techslog

Oracle Corp., in accusing rival SAP AG of cracking into its computer systems to steal confidential information, opened an unusual front between the two business-software rivals

The Wall Street Journal reported on the a lawsuit by Oracle, filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, said SAP engaged in "corporate theft on a grand scale" in a series of "high-tech raids." The complaint alleges that people associated with an SAP customer-support subsidiary illegally downloaded huge quantities of documents, software and other confidential information from Oracle's own customer-support system.

This is a developing story techslog is following however, how would you tread if you were a sales rep at either of these companies and had to wake up and discuss this with your client? Seeing as this battle has been declared for some time, the "FUD" factor is not a significant risk, after all, it is simply an accusation.

However, if your an SAP rep, the "spin" you could create is that this is just the Oracle PR machine again, making sure their name is in the press as often as possible, and that this is just another "Ellison" tactic in the war of the software companies.

On the other side of the fence, if you are an Oracle sales rep you could spin this as the power struggle that has been between the two companies, and how SAP has felt threatened by Oracle's successful acquisition strategy thus participated in this "dirty trick", as they have been losing ground lately.

Whichever fence you are on, this battle is sure to continue, and I sure hope we can focus on software VS the "chatter" between the two organizations.

Wall Street Journal Article

Posted by hope at 06:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is a common language used by top-level managers in every company, and these managers assume you can speak that language. It is a language centered on business concepts and understanding a handful of concepts. As a sales rep, what does this language mean to you?

For example, CEOs instinctively move toward the action that will maximize profits and minimize costs or expenses. Investment is the first concept and cost savings is second. To them this is as basic as breathing, and they often do not consciously even realize that they have moved in that direction. Sales Reps should understand this, and cater to the CEO’s instincts. However, many Sales Reps focus on costs, and they emphasize these over the investment side or over the impact on profits in presentations and conversations.
Time is money and the sooner a sales person can better understand the reasons a CEO or organization needs to utilize their solution, the better for both parties.
Here are four other things an executive assumes you know and practice.

Assumption #1: Knowing and Responding to Business Priorities
A business priority is defined by Ram Charan, Harvard business professor and author of an outstandingly valuable book called “What the CEO Wants You to Know,” as “the most important action that needs to be taken at a certain point in time.”

EXAMPLE-Sometimes this is hiring people as fast as you can, sometimes it is hiring only the absolutely A+ players, and sometimes it is not hiring at all.

Priorities can change quickly and CEOs expect that you understand that and are prepared to react accordingly. How many sales reps have been in that position, where their client totally changes direction and thus your solution is not in the direction they are now charting. What can you do? Keep informed, and be resilient. Adapt. Most CEOs expect the folks that report to them to be able to anticipate a change in priorities and make adjustments. Positive response to change and understanding that there are no absolutes are key attributes of a business-focused sales representative and one that stays in the game.
Assumption #2: Having an Investor Mentality
Do you think like how an investor in your customers company would think? The CEO has to think like an investor and make choices. This includes unpopular ones that give investors confidence. They focus on improving business processes and finding ways to cut costs. Sales Representative can be perceived as acting the opposite way. They push expensive tools (e.g. BI and HRMS systems) without showing how they will add to the profits or improve the investor perception.
You have to understand what the CEO is thinking in order to have any chance of creating a successful way of influencing her.
Focus on execution, on saving money and present the request for the HRMS system as a way to reduce the need for support staff. Show how the system pays for itself over some time period and, if the math doesn't work, adapt the idea.

Assumption #3: Quality Counts More Than Ever
Yes, every CEO I know believes in and supports total quality. It has become a mantra in the best firms, and most large (and many smaller) companies have instituted Six Sigma programs and Black-belt training. Sales have to emphasize quality and establish its own "black belts." What would an absolutely first rate, 100% "defect free" sales process look like? What would it "buy" your organization? Face it, most companies you deal with have a quality initiative on some level, does your sales force?
Assumption #4: Knowing How You Fit into the Strategy
The CEOs I work with assume that all departments know how they contribute to the big picture. They are expected to present what they will do to help the firm achieve its strategic goals, imperatives, or whatever you call them. If the CEO cannot get the information she needs to execute strategy, the strategy will fail and along with it the organization. You must know how your organization can fit into the overall vision of the firm and you must show how you can contribute to achieving business success. That means showing that value of your organization and how what you do will increase the profits of your organization.
That is ultimately all that a CEO really wants you to know or to do.

