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TOP OF THE WEEK TO YOU!
(by realwired! CEO, Brenda Dohring)
Top of the Week to You! is designed to offer the inside scoop and latest of what's important in the world of technology as it relates to the commercial real estate industry. |
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More Than One Identity
I have multiple identities and I'll bet you do to. Not the crazy, schizophrenic identities that movies are made about, (although I do have those, just ask my friends and family), but email identities. Many of you have never worked with me other than through RealWired!, so you're not accustomed to seeing mail from my Brenda@DohringGroup.com address. I also receive email, or at least copies of email, that goes to addresses such as admin@....., support@.... and others. Most of us do. On top of that, many of you have a "personal" email from one of the generic carriers such as gmail, MSN, AOL or a local cable company. Those of you with multiple emails tend to fall in two categories. You either do this because your company frowns on business email mixing with personal email, or you don't want your business email address (most important) to get picked up and added to more spam lists than it already does. Oh sure, there's that other group of you who lead secret lives and need a multitude of emails, but there's not enough space in this column to discuss that.
I, unfortunately, have such public emails that it never made sense for me to do anything other than "be myself" and only have business email addresses. Well, that's a funny thing to say when I just told you about all the aliases I have. It just didn't seem to matter if I had a "generic" email address and probably still doesn't, but I did finally get a gmail account. The jury is out on whether I'll really use it. Why? Because I find managing all the aliases is a pain. Couple all those addresses with an Exchange Server, a PDA (or two), too many passwords to even mention and you can see where the nickname "schizo" comes from. It certainly doesn't always help me be an example of "well organized".
So, what's the magic answer? Find the right computer support person. Really, having the aliases does make sense. Being schizophrenic is OK. Trying to manage all of it is stupid. So start the year off right. Get out there and be someone you're not, but do it in a well organized fashion! |
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Sales/Marketing Tip
Get Fit
My gym has been mobbed. My phones have been ringing. (People are calling because they're suddenly interested in sales training. Imagine that.) Both the gym crowds and my telephone are examples of January Self-Improvement Syndrome. If this year is like every other then next month it won't be so hard to find parking at the gym and my incoming phone calls will return to their normal level.
But for now, everyone wants to get fit. If you're one of those who think that with a little instruction you might be able to take your sales results up a notch, congratulations. Here's what to look for:
1. The trainer:
The trainer must be credible. That means they must be a practicing salesperson themselves. Nobody has less credibility than a sales trainer with a $50k salary teaching salespeople who make $150K+ on commission how to sell.
Additionally, the trainer should be a professional who is accomplished in the craft of training. Sales managers often think that training is their job. Seldom are they qualified. Knowing about sales is not the same as being able to teach the craft to others. Managers also have an inherent conflict of interest in that the manager is the person charged with holding the salespeople accountable. Salespeople are not inclined to share their doubts, insecurities, and fears with the person that they report to. And dealing with these emotional issues is part of a good trainer's job.
Likewise, training by meeting with a group of peers and discussing sales books, while nice, is not the same as getting real instruction from someone who knows what they are talking about.
Finally, the trainer should be engaging and continue to be so over a very long period of time. One-day-wonders won't do. Great trainers have a lot of material. They also have personalities and styles that stay fresh over the long haul. Great training takes time.
2. The delivery method:
Training is about repetition and reinforcement as much as it is about exposition. The object of training is to change behavior. Humans don't change overnight. Training exercises have to create experiences that illustrate serious points. Training has to give people a chance to practice what they've learned. And it has to provide useful feedback on the students' application of its principles in the field.
That means that the best training is highly interactive and is delivered face-to-face. Online delivery is a poor substitute for real, in-person interactions when it comes to improving selling skills. Sales books and tapes can be educational, but education is NOT training.
