Brilliant Results

26
www.brilliantpublishing.com MARCH | 2012 Page 14 You don’t need just an idea... you need a BRIGHT idea! Taking a look at solutions for today’s sales road blocks

description

Relationships - Resources - Results

Transcript of Brilliant Results

Page 1: Brilliant Results

w w w. b r i l l i a n t p u b l i s h i n g . c o mM

ARC

H |

201

2

Page 14

You don’t need just an idea...

you need a BRIGHT idea!

Taking a look at solutions for today’s sales road blocks

Page 2: Brilliant Results

Calendars | Greeting Cards | Folders | Frames & MoreASI 95280 | SAGE 57590 | PPAI 11454

thinkOUTSIDEtheBOX

• Ships Flat

• Easy to Mail

• Comes With Envelopes

• Choose a stock design, Or create your own!

The

CALENDAR

NEWWAVE

noticed.remembered.

Page 3: Brilliant Results

MADE IN AMERICAQual ity Products & Always in Stock

25 COLORS&

ALWAYSIN STOCK!

PRICING EXPIRES 12/31/12

EVANS OFFERS WHAT NO OTHER SUPPLIER CAN: 56 New Products FREE Rush Service On Qualifying Items USA Made 25 Colors Under $1.00 (R) For Current Specials & Promotions Visit: www.evans-mfg

Make it Happen. Make it Evans.

14356” LEADING EDGETM RULER

$.55(R)5000 PC PRICE SHOWNDIE/SET-UP: $50(V) per color

1323SANDWICH SPREADER PLUS

$.75(R)5000 PC PRICE SHOWNDIE/SET-UP: $50(V) per color/position

4044” KEEP-ITTM CLIP

$.63(R)5000 PC PRICE SHOWNDIE/SET-UP: $50(V) per color/position

2205ACTION PIGGY BANK

$2.25(R)2500 PC PRICE SHOWNDIE/SET-UP: $50(V) per color/position

3500PRIMARY CARETM BANDAGE DISPENSER

$.69(R)5000 PC PRICE SHOWNDIE/SET-UP: $50(V) per color/position

Page 4: Brilliant Results

Cover Story8 The Future of Ethics in Branding

Departments6 publisher’s letter

7 contributors: who’s who in the industry

10 outside the box: guess who is googling you?

12 travel: green tourism is beautiful tourism

14 perspective: using the power of certainty to drive sales success

16 motivation: the doer seller role has no boundaries

18 strategies: effective selling – turn prospects into buying partners

20 solutions: coworkers are customers, too

22 exhibit: a code of conduct for new technology at exhibitions

24 advice: ten tools to help you unlock your potential

12

16

8

18

Vol. 9, No. 03 2012

4 Brilliant Results • March 2012

Page 5: Brilliant Results

3M.com/promote

3M, P

ost-

it an

d t

he c

olor

Can

ary

Yello

w a

re t

rad

emar

ks o

f 3M

. © 3

M 2

011

Build your reputation on quality.More often than not, cheap notes end up in the trash — and they take your name with them. Put your brand on original Post-it® Notes. They stick securely and remove cleanly.

“Psssst. Wanna buy a sticky note?”

Don’t fall for the knock-offs!

Get genuine Post-it® Notes.

BR_0311.indd 36 2/23/11 11:31:07 PM

Page 6: Brilliant Results

publisher’s letter

While a compaNy may have many departments each with hardworking executives making decisions that affect the organization’s success, at the end of the day it is the sale that moves every company forward. Nothing happens until the sale is made. That being the case, we have filled this issue with some, dare i say brilliant sales material, insightful columns all about how to close the deal.

it is important to remember that the sale results from a combination of many factors. Our lead article points to one aspect that may not at first seem an apparent aspect of sales success – ethics. in the world of social media a company’s ethical branding of its products and services is becoming a significant part of not only return and referral business, but also of initial purchases. Taken a step further that same social media is in many cases providing the prospective purchaser’s first impression of the sales force. Today dressing for success also includes making sure your online profile matches your business attire, because ‘guess who is Googling you.’ in the world of travel, your company and community ‘green’ suit is also up for inspection as ‘green’ tourism becomes synonymous with beautiful and successful tourism enterprises.

add to these articles several more with detailed suggestions for achieving success in all areas of the selling process from prospects to exhibitions to coworkers and this issue should be a must read not only for sales associates, but for each and every individual interested in contributing to growing the bottom line.

Finally the resident doctor closes the issue with ‘Ten Tools to help you Unlock your potential’. So as spring arrives ramp up your sales success by reading this issue of Brilliant Results and

as always Remember to…have a Brilliant Day,

Brilliant Publishing LLC9034 Joyce Lane

Hummelstown, PA 17036Ph: 717.571.9233Fax: 717.566.5431

PUBLISHER / ADVERTISINGMaureen Williams

[email protected]

EDITORIALEditor in ChiefMaryAnne Morrill

Senior EditorMichelle Donofry

Style EditorCharity Plata

Asst. EditorMolly Anika

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSDaniel Burrus, Howard Dion,

Dr. Barton Goldsmith, Martin Lindstrom, Ed Rigsbee, CSP, Barry Siskind, Dr. Peter Tarlow, John Tschohl

PRODUCTION / DESIGNArt DirectorJeremy Tingle

Brilliant Results is published monthly by Brilliant Publishing LLC, 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown PA 17036 (717) 608-5869; Fax# (717) 566-5431. Copyright © 2012 Brilliant Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising or editorial material. Advertisers, and/or their agents, assume the responsibility for any claims against the publisher based on the advertisement. Editorial contributors assume responsibility for their published works and assume responsibility for any claims against the publisher based on published work. No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher. All items submitted to Brilliant Results become the sole property of Brilliant Publishing LLC. Editorial content does not reflect the views of the publisher. The imprints, logos, trademarks or trade names (Collectively the “Marks”) displayed on the products featured in Brilliant Results are for illustrative purposes only and are not available for sale. The marks do not represent the implied or actual endorsement by the owners of the Marks of the product on which they appear. All of the Marks are the property of the respective owners and is not the property of either the advertisers using the Marks or Brilliant Results.

brilliantresults™

maureen [email protected] 717-608-5869

Follow us on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@Bresults

a-B-c. a-always, B-Be, c-closing. always be closing, always be closing.

