How Are You Running?—Essential Thoughts For 2011

I went for a run this morning.

Today is one of those perfect-after-a-rain-clear-blue-sky days in Los Angeles. The ocean is blue blue blue and the wind strong. The visibility was amazing. The Santa Monica Mountains, the Ventura Mountains beyond them and my dreams were all right before my eyes.

I ran along the beach and made a left to run up my favorite hill. Today I went further than I normally go and I zigzagged the neighborhoods that overlooked the Pacific. I pushed, but I felt great and so it was easy to go beyond my normal limits. I kept running up, knowing, I would come down eventually and so could re-energize myself if I needed to on the downhill portion of my run. I didn’t worry about getting tired. If I got tired I knew I could keep going and focus on my goal of living healthy and living a vibrant life. That would push me forward!

When I started my run, I had the wind at my back and so I didn’t notice how strong the wind actually was. On my way back, my run got a lot harder!

This reminded me of what happens when we first get an idea…

When we first have an idea, the spark that flows into us, excites us. We are running with the wind at our backs because we are so excited about our new idea and all the possibilities. Everything seems easy and fun. That spark that ignites something deep within and we feel that fire in our belly!

I want to take action fast! I start writing so I can turn my idea into a vision. I list the possibilities, what my idea can become and what it will look like when it materializes into something real.

Sometimes the initial excitement and pure adrenaline we feel when we start on something life changing can lessen. Like a fire, you have to keep feeding it, but you have to give it space to breathe and become bigger. You just can’t keep piling logs onto it, if you do, it will most likely go out.

It is like running into the wind. It is challenging, but we can do it. We become overwhelmed with all that we need to do in order to create our dreams. We come up against an obstacle and we are running into the wind. We have three options: give up, keep going into the wind or change course.

Today, I kept going. I dug deep to remember my primary goal to be healthy and live a vibrant life. My secondary goal, my run, supported my primary goal. I kept running into the wind. That was my solution. I kept going with my goal, literally in sight. I didn’t have far to go though. I was able to focus on the beauty around me and move toward my goal step by step.

When we have a much longer run in front of us—a big dream—we don’t want the whole run to be into the wind. But, when the wind shifts we need to keep going. Simply change course. Make a shift that supports your final vision so that it isn’t a fight against the wind your whole journey.

In life and in business, we want the wind at our backs as much as possible. If everything is a struggle, look inside. Ask yourself some simple questions. What are you fighting against? What might you do differently? What adjustments can you make that will bring you the support you need?

When we lead with our hearts and believe in our dreams more than not we will be running toward them with the wind at our backs. We are meant to run this way, to be supported and joyful.

We may come across an obstacle or two, a naysayer, someone that doesn’t see your vision. Alter your course and keep the end destination—your dream--in sight. Move past an obstacle using creativity and strategic action; don’t listen to a naysayer, a non believer, YOU believe in yourself no matter what; if someone doesn’t see your vision, don’t force the issue, move on, the right people will see your vision!

As you move into 2011 I wish for you a fun run toward your vision with the wind at your back. May you feel and be supported each and every step of your run towards your dreams!

Happy New Year!

10 Sales Tips That Can Help You Sell More---NOW!

We all sell.

We sell every day! Even when we aren’t “selling” our products or services, we sell. We spend time at networking events, on the phone, on Facebook, on Twitter, on LinkedIn building our network, our businesses and our brand.

It is never too late to improve your selling skills.

I wanted to offer some tips that you can implement immediately so that as you reach out at all the upcoming holiday networking events and parties, you can be even more successful than you already are!

Have a Sales Strategy
Like anything being built, a business needs a blueprint too! Your sales strategy is your blueprint for your selling success. It is the map you follow that guides you to your final destination: SUCCESS! It will ensure that you are focused and moving forward to achieve your goals.

Know Your Target Market
During your Sales Strategy Session you will define your ideal customer or your target market. If you don’t know what kind of plants you want to grow in your garden, you don’t know what kind of seeds to plant. First learn what you want in an ideal client; then do the research to determine what your ideal client wants from you! You can’t sell anything without understanding the person, group, or company you are selling to.

Schedule Time to Sell
Once you put your sales strategy together; then break it out into action steps to move you forward. Make a daily, weekly and even a monthly plan. Work your plan! When you work your plan you will reach your goals. Even if you only set aside one hour a day to make calls, set appointments and follow up, you will see some results. Consistency will move you forward and closer to your goals!

STOP TALKING
Yes, you have heard this many times before AND it bears repeating: “Don’t talk so much!” LISTEN. Really listen to your prospect as he/she speaks. (Take notes if you can). You will hear important clues that will guide you toward your sale. Selling isn’t telling your story, it is listening to theirs. Let them do most of the talking and you most of the listening!

