Motivation is a funny thing. It is a tangible result of an intangible influence.
Huh?
What gets you out of bed? What sends you out the door? What makes you do what you do?
Too many times employers assume that all sales people are motivated merely by money; more money = more performance. Commission is viewed as the best way to reward effort. Salary is the refuge of the lazy.
Simply....... NO
What is my motivation? I know that everyone does not need to see me and does not need to buy what I am selling. 9 people will tell me NO before I hear a YES. How can I put up with that all the time? I am motivated!
Whu????
When I was an active athlete I could have shagged drills, cut corners or feigned injury so as not to work too hard. BUT I went as hard as I could often ignoring injury, fatigue and pain because I knew I was not gifted with a natural ability but I was given an athlete's body. I had to learn to do what was required because I needed to prove it to myself that I could. Some may call it pride or ego; I choose to view it as internal motivation. I also had a coach who believed in me and my work to take me where I did not feel I could go. He said; "If you think you can you will. If you think you can't you wont. Either way you are right. You decide which is right for you." His job was to recognize my limits and use my strengths to minimize their affect.
I have mentioned before that I ask my self every day if I did the best I could. That is my internal motivator; to be able to answer that question.
The reason I so loved my job before is simply because of the net result of my sale. Every time I helped a client arrive at the decision to buy I ultimately affected the quality of care that 2,000 people received. THAT made me happy. That made me work late, start early and take my lumps. That enabled me to listen to my coach (my Sales Manager) and go where I did not think I could; to learn, grow and develop; to get better.
It is true that there are many who really only get out of bed for money. I believe that the vast percentage of people who take pride in what they do are motivated by other means.
They need to be part of a team. They want to help others. They look for the spotlight and so on.
How do I know this? Easy; look at all the guys who play semi-professional sports. Poor pay but part of a team playing a game they love. Or LPN's who do so much of the direct care today but make a fraction of what a RN or NP makes who make so much less than MD's. Or actors everywhere who toil the boards for little more than slave wages but thrive on the applause.
One size does not fit all. I had a Manager who treated us all the same; with a whip and a chair and a focus on commissions. I told him that I am independent enough that I do not need to be micro-managed and thrive on the approbation of my superiors; much like a puppy if you pat me on the head I will give you 100% but as soon as you roll up the paper I tuck and hide. I don't work there any more.
I feel that if I do my job to the best of my ability the dollars will look after themselves. We all want to do our best but we all need help getting there. Finding that thing that makes us get out of bed is all we really need.
My job is to use the skills I developed as a coach and combine them with what I have learned from my mentors and experiences to help others go where they did not think they could. You grasp should never exceed your reach and your ego should never prevent you from getting all you deserve.
Thank you.
2009/04/30
2009/04/17
Does the Truth hurt?
The truth does not hurt but it is a difficult pill to swallow.
A friend/mentor advised me today that I have warts; I knew I had them but it is always better to have them pointed out by someone who only looks to your best interests.
The good thing about warts is that they are easily treated. A little work, a little freezing or duct tape and they are gone.
How does this apply to sales?
Knowing where your weaknesses are means you can look in the right direction and take the steps to turn them into strengths. Accept the truth from one you trust and believe that it IS in your best interests to continue to grow, learn and develop. Take courses, listen, observe, listen, use your awareness to your advantage.
STOP talking when you see they are no longer listening; remember that I said their opinion is more important than yours- to them. Let them talk, let them sell for you. Let them help you help them.
Procrastination, I have found, is ego driven too. If you delay you can extend the time that you are of value, you can increase your importance or you will, in reality, merely become a drain on resources.
Focus on the outcome and do everything needed to arrive at that end. Then, and only then, will you find you will shorten the sales cycle, increase performance and revenues. The strangest thing is that you will end up being of more value to your clients and employer and will become vastly more important. You will also find your stress levels are greatly reduced because you never have to worry about getting it done; you already have.
That brings me to paperwork. The bane of every salesman and sales manager.