,a href="http://www.ere.net/articles/db/42CA3CCE7AC549A388A114EAA0A04201.asp"The Language of Success Article

Posted by hope at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After all the acquisitions Oracle announces their applications revenue for third quarter- up 57%!

Oracle announced that new license revenues for its Siebel, PeopleSoft, J.D. Edwards and Oracle applications were up 57% in its fiscal 2007 third quarter compared to the same period a year ago.

Of course Oracle President seized the opportunity to inform the press that Oracle was closing the gap with SAP- “Although SAP is still larger than Oracle in the applications business, we are closing the gap consistently and rapidly”, he said after close of trading.

Read more in the Information week article- Oracle Applications

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Information Week conducted a survey of 500 business technology professionals; see what they have to say about what they want from a BI vendor.

When evaluating a vendor, nearly 8-0% of respondents are interested in the company’s ability to integrate its offerings with existing applications and provide service and support. Nearly three in five say a vendor’s long term commitment to the BI product line and its financial strength matter. Half say breadth of product line is important.
Still, a bigger vendor isn’t always better, as companies continue to draw their BI tools from a variety of sources. A majority (56%) use a combination of vendor-provided and custom-built tools. 27% buy from a software vendor with a broad product offering, while 14% purchase from specialized BI providers.

Breakdown of the Survey

78%- Ability to integrate with existing applications
77%- Services & Support
57%- Long-term Commitment to product line
56%- Financial Strength of company
49%- Breadth of Product line
40%- Ability to provide custom solutions
38%- Specialization within my industry
18%- Partnerships with other vendors
11%- Alternative delivery models

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What does a Handshake tell you about a person, and how you should proceed.....

Handshakes fall into 9 categories

1. The Fettuccine handshake- Some folks will have you a limp, soft paw that feels like overcooked pasta. They are pessimists who need reassurance before anything else.
2. Squeeze the Lemon handshake- Some folks will squeeze your hand like a vise. These people, usually men, want to show strength and power- possibly to cover up an inferiority complex. Meet their needs with flatter.
3. Get a little closer handshake- The arm and elbow are bent and the right hand stays close to the side. This is the handshake favored by politicians and others who are hesitant to take risks. Use caution with these folks.
4. The Serial handshake- is used by folks who never miss the opportunity to shake hands. As soon as they meet you, they thrust their hand forward and shake with vigor. They seem insecure, so use more insistence than usual.
5. The Dead Fish handshake-This is not really a handshake at all. The hand is thrust forward and the fingers do not move. These people are saying “I don’t want to get involved.” Approach slowly.
6. The Robot handshake- The hand is offered quickly and automatically. These people are indifferent and self-interested. When dealing with them, show how what you’ve got to offer is indispensable to their needs.
7. The Jackhammer handshake- These hand pumpers have a lot of willpower and tend to be inflexible. You’ll have to be even more determined than you are.
8. The Prisoner handshake. These folks hold your hand and won’t give it back until they’ve got your full attention. These people may be opportunists. Emphasize what good fortune it is that you’ve met, and pursue your objectives.
9. The Normal Handshake- This open, honest handshake means you can trust your instincts with the person who gives it.

Now, get up and offer your hand to the person next to you for a handshake test. Shake hands like you normally would. Can you tell what kind of handshake you have?
How about your partner’s handshake. What does his handshake say about him?

Some words of caution: Handshaking is not an inborn talent. It is culturally acquired. People who are not familiar with the meanings of the handshake may not know how to perform the "normal handshake". Their handshakes might be misinterpreted by the people from ‘handshaking cultures" as weak and uninspired.

Likewise, a person from a "handshaking culture" might not know how to rub noses the right way, or how to kiss another male on the cheek when he visits another culture that does things differently.

People from some cultures might be offended with the brief, "normal" handshake. They might prefer the extended, pumping handshake.

So, one rule for this is, learn before you go, to make sure you impress the right way.
Their way.

Here are some "power’ handshake tips from experienced hand shakers:

Make sure your hands are dry.

If you are seated, stand when you are introduced to someone and shake hands on an even level.

Extend your hand first, vertically, with the thumb up, look at the other person’s eyes, and firmly grasp their hand.

The motion comes from the elbow, not the shoulder.

Shake once or twice then release cleanly.

It is a good idea to say your name and repeat the other person’s name.

