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Soft Skills Produce Hard, Bottom Line Results!

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Meridith

Yes, it is true; I am a fan, a believer, a devotee of the soft skills. If it were up to me, we would update school curriculums to include the art of speaking, the skill of writing, and the science of how to engage and connect with people. Organizations and companies would have at least one-half of their training budgets devoted to leadership, networking, building relationships and communication. The result, I believe, would be less stress, more engaged students and employees; and, most importantly, hard, tangible and positive results.

Why am I such a fan of the soft skills? Well, there are a number of reasons. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy working and engaging with someone who understands how to hold a two-way conversation? Who doesn’t benefit from reading a well-written article, or from working for organizations where you understand your role and how you can contribute? But, if I had to keep my answer short and simple, I would say I am a fan because I believe the soft skills are the fastest route to profitability.

In fact, in today’s world, I believe the soft skills are the only real competitive advantage in business that we have. You all have heard me say it so many times – this economy is not down; it is changed, it is radically different, and it is never, I mean never, going back to the way that it was. Think about it – globalization, advancements in technology, increased competition. We could all sit around in our underwear for weeks on end and google until our hearts are content; and have everything we want, need and desire delivered right to our front doors – everything. We can order food, products, services. We can meet new people, date, get married, get divorced. We can do almost anything we want without ever talking to or engaging with another individual, without ever having a conversation. That fact, right there, changes everything – everything. It makes what we sell or offer a commodity; but how we sell or offer it, that is our competitive advantage. And how we offer it – that is all about the soft skills.

If you want to succeed in this economy, in the Trust and Value Economy, then you need to invest in getting yourself, your team and your entire organization up-to-date on the soft skills!

So, what are the top “must-have soft skills” for the Trust and Value Economy?

Flexibility – how stretchy are you? How willing are you to bend to accommodate a customer, a co-worker or the market place? Yes, the hard skills tell us exactly the rules, policies and procedures we need to follow to be successful. And while those serve as a good guide, success in this economy is all about your ability to stretch, bend and change.

Communication – the person who can communicate in a way that ensures understanding, buy-in and then ultimately action, is the one who wins in the Trust & Value Economy. The true master of communication in today’s economy is our GPS guide – the woman or man who helps us find the restaurants, gas stations and addresses we are looking for. Why? Because when we screw up, he or she simply recalculates; and tries again and again until success is achieved.

Connection – the ability to emotionally engage with other individuals, build bridges and create cooperative and mutually beneficial relationships. Connection in this economy is everything. It is how we establish trust, and win permission to take the relationship to the next level; whether that means getting a customer to buy a product or service, or an employee to truly engage with our organization. Lack of ability to connect severely decreases your chances to win customers and retain talented employees.

Attitude – this economy is tough enough; no-one and I mean no-one (most of all a consumer with a lot of choices) wants to be around anyone with a negative, defeated, or just plain rude attitude. Consumers who are willing to do business, spend money, are looking for companies and individuals that are a pleasure to be around, fun to engage with, and who leave them feeling good about the experience.

Team Player – The more people who succeed in your organization the better off it will be – for employees and customers alike. Yours needs to be an organization that values, trains and rewards a team player. A team player being someone who is collaborative and who works to put the success of the whole ahead of the individual win.

Yes, you can Win in the Trust & Value Economy, but you have to get in touch with your touchy-feely side. You have to invest in soft skills development, understanding that what you offer in this economy is not nearly as important as how you offer it. And how you offer it has everything to do with how well you and your team are executing on the soft skills.

Posted in sales | Tagged meridith elliott powell, sales tips, trust and value, Winning In The Trust And Value Economy | Leave a comment

Help I Need Sales Now! 5 Strategies to Fix a Dry Pipeline – FAST

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Meridith

Image courtesy: www.revvix.com

First and foremost, let me go on record, and say that I am no advocate of letting your pipeline go dry. Understand that, in my book, sales is a lifestyle, not a task, and touching prospects and clients is something you should do each and every day. So promise me, first, that you will not tell anyone you heard me talking about closing the quick sale and that you will keep this between you and me. Second, promise me that you will go back to my other blogs and books and implement the strategies that make sales fun, easy, and effective and ensure you never get in this situation again. Agreed? Okay!

Now, with that said, I will crawl down off of my high horse, and say, hey, I get it; it happens sometimes. We get busy, we get stuck, and we get so consumed with taking care of existing business, we forget to go out and look for new business until it is too late. Then there you are, it is the end of the month, end of the quarter, or heaven forbid, end of the year, and you are seriously shy of your goal. What do you do? Where do you turn? You need revenue! You have bills to pay, a commission to earn, and those darn kids you have actually expect to be fed and educated. How do you find the quick sale?

You Immediately Implement these Five Strategies

The BIG Ones – Take a look at your existing customer base, and ask yourself how well you know them and how well you understand their needs. Why? Because there is gold in your existing customer base, gold in the sense that there are easy sales, and easy sales that have value for your customer as well as you. Let me ask you, do you know the BIG Ones? Do you know the big questions every salesperson should know about their customers?

How does their business work? What exactly do they do?
What are their biggest challenges?
How has this economy impacted their business?
Where do they see their business in the next five to ten years?
What do they see as their biggest opportunities?

Take the time to make five calls this week, to any of your existing customers, and ask them these questions. Get the conversation going, and you will find enough products and services to fill your pipeline.

Your Alternative Sales Force – Oh, we all have ‘em, those five or six customers that just love us. For some reason they love us, our staff, what we do, and they believe more in our business than we do. Save our mothers, no one thinks we hung the moon more than these customers. So why not turn that support into more than just sheer admiration? Sit these folks down, and ask for their help. They love you, they believe in you, they believe in your product, and believe me, they want to help you. Having them on your side, out there drumming up business for you, will put sales in your pipeline ten times faster than you can. Why? Because in today’s economy our advocates’ sales power is far more impactful than ours. What may take us eight to ten times to close a deal, they can do in two.