I had a coach once who taught me a great lesson... he taught me everything I knew BUT he did not teach me everything he knew. That was painfully demonstrated at the end of the drill.
I have learned this lesson applies to paperwork too.
What I leave behind in notes is what I know, sort of the reason for this blog actually; a test to see what I do know. However, there is more than just notes. There is the entire sales process that must be respected.
All too often the word teamwork is thrown around within a sales organization. All too frequently it seems that is where it stays; in the sales organization. There are several others within that company that have integral roles in the success of the whole team.
How can the correct product be delivered if the sales order is not explicit? They don't know what you do so tell them. It saves time, confusion, error and money to get it right the first time.
How can the correct revenue be generated and collected if Purchasing does not know what you need for your client and Administration does not know what you are charging?
How can Client Services deliver/install/train/support efficiently if you do not let them know what expectations the client has? You can only know what the expectations are if you LISTEN and OBSERVE and are AWARE of what the client knows.
How do you know what you have done or said if you do not write it down?
Paperwork helps everyone from the client, to you, to your company.
It breaks down silos and allows all the internal clients you have work best with your external clients. It makes your life easier and best of all; no one is yelling at you!
Am I perfect at any of these? Nope! Do I work at them? Absolutely! Even more so now that I have been writing this. I am determined never to get yelled at again so I work at it every day. I am reading. Listening to friends/mentors, taking advice and keeping my ego where it belongs. Lately, I have been told that I seem calmer, quieter and 'deeper'.
Am I ready to manage a team? Yes, because I am beginning to understand my weaknesses, to recognize them, work to correct them and have really applied my 'terminal curiosity' to life-long learning.
If you have ouind your way to these posts AND have read this far I hope I have helped? It has helped me find my way.
Thank you.
A friend/mentor advised me today that I have warts; I knew I had them but it is always better to have them pointed out by someone who only looks to your best interests.
The good thing about warts is that they are easily treated. A little work, a little freezing or duct tape and they are gone.
How does this apply to sales?
Knowing where your weaknesses are means you can look in the right direction and take the steps to turn them into strengths. Accept the truth from one you trust and believe that it IS in your best interests to continue to grow, learn and develop. Take courses, listen, observe, listen, use your awareness to your advantage.
STOP talking when you see they are no longer listening; remember that I said their opinion is more important than yours- to them. Let them talk, let them sell for you. Let them help you help them.
Procrastination, I have found, is ego driven too. If you delay you can extend the time that you are of value, you can increase your importance or you will, in reality, merely become a drain on resources.
Focus on the outcome and do everything needed to arrive at that end. Then, and only then, will you find you will shorten the sales cycle, increase performance and revenues. The strangest thing is that you will end up being of more value to your clients and employer and will become vastly more important. You will also find your stress levels are greatly reduced because you never have to worry about getting it done; you already have.
That brings me to paperwork. The bane of every salesman and sales manager.
I had a coach once who taught me a great lesson... he taught me everything I knew BUT he did not teach me everything he knew. That was painfully demonstrated at the end of the drill.
I have learned this lesson applies to paperwork too.
What I leave behind in notes is what I know, sort of the reason for this blog actually; a test to see what I do know. However, there is more than just notes. There is the entire sales process that must be respected.
All too often the word teamwork is thrown around within a sales organization. All too frequently it seems that is where it stays; in the sales organization. There are several others within that company that have integral roles in the success of the whole team.
How can the correct product be delivered if the sales order is not explicit? They don't know what you do so tell them. It saves time, confusion, error and money to get it right the first time.
How can the correct revenue be generated and collected if Purchasing does not know what you need for your client and Administration does not know what you are charging?
How can Client Services deliver/install/train/support efficiently if you do not let them know what expectations the client has? You can only know what the expectations are if you LISTEN and OBSERVE and are AWARE of what the client knows.
How do you know what you have done or said if you do not write it down?
Paperwork helps everyone from the client, to you, to your company.
It breaks down silos and allows all the internal clients you have work best with your external clients. It makes your life easier and best of all; no one is yelling at you!