~ alec Baldwin as ‘Blake’ in David mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross

www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com6 Brilliant Results • January 2012

Page 7: Brilliant Results

contributorsa Daniel Burrus is considered one of

the world’s leading technology forecasters and business strategists, and is the founder and CEO of Burrus Research, a research and consulting firm that monitors global advancements in technology driven trends to help clients better understand how technological, social and business forces are converging to create enormous, untapped opportunities. He is the author of six books, including the national bestseller Flash Foresight: How To See the Invisible and Do the Impossible <insert link here to http://www.flashforesight.com/> as well as the highly acclaimed Technotrends.

b Howard Dion founded Matrix Consulting Group, LLC, in 2001. He spent the last decade as a sales trainer and sales process coach collaborating with senior management, professional salespeople, and ‘Doer Sellers’ to improve their sales effectiveness.

c Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D. For more than two decades Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and government organizations have relied on Dr. Barton Goldsmith to help them develop creative and balanced leadership. His columns appear in over 500 publications. He may be contacted through his web site www.BartonGoldsmith.com.

d Martin Lindstrom, a respected branding and marketing expert, was selected as one of the world’s 100 most influential people by TIME magazine. The founder, CEO and Chairman of the LINDSTROM company (Sydney), Martin speaks to a global audience of approximately one million people every year. His latest book; Buyology – Truth and Lies About Why We Buy – a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling book has been translated into 37 languages and is on almost all major best-seller lists worldwide.

e Ed Rigsbee, CSP is the author of PartnerShift, Developing Strategic Alliances and The Art of Partnering. Additionally, he has over 1,500 published articles to his credit. Ed travels internationally to deliver strategic alliance keynotes and workshops. He can be reached at [email protected] or visit www.rigsbee.com.

f Barry Siskind is an internationally recognized trade and consumer show expert. He is the author of six bestselling business books including Powerful Exhibit Marketing. Read his newest book, Selling from the Inside Out for an in depth guide to a successful sales career. Visit Barry at www.siskindtraining.com.

g Dr. Peter Tarlow is the founder and president of Tourism & More Inc. Dr. Tarlow has appeared on Nationally televised programs such as Dateline: NBC and on CNBC. Dr. Tarlow organizes conferences around the world dealing with visitor safety and security issues and with the economic importance of tourism and tourism marketing. For additional information visit www.tourismandmore.com

h John Tschohl, the internationally recognized service strategist, is founder and president of the Service Quality Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Described by USA Today, Time, and Entrepreneur as a “customer service guru,” he has written several books on customer service and has developed more than 26 customer-service training programs that have been distributed throughout the world. John’s monthly strategic newsletter is available online.

g

f

e

d

h

b

a

c

March 2012 • Brilliant Results 7www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 8: Brilliant Results

last year, i received an email i will never forget: one of the world’s tobacco giants wanted me to consult for them. it’s not that i’m a stranger to requests from the tobacco industry. in fact, ever since i published Buyology in 2008, my email address appears to be on every tobacco executive’s Rolodex. you see, among other things, the book addressed the issue of how the use of subliminal advertising in the industry was successfully getting smokers to smoke more. The fallout was spectacular, culminating in philip morris being forced to withdraw their $100 million sponsorship of Formula 1. after this, you would imagine the tobacco industry would not want anything to do with me. Surprisingly, they actually wanted to know more. That was the nature of the email in question.

The email started off quite diplomatically, requesting i consult with them… nothing out of the ordinary. The ending, however, left me dumbstruck. Like something out of a science fiction novel, the tobacco giant wanted six months of my service. The inducements were mind-boggling. They would pay me a fee that would propel me into a very comfortable, early retirement. Not a bad thought for a hardworking man in his 30s. The scope of the offer took my breath away. i had to sit down and take stock. my mother has smoked since she was 15, and i grew up hearing her coughing and wheezing through the long winter months. my mother-in-law, also a lifelong smoker, had only just recently died

The Future Of Ethics In Branding

By: MarTin LinDSTroM

8 Brilliant Results • March 2012 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 9: Brilliant Results

from a smoking-related illness. So, after much deliberation and consideration, i felt i had little choice but to decline.

But when my friends and family came to learn of this lucrative offer, they thought i’d made a big mistake. my own family thought me to be a little ridiculous turning down an offer that would guarantee lifelong security for a mere six months’ work. i began feeling twinges of regret. Was i too quick to say no? at the time, my doubt was painful and all consuming. For hours on end i pondered the questions: Should i? could i? maybe…

as you can imagine, this was not an easy time. however, one year on, i’m convinced i did the right thing. more importantly, it forced me to think about the ethics of the advertising industry in ways i’d never done before.

as a brand guy who’s worked in advertising all my life, i’ve seen my fair share of ethical issues. To be frank, ethics and advertising don’t go together all that well. They are not exactly on first name terms. Pick up the phone and call any advertising agency anywhere, and ask them about their ethical guidelines. chances are you’ll be met with an embarrassing silence. in the same way that there are few schools you can go to to learn advertising, there are even fewer where you can learn the ethics of advertising. Training for a career in advertising commonly happens on the job, and the ethical guidelines are filed away somewhere in legal departments’ archived rules and restrictions.

as a brand futurist, an important function in my role is to predict the future for whatever industry i’m addressing. in 2003, i wrote the book BRaNDchild, in which i predicted that every kid would become a personal brand. each would have his own homepage, which would act as a promotional hub promoting the child’s brand to the entire world. a bit like “i have a homepage, therefore i am.” Facebook, the social networking site, was launched in 2004. in 2005, i wrote BRaNDsense. in it i predicted that every brand would harness senses other than sight and sound. Today, it’s estimated that two-thirds percent of the world’s Fortune 1000 brands include a multisensory platform in their brand strategy.

my prediction for 2012 is a rise in the importance of ethics. i foresee a kind of Wikileaks emerging to tackle the maneuverings of less-ethical brands. The move will come from an independent organization with the sole mission of disclosing what those companies are up to. most companies will be vulnerable to being targeted, despite having some sort of written standards. you see, in most cases, the small print is far too complex and removed from consumers’ daily reality. The safety net as designed will hardly save a soul.

