This afternoon I will be speaking on Sales 2.0 & The Social Shift to Executives at the ACA International Convention.  We will address a few core issues that will be top of mind to attendees:

1.  Is social media a business tool or waste of time?

2. Show me the money (this one is easy).

3. Can I get an advantage over my competition?

4.  Do my prospects and customers care about social media?

5.  Won’t my competition be able to see who I am connecting with or learn more about us if we are more social?

I just finished reading the Ad Age article, How Social Media Can Derail Your New Business Efforts.  I was also asked during my breakfast business summit last week about the danger of the competition seeing your contacts on Linked In.

It is true.  Your competition can and will learn more about you if you go social.  My thought about that.  So what?

My advice to any sales organization, leader or individual contributor would be to focus on being better than the competition.

Social Media doesn’t make or break your sales strategy, process, work product, pitch plan, preparation cycle or prospect and customer experience.  They merely serve as access points and additional opportunity to demonstrate your value proposition.

I hope my sellers (they know who they are) are reading this and connecting on linked in early and often.  I hope they are selling with carefully researched and expertly crafted POV (Point of View & Position of Value).  I hope they are presenting clear and compelling proof of concept with case studies that include ROI. I hope they wake up ready to step into the arena of competition and lean into the challenge of taking on the very best.  I hope they out prepare, out think and out hustle the competition.  I hope they present to win. I hope they put their process, strategies, ideas and insights on display for the whole world to see, including the competition.  I hope they earn commitment and identify next steps at every inflection point in the sales cycle. I hope they never worry about what the competition might see, think or know about what they are doing, who they are connected to or where they are checking in. I hope they are that confident.  I hope they are that much better.

Sell from a position of strength.  Not fear.  Focus more on the customer.  Less on you.  Even less on the competition.

If you are with us in Dallas join me this afternoon at the #acaconvention.

Posted in Sales, Social Media

Tags: ACA International, Ad Age, Sales 2.0, Social Media, Social Selling

I sat down for lunch recently with a friend who I hadn’t seen in some time.  When I asked how things were going he replied, “status quo.”

As we moved into discussion it was clear things were a bit less than desirable.  A bit of erosion was setting in.  I have been exactly this kind of “status quo”.  I understood.  We used lunch to talk through a game plan to redirect and get back on the right track.  We also achieved consensus around this simple premise:

The “status quo” is dead.

If you aren’t moving forward it is likely you are going to be set back. The pace of change is accelerating too quickly to simply stay the same.  I am actually familiar with the status quo business strategy and I can assure you that a death grip on trying to stay the same is a recipe for eventual deterioration. We are living in a time that requires innovating forward.

A simple checklist to ensure personal productivity and performance are on the fast track:

-Who are the 3 most important new people you’ve met in the last 30 days?

-Who are the 3 most important people you’ve spent meaningful moments with this week?

-What are the last 3 books you’ve read?

-What is working better today that wasn’t working 100 days ago?

-What isn’t working?

-What are you going to do about it?

-What is the most important use of your time right now?

-What are you going to do about it?

-What are your 3 “go to” excuses?

What are you going to do about it?

It’s almost halftime (the end of Q2).  A good time to check the scoreboard.

How are you doing?

Hopefully better than “status quo.”

Posted in Leadership, Sales

Tags: Performance, Productivity, Status Quo

15 minutes early or 5 minutes late for the meeting?

Thoroughly prepared or learning on the fly?

A day before the deadline or two hours after it was promised?

10% below budget or the over run?

Exceeding expectations.  Always.

Or assigning blame.  “It’s not my fault!”

I see it everyday.  Often it is well intended.  In some instances it has seemingly become acceptable. Or at least quite common.

The over promise.

Unfortunately, it is also the kiss of death over time.

An A product with an F process grades you out as a C player.

Good habits are contagious.  Often the ability to design an extraordinary experience exists in attention to the tiny little details almost everyone can impact.  If we are paying attention. When we focus on consistency.

Deliver a little more than expected, a little earlier than expected, for a little less money.

You’ll be pleased with what happens next.

Posted in Brand, Communications, Leadership, Sales

I was talking to a friend and respected colleague last week.  As a Senior Vice President of Sales he was lamenting the unfavorable market conditions.  Price competition.  Buyer attention deficit disorder.  Voice mail.  A value proposition you can hardly discern. Procurement.  Lengthening cycles.  Margin pressure.

His world had changed.  His job was much harder than it had ever been before. The same kind of effort was increasingly producing less of the desired outcome. That means pressure.  The kind of pressure many people, particularly salespeople, across a variety of industries and disciplines are facing when they arrive at the office today.

What was good enough to get us here simply isn’t going to be good enough to propel us forward.  Shift.