The Looking Glass – Okay, hate to tell you this, but if you have been in sales longer than one year, you have left sales on the table. You have done the hard part: You have made the initial call, had the conversation, followed up once or twice, then given up because the prospect didn’t bite. Now, we all know most customers do not buy without at least seven to eight touches, yet we give up at two or three. The good news is, we left sales on the table, and they are on the table just at a time when our pipeline is dry. So now is the time to pull out the looking glass, and analyze the sales calls you have made in the last year. Look closely, and choose 10 or 20 who deserve a follow-up call.

The Big Sweep – Yep, you guessed it, now it is time for the big sweep. A whole week of follow-up calls. Just let those prospects know you are getting back in touch with them, seeing what has changed or is new in their business, and you have a few ideas for how you can help them. In today’s economy, if you do not learn to master follow-up, and consistently practice the BIG SWEEP, you are leaving sales consistently on the table and making sales a much harder process than it has to be.

Change Your Lifestyle – There you made it. Your pipeline is full again, and this crisis has been avoided. Now, do not rest on your laurels, get back in the game, and change your lifestyle. An empty pipeline, combined with a big goose egg where closed sales should be, never feels good. So get that stress out of your life, and set yourself up to Win in the Trust & Value Economy. Follow these guidelines to make sales a lifestyle, not a task, and something you spend time on each and every day.

Now again, I am not in any way advising you to get yourself into this pinch, but I do get it, and have been there myself. These are the strategies, ideas, and tips I use to fill my pipeline, when I need a quick sale. What I love about these strategies is that they may produce quick results, but never ever at the expense of your integrity as a sales person or the increased value to the customer, which are points that, no matter how dry your pipeline, are never okay to put on the back burner!

Posted in business sales, sales strategies | Tagged 42 Rules To Turn Prospects Into Customers, Sales, strategies for sales | Leave a comment

Are You A Wussy or A Leader? Six strategies practiced routinely by today’s innovative leaders

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Meridith

Image courtesy: www.vipenglish.pl

Kind of makes ya wonder doesn’t it? I mean, are you a wussy or are you a leader, and does it even matter? Well, I guess on one level it does not; after all, this is a free country and you can be anything you want to be, even a wussy, right? But on an entirely different level, it does. Why? Because in our society today, we are using the term “leadership” far too loosely and not holding people to the standards of a leader. And our lack of clarity and understanding between a wussy and a leader is holding us back socially and economically, in both the public and private sectors.

So I am on a mission — oh, not to force people to be leaders, but to clearly define the difference between a wussy and a leader, and to make sure that if you step up to the plate and call yourself a leader, you understand what the role entails, what the qualities of an effective leader are, and what it truly means to be one. Why? Because now more than ever, we need true leaders: people who understand the depth of the role and are willing to demand enough of themselves and others to help our government and our society get back on track.

So, since the point of this blog post is to be clear, let’s begin by getting our definitions straight. What, exactly, is a wussy? Well, I am sure it means different things to different people, but according to the Urban Dictionary, the definition of a wussy is “a person with no guts. A person who whines all day and sits around and cries like a little baby for years over nothing. Will blow anything out of proportion and create drama to forget about their sad miserable lives.” Okay, maybe a bit extreme, but I like it and I think it hits the nail on the head.

Now, what, exactly, is a leader? Well, again, according to the Urban Dictionary, a leader is “someone who takes charge, and inspires and motivates himself and others to achieve tasks and goals that they might not otherwise be capable of reaching; one of the hardest kinds of people to find today.” Pretty tall order, but again, I like it, and think it hits the nail on the head.

So how do you know if you qualify, personally, as a wussy or a leader? And why does it even matter? Well, I could write a whole series of blog posts, or an entire book, on why now, in this economy, the Trust & Value economy, being an effective leader and not being a wussy matters. But the bottom line is, if you want to succeed, if you want to transform, if you want to make a real difference in the lives of your customers, your team members and your business, you have to step up to the plate, leave behind your wussy tendencies, and transform yourself to the level of today’s innovative leader.

Whether you need to transform yourself, or you need a litmus test to help others on your team or within your organization make the transition, these six strategies for innovation and growth can be your guide. Let’s take a look:

6 strategies practiced by today’s innovative leaders

Push Into The Pain – If you seek to avoid pain and failure, then count yourself as a wussy. If you are among the few who push through the pain and embrace the failure, then you can count yourself as a leader. Why? Because there is good stuff in the pain, and strong opportunity in the failure, and any good leader knows it. Leaders embrace the hard road and seek it out as a way to both grow and gain compassion.

Take A Risk – Yep, get out there on the edge, take a risk, and put it all on the line, if you want to be an innovative leader. A wussy likes to play it safe. Anyone leading in today’s shifting and challenging economic times is going to have to try something different, try something new, and be willing to push out of their comfort zone. All of that requires you to take a risk.

Own It – Ever spend time with anyone who always blames someone else? Well then, understand you have spent time with a wussy. What is the difference between a leader and wussy? A leader owns it and takes responsibility, yes, even when they are not directly involved or responsible. Today’s innovative leaders know that in order to be effective, in order to be respected, you need to both understand and practice that the buck stops with you – the buck stops with leadership.

Shower Rewards – While today’s innovative leaders take responsibility when things go wrong, they are the first to give credit to others when they go right. Know anyone who takes all the glory for themselves? Then you know a wussy. A leader is the first to credit his team, his customers, his peers, and anyone he can other than himself for the success and achievements of his organization.

Color Outside the Lines – One of the major differences between a wussy and a leader is their ability to be flexible, bend a rule, and challenge the status quo. It is easy to hide behind the rules and the policies and never have to logically think about whether something makes sense or not — so easy, in fact, that only a wussy would do it. Innovative leaders realize that in order to succeed, you have to color outside the lines. Rules are there to guide you, not dictate your every move. An innovative leader knows that, on occasion, rules are meant to be broken.

