Sales Success In ANY Economy

Can Psychology Work In A Sales Presentation?

2012-02-13T14:26:00.001-07:00

Question: Can Psychology Work In A Sales Presentation?

Answer: NO, but applied psychology can.

Many of you know my roots are from the United States Marine Corps. My official duties were in Marine Aviation. Not many of you know, however, that I also had a hand in military psychological operations (Psyops).

Many of the applied psychological scenarios, I later converted for use within the sales departments of some major Professional Employer Organizations i.e., Insperity & Gevity (Trinet). The humor found was in the fact that peak performers within our industry were already doing the applied psychology scenarios, without knowing the “whys” behind them.

Please note that I have italicized the work ‘applied’. This is because the only branch of psychology that has been proven to work, time and time again is under the banner of applied psychology. Theory is not welcomed in this branch.

There are several books that I have, or will be publishing on this. The first one, already done is titled, The Secret Psychology of Selling. The second will be titled, Mental Reflexes. The earlier PEO sales book, Rapid Sales Success gave the processes, but not many of the “whys”.

I would encourage you to pick up your printed copy, eBook, or iPhone copy soon. You will discover that your successful actions actually have an existing strong definition. Knowing the definition will allow you to utilize it more often, which will equal greater success = better closing ratios.

Respectfully,

Joe Caulfield

Sales Training Manual and Rapid Sales Success Techniques

2012-02-01T14:55:00.002-07:00

Pundits - (experts), write most sales training manuals. Most manuals would include the follow as chapters:

Company History, Mission Statement, Opening Procedures, Presentation, Closing Procedures, Handling Objections, and Daily Tasks (Activity).

Sadly, sales training manuals and sales training in any form have little impact. This is backed up by a number of studies that confirm that training does not change behaviors, attitudes, or results of the vast majority of sales consultants.

This is, obviously, a terrible Return On Investment. All manner of things have been investigated to determine the cause of this – Everything from the trainer, to the material, to the methods, management, and the sales consultants.

We’ve learned over the years that sales psychology must be employed, in the sales consultancy world, to become a consistent peak performer. We also know that coaching is required to get a sales consultant to a point of smooth and effortless delivery.

The same is true for the data in sales training manuals and sales training in general. There must be a coach. As sales consultants, we’re not only trying to absorb information from anything new, but we are trying to change some of our own basic behaviors - and that takes coaching, from a third party. After all, we are converting informational data from either written or verbal sources into action items.

Interestingly enough are the surveys that have been done on coaches and training companies to determine why training fails. These surveys point out the number one reason why training does not "take".

That reason is management.

Management leaves everything to the trainer, or to a training company, and they have no ongoing coaching. The trainer, coach or training company delivers the training, and then Elvis leaves the building, and everything remains the same.

ANY new skills, from any new training manual act as a paradigm for the student of those skills.

A paradigm represents a modification from what is now being done. Paradigms are difficult, as one has to form new habits and replace the old habits. The exceptions are few, as most people getting new training, leave the training or read the sales training manual with the best of intentions to implement, but then slip back into old ‘comfort zone’ habits, and abandon the newly learned material in the heat of battle.

Taking in, and absorbing information is one thing - Putting information into practice is quite another. Maximizing success requires an observer to make sure that what was said in a sales training manual is actually being implemented in the real world - consistently.

Coaching creates a new ‘comfort zone’ for the new material. This takes a little time and discipline, but when done, the Return On Investment speaks for itself.

Transform your training with good ongoing coaching at implementation, and it will convert/transform the mediocre into the extraordinary.

Prospect Procrastination and Hesitancy

2012-01-27T12:25:00.004-07:00

The book, Rapid Sales Success utilizes a new “Targeted Wants Analysis” – and has a process for handling confusions that typically stand in the way of a prospect making a clear-headed present-time decision.

Purchase your copy today by clicking on hyperlink!

Top of MIND

2012-01-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

I had a CEO of a PEO that said we needed to be the first thing that a prospect thought about, when it came to handling solutions for a human resources problem. The CEO was right, but a little more needed to be said.

The idea above, and actuality of “positioning” is inferred, but rarely talked about. In my writings I have always stressed the words ‘sales’ and ‘consultant’, as it is felt that while a sales person is trying to talk someone into something, a ‘sales consultant', gives expert advice.

Well, advice on what exactly? This 'advice on what' question is what I focus on in doing sales trainings. In selling PEO, or anything else, there are certain things that prompt questions, or that have caused difficulty in the past for our prospect, as it concerns our product or service. The prospect is looking at our company as a potential solution to some problem.

So, the first goal is to uncover that problem or problems so they can be inspected. I do this with the Commonality of Issues Sheet (CIS), and it is magical - and quick. It is a way to “open the door” on issues that may not be brought out in a, initial sales consultant interview. It begins to establish us as a trusted adviser.

