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A Toast...To Preparedness

In a previous post I wrote about how there is no better way to start your day than by being prepared. A common misconception about processes and planning is that it takes the spontaneity and creativity out of your work. Adam Carroll of Four Legacies Mortgage taught me otherwise. Creating processes and planning ahead actually allow for greater creativity.

Whether you’re throwing a birthday party for your two-year-old (which I did this past weekend), or you’re Sweet Lou Piniella preparing the Cubs for the playoffs, or you’re giving the toast at your best friends wedding…trust me…it’s always better to not wait until the last minute.

Here’s one of the greatest examples I’ve seen in years on planning ahead. This is especially timely for my "younger" professional friends (like Adam Steen, Andy Drish, or Tyler Osby) here in Des Moines who are about to embark on what will surely seem like a marathon of weddings over the next few years. If you are asked to be the best man in one of those weddings, one of the most important responsibilities you will have (other than getting the groom to the wedding) is toasting the bride and groom. Likely people will talk about that moment for hours, days, and perhaps even years after the wedding. It’s up to you whether those discussions are positive or negative.

For an example of what not to do, watch the wedding toast scene in the movie Wedding Crashers. But for an example of someone that planned ahead, check this out! WOW!

Next time you’re giving a toast, presenting an idea to your boss, or planning a cupcake themed birthday party for your two-year-old daughter, think about this guy’s toast. Just keep it in context, presenting an idea to your boss by parodying a Broadway musical could be a little over the top!

Can you think of a time when process or preperation has left the crowd wanting more? I know Drew McLellan and Mike Wagner have. How about you?

What Are You Doing Today?

Seriously. What are you doing today? Have you thought about it? You've had your two jugs of coffee. You've sifted through your email. You may have even gone over your fantasy football scores to start your day. If you are in sales it's now time to pick up the phone to begin calling your prospects. So...what are you doing today? Who are you going to call? Are you prepared?

If you haven't  created your daily sales plan then you might as well go back to the coffee shop. I would argue the number one reason sales people fail is due to lack of daily planning.

I've been involved in sales and recruiting for fifteen years and a guy named Peter Leffkowitz, President of the Morgan Consulting Group, taught me one of the greatest lesson I've ever learned...plan your work, work your plan. Sales is a career that involves both art and science. The people that study and practice both are by far the most successful of all their peers.

My suggestion is that you plan for tomorrow before you walk out of the office today. Don't "wing it". If you plan before you leave, you don't have to think about it. You can walk in ready to go and all the time that's typically wasted trying to figure out where you should start is behind you. I've noticed my day typically ends the way it started. If I come out of the gates sluggish and unprepared, that's how it ends. But if I start my day running...

Jim Meisenheimer at the Start Selling More Blog has a very basic and no-nonsense approach to being prepared. 

So, are you in control of your day or is it in control of you?

Do You Hear That?

It's the sound of your prospect walking away.                                             

You can learn a lot more from listening than you can from talking. Find someone with whom you don’t agree in the slightest and ask them to explain themselves at length. Then take a seat, shut your mouth, and don’t argue back. It’s physically impossible to listen with your mouth open. 

– John Moe, Radio host and author of Conservatize Me. 

That is what was printed on the back of my Starbucks cup one morning. There’s a ton of truth to this. Sales is not about telling a prospective client how great your product, service or company is. And it's not telling them what they need. It’s about asking the right questions, closing your mouth, listening and offering the best solution to your client. Even if that solution means sending them and their money elsewhere. Being a good sales person takes patience, empathy, courage and yes, sometimes, silence. It’s amazing what a client will tell you if you just let them!

Here's what Scott Ginsberg (The Nametag Guy) said about listening.

And as for that uncomfortable silence? Let it happen. Those moments can be golden!

 

Do All Candidates Lie?

Maybe not all of them but many do lie.

When I worked as a recruiter at Keith Lamb and Associates in Chicago we had a saying, All Candidates Exaggerate. The real saying was All Candidates Lie but I always found that to be a little strong. Clearly I understand that what candidates are doing is trying to paint a very colorful picture of themselves in order to be selected for a certain position. The difficult part for an executive recruiter is to investigate what is absolute measurable truth and what is poetic license. I've always thought how refreshing it would be for a candidate to be completely candid and straight forward rather than always attempting to justify the hiccups on his or her resume.

So thanks to Steve Roesler at All Things Workplace who shared this application / resume on a recent blog post. Like Steve mentions in his post, I haven't the slightest idea of the original source, truth, or accuracy of the article below. But you have to appreciate both the honesty and humor of the applicant.

And as far as embellishing on your resume not only can it damage your credibility, it can also cost you. When Ronald Zarrella, CEO at Bausch & Lomb, falsely claimed to have a master's degree in business administration from NYU, he lost his promised $1.1 million year-end bonus.