3. Consistency:
There are many good sales methodologies. Pick one and stick with it. All good methods take years to master. The biggest training mistake that company managements make is offering salespeople the sales training flavor of the week. A series of short programs with different methodologies won't build mastery. It's more like going to first grade again every year. Experienced, professional salespeople expect a program with some depth.
If there ever was a good year to get serious about the career that feeds your family, 2009 looks like it's going to be it. It's time to get fit.
Mark Fitzgerald, Sales Training Institute, Inc., Tampa, Florida provides this column weekly. Mr. Fitzgerald provides both group and customized sales training for professionals and companies. For more information, please contact him by telephone at 813-831-5555, via email at mark@saleskills.com or visit www.saleskills.com. |
Tween Brands, Inc. trades as The Limited Too and Justice at 900 locations nationwide. The stores, selling apparel, swimwear, sleepwear, sportswear, accessories and footwear for girls aged seven to 14, occupy spaces of 4,100 sq.ft. in community malls and outlet centers. Growth opportunities for the Justice brand are sought throughout the existing market during the coming 18 months. For more information, contact Alan Hochman, Tween Brands, Inc., 8323 Walton Parkway, New Albany, OH 43054; Web site: www.tweenbrands.com
Faconnable operates four locations throughout CA, FL and NY. The stores, offering upscale apparel and accessories for men, women and young boys aged six to 14 years old, occupy spaces of 4,500 sq.ft. in upscale regional malls and street fronts. Plans call for five openings nationwide during 2009, with representation by The Greenberg Group. Preferred cotenants include Burberry, Ferragamo, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuittan and Hermes. For more information regarding Faconnable, contact Steven Greenberg, 1200 West Broadway, Hewlett, NY 11557; Web sites: www.thegreenberggroup.com and www.facconable.com
Monro Muffler Brake, Inc. trades as Monro Muffler at 568 locations throughout CT, DE, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT and WV. The automotive services centers occupy spaces of 4,500 sq.ft. to 8,000 sq.ft. in freestanding locations. Growth opportunities are sought throughout the existing markets during the coming 18 months. Typical leases run five to 15 years. Preferred demographics include a population of 25,000 within three miles earning $40,000 as the average household income. Major competitors include Midas, Tire Kingdom, Goodyear and Bridgestone. For more information, contact Tom Aspenleiter, Monro Muffler Brakes, Inc., 200 Holleder Parkway, Rochester, NY 14615; Web site: www.monro.com
Moran Industries, Inc. trades as Alta Mere, Milex and Mr. Transmission at 190 locations nationwide. The centers, offering automotive repair, services and accessories, occupy spaces of 2,500 sq.ft. to 5,000 sq.ft. in freestanding locations and strip centers. Plans call for six openings throughout the existing market during the coming 18 months. Typical leases run five years with three, five-year options. Specific improvements are required. Preferred demographics include a population of 100,000 within three miles earning $50,000 as the average household income. Major competitors include Aamco, Meineke, Midas and All Tune & Lube. A land area of 0.5 acres is required for freestanding locations. For more information, contact Jack Yost, Moran Industries, Inc., 4444 West 147th Street, Midlothian, IL 60445; Web site: www.moranindustries.com
Dutch Bros. Coffee operates 138 locations throughout AZ, CA, CO, ID, OR and WA. The drive-thru coffee shops occupy spaces of 377 sq.ft. in freestanding locations and pad sites. Growth opportunities are sought throughout the existing markets during the coming 18 months. Typical leases run 10 years. Specific improvements are required. Preferred demographics include a population of 50,000 within five miles earning $50,000 as the average household income. Major competitors include Starbucks. The company is franchising. A land area of 10,000 sq.ft. is required. The company will also consider locating in second generation sites. For more information, contact Brian Maxwell, Dutch Bros. Coffee, PO Box 1929, Grants Pass, OR, 97528; Web site: www.dutchbros.com
Like these leads? Want more? Go to the Dealmakers website for a FREE Trial subscription to The Dealmakers, the nation's weekly news source on retail real estate. |
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