What's My Name? Denny Crane

Let’s face it that today much of staff training consists shadowing a co worker. Most of the time management is reacting to business rather than being proactive. If you aren’t getting the training you need you can find it yourself. And it’s just the click of a mouse away. Maybe your company will pay for some on line training. If not find your own and there is some outstanding stuff. And the good news is it’s free.

If you spent 30 minutes a day, five days a week learning at your own pace you will have 130 hours of training over the course of the year. And you can’t use the excuse of not having any time. Eliminate the news and Dancing with Stars once a week and there is your 2 ½ hours. Make it your goal to eventually stop watching the schlock on TV that is useless drivel and limit yourself to the amount of TV you watch. If you are going to watch drivel at least pick some of the better drivel, like Boston Legal.

I love Boston Legal. William Shatner is hilarious and was born for comedy. Shatner plays lawyer Denny Crane, a rich loud mouth republican who is politically incorrect (fired a co worker on one episode because she was fat) believes in the right to bear arms and whose persona has all thinking he has lost his marbles and has mad cow disease.

Most of the show Crane is doing something very bizarre, like putting fish in his aquarium and then fishing for them. He hits on all women and will sleep with whoever will have him. He is particular about the cases he takes on even though his colleagues dissuade him to go into a court room. Yet Crane reminds them that in all the years he has never lost a case. And yes it is TV but its always great to see Crane win the cases he takes despite looking like he is going to have his hat handed to him.

Alan Shore (played by James Spader) is the go to lawyer in the firm who loves to take on the establishment. He is a thing of beauty in the court room and his summations are usually the highlight of the show. The two have this father-son relationship (with sleepovers and you have to watch the show to get the sleepover thing) and at the end of the show you find them on a balcony of the law office sipping scotch and smoking a cigar contemplating life. And it’s usually Crane the teacher and Shore the pupil. But I digress.

Here is a list of great websites that you can start with:

www.salesopedia.com

www.gitomer.com

www.engageselling.com

www.sellingpower.com

www.successmagazine.com

www.deniswaitley.com

Download all the free stuff you can. Join the email newsletters and remember to click on links these sites recommend and you will find other like websites. 30 minutes a day and it will change your life and your income.

BB for now

Why Isn't My Newspaper Ad Working?

Most of my Saturday mornings is a carbon copy of the last one. I sit with my cup of coffee and flip through the paper. It usually takes about 15 minutes until I get to the last section that has the crossword puzzle where the rest of my morning is spent.

I am not one to sit and read every page because its not like there is anything of interest. Any real newsworthy stuff, I already know about. Maybe the odd entertainment tidbit and for the most part, I am checking out who is advertising in the paper for possible leads.

This week I noticed a change in an ad for laser eye surgery place. The ad is different and I took notice because I pass the clinic every day. I am also familiar with the clinic because I have placed some advertising with one of the doctors who has a separate office offering a different type of surgery at another location.

Their ad has changed from the usual who we are what we do and how long we have been doing this schlock, to an offer. The offer is, “no payments until 2009 for laser eye surgery”. Pardon the pun but the ad caught my eye. I have been considering the surgery and liked the offer. So I picked up the phone and called. All I heard was voice mail that they were open Monday to Friday, closed on the weekends and please leave a message.

This clinic has been a regular advertiser in the paper for the better part of two years and always had an ad in the paper on Saturdays. I wonder how many missed opportunities for the people who did like I, picked up the phone and instead of speaking to a live person just hung up on the voice mail message.

Does newspaper advertising work? Wrong question. How well is your newspaper advertising rep working for you?

BB for now

Worth Repeating: A Must Read Book For Sales People

Worth Repeating: A Must Read Book For Sales People

A Must Read Book For Sales People

I just finished a book by Steve Marx, "Close Like The Pros". It was one of those easy reads and hard to put down books on selling. Close Like The Pros is about interactive selling that involves the client and builds a respect factor with the client that will have your competition begging to learn. How many times have you met with the client, conducted your needs analysis and then come back with a proposal only to be told that, "you have given us a lot to think about here. Call me next week". This is called the "hand off" presentation and you are almost guaranteed you will not close this deal.

Marx has laid out powerful strategies that involves laying ground rules, partnering, avoiding the ditch, clearing paths, sending up trial balloons, half baked ideas, progress reports and giving the client homework assignments. Close Like The Pros will teach you mini-closes along the way that when you make your presentation it is simply a formality with the client and that the deal was closed long before the presentation, thus Interactive Selling.

What is worth noting is that at the end of each chapter, Steve Marx summarizes what the chapter was about and then asks you to email him what you took away from the chapter. And be prepared to get an email back from Steve acknowledging your thoughts.

Close Like The Pros by Steve Marx will be the best few hours you have invested in your business. Just remember two things: Amateurs built the Ark and Professionals built the Titanic. Come on, never be afraid to try something new!

BB for now

Do You Know What Your Staff Is Doing?

Dear Business Owner,

Are you wondering why your business is hurting? Let me share a quick 6 pack of clues of my experience to buy a car charger for my cell phone.

1. Your staff member grunted at me.
2. Your staff member was to busy to hear me because he was talking to a co-worker and laughing.
3. Your staff member then grunted and pointed to the back wall where the car charger I needed was instead of going over and getting it for me.
4. I had to say "pardon me" twice because I couldn't hear him over the loud music.
   
5. I then got the rolling of the eyes when I asked if I could get my purchase bagged.
   
6. And lastly. Keep the employees that look like a human pin cushion out of sight of customers!
   

Nothing against the choice for one to express themselves with piercings but retail may not be the best choice of employment.

Business owner, all the advertising in the world isn’t going to keep your business afloat and flourish, if you haven’t taught points 1 to 5 to your employees.

BB for now

Don't Read This If Your Momma Taught You Manners

Getting your voice mails and emails not returned is probably at the top of every sales persons hate list. How is it that we all have the same amount of time in the day and some can return messages and others are blatantly rude and don’t bother!

I hear you, people prioritize their messages and if you haven’t given them a compelling reason to call back its 3-3-7 and message erased and on to the next message.

Okay, granted some people need a lesson in leaving voice mail and yes I hate it when a message goes on and on. You are likely to get voice mail 7 out of 10 times, so why not prepare what your message will be before you call. Make it short and sweet and if it’s a first time call do not try to sell something in the message. If you want a great lesson in voice mail visit Colleen Francis at http://www.engageselling.com/articles/041223article_gatekeepers.shtml

But I digress. Back to you who doesn’t return messages. Why can’t you just be polite like your momma taught you? Return the call or remember this; when your own sales people come to you for advice on how to get messages returned what advise will you give them?

BB for now

Take The Test To See How Passionate You Are

According to dictionary.com, “passion” is a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. As you let that description settle in, do you have that passion for your job?

Oilman John Paul Getty said “passion” was more important than business acumen, imagination and ambition. One just has to look to Tiger Woods. Woods makes a bazillion dollars a year just in endorsements. The money he wins on the tour is pocket change. Tiger Woods plays golf because his passion from when he was a little kid was to be the best golfer in the world, ever!

Here are five things to check your passion temperature:

l. Are you continually learning about your profession

2. Do you have the best interest to grow your customer's business and not your commissions.

3. If you were thrust on stage in front of an audience and only had 30 seconds to explain what you do, could you?

4. Your day doesn't start at 8:30 and end at 5.o0

5. You are recognized as an expert in your field.

Author and speaker Harvey Mackay says that a sales person without passion is just an order taker.

BB for now