Relational Bridges

Success By Steps

2010-12-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago my son started begging to take karate lessons. After a little research, I discovered that an acquaintance of mine taught jujitsu, so I decided to take lessons with my son. I remember laughing to myself when I first saw the instructor teaching such nonsense as walking, falling, and making fists. Shortly thereafter, I was threatened with physical violence on a warranty claim, so I decided to take my classes much more seriously.

When I first began taking jujitsu, I had to learn how to move in fights. I was shown how an experienced competitor would trip my foot as I placed my weight upon it. To counteract this, I was taught to move by sliding my feet on the mat in a C-like fashion. Since it is extremely important to stay balanced in a fight, I was warned that a competitor might try to get me off balance by pushing me back over my heels or pulling me forward over my toes. To avoid this, I was to approach my competitor at a 45-degree angle, and mirror their foot placement with my feet. In other words, I was taught to keep my balance by being sure footed, fighting at an angle, and staying out of my competitor's line of attack.

You'd have to be rather naive to think that you'll never slip or fall, but how do you recover after you fall? The instructor taught me to slap the mat with my hand and forearm upon impact. I learned that my hands absorb pain better than the rest of my body. By striking with my hands, this prevented landing on my elbows, which could knock my shoulders out of socket. Also, competitors would attempt to drive my head into the mat, which I was taught to escape by doing shoulder rolls. In effect, he was teaching me after I fall to recover from my mistakes quickly.

To win, you eventually have to go on offense. I had to learn how to make an effective weapon. I was taught to create a fist by rolling my pinky finger & then the adjacent fingers to make an extremely hard fist. Furthermore, I learned the knuckles of the index and middle finger are stationery; therefore, I was taught to strike with these two knuckles to prevent breaking my hand. Also, I learned to target muscle tissue instead of bone to reduce damage to my fist. With slight adjustments to my hands and targets, I could make greater impact.

In jujitsu and life, the difference between winning and losing is usually minute. It's a total of a lot of little things. These could be the difference between winning or losing to your competitor.

Remember to:
1. TAKE SUCCESS SERIOUSLY.
2. MAKE A PLAN TO WIN.
3. BE OPEN TO DIRECTION.
4. HAVE A BALANCED ATTACK.
5. CORRECT MISTAKES QUICKLY.
6. MAKE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS.

I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too--your reassuring presence, coming and going. David, King of Israel. Psalm 139:5. (MSG)

Size It Up

2009-02-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

Any task that we do is a lot easier with some kind of plan. The smart thing to do in the beginning of any task is to size it up. For example, if you need to cut firewood, it’s a lot more difficult with a dull blade. First, check to see how sharp your blade is. Then, devote the time to sharpen it. What skills do you need to sharpen in this year? How & when will you sharpen them?

Even after sizing up your task, ask is there any additional steps that I’m still missing? For example, if you don’t have the foresight to bring a pair of gloves, your hands will soon blister. Those blisters will slow you down later. Do you need to update or service your equipment, or do you need to hire any additional headcount whose abilities complement your weaknesses?

After you’ve prepared, ask. Which trees should I be cutting? What if you accidentally cut down a tree on your neighbor’s property? You would be upsetting that neighbor needlessly. Are you doing everything, as you should be doing it?

After you’ve determined that you’re cutting the right trees, ask which of your trees you should begin with? Some trees are easier to cut than others. To start, I suggest cutting trees, which are the dead and dying ones. Which prospects do you need to go after first? Who is being neglected by their suppliers?

Even after you’ve determined which trees you should cut, and which particular tree you should begin with. Select the best spot on that particular tree that you have chosen. It’s a waste of time to cut up and down that tree in no particular spot, so focus your efforts within the prospect. (i.e. if you’ve decided to increase your business within an unfriendly prospect. Ask who within that location is the least unfriendly? Focus your efforts on that person).

Remember...

1. Size it up.
2. Have foresight.
3. Do it right the first time.
4. Prioritize.
5. Be consistent and focused.

Feel Abused?

2009-01-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

It’s almost amusing to see. Sales reps scurrying away when they find out that YOU are trying to sell THEM something. Usually, it works the other way around. They swarm you the minute that you take a step onto their sales floor. Now, it’s as if you’ve got the plague. You make your way to their manager. He (or she) says that he’s not interested. They’re not generating any business. They’re going with a competitor. On and on they go. While you’re still speaking, he or she turns their back on you and walks away. When you go to the prospect, do you sometimes feel abused? No wonder you never want to go back. Many prospects remain unvisited throughout the country for the reasons just mentioned.

