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A Holiday Special |
Classical Holidays
Classics on Classical Guitar
To help usher in the holiday season, relax and enjoy Michael Griego's classical guitar recording, Classical Christmas.
Taking a break from his sales consultant/trainer day job, Michael Griego has produced and released a collection of traditional Christmas classics on classical guitar. The arrangements of traditional carols and tunes on classical guitar played with intermittent flamenco techniques make for a heart warming and moving musical experience. Pull up a chair and enjoy.
This CD is available on iTunes, also at CD Baby, and Amazon.com. Have a Merry Classical Christmas!
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Selling Thanksgiving
Something about this time and season for salespeople. The end of the calendar year is in sight yet there's still time for sales hope and a strong finish. And while your favorite sports team may be peaking or fading, family and friends are coming together in great anticipation. And Christmas is just around the corner.
What's there not to like and enjoy?
No matter where your sales bookings stand Quarter-to-Date or Year-to-Date, take a needed break. If only for Thursday (go ahead and take off Friday too), it's alright to take a breather and come back strong next week.
Allow yourself to celebrate this Thanksgiving. Give thanks. Try to minimize work time over the long weekend. Play with the kids, take a walk with your spouse or family members. Relax a bit. Whether it's been a tough year or a great year, count your blessings. You've survived thus far and will 'Live to Sell Another Day' (Rule #27).
It'll all be there on Monday. With a full week left in November and the challenging sales month of December looming, there's still time for the final charge. Whether the number's in the bag or it's coming down to the wire, go at it hard and with abandon. No looking back, there are no excuses.
It's just another year. May you be growing and developing beyond your selling prowess, keeping a healthy and balanced perspective on your business, family and life throughout this holiday season.
Have a great Thanksgiving.
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The Opportunity Plan 
As we've recently addressed the process and purpose of the Territory Plan (and its lacking across many sales organizations), let's now confront the many faces, facets and formats of the equally inconsistent Opportunity Plan.
Most of the confusion and hesitation about Opportunity Plans stem from their natural evolution over the past 30 years. From paper-based forms derived from variations of the complex, verbose and dreaded Account Plan (Miller Heiman, Target Account Selling, etc.), to numerous flavors of online and iterative CRM-based templates, the modern Opportunity Plan is a helpful but often bloated sales tool dictated by well-meaning managers seeking coherent information about significant, forecasted deals.
After crystallizing Qualification, in any format, a great Opportunity Plan deftly draws out sales tactics and strategies in the following key areas:
- Business Value/Need
- Contact Relationships
- Product/Solutions
- Demo/Trial/Proof of Concept
- Competition
- Closing/Action
This plan need not be cumbersome, over-engineered, or cause the rolling eyes of salespeople. A well executed Opportunity Plan will also provide great help for all other sales support team members and executives who need to understand the current situation and selling game plan.
Got a great Opportunity Plan and Process? |
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Hunters, Farmers and Top Producers
A Manager owned land and territory with many customers of his products and services. He left his domain for a while under the care of three overseers.
The first was a Hunter who successfully scoured the countryside for new buyers and expanded the customer set. The second was a Farmer who nurtured and cultivated the existing customers who then purchased more goods and services. The third was a Top Producer who expanded his territory with new and existing customers alike using wisdom to attract, develop and retain their business.
When the Manager returned he reconvened his overseers to review their production in his absence. To the Hunter he acknowledged his customer acquisition skills but chided the lack of existing customer growth. To the Farmer he praised the up-selling of customers but lamented the lack of new customer generation. To the Top Producer he lavished full praise and rewards for the one who maximized the given territory and positioned him for further oversight responsibility.
Are you a Hunter, a Farmer, or a healthy blend of both?
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Roosevelt on Sales and Thanksgiving
"Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds." - Theodore Roosevelt, former US President |
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