A handshake usually lasts 3-4 seconds. Save longer handshakes for close friends, or for more personal occasions.

From interviewing for a job, to meeting with the CEO, to attracting a mate, advice abounds about the power of the handshake. Even if you consider yourself an experienced hand shaker, it does not hurt to freshen up on your handshaking skills. And if you are an inexperienced one, practice handshaking until it feels natural to you. The last thing you want is to make a wrong first impression when you get to meet the real movers and shakers.

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Let's face it, we have all had those sales cycles that have had some incredible speed bumps to slow down the process, how can you recover and still win the business?

Paul Cherry, a sales and leadership guru wrote this article that really sums it up:

SIX MISTAKES SALESPEOPLE MAKE WHEN CUSTOMERS WAFFLE

1. Fearing the customer’s reaction. When salespeople are afraid of what a customer might say, they end up losing sales opportunities because they don’t find out what the customer really wants. For example, you dread hearing customers say, “Your price is too high.” It’s almost a knee-jerk reaction to offer a lower price. Instead, be proactive and try to uncover the unique buying criteria important to the customer so the price objection doesn’t come up in the first place.

2. Taking it personally. Sure, in your head you know that a customer’s bad attitude doesn’t reflect on your worth as a human being. But our egos get in the way, and we internalize the customer’s negativity. When your customer brings up a problem, don’t get defensive and explain the problem away. Not only will the customer probably not be overjoyed with your response, but you will have failed to address the heart of the matter: how to fix your customer’s problem.

3. Rushing to judgment. As a salesperson, you should work to focus all of your attention on your customer and her needs. It’s all too easy to swoop in to present a solution instead of listening to your customer’s complaints and the specifics of her situation. In this rush to cut to the chase, you’re in danger of coming across as arrogant, and your customer ends up feeling her input is unimportant and unappreciated. This understandable mistake happens for two reasons:

You want to come off as the “expert” or “hero,” showing off all your knowledge by providing the solution before your customer even has a chance to finish her thought.
You’re in a hurry and don’t have the time and energy to devote to your customer.
For example, let’s say you’re about to leave for a week’s vacation when a prospective customer calls. He starts to go into a long story about his business and all the problems he’s encountered in the last five years. You realize that you have heard his story—or at least a similar one—many times before, so you interrupt him to give your answer to his problems. You try to end the call as soon as possible so you can leave for vacation. In this case, even though you might have given your prospect a good solution, chances are he won’t feel satisfied with the conversation. He didn’t have an opportunity to tell you about his business, so he feels shortchanged.

What should you have done? Next time, embrace any information your prospect gives you, whether you believe it’s valuable or not. If you truly didn’t have time to talk at length with this prospect, you should have requested the opportunity to call him back after you returned from vacation. Otherwise, you should have put down your briefcase, closed your office door, and listened to him for as long as he needed. Remember, even if you hear the story all the time, it is unique and personal for each customer. Instead of interrupting your customer with your standard solution, let him have the floor and explain his problem. Only then can you proceed with the process of finding a solution for whatever ails him.

4. Beating a dead horse. How do you know when, despite your best efforts, your customer relationship is beyond saving and therefore taking up more time than it’s worth? When that customer is demanding, even confrontational, yet provides you with little to no business for all the irritation he’s giving you. Sometimes customers like this actually cost you money because you spend so much time trying to please them. You hope that if you keep doing business with them, they’ll eventually reward you for your loyalty—but let’s face it, there are some customers you just don’t want!

Whether it’s a prospect who keeps stringing you along or a customer who demands to talk to you whenever the smallest problems arise, there are times when you have to make the tough decision to terminate one-sided relationships. For instance, a customer of mine who manufactures parts for one of the Big Three automotive companies was asked to meet 10% annual price concessions with the lure of someday becoming a valuable partner. After the fourth year of price reductions, my customer realized this “partner” was driving his business into the ground!

Every year, re-examine your customer list and fire the bottom 10% of your customers. It may seem painful and counterproductive at first, but doing this will actually free up your valuable time, letting you focus on those customers and prospects who appreciate what you have to offer, and tell you so in dollars and cents.

5. Shifting blame. For the past twenty years, organizations have embraced the concept of teamwork. When things go awry, though, it’s easy to point fingers. Donald Trump’s TV series, The Apprentice, shows how individuals can turn on each other to protect their own interests. The boardroom meetings with “the Donald” show a different side of each contestant’s character. One individual must be eliminated from the show each week, so one gets singled out for letting the team down.

