What steps are you taking?

We’ve all faced challenges when it comes to taking action or getting things done. Often, we’re so worried about all of the distractions around us, we neglect to take action on a task or initiative out of fear we’re going to be “too busy” to get it done. Why start something if we can’t finish it, right? If you’ve started a million and one tasks and most of them never got completed, there’s a part of you that may be holding yourself back on starting new ones. You don’t want to disappoint yourself again. According to Tony Robbins, we don’t follow through because we weren’t passionate enough about the task or project. What about procrastination? You could argue that all of the above fall under procrastination, but sometimes we simply put things off, waiting for the right time. Keep waiting and you’ll find there’s never a right time. In addition, prioritizing often gets in the way. You may have something you want to get done, but there are probably several “priority” items on your “to do” list, so you put it off. Remember, business Success Starts with getting things done, so it’s time to take action.

My experience has taught me a few powerful lessons.

I’ve faced every challenge listed above and I think most people have at some point in their lives, as well. When I’m struggling to take action, I leverage a few elements to get things done. Before I share the list, I want to provide some perspective. It’s vital that you become very self-analytical. Be honest with your own self-evaluation, since you can’t improve if you don’t know why you’re doing certain things. I am a very positive and optimistic person, but I’m also very self-critical. Someone else may be able to insult me or deflate me, but I know my strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else ever could. If you think everyone knows themselves that well, think again. Most people don’t put in the effort to really look deep into why they do certain things. For years I avoided it, living on autopilot. It took some personal life challenges for me to really go through the exercises. I encourage you to be your biggest critic. Doing so represents a huge growth opportunity, since only then can you begin to make major self-improvements.

The following is my list of ways I get things done:

• Goal Setting – Setting goals may be one of the most critical ways to get things done. Start by setting personal and professional goals, and then, follow up with timelines to achieve each. Next, document “how” you’re going to achieve those goals. The task you’re putting off may or may not directly be associated with your goals, but taking action here will help with the tasks you’re struggling to complete.
• Daily Planning – I have a daily plan which I use to schedule my day. I try and build a plan daily, but it doesn’t always happen. On the days where I don’t, I find myself less productive and often scattered. I find it works best to create my plan the night before. Unfortunately, with my busy schedule and two kids at home, it often gets moved to the following morning. It’s still effective, but I feel more rushed when I have to set up the plan as I’m starting my day.
• Long-term Planning – In addition to a daily plan, I have a yearly plan which I call a “living plan”. It’s “living” because it’s always changing and it’s one that I actually follow. I’ve built a 1 page business plan that is a roadmap and guide, along with a few supporting documents (mindmap, notes, action steps).
• 15 Minute Jump Start – If you’re putting off tasks or struggling to get things done, try what I call the 15-Minute Jump Start. Most people can do anything for 15 minutes, no matter how unpleasant. Agree to dedicate 15 minutes to a task and take some action. Just getting started is often the only catalyst you need to make real strides.
• 10-10-10 Rule – If it’s an important task, one that impacts your life and opportunities you may have, apply the 10-10-10 Rule. If you complete the task, where will you be in 10 days? What about 10 months? Or 10 years? Now take the contrast view and look at those same timelines if you don’t complete the task. If it’s an important task and you’re honest with yourself, you may just find the motivation you need.
• Accountability – Find someone you can confide in or use to hold you accountable. An advisor, mastermind groups, a spouse or some other person who understands what you’re trying accomplish and knows how to keep you on track, is critical to getting things done. If you don’t want to disappoint others or you don’t like to fail, share your plan and tell them you need to be held accountable. It’s amazing how impactful it can be to have others keeping you on point.

Getting Things Done

In the above list, goal setting is at the top of the list. That’s because I believe it’s one of the most important ways to start getting things done. Remember, a plan without goals is a road map to nowhere. From there, the rest of the elements will help you reach your ultimate destination. If you know what you want and you find a way to take action, you’re going to succeed. It’s really this simple, business success starts with getting things done. What are you doing to get started?

It may be common sense, but are you doing it?