Be Comfy Naked – If I had to sum this up into one major difference between a wussy and a leader, it would have to be their level of self-awareness, their ability to be comfy naked. Who do they look to when things go wrong? Whose actions do they think about when things get heated? And who do they hold most responsible for personal growth and development? Leaders turn inward, become introspective first, always pointing the finger directly at themselves, before pointing it at others. A wussy, well you guessed it, they run around with their finger pointed too often outward, at others, so often that they have almost lost their ability to bend it.

So there you have it. How did you do? Are you a wussy or a leader? I am guessing if you had the courage and interest to read this article, you are definitely the latter, and for those of us who are begging to find good, strong, and innovative leaders, thank you!

Posted in change, leadership, motivation | Tagged business growth, leadership and training, trust and value | Leave a comment

The DEATH of the Cold Call!

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Meridith

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.com – Photographer Dita Actor

I was sitting having coffee with a colleague as he was sharing how his cold calling sales efforts just were not working. He happens to be one of those rare human beings who do not mind making cold calls; he came up through the business doing them. In fact, jobs he held in the past required him to make cold calls — upwards of 50 or 60 calls a day. Yuck– gives me chills just thinking about it.

Having changed careers, he admitted it has been years since he has cold called, and he was shocked at the low response he was getting. I personally have never been a fan of the sales cold call; I am glad the change in our economy has led to a change in people’s willingness to accept a call (an interruption) from someone they have never met, seen or known. In today’s economy, cold calls (in the humble opinion of this business development expert) do not work. I believe they are one of the most inefficient ways to sell and build your business.

There are a number of reasons why cold calls do not work, but the most important is that this economy has literally shifted. Economists say that we have moved out of a push economy and into a pull economy. The most significant change that happens when you move into a pull economy is that the consumer moves to the position of control; they are driving the sales process. Meaning that what we sell, or what we offer consumers, has become a commodity, but how we offer it is now our competitive advantage. Our products don’t differentiate us; the client’s experience with us is our differentiating factor. It is not about product, it is about the relationships we create; that’s the reason I have come to call this a Trust & Value Economy.

With that one shift in the economy, with the consumer moving to the position of control, everything has changed. We have to understand (because consumers certainly do) they don’t have to do anything they don’t want to do. Including taking a call from someone they do not know, who is selling something they do not even know if they want. The shift in this economy has led to the death of the cold call, or at the very least, made it the most incredibly inefficient way to sell.

Again, while on some level that makes me happy, as someone who hates cold calling, it still leaves the challenge of getting in the door and getting in front of prospects. If the traditional cold call is no longer working, what takes its place? What is the new cold call?

Are you ready? Drum roll please…. The new cold call is a combination of branding and networking– a balance of the two, really. A simple description of the sales process in the Trust & Value Economy is: establish your brand, network to connect, sell to build trust, and follow up to add value. Let’s take a closer look:

The steps:

Branding – Most definitions say that branding is your promise to the customer. I agree, and that translates to what the customer thinks of when they think of you. So to define your brand, you need to define what you want to be known for, how you want to be described, and the reasons prospects think of you. Define what that is, then communicate it to your customers, prospects, and the world.

Networking – The purpose of networking is to connect and to learn in a way that helps you find the prospects you want to call on, the ones you want to have a sales conversation with. First, you have to be networking where your target market is; then you need to attend each and every networking event with one goal: to learn about others. Take the approach that it is better to give than to receive. Invest the time in learning and listening to others, and they will not only open the door when you call, they will welcome an opportunity to work with you.

A combination of branding and networking creates your WOW Factor, and in today’s market you need a WOW factor. Your prospects and potential referral opportunities need to have heard of you, before they will ever consider doing business with you.

Sales Calling – With a strong foundation of branding and networking, the sales call becomes a natural. Prospects understand your brand promise, who you are and what you stand for, and they “buy in.” In addition, you have connected via networking and have had the preliminary conversations to determine if there is need there, and you have emotionally connected by listening and learning. So naturally, your prospect trusts that talking with you is in their best interest. For these reasons, this type of sales call has been termed “the warm call.” In essence, you have moved to the front of the line among your competitors; you have differentiated yourself. Both of you are ready to talk sales, to get specific about how you can implement your products or services to meet the needs of this prospect.

Following up – with the relationship started, and one sale underway, the next natural step is to add “real” value. That happens in the follow-up. Once you make the first sale, the sales process has just started; it has just begun. Your customer believes in you (brand), has connected with you (networking), trusts you (sales), and now they are ready and willing to go further with this relationship. You follow up to add value, to offer other products or services to further help them achieve their dreams and goals.

The sales call and the follow-up are what give you the information you need to acquire a customer for life. Done well, the sales call and the follow-up turn your prospects into customers and your customers into advocates.

Yes, in today’s Trust & Value Economy, cold calling is dead. In its place is a new way of doing business — one that is better for the sales professional, and most important, better for the prospect. Gotta love this new economy! If you are passionate about what you do and passionate about whom you serve, then go out there and get it!

Posted in branding, networking basics, sales strategies | Tagged closing sales, cold calling, meridith elliott powell, Sales Strategy, sales tips, techniques for sales, trust and value | Leave a comment

The Power of a Sales Tool!

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Meridith

What is it about sales tools? Is it the way we introduce them, the way we conduct training for them, or the way we present them to sales professionals when they are first rolled out? I am not sure exactly what the issue is, but it doesn’t matter how good or how effective the tool is, if we as sales professionals don’t see the value in it, we don’t use it and the tool just never gets implemented.

Years ago, when I was a business banker, my job was simply to get out and bring in new business and care for and develop relationships with my existing customers. I loved my job, and I loved my customers. Lucky for me, I had inherited a strong portfolio of existing customers, and our company was well-positioned in the highly competitive market area. For me, meeting my goals and getting my numbers was never an issue.