Have you ever realized that if you can learn to effectively work ALL your prospects that you could make A LOT OF MONEY? The most difficult visit that you will ever make to a prospect is your very first one. After that initial rejection, you might as well jump in and begin the courting process. It’s almost like dating. Up until that point the other person doesn’t know that you’re interested. Once you’ve gone in once. They know about you. What’s stopping you now? If we treated courtships the same way as some of us treat prospect visits, the whole human race just might die out! Let me tell you how I won someone over.

I know that this might shock you, but I had to repetitively ask my wife out before she initially consented to go. It wasn’t that I was so bad. She was just busy, and didn’t know anything about me. On maybe my last attempt, an acquaintance came up unexpectedly that knew us both. I didn’t particularly like that acquaintance or he me, but just because he knew me she consented to go out. Even after that it wasn’t easy. She had already been seeing a guy that was really persistent. I was so glad when his company sent him to Germany for a few months on a special project. Before he got back, she was wearing my engagement ring, and we were shopping for wedding dresses. If we don’t go after what we want, then we might have to grow old by ourselves.

Have you come to terms with the cost of you not effectively visiting your prospects? We think more about the initial pain of rejection, but let’s turn it around. What is the pain of you not working them? Remember, anything worth having is worth fighting for, including your prospects. Think about all the nice things that you could have if you learned to master the art of selling. Aren’t you tired of going without? We need to work smarter just like when we were courting our spouses. Don’t just put your foot into the prospect’s door, and then tell your supervisor that you’re working your territory. Get to know THE people. What are they after? What hoops must you climb through to get their business? When will your competitor be out of town or preoccupied, so you can get a booking? Then, move in for the sell.

I know that prospects are difficult who treat you like dirt. I used to call on prospects myself. It helped me to remember that their actions define them and not me. What defines me is what I do in response. Do I turn tail and run, or do I refuse to back down when difficulties arise? I think that the biggest battle we have to win is not with the prospect, but between our ears. Am I going to believe today’s circumstances, or am I going to work toward what tomorrow might become? It all comes down to your point of view. Dismiss that garbage they send your way, and keep your mind on what might materialize if you persist. If not, you might as well get used to being without.

"I say to you, though he will not get up and give to him, because he is his friend, still, if he keeps on making his request, he will get up and give him as much as he has need of”. Jesus, Son of God. Luke 11:18. (BBE)

Communication = In Common

2009-01-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

We CAN make an impact on our business simply by improving our communication skills. Did you know the word “communication” derives its origin from the Latin word “commonis, which means to have “in common?” If we are to truly communicate, we’ve got to discover what we have in common with others, and use that to build a relational bridge. To discover what we have in common, we’ve got to look past what appears to be and discover what really is.

Recently, while I was visiting a prospect, I saw an inappropriately dressed man coming out of an office. At first, I was tempted to simply pass him by in favor of the important looking people. However, I resisted that thought and introduced myself. After talking to him, I discovered that he was an important decision-maker. We did actually have a lot “in common”. If I had judged him by his appearance, I would have missed the opportunity to talk.

Next, I made a call to another prospect. I told myself that it was a waste of time since they didn’t appear to need my product. After I walked onto their parking lot, several employees became excited because they had a damaged piece of equipment in the back that needed fixing. We actually did have something in common after all, but I would have never discovered it if I hadn’t looked past the fact that they appeared to have no need for my product.

In the Bible (John 4), there is an amazing example of Jesus looking past appearances to build a relational bridge. Once while Jesus was traveling through a hostile region named Samaria, he encountered a woman at a well who was probably a social outcast. On face value, they had nothing in common, but Jesus knew better. He began by talking about what they did have in common - They were both thirsty. After Jesus reached out to her by asking HER for help (a drink from her pitcher), she became the key that unlocked the door to that community.

Some authors suggest that the words “human”, “humility”, and “humor” all share a “common” Indo-European root word, “ghom” best translated by the English word “humus”; therefore, let’s see what these three words have in common to improve our prospect strategy. First, we should treat all people with respect simply because they are humans with feelings just like we have and avoid relating to people strictly on status. Next, we should practice humility by striving to make everyone else feel good about THEMSELVES. Finally, we should utilize humor to lighten up, enjoy life, and not take everything so seriously. Do these three things to find the key and unlock the prospect’s door.