Am I perfect at any of these? Nope! Do I work at them? Absolutely! Even more so now that I have been writing this. I am determined never to get yelled at again so I work at it every day. I am reading. Listening to friends/mentors, taking advice and keeping my ego where it belongs. Lately, I have been told that I seem calmer, quieter and 'deeper'.
Am I ready to manage a team? Yes, because I am beginning to understand my weaknesses, to recognize them, work to correct them and have really applied my 'terminal curiosity' to life-long learning.
If you have ouind your way to these posts AND have read this far I hope I have helped? It has helped me find my way.
Thank you.
2009/04/15
THIS is a real inspiration to me
| At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. Hinohara's magic touch is legendary: Since 1941 he has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital
|
Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot. We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. I believe that we can keep that attitude as adults, too. It's best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.
All people who live long regardless of nationality, race or gender share one thing in common:None are overweight... For breakfast I drink coffee, a glass of milk and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Olive oil is great for the arteries and keeps my skin healthy. Lunch is milk and a few cookies, or nothing when I am too busy to eat. I never get hungry because I focus on my work.. Dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat.
Always plan ahead. My schedule book is already full until 2014, with lectures and my usual hospital work. In 2016 I'll have some fun, though: I plan to attend the Tokyo Olympics!
There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65. The current retirement age was set at 65 half a century ago, when the average life-expectancy in Japan was 68 years and only 125 Japanese were over 100 years old. Today, Japanese women live to be around 86 and men 80, and we have 36,000 centenarians in our country. In 20 years we will have about 50,000 people over the age of 100...
Share what you know. I give 150 lectures a year, some for 100 elementary-school children, others for 4,500 business people. I usually speak for 60 to 90 minutes, standing, to stay strong.
When a doctor recommends you take a test or have some surgery, ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure. Contrary to popular belief, doctors can't cure everyone. So why cause unnecessary pain with surgery I think music and animal therapy can help more than most doctors imagine.
To stay healthy, always take the stairs and carry your own stuff. I take two stairs at a time, to get my muscles moving.
My inspiration is Robert Browning's poem "Abt Vogler." My father used to read it to me. It encourages us to make big art, not small scribbles. It says to try to draw a circle so huge that there is no way we can finish it while we are alive. All we see is an arch; the rest is beyond our vision but it is there in the distance.
Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it.. If a child has a toothache, and you start playing a game together, he or she immediately forgets the pain. Hospitals must cater to the basic need of patients: We all want to have fun. At St. Luke's we have music and animal therapies, and art classes.
Don't be crazy about amassing material things. Remember: You don't know when your number is up, and you can't take it with you to the next place.
Hospitals must be designed and prepared for major disasters, and they must accept every patient who appears at their doors. We designed St. Luke's so we can operate anywhere: in the basement, in the corridors, in the chapel. Most people thought I was crazy to prepare for a catastrophe, but on March 20, 1995, I was unfortunately proven right when members of the Aum Shinrikyu religious cult launched a terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway. We accepted 740 victims and in two hours figured out that it was sarin gas that had hit them. Sadly we lost one person, but we saved 739 lives.
Science alone can't cure or help people. Science lumps us all together, but illness is individual. Each person is unique, and diseases are connected to their hearts. To know the illness and help people, we need liberal and visual arts, not just medical ones.
Life is filled with incidents. On March 31, 1970, when I was 59 years old, I boarded the Yodogo, a flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and as Mount Fuji came into sight, the plane was hijacked by the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction. I spent the next four days handcuffed to my seat in 40-degree heat. As a doctor, I looked at it all as an experiment and was amazed at how the body slowed down in a crisis.
Find a role model and aim to achieve even more than they could ever do. My father went to the United States in 1900 to study at Duke University in North Carolina. He was a pioneer and one of my heroes. Later I found a few more life guides, and when I am stuck, I ask myself how they would deal with the problem.