So, naturally, when my boss approached me about going to sales training, I balked at the idea. Why would someone like me, someone who is hitting her numbers and exceeding expectations, need to go to sales training? Well, he explained that the company had hired a consultant to train us on the bank’s newest initiative, their Key Priorities Tool (KPT), their version of the customer profile. He was pretty excited about the tool and suggested that his entire team attend the training and implement the tool. Now, I was smart enough to figure out that “suggest” did not really mean “suggest” at all; it was his way of saying, “I am giving you a choice to attend before I force you to go.” So, I signed up, and for three hours, I sat through some of the most boring training I have ever attended in my life. I walked out of there with a “suggested” goal to use the KPT tool three times per week.

Well, I figured I had done what my boss “suggested” I do: I had attended the training. As long as I was meeting my goals, who would know or care whether I used this tool or not? For me, the training I attended just reinforced what I did not like about sales tools. This thing, this KPT, was trained in a way that made it so formal, so time-consuming, and so invasive for our customers that there was no way I was going to use it. Besides, I didn’t need to use it, because I lived and breathed my customers; no one took better care of their customers than I did – so I thought.

Finally, one Wednesday afternoon my boss showed up in my office and “suggested” I start using the profile at least one time per week and turn in a copy of the profile to him by Friday each week. Again, I am not that thick-headed, so I knew I had to start using it, if only for one customer.

Now, I have to admit, I am a little embarrassed to share this next part. As I was feeling that I was forced to use a tool that I did not want to use or think had any value, I went to one of my favorite clients and asked if he would mind if I used this “stupid tool” (direct quote) that my boss was making me use. As I walked the client through the tool, it felt awkward and uncomfortable, and at first redundant; I knew all of this stuff. Then I got to the section about my client’s long-term goals, his trust and his will. See I knew Sam (name change – privacy laws, you know) was the sole owner of five businesses, and that his wife worked alongside of him, but I did not realize until then that she did not share full legal ownership. I also knew Sam had two daughters, and that his oldest daughter was recently divorced and had two small children, and that she had moved back home. I did not realize she was financially dependent on her parents, and would be for some time, as she was back in school. As we started to explore this part of Sam’s life, I discovered that while he had goals and financial concerns, they were just thoughts in his head — he had nothing down on paper. He had never discussed or explored a way to legally protect his family if he had an accident or passed away. In addition, there was no will, no protection in place in case anything happened to the businesses or the income or him. He was the sole income earner and provider for his family; his biggest goal in life was to ensure they were well taken care of and safe. As his banker, it became clear to me that since no provisions were made at this time and we had never discussed it, I had clearly let him down.

I could go on and on about what I discovered through this tool, but the reality was, as Sam’s banker, I had done a poor job of truly having a relationship with him. I may have known his favorite lunch spot in town or his kid’s birthdays, but I did not know what his challenges were, what his goals were, what obstacles were in the way of achieving those goals, and most importantly, what his dreams were. Without that information, I wasn’t able to truly partner with him to achieve his goals, partner with him to ensure he was protected, and partner with him to give him peace of mind that his financial worries were taken care of.

As you can imagine, I left that meeting a little frustrated and irritated with myself. First, for not knowing my client, second, for refusing to even explore a tool that could help me, and third, for leaving there understanding the good the tool accomplished, yet still not wanting to use it! See, even though I was convinced after this experience that these profiling tools were important, I still did not enjoy or desire to use them. The result was incredible, but the experience still felt pushy, aggressive and invasive, and left me feeling that I was bothering the client.

Not one to let things go, I went back to my boss and asked for help. I told him the whole story, including how badly I had positioned the tool to my client, and that I was convinced the tool was good, but I knew me and I knew I would never use it until it felt comfortable and natural to use. To his credit, he listened, he understood, and was open to helping me solve the problem. He suggested I pull together a team of our best and brightest, calling officers to work on the problem of redesigning or positioning the profile to make it easier and more effective to use.

Turned out to be a great idea (guess that is why he is the boss) because in a short thirty-minute session, a team of eight of us set about taking each section of the profile, and while we did not change the form, we came up with ways of presenting each section that created what we eventually called a “profiling conversation;” an easy, consistent and very comfortable way to introduce each section, discuss each section and then determine which sections were the highest priorities for our customers.

Yes, it turns out there is a lot of power in sales tools, and I learned the hard way that by not being open to at least exploring what they have to offer, I may just be under-serving my clients and missing out on a great opportunity to create stronger relationships. In addition, I learned that it was not the responsibility of marketing or training to make me the banker I wanted and needed to be. If and when they offered me tools, I needed to step up to the plate and learn to integrate them into my natural sales style. Yes, the power of sales tools will set you up to win in the trust and value economy!

Posted in business sales, business selling, change, improving sales results, increase sales, personal responsibility, sales and service | Tagged sales style, sales tools | Leave a comment

Consistency + Accountability = Success

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Meridith

Just last week, one of my favorite clients received a major honor: She learned she is among just five associates in her Fortune 500 Company selected to present at the organization’s national sales conference. The event, which will be held in California this March, is attended by more than 3200 sales professionals and their leaders from across the entire company. For any associate, this would be considered an incredible honor, but for my client it is a dream come true. Not so much the opportunity to present, but the mere fact that she would be considered among the best of the best in her company.

Hard as it is to believe, just two years ago, my client ranked among the ten lowest-performing sales people in her company, and dead last in her region. She dreaded going to work, she had been put on probation, and she was less than one step away from receiving disciplinary action from Human Resources. At a loss for what to do, and scared of losing her job, she found a hidden benefit in her organization’s employee handbook and took a major step toward turning things around. (See, it pays to actually read those things all the way through.) Tucked deep into the Employee Benefits section was a small paragraph that said that any employee who had been put on probation was entitled to three months of coaching by a professional performance coach. The coach could be internal to the organization or external, as long as the coach was professionally certified and had received education from a nationally recognized coaching school. Pretty nice company perk, even if you are on probation.

