Biz Coach Steve

Author: bizcoachsteve

  • Difficult Conversations

    Use your coaching skills

    Many owners and leaders have confided in me that one of the most difficult aspects of their job are those difficult conversations that have to have with their employees. A lot of those leaders either ignore them or hope they will go away by themselves. But wishful thinking is not managerial thinking. To face up to personal employee habits that may upset customers or colleagues, team leaders need to have a strategy, a plan, and the skills to confidently know how to put things right. As with everything, there are right ways and wrong ways to have these sensitive discussions and I hope you choose the right way.

    Difficult Conversations: A 5-Point Plan

    The following plan can be applied to any difficult conversation with an employee whose habits need to be changed. These include employees with unpleasant personal habits, such as poor personal hygiene, as well as employees with attitude problems.

    1. It’s Only Difficult If You Think It Is

    Drop the idea that this will be a “difficult” conversation. Look at it in terms of a performance issue. Focus on the desired outcome which is always to bring the person up to the standards required of everyone. Remember that you have the assertive right to raise the issue if it is something that affects you or the people you are responsible for. You don’t have to justify, explain or excuse yourself.

    2. Even When It’s a Personal Issue, Don’t Make It Personal

    Many “difficult” situations arouse strong emotions in people which in turn make the exchange appear personal. The only feeling you should have is a desire to help the other person. If you are feeling angry, anxious, or embarrassed, stop. Connect your head to your heart. Discuss what the person is doing and what they can do differently. This is not about who they are.

    3. Ease Your Way In

    In any conversation that deals with personal issues, it is best to ease your way in while not misleading the person about the subject under discussion. One good route into the personal is to start with clichés, such as “How’s things going?”, then to move on to facts, proceed to their views, and finally to how they feel. Do this without skirting around the issues or trying to sneak the issue in under the guise of something else.

    4. Link Your Feedback to a Business Issue

    If you are the team leader, you need to relate everything in the conversation to business issues, e.g. “your appearance (manner; hair style; hygiene; grooming; attitude) isn’t what our customers’ expect from a business like ours”. While they may want to explain why they are behaving as they are, “why” is not what it’s about. Acknowledge their reasons, but don’t go there. For you, it’s more about “what” – what they are doing and what they can do differently.

    5. Have a Neutral Spot Where You Can Both Go If Things Become Awkward

    If people become defensive, it is likely that you’ve hit a raw nerve. It’s at this stage that you need to back off by going to a neutral third spot where you can both look at the behavior dispassionately. Don’t challenge them by saying something like, “Your personal hygiene needs to be improved”. Instead, say something like, “Let’s try to figure out why you and I see this issue differently”.

    Difficult Conversations: You Can Succeed

    Difficult conversations are unavoidable in the workplace but, given the right approach and the right skills, they can be managed. You should aim to put emotions, stress, and personal issues aside and bring behavior, performance, and the business center-stage. Keep your composure, be compassionate, and be determined to create a successful outcome.

    Whatever you do, don’t avoid these conversations otherwise the issue will grow and fester. It will impact more of your business operations than you know. Develop a plan of action before having these difficult conversations and you, the employee and the business will be much better off.

     

    #bizcoachstevef

  • Home Office VS Co-Working Space

    One of the many dilemmas of start-up business owners is whether they should work out of their home office or work out of co-working space. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and you need to spend a few moments to determine which option is the best for you and your business.
    Here are the advantages and disadvantages of a home office

    Advantages:
    – No Rent.
    – Tax deductions-talk to your CPA about writing off a portion of your utilities and rent for business expenses.
    – Work in your pajamas.
    – No commute-save lots of windshield time.
    – Eat at home.
    – No other employees to interrupt you.
    – No social interaction with others.
    – Set up meeting near your house.

