I was a psych major in college which seemed to be the perfect preparation for a sales career. I believe it was. To this day I am still intrigued by the psychology of selling which could truly be described as persuasion. That background helps explain why I found this ManageSmarter.com article completely gripping – Mastering the Psychology of Persuasion. You will have to read the entire article to appreciate the depth of it, but let me pull out a couple of points. First one of the set-up questions: • Are left-handed people more prone to some mental illnesses, accidents, or seeking positions of power? And from later in the article:… Read More
Continue ReadingElectronic Layoff
The news stories are flowing about layoffs, downsizing and closing in this brutal economy. One such story from abcnews.com shares stories from readers regarding extreme situations for being let go. This one was amusing: After a traditional face to face layoff session, my company tried a new kinder gentler approach. They called a big meeting and announced that every employee had e-mail back on their computer that would tell them if they still had a job. I didn’t! I’ve been let go during layoffs before and there isn’t any easy way to do it. However, it seems to me that if your communication strategy is to use some form of… Read More
Continue ReadingSocial Sites Trump Email
Also from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal (emphasis mine): Nielsen said “member communities” are now at 67 percent participation while e-mail is at 65 percent. The study found that of Internet users throughout the world, two-thirds visited a social networking site last year. Of those Palo Alto, Calif.-based Facebook is the leader, with visits every month by 3 of every 10 Internet users, the Nielsen study reports. In fact, Facebook had a 168 percent increase in users, the study said, while Mountain View, Calif.-based LinkedIn had a 137 percent increase. The biggest growth spurt for Facebook has been in the category of users from 35 to 49 years of age.… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Recession Dictionary
This current economy is giving life to a handful of new words tied to the recession according to this abcnews.com story. Some of the words are making it into the online site of the major dictionaries. Thankfully they are not putting the words into the printed version…yet. Does anyone still buy the hard copy? Here are a few of these new words entering the lexicon: decremental: adjective The act or process of decreasing or becoming gradually less; the amount lost by gradual diminution or waste. Great Recession: noun The current recession, which began in December 2007. The length and severity of the current recession has led some in the media… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Straight-Up Truth
These are skittish times, aren’t they? I have seen this among reps and myself – every little item is scrutinized. Communication, email, reports…I find myself looking for subtle clues in all of them. Is a layoff coming? How bad is it? What is going to happen next? These are not productive thoughts. As a manager, how do you quell these fears? There isn’t one move, tool or approach that will cure it, but a concerted effort will help to minimize your team’s anxiety. Selling Power offers up an article that has some feel-good points that I question. However, there is something in the article that caught my eye: Don’t make… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Most Important Innovations
…of the past 30 years is a topic I posted on last week. The top 30 list was unveiled this week. Here is the video link to the story regarding the top technical innovations. And here is the overall list: 30. Anti retroviral treatment for AIDS 29. SRAM flash 28. Stents 27. ATMs 26. Bar codes and scanners 25. Bio fuels 24. Genetically modified plants 23. RFID and applications (e.g. EZpass) 22. Digital photography/videography 21. Graphic user interface (GUI) 20. Social networking via internet 19. Large scale wind turbines 18. Photovoltaic Solar Energy 17. Microfinance 16. Media file compression (e.g., jpeg, mpeg, mp3) 15. Online shopping/ecommerce/auctions (e.g., eBay) 14. GPS… Read More
Continue Reading30 Most Important Innovations
We receive many media alerts at Select Metrix, but this one caught my eye. PBS’ Nightly Business Report is airing the 30 Most Important Innovations from the Last 30 Years. Here is their description: In 1979, the first spreadsheet software was introduced, Sony rolled out the Walkman, ESPN began broadcasting sporting events to cable TV companies, and on public television, Nightly Business Report made its debut. To celebrate their three decades on the air, PBS’ Nightly Business Report has teamed up with Knowledge@Wharton, the online research and business analysis journal of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, to select the 30 most important innovations from the last 30… Read More
Continue ReadingNever Out Of Office
I’m traveling to Palm Springs, CA today for a trade show. Let me just say that a California trade show is a blessed thing to a Minnesotan in February. Anyway, I didn’t put an email message saying I will be out of the office. Why even use that feature in Outlook? Here’s my rationale, I receive all of my emails on my cell phone. They are pushed to me so I actually get notified the moment they arrive. I have my laptop with me and the hotel has wireless internet which is to be expected these days. I may be physically out of the office, but I am still connected.… Read More
Continue ReadingSurviving An Email Storm
Ok, the title is overly dramatic, but I did see a company encounter an email storm this week which was…well, laughable. This is a large company with thousands of employees. One gentleman sent out an email about a specific account with a Word attachment. What he didn’t know was that one of his distribution lists was wrong – it included everyone in the company. One person on his list replied to all about printing the document. That email started the storm. Person after person started replying to all to remove them from the email list. It gets better, the original author then sent out another email that simply stated “please… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Value Of The Visit
One thing I enjoy about meeting with customers in person is that you get a better sense of who they are, what their office environment is like, how they interact with coworkers, etc. As a salesperson, this information is invaluable and can only be gathered through a meeting. For instance, I met with one customer yesterday who I thought was somewhat dry from email and phone call interactions. I was completely wrong – he is quite the comedian and prankster. He also knows all of the people who work on the floor. Observing his interactions with them and seeing where his office is (cube right on the floor) told me… Read More
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