In this economy you need to working hard to stay positive. One way is to minimize the effect Life sucker have on your life. By adjusting some of your existing environments and association your life can take a quantum leap forward. Sure its not comfortable to make that move. Nothing worth doing is ever easy the first time. Step back and look at the big picture of your life. If you want to grow and make it permanently positive you will need to assess your surrounding and eliminate or reduce some of the people you come into contact with. Her are some ideas on how to do that gracefully, and ethically.

1) Lead by example. If you tell people what you are going to do, if you share your dreams or goals with them be prepared to go at it with full force. If you are passionate about what you have chose to work on, then attack it with the same passion. Too many people only talk about what they are going to do, instead of doing it. That is just bragging. When you begin to succeed, you won’t have to tell anyone. They will all take notice because there watching you.

2)Hang out in new places. Find spots where success is occurring and invest your time there.  (the Engage Powerhouse is full of life givers…)

3) Change your associations. Hang out with successful people. People who inspire you and you can learn from. Find role models and mentors. 

The only remedy to quiet life suckers for good is your own success. Focus your energy of what you want to achieve in life and don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done.

Motivating you to sales success,

 Colleen

Dear Colleen, We have a number of client’s who are complaining these days. The volume has become depressing because we never really had any complaints before. To be truthful we don’t know how to handle the complaints any thoughts? Stewart.

Hi Stewart,

Its interesting to me that you report a sudden surge in complaints. Has anything changed in your product quality, service standards or delivery? You might want to check out the root cause of the problem at the same time as you learn how best to handle client’s. You should know that the American Management Association research into consumer behavior indicates that the average satisfied customer tells three people about his experience but the average dissatisfied customer gripes to eleven other people. Negative word-of-mouth advertising is a problem few businesses can afford because complaints tend to spread and expand like fishing stories. So… best to learn how to handle the complaints effectively!

Step one – Get on their side. “OOOH that’s terrible!” is a great starting point because it puts you on the same side of the issue with the customer and shows that you care about the complaint. Acknowledging the client’s right to be upset is the first step in calming them down – especially if they are visibly upset or angry.

Step two - Thank the client for sharing the information with you. Rather than saying “I’m sorry” say “Thank you for sharing this with me”. That will put the customer at ease and indicate to them that you emphasize and are about to take action.

Step three - Make a positive action statement. Example – “Now that I know, I can take action to get something done right away” The client doesn’t want sympathy or excuses, they want the problem solved.

Step four – Ask for suggestions. I like to use “Mr. Voice, what would be your ideal solution to (this problem)?” Most often the dissatisfied client will ask for something less than you would freely offer. Angry clients often react negatively to solutions that they feel they have not had any say in. 

Step five – Solve the issue. “Mr. Voice thanks again for bringing this to my attention. I appreciate the opportunity to make the situation right, by…. (what ever the client and you agreed would be the solution). We want to keep you as a valuable client and I am sorry you experienced this.

Step six - Send them a thank you note and small gift. I suggest something that is NOT branded but rather something that is more personal. Maybe a Starbucks card, a book or some chocolates. Thank them again for allowing you to resolve the issue for them and for their loyalty. This show of appreciation will ensure that their next purchase is with you.

Step seven - Follow up. Conduct a quick survey to make sure the issue is still solved to their satisfaction. Wait about 10 days and make the call. Be sure to conduct this call over the phone, an email will NOT cut it. This is your chance to connect with the customer again, in a more positive communication. You will build rapport, enhance trust and gain referrals.

Good luck! Colleen

My friend Brian Lambert is running a survey that I urge you to participate in. It’s on Sales Management Training.

Times are tough in many industries and occupations.  Sales managers are finding themselves caught between a “rock and a hard place” when it comes improving the entire sales team as well as improving their own sales management and performance skills.  Recent research by the American Society for Training and Development found that less than 1% of sales managers receive sales training on a routine basis.

That’s why Sales Training Drivers has teamed up with sales and marketing research team at Northern Illinois University and Georgia Southern University to study the latest trends.

They  invite you to help us research and share best practices on Sales Management training.  Please take this 20 minute survey to help advance the profession of sales management.

Also, by taking the survey you’ll be able to receive a copy of the final report, allowing you to benchmark the best practices, actionable content, and current delivery methods that others are using to improve sales management success within their industry.

Please click the link at the bottom of this email to take the survey by April 1^st, 2009

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=U2BNU8THGDF5

Last weekend Chris and I took a trip to Fort Myers to visit my friend Susan Sweeney. Along the way we travelled route 41 the Tamiami Trail, or Alligator Alley. Right through the Everglades. And did we see Gators. They were literally lined up along the swamp next to the highway, soaking up the sun, and waiting for dinner. Unusual creatures. Unique, likely misunderstood. Hard shell on the outside but soft underside. Similar to sales professionals!

Alligators are also unchanged from their prehistoric roots. As close to Dinosaurs as we get. Sadly, also similar to most sales people. In fact, 80% of sales people will suffer or fail in this new economy for one simple reason. They refuse to abandon their prehistoric sales techniques for the next generation of ideas that work today.

What does encourage me are the other 20%, many of who are members of our Lead-Up! programs and registrants to the Engage Powerhouse Sales Event that have proven by implementing new ideas they will get great results despite the economy!  Peter, who has hit his quota for the year; Kim, who’s business is up 20% so far this year; Patrick who’s team is ahead of their numbers and is about to have their best year ever – despite that they work in the financial markets – and Skip and David who are growing their sales teams, are all part of the Engage Lead-Up community.

What these super stars also have in common is (1) their refusal to do things the same way they did last year and (2) they continuously invest in self improvement. Sure, never evolving may have worked for the Alligator as clearly they are thriving in the mud and swamp. Thinking metaphorically – is that where you really want to live? As a cold blooded creature in the mud? Just barely getting by? I didn’t think so.

So what are you waiting for? Take responsibility for making a change! I just finished a full day brainstorming with an innovative and forward thinking client on ways that we can impress the client, increase retention and increase referrals. All day we shared ideas to improve every step of the sales and marketing process. We documented. We prioritized. And then, everyone in the room committed to implement at least 3 new ideas immediately.

What made the day even more special was that the whole company was involved. Operations, Accounting, Marketing, and a major partner were all present and active. The day was a great example of modern sales thinking that will ensure increased profits. If you lead a forward thinking company consider implementing this exercise during your next company meeting. If you find yourself alone, do it yourself. Spend one hour today with a blank piece of paper and document all the opportunities in front of you, the approaches you are taking, and then ask “how can I improve on this?”

If you are stuck for the answer use our site as a resource Engage Selling or join us in April to mastermind, network and learn from the best at our Engage Powerhouse Sales Event. There are hundreds of sales professionals working with me currently to increase their results. You can join them and thrive in this new economy. It’s your choice, evolve your sales process now, or risk extinction soon.

Dedicated to increasing your sales,