    Disadvantages:
    – May need to get liability insurance for the home office if you have clients visit you.
    – May get audited because you have a home office that you are deducting expenses for.
    – Working in your pajamas. You will not get into the business mindset you need to be in being in your pajamas-unless you are Hugh Heffner. Get dressed and be prepared to do business.
    – Not sticking to a strict work schedule. This is easy to do. Make sure you adhere to a strict daily schedule just like if you had to go into an office.
    – Eating throughout the day. Easy access to the refrigerator can pack on the pounds.
    – You will find something to clean around the house, something else to do besides work being at home.
    – No social interaction with others. You will lose this skill unless you make an effort to attend events, networking, meet clients at their office.
    – You have to do business in an open environment. If you are speaking with someone on a confidential item, this may be an issue.

    Here are the advantages and disadvantages of working out of a co-working office.

    Advantages:
    – Established address for your business.
    – Shared meeting rooms.
    – Social interaction with other business owners.
    – Getting out of the house.
    – Dressing for success.
    – Networking/collaborative opportunities. Meeting others that you may find some great synergy with.
    – A place where your clients can meet you.
    – A receptionist. Make sure to establish a great relationship with them to have them help you on many levels.
    – Kitchen. Most co-working spaces have a kitchen that includes drinks and many other amenities.
    – Happy hours/mixers. Many co-working spaces will host happy hours and mixers, so you can get to know others in the office and invite guests.
    – Private office. Meet clients or talk on the phone without anyone listening to your conversation.

    Disadvantages:
    – Rent. Can your business sustain this expense?
    – Some places charge for this service or place some restrictions on how many times you can use meeting or training rooms.
    – Distractions. Those other businesses are just like you and not on your schedule. They may pop in your office just to talk, which can derail you.
    – Commute time.
    – Can’t work in your PJ’s.
    – Too many networking events could take up your time along with other trying to sell you their products or services.
    – Additional expenses, such as furniture, computer, office supplies.
    – That person also represents all the other businesses in the office.
    – You may not like what they stock in the kitchen. Just bring your own items or talk to the manager and I’m sure they will work with you on your preference.
    – This may be a distraction to you if you are working on a project and the noise and activity derail you from your work.
    – No disadvantages on this one.

    No matter what you choose, working from your home office or in a co-working space, you need to know yourself. You must have a set schedule of proactive, income generating activities to do every day. This takes lots of self-discipline, which is one of major attributes of successful entrepreneurs.
    Control the distractions by placing controls in your business up front. I.E. Working from home or office – I will have a break at 9:30-9:45, lunch at noon-12:30, break at 3:15-3:30, etc.
    Treat each location as if you were an employee of someone else. When do you have to start work? When can you leave the office? What events should you attend that will enhance your business? Get the idea.
    Good luck on your decision. Remember you can always start at home and have a deadline or goals for when you get an office.

  • Time Management is Painful

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    We all want to feel good, and not feel bad. Therefore, we prefer that change be comfortable. Sometimes it is. Most of the time it’s not. As you may have heard said in the fitness world, “No pain, no gain.”

    You want to slim your waistline? Bigger muscles? You earn that progress through discomfort. You’re going to sweat, and it’s going to burn. Sure, you’ll feel great afterward, but the process is going to hurt. That’s how you know it’s working. That, and seeing the results when you stick with it over time.

    Business change works exactly the same way. In my experience as a coach, it’s your relationship to discomfort that makes all the difference. Leadership is a challenge, so working on yourself as a leader should feel like a workout. You are intentionally doing things that make you uncomfortable to improve yourself and your business. It’s not easy. But it doesn’t have to lead to burnout. In fitness, it’s called over-training. In business, it’s called overwhelm.

    Having more time in your day is right there for the taking, but you have to accept some discomfort to get there. Over the years, the most successful clients I’ve had are the ones willing to accept this short-term ‘pain’ for the long-term benefit.

    Can you leave the house every morning in sixty minutes flat? Can you cut your lunches to thirty for a while? Can you say “No” to some brilliant and fun projects that you know you can’t really focus on?

    Can you train someone on your staff today to handle three things that you know you shouldn’t be dealing with as the business leader?

    Are you willing to post office hours for the only times of the day where employees can interrupt you?