Once uncovered, if you don't have a street-wise psychological process handy, you can feel a little bit like the dog, in the joke, where he catches the bus he is chasing. What does he do NOW? This was answered by developing a conversational process that shines a spotlight of “critical thinking skills” on problem areas, so that they do NOT get in the way of current decision-making.

Simple? Yes! Magical? Absolutely!

Print Copy Now Available - The Secret Psychology of Selling

2012-01-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

https://www.createspace.com/3758778

ACTIVITY + EFFICIENCY + EFFECTIVENESS = SALE

2011-12-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

Statistically, the successful PEO/HRO sales consultant makes between 20 and 40 telephone calls per day to get appointments. That activity should yield 2+ appointments (the minimum goal). This results in 10 appointments per week - average - if you're good. If you are not getting this result, hone your script until you have it down, or see my blog post on appointments for additional help.

30% of your appointments should result in a Request For Proposal (RFP).
Statistics tell us that 20% of every five (5) RFPs end in a sale.

With Rapid Sales Success processes, 50% of the original first calls should result in a RFP, and 30% - 50% should close.

Old Way = 5 RFPs and one (1) sale
Rapid Sales Success Way = 5 RFPs and minimum of 1.5 sales

We need to train, to be more efficient and effective in doing the initial sales interview - it is just too difficult getting appointments. Right? So, learning how to maximize current acticity levels is important. That's what I write about - maximizing potential on current activity levels.

It is all about asking the right question to elicit an emotional response from the prospect, and then handling the response correctly. This leads to better effectiveness (an actual close) on the activity levels already being done. It also leads to creating a trusted adviser status with your prospects/clients. Trusted advisers get a lot more referrals.

Pick up your copy of Rapid Sales Success, and The Secret Psychology of Selling today. The books are available on Amazon or http://www.rapidsalessuccess.com/ (Kindle or Paperback or PDF format)

Prospect's Are Receiving Unconscious Signals

2011-12-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

My authoring and coaching is involved in creating processes that help sales consultants de-stimulate erroneous messages that prospects receive unconsciously. I teach that through a system of mental reflexes® the prospect's present-time solutions are often derived at by looking through a prism of past pains, past bad decisions.

This, oftentimes leaves prospects with hesitancy and procrastination. Thus we have the prospect who is "tracking", but fails to pull the trigger on buying. It is very perplexing to sales consultants.

A recently authored mini-book, The Secret Psychology of Selling, gives specific tools and patter a sales consultant can use in shining a spotlight of critical thinking skills on any past stresses, thereby allowing the prospect to re-look at those areas with fresh eyes. This action allows the prospect tgo make "now" decisions unhampered.

Why Don’t Sales People Want Sales Training

2011-12-16T14:16:00.002-07:00

It’s no secret that groans can be heard when sales training is on the schedule.

Especially from those selling for a few years. Few seasoned sales consultants have much tolerance for what seems to be the once or twice yearly march of management, and training departments to teach sales what’s good for them.

Training is considered a nuisance by most sales consultants. Training seems to stop whatever real work is going on. Upper management and mid- management act all excited about it, and sales pretends to be interested too.

So, the question remains… Why don’t sales people just love sales training?

Here are some stone cold answers.

Training typically doesn’t have impact (by survey and follow up statistics). Only 1/4th of the respondents to a McKinsey survey said training programs measurably improved business performance, and most companies don’t even bother to track the returns they get on their investments in training.

McKinsey says that companies around the world spend up to $100 billion a year to train employees in the skills they need to improve corporate performance – A lot of dollars by any standard.

Company-Think on training is that a highly skilled workforce is more productive, and because employees often need new skill sets to deal with changes in an organization’s strategy or performance, sales training becomes essential. They also have heard from vendors that if you train employees they stay, and do not terminate, and move to a competitor.

Rapid Sales Success psychological interviews tell us that attendees don’t get any substance from most training – they agree with McKinsey. They don’t see long-term improvement in their results. Others doing surveys say that the object of training is to change behaviors, and that middle and upper management don’t seem to have a commitment to any specific program. Therefore, people simply go back to what they were doing before, knowing management will have something new again next year, or next quarter after someone in management reads the latest book.

Certain things come to my mind:

1. Employees have an entitlement mentality.

2. We’re in a rut.

3. We’ve not kept pace with a constantly changing buying world.

4. The same old thing is not producing the great results they use to.

5. It is time to move on…

It is not popular to say that employees feel management should give them training, and then when there is no follow through by management, they blame management (again). Then Groundhog Day begins again, and again…

NEW FLASH! It is the sales consultants job, and responsibility to do training until the correct result is achieved. As adults we cannot blame our manager or owner for our own lack of self-discipline. Oh, I guess we can, but it is us that will not get the promotion or get terminated if our numbers aren’t good.

Solution:

You may really enjoy the new "mini-book" - The Secret Psychology of Selling (PEO). It’s a no bull, ‘this is the way it is’ approach that appeals to real producers like you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rz-NwvX0Yg&feature=related
has a short video on it.

