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

The Foundation of FACEBOOK!

"Facebook me!" has become the closing line of billions of conversations over the past few years. We have seen a website grab the attention of the world in a way that was previously unheard of. But what is so special about Facebook? What is it that, Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg knew that would lead him to create one of the most dominant websites of this decade?

A while back Mark was speaking at an event where he was asked the million dollar question,

"How did you build a community of over 200 million active users?"

As the question was asked the attendees pushed to the front of their seats with pens in hand, just ready to write down the secret "Facebook Formula".

But Mark caught everyone off guard when he said he never built a community of 200 million. Mark explained to the group that...

"We don't build communities! They already exist!"

What mark did was identify a community that already existed and helped them become more efficient in what they were looking to accomplish, which was connecting with others!

So how can we use this model in our business?

We must ask ourselves 3 questions...


1. Which community are we focused on working with?

(ex. kids, CEOs, etc)

2. What is it this group would like to accomplish?

(ex. sell products, share pictures, etc)

3. How can we help them become more efficient in what they are looking to achieve?

To give you an opportunity to see how one company would answer this series of questions we will look into the online meeting provider www.GoToWebinar.com!


1. Which community are we focused on working with?


- GTW Answer -

Anyone that holds meeting for personal or professional use.


2. What is it this group would like to accomplish?


- GTW Answer -

Be able to hold meeting without having to travel or even leave their office.


3. How can we help them become more efficient in what they are looking to do?


- GTW Answer -

Create a website that allows people to join for a meeting in the comfort of their office or home by allowing them to connect through the computer. We will take care of the visual by allowing each party to view the presenter's computer screen and we will address the audio component by allowing each person to talk through a microphone or headset. We have created a cost efficient and time efficient meeting by developing the "virtual meeting".


So, are you spending your time building communities that already exist...or are you helping existing communities become more efficient?

What's New?

If there is one commonality I have noticed in the world of success, it is that successful people are life-long learners! I have had the privilege to interview hundreds of very successful individuals and one question I always ask is, "What books/CDs/podcasts/learning systems do you recommend?"

So, in the spirit of my "favorite question" I will give you a few of my favorite books of 2009. While many of these books were not written in 2009 I encourage you to read them before 2009 comes to a close!

My Top 10 Favorite Books of 2009

Predictably Irrational: by Dan Ariely

- In Dan's book Predictably Irrational you will begin to see why irrational behavior can become predictable. Dan injects the business world with a dose of behavioral psychology. Beware: This book will mess you up! After reading this book I began to realize that logic is not as prevalent as we may think. It is a a great book and will keep you thinking for months to come.

Click Here to Buy "Predictably Irrational" from Amazon.com



Buy-ology: by Martin Lindstrom

Coca Cola and white headphones! Martin Lindstrom addresses the dominance of certain companies and products in a way I have never heard before. Martin also takes a scientific approach to why we are attracted to one product/company and not another. If you are focused on the branding and marketing of your product...you will LOVE this book!

Click Here to Buy "Buy-ology" from Amazon.com



The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life: by Alice Schroeder

How can you make a billion dollars fixing pinball machines? Ask Warren Buffett! In The Snowball you will be submerged into the life of one of the world's greatest success stories. Alice Schroeder will walk you through the life of Warren Buffett and will illustrate how he went from selling golf balls to buying private planes. While it is a pretty long read (over 800 pages), it was worth worth every second.

Click Here to Buy "The Snowball" from Amazon.com



Grown up Digital: by Don Tapscott

Are you a forward-thinker? Do you have kids that fall into Gen X or Gen Y? Do you manage a cast of young professionals? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions then this book is a MUST! Being a young professional myself, I can say that Don is "right on" with his writing! This is a roadmap to mastering the "Net Generation"

Click Here to Buy "Grown Up digital" from Amazon.com



Negotiation Genius: by Malhotra & Bazerman

One of the best negotiation books I have ever read (and I have read a lot!). This book provides tactics AND reason all in one enjoyable read. The book is very well written and illustates the "what to do" and "why to do it" of negotiating. If you negotiate in your profession and you don't read this book...you are leaving money on the table!