    Some of these things may sound easy but putting it into practice is another story. Going out of our normal routine can be very uncomfortable. Just remember why you’re doing this – it’s in the best interest of the business and you as the owner.

    In the end, you’ll realize that “I don’t have time” is almost never true, it’s just that you haven’t yet made the difficult choices about how you use your time. And making those choices is the first step to creating a business that works.

    Not enough sales, people problems, cash flow issues, etc. – are all symptoms – they’re all a call to face the discomfort directly and solve it first by making the time. Then you’ll have your strength to be able to lift the real weights of finance or management systems or whatever your business needs next. It all begins with you.

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  • How to Stop Making Critical Mistakes

    Have you ever gone into a restaurant where you felt unwelcomed?  Did you leave?  Do you continue to give them your money and fell unwelcomed?

    How many times have you called a business to give them your business? Only to leave a message during operating hours, or be put on hold for longer than 10 minutes?

    How many times have you spoken to the owner of the business to get an estimate or proposal, only to never hear from them again?

    Have you ever heard a business owner complain they are not getting enough sales?  Then you give them a warm lead that they never follow up on?

    These are business that want the money but cannot perform any proper customer service to get the revenue.  They will complain about other businesses that provide this low level of customer service, but they are one of “those” businesses.

    Recently, I had an opportunity for an industry expert to speak in front of 12 very active and profitable business owners regarding commercial insurance. More than half of these business owners were open to switch carriers right now.  I called 8 local commercial insurance agency owners that I know to see if they will speak about them and commercial insurance.

    I know what you are thinking.  WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY!!!  How would you like to get in front of 12 business owner that are actively looking for YOUR product or service?  And it didn’t cost you a penny, you didn’t have to pound pavement, or smile and dial to get this opportunity, you didn’t have to beg or plead to get in front of them, you’re the expert and all you must do is show up, be you and educate these business owners.  Would you jump on an opportunity like that??  I know I would.

    Here’s what happened:

    • Two agency owners said no thanks-they were not interested. They were very large agencies and clearly had too much business to take on more.
    • One said they didn’t have the time. I don’t know about you, but I would find the time if it would translate into 12 large sales.
    • I left voice mail messages for the remaining five agency owners. Not one or two voice mails – but THREE voice mails all during their operating hours.  The voice mails were detailed and none of them were returned.  Four of these agency owners are barley growing and tell me all the time they need more business. The fifth business is large and picks and chooses who they want as clients. They do lots of advertising.

    You may be thinking, are you kidding me? Really?  Your making this stuff up.

    This happens all the time and I hear it from prospect as well as fellow business owners. Businesses want more business but fail big time on the simple little actions that cause the biggest consequence.  If you are too busy to answer your phone during business hours, then put in a structured system on how the phones will be answered in your business.  If the receptionist is on the phone and the phone rings, have it routed to someone that could answer the phone.  One business, I worked with we implemented a structured phone answer system that was 6 layers deep and the calls were picked up before the fifth ring-most by the second or third ring. They were crushing their competition and always heard from the caller, “Oh wow, you answered your phone, the other company didn’t pick up.”

    This one simple thing could change your business. It’s also not just about answering the phone but being courteous and pleasant.  If you want business, then answer your phone.  Take care of the prospect.  If you get invited to speak to individuals that are open to purchase your products or services.  Jump all over it and treat them like pure gold.

    It has been over a month since I left those voice mails and I still have not heard a word from any of those businesses. I know I will never refer their names to anyone ever again, nor will I every give them the opportunity to win my business.

    What are you going to do today to improve one small thing in your business to take care of a prospect or customer?

     

    #bizcoachstevef

  • 5 Business Surveys You Can Use Today

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What’s the purpose of your business?

    What do your customers really want?

    Are your employees satisfied?

    The sole reason your business exists is to fulfill needs.

    Your product or service fulfills your customers’ needs. Their purchases fulfill your business’ needs (and in turn, yours). Your business fulfills your employees’ needs, and so on.

