To Text or Not to Text...That is the Question!

LinkedIn, text messaging, Twitter, Smartphones, Facebook...

Where do these fit in my business?

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of speaking with a group about integrating "new technology" with what they are currently doing. As I walked into the room it was easy to see why I was there. Half of the group had been in business for 20+ years and the other half had only been out of college for a few years. As I introduced myself to the group, I asked them "At the end of the day, what would you like to get out of our time together?" The answer was predictable...

"Jason...over the past few months we have discussed a number of ways to reach out to our client base and we keep hearing words such as "social networking" and "text messaging". Now, I grew up following the basic framework for networking and it has worked very well for me throughout the years. At the same time, our younger team members are saying that we should be on Twitter and LinkedIn. Which way do you think is the most effective way to connect with clients?"

My answer to them was, we must utilize BOTH!

This is not an "either/or" scenario. The basic structure for networking and building relationships is not sacrificed for the implementation of the "new stuff"!

When it comes to reaching out to clients and staying connected with them, we must search for what they respond best to...not what we feel is the most effective. Yesterday, I was following up with a number of individuals and I used nearly every system possible. I sent a text message to one gentleman, I "Facebooked" a lady that I spoke with the day before, I responded to another customer via email, and called a friend of mine regarding an interview we had that afternoon. The reason I didn't just send an email to each of them is because I had identified the most effective way to communicate with them, as individuals. The fact is, that as individuals, we all have our preferences and to be relevant we must identify what our customer's preferences are. To identify these preferences we simply ask, "What is the best way to get in touch with you?" This question not only allows us to become more effective in our communication but it also makes us more credible. After asking that question I will also follow up by searching for them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The reason we do this is to make as many connections as possible. If we are friends with a prospective client on Facebook, connected with them on LinkedIn, and following them on Twitter we will beat out the competitor that is simply emailing them.

A while back we were doing a program and we had an experienced sales manager ask, "Texting is so unprofessional! I would never text a customer! What could you possible gain by doing something so impersonal?" As my dad was in the front of the room, he called on me to offer my feedback "Jason, everything else being equal, if you were trying to decide between working with a sales rep that text messages you and one that only wants to talk on the phone...which one would you choose?" I quickly responded with "the one that text messages me, without a doubt!" On the same note, I did a program for a group of college seniors and I was talking about the impact awareness can have in the interviewing process. As I was encouraging them to become aware of what is in the interviewer's office, I used the example of looking for stationary. If an interviewer has stationary in their office then that means they probably place great emphasis on hand-written notes. So, when you get home write them a hand-written thank you note to show your appreciation for their time. Before I could finish my sentence, a young man chimed in and asked "Jason, why can't we just shoot them an email saying thanks?!" While respecting the young man's curiosity I said, "While an email may be appropriate, it may not be the most effective way to say thank you! If we want to be successful we must be outwardly focused....we must identify their hot-buttons" The biggest inter-generational struggle we face, as a population, is being able to adapt to those different than us! As a young sales professional, when I am selling to a more experienced veteran I must adapt to them. Every thing we do that illustrates our differences will be reasons for the sale to come to an end.

In sales, we may be neck and neck with a competitor. We sell the same product, at the same price, and we both offer similar perks. The only difference is that our competitor will only talk business on the phone, yet we are willing to use text messaging and LinkedIn if that is what the customer responds to. In this scenario...Who do you think wins the deal?

The exciting thing about sales is that no two situations are the same. One day we may be selling to a VP of Sales that has been in the industry for 35 years and the next day we may be selling to a 24 year-old purchasing agent. The key to being successful in such a diverse industry is to carry as many tools in the bag as we can...and own each and every one of them!

Who's going to win, a professional golfer with 14 clubs in their bag or an amatuer carrying one club that they hit really well?



I encourage all of us to have the following tools in our arsenal...

- Text Messaging
- Smartphone or PDA (emailing purposes)
- LinkedIn Account
- Facebook Account
- Twitter Account

Hiring "Young Gun" Sales Pros!

What should I look for if I want to hire the "Young Guns" of the selling world?

This is a question I saw posted on LinkedIn this morning and, given the numerous responses, I figured I would chime in with my own thoughts. After reading some of the thoughts I realized that some of us are trying to start on the roof before laying the foundation!

When I graduated from college I looked back at my education and was blessed to have been exposed to so many lessons but the one thing that I was most proud of is my ability to recognize potential in young people. In 3 years as a campus leader I had the privilege to interview over 1,000 college students for a number of positions. I made horrible hiring decisions and I made great ones...but as many of us know, we learn just as much from hitting a ball in the water as we do hitting one down the middle (thanks Dave)!

Some of you may be asking yourselves...

"This guy is talking about college! Do these principles carry any weight in the "real world"?"

Absolutely!!

These 5 Principles have only become more important as I immerse myself in the world of professional selling!

So...

Here are the "BIG 5"...


