3. February 2010 by Lynn Hidy.

Today’s Question: if sales is a competition…

• who are you competing against?
• what are the rules?
• where do you end up?
• when is the contest over?
• why is it a competition?
• how do you know if you won?

Yes I know those are questions not a question. So instead, let’s make it easy: Is sales a competition?

The answer to that question is a very personal one. It is one that no one can answer for you… you have to answer it for yourself.

Instead of sharing my answer to the question, I am hoping that you will start to explore what the question means in your career. Instead of rolling your eyes (you know who you are), take a step back for just a moment.

Competition isn’t about sports, sometimes it isn’t even about winning *gasp*, it may be about:

• being part of a team
• a sense of accomplishment
• recognition
• economic security
• and yes sometimes it is all about winning

I love Lily Tomlin’s quote “The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” When viewing sales as a competition - never forget what your Personal Values are, if you’re not completely sure what they are, try playing The Values Game to help figure it out.

Remember it is critical to end up where you want to be. If sales is a competition for you and you win, wouldn’t it be a disappointment to not even want to be there?

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26. January 2010 by Lynn Hidy.

You have your inspiration, now what? NOW is the time to start, that’s what! Some of you are saying “on a Tuesday, no one starts anything on a Tuesday”. That belief is exactly why I planned this post for today.

Waiting for the perfect day, the perfect time, the perfect situation -  means perfectly doing nothing, ever.

Instead, every day take little steps toward our inspirational goals - then eventually look back and say “wow, look how far I’ve come”.

Need an example?

I wanted a social media presence for UpYourTeleSales.com, for me that was a scary inspirational goal - if I started, it wasn’t something that I could easily STOP because I was tired. People would begin to expect to see new ideas, new content, and inspiration.

Step 1 - break it down into a manageable bite.

Step 2 - make it repeatable, make it habit.

Step 3 - figure out what the next bite will be.

now, back to step 1 (even though it is now step 4!)

UpYourTeleSales.com’s first social media step was creating the Coaching over Coffee blog - my commitment is to blog at least weekly. Have I achieved my commitment? Well… it all depends on your measurement, perfection hasn’t been achieved - I have certainly blogged more weeks than I haven’t.

26 October 2008 was the first post and this is post 87 (I think). That is much better than not posting anything.

Once January 2009 rolled around, I started to feel like I would keep bloging, so what would my next step be? Step 2 - sending out a monthly newsletter. GULP, would I be able to continue to create  content? Could I morph my personal style blogs into a newsletter format? How would I make them mesh together? What would it look like? How would I send it out? Who would want to read it?

ask for help; those questions were tough, so I turned to people with more experience, more knowledge, more skill and asked for help.

personal twist; after I got lots of feedback, I figured out a way that would work for me.  I actually created 12 months worth of titles and ideas BEFORE I started to make myself feel better about having content.

It seemed fitting to send out the first issue on April Fools Day which reminds me, time to think up another year of titles again….

Which brings us to part three of my social media action steps: tweeting. As if weekly blog posts and a monthly newsletter weren’t enough - to have a presence on twitter, you’ve got to post daily (at minimum, in my opinion). That felt like a really frightening commitment level.

I decided that week day tweets would be enough, then registered UpYourTeleSales as a name. Then what? Well I did nothing - yup nothing, chickened out - freaked out - was too scared of the daily commitment.

239 tweets later, what changed?

sometimes you need a friendly push - don’t under estimate the power of sharing your inspirational goals and the daily actions you’re committing to make for you to get there.

one of my mentors started following me, even though I hadn’t posted anything… then someone who followed him STARTED FOLLOWING ME TOO *sigh* now I had to buck up and do it.

One more thing before I wrap it up, for me the cycle keeps repeating itself. Trying to build more, create more, make it more relevant. With the newsletter starting with the Construction Edition, I have been trying to use a metaphor and keep it running through the whole issue.

I also took the step of tying my blog content to the overall theme of my monthly newsletter - using my tweets to drive people to the blog. Now it will probably never be “done” or “perfect” but UpYourTeleSales.com is getting quoted and recognized more places than if no steps had been taken.

Here we are on a Friday, look at your inspirational goal and decide what one thing you can do today to take a step forward. What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

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25. January 2010 by Lynn Hidy.

“Do or do not, there is no try” ~ Yoda

Once you have committed to an inspirational goal - are you second guessing your own abilities?

It happens all the time, sometimes it happens to me. That is why I have a piece of steel on my desk engraved with what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? It is there to remind me that my personal fear is of failing - now it is time for you to ask yourself;

• what is the worst thing that could happen if I achieve insert your goal here?

yup - that’s right, I want you to ask yourself what horrible things will happen if you achieve your goal! I have heard a lot of interesting things over the years while coaching salespeople;

“people will expect that performance from me forever”

“I’ll get promoted out of what I love doing and have to manage people”

“I’ll spend so much time achieving my goal that I’ll miss out on my own life”

See, there are lots of things that people are afraid of when it comes to inspirational goal achievement. So there is another step; now ask yourself (and you might need someone to coach you through this part, it is tough to see on your own)

1. Is that true? (yes or no, is it true that what I believe will come to pass?)
2. Can you ABSOLUTELY know that it’s true?
3. What happens when you think that?
4. Who would you be without that thought or belief?