    Fortunately, systems can be put in place to support this end result. One important system is to gather data to better understand how to serve your prospects, customers and employees – rather than just assume you’re already doing it. This is good marketing: understanding how your customers think and make decisions.

    A common, and often overlooked, way to gather this data is by conducting surveys.

    One client told me his demographic was males between 35 and 45 years old. After just sitting in his retail store for 3 hours, I didn’t see one person that matched his demographics. I saw women between the ages of 30 to 50 years old. When I asked him about this he was shocked! We then pulled his client sales records and he had 1 male client in the last 300 sales. Once we confirm this, he changed the focus of his business and his revenue went through the roof.

    Today there are so many options for a business of any size to conduct numerous surveys. If you are going to do a survey, remember every survey has a different purpose and goal. You need to know what you want to know from conducting a survey.

    Here are just a few common surveys:

    1. Net Promoter Score (Customer Satisfaction)
    While there is a large range of customer satisfaction surveys to choose from, one of the best researched and proven formats is Net Promoter Score (NPS), a methodology created by Bain Consultant Fred Reichheld. In his book, The Ultimate Question, he details how one simple question — How likely is it that you would recommend [company] to a friend or colleague? — has been shown to be the single best measure of whether or not a customer will become a repeat customer and refer business in the future. This survey has become a norm in almost industry today.

    2. Gallup Q12 (Employee Satisfaction)
    There are as many formats for employee satisfaction surveys as there are for customer satisfaction survey. The Gallup Q12 (brief 12-question survey) is easy to deliver and comes based on massive amounts of research into what factors lead to engaged employees. Gallup went through thousands of employee surveys to find the twelve that most strongly correlated with employee engagement, which in turn leads to increased employee retention, profitability and revenue growth.

    3. One Question Survey (Headline Testing)
    A little bit of effort researching headlines can pay big dividends in creating messaging that persuades your prospects to take action. My favorite format comes from Joe McVoy of Profitable Marketing Enterprises, who advocates a very simple format. Brainstorm your ten favorite headlines with your team; strive to make them as different as possible since meek headlines rarely win. Next, send an email to at least one hundred of your target prospects titled “One-question survey” (or buy advertising on a website your prospects use) and offer a chance to win a small incentive such as a $50 gift card for completing your survey. Once they click on your survey, ask them to rank the ten headlines from most to least compelling. Make sure to have your survey tool randomize the order of the headlines so that the results are not biased.

    4. Educational Customer Research
    One of the best ways to engage your market can be to create original research they can use to improve their businesses. This original research provides valuable content to staffing companies that want to learn more about current best practices in their industry to improve their service and financial performance. Naturally, companies that engage with the original research you create are often interested in learning more about how you can help them with paid services.

    5. Online Quizzes
    Last but not least, online quizzes can be a good way to engage your prospects. These are typically more casual in nature, but they can spark a positive conversation and engagement. Quizzes can be featured in one newsletter and then the results can be shared in a blog post, social media and the next newsletter to keep visitors coming back.

    If you are going to you a survey, know what information you are looking to get. Don’t just put out surveys because they are fun to do. Have a purpose of the survey. Develop a plan of action on what to do with that information to enhance your business.

    #bizcoachstevef[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • How do I know if my business idea will work? (Part 3)

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Part 3 of 3

    Today, entrepreneurs have a wealth of information at their fingertips to help them get started. There are online classes and local workshops for those ready to start a business, local state and
    community mentoring programs, you can hire a coach or consultant to help you get started. I hear from soon to be entrepreneurs “How do I know if my business idea will work?” This is part 3 of a 3-part series.

    Now you have conducted your market research and tested your idea it’s now time to create a plan of action and TAKE ACTION. This is where many entrepreneurs fail on. They are afraid of failure or success and do not take action.

    One great way to develop a plan of action is to have a S.M.A.R.T. goal. As Stephen Covey said, “Start with the end in mind.”

    A S.M.A.R.T. goal can have your action steps within your goal. The beginning letter of the anonyms can have different words that mean the same thing. A SMART goal is still a SMART goal no matter if you use T for timebound, or timeline, or timetable, or timely.