5. "Business Owner" Mentality

Being an employee is a state of mind! When we work with large sales forces this is one of the first topics we discuss. We encourage each sales professional to approach their customers, their territory, and their business as if they were the owner of the company. Too many times we run into sales professionals that get to work at 8 and leave at 5, while only doing what they are asked to do. The truth is, that may be enough to keep your job but it should not be enough to keep your pride! As a sales professional, we are suppose to make decisions like a "business owner"! We confront dilemmas like a "business owner"! And most importantly, we put in the time and commitment that a "business owner" would!

This week, ask yourself "What would a business owner do?"


4. Continuous Learner

We are always moving! We are either moving forward or falling behind. When looking to hire ANYONE we must identify an individuals desire to learn! To grow! To improve! Too many times we encounter sales professionals that are doing the same thing today that they were doing 15 years ago. We are not going to reach success today by doing what worked yesterday! To compete today we must stay ahead of the curve and we do that by learning new skills. If you want to have some fun...ask your stagnant sales professional, "What books are you currently reading?" You will have your answer right there! A true pro is ALWAYS polishing their craft!


3. Interpersonal Skills

While cliche, this one is even more important in an economy like this. We must hire sales professionals that ADD value to our product/service...not detract from it! I had been going to a men's clothing store for the past 4 years but recently made a switch to a new one because while one store focuses on interpersonal skills, the other could not even spell "relationship". While I am only one customer...I am getting married (buying suits for the wedding) and I have sent a number of my friends over there to get their wedding attire! That one "detail" cost one company thousands of dollars while the other store has more business than they know what to do with.

If we struggle to generate relationships, we will struggle to pay the bills!


2. Resiliency

I once heard my dad tell a sales manager, he was working with, "If you hire a sales professional with low levels of resiliency you are committing management malpractice!" Sales is a tough profession and if we do not hire "tough" sales people, we will either face low sales or a high turnover (maybe both)!

We must find sales people that have the mentality...

"Some will...some won't...so what...Who's Next?!"


1. Personal Accountability

We define personal accountability as "I do what I say I am going to do...because I said I would!" You know...I have noticed that individuals with low levels of personal accountability are always the ones who are "stuck in traffic" and are late "because someone else..."! Sales professionals do what they say they are going to do because they do not know any other way. They are committed to doing what it takes to keep their word and even if they are not responsible for the mistake...they take responsibility for making it right!



In this blog I communicated 5 principles that impact the success of young sales professionals but I think if you take a close look at the "Big 5" you will see its impact in other areas of business...and life!

The Optimistic Realist!

I blame it on Michael J. Fox! I am sitting here at 2 a.m. writing this blog because I cannot seem to get my mind to shut off. A few hours ago I was flipping through the channels and saw a special coming on about Michael J. Fox and his adventures to locate triumphant stories of hope!

While I do enjoy writing about sales strategies and tactics I feel that this blog must be focused on something bigger. We are in a tough economic time right now but we have a CHOICE of how we view our current situation! We will touch on this in a little bit but, for now, we will dip back into the show...

Michael J. Fox's hour-long show had me captivated the entire time. Throughout his many adventures you could see the symptoms of Parkinson's fighting within, yet Michael J. Fox views this world as a blessing. As an OPPORTUNITY!

Now, I am going to go out on a limb and say that this economy, while tough, is not the worst thing that could happen! It is not losing a child, it is not cancer, it is not PARKINSON'S!

So, while so many are blinded by the economic struggles upon us, how does Michael J. Fox see the world in such a promising light?

Is he blind to reality?

Is he in denial about his condition?

The answer is NO!

Michael J. Fox knows exactly what he is up against! He knows the reality of his disease and the hold that it will eventually place on him!

So what is so special about people like Michael J. Fox? How do some fight through the pain and focus on their purpose?

The reason they remain so positive is they do not see optimism and realism as being an "either, or" scenario!

We do not have to sacrifice living in reality for choosing to be optimistic. Optimism is not believing that the world is perfect and everything is all smiles and happiness.

Optimism is being able to see all situations in their entirety and while acknowledging the good and the bad, we choose to focus on the positive!

Michael J. Fox battles the pain and anguish that consumes him at times but he also realizes that this disease has given him the platform to impact millions of people! His pain and courage gives him the strength to comfort others. He has become an advocate of LIVING!

So what does this have to do with our professional lives?

To answer that I would like to share a short story with you and ask you a couple of questions...

In Michael J. Fox's adventures he made a trip to Bhutan. During his visit to Bhutan he was informed that Bhutan had something called the GNH...the Gross National Happiness! Bhutan believes that happiness is important in the success of a culture. While interviewing the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Michael J. Fox asked him "How do you drive happiness and hope throughout a culture?" The Prime Minister said, "We focus on the individual first. If an individual is happy then that happiness flows into their family, which is spread throughout the community, which impacts a city, which changes a culture!"

Wow! What a piece of wisdom?!

So let me ask you...

What would it mean to those around us if we made it a point to become more optimistic?

What would it mean to our organization if we focused on the opportunities in the market place and not this economic "crisis"?

Do you think that we have a better chance of selling more if we have a promising mentallity or if we appear defeated?

Could our approach to adversity change the dynamic of our family? Our company? Our industry? Our COUNTRY?



If you would like to buy Michael J. Fox's book "Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist" Click Here