It's wonderful to live long.. Until one is 60 years old, it is easy to work for one's family and to achieve one's goals. But in our later years, we should strive to contribute to society. Since the age of 65, I have worked as a volunteer. I still put in 18 hours seven days a week and love every minute of it.
2009/04/13
There is no such thing as 110%
If you have an extra 10% to give then you are not giving all you have.
Engineers build an over speed factor into most devices that allow for BRIEF periods of extra effort. However, they are never designed to sustain the continued work.
The same applies to selling.
If you keep any reserves then you have shorted your client and your employer. It is incumbent on you to do all you can, every time.
When I was coaching teenage athletes the rules were sacrosanct... physical mistakes were acceptable but mental ones were never.
Physically you have to give 100% on the field for each play or you get benched, rarely do physical errors end in penalty.
Mentally you should be in every play to ensure success but it is possible to slide by without giving your all. The problem with mental errors is that they almost always result in penalties which hurt the team
Wayne Gretzky famously said, "I miss 100% of the shots I never take." He has more assists than the second place player has total points. His goal production alone is higher than 95% of NHL player's total points.
He gave 100%, 100% of the time and it paid off... 7 CONSECUTIVE Art Ross Trophy's, fastest to 50 goals, youngest to 50 goals, most points in a single season, most goals in a single season, most assists in a single season... in fact he holds outright or shares more than 50 professional hockey records.
We all need to remember his achievements every time we are in front of a client. 100% is all we can and should give.
Anything less and we cheat ourselves. If we have 110% we cheat our clients/employers.
Thanks.
Engineers build an over speed factor into most devices that allow for BRIEF periods of extra effort. However, they are never designed to sustain the continued work.
The same applies to selling.
If you keep any reserves then you have shorted your client and your employer. It is incumbent on you to do all you can, every time.
When I was coaching teenage athletes the rules were sacrosanct... physical mistakes were acceptable but mental ones were never.
Physically you have to give 100% on the field for each play or you get benched, rarely do physical errors end in penalty.
Mentally you should be in every play to ensure success but it is possible to slide by without giving your all. The problem with mental errors is that they almost always result in penalties which hurt the team
Wayne Gretzky famously said, "I miss 100% of the shots I never take." He has more assists than the second place player has total points. His goal production alone is higher than 95% of NHL player's total points.
He gave 100%, 100% of the time and it paid off... 7 CONSECUTIVE Art Ross Trophy's, fastest to 50 goals, youngest to 50 goals, most points in a single season, most goals in a single season, most assists in a single season... in fact he holds outright or shares more than 50 professional hockey records.
We all need to remember his achievements every time we are in front of a client. 100% is all we can and should give.
Anything less and we cheat ourselves. If we have 110% we cheat our clients/employers.
Thanks.
2009/04/12
If it's good, USE it!
Rush Limbaugh said the other day that the smallest minority is....... one.
Therefore anything that purports to represent minority rights while ignoring individual rights and freedoms is by it's very nature wrong.
I agree completely.
But, how does that work in sales?
Recognize that each person we deal with is a minority.
Even if part of a larger group, all decisions are made to satisfy the minority.
Years ago I was taking a sales course and was asked to explain the difference between purchasing a robotic welding system, a wrench and a party dress.
I could not. It is often that a purchasing manager will do just that: buy a robot in the morning, a wrench in the afternoon and a party dress on the way home. The same person with very different purchase decision requirements on the surface but below the same person dealing with the same pain and removal of that discomfort.
If each salesman they meet that day treats them as a minority of one and recognizes how they alone can remove their pain, then the probability of a sale goes up.
NEVER assume. NEVER let your ego prevent you from recognizing that smallest minority.
Treat everyone with respect and empathy and solve their problems; ultimately you will solve your own.
Just prior to the most recent Masters (you know which one), Tiger Woods was asked if he believed he had a chance to win. His response? "I expect to!"
It has been said that all other professional golfers merely hope to beat Tiger. Tiger only needs to beat himself. He expects to win.
He is neither arrogant, bold nor boastful. He firmly believes in his ability to concentrate and bear down when the need arises. He believes in his training and preparation for each event. He has forced the rest of the field to train off the course as hard as he does.
