Sleeping at the hotel after a long day on the road

You can’t hit your goals this year if you are sleep deprived! Here are a couple top performer ideas to catch a good night sleep even if it’s just for a few hours.

1. 30-60 minutes before bedtime shut off the TV and take out a note pad. Empty your brain of all the “to do’s” you had today and will have tomorrow. Make sure the list is complete and then prioritize the list based on what you know you can accomplish the next day. This clearing of the mind will help you relax once in bed reducing the number of times you wake up thinking you need to do something tomorrow but can’t remember what. While you at it include on the list all the things you forget to do today/this week/this month so far and make sure they get prioritized on the top of your list for tomorrow.

2. Just before bed – I do this in bed – journal all the things you are grateful for and all the successes you had that day. List ALL your successes for that day even if they are small ones like, “chose salmon instead of steak” and “called my mom”.  Can’t think of anything? Review your lists from previous days to get inspired. Really stuck? Make note of whether you were on time for work, saw your favorite customer, or even if you smiled at someone. Filling your mind with positive thoughts – successes – and reminding yourself of what you are grateful for will help you quickly fall into a deep sleep.

3. Chris is not a great sleeper. He falls asleep easily but never stays asleep. Routinely he is up at 2, 3 or 4am for a few hours before he can dose off again. As you might imagine, these bad sleeping patterns were affecting his ability to stay awake during the day! So he asked his Dr. about some of the many sleep aids on the market today. To our surprise, the good Doc suggested he try a large glass of milk before bed. Wouldn’t have believed it for anything unless I experienced it myself…It works! On those nights Chris drinks milk before bed he sleeps through the night. Maybe we should get him a job as a milk spokesman….

4. Darkness. My friend Val Cade (www.performanccecurve.com) told me that a sleep book she read encouraged you to have a completely dark room. I was rooming with Val at a conference during this conversation and she turned off the alarm clock, blocked the gap in the curtains with a chair so they would not open, made me put my blackberry under a book so the red light would not flash, and put the computer under the bed so we couldn’t see the charging indicator light flashing. The room was pitch black except for the smoke detector light (which had it not been illegal I am sure she would have disabled as well). Again…if I had not experienced it, I would not have believed it! One of the best sleeps in the last year and one of the very rare times that I don’t wake up at least once to roll over, check the time or take a bio break. I now try to replicate this every night and when I can – and combined with my success journal – I sleep deeply and uninterrupted.

5. Massage. If you are on the road and the hotel has a spa and you are free in the evening, an after dinner massage is a great way to fall asleep. Many people have trouble sleeping in hotels and a massage is a sure cure. Sure it will cost you between $50-$120 but if it means being 100% awake in the morning so you can win the big deal…it’s worth it. In fact, I had a massage at 8:15 l;ast week at the Loews in San Diego. Even if you are not on the road, an evening massage can be great. It’s even better if you can get them to come to your house!

Go to bed early and get up early. As my dad always told me the “early bird Gets the worm! In our jobs, I think he gets the paycheck too!

Cheers Colleen

Lots! – That is if your goal it to increase repeat sales, referrals and sell at higher prices than ever before! Sydney and I had a great conversation last week about the presentation she is giving in Ottawa April 28th at our Powerhouse Event. She will be discussing the customer experience and knows first hand how to create the right experience for your clients to keep them coming back and referring others to you. Specific ideas that all sales professionals should be practicing include:

Thanking customers

Remember special events, birthdays, holidays etc

Know that you are in the “experience” business. Not a product business

Create a mental movie about what its like to do business with you and then setting out to fix all the problems

Envision the sales process like a bridge and remembering that if a rung on the bridge is broken…the customer can’t get across to make a sale!

Yes these are simple ideas. But in my experience it’s the simple things that most often get passed over in sales. Why not learn the details of Sydney’s experience and apply it to your own business?