Have you ever heard a presenter or trainer speak about a topic and you felt it was common sense, or it was obvious to do what they suggested? Recently, I was speaking with an industry contact after a webinar. He commented that it was obvious what the speaker was proposing. However, when I asked him if he was doing any of the things suggested, he responded. “No, but I know I should.” Are you ignoring obvious sales solutions?

Sometimes We Need A Reminder

Some of the best business and sales presentations I’ve heard are ones that remind me of what I’m not doing. Sure, much of it is obvious, but if I’m not implementing certain things I know work or I’ve proven successful in the past, often it’s a solid reminder to re-engage those activities. Sure, it’s great to receive some revolutionary approach. However, in reality, implementing a new strategy that will command a lot of time and attention isn’t always feasible with my current workload and time constraints. That’s when a reminder about something I should be doing is a great catalyst. If it’s something I’ve implemented before, the reminder gets me in the right frame of mind, it’s easy for me to adapt and implement and it’s something that’s often natural and comfortable. Still, learning something new is great, if it’s something I can adopt as my own.

Don’t ignore the obvious sales solutions

Recently, I was working with a person who was fairly junior in his sales background. Actually, he wore a salesperson’s title for years, but he wasn’t exactly a rainmaker. When I met this person, he felt he had all of the answers. I kept hearing how long he’d been in sales and how that meant he knew how to handle every situation. Eventually, we were able to get past some of that and he’s more receptive to direction and ideas. However, I recently gave him some ideas on how he could connect with a client who had been non-responsive. Instead of doing what I suggested, he came back telling me he’d already been trying to reach the client and he’d gotten nowhere. I reiterated my recommendation, which met zero resistance, but I also felt there was an equal amount of acceptance, lamenting in the fact that he couldn’t get him to return his call. He was embracing the excuse instead of trying something he was convinced wouldn’t make a difference. Though what I was suggesting would require a little shift in thinking, and possibly a little effort, I’ve proven it to work hundreds of times throughout my career. After all, as a sales professional, you can’t wait for your phone to ring, you have to take action and sometimes get creative. Other times, the solution may be obvious, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t the right one.

The next time you hear advice you believe is obvious, ask yourself I you’re implementing it. If not, why not take advantage of it? Ignoring obvious sales solutions may have a negative impact on your wallet. I’ll never condemn someone for forgetting about solutions that are proven to work, but choosing to ignore them may just be the mistake your competition wants you to make. And while you’re busy defending why something you’re not doing won’t work, someone else is cashing in on the obvious sales solutions.

If you’ve ever worn a sales hat, chances are you’re forced to engage some contacts which are considered cold. By cold, I’m referring to the fact that they don’t know you, have not heard of your brand and, as far as you know, they’re not seeking out what you’re offering. Often sales people join a company where everyone expects that they’ll be cold calling all day long. Though there are still people who make a living cold calling, today there are often better ways to engage. After all, if you’ve spent a day dialing cold lists, you’ve faced hang-ups, irritated responses and rejection galore. In fact, even with warm leads, you can face those same things. Therefore, it’s obvious that cold calling requires thick skin and a “smile and dial” mentality. Warm up your cold calling and you can be more productive and successful.

Effective Cold Calling: Where do you begin?

So what can you do to help improve the odds of conversion? What can you do to warm those cold contacts before you call them? Let’s first look at traditional approaches. Direct mail, such as post cards, can be a great way to create awareness and interest. Traditional advertising can also help create awareness. Though some industries, including marketing research, shy away from many forms of promotional offers, you can open a door with a special offer which the potential buyers views as beneficial to them or their business. Another avenue that works well is a hand written note, though this works best when there’s some form of relationship or connection. Though there’s a cost associated with it, a great way to ensure your message gets read and creates a warm opportunity is to leverage FedEx or some other form of rapid delivery service. Virtually 100% of the time it will get opened and it stands out from any junk mail or business correspondence.