Be Curious and HEAL THEIR PAIN
Selling isn’t pushing, it is a gentle pulling…pulling a thread of discovery. Be curious and ask questions to discover how you can work together and what your customer might need. You can’t solve their problem without knowing what it is. So ask questions that will get you the answers that uncover their pain and then you can heal it! That’s selling!

The Money shouldn’t be the Goal
At the end of your life, you won't care about being rich (you can’t take it with you), but you will want to be known as the best in your field. Make that the goal and the money will follow.

Attitude Attitude Attitude
It should be a good one! Don’t take the “NO” personally. Starbucks may be right across the street from Coffee Bean and they are both crowded. It is a “taste bud” thing. When someone says NO, we can ask why and learn, we can say “thank you” and ask for a referral, or just move on. Don’t worry your ideal client is there. He or she might just be across the street at the Starbucks, so continue on with a smile.

Relationship Relationship Relationship
I buy from people I like. Don’t you? So do your customers. People buy on emotion and back it up with intelligence. So you want to connect with your customer and be yourself. You are building a relationship. This might take one call or two or seven or more, but keep at it and your prospect will appreciate your efforts!

Show Value
Selling is a process and closing is part of the process. In this process you MUST show VALUE to your prospect. When you do finally quote a cost, remember to reiterate all the value your customer will get for their hard earned money. When you show value you are more likely to hear “yes”. You aren’t “closing” someone you are offering value and filling their need.

Have Fun
Remember that you have a core mission and part of this is sharing your knowledge, your value, your product and your service. So have fun! No matter what, this should all be fun and it can be! Selling is nothing more than learning about another person, being interested, curious, open, and honest and making someone’s day with a smile. So have fun and sell lots!

I hope that this has been helpful! If you need more, or have specific questions I am here to help and look forward to our collaboration!

Visit my website for more on how I can help you: www.essentialselling.com

Strategic Vision Shift—Do You Need One?

After a mind blowing 3 hour strategy session with my client, she turned to me and said, “You are so much more than a sales trainer”.

I am a sales trainer, I explained, but without a strategy based on your core mission you don’t know what to sell, who to sell it to and how to sell it. You can’t sell without a strategy. I move my clients through a process so they are able to create, find, understand, uncover or retool their core mission and then put a strategy in place that supports their mission.

In our session we were able to excavate and uncover my client’s true gifts. She has many, so we worked together to decide which gifts she wanted to share with the world and why. Most of us are gifted and have a lot of talents. We need to dig deep to find out what we want to share with the world and how. This is what I do with my clients, excavation. I am a Business Archeologist; I help you to unearth your gifts, find the gems, dust them off and let them reflect brightly in the light.

I am a Business Captain, helping my clients navigate the stormy seas of growing a business. Without charts, GPS or a compass the business ocean is a pretty scary place to be. It is hard to cut through the fog and waves without charting a course and having a strong seaworthy boat. Understanding your core mission is the first step to charting your course. From there you can determine what you want to do, how you want to do it and who you want to do it with and for.

Quite often, our true mission is hidden under busy-ness. We keep busy for many reasons. One may be because we think we should be busy. It makes us feel good to check off to-do’s from our list. We feel like we are getting somewhere, when really we are bobbing in the middle of the ocean in irons, with our sails luffing; there isn’t a stitch of wind to move us forward. This is a great prescription for seasickness.

Being busy can be a good thing, if it is really about getting down to business.

I work with my clients to ensure that each task they complete will move them forward toward their goals. It is easy to get lost in phone calls, emails, and tasks that don’t move us forward. Whether we delegate, or just focus on what is important first we have to make a plan and then work it so we can move on to our success. Your strategy is what you base your plan on.

I help my clients deconstruct what they are doing now. Then we renovate, creating a strong foundation for them to build upon. Each step is a brick that they use to build a strong building that will protect them from the harsh elements of the business world. I mean business and I mean to help you build a strong and prosperous one! A business that will sustain you into the future!

You could call me a General Contractor of Business (although a friend of mine already uses that catchphrase, but you get my point).

You need a strategy, a strategic plan. You may have an idea of what you want; you may have an idea of your core mission; you may even know what your core mission is, but if you don’t have a working strategy that lines up with your core mission, you aren’t navigating your course, you are just flying blind.

The bottom line is this: know your vision, know your why, know your mission and build a plan around that and then move forward with focused steps. If you don’t know why you’re selling, what you are selling, who you are selling to, how will you know how to sell it?

So, yes, I am a sales strategist, a sales consultant, a sales trainer and a sales coach. I start at the beginning with my clients. I don’t jump to the doing before uncovering all the knowledge, gifts, talents, reasons, and so much more of my clients’ vision. I ensure they have a map, direction, guidance, tools and support so they will become successful beyond their dreams. That is my goal.

You may know your core mission and you are currently working a plan based on that. Great! You are perfectly positioned for success! If not, that is okay; you just might need a strategic vision shift to bring you back on course.

For more information or if you have any questions, please reach out to me. carolyn@essentialselling.com