I think this book has the potential to change your sales life in a very positive way. But, you have to actually do it, and persevere until you are good at it. Like anything else that is worthwhile, it take some work on your part.

Available on Amazon (Kindle), or http://www.rapidsalessuccess.com/ in a PDF format.

In This Economy

2011-12-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

Marketing Genius Dan Kennedy says…

“In this economy, it's more important than ever to do things differently. Business as usual has gotten us into one of the biggest economic messes we've seen in decades.

It wasn't your fault. But if you don't keep your head on a swivel, constantly surveying the horizon for ways to be different, you'll wind up as just another bleached carcass in the desert. Business as usual means failure. Especially in this Economy.”

Every week or so, I do a mailing to our industry at large, and I’m amazed at how many people are simply not there as I delete the “fatal error” messages I get back. They, or their companies have decided to make a go of it without them, for whatever reason.

Is this because their selling method was out of sync with the current economy? In this economy doing something different may be the clarion call of success.

I sold PEO for years, and always made the circle of excellence, the president’s club, or the top 1/3rd of the leader board. Then I managed PEO sales teams, teaching the system that is now an inexpensive $3.99 eBook from Amazon, or a PDF from the Rapid Sales Success website. It is not a complicated system. It can even boast of being both efficient (time-wise) and effective (better closing ratios).

As you prepare for the close of 2011, and the ringing in of 2012 perhaps, ‘…it's more important than ever to do things differently…’ for you too? Or, as Dan says, ‘Business as usual means failure. Especially in this Economy.”

Purchase The Secret Psychology of Selling from Amazon, or from the Rapid Sales Success website in PDF format.

Why what happened yesterday matters

2011-12-07T12:54:00.001-07:00

Certain life lessons get into what is called Theory of Mind. Scientists do not like these subjects because they do not submit to scientific methodology. These ‘lessons’ lean on observed data only. However, the so-called soft-science of Psychology cannot be denied. People do think, respond and feel in much the same way as other people do. There is a commonality.

One of the main theories is that people think in imagery. For instance, if the word Thanksgiving is said, you'll probably get mental images of family or turkey, or whatever. It turns out these images are important. I know they are in regard to being a sales consultant. Here's why.

Let’s say that we think and image linearly – in a straight line - like an old videotape machine. So, we have what was (the past), what is (the present), and what will be (the future) available to us in some fashion.

Let’s suppose too that we are talking to a prospect that has made poor decisions regarding our product category, in their past. Not only was the past decision poor, but also cost him some dollars, and some personal embarrassment. Like most things in life though, life goes on, and he finally manages to put some band-aids here and there, and called it a fix.

Now you come strolling through his door, months or even years later, to make a presentation on something that just touches the edge on that old, and quite unconscious image he now has. You have, just by bringing the general subject up, revivified his old memory and experience. You gave it new life and new energy, in the present.

How do we know this happens? Hello PET Scans and fMRI. People who have had even the slightest trauma show nothing at all in a scan, until a subject of a recent or past trauma is mentioned. Then, in real time and in living color, it lights the brain up like a rocket – and sometimes even throws in physical manifestations to boot.

I am reminded of the NFL linebacker, or safety just tackling the living daylights out of someone that catches a pass from the opposing teams Quarterback. On about the third pass, the receiver drops the ball, because he now is anticipating what is to come. One of the newer definitions of FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear can appear, and make you see a false future reality.

That is why we have the Recall System process in the Rapid Sales Success, and The Secret Psychology of Selling data. This process is the fix for this residual energy that may be stopping our prospect from making a today decision. It has the added benefit of opening the door to true communication on deeper issues that the business owner has as well.

This raises closing ratios.

Joe Caulfield is a professional sales coach, consultant, manager and author. He can be reached through his website http://www.rapidsalessuccess.com/

The Midas Touch And Human Thought

2011-11-28T15:34:00.001-07:00

“In the Industrial Age, sand thrown into the gears of the machine could shut down an entire assembly line. In the Information Age, sand thrown into human thought and human interaction can shut down a company’s productivity.” ~ Midas Touch

The mini-book, The Secret Psychology of Selling highlights HOW to keep the interaction going smoothly.

In selling, personal productivity can be increased dramatically, but only if changes in the sales interview are enhanced to include new data and new technology.

FICA WAGE BASE INCREASE FOR 2012

2011-11-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

FICA Wage Base Increases to $110,100 for 2012

This is a 3.1% increase over the 2011 wage base of $106,800

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice/pr/2012cola-pr.html

Of the 161 million workers who pay Social Security taxes in 2012, about 10 million will pay higher taxes as a result of this increase in the taxable maximum.

Are Newly Recognized Reflexes Stopping You?

2011-11-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

Say Hello To Mental Reflexes®

Joseph A. Caulfield

© Copyright 2011

Question: What is a reflex?