    S stands for Simple: This is your idea that can be conveyed to someone in a sentence or two in which they will see your vision for your business.

    M stands for Measurable: Tom Peters said, “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Measuring can be many different things in your plan. It could be units produced and sold, maybe it’s reaching X number of people, with X number wanting to set appointments, that translates into X number of sales. If you are in manufacturing a product, measuring becomes easy. If you are in service, you need to measure other items such as calls, ad dollars and views, etc. No matter what you must have a good measurement system in your plan of action so you know you are on the path towards your goal.

    A stands for Achievable: Your goal, your business must be achievable. Do not think in the first year of business you are going to be bigger than Google – get real. This is where your numbers cannot be over inflated, in fact you should be conservative with all your estimated revenue numbers and aggressive (or inflated) with all your estimated expense numbers. If you believe you will have 50 customers in the first month and it took you 3 months just to get 10 customers during the testing phase, then you should tone down your guesstimates.

    R stands for Realistic: Your goal in general has to be realistic, your numbers need to be realistic, everything needs to be achievable. Many new entrepreneurs over inflate their revenue numbers, and go very lean on their expense numbers when creating their plans. They a couple of months of in business they realize they are behind on their revenue plans and way over their
    expense numbers. Be prepared that your revenue numbers may be less than you planned for, and your expenses will be 2 to 3 times more than you planned.

    T stands for timeline: You need to have a timeline associated with your action plan and goals. During your testing phase, you got a good sense on how long it took to make your product, or how long it took to generate a sale. Each piece of your plan must have its own timeline.

    Below is a simple example of a SMART plan for you to get an idea how it all works together so you can create your own SMART goal.

    So, now if you are ready to take the leap and be the entrepreneur you want to be – start now.  Do your market research, test your product or service to make sure its viable and it can generate revenue for you, and most of all develop a plan of action with specific goals. Get assistance in any area as needed. The greatest business leaders have all asked for help along the way, they have hired people much smarter then themselves in order to achieve their goals, they listened to the successes and failures of other entrepreneurs, they stay motivated, engaged and determined to be successful. Why shouldn’t you do the same.

    Good luck on your new venture.

    #bizcoachstevef[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • How do I know if my business idea will work? (Part 2)

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Part 2 of 3

    Today, entrepreneurs have a wealth of information at their fingertips to help them get started. There are online classes and local workshops for those ready to start a business, local state and community mentoring programs, you can hire a coach or consultant to help you get started. I hear from soon to be entrepreneurs “How do I know if my business idea will work?” This is part 2 of a 3-part series.

    Second, test your idea. If you have a physical product get one made. I’m not talking about making it look like your kids’ elementary school science product, but get it made by someone in that industry. I.E. if it is a garment, then locate a garment factory that will make a prototype for you. If it’s a mechanical part, maybe find someone with a 3-D printer and fabricate the part. Just get a good working sample. Buy your future (because you have not gone to market yet) competitors’ products. This way you can physically show people the difference from the top products in your market to your product and showcase how your product can BENEFIT them.

    If you are creating a type of service, offer to test your service to people you know that may benefit from your service and they are not using what you have to offer. Start developing your system for when clients do start purchasing your product.

    The testing step is to get feedback from users of your product or service. Ask lots of questions to get detailed feedback on why they liked or disliked your product or service. Be prepared to make all necessary adjustments. You should get a large sample pool of feedback. The more people that test your product or service and give you feedback the better. You made a better product or have a unique service – WHY? What benefit will the end user get from your product or service that they cannot get from someone else’s product or service? This should have been discovered in step one.