Within the month, my client and I were working together. She shared with me that she was stumped; she did not understand why she could not make a go of it. In her mind, she made her calls, did what they asked her to do, but for some reason she could not make the numbers. Taking her at face value, we began with a personal audit, just a temperature check to gauge what she was actually doing day-in and day-out, and where and how she was spending her time. It was no surprise to find that her words and her daily actions did not line up with her goals. Now in fairness to my client, I have to disclose that I find this a lot in the people with whom I work and definitely with most professionals. Our intentions — what we want to accomplish and where we want to focus — typically take a back seat to what “happens” to us when we come in to work each day. Running our day from a place of reactivity instead of proactivity results in a less than desirable outcome.

The bottom line is that she was making calls, following up, and asking for business – sort of. What we found was that her actions were less than focused, less than consistent, and she was less than accountable. Her chief complaint was that she had too much to do, and the company expected too much of her. She wanted me to understand that she was consistently asked to serve on task forces, attend community events, fill out reports and then “they” still expected her to excel at her job. Well the nerve of her leadership, I said (yes that was a very sarcastic remark). While I listened and questioned, ultimately I pushed back. I asked her if it was that she had too much to do, or that she was not aligned, intentional and accountable for her own choices and actions.

Yeah, like any good coach, I understand my job is to help my clients excel, not necessarily to make them like me. After she swallowed that dose of reality I so boldly forced her to swallow, we set about reorganizing her schedule and designing the plan that would take her from bottom of the list to top of the pack. The strategy that would move her from someone the company wanted to fire to someone the company is considering for leadership, and sales leadership at that. More importantly, helping her reach the position where she would no longer fear losing her job, but would become the employee that companies strive to keep.

This is the point in the story where I reveal the secret solution, the magic pill, the sexy idea that makes for a good book, a must-read bestseller, or a made-for-TV movie on the Business Channel. Oh wait; there isn’t one. Nope, no wizard-like formula to transform you into the ultimate sales professional. Truly, this is not rocket science. In fact, there is nothing that I am about to share with you that on some level you don’t already know, and that you have not already heard. So, while it may not be the sexiest thing you have read in a while, it will be the most effective. In all the years I have been doing this (both for my clients and for myself), I have found that sales success boils down to focus, consistency and accountability. Let’s take a look:

Focus
Whom are you calling on and why? Who is your target market, and are your daily and weekly calls made to that target market? Are you calling on your ideal prospect, your ideal client? Ask yourself if you are working in your sweet spot. Are you spending time with those prospects and customers who truly need your services? In addition, are you continually refining that list, as you learn more about who you are calling on? Are you “requalifying” them as potential leads and customers? News Flash! Not everyone wants to do business with you, and you do not want to do business with everyone. The better you are able to focus and truly qualify your leads, the more business you will close, the more customers you will help, and the more successful you will be.

Consistency
Yes, what you do each and every day matters. Where you spend your time and energy has a direct connection to how successful you are. Do you have a lot to do? Do you have huge demands on your time? Of course you do: kids, aging parents, volunteer activities, work, and the list goes on. All the more reason you must be consistent with your actions and set priorities. See, when it comes to sales calls, we don’t have to devote days and weeks to making calls; we just have to ensure that each and every day, we make a sales call. Success at sales is about consistency. Just like an exercise routine, it is not about killing yourself; it is about increasing your daily activity. You need a plan. How many sales calls will you make each week? How many networking events will you attend? How many follow-up sales calls will you make? For my client, it was three networking events a month, five sales calls a week, three new prospects, and two follow-ups. That worked out to about an hour a day. That is all it took to take her from last on the list to top of the company in terms of performance. Now, that may not seem like a lot, but the consistency of the action, combined with the small amount of effort each and every day gave her plenty of time to plan her calls, the energy to be engaged, and the time to make notes and plan her next steps at the end of each call. (This last part is critical for quality calls and quality follow-up.)

Accountability
Oh, my favorite — now I will have to admit that I do think this word is sexy! Why? Because such amazing and wonderful things happen when you hold yourself accountable. Please note: I said hold yourself accountable. Okay, I hear you. Yes, accountability is the responsibility of your boss and your leadership. My client had a great point, that her supervisor never worked with her, never held her accountable, and certainly never gave her ideas on how to improve her performance. So, after the second that I allowed her to feel sorry for herself and be a victim, I reminded her that while that may be true, at the end of the day, her supervisor still had a job and she was on probation and about to get fired. I reminded her that the time she spends coaching with me is her time, so I wanted to be clear that we can continue to whine about what we cannot control, or we can fix the problem. The choice was hers. (Back to the part where it is not my job to make my clients like me.)

See, accountability, in my point of view, should never be anyone else’s responsibility but yours. You don’t ever want to delegate it. If your leadership or your peer will hold you accountable, fantastic. That is wonderful extra support, but don’t ever give away one of the most precious tools you have in your arsenal. Accountability is where and how you learn, and it is key to improving your performance. Each and every week you should review your actions, and on a monthly basis you should review your results. This takes no more than 30 minutes each week and consists of questions like:

How many calls did I make?
How many networking events did I attend?
What worked?
What did not?
What did I learn that I want to continue? What did I learn that needs to go?
And monthly, how close am I to my goal? What got me there? What is in my way? What needs to change?

If you put yourself through this easy and simple process, then you will put yourself on the road to consistently improved performance. In addition, you will have fantastic data to share with your leadership, when they do hold you accountable, on what you know is working and where you are stuck and need their help.

Yes, the road to sales success may seem a little flat at times, but believe me, week after week and month after month, you will find it one of the most rewarding. A simple plan that consists of focus, consistency and accountability will take any sales professional — whether you are truly struggling or at the top of your game — to an entirely new level!

Posted in Coaching, focus, success | Tagged accountability, coaching, consistency, focus, Sales, success | Leave a comment

How Much is “No” Costing You?

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Meridith

Yesterday, my husband and I learned that our friends and neighbors, Tim and Sally, had received some tragic news: During a routine exam, a tumor was discovered, and Sally was in need of emergency surgery. Like so many of us, when we heard that our friends and loved ones were going through difficult times, we wanted to help. We immediately volunteered to bring over some dinners and provide transportation, as they were overwhelmed with their children and other relatives flying home to be with them at this time.

