of touches can be built and saved at the click of a button. You have 13,000 cards in 300 categories that you can choose from, which can all be customized with your own signature and handwriting at no additional charge. You can even upload your own photos for a truly personal, and custom designed card. Birthdays and anniversaries can be stored for annual reminders. Additionally, there are gifts that one can choose from – motivational books, magazines, gift cards, or gourmet gifts of brownies, cookies, etc. to tag along with your card if you would like–all done on-line with a click of the mouse.
This is a great tool to go “wide and deep” with your existing clients If you’d like to take a free test-drive with a card for yourself, just visit www.sendoutcards.com/jackdaly and select “Click Here to Send A Free Card”. An audio tutorial will begin to walk you through the simple process of sending a card. It’s fun, it’s easy, and I believe you’ll be able to see the many uses for your own business. Enjoy!
Use this CD over a 3 month period, and watch your business results increase significantly. “JACK ME UP” covers 21 specific action initiatives and is designed specifically for a Sales Professional to implement “one a day” while out in the field calling on their pipeline. Do these actions for 3 months and begin to see behavior change take place; do it for 6 months and even better! 50% off the retail price thru the end of 2009. Retail price is $40; get it thru 2009 year end for $20. Call or email Jennifer at 888-298-6868 or [email protected] to take advantage of this opportunity to increase your sales effectiveness.
If any article in this newsletter would be of interest to your co-workers, customers or clients we would appreciate having you forward it along.
