SALES QUOTE
“This is the true joy of life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can.”
-George Bernard Shaw
George sure had a way with words that salespeople need to hear. What do you do when you lose a sale? Are you complaining endlessly? Sure you’re unhappy. It’s not acceptable to make the world bear your pain. Hopefully your pity party is short-lived because you have a support network of friends who listen and help you move on. If you want to be successful in sales, instead of having a focus on yourself, you must focus instead on your customers. You’re there to serve them. That’s your purpose. Even though Shaw wasn’t in sales, he certainly understood their role in business.
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I’m now writing The Real Deal, a column on women in business for Allbusiness.com Hope you’ll read more ideas so you can achieve your success in business.
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THE SELLING IDEAS FOR THE MONTH
Want to make your travel on the road to business success just a little easier? Marilyn Carlson Nelson is a travel expert. She’s the Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer of Carlson, one of the largest privately held companies in the world. Carlson is a global group of integrated companies providing travel, hotel, restaurant, and marketing services. Carlson Nelson is also a business expert whose insights over an extensive career in both business and civic leadership will make your business journey much more pleasant and successful.
Be Prepared. Successful sales professionals today need to be prepared in organizational management and understand how to motivate others. Why? You’re getting work done through others. Try to sell without the help of operations, accounting and other departments.
Carlson Nelson observed that talented business leaders often came from nonprofits. This provided a robust training ground for her as well. While she was raising her four children she needed a schedule that was flexible. She found that leading community volunteer efforts gave her both flexibility and valuable experience. The experience easily transferred to the business world.
She says, “I learned a lot about motivating and inspiring people since I wasn’t paying them.” Her extensive nonprofit leadership roles enhanced her operational skills as well. Each successful project led to more roles with larger budgets and responsibilities. She was the first woman to lead the Twin Cities chapter of the United Way. She then went on to become the second women in the U.S. to head the United Way of America. In 1998, she was chosen by her father, Curtis L. Carlson, to take the helm at Carlson – a global company with nearly 160,000 people operating under the Carlson brands in 150 countries. You, too can get leadership experience that translates to sales from working as a volunteer.
Make it personal. You may think your focus at work is strictly on business. If you want to make more sales, you have to make it personal, too. Carlson Nelson says, “You get commitment when you engage both the heart and the mind. It’s very hard to generate that emotional connection if you’re not willing to share your emotions.”
To do this, Carlson Nelson uses examples that are personal when she’s trying to engage others. Many of the stories she shares with audiences in her speeches, such as the loss of her daughter in an auto accident, are uncommonly personal for a business leader to discuss. She also wants to hear about what’s happening in employees’ lives. She listens, too.
Carlson Nelson points out in her book, How We Lead Matters: Reflections on a Life of Leadership that emotions are critical to team success. In her book she mentions how a consulting firm found that truly breakthrough teams were successful because the team members cared as much about each other’s success as they did about their own success.
Carlson Nelson says, “We need to be authentic and when we are, it enhances our commitment to each other and our ability to communicate. You don’t care about each other until you know each other.”
Do the people you work with and need for help really know you?
Be a visionary. Seeing the skies at night was never the same for any of us after ancient visionaries “connected the dots” and noticed patterns —constellations instead of individual stars. Carlson Nelson is a modern-day visionary. The company she inherited from her father was of the command and control genre where women were often overlooked for promotions. When she assumed the CEO role, she very methodically went about changing the culture to a meritocracy where men and women were rewarded based on their own contributions. “In a knowledge-based society, it is foolhardy to artificially restrict your talent pool. To be competitive and attract top talent, you need to draw from the largest pool possible.” Her visionary skills transformed the company. Her decision making is insightful for sales success.
Here’s how she did it. She first had a sense of what she wanted the outcome to be. Then she didn’t accept quick answers to problems. She would question possible outcomes and whether the organization could accept all of them so she could make the best decisions. Her visionary skills come from her belief in reading—and not just narrow reading in one’s specialty or interest. She says, “It enhances your ability to connect the dots. If you don’t expose yourself to the other dots, you can’t connect them.” Success takes time, too. Carlson Nelson advocates patience. Here’s what her vision produced over time. During her 10 years as CEO, the company’s percentage of women executives increased to 49% and revenues nearly doubled. Under her leadership, the company has been honored as a great place to work and recognized by Working Women Magazine for its parent-friendly initiatives.
Marilyn Carlson Nelson certainly knows the travel business. She also knows how to make the journey of a successful business career with her business, people and visionary skills. When you master these skills, your journey in sales will be a success, too.
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Action Items
1. Where do you volunteer? Are you truly involved in that organization? Take on some responsibility so you learn a new skill for sales.
2. Do you have friends at work? If you don’t, start listening to them more. People like good listeners. If you are liked, people will be more likely to help you when you need it.
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Programs
What: Secrets of Persuasion
When: June 24 2010
8:30 AM- 11.30 AM
Where: TEXO, 11111Stemmons Freeway, Dallas
For more information: 972-647-0697
What: Master Selling:
Persuasion Strategies, Strategic Questions, Laser Listening, Optional: Strategy/ Territory Management
Build your sales skills foundation to sell more now.
When: Thursday July 29, 2010, August 5, 2010. August 12, 2010, August 19, 2010
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
For more information: 972-985-3749 or 972-985-3758
What: Effective Meetings
Run a meeting where people show up on time and participate to produce results.
When: Friday July 30, 2010
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
For more information: 972-985-3749 or 972-985-3758
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DID YOU KNOW?
A study published in the July/August 2008 issue of the Journal of Business Strategy suggests that mergers and acquisitions destroy leadership continuity in target companies’ top management teams for at least a decade following a deal. The study found that target companies lose 21 percent of their executives each year for at least 10 years following an acquisition – more than double the turnover experienced in non-merged firms.
For Salespeople: People who leave companies open the door for new ones to come on board. New managers come with their own contacts, business experience and supplier loyalty. They have the ability to make changes. Be ready!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Here are some selling tools to help you sell more now. Click on the photo to find out more!
Sales Quotes: A book that has quick ideas for you to be more successful in sales. Real-World Selling: A book with selling skills and strategies that work in the real world of sales. Secrets of Persuasion: Audio CD for the clues to use to speed-read people and close more business.