A recent article published on Yahoo states that in fact over 53% of those surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Managers lie on their resume.

So, have you ever lied on a resume or do you know anyone who has? What was the result?

 

 

According to Ed: No Time for Celebration

I was one of those kids growing up (and by growing up I mean until just recently) that thought my dad was totally full of bologna.  What does Ed Garrison know about my business? He can barely get his eMail.  Always passing on ridiculous, esoteric advice that he learned from being in business back in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. I mean what can a guy who's been a part of the life insurance industry for nearly 50 years teach me? What can a guy who has been responsible for recruiting several hundred of the top presidents, CMO's, general agents, agency managers, and countless other important role players for some of the most prestigious and innovative insurance companies and consulting companies in America teach me about business, executive recruiting and employee personality assessments? Duh!

For starters, he taught me that I have a lot yet to learn! So in honor of my dad's 50 years of business experience and wisdom, I've decided I'm going to share his insight, wisdom, and ramblings with you. Take it or leave it.

According to Ed, The best time to make a sale is right after you've made a sale.

Back in about 1997 I was working in Chicago for a contingency search firm that specialized in recruiting information technology professionals. I had only been there three weeks when I set a new company record for the fastest placement by a new employee. We had a big cowbell sitting in the middle of the room to ring for everyone in the office (and everyone else on W. Erie) to hear. I rang the bell, gave a high five to the my co-workers, then immediately picked up the phone to call my dad.

Essentially this is what he said, "I'm happy for you and proud of you but you can celebrate at the end of the day. Right now you need to pick up the phone and make your next call. The best time to make a sale is right after you've made a sale."

As disappointed as I was, my dad was right. People can always sense your enthusiasm, passion and confidence even if it's over the telephone. Use that enthusiasm to your advantage. Let it ride. Don't waste the momentum by doing a silly dance in the end-zone when it's only the first quarter. Close the sale, pick up the phone, and make something else happen! Who knows, at the end of the day you may just have two reasons to celebrate!

Flickr Photo by Laniebird5000

Bending The Rules

I'm not exactly a rebel or a trouble maker. Sure, I spent my fair share of time in Principal Miller's office in elementary school. I also was occasionally called out of class in middle school to visit the guidance counselor. But I rarely did anything to cause anyone harm. It was usually a case of me not following a certain process or a slight bending of the rules. Those meetings usually ended up in nice conversation with a few laughs and the advice "keep your nose clean" or "do better next time". The way I look at it is rather than being embarrassed that I had to go to the principal's office, I was building my relationship with the administration of my illustrious learning institution.

As long as I can remember this has been my goal. Whether it be with friends, clients, candidates, strangers or teachers. Always work to advance the relationship!

I understand and believe in the need to have a sequential sales process. But as Tom Peters points out in his recent post on sales goals, what often times will happen is that salespeople are so focused on getting to the next step that they miss the chance to have a great encounter during the meeting they are in at the moment.

Good salespeople know that getting to the next step is essential in the sales process. But Peters goes on to mention that what great salespeople know is that the sequential sales process is subservient to the current meeting. They know that the best way to get to the next step in the process is to create a relationship-building encounter in the present.

Have you ever developed a genuine friendship with a prospect before they became a client? 

Flickr photo by pixeldiva

I'm not exactly a rebel or a trouble maker. Sure, I spent my fair share of time in Principal Miller's office in elementary school. I also was occasionally called out of class in middle school to visit the guidance counselor. But I rarely did anything to cause anyone harm. It was usually a case of me not following a certain process or a slight bending of the rules. Those meetings usually ended up in nice conversation with a few laughs and the advice "keep your nose clean" or "do better next time". The way I look at it is rather than being embarrassed that I had to go to the principal's office, I was building my relationship with the administration of my illustrious learning institution.

As long as I can remember this has been my goal. Whether it be with friends, clients, candidates, strangers or teachers. Always work to advance the relationship!

I understand and believe in the need to have a sequential sales process. But as Tom Peters points out in his recent post on sales goals, what often times will happen is that salespeople are so focused on getting to the next step that they miss the chance to have a great encounter during the meeting they are in at the moment.

Good salespeople know that getting to the next step is essential in the sales process. But Peters goes on to mention that what great salespeople know is that the sequential sales process is subservient to the current meeting. They know that the best way to get to the next step in the process is to create a relationship-building encounter in the present.

Have you ever developed a genuine friendship with a prospect before they became a client? 

Flickr photo by pixeldiva

According to Ed; Talk to 10 people every day!