As this all happened so fast, our first food delivery was scheduled for the very next night. With no time to cook or prepare a meal, both my husband and I decided to make some calls to find out where we could order some great, healthy food to pick up and deliver the very next afternoon. The first place I called was a little breakfast and lunch spot I knew had terrific food. While they were not open for dinner, they did prepare daily dinner take-outs, dinner casseroles, and catering. In speaking with me, they suggested I do catered dinners, since I needed to feed about ten people. Happy with the suggestion and thrilled with the menu, I placed the order.

Later that evening, we called to see how our neighbors were doing. Relieved that their spirits were high and their children were with them, we shared that we would see them the next night with dinner and some snacks. As the call was ending, Tim thanked us and told us not to bring too much, as their appetites were low and people had been bringing food ever since they had heard the news.

The next morning, we called to explain the situation to the caterer and reduce our order from ten to six. The nice and friendly woman who answered the phone listened and said she understood, but that unfortunately, they “require” a minimum of ten for catering and could not fill our order. Disappointed and a little confused as to why a business would turn down a paying customer without even suggesting alternatives (suggesting I go with a dinner casserole or get six of their daily dinner take-outs), I thanked her for the time and started to make some other calls.

My next call was to a healthy grocery store in town. You know, the kind of place that sells all kinds of healthy and organic products, and always has this amazing deli section where you can buy wonderfully prepared salads, vegetables, potato and rice dishes, as well as pre-cooked fish and meats. The type of place you run into and grab enough great food to put on an amazing dinner party at the last minute. (Yes, I have been known to do that on more than one occasion.)

Again, a very friendly woman on the phone shared that she would love to help me, but that they “require” twenty-four hours’ notice. One more time, I thanked her and hung up the phone a little confused. You need twenty-four hours to put six pieces of chicken in a to-go box and some rice and vegetables into a container? Remember, this is food they already have laid out in a display case — food that if I came in and ordered at the counter, they would quickly put together with no problem.

Finally, I called a local restaurant that we frequent on occasion; a restaurant that rarely does to-go orders, and a restaurant that does not cater. I explained our situation and said that I needed some help. The friendly woman who answered the phone said they would be happy to help. She was sure they could put some things together and have it all ready for me by five that afternoon. In addition, she asked if it would be all right if they put it in a basket rather than a box, as it would present so much better to our friends. I thanked her and immediately called my husband to let him know I finally had the situation handled and to tell him the story.

The very next day, my husband decided to take his entire staff to lunch, and where do you think he went? Of course, to our “helpful” restaurant; the restaurant that, despite not serving dinner and not being a caterer, stepped in and went above and beyond.

So, you have to ask yourself: how much is “NO” costing you? How much business are you losing because your employees do not understand how valuable each customer is and how important it is to find a way to say “yes” — a way to help your customers? I feel sure that if in either of those first two situations I had been talking with the owner, they would have found a way to help me. They would not have wanted to lose the business.

Here are four critical areas in which you are losing (this is what “NO” is costing you):

The Sale: Anyone who runs a business knows that every sales opportunity is a gift. Customers have so many options, and we have so much competition, we need to count ourselves lucky every single time a customer comes through our door. How they are treated, what their experience is, and how easy we are to do business with affects our bottom line directly. If we do not pass the test, we not only lose this sale, we will most likely lose future sales. With both of those businesses that I tried to give my business to, the word “no” cost them sales and revenue. Sales and revenue that were very easy to make: I called them, I was ready to buy, and as I needed a quality product quickly, price was not an issue.
The Additional Business: When a customer comes to us to buy one thing, there is often opportunity to share with them ideas for other products and services we offer that will enhance their buying experience. Sometimes the mere experience of actually coming to our place of business inspires them to make additional purchases. I know my husband; had he gone to either establishment to pick up a to-go order, he would not have made it past the cookie and bakery aisles without making multiple purchases. As it was, he not only took his entire staff to lunch at the place that helped us, he bought two extra tubs of homemade hummus — my favorite — to bring home to me!
The Repeat Business: If the experience is not good, if you are not easy to do business with, then you can rest assured your customer will not be back for a second round. Even if you do make the initial sale, if you are not accommodating, if you are not helpful, they will not return. The first two places’ “required rules” were so ridiculous that we may go back to make small purchases, but we will scratch them off the list for anything we need that requires special attention. Note that those “special attention” purchases are the ones with the high margins. Both my husband and I decided that the last place we called made this entire experience so enjoyable and so hassle-free that going forward, we are going to use them. We love the food at the first restaurant we tried, but their “rules” made it clear we were not valued as customers, and the organic grocery just had us laughing. It was simply ridiculous that they could not put six pieces of chicken in a box if I asked over the phone, but they could do it if I came in person and requested it. This told us they had no idea what they were doing or how to run a business.
The Referral: And lastly, “no” is costing you the referral. I think that is all I really need to say about that one. I mean, given our experience, which business do you think we are going to suggest our friends and family frequent and spend their hard earned money with? Yes, certainly the business who helped and supported us. In addition, you can believe that we will find ample opportunity to share the bad experiences we had with the other two businesses, ensuring that our friends and family do not make the same mistake we did.

So think about it: what is “no” costing you? Do your employees understand how precious every single customer and every single sale is? Do you have rules and regulations in your organization that may be outdated or so strict that your team is actually turning away business? Take some time to talk with and train your team about the value of the customer. The minimal investment it takes will pay off big time when you discover just how much the word “YES” can add to your bottom line! And our friends? They are home, resting comfortably, and we plan to call “our restaurant” back next week to take over another dinner!