So how would one go about establishing a true safeguard? as i said, i’m a brand guy who’s worked in advertising for ages. So i’m not necessarily the right person to ask. maybe we should ask the people most affected: the consumers. last year, i began a study of 2,000 consumers in which i asked for their ethical perspectives. Their advice proved invaluable. We would be wise to take note of it:

Don’t do anything to kids and consumers that you would not do to your own children, friends, and family.

every time you launch a campaign, a new product, or a service, secure an “ethical” sign-off from your target group. Develop your own independent consumer panel (a representative target audience) and disclose the perception of the product, as well as the reality. let the consumers make the final call.

align perception with reality. your talents might very well lie in brilliantly creating convincing perceptions, but how do they stack up against the reality? if there’s a mismatch, one or the other must be adjusted in order for them to be in sync.

Be 100% transparent. Nothing less. The consumer needs to know what you know about them. Furthermore, they must be told exactly how you intend to use the information. if they don’t like what they see, they need a fair and easy way to opt out.

almost any product or service has a downside…so don’t hide it. Tell it as it is. Be open and frank, and communicate the negatives in a simple and straightforward way.

all your endorsements and testimonials must be real–don’t fake

them.Does your product have a built-in expiration date? if so,

be open about it and communicate it in a visible, clear, and easily understood manner.

avoid fueling peer pressure among kids. Bear in mind you’d hate for your kids to come under such pressure.

Be open and transparent about the environmental impact of your brand (including its carbon footprint and sustainability factors).

Do not hide or over-complicate any legal language you must place in your ads or on your packaging. These should be treated just like any other commercial message, using a simple, easy-to-understand language.

My advice: The smart brand players out there should spend the next few years cleaning up their house. honestly, you won’t find it that difficult. Furthermore, you won’t be forced to reject an offer that could fast track you to retirement. The worst thing that can happen is you’ll sleep better at night. Not a bad proposition, i’m sure you’d agree.

All your endorsements

and testimonials must be real–don’t

fake them.

March 2012 • Brilliant Results 9www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 10: Brilliant Results

By: STEvE WooDBurn

Outside the bOx

GooD SaleS people regularly Google their prospects to learn what they can prior to making the first call. But did you ever consider your prospects might be doing the same thing? Googling these days is a two-way street where both salespeople and their prospects are doing their due-diligence on who is calling on them.

What does this mean for you as a salesperson? it means a prospect’s first impression is going to be what they can learn about you online, not what they see when you walk in the door. So here’s a hint… Google yourself, now.

What did you find? I did this on myself recently and the first thing that showed up was my profile on Google+ followed by my LinkedIn profile, Twitter account, Quora and Facebook accounts. The next one was my hockey stats which is obviously a different Steve Woodburn since i can hardly ice skate much less play hockey.

each of the links noted is a social media venue, which means if you aren’t on social media yet, you need to be. Google favors both linkedin and Twitter and so those rank high when you do a search. The question to ask yourself is what do you want your prospects to know about you? here are a few things to keep in mind as you go about setting up your social media presence.

LinkedIn should be work related with a flattering picture and professional summary of what you do. customers

and prospects should be able to understand what you can do for them and the results you’ve created. ask current customers for recommendations so others can see you do what you say you can do.

Twitter feeds should show you are engaging others in your area of expertise. links you provide should be relevant and provide information that’s valuable for various segments of your business. if you want to tell people what you’re eating, who you’re dating or add political comments, do it with a personal account.

i don’t use Facebook much for business however remember anyone can find your Facebook account if they also have one.

other social media venues should be kept professional and relevant to your business and career.

as i always tell my two teenagers, don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t want future college or sports recruiters, employers, customers, prospects or anyone else to see. pictures of you trashed with a lampshade on your head don’t give confidence to prospects that you will be looking out for their best interests. everything you put online can be and will be seen by others so use discretion. as erin Bury, the community manager on Sprouter puts it, “Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t want plastered on a billboard with your face on it.”

ingGuess Who is

You?

10 Brilliant Results • March 2012 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 11: Brilliant Results

Get It. DONE.

IF YOU CAN RELATETHEN THIS IS THE EVENTYOU’VE BEEN dreaming OF

Engagement, Recognition, Incentives… One event to

— 50+ Professional Seminars — Merchandise Incentives— Gift and Prepaid Cards— Promotional Products— Travel and Experiential Awards— Meeting and Event Services— Recognition and Service Awards

REGISTER TODAY at WWW.MOTIVATIONSHOW.COMTHREE DAYS of CONTACTS, CONTENT, and CREATIVITY

BR_0711.indd 2 6/28/11 12:22:38 AM

ing

Page 12: Brilliant Results

trAVel

While TheRe iS a great deal of discussion about the science behind climate change, there is little doubt that green tourism is beautiful tourism and beautiful tourism results in brilliant results.

Tourism has long been accused of being environmentally insensitive. in many ways that charge had at least some truth to it. For example, many travelers rarely consider the ecological impact of long showers, of changing bedding daily, or of the environmental impact of over-lighting streets and boulevards. attractions and transportation centers often stay lit up all night long, adding to the earth’s light and energy pollution.

how many of us have been in restaurants, hotels, and attractions that often keep their air conditioning at sweater weather conditions?