    Some exceptions to the testing phase. There will always be some exceptions to everything and this is no different. You must be the one to determine how to test your product or service and if it viable to create a prototype depending on what it is. I.E. you want to open a restaurant. You are not going to put $100’s of thousands of dollars into testing your idea (unless you really want to-not recommended). You may want to conduct deep demographic research of a part of town you would like to open a specific type of restaurant in. See how many of the same type of restaurants there are in that area, then visit each one and take notes. By visit, I mean physically go to the restaurant and order a variety of meals. If they ask you why your ordering 5 entrees and you are the only diner, tell them you’re are a food blogger and they will leave you alone and you may get better service. I recommend going with a group of people and everyone order a different appetizer, entrée, a side item and dessert. This way you can take a picture of all the dishes, taste all them all and take notes. Take notes of the ambiance, they type of service, the menu offerings etc. Possibly talk to the owner about their business (note: do not tell them you are going to open up a similar restaurant near them and be their competition- they will not roll out the red carpet for you but chase you with pitchforks. This is you market research in a test facility.

    Test your idea to make sure the market will purchase your product or service.

    This is part 2 of a 3-part series.

     

    #bizcoachstevef[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • How do I know if my business idea will work? (Part 1)

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Part 1 of 3

    So, you think you want to be an entrepreneur?

    Ready to go into business for yourself?

    Ready to work harder than you ever had in your life?

    Ready to work for free?

    Ready to be your own boss?

    If you answered yes to those questions, then you must have a great reason to jump into what I call the “entrepreneurial abyss.” The entrepreneurial abyss is when someone decides they want to leave their J.O.B. and become their own boss for the first time. It’s just like jumping into a foggy abyss. You cannot see the bottom. You cannot see what’s in the fog. You hope to find a parachute in the fog while you are descending into the abyss. Sound scary? It can be.

    Today, entrepreneurs have a wealth of information at their fingertips to help them get started. There are online classes and local workshops for those ready to start a business, local state and community mentoring programs, you can hire a coach or consultant to help you get started.

    There must be a valid reason for you to leave (or slowly transition out) your J.O.B. Maybe, you can do what your current employee does but only better? Maybe, you could provide better service than you see in the marketplace. Maybe, you have a unique product or service you think people want. Whatever the reason you also have a question in your head – How do I know if my business idea will work?

    I hear this question stated many ways and here are just a few of the suggestion I provide my clients to get them to answer their own question.

    First, you MUST conduct market research. DO NOT leave your J.O.B. or do any rash decision making yet. You don’t need a business plan or anything like that. You MUST look at who is in the market you want to enter into.

    If you want to make a better widget:

     Then start by going on the Internet and find out the top 10 manufactures of widgets
    o What materials do they use?
    o What process do they use to make the widget?
    o What are their sales?
    o Who do they sell to?
    o How many employees do they have?
    o Etc…

     Look for the top 10 sellers of widgets
     Look for the top distributors of widgets
     Look for online reviews on why people buy widgets
     Ask people in your network what they like and dislike about brands of widgets
     Check out the widget association and get data on all aspects of the market
     Maybe you will find government regulations on the production and sales of widgets
     Know everything for every process step you can possibly know about widgets from design to final consumer use.

    Knowing who is making and selling what you would like is critical. Without doing your market research you cannot determine if your idea is even viable. Do not believe some large corporation that has been around for 100 years is going to kill your product or idea – they are not going to. Because you believe that they will crush you therefore, you will never get your business off the ground due to some false preconceived thought.

    Now, you’ve done extensive market research and still believe the final consumer will want to purchase your product or service. You must keep in mind, you are going in business to satisfy a consumer need or want, sell your product or service to make money. That is the bottom line. You can give all the money you make away, but the goal of business is satisfying a consumer need and to make money.

    This is part 1 of a 3-part series.

    #bizcoachstevef[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Get a Coach Already!

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Enough Already: Get an Executive Coach!

    Let go of your ego and overconfidence and get the support you need to grow your business.

    In Michael Gerber’s book, E-Myth, he defined the 3-eyes of a business owner. The entrepreneur, manager and technician. Most entrepreneurs sprouted from being the technician at one point. They started a business to develop a better mouse trap, provide better service, be their own boss and not be bossed around, work less, and make more money.