On Monday I was excited to see that our interview with Sydney Biddle barrows made front page news on the Ottawa citizen. You can read the article on line at the Ottawa Citizen. If you would like to hear my full interview with Sydney register fior the interview at Engage Selling.

Cheers Colleen

I received this from a good freind of mine. Janet Stewart Lussier at the NRL Group and thought you would like it too.
 - Colleen

Creativity in a Challenging Economy. When challenging economic times surface as they recently have, it is easy to fall into old habits and retreat to business practices that are “safe”. Actually – to survive and prosper at a time like this, you need to shake things up by thinking creatively! Here is some food for thought…..

You know how I feel about change – I love it! I think that change brings with it opportunities. Opportunities to find new and improved ways of doing business that better serve the needs of your customers while creating more effective and efficient business practices.
A tough economy will encourage you to find ways to reduce unecessary or “low value” operating costs, increase sales within your existing client base by refocusing on your high value customers and/or decrease costly cycle times.

Not sure where to start? Start with your employees! No one knows your business practices better than those who carry them out every day. Organize a meeting and have everyone brainstorm ways to operate more effectively and efficiently. Sort the ideas into high and low payoff (what’s the ROI?). Pick something relatively easy to address first – an early success will create a positive momentum that will translate to your bottom line.

Janet Stewart-Lussier
Janet is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and for more than 20 years, has been helping government and corporate sector organizations to operate more effectively.

We can’t avoid the discussion of the current economy (or lack their of!) which is one of the reasons I  hosted our  Sales Stimulus call Nov 25^th.  The only thing clear about the current situation is that buyer behavior has changed. You need to know how it has changed and how to use those changes in order to be successful selling through this economic upheaval. Specific buyer behavior changes are: (1) an increasing reliance on referral based decision making, (2) the increase usage of committee based decision making and (3) consolidation of vendors. Knowing how to use three changes to your advantage will ensure your business grows through these uncertain times and make you poised to really take off when the economy turns around.

Grow? Now? Yes. Everyday this month client’s have been asking me whether sales results can be improved – and sales targets met – in what some call a “soft economy.” The answer is an unqualified yes. But first, we have to stop blaming the economy.

Sure, the economy plays a role in sales success and knowing how to finesses and change your selling model to meet the new demands of this new economy is important. But the economy is only one element of your success, and definitely not the most important one at that. At its most fundamental level, sales performance is about one thing and one thing only: performance. Today’s top sales performers understand that fact, just as they understand that their performance is a direct result of how they demonstrate attitude, integrity and caring towards their customers, each and every day.

Yes, some clients have a poor perception of sales people. But that, too, can be changed. Don’t believe me? Then read on. Successful sales people come from a wide variety of backgrounds, sales styles and techniques. But almost without exception, there’s one thing they all share: successful sales professionals understand that honest communication is the secret to increasing sales effectiveness. These sales people focus their efforts on creating a positive customer experience, based on openness and trust.  As a result, 98% of their customers never even think of looking elsewhere when they need to reorder. As companies in this market start to consolidate vendors and you will need to ensure that you and your company are considered to be the most trustworthy choice. The safest choice.

As the old saying goes, there are two kinds of lies: those of commission, and those of omission. If you want to establish a reputation for honesty, never lie to your prospects or clients either by what you say, or what you choose NOT to say. And no matter how tempting it may be, never rationalize a lie by telling you that it’s “no big deal” or that it “won’t affect the outcome of the deal.”

Take my word for it – it will! Sooner or later, the customer will realize that they’ve “been sold,” and once they do, they’ll turn the tables and start playing games with you. Once that happens, your relationship will become based on distrust, and reestablishing trust can be a nearly impossible task. As Steven Gaffney and I discuss in our upcoming book Honesty Sells, the easiest way to have a more honest and open working relationship with your customers is to first learn how to separate the facts, from what you simply imagine or assume to be true.