New Skills

2009-01-19T09:19:00.001-08:00

You begin any new skill as a novice. New skills are accompanied with feelings of awkwardness. As infants, your parents spent a lot of time teaching you how to talk. Before long, you were able to speak easily. After that, they stuck a book in your hands, and you had to learn a new skill. Reading. You felt awkward all over again. Being an expert at one skill doesn't mean that you are an expert in another. The learning process never stops.

Some new owners have similar experience in businesses. They may be mechanically inclined, give attention to detail, and work well with their hands. They believed in themselves to the degree that they are willing to lay out a bunch of money to get their new business going. All in all they are a really confident bunch.

Some owners think that just because they are strong in operational skills means that they are automatically strong in another unrelated skill such as sales or marketing. In reality, they may be weak. I once knew a business owner, which came up with a great new strategy, or so he said. Some rep came by selling billboard ads. He decided to buy 10 billboards for one month for only $10,000! He went on and on about his great buy. He never researched his industry’s results using billboards; therefore, he only made two sales that month. He really got burnt. (Your business may do well with billboards, depending upon your industry).

Some owners know where they are weak (for example sales calls), but they think it’s permanent. They are weak in that skill because they are just inexperienced. When they resist venturing out, they remain a novice, so they continue to be weak. They say, "I'm just not good at that!" The truth is that they are not good at it because it's just a skill in which they need to grow. Until they venture out, they will continue to be weak in that skill.

You're not an expert in every skill and neither am I. Let’s say that you’re not a technical expert. When a machine breaks down, you need to call an expert. If it breaks down 3 times a day, you'll still call him (or her) because you know that you can't keep going without his help. It's just as important to hone our skills in marketing and sales as keeping our machines going. If customers are not coming into your door, something's just as broke.

With marketing, there's a time delay between the advertisement & the result. It's less tangible, so it's less easily seen. You may be actually calling on prospects and advertising, but if people aren't coming in the door, you're still in trouble. You need to call a specialist just like you do for your machinery, and ask for help. Stay with them until you’ve honed your abilities and mastered your sales and marketing skills.

Small Habits

2009-01-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday the church where I attend had a big Thanksgiving service at a local High School. The church was celebrating 5 years in existence. After the service was over, around 900 people began to pile out the rear door, where the pastor was shaking hands. Everyone was supposed to be headed to the school’s cafeteria for lunch, & we were furtherest away from the exit of that auditorium.

Although my family was unfamiliar with that school, my son just popped open a side door and we passed hundreds of people waiting to exit through the rear door. There we noticed the associate pastor walking briskly down the hallway. We guessed that he knew where he was going, so we just followed him. We arrived in the lunch line at the front, and got our meals within minutes. As we left, we passed hundreds of people still waiting to be served. Although we didn’t push or shove to get in front of those people, my son just thought us there.

In any organization or industry, there are those who know how to get ahead. If you’re not one of those people, you should learn to be a quick follower of those people. If you’d like to get ahead, please do the following…

1. Cultivate a close relationship with Top Performers in your organization or industry. If you’re not a leader, at least be a quick follower. Whoever you follow ask yourself. Who am I following, and just where are they going?

2. Be a student of your business. Set goals, and plan to get there.

3. Carefully, read all your e-mails, maintain, & practice those e-mails that are pertinent to you.

4. Develop close relationships with your co-workers, prospects, and business partners.

5. Cultivate a healthy mindset.

6. Be a student of yourself. Study how you come across to others. Develop your influencing skills.

7. Answer the phone professionally. Return calls promptly. Don’t hurry the prospects off the phone. Ask for the sale.

8. Treat EVERYONE excellently as you’d like to be treated.

Major Decisions

2009-01-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gotten yourself into trouble by not checking with your spouse before making a major purchase? I have. In fact during my engagement, I purchased a car without even mentioning it to my fiancée. Afterward, she said, “You didn’t even discuss this with me!” Right then and there I knew that I was wrong, so I promised to get her input on major decisions in the future.

Early in our marriage we decided to never carry over credit card debt to avoid high interest charges. Although we use credit cards, we write a check at the end of the month to pay them off. If we didn’t communicate on major purchases, we might not have the money to do this. I’m glad we plan our expenditures.

After we married, I better understood my wife’s personality type, which is analytical. (She has a B.S. in Math). What she really likes to do is research. After she pulls together the product’s information, she’ll discuss her findings with me. It helps me to get her input. In fact, she encourages me to make the final decision.

