Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much!
I learned very quickly to be careful about looking back too much. I made sure to learn from my mistakes, but tried not to second guess myself.
I have always done everything I can to build relationships and surround myself with friends and colleagues I trust… A Network gives you Reach, BUT a Community gives you Power!
Relationships are like muscle tissue, the more you engage them, the stronger and more valuable they become.
Entrepreneurs by nature are performance driven. We have no guarantees of long-term employment, retainers, or even work into next week. What drives us is the desire to do great work—and to keep good clients. To be independent and successful.
A significant event for me in 2011 awakened fresh clarity in my business. My father died in May, at the age of 90, and as our entire family surrounded his hospital bed, I was struck by the preciousness of time. It’s the ultimate non-renewable resource.
In September, I ran my second half marathon with my friend, Kyla. As we trained for the race, it became clear that Kyla was a bit faster than me. And, on race day, she decided to run ahead of me about half-way through the race.
Although it was incredibly lonely to run the last seven miles by myself, I knew it was the right thing to do for Kyla, and for me. She had to run her own race, and so did I. And, in the end, we both accomplished personal records.
In life, and in business, it’s way too easy to worry about keeping up with the infamous Jones’. You know the ones…they have the fancy car, the perfect house and the incredibly gorgeous children. In business, the Jones’ are the ones who seem to have endless amounts of success, seemingly without any effort.
Social media has made it so much easier to keep up with the Jones’. Now, we can see people’s social media efforts in full display. We see how the business down the street uses Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and we constantly read stories about how businesses are using the latest tool, network or gadget.
Social media is the shiny new toy that everyone wants to play with and it’s very easy to get caught up with what others are doing. We think that every business needs a Facebook page, even when they don’t. We believe every business should use social media, even if it’s not a fit. Although social media is a fantastic tool for business, it isn’t right for everyone. Or at least, it might not be the first weapon in your marketing arsenal.
In the world of sales… and we are ALL in sales… everyone wants more sales. So, there is a simple way to accomplish this goal. But before I give you the simple ways to do it– here are 7 things to consider… in regards to getting more sales.
Getting more sales is more than having a power handshake. Getting more sales is more than saying someone’s first name repeated times. Getting more sales is more than a having a cool power tie. Getting more sales is more than having a snazzy PowerPoint. Getting more sales is more than cranking out lots of phone calls a day Getting more sales is more than supplying the hot ticket to game or event. Getting more sales is more than using buzzwords and acronyms. So these are things to think about when we think about getting more sales.
Now, ready for the secret?
OK… Sales is no secret at all. Sorry I wish there was one.
Here is what sales is about. Sales is a process based on trust and the building of strong human relationships. It is an art not a science. It is about giving more than getting. It is about helping more than selling. I have never “sold anyone” on anything. It goes against the very fabric of what sales is all about. There are no sales shortcuts, no gimmicks, nor anything other than trust, value, seeking to understand how to meet others needs, building relationships and living by the highest code of ethics. Sales is about doing the right thing.
So there you have it. I hope you will Get More Sales – Today but achieving more sales today– is actually a natural byproduct of a salesperson having done the things mentioned in the paragraph above– consistently– day in and day out.
What do you value in your sales efforts?
Ryan T. Sauers