Posted in add customer value, building relationships with clients, business communication, easy to do busienss with | Tagged easy to do business with, meridith elliott powell, referrals, repeat business, the sale | Leave a comment

Winning in the Trust & Value Economy by Putting Skin in the Game

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Meridith

Photo courtesy of Flickr.com – Photographer Salim Virji

You’ve heard the expression, “You’ve gotta have skin in the game,” right? Sure you have, and you know it means that in order to make something worth doing, you need to have a piece or part of the activity. Doing so ensures that you share in the success and/or failure of the outcome. When you put some of yourself into it, and you take a risk, you reap the rewards of not only the outcome, but of the effort and the accomplishment. When you have skin in the game, you just get so much more out of it. It’s a great expression and one that is often credited to Warren Buffet (although he denies that he coined it).

I was reminded of this phrase recently, when I was in California. I was working out there for a little over a week, first speaking in San Diego then made my way to see a client in San Francisco. Since both events were within a week of each other and both in California, I decided to take the opportunity to explore the state; a gorgeous state well worth spending time in. By the time I hit San Francisco, I was officially a tourist, having checked off all the tourist activities one can do in every city along the coast. So naturally, in San Francisco I had to do the ultimate tourist activity; I strapped my hiking boots on and walked across the Golden Gate Bridge!

It is an amazing bridge with an amazing story. It was built in the early 1930s right after the stock market crash devastated the country. Despite desperate times and a national economy in crisis, the people of this city decided to go forward, take a chance and build the bridge. A construction project that cost more than $35 million to build (remember, that is $35 million in 1930) and one that many thought could not be built.

While that alone is impressive, the most remarkable part of the story is that in order to secure the needed funds for construction, the residents of this area put up their own homes, farms and businesses — actually pledged their personal wealth and signed the papers — to secure the loan for the bridge. Talk about having skin in the game! And talk about taking a chance! The people of San Francisco pulled together, took a risk and together they changed the future of their community and the state of California. There is a little brochure you get when you visit the tourist center at the start of the walk that calls the Golden Gate Bridge the ultimate triumph of optimism and courage over self-protection and risk adversity.

Now reading that, and then walking across this amazing bridge, I could feel the pride well up in me — and the respect for the people of San Francisco. Think about the courage and hope it took for that community (and note here, I said community) to come together and invest in their future with no guarantees. Then to see the level of success and growth their efforts created — it just made walking across that bridge all the more exciting.

Why? Because the people of San Francisco put skin in the game. They took a chance and it paid off. Obviously, they knew they needed to do something in order for their community to grow and their lives (and those of their children) to improve, so they stepped up to the plate and took action. They did not wait for the government or some organization to do it; no, they put their own skin in the game. With that, they changed the course of their lives and those of future generations.

Unfortunately, today we have lost so much of that in our communities, our schools and our governments. We wait and expect others to do it. Understandably, we don’t like to lose, but, unfortunately, not wanting to lose is taking away our desire to take a chance and take responsibility for our lives and our futures. In today’s environment, where everyone gets a trophy and everyone makes the team, we may arguably be happier in the short term, but believe me, it is costing us a very big price in the long term.

You see, putting skin in the game is about so much more than the outcome or the goal. It is about what you gain from just taking a chance, from taking responsibility, and from turning first to yourself for solutions rather than expecting others to do it for you. You gain confidence, pride, persistence, and personal power to control and chart your own course. In today’s economy, in the Trust & Value economy, those skills are priceless.

The people of San Francisco, by putting skin in the game, gained so much more than a bridge. They gained an amazing sense of accomplishment, personal confidence, and the sense of community and connection that comes from working together, taking a chance and creating something incredible.

If you find yourself in San Francisco, take some time to walk across the bridge. If nothing else, take a lesson from the courageous people who built that bridge: having skin in the game is how you win in the Trust & Value Economy.

Posted in personal responsiblity, Uncategorized, winning in any economy | Tagged golden gate bridge, meridith elliott powell, san francisco, win in the trust and value economy | Leave a comment

Set It, Focus on It, Make It Happen: The Power and ROI of Goals!

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Meridith

Do you set goals? I have to admit, early in my career there was nothing — I mean nothing — I hated more than goals. I dreaded that time of year when corporate would send down, from on high, their expectations of what they wanted and expected us to do. The goals were always high, always confusing, and always late. Meaning that by the time they decided what our goals would be, we were already behind when we received them.

Unfortunately, that is how many of us look at goals: Something to be dreaded or even feared rather than embraced. Honestly, goals are powerful, helpful, and most importantly, they yield a high rate of return on investment. Why? Goals give you purpose, focus, a plan, and an understanding of exactly what you need to accomplish and by when.

At the risk of sounding too “out there,” I say that goals also help you manifest your destiny. The mere task of setting goals, looking at them each day, and getting yourself focused on achieving them somehow creates an energy or a force that gives you the resources and information you need to make things happen.

This year, I set a revenue goal and a behavior goal in early December, both of which, as I was writing them down, gave me a little concern as to my ability to achieve them. I was especially concerned about achieving the revenue goal during the slower months of January and February. However, I went for it. I set both goals and set about planning to just go for it. Now I sit here in mid-February on track and actually above my revenue goal for the first quarter. I can’t believe it, but I do believe that setting goals has helped me prioritize what I want and need to do to create the type of business and life I want.

So I thought about that. Why am I doing so well with goals now, when I so dreaded them when I worked for someone else? I mean what has changed? Why do I insist that my clients set goals and focus on them, when I barely paid any attention to them at all when I was a leader in corporate America? What is the difference? The difference is that goals are powerful, goals are helpful and goals create a high rate of return on investment — if they are your goals. In order for goals to work on all levels, they need to be your goals, not your company’s, not your spouse’s, not society’s, but your goals.

See, when you set your own goals, you have ownership, you buy into them, and you create a vision of what you want. Doing so allows the power of your goals to be unleashed. Goals give you focus, energy to achieve, and internal drive — that is, when they are your goals. So if someone else is setting a goal for you, a goal you do not understand, you are not sure you can accomplish, or you don’t aspire to, that goal will become a hindrance, not a support. It will actually de-motivate you rather than inspire you. One of my favorite sayings is, “People support what they help create,” and nothing could be truer when it comes to goals and goal setting.