To further complicate the matter there are many tourism buildings in which the architects never considered the building’s environmental issues. many urban areas are fields of concrete held together by rivers of asphalt. These areas are not only visually unappealing, but also tend to hold heat in causing higher air conditioning usage. plants are nature’s way of turning carbon monoxide into oxygen and are the planet’s living lungs. cities that create green spaces not only add beauty to their visitors and

Green Tourism is Beautiful TourismBy: Dr. PETEr TarLoW

12 Brilliant Results • March 2012 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 13: Brilliant Results

‘GREEN’ Journals for the Promotional Product Industry

Green Tourism is Beautiful Tourism

The Book compaNy has partnered with Barnes & Noble to supply their exclusive ecosystem™ journals to the promotional product industry.

ecosystem journals are manufactured in the USa from 100% post-consumer recycled paper, printed with soy ink and use water-based dies and adhesives. each journal

includes an elastic band closure, ribbon marker and back pocket, all made from recycled materials. available in two sizes and four vibrant colors, The Book company will add a debossed or imprinted logo as well as their popular promo-page inserts to as few as 25 copies. ecosystem journals are also available for larger quantity opportunities in custom colors and with other custom options.

Unique to the promotional products industry, The Book company offers customization for literally any book or journal in the world. Their experienced team and expansive website (www.thebookco.com) offer promotional product specialists smart and easy ways to find the perfect book for most any promotional theme and budget.

citizens’ lives but also help to replenish our oxygen supply. as a side note, green cities often have lower crime rates and the more beautiful a place the happier its local citizens tend to be.

many in the tourism industry have argued that they need to give their customers a chance to be a bit more “irresponsible” and to allow people a respite from the worries that surround the earth. on the other side of the question, many visitors do not want to be in a place that lacks charm, and seems to have no social responsibility. The tourism and travel industry must balance needs of the environment with the needs of its customer base. if travel becomes too hard, then it may lose its enchantment and glamor; if on the other hand it does not respect the earth then there may be no place to which to travel!

here are some of the ways that we can turn travel and tourism from a polluter and energy waster to a green commodity that is elegant, gracious and enchanting.

hotels should not only promote sensible laundry policies, such as washing sheets every three days rather than every day, but also consider the use of new technologies such as light bulbs that save on light/heat pollution and the use if non-polluting detergents.

Restaurants should serve water on request and use dishwashers that are water efficient.

attractions and car rental companies should switch to electric cars as soon as possible and instead of running buses for local transport, use mini-vans, golf carts or other vehicles that tend to use a minimal amount of fossil fuels.

make your environmentalism something in which your visitors will be proud. Never forget that a clean and healthy environment does not take away from the bottom line it adds to it. Do not define “green” in its most narrow sense, but rather in its broadest sense Remember that thinking green not only means being environmentally friendly but also puts dollars in your coffers. most people pay not only for good food and service, but also for atmosphere and atmosphere is merely another word for environmental responsibility. Beautify your site and you will not only achieve brilliant results but also increase your company’s bottom-line.

By promoting green and by finding innovate ways to protect the environment, tourism is assuring that it will continue to offer products that are pleasant to the eye, and good for generations that are yet to be born.

promote a green earth and you will achieve brilliant results.

March 2012 • Brilliant Results 13www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 14: Brilliant Results

By: DaniEL BurruS

perspectiVe

WheN iT comeS to selling, nothing is more important than the power of certainty. after all, when potential customers or clients are uncertain, they hesitate. They don’t want to move forward, say “yes,” or allow you to close the sale. The more uncertainty you have, the higher the risk for the person making the purchase and the more likely it is they will decide to wait.

on the other hand, when there is a high level of certainty and the product or service will help the customer accomplish what they want to achieve or give them the result they desire now and in the future, the sale can very easily be made.

So in a world of amazing uncertainty, you have to ask yourself, “What am i certain about?” one of the top certainties of today is that the future is all about relationships. even though we live in a highly technical world, it is still a human world where people buy and sell on logic and emotion, on their view of the future, and on the level of trust they have in the people they’re working with. Therefore, no matter what you’re selling, if you don’t have trust it will be difficult to rapidly increase sustainable sales.

The fact is that it has been increasingly difficult for order-takers to make a living in today’s networked, mobile, social, and interactive economy. The salespeople who do best are those who act not as order-takers, but as trusted advisors. This is true whether you’re selling flat-panel display televisions at an electronics store, multi-million-dollar eRp systems, or real estate. Becoming the trusted advisor is key.

For example, if you go to a hardware store and ask someone to help you find something, and that salesperson simply points you to the correct aisle, he or she may make the sale, but not a loyal customer. however, when that salesperson takes an interest in what you’re looking for, asks questions about how you plan to use the item, and then helps you find what you are looking for or a better solution, you’re more likely to go back to that hardware store and seek that person out. in fact, you’re no longer just going to the hardware store; you’re going to see your trusted advisor who works at the hardware store.

Using the Power of Certainty to Drive Sales Success

14 Brilliant Results • March 2012 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 15: Brilliant Results

Using the Power of Certainty to Drive Sales Success

Now the main questions are: “as a salesperson, how do you really reach that trusted advisor status?” and, “once you attain that status, how do you use certainty to fill your sales pipeline?” here are three keys to keep in mind.

1.Raise the baR on tRust: many salespeople lower the level of trust they have with

customers, not because they aren’t trustworthy people, but because they aren’t thinking about trust before they do their sales pitch. Therefore, when you’re talking with a prospect or customer, you always want to ask yourself, “Where is the current trust level?” perhaps there isn’t any. if so, that’s okay. Work at building trust as the conversation and resulting relationship progresses.

For example, instead of saying something negative about a competing product, pull out your smart phone or tablet and show the customer tweeted complaints about the competing product, as well as tweets about your product. This will give the customer social proof that you are telling the truth.

Raise the bar on trust whenever possible. change how you talk about your product or service, how you sell it, or how you demo it so that trust stays where it is or, better yet, goes higher. When you can raise the bar on trust, you’re much closer to that sale because now you’re a trusted advisor.

2. send customeRs away: Rather than strive for sales or transactions, strive for

relationships that span time, price fluctuations, and the competition. Sometimes that means sending customers to your competitors. yes, it sounds contrary to the traditional sales building advice, but it’s a sure way to build your trusted advisor status.