Click Here to Buy "Negotiation Genius" from Amazon.com



Wooden On Leadership: John Wooden

It doesn't matter if you are the GM of a Honda dealership or the CEO of an oil company...this book will apply to you. John Wooden, who is one of the most dominant leaders of all time, gives you a genuine account of what it took for him to win and win big! I highlighted more in this book than I did in my college chemistry book. It is an amazing book and would probably be in my Top 5 favorites of all-time!

Click Here to Buy "Wooden on Leadership" from Amazon.com



What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis

My most recent read. I picked this book up at the airport last week and read it in 2 days. If you blog or Tweet or do ANYTHING around the internet then you must read Jeff's book. Jeff walks through some of the internet's most dominant companies and communicates why they have been so powerful. In What Would Google Do? Jarvis will show you how to approach your "community" in the same way Google, facebook, and Craig's List does. One of the best books of the year!

Click Here to Buy "What Would google Do?" from Amazon.com



Outliers: by Malcolm Gladwell

Success doesn't occur in a vacuum. There are many things that play into the success of a team or individual. In Malcom's book Outliers, he discusses the many different variables that create an opportunity for success. I have read all of Malcom's books and this one may be his best one yet. It is almost scary how creative this guy is!

Click Here to Buy "Outliers" from Amazon.com



Flight of the Buffalo: by Belasko & Stayer

One of the best leadership books ever written. In Flight of the Buffalo the authors compare the leadership style of buffalo and that of geese. It is an intriguing comparison that will hit home with anyone in a position of leadership. Are you in a company that you hope will continue to prosper when you are gone? If so, this book is for you.

Click Here to Buy "Flight of the Buffalo" from Amazon.com



Josh Hamilton: Beyond Belief: by Hamilton & Keown

I save this book for last because it hit me the hardest! Josh Hamilton (outfielder for the Texas Rangers) tells his very emotional story in one of the best books I have ever read. If you are a man or woman of faith then you cannot pass this book up. Josh tells his story of alcohol and drug abuse in a genuine fashion. He also shares his thoughts on what it took for him to rise from the streets to the cleats! You may want to start reading this one on a Saturday morning because you won't be able to put it down! It is truly an inspirational story!

Click here to buy "Beyond Belief" from Amazon.com


Enjoy!

What do we really sell?

How can I hold on to my margins when I keep getting beat out in this "price war"?

This question was a question I saw posted on LinkedIn this past weekend. While a predictable question, the responses were surprising. In reading over 60 comments, almost all of them were an attempt to console versus offering direction. It wasn't a forum for advice...it was a support group. In fact, most of these individuals said they were encountering the same obstacles and were struggling to figure out what to do. Many of the ailing authors were extremely frustrated that "price" was their only leverage. The answers mostly came from individuals that felt their product was a commodity and "when all you offer is a commodity their is no way to secure your margin!".

It was very apparent, after observing this post for a few days, that the majority of these individuals felt they had lost all control because "selling has become all about price." The unfortunate issue is that many of us never consider our personal value proposition or the company's value proposition as part of the equation.

Too many times we let the product take the spotlight and we believe that the product will sell itself. If this was true then sales organizations would not spend near as much money on their sales professionals. After all, if it was just about price or the product would sell itself then we could just train monkeys to walk in and deliver the proposal. The reason companies invest a great deal of time and money in their sales force is because they recognize that the sales person can drastically impact the value of a product or service.

In times like this we must become clear on why what we, personally, bring to the table and what our company adds to the deal. When we struggle to identify the differentiating factors within our product we must focus on identifying what makes up our personal and company value propositions.

When we go into a sales call we are selling three things...

- Our product/service
- Our company
- Our personal services/relationship

The key to gaining ground when selling these three elements is to identify which ones we have an edge in and which ones we don't. If we acknowledge that our product is the same as our competitor's then we must focus on selling ourselves and our company's position in the industry.

ex.

"Susan, from what I have heard you say, you are really focused on expanding your business and eventually want to take it world-wide. You also mentioned that you are tired of having 10 different contacts within one company. The fact is, all of the companies involved are offering the same great product. However, we are the only world-wide solvent company in the area. When you do expand, we will be able to address your needs from Chicago to Tokyo. That being said, I will also be your only contact within our company. If we need to involve another department, I will do the running around so you don't have to."

As you see in the example above, the sales professional focused on the areas in which they had an edge and they did their best to exploit them. While the sales person in the story did not have an advantage in the product, they illustrated their personal and company's value proposition in a way that addressed the customer's needs. When we begin selling three elements and not one...we are not as easily impacted by factors outside of our control. This 3-tooled arsenal gives us the ability to sell in any and every situation.