I asked him, “what is the biggest bottleneck in the sales cycle?  the one thing you need to make happen that you believe will drive the business forward?”

He didn’t hesitate, “We need time with quality decision makers.  They need to hear our story.  It all sounds the same, but there are key elements of differentiation.  I wish our prospects could talk to a few of our customers.”

I didn’t hesitate, “They can.  You can help them do it.  If you are relying completely on your direct sales organization to influence the marketplace you are missing an opportunity for impact.”

I see the resistance all of the time to the Social Selling movement, particularly among veteran sellers.  That question surrounding Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.  Is social media a business tool or waste of time?

I knew where he stood.  But couldn’t resist the opportunity to flip open my laptop and simply show him my Facebook Wall from the day (and I threw in at tweet from the same day for good measure):

Aaron, Kelly and Brie are like minded colleagues. We are connected and enjoy the benefit of socializing our ideas through new media.  They also happen to work for HP, Farmers Insurance and Oakley.  Their interest means validation.  Their recommendation of my work means everything. Whether they hire me or not isn’t the point. Interestingly, I have never asked for their business.  Increasingly, that is how it works (most sellers try and close too soon, before they have earned the opportunity to ask for the business).

I always teach salespeople the value of having the marketplace sell for you (Flip the Sale).  The tools and technology enable, educate and eventually put you in a better, more intelligent position when it is time to ask (for help or the business).  They expedite the sales cycle.  Activate the brand.

Can you explode market share without social media and sales 2.0 strategy?  Of course!  These are simply tools that help.  Frankly, in a competitive marketplace, I will take all the help I can get.

In sales your network is your net worth.  It pays to consider how you can positively add value and impact your network each and everyday.

My friend is still skeptical.  His view is that social selling wouldn’t be as relevant for “his” business.  That is where the conversation always starts.

He just sent me a LinkedIn invitation.  Progress.

I’ll be presenting Social Selling on Day 2 of the ACA International Convention next month in Texas.  Hope you can join us!

Posted in Brand, Communications, Sales, Social Media, Uncategorized

I had the good fortune of attending the Lenny Kravitz & U2 show last weekend.  Whatever your taste in music, this “experience” can’t be understated.  From my perspective it is simply off the charts entertaining and they are the only touring act today that can pull it off on this scale.

A noticeable element of this “show”?

Preparation.

You want to engage an audience?  Deliver a compelling client experience?  Convince a community?  Inspire a team?  Close the sale?  Earn that testimonial?

Prepare like a professional artist.

Put in the hours.  Test.  Tear it apart.  Rebuild it.  Start over.  Add.  Adjust. Adapt.

Rehearse.

You’ll know when it is ready.  When you and the team have put in the time.  When everyone knows their part.

When your confidence is Rock Star.

Success often doesn’t come down to the moment.  It usually comes down to how prepared you are for the moment.

Preparation is a process.  It requires discipline.  It is always useful to consider your approach.

If you skip the choreography, rehearsal and sound check the people you want to impact will most assuredly notice the difference.

If you get it just right the impact can be extraordinary.

U2 prepared and delivered a surprise to the crowd at Quest Field, Seattle last Saturday night with a video message from Commander Mark E. Kelly.

Bono dedicated ‘Beautiful Day’ to Gabby Giffords, before asking, “Imagine a man looking down on us from 200 miles up. Looking down at our beautiful crowded planet… What would he say to us…? What is on your mind Commander Kelly?”

Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership, Sales, Uncategorized

Tags: Artist, Lenny Kravitz, Preparation, U2

Next week I will serve as the closing keynote for the MSAE Annual Meeting & Expo in Minneapolis.  Our theme?

Discover Your Inner Superhero!

The journey of discovery toward stopping speeding bullets and leaping tall buildings in a single bound can be rather extraordinary. We’ll see if we can pull it off in 45 minutes!

The journey of discovery toward any worthwhile pursuit is important.

Typically it involves a fair amount of introspection.  Most Superhero’s don’t do it for fame and fortune. Typically, it is a higher calling.  One filled with meaning and mastery.  Passion and purpose.

Everyone has the Superhero inside them.  Or is capable of discovering and delivering their very best.

Here are 10 key considerations to aid in tapping into our own passion, purpose and potential:

1.  Decide What You Want (and why):  This is the hard part.  For a caped crusader or mere mortals. The act of decision is important.  The best decisions usually include supporting rationale.  Examine the what and the why.  Once you decide write it down.  Be specific.  Be intentional. Have a deadline.  Want to make President’s Club?  Lose 10 lbs?  Find a new job?  Improve a relationship?  Write it down.  Give it a deadline. {Tip: make Bold Choices}.