Want more about this idea, check out Byron Katie who asks “who would you be without your story?”

Sometimes the answer is easy, once we say out loud what the fear is - it loses it’s hold over our heart and mind. Other times we have built our existence on the idea and to leave it behind is almost more painful that living with the story.

Now for the next tough question:

• what is the worst thing that could happen if I fail in insert your goal here?

Once I heard Tim Green (author & former football player) speak about goals. He is someone who looking from the outside, you and I would see as a golden boy always achieving everything he had set out to do. Instead, he read a list of goals he had set for himself and NOT achieved.

Of course then he went on to say without lofty goals, he wouldn’t have achieved everything he had.

Since we are talking about achieving your inspirational goals - is it really a bad thing to go for it, work hard, and fall a little short? I don’t think so!

Now play with Byron Katie’s questions again with the worst thing that could happen if you fail to achieve your inspirational goal.

“I can’t believe it” ~ Luke, “That is why you fail” ~ Yoda

Here we are back to the wisdom of Yoda; Believe. Believe in yourself, your potential to learn, and your ability to succeed. Above all else, believe you deserve to reach your inspirational goal.

Tall orders for a Monday morning, I know - if you need help, find a coach - no one said you have to be on this path alone.

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15. January 2010 by Lynn Hidy.

Sometimes my blog posts are an extension of what is in A Chip Off The Block. This time it takes one idea to a whole new level.

If you aren’t in the mood for what may be considered a rant, X out now - this post is probably not safe.

For my entire sales career, other people have told me what my “goal” is each month - you know that sales revenue or margin dollar amount they decide on.

• Having been them I know that individual salesperson goals are partially the trickle down affect (organizational revenue goal/number of salespeople with a little voodoo thrown in = individual sales goals).
• I also remember thinking that the VP and Director of Sales put post-it notes with numbers on them stuck to the wall… turned off the lights… and threw darts to pick my goal. Some months, I even thought they had a few drinks first.

Being a control freak - I decided that I’d had enough - not of sales, but of waiting for other people to decide what my goals were. Instead of waiting for someone else to pick my goal, instead I figured out what I wanted and then backed it up into a sales production figure.

What do I mean by Inspirational?

Take a deep breath for just a second and bear with me. Most of my blog posts are step by step,  tactical approaches and this is a bit on the metaphysical side.

There must be SOMETHING in your life that you are passionate about. I truly don’t  think it matters what it is (kids, god, your hamster) as long as you have passion for it.

Now ask yourself what it would be like if the passion you have fills your life and work? That you can tie in what you do for a living - to what you live to do. DON’T STOP READING HERE.

I’ll give you a stories before I lose your attention all together.

Chris’s Inspiration

Chris, a salesperson who was a coaching client of mine for a time had a dream of owning his own home theater installation company. Yet here he was “stuck” in a 8 to 5 sales gig so his family could have health insurance and security.

That was when I asked him “what if you looked for how coming to work every day helps you move closer to your inspiration?”

At first, he couldn’t see any connection - then we started talking and here is what came out:

1. the health insurance was only until his kids all went to school and his wife went back to work - that was about 5 years away so seemed like forever.
2. there were several “sales” skills that would be critical to his success as a small business owner - that he could focus on using daily.

The next day Chris came into work and looked for opportunities to hone the skills he would need to be a successful business owner. Shockingly (to him not me!) his sales started increasing and his 9 to 5 job success increased beyond what he thought possible.

Now those 5 years have passed and he is in a better financial position than he ever imagined to keep his family secure while quitting his “day job” to pursue his inspiration.

Don’t Wait for someone to TELL you what your goals “should” be figure out what your inspiration is and create them yourself!

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7. January 2010 by Lynn Hidy.

I’ll bet your life since my last blog post has been so hectic & crazy that you didn’t even miss me last week!

We decided to send this out right as you got back to work after all that fun and frolicking.

Let this be the bridge between your 2009 and the success you will find in 2010.

After all - Construction began on the Brooklyn Bridge January 3rd way back in 1870 but wasn’t built in a day. Now people try to sell it all the time!

For those of you who don’t know.

UpYourTeleSales.com is
AGAINST
New Year’s Resolutions!

They are the Brooklyn bridge of goal setting.

Why? You ask…

The reason has 3 parts (of course it does - most things you read here have three parts and it is unexplainable why)

1. Obligation vs. Inspiration
2. Built in way out
3. Why wait?

Check out Issue 10 of A Chip off the Block for more.

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23. December 2009 by Lynn Hidy.