When customers come to you with problems, do you know someone on your team who tries to shift blame to another person or department in your company? Pointing fingers only delays resolving customers’ issues. When things go well in your firm, everyone should definitely share the glory—and when things go wrong, everyone should share the blame, too.

6. Treating all customer complaints with the same approach. Some salespeople have a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to dealing with customer objections. They may offer to lower their price or automatically throw in product extras, without listening to the reasons the customer is upset. While you’re being conditioned to respond to objections with concessions, your customers are learning that whenever they complain, they’re rewarded, much like giving whiny children toys or treats to quiet them. For example, a customer might ask you to cut your price by 5% to clinch a deal. When you agree to this deal, you’re setting up her expectations for the next time you negotiate. She’ll think all she has to do is raise an objection and you’ll always give in. Having only one approach to resolving customer issues results in two mistakes:

You’re not addressing your customer’s real problem.
You end up offering more than what your customer really wants.
It’s better for both you and your customer if, instead of giving price cuts to close the deal, you really listen to what your customer tells you, then go from there. Slowing down and listening when you reach business relationship speed bumps works better in the long run than always trying to swerve around them.

Read more from Paul in his web site

Posted by hope at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fortune Magazine Published their list of America’s Most Admired Companies, how did your organization do and how can you use this information to increase sales?

You see it every year, the lists of best companies to work, and Most Admired companies etc. How valid are these lists and as a sales rep how can you use this to your advantage?
Well, I did have the experience of working for one of the best companies on Fortune’s list when I worked at SAS. While it was always salt in the wound for us folks that did not work in the Cary Headquarters (they were the folks that worked for the company outlined in Fortune, we satellite employees referred to ourselves as “orphans”) The news did trickle down to my customers, and they were impressed.

I used this as a great lead- highlighting it proudly in my power point dog and pony shows. We also had a high retention rate of employees, and this was a good selling point to our customers as well as our commitment to R&D etc. I notice SAS is not even making the top 40 these days, but is still in the top 100. There is definitely a value in this claim, and that a nationwide magazine recognized that value and looked at thousands of organizations to rate them in certain areas, it truly something to bring forward to your customers.
There is enough “FUD” being tossed around when you are in a competitive situation, leading with the positive aspects of your company, and tying that value back to the customer, is very important. For example- I liked using the employee retention aspect as an asset- let’s face it our customers have seen the turnover- multiple sales reps handling their accounts, changing support people etc. This really get’s on their nerves, as life is simpler if you can deal with the same people over and over again.
This value can be driven home in customer satisfaction and it can be a benefit that you know the competition cannot claim, as no matter how much they can “say it” and they might be true- you have this claim that really amplifies the value.
Take a look below at the Top 10, and investigate the links that take you to the entire list. See if your company is on the list, and if it is prepare some strong value statements around the reasons they were selected. It is a powerful tool to use to differentiate yourself from your competition.

This year’s top 10 companies to work for are:

1. Google
2. Genentech
3. Wegmans Food Markets
4. Container Store
5. Whole Foods Market
6. Network Appliance
7. S.C. Johnson & Son
8. Boston Consulting Grp.
9. Methodist Hospital Sys.
10. W.L. Gore & Associates

Fortune Best Companies To Work Article

This Year’s Most Admired Companies are

1. General Electric
2. Starbucks
3. Toyota Motor
4. Berkshire Hathaway
5. Southwest Airlines
6. FedEx
7. Apple
8. Google
9. Johnson & Johnson
10. Procter & Gamble

Fortune Most Admired Companies Article

Posted by hope at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Business Objects, IBM, and others are putting together packages designed to take the bite out of costly BI. Cost and integration are a big problem for businesses, according to new InformationWeek research.