Answer: A reflex is an action performed without conscious thought as a response to a stimulus. It is an automatic response – like sneezing – like the pinpointing of the pupils of the eye in light; a reflexive knee jerk. Reflexes are unlearned responses to physical stimuli such as pulling one’s hand away from a flame, or blinking.

There are many different physical reflexes, and every healthy person has them. In fact, we're born with most of them. Physical reflexes protect bodies from things that can harm it.

A Newly Collated Set Of Reflexes

Going back dozens of decade’s books written regarding the psychology of individuals and groups discussed mental machinery, psychological inclinations, reactions, and conditioned responses. Newer sciences have continued the discoveries within quantum physics and mechanics.

What’s not been realized is a systemizing nature of the phenomena found, promoting the ease of practical application. It was postulated that a connect-the-dot hypothesis would be of help by defining each phenomena, thus inviting utilization.

The Mental Reflex® is predominantly automatic, unconscious, and responds to stimuli. The mental reflexes' mission originally was to protect us, but on an entirely different level than the physical reflex. Mental reflexes protect the mind from things that can harm it. The system, however, has gone awry. It has perhaps outgrown its usefulness?

Key Point: A Mental Reflex® defined is an automatic action that is performed without conscious thought in response to a stimulus. The stimuli for mental reflexes are mental images, words, phrases, emotions, or actions — and individual perceptions of these things.

Where a small hammer tapped below one’s knee, or pepper in a nose stimulates (triggers) physical reflexes, the mental reflex generally relies upon on key ideas, words, phrases, or emotions that act as its’ trigger. The subconscious is associative, and equates similar triggered events to other events, almost haphazardly.

There are four primary categories, and several secondary.

The Primary Mental Reflexes®

1. Earlier Similar Response

2. Conditioned Response

3. Frequency Following Response

4. Analytic Systems Check

Mental Reflexes® today present a contra-survival shadow compared to the pro-survival nature they provided at inception. In many of today’s situations, the prism of past upsets taints the conclusions stored.

Shining A Flashlight On Mental Reflexes®

The main factor considered in the release of this information demanded an answer to a key question:

“If sales consultant trainees/readers knew this information would it help their survival by increasing close ratios?”

The positive answers came in the form of actual statistics and comments from past written materials, where processes for handling some of the reflex issues were given. Life was indeed, enhanced.

Shining a Flashlight is a term I use when a person inspects the products of mental reflexes from a present time viewpoint. The flashlight used is critical-thinking skills, consciously focused to defuse misunderstood, or emotionally confusing data as stimulated and revivified by a fully triggered reflex.

In essence, unknown consequences are being revealed to a fully conscious analytical mind, to be re-analyzed in the cold, harsh light of present time.

In present time, we can subjectively spot concretized ideas or opinions, or out-of-balance emotional issues – the products of a triggered mental reflex. Our subconscious, via the reflex, has registered a decision from massive amounts of stored data. That decision then became an unconscious and broad generalization in charting the course of our analytical decision-making lives, all done without our conscious knowledge. To some degree, it trumps the power of choice – the free will of the individual.

The books Rapid Sales Success and The Secret Psychology of Selling provide answers in a sales environment for handling these issues.

PEOs Are At A Critical Stage of Growth

2011-11-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

PEOs are at a critical stage of growth. Most PEOs are seeing an influx of prospects shopping for information on Professional Employer Organizations. All this is good to great, except for one thing.

Are sales consultants going to have a decent enough closing ratio to add this influx to the revenue stream?

My new mini-book entitled, The Secret Psychology of Selling. It is heavily researched and field-tested on getting sales quickly in our C-Level environment utilizing principles that keep pace with the paradigm changes we’re seeing in the prospect base. The cost of the mini-book (20 pages) is $3.99 and sold on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KW97T8

If I Just Had Appointments I Could Sell More

2011-11-11T11:10:00.001-07:00

Getting appointments IS a “non-meshing” area in PEO/HRO, but if you execute these rules, of sound psychological principle, you will not be calling for an appointment for a sales call in the first place.

Instead…

You will be "inviting potential prospects to take a look at research you've done on their marketplace." Data that is relevant to the prospect.

Your prospects is much more willing to attend a meeting that contains research that's relevant to their profession, then they are any sales call.

Here are the steps that work:

Step #1: Select your sales target (preferably a niche market)

This is so you can re-use the same research data on other calls.

Step #2: Get the contact info for your sales target’s prospects.

Who are their possible clients? Make a list of them.

Step #3: Create a short survey for your eventual niche marketing call.

Sample survey:

·When you think of ____________ who is the company that comes to mind?

·Can you name other vendors?

·Who do you think does the best job? Why?

·Who do you think does the worst work?

·What are the most significant factors when you make the decision to purchase___________?

·What advice(s) would you give vendors in this sector?

·What do you like least about vendors in this sector?

Step #4: Now, call the contacts on your list and conduct the survey. Take no more than 3-4 minutes. Get a minimum of 10 completed surveys. (Tell them you are a B2B write-freelance. Whatever.)