Get Excited or GET OUT!

I am going to start off this post in a different way...

I will start by warning all of you, who are reading this, that this post may cause you a few sleepless nights! In this post I will challenge each of us to become more introspective toward our lives and our professions.


Now that I have addressed that...let's get started!

In my last post I made the comparison between fishing a sales. This post will take on a much greater topic!


A little over two years ago, as I was preparing for my final exams, I got a phone call from my Dad...


"Hey Bud"

- "What's goin on Dad?"

"Well I have good news and bad news for you"

- "Ok....go ahead"

"We I am in the hospital...but I am ok."


That morning, as my dad was getting ready to catch a flight, he started having severe chest pains. When my step mom asked if my Dad needed to go to the hospital my Dad gave her an overwhelming YES! For my dad to risk missing a flight to get checked out, she knew that something was seriously wrong! Being a nurse, she didn't take any chances and drove my dad to the emergency room immediately.

As they began performing some tests on my dad the nurse "attempted" to give my dad something for the pain. My dad quickly jumped in and said...


"If at all possible, I would like to avoid taking anything. I have a flight here in a bit and I really need to make it"


The nurse did not argue but she did return with the doctor...


"Mr. Jacobus...the nurse said you didn't want anything for the pain."

- "Well I have a flight here in a few hours and I would really like to catch it if I can"

"Mr. Jacobus...Sorry to be so blunt but you are not going home today! You are not going home tomorrow! You probably won't be going home this week! You have a bilateral pulmonary embolism!"

- "Is that serious?"

"Well Mr. Jacobus...IF you had made it to the airport....and IF you had made it on the airplane...I can GUARANTEE you would not have made it off!"


As I was hearing this story I began to realize...I was probably less than a couple of hours from losing my father, my mentor, and my best friend!



Over the next few days they treated him for his PE and eventually released him from the hospital. As my dad rested at home he received a phone call from one of our family members. It would be a call that would re-emphasize my dad's belief that "life is too short"...


"I just wanted to check in on you and make sure everything was going ok. Are you feeling better?"

- "I am. Just trying to heal up right now. I will probably be off my feet for a couple of days."

"Well Jim, I guess this is a pretty good sign that you need to slow down!"

- "Slow down?!?! I think it is a sign that I need to speed up! There are still a ton of things I want to accomplish and I was only a few hours away from never having that opportunity! I will never slow down...and do you know why? Because life is too short!"


That was turning point in my dad's life...and in mine! That day taught me a lot about life, work, and relationships.

A few months later my dad and my step mom started their marriage ministry and began pursuing many of the dreams they put off. It also drove me to ask myself, "What do you really want to do? What is that that you could not imagine NOT doing?

It was the ultimate awakening for me!


Jason...Why this topic? Why now?


Over the past few months a number of people have lost their jobs or taken pay cuts. While unfortunate, it reveals our true passion by removing money from the equation. It also allows us to ask ourselves...


Do I really enjoy what I am doing?

Is this really what I feel called to pursue?

If this was my last day, week, month, or year on Earth...would I want to spend that time in this office?


My guess is that there would be some of us that are right where we need to be. We wake up excited to go to work. We feel that we are leaving our mark on this globe and we couldn't imagine doing anything else.

But...

I would say that there are probably more individuals out there who dream about doing something else. We may have jumped into a job without any passion or lost it somewhere along the way. If this is you I encourage you to ask yourself a few questions...


If I hit the lottery tomorrow, would I stay where I am?

What would I do if money, power, recognition, and/or pride was not an issue?

What am I teaching my children by pursuing something that I am not passionate about?


3 Reasons We Should "Get Excited or GET OUT!"


1. Life is too short. One thing that is certain is that life is uncertain. We don't know how long we have so we must find something we love to do and give it everything we have!

2. We will never reach our potential if we are not passionate about what we do. Passion is what keeps us working and pushing when things get tough (ex this economy).

3. It is the greatest gift we could ever give our kids. I am not a parent but the greatest gift my parents have given me is to show me what a passionate professional can accomplish!



Are you passionate about what you are doing?

If you experienced what my dad experienced, how would that change your career path?




I hope this post has encouraged you to "Get Excited or GET OUT!"