 Secrets of Successful Selling
I didn't grow up in business
as a sales professional. I was trained
as an engineer working for high tech companies and got pretty good at solving
difficult technical problems. Eventually
I got invited to tackle organizational problems and improve business operations. Over the years, I learned how to influence
and persuade using analysis and logic to get projects funded, get access to
resources, and win customer approval.
But finding prospects and
closing the deal???? Someone else (namely
marketers and sales people) did all that for me. When I formed my own company, I literally had
to learn how to sell from scratch.
There are boat loads of books available on sales and selling. Rather than read them all and summarize their content here, I decided to interview a couple of people who I consider to be ace sales folks to learn some of their secrets. Plus, I interviewed someone who was relatively new to selling to see what he had to say on the
subject. As a group, they provided some
great insights to successful selling.
Click here to read the to read the full article at www.kodyne.com.
Call me at 763-551-4777 to discuss. Mark Komen, President
To learn more, please visit my website at www.kodyne.com.
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Are You Influential?
by guest contributor Pamela Muldoon of Next Stage Business
In light of recent events in the news and the newly elected administration in Washington, I've been doing a lot of evaluating on leaders
and leadership. John Maxwell says, "All
leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less." Think about that. "All leadership is influence." Simple statement. Big Impact.
So let's breakdown what it means to have influence,
and subsequently become a strong and effective leader. First, let me start by asking you some
questions. There are no right or wrong
answers. Just your ability to think
inward and evaluate honestly your own answers.
- What
does the word influence mean to me?
- Who
has influence over my life and the decisions I make?
- Is
this influence positive or negative?
- Who
do I influence?
- How
has my past, my environment and my relationships affected my beliefs
around influence?
Tough questions?
I guess that's the whole point.
To grow and develop, we need to ask ourselves the tough questions. But questions are only as good as the answers
we give. So let's talk some more
about where you are today and how you
can start your path of influence to develop stronger and more effective
leadership skills.
Lead By Example: The strongest leaders are those that would
never ask others to do anything they themselves are not willing to do. If it is true, that actions speak louder than
words, what are you saying? Even if you
are not currently in a position or title that indicates external leadership in
your organization, you can still create and strengthen your leadership muscles
through leading by example. If you want
all meetings to start on time, then make being on time a critical element of
your daily routine. Do you want others
to respond to you in a more timely manner?
Then make a commitment to respond to emails and phone calls within 24
hours. We should not ask of others
anything that we are not willing to do ourselves. Try making small action changes in your daily
routine, and watch our this affects others around you. By raising your own level of expectations,
you automatically raise the level of awareness of others you with whom you
interact. And awareness is the first
step toward behavior change.
Become An Expert: If you really break down what it is you do in
business, you will find you focus on one, maybe two major categories. So become an expert in your area or
industry. Learn everything you can on
how to be better, smarter, and more efficient in what it is you do. Then share your expertise with those around
you. People are influenced by those that
know what they are talking about and can back it up. Read books, articles, essays on your subject. Subscribe to magazines that connect with your
topic. Join the local chapter of your
industry association. Attend seminars
and workshops of other thought leaders in your field. You can only truly teach what you know. To influence others, especially those that
you want to personally lead, you must become an expert!
Emulate Those That Inspire You: Who inspires you? Who has influence over you and the choices
you make? Are they from your past? Present?
Is it someone you know personally?
Or is it someone you would love to meet?
Is it someone from history? What
did they do or say to create influence in you life? To really understand what type of leader you
want to become, you need to reflect on those people that have had a great
impact on your life in any way. Make a
list of the people you admire; past, present, historical, etc. If they have written a book, read it. If they are from history, study it. If they are in your life today, talk to
them. Find out what it is that is the
common thread of how they influence and find your own way to emulate it. Then, pay it forward.
Regardless of where you are in your organization, awareness
of the type of person you want to be and the leader you want to become can
start today. Leadership can happen at
any place and at any time. At home, at
work, at church, while shopping, in your car....anywhere. But it can only truly begin with the awareness
that you are already a leader....that you are a person of influence. So ask yourself the tough questions, and
begin today to make a bigger impact on the world around you through your own
positive influence.
Pamela
Muldoon is a
Leadership/Training & Development Consultant with Next Stage
Business/Next Stage Leadership. Need a dynamic speaker for your next event or
association meeting? Looking for
leadership or team training for your company?
Contact Pamela by calling 763-670-7238 or visiting her web site at www.nextstagebusiness.com.
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An Economist is ...?
"An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the
things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today."
Laurence J. Peter
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From My Clients ......
"Mark provides challenges and asks for accountability on items that need to be addressed."
John Ward
Former President
RM Cotton Co.
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Upcoming Articles
How we used strategic planning to make millions (yes I'm really working on this one!)
Do's and Don'ts for small business 401K plans
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Make Your Own
Good News!!!
Some of the best news in today's economy is, "We landed a new account!!!"Let us take a fresh look at marketing your product or service. Call to learn more: Randy Korus Cyberex Marketing 763-398-5595 www.cyberexmarketing.com visit our websiteA member company of The Alternative Board TAB
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Professional Affiliations
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