Step #5: Call the prospect you want to meet with. Explain that you have some market research about their company's markeplace, that while not scientific is very informative. Give some of the highlights from your research and close for the appointment, like so:

"Mr. Prospect, the research I have done produced some great results. What I learned during my interviews includes:

·Which companies in your market space had top of mind awareness

·Who is perceived as doing the best (and worst) work

·The buying factors that are important to them when making a purchasing decision for ___.

And, I've got the names of people who've told me they're going to be buying ___ in the very near future. (If true)

When would be a good time for us to set up a meeting for me to share my results?"

This approach meshes with the general goals and purposes of the prospect. You are much more likely to get that appointment.

Example:

I was selling to electrical companies (for Administaff). I had over twenty-five of them in my city (Denver Metro). I found out who their clients were by asking, or through the Internet. I called them and told them I was a freelance writer doing research and would they take a short survey? 70% said yes and I ended up with over fifteen in my survey. I had no problem getting appointments, and generated sales.

My sales VP at the time, Lou Bennett taught me this – it works.

Thanks Lou.

The Mind Can Only Absorb What The Butt Can Endure

2011-11-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

As an author I am totally into the concept that “the mind can only absorb what the butt can endure”. It is for this reason that my books are in the “mini-book” concept.

As an example, where the book Rapid Sales Success is only 100 pages long, the latest book The Secret Psychology of Selling is 20 pages long – Both books are training manuals for selling PEO/HRO.

The fact is that publishers push authors for a bigger book so that titles can be printed on the spine - (better marketing appeal). However, in this age of the eBook, sound byte, and Twitter, coupled to busy lives and too little time, I have heeded the warning.

My videos (2) posted rarely have exceeded 2 minutes. One was only 38 seconds. My You Tube channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/jacaul00.

I have never really marketed my You Tube channel, or my books to broader channels. I have lists and have marketed solely to them. I have changed that “limiting” philosophy and reaching out for new subscribers to http://www.youtube.com/user/jacaul00.

Businesses Concentrating On Core Competencies

2011-11-01T15:43:00.001-07:00

Here are just two of the public Professional Employer Organizations. All are having continuous increases as America’s business owners’ concentrate on core competencies

And seek help with non-revenue producing areas of their business.

ADP 1Q Profit Net Rises 8.7%; Revenue Tops Views

Wall Street Journal

The payroll-processing and human-resources-outsourcing company has steadily attracted new business for its employer-services and professional employer organization services segments, helping to lift results in recent quarters.

Insperity Revenue Rises 14%

Staffing Industry Analysts (registration)

The Kingwood, Texas-based professional employer organization reported third-quarter revenue of $471.8 million, compared with $414.1 million in the third quarter of last year. Insperity reported an average of 118226 worksite employees paid per month in ...

Now is the time to increase your sales. Read The Secret Psychology of Selling.

Is There Really Advanced Sales Training

2011-10-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

Advanced sales training is an interesting assemblage of words. Why do we have “advanced” sales training? Is there stuff out there we do not want new, non-advanced sales consultants to know? Perhaps they can’t handle the advanced stuff? Their brains could explode or something?

Shouldn’t a higher level in training/ knowledge be taught to all, from the beginning? If not, who makes that decision and why? Is it ever justified not to share everything with the very people that are in command of their company’s revenue stream? There are only two areas in any company that generate revenue – sales, and marketing.

I have seen situations where a high level of product knowledge is necessary before one could be a sales consultant for it. Perhaps it is really advanced sales product training? Then again, I have also seen courses in sales consulting that were only offered to people that had been in a particular industry for 3+ years.

On the plus side, restrictions like these would have a tendency to separate tire kickers from the serious sales consultants in any industry. Who is to say, however, that if we had not given advanced skills training to a new hire that they might not have just produced results that were OTG – Off The Graph? I thought for a long time that this was just a word trick to get me to buy the same worn-out stuff on sales under a marketing label call “advanced." Then I actually saw ‘advanced’ materials – they are real.

It is a new world.

Read The Secret Psychology of Selling just to dip your toe in these waters.

Good Selling!

Should You Quit, Or Make It Go Right?

2011-10-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

Zaid Jibran on Linkedin posted the following. I have added my solution at the end.

"Getting axed, sacked, canned or fired hurts. It does nothing for your self-esteem and it doesn’t look great on your resume. You’re always better leaving your position on your own terms. But how can you tell when your job may be on the line. Here are 10 things to look for...

1. There’s a path worn in the carpet between your cubicle and the corner office.

If you’re always being called into the principal’s office, something is wrong. Either you don’t get it or your boss doesn’t get you. When there’s this kind of communication breakdown, it’s time to start looking through the help wanted classifieds.

2. They’re storing urinal cakes in your office.

When they start storing janitorial supplies in your office, your days are probably numbered. That’s not the way a good employer treats a valued employee. If your work is truly valuable to your employer, expect compliments, good reviews and an annual raise. Maybe even a performance bonus! But definitely not urinal cakes.