For example, if a competing product to yours would better suit a customer, tell them about it. Give them the other company’s web site, phone number, or address. Write it down for them. even though you didn’t make this sale, you just made many future sales because you are now definitely a trusted advisor.

in my own 28 years of research and in starting numerous successful companies, i’ve found that the best way to gain trust is to make recommendations in the customer’s best interest, even if that means sending them to a competitor. Why? Because now the customer realizes you truly want to help and that they can trust you for the right answers. Then, when they have another need or challenge (which they most certainly will), they’ll turn to you to help them. When you’re always the first company they contact, you’re bound to get long-term sales.

Remember, transactions are here today and gone

tomorrow. That’s why your goal is to gain customers who are with you forever. after all, it’s much less expensive to sell to current customers who already trust you than to try to gain a new customer. invest the time upfront and you’ll have better results in the future.

3. capitalize on ceRtainties: once you have people’s trust and understand the

power of leveraging relationships, it’s time to ask yourself a key question we touched on earlier: “What am i certain about?” chances are, you’re certain about a lot of things. For example, you know when major holidays will hit, when seasons will come, and even your industry’s sales cycles. another example of certainty is that the number of customers using smart phones to help them make purchasing decisions while in a store will increase. and if you’re really building relationships and trust with your customers, you’ll also be certain about their needs, both now and in the future. So it’s time to make a list of certainties and put those certainties to work.

let’s take the sales cycle as an example. most industries have sales cycles where there’s a certain time that people buy the product or service. Rather than prospect, market, and sell during the sales cycle, if you know it’s coming, why not prospect, market, and sell before the sales cycle starts? Why? Because one of the strategies i teach in my book Flash Foresight is that opposites work better. So rather than compete and sell when everyone else is competing and selling, why not sell when your competitors don’t think the sales cycle has started?

Before the sales day begins, always ask yourself: What are the problems that are most likely on my customer’s minds? What are the uncertainties that might keep them from saying yes? Then ask yourself: What am i certain about? The key is to use the things you’re certain about to make saying “yes” easier for your customers. eliminate the risk of saying yes and put more risk on saying no. if you’re a trusted advisor and talking to your customers about the certainties you know they’ll be facing, they will listen and buy.

Fill youR sales pipeline: We live in a highly competitive and uncertain world. and

that can force many salespeople to forget about relationship building and focus on the current transaction. yet when you focus on developing personal relationships with customers, becoming a trusted advisor rather than a salesperson, and using the power of certainty to your advantage, you will provide the comfort and clarity for customers to make a buying decision now.

March 2012 • Brilliant Results 15www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 16: Brilliant Results

mOtiVAtiOnBy: HoWarD Dion

the doeR selleR Role

you work for, or own, a company and are expected to design and or deliver a product or service and, at the same time, are expected to bring in new clients and continue to grow sales revenue from existing clients. That is the role of a Doer Seller. The primary job function is doing and the secondary job function is selling. When you are busy delivering or managing delivery, there can be a lot of personal stress!

The Doer Seller role has no boundaries. The role crosses different vertical markets and is not distinct to only a certain size company. employees in any size company who are asked to serve both roles are Doer Sellers. a person’s formal job title is not a key indicator of the Doer Seller role either. The role thrives in the background, below the surface, and is an engine that sustains and drives ongoing revenue streams. professionals in every industry can be Doer Sellers.

There are some really tough challenges associated with being successful at serving two masters, your primary job function and your secondary job function. What makes the role of a Doer Seller even more difficult is when priorities shift back and forth depending on the financial objectives of the company. Seller Doers have different challenges and their role will be discussed in another article.

To make this article meaningful to Doer Sellers around the globe, i decided to discuss one challenge that is easy to overcome; using a common sales language. in the world of information technology, a common language is used to standardize how different applications talk to each other so they can communicate more efficiently and more effectively. in business, a common sales language is a cultural system used to standardize how employees with different backgrounds and different job functions can communicate more efficiently and more effectively. This is especially important if you regularly communicate with team members in different countries. actually, i found this common sales language idea very helpful when team members from one coast in the United States regularly worked with team members on the other side of the country. Below are four terms that reflect a common sales language.

a common Sales languageSatisfy Demand: Satisfying Demand occurs when a buyer

continues to purchase a product and/or service from the seller as the preferred vendor. At first glance, you would think that satisfying demand is a simple process that requires little effort. in fact, renewals do take a certain amount of work from the delivery team in making sure the client continues to be “satisfied” with what is being delivered.

The Doer Seller Role Has No Boundaries

16 Brilliant Results • March 2012 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 17: Brilliant Results

Service Demand: Servicing Demand occurs when the buyer is looking for a solution to a problem, has no relationship with an incumbent, and encourages many vendors to bid on the business; or when the buyer is looking for a solution to a problem, has a working relationship with an incumbent, but decides to replace the incumbent because they are dissatisfied; or when the buyer is looking for a solution to a problem, is forced by a mandate to get competitive bids, and may want to leverage the bids to get a lower price. Servicing Demand clearly means the buyer knows what he or she is looking to buy and there is always competition. This is an area where the majority of Doer Sellers spend a lot of time. Servicing Demand is also the primary driver of complex sales opportunities where strategic selling strategy and tactics become critical.

Create Demand: creating Demand for your product or service is about opening doors. it is the essence of new business development and encompasses three important skill sets: (a) Being able to engage a buyer in solving an existing problem that remained unresolved over a period of months or years, (b) Being able to identify a need the buyer didn’t realize they had and being able to engage the buyer in co-developing a solution, and (c) Being able to uncover the buyer’s pain and being able to demonstrate how you can relieve, reduce, or eliminate the pain using your company’s offerings. Sounds like something every Doer Seller should be able to master with some training, and perhaps some time and experience. in reality, creating Demand is the single most challenging task for Doer Sellers because it is time consuming, and time is something Doer Sellers value above all else.