2.  Action Plan with Milestones:  Build a plan to get what you want.  Pay attention to the details.  Big things are accomplished in the little moments.   Plans helps you focus.  Plans help you manage time.  Plans help you feel the progress.  Plans help you evaluate. Plans help others rally around you.  Plans help you maintain the emotional engagement required for big results. Plans help you establish and maintain momentum.

3.  Tell Other People:  Involve other people you care about.  Friends.  Family.  Have a team.  Nobody becomes the best of who they are alone.  You need support.  You need people holding you accountable.  You need allies to champion your cause. {Note:  Had I skipped this step I wouldn’t be keynoting this event next week…or any other. The team held me accountable.}

4.  Report/Record Activity Against the Action Plan:  You need to monitor progress, performance indicators and benchmark against the desired outcome. Hitting the small milestones are signs of progress toward the big goal. Having a record of results helps you stay the course and maintain the emotional commitment among those supporting you.

5.  Celebrate: Don’t wait.  Celebrate incremental achievement.  Progress toward the plan.  The milestones matter.  Recognize the effort that produces a desired outcome along the way. This is critical for the modern day leader.  You’ll get more of what you inspect and recognize!

6.  Modify the Plan:  The world changes.  Life changes.  Plans change.  Modify, update, adjust, adapt and evolve accordingly.  Don’t use the accelerated pace of change as an excuse for not having a plan. For not writing things down and recording progress. For not moving through a process of discovery and decision. Plans change but process is still important.

7.  Don’t Quit:  Not at the first sign of resistance, setback, mistake, misstep and considerable concern that embarking on this adventure simply wasn’t a a good idea. The resistance is coming.  Rejection. Failure. Fear. Doubt. Insecurity. Stress.  Anticipate the hard parts.  Work through them.  {Tip:  The Dip is an excellent resource for determining when to quit and when to stay the course.  Many people give up on the cusp of a breakthrough).

8.  Get Better:  Mastery takes time.  Hard work.  Help.  Practice.  Most people don’t practice work (hard to do when you are busy working).  This makes it hard to improve.  The 10,000 Hour Rule in Outliers suggests that the key to extraordinary performance and success is a matter time and practice (20 hours a week for 10 years should just about do it) and doesn’t have as much to do with talent. The good news is we all have exactly the same amount of time and decide how to invest it. Even a little practice can accelerate breakthrough performance.

9. Help Others:  The Superhero ethos.  Help. It is amazing how much we can improve and evolve through service.  It is often when we’ll experience the most profound growth.  It is often a catalyst for elevating our own emotional engagement.  I see it everyday.  The best sellers.  The best leaders.  The best people I know give first.

10.  Have Fun:  Enjoy the ride.  At the end of the day success = happiness!

I look forward to the event in the hometown next week!  MSAE has done a fabulous job building momentum toward next week with a progressive pre-conference promotional initiative (my video prompt included). I may get inspired enough to break out the cape!

Posted in Brand, Communications, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Sales, Uncategorized

Tags: Engagement, Keynote, Motivational Speaking, MSAE, Performance

I live and love the iLife.  In making the transition from Blackberry I became an AT&T customer by default.

I have experienced dropped calls and hit dead zones over the last two years.  Just like I am sure everyone else on just about every other network has.  It certainly wasn’t enough of a disruption that moved me to explore other service providers.  However, had an alternative option been presented to me with incentive and ease of transition I certainly might have made the move.  I represent the vast majority of customers (yes, likely your customers and employees).  I was reasonably satisfied.  Not loyal.

That changed for me last week. AT&T has captured my heart and moved my spirit. I am now part of the Rethink Possible Tribe.

Why?  Simple. The human element. The essential, secret ingredient that can turn your customers into the most loyal, fanatical, brand evangelists on the planet. The essential, secret ingredient that can rock your workforce, elevate engagement, accelerate performance and turn culture into a competitive advantage.

It comes down to people and relationships.  Particularly people that are engaged and intuitive enough to create a compelling experience.

I spent an evening with AT&T last week.  I was hired to keynote a dinner event.  The people I met were special.  The way they treated me was extremely generous.  They were all Brand Ambassadors.  They were warm, welcoming, supportive, hospitable and extended themselves beyond measure to ensure I was able to succeed. It wasn’t necessary.  It was simply AT&T.

I know them now.  I like them now.  They have my support.  Any my business. I want to work with them again.  Whether I do or don’t doesn’t really matter.  This brand was humanized for me in a very positive and powerful way.  That drives loyalty.  It is that simple.

The people are the brand.

Often it isn’t what you do (plenty of other people/companies do what you do just as well as you do it and for just about the same price), but how you do it and who is doing it that makes the moment memorable enough to keep customers (and employees) coming back for more.