3. Your parking spot has been rented out to a hotdog vendor.

A definite sign you’re on the way out. Oh sure, you might chalk it to pure coincidence, but you’re in denial. When things like this (and #2) start happening to you, get proactive and get out.

4. Your boss keeps calling you Skippy when your name is Bob.

Oh, yeah, you’re a goner. When your boss can’t remember your name, or starts calling you by the wrong name, consider the obvious. Also, when you’re no longer asked to join department meetings, your boss is definitely trying to tell you something about the future.

5. Your co-workers start avoiding you like the Ebola virus.

Office gossip spreads like wildfire and, all-too-often, everybody knows before you do. Sure, it’s unprofessional, but it happens all of the time. So, if your workplace friends start to shun you, ask people if they’ve heard anything. A good friend will tell you. A lousy friend will run screaming from the room. Either way, it’s time to move on.

6. The HR director knows the names of your spouse, kids and pet dog.

Unless you work in a small office where the human resources director is also the CEO, custodian and customer service rep, you have to wonder why, all of a sudden, the people in HR have pulled your file. Be suspicious.

7. You read a help wanted ad describing your job placed by your company!

This has actually happened more than once. Employers don’t like to be left with holes to fill in the company roster, so many hire replacements before the hammer falls. If you happen to run across your job description in the classifieds, in an ad placed by your company, keep looking. You’re probably in the market for a new job – which was why you were reading the help wanted section in the first place.

8. Your supervisor warns against taking that second mortgage.

She’s trying to do you a favor. She doesn’t want to see you left holding the bag. The decision to let you go may be made at the supervisory level, or by some faceless bigwig back at HQ. In either case, take the hint when it’s offered.

9. You’ve been calling in sick a lot, but only on Mondays and Fridays.

Your employer expects you to be there. When you aren’t, productivity falls and someone has to cover for your. Good employees go to work and do their jobs. Ex-employees take a lot of ‘mental health’ days.

10. Your boss invites you to attend the resume prep seminar in the cafeteria.

Not very subtle, but there’s nothing subtle about losing your job. It’s a life-altering experience, and it can take its toll on your confidence. You can avoid trouble when the axe falls by being reliable, trustworthy and just plain invaluable.

Getting sacked rarely comes as a complete surprise. There are usually signs that things aren’t right at work – signs that you may choose to ignore, but shouldn’t. Keep your eyes and ears open for signs of trouble. A change in company ownership, a new supervisor, a new set of company procedures – dramatic changes can often lead to layoffs, belt-tightening and lots of ‘Good Luck’ parties.

Get proactive when you see the writing on the wall. Get your resume updated by a professional. Get listed with a couple of headhunters, start networking and start reading the help wanted ads. If you can leave on your own terms, with your new job already in place, the transition from one job to the next will do a lot less damage to your ego and your bank account."

While I can appreciate Zaid Jibran's viewpoint, and I think the list has a lot of humor in it, there is one other option.

Make It Go Right!

If you are in sales, I would suggest two different books. One is very short (20 pages), and one is longer, but still under one hundred pages.

These books are packed with data on how to sell to the newly empowered prospect.

The short book: The Secret Psychology of Selling

The longer book: Rapid Sales Success

I am available for consult if you need a little help with implementation.

Good Selling!

Getting More From Your Training Programs

2011-10-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Getting_more_from_your_training_programs_2688

Companies around the world spend up to $100 billion a year1 to train employees in the skills they need to improve corporate performance—topics like communication, sales techniques, performance management, or lean operations. But training typically doesn’t have much impact. Indeed, only one-quarter of the respondents to a recent McKinsey survey said their training programs measurably improved business performance, and most companies don’t even bother to track the returns they get on their investments in training.2 They keep at it because a highly skilled workforce is clearly more productive and because employees often need new skills to deal with changes in an organization’s strategy or performance.

Excellent report. Worth the time and effort.

Coupled with, The Secret Psychology of Selling, would produce winning sales consultant teams. Cost is $3.99.

Talent Management Capabilities Gap

2011-10-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

ADP Study Reveals Gap Between Perception and Reality of Talent Management Capabilities

Most Companies Surveyed Believe their Talent Management is on par with, or better than, their Competitors, Yet Less than Half Actually Measure Results against Peers
Read more:

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/04/3958520/adp-study-reveals-gap-between.html#ixzz1ZuhviONZ

The Secret Psychology of Selling

2011-08-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

There are psychological issues that need to be addressed before many prospects are even able to purchase. Some prospect issues are handled by what I call sleight of thought tricks. Others deal with Basic Major Issues.

The tricks are fun, but the Basic Major Issues, once learned, are priceless. You’ll find lots of different applications, in an upcoming report entitled, The Secret Psychology of Selling.