Information week reports about the cost of BI products and how companies are trying to address that as they have BI initiatives on their plate in the coming year- many continue to grapple with the cost and complexity involved in deploying the technology.
Well, I guess the BI vendors are listing as this week they unleashed a number of offerings they claim will solve some of these challenges.
Business Objects on Wednesday announced that it's partnering with eight vendors, including Teradata, IBM, Netezza, and VMware, to offer business-intelligence "appliances." In most cases these are integrated packages that include Business Objects tools for such things as analysis and reporting and its partners' data warehouses, and may include hardware. These pre-configured appliances will reduce installation, configuration, and deployment time for BI, according to Business Objects.
As we know the major cost in a BI install can be the configuration costs to map the software to address a specific business “issue” that might be a totally custom effort. These “appliances” are NOT this kind of solution; rather they address “generic” issues that most companies may be experiencing.
Similarly, IBM on Tuesday introduced IBM Balanced Warehouse, which includes pre-configured software, hardware, and storage, and also is designed for faster implementation. IBM will offer three classes of these data warehouses to reach large enterprises down to small- and medium-sized businesses. The entry level C-Class is an "out-of-the-box" system that comes bundled with Business Object's reporting tools, says IBM.
Out-of-the-box BI? Not by far, however InformationWeek has research on business intelligence, to be released March 17, they find that ease-of-use issues stand in the way of widespread BI adoption, forcing companies to undertake time-consuming and expensive training, which nearly 40% of 500 IT professionals surveyed cite as a major obstacle. Two out of five respondents cite initial investment in BI as a challenge, and ongoing costs are impacting nearly a third of those trying to deploy BI tools. Nearly half of respondents say they have difficulty showing a clear return on investment.
Despite these vendors' efforts, it's hard to imagine BI technology could ever be considered a simple, drop-in system that can help companies better understand their businesses. Business Objects partnered with Andrews, Brightlight, Hewlett-Packard, and others to provide consulting services to help businesses put together their ideal BI appliances, showing that considerable work may still be required to get the right kinds of information to the right people.

Information week BI article

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Are you born a leader or can you become one? Can you learn superior leadership skills?

Experts notice seven specific actions that leaders carry out, regardless of the organization or cause they lead.

Effective leaders:

Make others feel important. If your goals and decisions are self centered followers will lose interest quick. Focusing on their goals and their success ensures the success of your entire group, including yourself and conveys a tone of enthusiasm amongst your followers. Emphasize their strengths and contributions, not your own.

Promote a Vision. Followers need a clear idea of where you’re leading them, and they need to understand the goal is valuable to them- not just you. Your job as a leader is to provide that vision, and try to see it through their eyes.

Follow the Golden Rule. Treat your followers the way you enjoy being treated. An abusive leader loses followers and fast. Do unto others as you would yourself.

Admit mistakes. If people suspect you are covering up your own errors, they’ll hide mistakes too, and you’ll lose valuable information needed for making decisions. Your human, and once the mistake is acknowledged, it will be forgotten, as you refocus your followers back on your vision.

Criticize only in private. Public praise encourages others to excel, but public criticism only embarrasses and alienates everyone.

Stay Close to the Action. You need to be visible to the members of your organization. Talk to people, visit other offices, ask questions and observe. Often you will gain new insights into your work and find new opportunities for motivating your followers.

Make a game of competition. The competitive drive can be a valuable asset or a crippling one. If you use it correctly it can set team goals and reward members who meet or exceed them. Examine your failures for learning moments and celebrate your group’s success.

Posted by hope at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With so much consolidation going on, what’s a sale’s rep to do when their company is acquired? Should you stay or should you go?

I came across a great article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday (the link is below) and it reminded me of how many sales reps have had to make the decision to stay at their company while it was acquired or to leave.
Personally I have watched when SAS acquired ABC Technologies, and saw how some of the ABC players made out fine, while others struggled and subsequently left. If I look at this particular example, I would have to say the ones who stayed and succeeded did so because they immediately plugged themselves into the “mother” company and made it known their expectations and put a plan in place to achieve that. They did not have one foot out the door, in word or action, and showed their commitment in every step of the way.
However, I have also witnessed sales folks who where at PeopleSoft when Oracle acquired them. How hard is it to join hands and play together with a company you had been “fighting” in the field, and who you saw as the enemy? I guess if you are stuck in that mental thought, it is not the place you want to be, as your thoughts will become your reality, and you will simply be looking for more of the negativity you suspect.
PLUS PeopleSoft sales reps did not have the same “carnivorous” reputation as Oracle sales reps. I watched as a flood of PS resumes entered the job boards from sales reps that did not want to be a part of the Oracle machine.
So what can you do if your company is about to be acquired?
First – Keep your options open. Stay put with the joined organization, unless there is public intelligence that the area you serve is being eliminated. However you can explore your options while being gainfully employed
Second- Strive to be included. Show that you are important to their joined sales organization, whether it be your product/market knowledge or industry knowledge, and use this advantage to add value. Reach out to the new sales infrastructure, even as a quick hello. Try to offer any information you can to aid in the merger, and work to be included in any meetings.
Third- Be realistic in what you want- if you work mainly by yourself, and the acquiring company is team oriented, then this might not be the place you want to be. Knowing what you do not want is just as important as knowing what you do want. Outrage over elimination of free coffee or other perks might be masking un-acceptance of more than these little perks.
Fourth- Make acquaintances’ with the new sales team. Notice I did not say friends, although that could be a side gift. However meet them and learn more about their work and their teams. A good merger is one where each team learns from each other, as you both have something to bring to the table. Hopefully that is the tact the acquiring company takes.