Put people first.

Performance and profitability are more likely to follow.

If your people strategy isn’t the #1 priority on the agenda today perhaps it is time to Rethink Possible?

Posted in Brand, Communications, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Sales, Uncategorized

Tags: AT&T, Brand, Brand Ambassador, Customer Loyalty, customer service, Engagement, Experience, Human Resources, Loyalty

I am committed to at least 3 meetings a week simply designed to further develop a meaningful relationship.  Nobody is closing, rather, it is merely a conscious effort to foster deeper connections where they matter most.  These meetings are typically breakfast, lunch or dinner by design and intended to move me away from the screen, minimize the distractions and engage in the moment.

I am ahead of schedule this week.  Five meaningful meetings and it is only Thursday.  Thus far they have produced an outcome I could have hardly conceived on Monday morning.  New relationships.  Referrals. A very important reconnection.  A whole lot of fun.

It is easy to get consumed “coffee shopping” it.  I have been there.  Spinning the wheels in meetings that don’t seem to count for a whole lot more beyond the Mocha.  I know it is important to strike the proper balance and make sure the meetings and moments matter.  I believe that happens by design.  I also believe the result is difficult to replicate via text and twitter.

I also suppose it will prove to be 3 of my most important hours each week.  If they aren’t?  Hey, it’s just lunch.

This week was a great reminder of some powerful advice:

Never eat alone.

Posted in Communications, Leadership, Recruiting, Sales, Social Media

Tags: Networking, Relationships

Prompted recently by a little healthy dieting competition with my brother (inspired by The 4 Hour Body) Chipotle started to become part of the lunchtime plan.  I soon realized the power of the Chipotle Tribe.  By 11:45 on any given day the Chipotle on 225 East Hennepin Ave. has a line out the door.  But this crew deals.  Good food.  Fast.  They also embrace a serious, service oriented attitude.  I noticed right away.  Something you don’t always see on the fast food line.  This crew was in lock step.

Two weeks ago I placed my order (very light on the Guac).  The Manager asked the Cashier not to charge me extra for the Guac.  A thoughtful touch for a regular customer.  However, the Cashier was having a bit of trouble. Upon noticing this might hold me up, the Manager simply said don’t worry about it, lunch today is on me.  Bravo!  A Free Burrito! Now I am a fan.

I have been back 3-4 times since Free Burrito day.   Yesterday I asked to speak to the Manager.  I wanted to meet Megan.

Megan Grothe has been with Chipotle for 8 years.  She explained to me that she wasn’t simply the General Manager, she was a Restaurateur, a category designated for a small group of evaluated and accredited all star leaders (a program Chipotle started to improve retention among it’s best talent).  She told me about the “love” she has for her job, her team and the organization.  A big part of that was grounded in the intersection of her own values with the Chipotle corporate values (a commitment to integrity, sustainability and the way the company treats it’s people).  When I inquired about the Free Burrito she simply said to me that providing a bad experience for any customer isn’t worth it.  She wants me to “feel the WOW” and keep coming back.  She recognizes I have a choice and she wants Chipotle to be top of mind come high noon everyday.  This approach and attitude is part of her team development initiative and she makes certain it is delivered on the line at the moment that matters.

Sounds simple but it’s so often overlooked.  Hire the right people.  Invest in them.  Develop them.  Communicate a shared vision and values.  Treat them right.

Give away a Free Burrito when it counts.

Does this strategy work?  This whole idea of put your people first and profit follows?

Click here to review the most important metric.  Whether you are in HR, Sales, Marketing or Leadership. This is the one that matters.  CMG is knocking it out of the park.

I love Chipotle.  Not just any Chipolte.  But my Chipotle.  The Chipotle on 225 East Hennepin Ave. just outside of my neighborhood in Minneapolis.  On this corner of Hennnepin & University sits plenty of good options for lunch. Panera.  Punch Pizza.  Bruegger’s.  Surdyk’s.  Lund’s.

I will be heading to Chipotle for lunch today.  With my Restaurateur Megan and her team. Just don’t ask me how the diet is going!

Thank you Megan.

Posted in Brand, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Sales

Tags: Chipolte, customer service, Restaurateur

I was complaining about time recently.  Not having enough.  Feels busy.  Perhaps distracted might be a better word.  I was definitely jumping on the bandwagon.  Everyone is too busy.

As I was feeling sorry for myself a friend dropped this beautiful H. Jackson Brown Jr. quote on me:

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”

What a wonderful reminder of the equality of time and our personal ownership.

We each decide. We are accountable for what gets done. The key is to direct our focus and invest our time where it matters most. Such an important choice.

Posted in Leadership, Recruiting, Sales, Uncategorized

Tags: Time, Time Management