Recently, we decided to purchase a new refrigerator. I told her that I had a lot of confidence in her. I told her to go ahead, pick one, and then buy it. Instead, she insisted that I visit Best Buy, Sears, and H.H. Gregg to look at refrigerators. After I saw them all, I helped her pick one. We bought the best refrigerator, according to her research.

Because some items are major purchases, we need to understand how our prospects make their decisions. Oftentimes, the final decision maker is not the person calling. The choice may be a joint decision between two or more individuals made later. In those cases, it will be impossible to book an appointment because the caller can’t make the final decision. Then, what should we do?

When we receive a phone call, we should be educators, as much as salespeople. If we don’t educate, the prospect assumes that all competitors are the same; therefore, they focus only on price. It’s up to you to make sure that no caller hangs up uninformed. As you talk, ask probing questions to uncover the prospect’s knowledge, and then educate as needed.

After you’ve educated the caller, attempt to book an appointment. If the caller hesitates, answer any objections, and then attempt to book again. If they still resist, remember you might not be talking to the final decision maker. Your next step is to arrange a visit. Ask them to bring another person for input. Remember, it’s a lot easier to convince a prospect to give you 15 minutes of time instead of a $500 sale.

Explain the benefits of a store visit such as touching your samples, looking at your completed job photo album, or reading your customer’s testimonial letters. Also, you can tell them that you want to walk them through the entire installment process. Be available to do it at a time when the decision maker can come. Remember; don’t be too busy to schedule visits! Selling through visits could eventually be your best sales tool.

Thoughts = Attitude

2009-01-19T08:32:00.000-08:00

When you visit your prospects, YOU are like a walking billboard, but just what are you advertising? Although your clothing is extremely important, there is something even more important than apparel. It is the attitude that you bring into the prospect. Did you know that you can choose your attitude and thoughts just like you choose the clothes you wear? I'd like to take a few moments to discuss how this works.

You choose your attitude by selecting your thoughts. Your attitude merely responds to what you are thinking about. For example when you think upon a positive experience of the past, your thoughts will bring back those exhilarating emotions into the present. However, when you think upon a negative experience, your mind will bring back those miserable feelings into the present. In this way, when we choose our thoughts, we choose our attitudes. This explanation may seem over simplified, but go ahead. Conduct a test of a positive thought and then a negative thought for about 2 minutes each in duration. Then, as you do, monitor your emotions. You'll see that I'm right.

I recently had an argument with another person. We were just talking, but then he began to raise his voice and get emotional about what he was saying. Then, I too got upset, and the conversation began to unravel. I later reflected upon what I did to contribute to the situation and apologized THAT DAY. Then, I forgave him and myself, and dismissed it from my mind. It is a healthy thing to reflect upon mistakes THAT DAY, but it is unhealthy to carry pain into the future.

If you think about it, most of what happens in our lives is positive. Most of us have our health, plenty of food to eat, a warm place to sleep, and good relationships. We have a lot to be thankful for. However, a lot of us get preoccupied with the one thing or the next thing that we don't have. In the Bible, God created a man & woman and placed them into a paradise called Eden. They had everything except access to a forbidden fruit. Instead of focusing on all the good things they had, they were drawn to the one thing that they didn't have, which sealed their doom. In the same way, we must focus on what we do have, or we'll experience a similar fate.

A lot of us sabotage our future with negative thoughts. Instead of reflecting upon all the things that are going right, we gravitate to the one thing that is going wrong. If we don't purposely fill out minds with good thoughts, our minds tend to gravitate into negativity. If we can't find something wrong in the present, we even go back into our memories and relive a painful experience. We must habitually remember the good things and be grateful for what we have, or we'll gravitate into negativity.

What does all this have to do with being successful calling on prospects? Within each business, there are negative & positive people. The negative people are the ones who say that nothing is being sold; nothing works, and focuses on bad circumstances. They drift from business to business because they can't keep a job. If you have a negative attitude, you are going to connect with those individuals who are like-minded. You'll enjoy talking to them about how bad things are, and gravitate to them during your visits. In other words, YOU'LL BE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FAILING! I'm not saying to write them off, but to be cautious.

On the other hand, there are the ones with all the awards on the wall who walk with a smile on their face and a spring in their step. If you go into the prospect with a can-do attitude, then the high producers will take notice & consider you a resource. Then, they'll bring you into the inter-circle because they have the C.E.O.'s ear. Don't be so naive and think that everyone is going to like you. You're going to attract individuals who are like whoever you are. My question to you is what are you thinking, and how those thoughts are impacting you. Remember, with your thoughts, you attract success or failure like a magnet.