Cold Calling vs. Social Media

Let’s take a look at social media or social marketing techniques as an alternative to cold calling. If you can connect, via social networking, with the people you view as your potential customers, you can establish connections in various ways. If you’re viewed as an authority figure within the social media world, you can leverage name recognition to connect with your contacts. Today, to become an authority, you can leverage several means to gain exposure, such as blogging, video, podcasting, or influencing through channels such as Twitter, Facebook or an almost unlimited number of social networking resources. Invest a little time and strategic effort and you can have instant credibility. The modern marketing tools also allow for some great creativity and connectivity. For example, I connected with someone through LinkedIn who had responded to a question I answered in a business forum. About a week after making the connection, I received a large envelope with a hand written address, personalized to me. Inside was a great 4 page brochure, a business card and a thank you note attached. The note expressed his appreciation for my response, which he was able to leverage for a client he was working with. Clearly, this was a crafty way to get his brochure in my hand, but it also made me very receptive to learning more. He hasn’t called, and I don’t believe he will, since he put the ball in my court. The key here is that he broke down any barriers with very little effort. And when I have a need for his services, he’ll be at the top of my list.

Effective cold calling still works, but for me, I prefer to create warm opportunities. Remember to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. What works to tear down your walls, may just work for you when trying to break through barriers or create warm opportunities. Then you can really “smile and dial”, since you’ll be facing much less rejection than cold calling and you can actually spend time building relationships and focusing on Business Growth.

Selling is not about telling.  It’s about asking.  The better the questions, the more you can uncover and get them talking.  If the person on the other side of the table is talking and sharing issues and challenges, you have a chance to win them over.  Think about it.  We all love to be heard.  Often sales presentations are non-engaging or they don’t connect with our internal mental triggers.  Questions are one of the most powerful mental triggers and if used correctly, they can open up a world of opportunities.

Sales Questions help non-sales people

Sales seems intimidating for some or it may be something you believe is beneath you.  I personally love the art of sales and have learned many nuances, which have taken me from a low-key, low-energy person, to someone who can gain client trust.  If I can do it, so can you.  Why was I able to do this?  Because I’ve studied and implemented power questions into my arsenal.  In fact, I’ve helped many “non-sales” people become successful at engaging clients and driving sales success.  And even if you’re not interested in selling, this process can help anyone in a client-facing role.

Types of Sales Questions

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The Process of Business Development

I love learning new and better ways to create client engagement.  When it comes to business development and sales, I have read countless books, watched videos galore and studied several “gurus” in the space.  I’ve been through professional training and I’ve also had great mentors.  What I’ve learned is that business development is not a mechanical process, despite what many programs teach.  This topic came to the forefront when I recently witnessed someone who had been in sales for many years trying to apply a strategy he learned through a book he read.  He was surprised it didn’t work, and chalked it up to the prospect not being interested.  After hearing him describe what happened, I think it’s that he lost them the minute he tried to execute a strategy designed to emphasize the scarcity of his offering.

Scarcity is an interesting subject, since it can be a catalyst in the sales process if the potential buyer really wants what you’re selling and they believe that they’re going to miss out if they don’t buy right then and there.  We’ve all experienced it in some way.  “There is only one left, and I can’t hold it for you, so if you want it…”  It can create a sense of urgency or possibly even fear.  It generally creates an emotional buying environment, which often leads to a sale.  And, in most cases there’s little negativity or buyer’s remorse if the scarcity is genuine (or the buyer never finds out that it wasn’t).  Hopefully you’re never using dishonesty when you talk to customers, since your integrity is everything in today’s world of viral reviews.

How did the process go wrong for the sales person mentioned above?  He had read about a systematic way of creating the perception of scarcity.  He was selling a service, and pushed the idea that his company could only support so many projects at a time and to fit them in, he’d have to get a commitment now.  As he described the details of the discussions and shared the customer dialogue, it became very clear that he pushed them away by being too mechanical.  He abandoned his normal customer centric approach for a step-by-step process.  Even when he was hearing clues that they were uncomfortable with his approach, he kept following the program.  Not only did he miss out on that sale, he probably will struggle to gain their trust on future ones.

Whether you’re in sales or you are in some other client facing role, it’s important to be yourself.  Being anything else is not only dishonest, it’s often going to appear very unnatural and obviously awkward.  Processes can help you learn to become better at engaging people or at relationship building, but only when you truly believe in those steps and you’ve adopted them as your own.  Just remember that business development isn’t mechanical.  It can be methodical, but if you become too process focused, you’ll experience your own form of “scarcity”, people who will return your phone calls.