As sales consultants we’ve been trained into believing that if you understand a prospect's problem, and provide a killer solution, the prospect will purchase. This is false, as it’s only true in about four percent of the prospects you call on. That is miserable percentage-wise.

In the remaining 96% there are behind-the-scenes issues, which if not handled, become a tug-of-war between the consultant and the prospect. This is true even if the solution you offer IS the best solution – the prospect is still saying "No."

The Secret Psychology of Selling is sales without the tug-of-war. Look on the website http://www.rapidsalessuccess.com/ to purchase or Amazon. Cost $3.99.

Worth Noting - PPACA

2011-08-15T11:32:00.001-07:00

In a recent article by, William J. Schilling, Esq. a general counsel for the National Association of Professional Employer Organization; Alexandria, Virginia said, “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, or ACA) raise many questions for PEOs. Will various provisions of the ACA apply at the PEO level, the client level, or both?

Mr. Schilling went on to say, “Today's small businessperson needs every minute of the day to keep business operating. Almost all businesspeople want the right thing for their workers if it is reasonably affordable. And none of them has the wherewithal to cope with 2,700 pages of health care reform or the tens of thousands of pages of regulations, guidance, and forms that will descend from it. They will need a trusted and professional guide through this morass. It will not be an unknown, nonprofit "navigator" or even their local insurance agent. It will be someone who is intimately involved with their businesses, their workforces, and their issues. There is no better-positioned entity for that than a well-run and prepared PEO.”

Other excerpts:

PEOs will have to demonstrate, as they have in the past, their ability to serve as valuable adjuncts to the public policy goals of the ACA. PEOs will have a steep and an almost continuous learning curve to stay ahead of changes and developments. Regulatory muddles like the ACA perplex the business world, but the PEO industry has spent decades successfully learning how to negotiate this kind of swamp.

The Reality of HR Admin Costs

2011-08-03T15:45:00.000-07:00

The need for owners of all sized businesses to understand the reality of payroll and human resource administration costs has been emphasized (again) by a 2011 white paper from ADP.

The title: The hidden reality of payroll & HR administration costs
http://img.en25.com/Web/ADPMajorAccounts/2011_PwC-TCO-Study_Web.pdf

In the book, Rapid Sales Success, an HRO sales book, great emphasis was placed on this also, along with an Excel program called “Soft Cost Analysis”. ADP’s white paper, once again explores the “… hidden cost drivers and characteristics of cost-effective organizations ~ January 2011

The white paper goes on to ask, “Do you know how much your organization is really spending on payroll and HR Administration? Chances are you may not be considering major cost components related to administering these important functions and may be spending more than you think as a result.”

“As a general rule, we have found that organizations tend to underestimate the true expense (the “total cost of ownership,” or TCO) of processing payroll, administering employee health and welfare benefits, and managing other key HR systems and functions. And that “…many fail to recognize certain “hidden” costs necessary for operating and integrating these interdependent processes. Additionally, organizations often apply separate technology and process solutions to these individual administration functions without considering how those solutions work with each other. This fragmentation drives up administration costs through task overlap and other inefficiencies.”

“Hidden costs,” continue to account for more than 50% of the TCO of administering these functions in-house. And, “…Outsourcing continues to deliver overall TCO advantages—using in-house payroll, workforce administration, time & attendance, and health & welfare solutions increases TCO by 18% on average.”

What are the “Key findings & recommended strategies to reduce administration costs?”

Organizations managing payroll, workforce administration, time & attendance, and health & welfare benefits in-house using premise-based or hosted software solutions spend on average 18% more administering these functions than organizations that outsource these functions

In summary, human resource outsourcing saves money. Pick up your free copy of the Soft Cost Analysis on the website. Look under "tools".

Administaff and Jay Mincks

2011-07-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

As a sales consultant for Administaff I can recall making a 2nd call on a prospect with Jay Mincks, the VP of Sales at that time. The prospect appeared to be tracking toward being a new client. I was excited to have Jay see the great results I was getting.

Well, the result of that 2nd call was actually embarrassing. The prospect had no idea what Administaff even did. It was amazing. How could this happen?

During the 1st call I had gone through a standard presentation for PEO, and even shown a PowerPoint presentation. I HAD the prospects AGREEMENT that PEO had real merit, and that he could see how a PEO solution could contribute to their bottom line profitability. Interestingly, Jay was most kind, as he had seen this phenomenon before. Really?

Personally, I was totally distraught and needed to know what the hell happened. Sometime later the explanation was discovered. Here is what was found.

People process anything they do not know, or are not familiar with, through a personal Analytic Systems Check – whenever receiving data. This processing comes up with something that fits in with its’ current reality - but, which may not pertain to the actual reality of what’s occurring - It is believed people do this in search of their own personal comfort zone.

A thing being presented outside of the prospect’s current reality (anything new) is modified by the prospect to fit their current mental constructs. Everything gets filtered! The prospect mentally assesses, and then modifies everything you’re saying to “fit” within the terms of what they already know. It is quite easy to see how this is detrimental. While you are presenting your product or service, the prospect’s mind builds its’ own consensus reality, and then casts that new (?) reality into cement – where it is concretized. Concretized in this sense means that it is a newly formed fixed idea or opinion?

