If you are truly looking for frustration inspiration today, check out this article from Forbes.com – How To Make A Million Before You Turn 20. Yup, the article profiles of 5 different teenage millionaires. I thought the second person was amazing: Cameron Johnson truly took that perspective to heart, parlaying one hit into the next. Back in 1994, when he was just 9, Johnson launched his first business out of his home in Virginia, making invitations for his parents’ holiday party. By the seasoned age of 11, Johnson had saved up several thousand dollars selling greeting cards. He called his company Cheers and Tears. But the little guy didn’t stop… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Reminder-Be Valuable
This reminder is from the daily JustSell.com email: Harvard Business School Professor Emeritus Theodore Levitt once said, “People don’t want a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole.” The sales point: your prospect doesn’t want a product; she wants a solution. You need to listen to uncover your prospect’s hidden needs, and then sell your product as a solution. It’s not about what you’re selling – it’s about how what you’re selling can help the customer. Be valuable. And remember – a good salesperson walks away if he cannot truly help his prospect. That last sentence is difficult for many salespeople.
Continue ReadingOwning The Job
The principle of owning vs. renting is powerful especially when it comes to an employee’s job. Ownership of a job is a fickle thing. Yet, I have worked for managers who assigned responsibility and provided enough autonomy to allow me to excel in my role. The younger generations seem to relish this approach even more than my Gen X group. ManageSmarter.com offers up an article with a clear title – Padlocking the Revolving Door on Turnover. There are 4 good points to support the article’s title, but one stands out clearly: • Foster a sense of ownership within employees. The old encouragement to “act like you own it” is good… Read More
Continue ReadingPeople Need More Feedback
Wall Street Journal offers Avoiding Conflicts, The Too-Nice Boss Makes Matters Worse…you can see where this is going. “In a knowledge economy, where work is more complex and interdependent, people need feedback more — what they particularly need feedback on are on things that are difficult to give: one’s interpersonal style,” says David Bradford, a lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. … Bosses who want to avoid any discomfort, “use generalities so people really don’t know what they’re talking about,” says Laura Collins, an HR consultant. Instead, they tend toward one-size-fits-all comments: “pay a little more attention to detail” and “improve the way you communicate” and “develop better organization… Read More
Continue ReadingCEO’s Are Not Overpaid
How is that for a title? Before I get flamed on this topic, let me pull some excerpts from a Human Resource Executive Online article (emphasis mine): A recent study conducted by DolmatConnell & Partners debunks the myth of runaway executive pay. The findings of the study tell a much different story than what the media has heralded — instead of out-of-control CEO pay, the study shows that CEO pay rises and falls with company financials. … The study looked at compensation of CEOs in The Dow Jones Industrial Average over the past 10 years in relation to company financials, such as revenue, market capitalization and total shareholder return. It… Read More
Continue ReadingYour Average Awake Time
Every year this type of study comes out – U.S. workers are not getting enough sleep. I don’t know how anyone can truly know if this is accurate or not. Nonetheless, this little tidbit is interesting in a trivial way: The average wake up is at 5:35 a.m. and it’s followed by about two hours and 15 minutes at home before heading out to work, according to the survey. Average bedtime is 10:53.
Continue ReadingThe End Of Telecommuting?
Perhaps the telecommuting trend will end before it truly gets established? I doubt it, but this Wall Street Journal article discusses some bellwether technology companies that are calling back a portion of their telecommuters. A few big promoters of home-based and mobile-office work arrangements, including AT&T, Intel, Hewlett-Packard and parts of the federal government, have called some home-based workers back to the office, causing some to quit. The callbacks are small and don’t reflect a full retrenchment, but the factors at work — a push to consolidate operations, and the notion that teamwork improves when people work face-to-face — suggest other employers might follow suit as recession clouds loom. I… Read More
Continue ReadingNot So Confidential
I got a kick out of this – I’m looking through resumes online and I came across one that was listed as confidential. Candidates put a title to their resume that often says “Experienced Sales Professional” or something of that sort. The candidate can then hide their personal contact information (name, address, phone, etc.) and their current employer. This person did that. Except the title for their resume was their actual name as in “John Doe’s resume.” Oops.
Continue ReadingFebruary 29
It is a unique day, of course, so it seems like it deserves some recognition. My friend Clayton Shold over at Salesopedia has posted some interesting, trivial facts regarding this day. To pique your interest: The last time February had five Fridays was 1980. The chances of being born on February 29th are 1 in 1461.
Continue ReadingRainmaker Traits
Here’s a good post on sales “rainmakers” from my friend Bob Rosner. I suspect that most of you are aware of our emphasis on salespeople with strong listening abilities. Part of a rainmaker’s skill set? Absolutely: DO Listen and synthesize. The biggest difference between an average salesperson and a rainmaker? Mr. Average assumes his most important tool to making a sale is his golden tongue. While Ms. Rainmaker knows that it’s her ears. That may be the most important aspect of their abilities. Unfortunately, we have seen this work against them in an interview. Some hiring managers want to be wowed in the interview by some form of verbal gymnastics. … Read More
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