Professional Development

Not all “fine-tuning” activities are driven by procrastination. Some people have a need for perfection. They’re not ready to take action until everything is perfect…every contingency has been identified…every twist and turn predicted and appropriate actions planned. They put off implementation until everything is perfect. But it never is. So, the planning continues and the “doing” never begins.

Whether you are a small business owner or sales manager, you should take advantage of sales coaching. Once a salesperson understands that sales coaching can help them to make more money and have more fun, it's inevitable that they'll want to introduce their sales manager or sales trainer to the concept, too.

Interpreting a statement as a question, and then attempting to answer it, often puts you in a defensive posture. You may find yourself attempting to justify, defend, or explain a position that may not even be an issue for the prospect. Don’t waste time, effort, and good will trying to “turn around” an objection that may not be an objection at all.

For most prospects, facing challenges (solving their problems or achieving their goals) is only a means to an end—realizing an outcome. It’s the desire for that positive outcome that provides the incentive necessary to face the challenge in the first place. 

We never forget the first time we heard the pitch. “Being in sales is incredible. You can literally make as much money as you want. You control your earning potential.” And they’re right. Sales and business owners have limitless earning potential. For sales, our book of business shows in our paycheck and we sell like we own the business.

You’re sitting at your computer, and you press a key expecting something specific to happen. It doesn’t. The first thing you do is press the key again. Again, what you expect to happen doesn’t. You press the key again and again, but still no result. 

Multitasking. It’s a buzzword. Quickly defined, it means “Doing more than one thing at once.” What’s not in the definition? “Doing more than one thing at once, AND doing all of those things well.” We’ve all been there. Many people depending on you for information, direction, and production. Moving things along a little bit at a time to keep production moving.

Why is it that when we grow in our position, even as the owner or CEO, we seem to take on more responsibility yet we receive less thanks and recognition?

Has this ever happened to you? You had an initial meeting with a prospect. You asked that prospect what seemed to be all the right questions. You had what felt to you like a good conversation, and based on that conversation, you scheduled the next meeting. You sat down at your computer. You prepared a proposal…which bombed.

Is learning the tricks of the trade a quick path to success? No! It’s a quick path to failure. How can that be? Without such knowledge, won’t the competition have the upper hand? Won’t you have a handicap when it comes to maneuvering a prospect into a buying position? No, again. The path to success is not paved with tricks: it’s paved with knowledge and skill.