For example, say a prospect hasn’t returned your phone call in two weeks (FACT). You imagine it’s because they’ve decided to buy a competitor’s product instead of your own (ASSUMPTION). But there could be an almost endless number of equally plausible reasons why they haven’t returned your call, including: They bought from someone else;  They’ve been too busy; The contract or funding was cancelled; They’re sick or on vacation; They haven’t made a decision yet; or They’re ignoring you.

These are just the first six possibilities that came to mind. Spend a few minutes, and you could easily come up with a dozen more. The point is, we sales people are particularly vulnerable to the mistake of making decisions and taking action based on what we assume, rather than what we really know. Sometimes we’re right. But all too often, our assumptions are wrong, and the consequences of acting on an incorrect assumption can be severe.

So how can you avoid making this mistake? By changing your mindset to allow for the possibility that you may be wrong. Try entering your next sales call by saying to yourself: “you know, I might be right that Colleen is not interested in my product, or I might be wrong. Either way, I’m going to find out.” Creating this dialogue with your clients now is the first step to earning their trust during these difficult times. Show that you truly want to be their partner, not just their sales rep, and you will be rewarded with loyalty and increased profits.

Simply allowing yourself to admit that your assumptions might be wrong will ensure that you get to the truth before you make a firm decision, or take action. Has a customer ever been less than open with you? If so, step back and look at your own behavior. If you’ve ever lied to them, then your communication style may be to blame for their dishonesty.

Dedicated to increasing your sales,

Colleen

Referrals are the best sales leads. They are prequalified, and come to you with a high level of trust. Referrals are the lifeblood of sales; they are more powerful than any advertisement you might run because referrals are founded in trust. Referrals have an innate value as they are given freely as a reward for the high quality of service rendered.  A referral is the most compelling sales advertisement on earth.

Your best referrers are your customers. People who have had a positive experience with you and can vouch first hand for your service and products. This week we look at the other people and organizations you must include in your referral prospecting system – advocates.

Advocates can multiply your marketing efforts ten-fold if you approach and position your expertise properly. They can easily turn your marketing efforts from one-to-one to one-to-many. They are the heavy hitters, who want to help you, and can have a profound multiplying effect on your business.

Your goal with Advocates is to be the first person “Top of Mind” when someone asks them about purchasing whatever you sell. To start, develop a list of who those influential people I your market who either have support you, or who have the potential to support you. These are you Top Advocates. Next, create a monthly “drip plan’ to stay top of mind every month.

Here are some ideas to stay top of mind:

• Sponsor networking events or social gatherings for your Advocates. You might hold several of these events / parties throughout the year so that you can invite several different potential referrers from the same industry
• Add each Advocate to your newsletter list so you can continue to “touch” them and maintain your Top of Mind Advantage. Be sure to give them helpful information they can use to grow their own businesses as well as pass on to others
• Invite Advocates to an all-expense paid association luncheon that has a great speaker. Rent a limo to pick them up, serve them wine or fine drinks, and treat them like stars.
• Purchase a book about their business as a free gift.
• If they are a big referrer, send them a year round gift they receive every month such as food from Harry and David (www.HarryandDavid.com) or a magazine they love. One Engage client pays for her advocate’s cable recording subscription each month so she can record her favorite shows. This will keep you in their minds all year long.
• Pre paid gas cards are timely these days if your advocates travel by car!
• Place all Advocates on an automated schedule to send a birthday card to them, their wife and their kids, send them an anniversary card, and cards for the holidays. I use “www.sendyourcardsnow.com” to help me stay in touch with my advocates.
• Purchase a best-selling book-on-tape and give it to them as a gift to let them know you were thinking about them. Information products that teach your Advocates how to grow their business let them know that you are interested in helping them succeed.

Establishing a referral program with your customers and Advocates is absolutely critical. Start today. People in authority positions can easily use their influence to help you win business just by recommending you within their inner circle.

Remember what Zig Ziglar, once said, ‘You can get everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.’

Dedicated to increasing your sales,

Colleen