Defend & Farm: Here is a simple definition of “Defend & Farm”: when the account manager, or account management team, defends the account from competitive encroachment and continues to expand their reach within the account to grow profitable revenue streams in other business units and geographic locations, and when the account manager, or account management team, is able to generate revenue from other products and services not previously delivered within the account.

implementation

Getting started is easy. Capture these definitions in writing and share them with the entire sales team. keep in mind that your sales team has different players with different roles and includes the Doer Sellers, the Seller Doers, and full-time salespeople. have an open discussion. encourage people to share success stories for each definition. Talk about the failures as well. Identify your individual strengths and weaknesses, and establish performance improvement goals for the year. monitor results and talk to each other using your new common sales language.

The Doer Seller Role Has No Boundaries

March 2012 • Brilliant Results 17www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 18: Brilliant Results

By: ED rigSBEE, CSP

strAtegies

Effective Selling-Turn Prospects into Buying PartnersReGaRDleSS oF WheTheR they sell from an office or physically call on prospects, the dream of every salesperson on this planet is to turn their prospects into buying partners. Read on, and you too will learn the secrets. your prospects, like everyone else, are in some kind of pain. your job is to uncover their pain. Understand how your product or service will solve their pain. Then translate the features and benefits of your offering in such a way that your prospect will absolutely understand how accepting your offer will relieve their pain.

The following is my paRTNeRS model for success in selling, follow the simple acronym and you’ll dramatically accelerate your selling career.

18 Brilliant Results • March 2012 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 19: Brilliant Results

P — pain; uncover, understand, and translate it. This is the first and most important aspect of selling. Without this knowledge, you might as well try to walk a tightrope with a blindfold. To learn how you can move your customer, you must have a strong understanding of their core issues, as this is generally where their pain starts. Rather than having a personal vision of pushing a product or service on others, have a vision of how your product or service will solve the pain of your prospects and make their life better.

A — access your prospects real situation. This can only be done with a powerful, out of the chute, opening statement. one that will break their preoccupation barrier, hook their attention and make it clear to your prospect that you have something of value to offer. To access the real, or hidden, need of your prospect, you must get them talking. and, you must focus on active listening. if you are trying to convert someone away from their current supplier, try asking the following two questions. ask, “What is it you find helpful about Company X?” Get them talking. When they are relaxed and chatting about how wonderful their current supplier is, make the transition. ask, “is there any area where Company X could improve?” If they answer your second question, listen carefully—you just struck gold!

R — Relevance is a must. Too often, i have observed sales people acting like what i call a Features Jockey, where they spend so much time trying to impress their prospect with their product knowledge that the prospect doesn’t have time to buy should they want to. Too much information can be like trying to catch a little breeze in a wind tunnel—when it’s turned on full blast. Do not make the mistake of blowing your prospect over with a blast of information when they only need and want a little breeze. if you did well in accessing the real situation, making it relevant should be a breeze.

T — Translate the features you believe to be relevant into profound benefits. You cannot leave it to chance that your prospects will figure out for themselves how your offer will make their lives better. They must clearly understand how you can end their pain. Do the work—take the time to be clear yourself on how your product or service helps your customers. Ask satisfied customers themselves and then use their stories. Force your sales manager, Vp of sales or anyone else at your company to tell you more about how you help people or organizations. The more you learn, the more you can share.

N — Neuro-linguistic programming (Nlp) is the cutting edge science of sales psychology. it is important to your success that you have a working understanding of how Nlp skills will help you to communicate with your prospect in a style that will foster instant rapport. Nlp is the study of how the brain learns and through which strategies: auditory, visual and/or kinesthetic. The key is to have the ability to recognize the preferred learning strategy of your prospect and mirror that strategy in your communication. if you do this, your prospect’s brain basically says, “This person is like me. i like me. i like this person.” The result will be a stunning subliminal connection.

E — emotional connection to your prospects is essential. many of the ideas listed above will help you to develop an emotional connection—they gotta like ya! Understand buyers’ acquisition motives and you’ll achieve this emotional connection. Never forget that people buy based on emotion and then use logic to justify their buying decision. Think back to one of your own impulse purchases. For some reason, you were drawn to make the purchase. That’s emotion. Then you came up with some kind of justification for yourself—and your spouse. That’s logic. Use this to help your prospects remove their pain.

R — Remove their objections. you can do this by using your Nlp skills to anchor your prospects positive feelings towards how your offering will make their lives better. This is most effective when they finally reveal their smoke screen objectives. Usually, an objection is simply an indication that you attempted to close the sale before you demonstrated the overwhelming value they will receive in doing business with you. you just need to better demonstrate how your product or service will remove the pain they are currently enduring. if you’ve already done all the other good stuff i mentioned, this should be a very small part of the selling process. if you get stuck here, go back to the two questions i suggested you ask in the access paragraph.

S — Solve your prospect’s pain. Throughout the paRTNeRS model, you are simply moving closer to pain extraction. Do this by skillfully helping them to understand just how easily they can have a better life by using that which you sell. Generally, if you have done your selling job correctly, you do not need tricky closes. The close is the natural progression of the relationship building that you have achieved in helping your prospect. always remember that pain extraction, equals plentiful sales.

adopt the paRTNeRS model, and you’ll experience successful selling. your efforts will surely be rewarded.

March 2012 • Brilliant Results 19www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 20: Brilliant Results

By: JoHn TSCHoHL

sOlutiOns

WheN We Talk about customer service, we usually think about how we deal with the people who walk through our doors—both physical and virtual—to purchase our products and services. What we often fail to realize, however, is that we also have customers within our organizations; those customers are our coworkers.

customer service means being responsive to a customer’s needs and being resourceful in meeting those needs. customer service is many things: knowledge, communication, skill, attitude, efficiency, integrity, reliability and helpfulness.

how you interact with coworkers and supervisors has

a huge impact on the effectiveness of the team. When Dan asks for your help in completing a report, do you tell him that it’s not your responsibility, or do you eagerly offer to do whatever you can to help him meet his deadline? When Bethany points out an error, do you get defensive, or do you view her comment as constructive and vow to improve your performance?