I was one of those kids growing up (and by growing up I mean until just recently) that thought my dad was totally full of bologna.  What does Ed Garrison know about business? He can barely get his eMail.  Always passing on ridiculous, esoteric advice that he learned from being in business back in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. I mean what can a guy who's been a part of the life insurance industry for nearly 50 years teach me? What can a guy who has been responsible for recruiting several hundred of the top presidents, CMO's, general agents, agency managers, and countless other important role players for some of the most prestigious and innovative insurance companies and consulting companies in America teach me about business, recruiting, personality assessments and employment branding? Duh!

For starters, he taught me that I have a lot yet to learn!

So in honor of my dad's 70 years of life experience and business wisdom, I've decided I'm going to share his insight, wisdom, and ramblings with you. Take it or leave it.

So without further ado;

According to Ed, talk to at least 10 people a day about your business. This does not mean leaving a bunch of voice mails. Your wife does not count as one of those 10 unless she is a potential client. We're talking 10 people in your industry who have an influence on growing your business. And better yet, get face to face (or as Ed would say, "eyeball to eyeball") with these folks as often as possible.

If you talk to 10 people everyday 5 days a week X 52 weeks a year (for those of you who don't celebrate holidays and take vacation)...well you do the math. It will not take long for the people in your industry or niche to know who you are and what you do!

Photo by jonesprimavera's

 

Look Both Ways

Remember that game we played as kids, Red Light, Green Light? The leader would yell Green Light and everyone would begin running as fast as they could towards the finish line. Then the leader would scream, Red Light and you'd have to stop dead in your tracks or be forced to start from the beginning!

Mahan Khalsa, author of the book Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play, suggests we should also watch and listen for the red lights and green lights when meeting with a prospective client.

A few weeks ago I had what at the time seemed like a good sales meeting. The client was giving me great information and I could quickly begin to understand where the issues were. When our time was up, we shook hands and agreed to get others involved and move forward through the process. Though I sensed a little hesitation in scheduling a follow up meeting, I let it go. I certainly didn't want to press the issue!

RED LIGHT!

I haven't had a conversation with him since that day. I've put in a couple of phone calls and an eMail, but no response. Maybe I was caught up in the ideas and the solutions, and wasn't paying attention to what he was really saying.

Next time your moving through the sales process with a client, pay attention to the red lights. If you're truly engaged and listening you should see them flashing!

Flickr photo courtesy of rrazor.

The Ripple Effect

We've all done it. And we still do it because it's fascinating...and fun!

When standing next to a beautiful still pond, we can't help it. We begin looking around for the nearest stone and toss it in so we can see the ripple that is created, and we stare in amazement as those ripples grow and move towards shore.

I was introduced to my wife after running into a mutual acquaintance of ours at a gas station one afternoon. Just about any job I've ever had has come through a known relationship. 

It's through the power of relationships that our lives are shaped. It's been my philosophy for sometime now that if I can help enough people in my network that someday it will come full circle. And it has more than I ever could have imagined. Just recently I read a book that has had a profound impact on the way I think. More than anything it gave confirmation to the philosophy I have been practicing for the last year and a half. The name of the book is called The Ripple Effect and it was written by Steve Harper, a creative entrepreneur from Austin, TX.

The first paragraph of chapter 1 says it all:

The most powerful, the most successful, the most satisfying accomplishments in both your life and your business result from the relationships you form with other people in the world.

It's truly amazing how this law of reciprocity works.  How has this concept helped your business grow?

Flickr photo by alicemariedesign

Table Stakes

For months now, along with many others in my line of work, I have been lamenting about the "impending" talent crunch. Baby boomers will soon start exiting the market place by the millions. It's been my instinctual argument that companies will no longer be able to compete for the best employees with things like salary and benefits. Today, those things are what Blake Reding at REL Productions would refer to as table stakes. Salary and benefits are simply the ante to get you into the game.

Earlier this week Recruiting Trends published this report that begins to validate my argument.

Research conducted by the Kenexa Research Institute (KRI), a provider of talent acquisition and retention solutions, asked workers what their reasons were for joining their current organization. The report analyzes data drawn from a representative sample of workers surveyed through WorkTrends™, KRI’s 2008 annual survey of worker opinions. For some time, many have speculated on the reasons as to why people accept a job with a new organization. While KRI’s research confirms that there are a variety of them, two top items emerge as critical decision points: compensation and corporate reputation. An organization’s reputation consists of a variety of characteristics, including their involvement in corporate responsibility initiatives, product quality or profitability.

The survey results also reveal that senior managers and sales people place the most value on the organization’s reputation in weighing an employment offer, as did employees in India, Italy, Russia and Brazil. “The correlation between the organization’s reputation and successful recruiting efforts strongly supports the importance of employment branding,” says Jack Wiley, executive director of the Kenexa Research Institute. “It’s not about each individual job offer – this research highlights the value of presenting and maintaining positive brand messaging to the potential employee talent pool. ”

Why will the most talented people choose to work for your company rather than your competitor?

Flickr photo by Howiemnet