    Now these new and existing entrepreneurs who are now the leaders of their business may or may not have the skills and knowledge to take their business to the next level. We see many times business leaders believe since their business is doing well they do not need to develop their personal skills or seek out experienced help to view their business objectively and develop a plan of action for growth. In other words, they know it all. Their own egos get into their way which hinders them on being receptive to advice and constructive feedback.

    So, what should these leaders do?

    Get an Executive Coach!

    In today’s high pressure environment, leaders need a confidant, a mentor, or someone they can trust to tell the truth about their behavior. They rarely (if at all) get that from employees, or board members, or even their spouse. A coach is a perfect solution.

    Just think of all the great athletes, hi-profile leaders, speakers, etc. Do you think they all have coaches? The answer is YES! They see the value of having someone on their team looking out for them. If these individuals understand the power of having a coach on their team, then why do so many entrepreneurs feel the need to go through it alone-struggling, believing they are the first business owner that must go through all the headaches of growing a business?

    Just read articles in publications such as Fast Company, Inc, Forbes, Huffington Post that all detail out how using a business coach will dramatically increase the results of your business and your personal life.

    Needing a coach is not a sign of weakness, nor are you alone in benefiting from the help of a professional. So, as the Eagles said, “get over it,” and get yourself the support you need to perform at your peak.

     

    #bizcoachstevef[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • 5 Sales Myths to Get Over-NOW!

    Don’t think of sales as a special, natural-born talent, and other misconceptions that are getting in your way.

    People who are afraid to sell fail at it. That’s a fact. Fear makes you stumble through your pitch, freeze up when you hear objections, and miss opportunities to close the deal. So how do you sell if you are one of those people who cringe when it’s time to make a pitch? By changing the way you think about sales. Get over these five misconceptions to modify your mindset, and you, too, can be a successful seller.

    Myth #1: “I am not good at being pushy–and salespeople need to be.”

    Think about the best experience you, as a customer, have had. In that instance, did you find the salesman pushy? Doubtful. More than likely, you thought he was informed. He probably knew a lot about his product and was able to answer all your questions. When you are ready to sell, keep that personal experience in mind. Do your homework before you make a sales call. Know all the advantages and disadvantages of your product and your competitors’ products before you pick up the phone or arrive for the appointment.

     Myth #2: “I don’t know how to reach the person who buys my product.”

    While the person answering the phone may not always be the person who makes the final buying decision, they can often provide you with great insight on the business itself. Don’t see them as an obstacle. Engage them with a few open-ended questions about the business that have to do with your product. Most people are happy to be considered important enough to inquire with, and willing to give you valuable perspective that can help you structure your approach with the end decision-maker.

     Myth #3: “I don’t want to bother the customer.”

    You are bothering a potential customer only if you are calling someone for whom your product has no value. If you know the customer can benefit from your product, he should be happy to hear from you. Structure your call around how your product or service can be of use to your customer. Can the product save them time? Can it save them money? Can it change the way they live or work? If you can answer yes to at least one of these questions, you have not only the right, but also the duty to contact your customer with the good news–and sooner rather than later.

     Myth #4: “I am not fast on my feet.”

    Stop worrying about what you are going to say and focus instead on what the customer will be able to tell you. Think about each call as a fact-finding mission. Your job is to ask questions and then listen carefully to the answers the customer provides. If you already know your product well, you will be able to easily explain how your product can address the needs the customer outlines for you. Sales is not about being fast, it’s about being thorough.

     Myth #5: “I can’t find the right words to close the deal.”

    Don’t be shy about taking the final step and asking for the sale. Find out when the customer will be ready or able to purchase your product or ask how soon they imagine wanting to get the benefits of implementing your service. If you have adequately shown the customer how your product can be useful to them, the deal should be easy to close.

    All of these myths are obstacles that otherwise competent salespeople create for themselves. Stop thinking about sales as a special talent that only “natural-born salesman” possess. There is no reason to fear making potential clients aware of the great product you offer. Selling is only the process by which you call on the right people and match them with the right product.

    Now go out there and sell.

     

    #bizcoachstevef