We’ve arrived. There is nothing left to do but unpack all your sales possessions and get to work. Remember that now is the time to make sure you don’t fall back into the habits that aren’t working for you anymore.

I know - the whole idea of unpacking is overwhelming in itself, especially if you didn’t think through the packing part (and you know who you are).

As you start to bring things out, double check that they are still useful.

• Is that voicemail a little threadbare, is it time to update it?
• Have you used that piece of exercise equipment to build your sales muscles lately?
• Is that the technique you forgot you had, but use to look great in?

Once everything is out of the boxes and ready to be used. Sit back, take a deep breath and realize it was all worth it.

Time to start loving that new space and your outlook on the career you’ve created for yourself. Make sure you continue to take action every day moving you forward on your career. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing - one more call, a difficult question you add to your list, attacking the mess you made in an account, trying to prospect in a scary account that could make you lots of money. More than anything else - remember to have fun doing it.

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18. December 2009 by Lynn Hidy.

Sometimes we as salespeople spend lots of time planning & revising & planning to revise. A great trainer I know Pete Morrissey called that

“Getting Ready, To Get Ready“

Now that you have planned where you want your career to go. You need to take the first step on the journey. Today I challenge you to do

ONE THING

Yes, you got it - one thing that will move you forward. It might be

• having a difficult conversation with your boss or a customer.
• asking a question that makes you uncomfortable
• instead of rolling your eyes when it is time to call that difficult contact - decide to NEVER call them again AND close out all your notes
• work on your resume
• contact the local chamber of commerce to sponsor an event
• join toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills

What is that ONE step you need to take?

Now for the hard part, when you wake up tomorrow (yes Saturday) do something else. Every single day do one thing that will move you forward in your career.

Just imagine where you will be this time next year!

Get moving.

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9. December 2009 by Lynn Hidy.

I know it sounds almost trite to say that planning is the first step to making any move.

Unfortunately, it seems there are salespeople everywhere who act first and think later. I can’t remember who said it (or what their exact words were even), but that’s what separates the amateurs from the professionals.

Before you make any career moves, please - please - please, I’m begging you here:

• think about where you are going
• look at where you are today
• create your own road map

In training classes I will ask “if we get in the car and drive for an hour where will we end up?”

Depending on where I’m teaching or where the students are I receive lots of different answers. To which I reply “the only thing we know is that we will be an hour away - maybe in the wrong direction.”

Instead of working toward something you may not even want. Take the time to plan your next step - making sure it moves you toward your next goal.

Important Safety Tip

Ditch the things that aren’t working for you anymore!

We all have things that use to work and help us to reach our goals. They are called habits - I think they’re a good thing: it is what allows us to drive from home to work without too much thought.

Unfortunately, there are habits that we all have that are no longer serving their original purpose.

• you’ve changed your goals but not your habits
• your habits aren’t getting the results they use to
• while you weren’t looking, some of your habits morphed into unrecognizable snippets of their former selves.

Since we are moving anyway - let’s not pack up any extra boxes that could just as well be left behind. Talk about baggage!

Have a great week and keep planning.

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4. December 2009 by Lynn Hidy.

Not sure how Twitter could work for you?  Well here is a sample of it from this morning.

•  I follow @MarketingVeep, she RT (re-tweeted) @GuyKawasaki 30 tweeting women entrepreneurs to follow http://om.ly/ckmd
• I trust her, it sounded interesting…. click
• I RT it as well - plus thanked her (and got a note back)
• Read the article and clicked to see @entreprediva, started following her because I liked her stuff
• AND RT her RT of something by @dave_carpenter “ Are you crystal clear on what you DID accomplish in 2009? It is important to your success in 2010: http://bit.ly/5Pnwes”
• Started following HIM and am participating in his #2010Plan program
• Which I was a twit and posted “just joined @dave_carpenter in his #2010Plan check out daily steps for having a fantastic 2010 http://tiny.cc/GKql3” on twitter

Now to follow through - each user of Twitter has a different idea and expectation of post content as well as frequency. This is truly a personal choice - so I’m not going to tell you my frequency criteria… rather that I need to feel their posts add something to my knowledge base or add I might not have known at all.

So the question you need to answer is - if I’m going to tweet… who is my target market and what do THEY want to know? along with how often do they want to hear from me?

ps: this doesn’t happen for me every day

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3. December 2009 by Lynn Hidy.

Now that your attention is peaked, remember that moving has three parts:

1. Plan
2. Attack
3. Unpack

Planning

• Do you know where you’re moving too or is it more away from somewhere?
• Do you have a picture of the perfect sales career in your head?
• Do you know what you’re going to do when you arrive?

Once you’ve answered those questions, it is important to remember planning isn’t all about the where, how, or when.

The “what” is very important too.

For a successful career move look at what you currently do and determine if it is still helping you.

Why move something that you don’t want… need… or use anymore?

Check out A Chip off the Block’s Moving Along Edition for more.

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