When you treat coworkers and supervisors with respect, when you help them solve their problems and meet or exceed the demands of the job, your value as an employee increases dramatically. Just as you should do whatever it takes to satisfy a customer, you should do whatever it takes to help a coworker.

COWORKERS ARE CUSTOMERS, TOOpRovide them with the best seRvice possible

20 Brilliant Results • March 2012 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 21: Brilliant Results

if you want to ensure that the service you are providing is exceptional, take these steps:

Develop a positive attitude. Your attitude is reflected in everything you do. it not only determines how you approach your job and your coworkers, it determines how they respond to you. Don’t complain—and don’t hang around negative coworkers. Do whatever it takes to get the job done—and done right.

listen. you can’t help a coworker unless you hear and understand what he needs. listening shows that you care and provides you the information you need to do what needs to be done. ask questions. Rephrase what your coworker is saying to ensure that you understand the situation. Then use that information to decide how to move forward.

Solve problems. Great customer service professionals are quick on their feet. They have the skills necessary to quickly analyze a situation and decide what needs to be done to solve the problem. Don’t procrastinate. Develop a plan of attack, and handle the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Be accessible. This means returning phone calls and responding to emails as quickly as possible. Doing so sends the message that what your coworker needs is important to you and that you are available and eager to provide whatever

assistance is needed. Be honest. if a task is outside your level of expertise, or if

you cannot meet the required deadline, admit it. Then offer to facilitate by helping your coworker identify someone in the organization who does have the expertise and the time to assist with the project. honesty earns respect. The same holds true when you make a mistake. admit it, apologize, and learn from it.

make your coworkers feel valued. Recognize them with a smile. call them by name. make eye contact. Be attentive to what they have to say. compliment them when they do a good job. ask for their advice. make them feel important.

perform. Deliver what you promise. Send the message that your coworkers can depend on you. Do what you say you will do—and do it with quality, speed, and accuracy. if you say you are going to complete a report by Tuesday, do your best to complete it by monday.

There is great power in mastering the skills necessary to provide exceptional customer service. you will gain confidence in yourself and your abilities, you will earn the respect of your coworkers, and you will be recognized and rewarded. you will set yourself apart and be recognized as a valuable member of the team. And you will have satisfied customers.

March 2012 • Brilliant Results 21www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 22: Brilliant Results

By: Barry SiSkinD

exhibit

iT’S aN aGe-olD problem with a new twist; attendees walk past a booth and immediately form the impression that the booth staff is not really interested in meeting new people. This impression comes from observing these company representatives busy talking to colleagues, catching up on paper work and eating their lunch.

enter the age of technology and we see new distractions: Smartphone’s, tablets and laptops which apparently are too enticing to ignore, are leaving the attendee with an unfavourable impression, the last impression you want to create with potential customers.

imagine if you walked into a retail store and the sales clerk was behind the cash register texting his or her friends or reading updates on Facebook. Unless you needed a product sold at this store really badly and it wasn’t available at their nearest competitor, you might turn around and walk out. The situation is no different at a trade show.

The problem has intensified now that nearly one third of the world’s population is connected and the tendency to send a quick text or email message becomes overpowering. how then do you ensure that your staff stops texting, talking, reading, computing and organizing in order to give one hundred percent of their attention to the visitors?

in the past many exhibitors have developed a list of do’s and don’ts for booth conduct, which included rules about such items as eating, reading, sitting, approaching, and professionalism. Now it’s time to create a code of conduct focused on the use of technology at a trade show.

it’s going to take some time and thought to create a comprehensive list. i’m asking you to add your suggestions to the list below. With your input, i plan to update this list in the months to come.

here are a few of my suggestions to get our discussion started:

Don’tsUse cell-phones at the booth. The tendency is,

especially during slower times, to stay in touch with customers and the head office. But you never know when the next customer is going to walk by and if they see your thumbs flying over a miniature keyboard they just might walk by without stopping.

Use the booth time to catch up on work on laptops and tablets. Reports can wait. most of us are not dealing with matters of life and death so putting off that sales report or

A Code of Conduct for New Technology at Exhibitions

22 Brilliant Results • March 2012 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 23: Brilliant Results

A Code of Conduct for New Technology at Exhibitions

the letter you promised to a customer should wait until you can give it your complete attention.

allow head office people to interrupt exhibition staff with calls and messages. There needs to be clear guidelines detailing whom, when and why a phone call from the head office to someone at a trade show happens. The policy about these types of interruptions is best handled when your senior executives support your exhibition program and understand how destructive interruptions can be.

Do’s Turn your cell-phone ringer to “silent” or “vibrate”

during exhibition hours. however, there are times when a Smartphone can be a real advantage. you can use it to confirm show appointments and meetings. it is a great method of staying in touch with your customers reminding them that you are at the show and an excellent tool to use when you run into a situation where you need some head off ice advice. a quick text often gets answers that a booth visitor needs.

assign one person who will post updates from your booth to maintain contact with the social media. To ignore the power of the social media at a trade show is foolish. many shows incorporate Twitter, Facebook, linkedin and other sites into their promotion plans. Wise exhibitors will embrace social media and use it to their advantage. however, without very clear rules about who posts and how comments are given; the tendency is to have all your show staff falling over each other doing the same thing. a clear policy must be established to ensure that you are maximizing the power of the social network.

Use laptops and tablets to help with visitor presentations. Visitors attend a show to clarify issues related to your product or service. often a one-on-one discussion will help move them along in the sales cycle. This is the one time when tablets and laptops can be a great help in supporting the points you are attempting to make by accessing your web-site, a pre-loaded presentation, statistics and case studies.

This is a mere beginning. Surely there are many items that should be added. if you have any do’s and don’ts to add, please let me know. [email protected].

March 2012 • Brilliant Results 23www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 24: Brilliant Results

AdViceBy: Dr. BarTon goLDSMiTH

The world is full of opportunity, but sometimes too much thinking can get in the way. here are a few tips to help you change your life for the better.