Why not make your competition feel the same?
Train hard. Take courses, work with colleagues and mentors, ask for help (even Tiger has a swing coach and a trainer).
Believe in your ability to provide the answers the minority of one needs to remove their pain. Make anyone you compete against merely hope to beat you.
NEVER lose to yourself. Every morning, when you look in the mirror, you only have one person to beat and they are looking back at you.
A post or two ago I mentioned a personal mantra and maybe it bears repeating?
"At every opportunity, given the skills I have, did I do the best I could?"
Answer YES every time personally and professionally.
Newton's First Law of Motion means outside influences can affect your inertia to change and place you on the best path for success.
Newton's Second Law of Motion shows how the careful application of force will change your direction but not in a straight line.
Newton's Third Law of Motion reminds that there are consequences from the application of force in an equal and opposite direction.
Use these laws for selling: accept that you will remain on your course unless acted upon and realize that it is in your best interests to have managers willing to apply it. The result of the force is never a straight line but a vector relating to the original direction of travel and the direction of the input; be prepared to go where you did not expect to go. ALL actions have results in an equal proportion to the force applied; push hard you get a hard push back. Be firm but subtle.
Thank you.
Therefore anything that purports to represent minority rights while ignoring individual rights and freedoms is by it's very nature wrong.
I agree completely.
But, how does that work in sales?
Recognize that each person we deal with is a minority.
Even if part of a larger group, all decisions are made to satisfy the minority.
Years ago I was taking a sales course and was asked to explain the difference between purchasing a robotic welding system, a wrench and a party dress.
I could not. It is often that a purchasing manager will do just that: buy a robot in the morning, a wrench in the afternoon and a party dress on the way home. The same person with very different purchase decision requirements on the surface but below the same person dealing with the same pain and removal of that discomfort.
If each salesman they meet that day treats them as a minority of one and recognizes how they alone can remove their pain, then the probability of a sale goes up.
NEVER assume. NEVER let your ego prevent you from recognizing that smallest minority.
Treat everyone with respect and empathy and solve their problems; ultimately you will solve your own.
Just prior to the most recent Masters (you know which one), Tiger Woods was asked if he believed he had a chance to win. His response? "I expect to!"
It has been said that all other professional golfers merely hope to beat Tiger. Tiger only needs to beat himself. He expects to win.
He is neither arrogant, bold nor boastful. He firmly believes in his ability to concentrate and bear down when the need arises. He believes in his training and preparation for each event. He has forced the rest of the field to train off the course as hard as he does.
Why not make your competition feel the same?
Train hard. Take courses, work with colleagues and mentors, ask for help (even Tiger has a swing coach and a trainer).
Believe in your ability to provide the answers the minority of one needs to remove their pain. Make anyone you compete against merely hope to beat you.
NEVER lose to yourself. Every morning, when you look in the mirror, you only have one person to beat and they are looking back at you.
A post or two ago I mentioned a personal mantra and maybe it bears repeating?
"At every opportunity, given the skills I have, did I do the best I could?"
Answer YES every time personally and professionally.
Newton's First Law of Motion means outside influences can affect your inertia to change and place you on the best path for success.
Newton's Second Law of Motion shows how the careful application of force will change your direction but not in a straight line.
Newton's Third Law of Motion reminds that there are consequences from the application of force in an equal and opposite direction.
Use these laws for selling: accept that you will remain on your course unless acted upon and realize that it is in your best interests to have managers willing to apply it. The result of the force is never a straight line but a vector relating to the original direction of travel and the direction of the input; be prepared to go where you did not expect to go. ALL actions have results in an equal proportion to the force applied; push hard you get a hard push back. Be firm but subtle.
Thank you.
2009/04/05
Random Thoughts
Actually not all that random but the thread inside them makes me think about how to be better at selling.
Teflon (PTFE) is the slipperiest substance known to man; equivalent to wet ice on wet ice. How does it stick to a fry pan? I actually know the answer to this but it does make you think outside the box.
Why don't sheep shrink in the rain? After washing a wool sweater once I had this picture of a sheep in a bright, sun warmed, field following a rain asking for a comb because they; well you should be getting the picture by now. Again, there is an answer but I believe looking deeper it reminds that the essential goodness of something can be washed away in the processing. Simpler is more than simpler; it is often better. Along the same line, processed orange juice is highly acidic yet fresh squeezed is actually quite alkaline. One is hard on your system the other is what it needs. Do we process too much? I believe we often do.
Why is there a setting on an iron for permanent press? Did the manufacturer of the permanent press garment provide an unreasonable expectation of performance that required the iron manufacturer to provide just such a setting. Or did the iron manufacturer not listen or let their ego get in the way and felt they had to provide a setting just to touch up the garment? In either case it is apparent to me that ego provided a cloud to reason on both parts. While important, your opinion is not the only one and therefore others matter as much.
Why do we park on driveways and drive on Parkways? Semantics are a big ego boost. Only those with the same knowledge as you will know what you mean. Taken out of context the question makes no sense. We often do that with our customers. Complete their sentence for them. Stop listening because we already know the answer. Interrupt because we get it already. Ad infinitum. Keeping semantics out of the conversation lends clarity. Keeping the ego out of semantics makes you a better listener. The best salesmen only do 20% or less of the talking.
What colour does a Smurf turn when you choke it? Well, why would anyone want to choke a Smurf? They are cute and innocent and harmless. Why do anything to something that will never have a negative effect on you? Focus on the challenges you do have. Focus on the ultimate result of all that you do. I had heard once that, traditionally, Aboriginal decisions are made based on the impact of that choice in seven generations; kind of like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon (http://oracleofbacon.org/index.php) We are interconnected. We do have an impact long after we are gone. Keep that in mind and temper response and action to acknowledge that. In short, control the ego and your impact will be positive.
Thank you.
Teflon (PTFE) is the slipperiest substance known to man; equivalent to wet ice on wet ice. How does it stick to a fry pan? I actually know the answer to this but it does make you think outside the box.
Why don't sheep shrink in the rain? After washing a wool sweater once I had this picture of a sheep in a bright, sun warmed, field following a rain asking for a comb because they; well you should be getting the picture by now. Again, there is an answer but I believe looking deeper it reminds that the essential goodness of something can be washed away in the processing. Simpler is more than simpler; it is often better. Along the same line, processed orange juice is highly acidic yet fresh squeezed is actually quite alkaline. One is hard on your system the other is what it needs. Do we process too much? I believe we often do.
Why is there a setting on an iron for permanent press? Did the manufacturer of the permanent press garment provide an unreasonable expectation of performance that required the iron manufacturer to provide just such a setting. Or did the iron manufacturer not listen or let their ego get in the way and felt they had to provide a setting just to touch up the garment? In either case it is apparent to me that ego provided a cloud to reason on both parts. While important, your opinion is not the only one and therefore others matter as much.
Why do we park on driveways and drive on Parkways? Semantics are a big ego boost. Only those with the same knowledge as you will know what you mean. Taken out of context the question makes no sense. We often do that with our customers. Complete their sentence for them. Stop listening because we already know the answer. Interrupt because we get it already. Ad infinitum. Keeping semantics out of the conversation lends clarity. Keeping the ego out of semantics makes you a better listener. The best salesmen only do 20% or less of the talking.
What colour does a Smurf turn when you choke it? Well, why would anyone want to choke a Smurf? They are cute and innocent and harmless. Why do anything to something that will never have a negative effect on you? Focus on the challenges you do have. Focus on the ultimate result of all that you do. I had heard once that, traditionally, Aboriginal decisions are made based on the impact of that choice in seven generations; kind of like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon (http://oracleofbacon.org/index.php) We are interconnected. We do have an impact long after we are gone. Keep that in mind and temper response and action to acknowledge that. In short, control the ego and your impact will be positive.
Thank you.
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