And of course, this leads to my favorite topic: personal responsibility. Whether you are working for yourself, you have a manager, or you work in a corporate environment, goal setting is not something that should be done to you, it is something you should do for yourself. Sure, you may still need to work on the goals that others lay out for you, but it does not mean you cannot create, develop, and hold yourself accountable to your own goals. It is your life and your career. What are you waiting for? Take the time to sit down and think about what you really want, where you want to be, and what you need to focus on to make that happen. Yes, goal setting really is that easy and that simple.

Then, each and every day, take your goals out and look at them. Read them aloud and think about what steps you want and need to take to make them happen. Then sit back and watch as you implement the behaviors and actions you need to move your business, your career and your life to the next level.

Posted in Goals | Leave a comment

Leadership Lessons to Learn to Win in The Trust & Value Economy: 3 critical leadership lessons missing in Washington

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Meridith

Let me first make a disclaimer: This blog is non-partisan. I am a registered Independent who can make a clear and logical argument as to why neither party is doing what needs to be done to get the economy moving, get our spending under control, and show true leadership in challenging times. In fact, I am hard-pressed to make an argument for either party as to what real direction, support or help Washington is providing to any of its constituents (customers) in building real trust and adding value.

The one thing I do know, however, is that there is a lot to be learned these days about leadership (or the lack of) from Washington. Unfortunately, they are showing us more about what not to do in terms of leadership, than providing role models of true leadership. Nevertheless, a lesson is a lesson, and our politicians are sharing some great ones right now.

Let’s begin with Obama’s inaugural address. I had dinner with some friends the night of Obama’s swearing-in ceremony and his now infamous second term inauguration speech; the speech that lays the groundwork for his second term. Both of my friends are big Obama supporters and were thrilled with the speech he gave. I listened as they shared how much they loved his approach, his design of a long term plan, his willingness to take on tough issues, and his commitment to make his second term stand for progress and forward movement. I patiently stayed focused and attentive as they shared their excitement and admiration until finally one of them asked my opinion.

Now I will be honest, part of me did not want to rock the boat or cause any problems, and I thought about just agreeing with everything they said to just keep this a pleasant evening. But the leadership and logical part of me just could not do that. Ultimately I had to share my difference of opinion. Because what I really saw and heard in the inaugural address was a great set of ideas that I believe will not get off the ground, due to a lack of our first leadership lesson.

Leadership Lesson Number 1: Relationships First!

Honestly, in my opinion it is irrelevant how good, strong or powerful Obama’s speech was, if that is all it is; a speech, a mere plan or idea on how to improve things in our country. From what I have seen and witnessed in Obama (and most of our politicians),that is all it is: a speech. You see, Barack Obama consistently violates an important rule of leadership: the importance of relationships first. Any good leader knows that if you want to accomplish anything, like get your organization moving forward, then you need to first build consensus and focus on bringing people together. Strong leaders understand that the relationships you create are far more important than the plan you present.

It does not matter how good or intelligent your plan is, if you have not built bridges, created friendships and reached out to those individuals you need to support and carry out the plan. If you have not done this, then your plan is nothing more than ideas on a piece of paper.

If you want to succeed in this economy, then as a leader you have to know that the relationships you have are always more powerful than any plan you can develop.

Relationships are key to so many aspects of being a strong leader, including…

Leadership Lesson Number 2: Execution

Do you realize that it has been four long years since our politicians have been able to pass, agree to or deliver on a budget? Four years! Imagine if your company or business ran for four years with no ideas or thoughts in place as to where, when and how it was going to spend money. Would you would still be here?

Congress’s inability to implement Leadership Lesson Number 2, Execution, has had devastating consequences. It has caused economic uncertainty, high unemployment, and the largest increase of our national debt in history. Our leaders’ lack of ability to execute is costly in so many ways. Any successful leader knows that if you cannot execute, your customers will leave you, your top talent will move on, and your cost of operations will greatly increase. All of which is currently happening, due to our politicians’ inability to execute. Today’s consumer is gun shy, and we are reporting the lowest levels of consumer confidence in years. High numbers of talented and skilled workers cannot find jobs or are underemployed, and our largest investors and wealthiest Americans are either holding on to their money or leaving the U.S.A. to invest in more promising markets.

Yes, execution is key in your efforts to be an effective and strong leader. As important as I believe execution is, it pales in comparison to our third lesson. Regarding leadership in Washington, the biggest disappointment is how clueless our politicians seem to be about the role they play in the problems our country is facing. To listen to them talk, they will admit there are problems, but those problems are never their fault or their issue. They feel they have done their job and everyone else, or the other party, is the reason our issues are getting worse.

If I had to choose one leadership lesson, one quality that stands out above all others as key in your ability to make change, create opportunity and win in this economy, it would be…

Leadership Lesson number 3: Taking Personal Responsibility

Think about it. How often do you turn on the television, listen to the news, or read a magazine article, only to hear your politicians, from the President on down, tell you what the other guy is doing wrong and why it is not his or their fault? That if only, Tom, Dick, or Harry would straighten up and do something, then things would turn around. They promise you it is not them; they are working hard and doing all they can to get this country back on track.

Well maybe they are working hard, or doing all they think they can, but the one thing they are not doing is leading. A critical part of leadership is to take responsibility. To first look to yourself for the reasons these challenges persist and look to yourself to make the necessary changes to get different outcomes and get things moving in the right direction. Without personal responsibility, we can never move forward, we can never build relationships and we can never hope to execute any type of plan. Harry Truman reminds us that every strong leader knows the Buck Stops Here; that success and failure begin and end with you, the leader.

Again, I believe these are sad times for our country right now, and there is definitely a void of leadership and action in Washington. But as entrepreneurs, as business owners, and as leaders ourselves, we can learn volumes from what our politicians are not doing, how they are not leading, and apply these lessons to our businesses and organizations, and set ourselves up to Win In The Trust & Value Economy.

Posted in building business relationships, winning in any economy | Tagged meridith elliott powell, obama, trust and value | Leave a comment

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