1. Count your blessings. When you stop to remember what you have instead of worrying about what you may not be getting, it changes your perspective for the better.

2. Start your day the night before. The most successful people I know end their workday by making a list of what they have to do the following day or two ahead. This allows the subconscious to work on things while you sleep.

3. Be ready to grow up. Adults have the ability to learn to delay gratification, but we also have a choice as to how to behave when things don’t go our way. If you remember to take the high road, you’ll end up where you want to be.

4. Drop the attitude. If you think the world owes you a living, you might want to reevaluate your position. It is quite possible that, by feeling entitled, you are pushing away things and people you might like.

5. Don’t ignore your emotions, but remember that feelings aren’t facts. Emotions need to be honored—they don’t have to be justified—but just because you have a feeling doesn’t mean that you’re right.

6. Watch out for negative thinking. Sometimes we get into negative feedback loops and don’t even know it. If thoughts of being helpless and hopeless continue to enter your mind, you might just need to take a nap or perhaps talk with someone who can help.

7. Set up and stick to a routine. We are creatures of habit, and good habits, such as getting regular exercise, make us feel better. Maintaining good habits also helps us feel that we have some control over our lives. Just do it.

8. Drop your resentments. We all have them. Whether they are toward our parents, partners, or peers, resentments take up too much psychic space to allow us to function properly. By choosing to drop them, you will make your life much lighter. The hardest part is making the decision to let your resentments go.

9. Know who you really are, and learn to honor yourself. We all fake it from time to time and, once in a while, this can be a good thing, but never compromise your personal values and always strive to be your best self.

10. Enjoy a part of every day. You can’t always be in bliss-city, so look for those little bright moments that happen all the time but that we often fail to recognize. Make a point of seeing some good in every day, and you will change your life.

changing your life for the better is about picking a destination and taking one step at a time to get there. if you try to take shortcuts, you may end up making your journey long and arduous. Being serious about making improvements is a great start. Now put it into action.

Ten Tools To Help You Unlock Your Potential

24 Brilliant Results • March 2012 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Page 25: Brilliant Results

Name ___________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________

City/State ________________________________________________________

Country/Zip ______________________________________________________

Tel _____________________________ E-mail ___________________________

YES, Payment enclosed (make check payable to Brilliant Publishing LLC) OR Go to www.thehomeschoolhandbook.com and select Subscribe to pay by credit card.

YES!, I would like to be included in receiving news updates by email.

One Year Subscription, (6 issues) YES, Payment enclosed (make check payable to Brilliant Publishing LLC) OR Go YES, Payment enclosed (make check payable to Brilliant Publishing LLC) OR Go

to www.thehomeschoolhandbook.com and select Subscribe to pay by credit card.

One Year Subscription, (6 issues) One Year Subscription, (6 issues)

TM

July/August 2011

$6.50 USA/$15.50 INTL

SECRETS TO THE

SCHOLARSHIPS SEARCH

Test YourVeggie

Discover the Lifelong Benefi ts of

Living Books

Brilliant Publishing LLC

9034 Joyce Lane

Hummelstown, PA 17036

Address Service Requested

THH_0711.indd 1

7/14/11 11:24:17 PM

Continental USA Subscription: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.95 / yearCanadian Subscription: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $59.95 / yearInternational Subscription: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $89.95 / year

Mail to:Brilliant Publishing, LLC9034 Joyce LaneHummelstown, PA 17036

The Homeschool Handbook magazine is Your Resource, Support & Inspiration for a successful at home education & lifestyle. Don’t Miss a Single Issue...Subscribe Today!

THH_FP house ad.indd 37 12/5/11 10:05:22 PM

Page 26: Brilliant Results

3M.com/promote

3M, P

ost-

it an

d t

he c

olor

Can

ary

Yello

w a

re t

rad

emar

ks o

f 3M

. © 3

M 2

011

Build your reputation on quality.More often than not, cheap notes end up in the trash — and they take your name with them. Put your brand on original Post-it® Notes. They stick securely, remove cleanly and have a global reputation for quality.

“Psssst. Wanna buy a sticky note?”

Don’t fall for the knock-offs!

Get genuine Post-it® Notes.

GO EAST

3M PMD LITERATURE NO PROJECT NO PAGE(S) SIZE INK(S)

March/April Successful Promotions End User Full Page Ad

n/a 67164 1 8.625" x 10.75" Trim 8.375'' x 10.5'' 4-color process CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

3M.com/promote

3M, P

ost-

it an

d t

he c

olor

Can

ary

Yello

w a

re t

rad

emar

ks o

f 3M

. © 3

M 2

011

Build your reputation on quality.More often than not, cheap notes end up in the trash — and they take your name with them. Put your brand on original Post-it® Notes. They stick securely, remove cleanly and have a global reputation for quality.

“Psssst. Wanna buy a sticky note?”

Don’t fall for the knock-offs!

Get genuine Post-it® Notes.

GO EAST

3M PMD LITERATURE NO PROJECT NO PAGE(S) SIZE INK(S)

March/April Successful Promotions End User Full Page Ad

n/a 67164 1 8.625" x 10.75" Trim 8.375'' x 10.5'' 4-color process CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

3M.com/promote

3M, P

ost-

it an

d t

he c

olor

Can

ary

Yello

w a

re t

rad

emar

ks o

f 3M

. © 3

M 2

011

Build your reputation on quality.More often than not, cheap notes end up in the trash — and they take your name with them. Put your brand on original Post-it® Notes. They stick securely, remove cleanly and have a global reputation for quality.

“Psssst. Wanna buy a sticky note?”

Don’t fall for the knock-offs!

Get genuine Post-it® Notes.

GO EAST

3M PMD LITERATURE NO PROJECT NO PAGE(S) SIZE INK(S)

March/April Successful Promotions End User Full Page Ad

n/a 67164 1 8.625" x 10.75" Trim 8.375'' x 10.5'' 4-color process CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK