As simple as that lemonade stand you had as a child. Now you too can master the sales process with my new book Lemonade Stand Simple. Get your copy today at Amazon.com. And please - share this with those small business owners and salespeople you know.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Seed
I received this in an email and just had to share it. Enjoy:
The Seed
A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.
"The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED.
I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.
I will then judge the plants that you bring and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.
Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however... He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot.
But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.
He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful-in all shapes and sizes.
Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front.
Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!"
Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.
"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.
All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you.
Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"
* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
* If you plant hard work, you will reap success
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest
So, be careful what you plant now;
it will determine what you will reap later..
"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"
The Seed
A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.
"The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED.
I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.
I will then judge the plants that you bring and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.
Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however... He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot.
But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.
He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful-in all shapes and sizes.
Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front.
Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!"
Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.
"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.
All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you.
Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"
* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
* If you plant hard work, you will reap success
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest
So, be careful what you plant now;
it will determine what you will reap later..
"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Book Review - Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions
It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to this wonderful book by Keith Rosen. Keith is an expert in sales and sales management.
Your Playbook for Winning More Sales Today
In this difficult economic climate, sales cycles are doubling, even tripling. Yet, sales leaders are being asked to produce more results faster with less support. How can you manage these conflicting priorities and continue to meet expectations? To win more sales today, you need to play by the new rules.
Business thought leader Brian Tracy said, “There is no other single activity to boost sales that works better than sales coaching and Keith Rosen's book, Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions, is the best ever written on how to do it well.”
With this essential, award winning book written by the globally recognized authority on sales and sales leadership, you’ll be able to develop a world class, self motivated sales team and coach them to bring in more sales today. Develop the new discipline of leadership that creates sales champions. Order your copy now and receive hundreds of dollars worth of bonus gifts from the world’s top sales and business thought leaders. Click here to check it out now: http://www.coachingsalespeopleintosaleschampions.com/event.html.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Does Behavior Matter?
There are so many people apologizing these days for less than stellar behavior that it has me asking just how much our behavior matters. Do you draw conclusions about people based on their behavior - both good and bad? Does it matter more if you know the person?
I ask because I see these people in the spotlight who act without thinking about the repercussions and then have to apologize. Then what happens is that there is a group of people who don't accept their apology as sincere.
Now why is that? And what, you may be asking, does this have to do with business. Well, I'll tell you. EVERYTHING!
People fail to realize that their behavior matters; that people ARE paying attention and developing a picture of you based, sometimes solely, on your behavior. Think about the people you encounter throughout your days. If someone is perpetually difficult or unpleasant, does it make you want to work with that person? If someone speaks badly of their competition or of others do you wonder what they say about you?
It is my opinion that regardless of how well-known you are, you have an obligation to yourself to be on your best behavior as often as possible. I admit that sometimes it can be difficult. You may find yourself speaking badly about someone. Okay, let's be honest - it happens.
Stop it as quickly as possible and try to identify how that happens. If you find that someone else starts the bashing, try to be really aware of how you respond. There are diplomatic ways to get out of those conversations. Find one!
Listen, we all have bad days. Realizing it and getting out of it as quickly as possible is what matters. Just remember, most of us craft our view of others based on their behavior. It's much easier to maintain a good profile than to have to rebuild a broken one.
I ask because I see these people in the spotlight who act without thinking about the repercussions and then have to apologize. Then what happens is that there is a group of people who don't accept their apology as sincere.
Now why is that? And what, you may be asking, does this have to do with business. Well, I'll tell you. EVERYTHING!
People fail to realize that their behavior matters; that people ARE paying attention and developing a picture of you based, sometimes solely, on your behavior. Think about the people you encounter throughout your days. If someone is perpetually difficult or unpleasant, does it make you want to work with that person? If someone speaks badly of their competition or of others do you wonder what they say about you?
It is my opinion that regardless of how well-known you are, you have an obligation to yourself to be on your best behavior as often as possible. I admit that sometimes it can be difficult. You may find yourself speaking badly about someone. Okay, let's be honest - it happens.
Stop it as quickly as possible and try to identify how that happens. If you find that someone else starts the bashing, try to be really aware of how you respond. There are diplomatic ways to get out of those conversations. Find one!
Listen, we all have bad days. Realizing it and getting out of it as quickly as possible is what matters. Just remember, most of us craft our view of others based on their behavior. It's much easier to maintain a good profile than to have to rebuild a broken one.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Your Actions Speak
Today I was driving behind a truck. This truck had the company name across the back, with phone number. All I will tell you is the truck was from a painting company - I'm not going to tell you which one (out of respect).
All of a sudden the driver threw a banana peel out the window.
Do you know what struck me? They litter. Now my image of that company is that they are sloppy, lazy and unconcerned with their environment. Are they going to treat the home or building they paint with the same disregard?
Most likely not. However, many of you know that I've talked about always being on. No matter what you do or where you are, when you represent a company you are always in a position for people to draw conclusions about you, your work, your quality, etc.
The day you decide to put your company name on your truck is the day you should decide to monitor your behavior. Before you throw something out the window, ask yourself how that might look.
Think about how your actions can have a negative, or positive, impact on your business. It matters.
All of a sudden the driver threw a banana peel out the window.
Do you know what struck me? They litter. Now my image of that company is that they are sloppy, lazy and unconcerned with their environment. Are they going to treat the home or building they paint with the same disregard?
Most likely not. However, many of you know that I've talked about always being on. No matter what you do or where you are, when you represent a company you are always in a position for people to draw conclusions about you, your work, your quality, etc.
The day you decide to put your company name on your truck is the day you should decide to monitor your behavior. Before you throw something out the window, ask yourself how that might look.
Think about how your actions can have a negative, or positive, impact on your business. It matters.
Just Do Something
The other day I had the pleasure of hearing Mark Tyler Nobleman speak. He’s the author of ‘Boys of Steel: The Creators fo Superman.’ A couple of the things he said really stood out for me.
One was – ‘There’s always a way around something.’ My interpretation of this is to not give up. Consider the possibilities and discover a way to get done whatever matters to you. The people who don’t succeed are the people who give up when the going gets a little tough.
The other thing he said was – ‘You don’t know what you don’t know. Do the best with the information you have at the time.’ In other words, don’t let obstacles stop you from moving forward. Use the information you have, determine a way to go, and then GO! Too many times people spend all of their time trying to learn, or discover. They think that if they just keep working at something they will ultimately discover the perfect method or plan. In the meantime, the world is passing them by and they are never getting off the starting block. Don’t let this happen to you.
One was – ‘There’s always a way around something.’ My interpretation of this is to not give up. Consider the possibilities and discover a way to get done whatever matters to you. The people who don’t succeed are the people who give up when the going gets a little tough.
The other thing he said was – ‘You don’t know what you don’t know. Do the best with the information you have at the time.’ In other words, don’t let obstacles stop you from moving forward. Use the information you have, determine a way to go, and then GO! Too many times people spend all of their time trying to learn, or discover. They think that if they just keep working at something they will ultimately discover the perfect method or plan. In the meantime, the world is passing them by and they are never getting off the starting block. Don’t let this happen to you.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Where Does It Come From?
Where does your new business come from? Is it from networking, referrals, cold calling, or some combination?
It's a good idea to periodically check this. When you know where your new business is coming from, you'll find out what is working and what isn't.
In a perfect world your new business would be coming from a variety of places. I say this because having a marketing and sales plan that has different aspects to it is the way to yield the greatest results.
What matters is that you stay on top of it so you know what is working and what isn't. Then you want to duplicate what is working and make adjustments to what isn't. Or, you may want to eliminate what isn't working.
Remember, whatever you do, it takes time and therefore money. Your goal should be to maximize the results of your efforts. If you can't get something out of it, it's time to make some changes.
It's a good idea to periodically check this. When you know where your new business is coming from, you'll find out what is working and what isn't.
In a perfect world your new business would be coming from a variety of places. I say this because having a marketing and sales plan that has different aspects to it is the way to yield the greatest results.
What matters is that you stay on top of it so you know what is working and what isn't. Then you want to duplicate what is working and make adjustments to what isn't. Or, you may want to eliminate what isn't working.
Remember, whatever you do, it takes time and therefore money. Your goal should be to maximize the results of your efforts. If you can't get something out of it, it's time to make some changes.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Even Tiger Woods
Even Tiger Woods has off days. No one can bat 1000 every day. The question is, what do you do if and when you are off your game?
Well, like Tiger, you get right back out there the next day and work on your performance. It's not what happens to you that matters. It's what you DO about what happens to you.
Sales, and business ownership are complex, challenging jobs. People who excel are those who work on their techniques, performance, and process all the time. They know they can learn from others, and improve from where they are at this moment.
Even those who are aces can have bad days where nothing seems to go right. You know what I'm talking about! Things are just a beat off and you can't seem to get your footing.
Okay. It happens. Get up, brush yourself off, take a look back at what happened. If you can see why things were derailed, great! If not, that's okay too.
The magic is in continuing to move forward; to not let it create more of a speed bump.
So, just remember where we started - with Tiger Woods. Learn the lesson; I know he has.
Well, like Tiger, you get right back out there the next day and work on your performance. It's not what happens to you that matters. It's what you DO about what happens to you.
Sales, and business ownership are complex, challenging jobs. People who excel are those who work on their techniques, performance, and process all the time. They know they can learn from others, and improve from where they are at this moment.
Even those who are aces can have bad days where nothing seems to go right. You know what I'm talking about! Things are just a beat off and you can't seem to get your footing.
Okay. It happens. Get up, brush yourself off, take a look back at what happened. If you can see why things were derailed, great! If not, that's okay too.
The magic is in continuing to move forward; to not let it create more of a speed bump.
So, just remember where we started - with Tiger Woods. Learn the lesson; I know he has.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Proofreading - Create a System
So many of us write articles, post blogs and put out newsletters today. This is something we’ve added to our list of things we have to do. Because they are additional they can suffer the consequence of not receiving the attention they deserve.
How many times do you post an article or a blog, or send your newsletter only to find that you’ve got misprints and typos in it? Ugh! You wish you could pull it back but it’s already out there!
One of the hardest things to do is proofreading your own work. You’ve said it and read it so many times that you aren’t seeing it as clearly as someone new to it. So, there’s the answer. Find someone with good grammar and spelling skills who will offer to read through your work before you send it out. Then make sure you give them plenty of time to read it.
A few years ago I was in an organization that put out a paper newsletter. The day before it was going to print I noticed some big typos. We got them fixed and I offered to proofread the newsletters pre-print. Unfortunately, they kept sending it to me the day they wanted to print it. This did not afford me the time to properly read through the 10 page newsletter.
Set yourself up for success by creating a system that works – on all sides.
So, are there any typos in this post? J
How many times do you post an article or a blog, or send your newsletter only to find that you’ve got misprints and typos in it? Ugh! You wish you could pull it back but it’s already out there!
One of the hardest things to do is proofreading your own work. You’ve said it and read it so many times that you aren’t seeing it as clearly as someone new to it. So, there’s the answer. Find someone with good grammar and spelling skills who will offer to read through your work before you send it out. Then make sure you give them plenty of time to read it.
A few years ago I was in an organization that put out a paper newsletter. The day before it was going to print I noticed some big typos. We got them fixed and I offered to proofread the newsletters pre-print. Unfortunately, they kept sending it to me the day they wanted to print it. This did not afford me the time to properly read through the 10 page newsletter.
Set yourself up for success by creating a system that works – on all sides.
So, are there any typos in this post? J
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