In the long run, it is your career, and you must do what you are comfortable doing. So take the steps to secure your future, as you are the only one looking out for you.

Wall Street Journal Article

Posted by hope at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Oracle aquired Hyperion as the latest event in the dynamic Business Intelligence market. The market is exploding and there's more going on than meets the eye......

WOW, the latest announcement from Oracle in their acquisition strategy is to acquire Hyperion; IDC's #4 ranked BI vendor on their 2005 market leader in analysis tools grid.
There was much speculation that Oracle was on an acquisition shopping trip last year; sifting through Business Objects and others, but they set their sites on Hyperion and snagged them in their March 1 announcement (the link is below).
There has been a lot of consolidation in the marketplace and more to come. And what a hot market BI is today, yielding over 50 billion a year in revenue and growing in the low teens every year. This once sleepy sector ruled by statisticians, is now the CFO’s darling, ranking near the top of many companies technology purchases.
Hyperion’s purchase is quite the hit, as Hyperion is a leading provider of financial planning and management software including the tools used for monitoring and analyzing a company’s key performance metrics- if there was ever an entrance into the CFO’s door, Oracle has found it here! I encountered Hyperion in my days at Lawson, when we offered the Hyperion essbase product to beef up Lawson financials way back when, so this is a very mature product line with deep roots in the CFO’s office.
Not only that, Oracle’s announcements reads "Hyperion is the latest move in our strategy to expand Oracle's offerings to SAP customers," said Oracle President Charles Phillips. "Thousands of SAP customers rely on Hyperion as their financial consolidation, analysis and reporting system of record. Oracle already has PeopleSoft HR, Siebel CRM, G-Log, Demantra, i-flex, Oracle Retail, and Oracle Fusion Middleware installed at SAP's largest ERP customers. Now Oracle's Hyperion software will be the lens through which SAP's most important customers view and analyze their underlying SAP ERP data."
As we reported here in Techslog last year, IBM was courting SAS (or vice versa) so expect more BI acquisitions to occur in this dynamic market.

Oracle announcement Oracle Announcement

Information week Article What's Next in BI?

Posted by hope at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Let's face it, executives are busy. They, like the rest of us, are multi-tasking and travelling and have many key initiatives on their plate at any time. So how can you stand out and establish rapport when the only way to communicate is via the phone?

The first thing is to be yourself. People respond to a personal touch, and not a script. Hopefully your comfortable in your own skin (and if not that is a different blog all together) and that ease will come across in a conversation.
Next thing to remember is to listen and learn. Sure your job is to learn what they are trying to address in their business, that is a given. But also listen to this executive as a person- what are his/her likes and dislikes, their idiosyncrasies, and details of their life. If need be write them down in their profile.

Includes things like:

Personality Traits- Is this person usually rushed and demanding, or are they amiable and accepting. Makes notes of this, so you can help adapt your manner to your customer’s mood.

Personal Details- Connect on a personal level by noting his family, hobbies and other non intrusive personal and job related information. Friendly inquiries such as “How was the weather at your house in Cape May last weekend” or “Did you catch the wine festival when it was in town last weekend” go a long way to cement your business ties. Whatever you do, don’t “pretend” to be a golfer or something other than who you really are- fake or forced connections are worse than none at all.

Contact details- Keep track of the dates you speak as well as the content of the call. This is not so you may bring it back up like an attorney and hold it against them, but to merely make note so you can follow up appropriately and let them know that you heard what they said at the last conversation. How do you feel if you speak to someone and they can’t remember the last conversation you had? Not good, and not likely to want to talk to them again. By reinforcing the last conversation in a positive fashion, it reinforces your commitment to their account and helps to build trust.

Honest communication and the willingness to listen can really be the most effective tools to help make telephone communication more effective.

Posted by hope at 02:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Perhaps you’ve heard of “The Secret” that is going around; Oprah highlighted the movie on her show, and there is a lot of buzz in the media right now. Maybe you have even seen "The Secret" and wonder how you may harness this to help you with your sales. Read on to learn how you can attract more sales than ever before!

The Secret is the law of attraction, which is a universal principal that states "We attract into our lives whatever we give our attention to- wanted or unwanted." Now while this might sound rather “new age” and trendy, it is a universal law that has been around since the beginning of time, with elements written even in the bible.
Not only that, but CEO’s, athletes, inventors and others have been discovering and applying this secret for quite some time, and truly understand the value in this law.
How does this apply to sales people?
First, know that this is not about making other people do what you want them to do “against their will”.
Quite the opposite. Once you understand the dynamics of your language, intention and actions and the energy it creates and attracts, you’ll see how this manifestation can create incredible possibilities in sales.
Let’s consider this- wouldn’t it be nice to NOT have to cold call all the time? Wouldn’t it be nice to know that nearly everyone you encounter is going to make a purchase, or even be a lifetime customer?
Of course it would. So how does this happen?
I have encountered sales people that are already using this law to advance their sales and careers; however it is not always easy for everyone. Sales people can have limiting beliefs about what is possible and necessary with regards to succeeding in sales. They have also written a “script” for themselves- touting cut territories, bad compensation plans, and inadequate management as the “excuses” for their inability to make quote etc. They might even have some examples in their life that demonstrate this to be true. However there is no truth to it. It is simply a belief, and if that belief runs through you, it affects your ability to achieve and limits what you can attract into your life, no matter how much you consciously want something different.
To attract something such as new sales, you have to go from wanting it, to feeling that you already have it. Wanting has a certain energy that means “you don’t have it”, that feeling causes you to attract more of the “you don’t have it”, It is simply responding as it always will.
Instead you have to take the idea of “visualizing the sale” to the next level- because simple visualization without emotion does not serve to attract anything. The attraction starts at the level of your emotion.
Here are some steps you can take to employ “the Secret” into your life.

Get clear on what you want and don’t want, and how you feel as a result of making a sale. Don’t make this about the money, as money carries a lot of baggage for many people. Besides, money is only one facet of this goal; there can be career advancement, better business relationships, more influence in your organization, the list can be comprised of what YOU want. Visualize what this situation would look like, and take out a sheet of paper and write down what you don’t want, and then get clear on what you do want. Write down the things you must have in your work to feel fulfilled and successful. Think about the type of client that makes you happy and challenges you to work at your best. Some of the best sales cycles I have had were not the most lucrative or the easiest, but sales where I used my skills and resources to create the best solution for my client.

One of the basic principles of the law of attraction is that if you truly believe you can have it; it can be yours; however, to truly believe means to have no doubts. The amount of time you focus on a doubt directly correlates with the amount of negativity that you attract to your life. Put yourself on a positive diet, and eliminate doubt the way you would calories. Don’t engage in any company bashing etc, and when a doubt comes up replace it with a positive thought.

Create a vision statement. This is a very powerful tool, as you write down your vision for yourself, and for your career; envision what it would look like and allow your body to experience the emotions and feeling you have when you attract exactly what you want. Take a few moments as you start your day and read it over again and live it.
For example- if you are currently focusing on your struggle to attract more customers, you may chose to reframe this by saying “I am attracting the type of clients that I want and I have more than I can fit into my schedule”. Writing it down and truly connecting is the first step in increasing the momentum. Next stop is to assume you will get what you want and then create a sales plan to achieve it.

The last step is to take action. The “secret” is not a magical spell or something that replaces hard work. It is the destination you set your “GPS” and now your need to get in the car and drive. The best investment you can make is the one in yourself. Set your intentions, clarify your goals, let go of limiting beliefs and then take action. Think about the model you want to set for yourself as a sales person and then seek to inspire others to reach their peak. As a salesperson you are asked to join forces with people every day, How do you want to show up?

And now, you know the “secret” as well. You can push it aside as a fad, and go right back to doing things how you’ve always done them. Win some, lose some. Or you can just give it a try for a while and see what happens.
It costs you nothing, and can gain you everything.

Law of Attraction article

The Secret Website

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