If prospects fill in what’s unknown with what fits from their own personal realities – would this effect sales – closing ratios? Oh yes. So, what is the solution? If a solution were found would it lend itself too more sales, more profit – A greater understanding? Perhaps better closing ratios?

Here is what was discovered.

The Analytic Systems Check, as mentioned above, was assumed to be true and from which a conclusion could be drawn. The conclusion is:

A. Only address things that are currently within the prospect’s reality. This little gem eventually led to a “targeted wants analysis” – not a needs analysis. I called this a Commonality of Issues Sheet. As an example: I “need” to eat less, but I “want” to eat the same or more. Real life = I eat the same or more. People, me included, always do what they want, and as it turns out they only buy what they want too. As far as PEO goes a quotable quote grew from this that says, “Sell them what they want – deliver what they want and need.”

So, we had a prospect that suddenly, through whatever means, was being asked to check off a “Needs Improvement” or “In Control” box alongside various statements like “HR is in full legal compliance.” When getting the sheet back, the only things discussed at all, were the items that were checked in the “Needs Improvement” category. Why? This prospect opened their mind a little and told us that this is where their reality level is. This is what they are seeking a solution for.

There’s a lot more that’s covered in the Rapid Sales Success book, which by the way had a price decrease. Kindle format is $11.99Paperback is $16.95

Sales Consulting is the Act of Discovering what is WANTED

2011-06-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

Sales consulting is the act of discovering what is wanted, and then educating buyers on what you have that corresponds to that "want". The process determines if there are synergisms, and thus a reason for continuing toward a purchase.

Without the educational component within sales consulting, the sales consulting process degenerates into a war of words or minds.

"Rapid Sales Success" takes advantage of modern street psychology. It utilizes a targeted "wants" analysis, and has a process for handling mental confusions that may stand in the way of a buyer making clear-headed choices.

Now available on Kindle for $11.99.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053DCKS4

Rapid Sales Success on KINDLE

2011-06-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Rapid Sales Success [Kindle Edition]
Joseph A. Caulfield (Author), Michael Caulfield (Editor)
Be the first to review this item | Like (0)
Digital List Price: $11.99 What's this?
Kindle Price: $11.99 includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet

The WORDS are important/A Reciprocal Universe

2011-06-02T19:25:00.002-07:00

I talked with a PEO sales consultant on a consult recently, and that telephone call prompted this Blog addition. Let’s start this by giving some websites.

The WORDS on these websites are important.

http://peo.scicompanies.com/default.aspx
Great Video – I think you should listen to it.
Did you know it’s not HR outsourcing for SCI, but Right Sourcing?

http://www.insperity.com/

At the old Administaff, now Insperity, it is not a Professional Employer Organization anymore – that is old hat. Now it is “Workforce Optimization Solution” company. “…Insperity offers Workforce Optimization.”

http://www.trinet.com/

On this site, you can, “…let TriNet be your Trusted Advisor - give yourself a proven way to contain costs, minimize risk, and relieve your administrative burden. Our mission is to help you realize your ambitions, and we can’t wait to get started.”

TriNet says they understand “ the challenges of running a small company. HR doesn’t need to be one of them.”

http://www.soi.com

SOI tells us they understand our business and our vision. They also say, “We understand your business and we understand your challenges.”

If you are not going to these websites to get the buzzwords, you should. Your biggest local competitor has a website too. You should probably visit it, as well. And while you are at it, visit your own companies website, so you know what “Gumby, the magic marketing guy”, is saying about your place of business. I made up the Gumby part – slow day I guess.

One thing you will see on these websites is some snootiness, some general friendliness, and everybody is pretty much really saying the same thing. The one that's been around the longest is Insperity (Administaff),and can afford those expensive consultants to go out and find all those keywords and phrases that prospects like, and respond to. If you take advantage of that, you’ll be using the keywords they found in your presentation, for your PEO. Along this same line, pick up some of their marketing material for even more keywords and key phrases, and ideas.

So, what you get from the competitive websites are the keywords to say, and the overwhelming sense that everyone is offering pretty much the same thing, but said differently. Some have more bells and whistles, but they cost a lot more too.

Now, you have heard it said that people buy from people they like, and ever since then we have been running through the hill and dale being super nice to everyone; well at least the “meal ticket people” (prospects). The question becomes, “Who do people like?” The answer is that if we like it or not, this universe we live in is largely reciprocal in nature, which means to give or take mutually, or the old maxim “if you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”

It also means that if you cause others to win, others will cause you to win. Say hello to the Rapid Sales Success sales process. When you do the targeted "wants" analysis, and the Rapid Recall Process on what you discover, the person behind the desk just “knows” you are trying to help them win. Period.

In workshops, from time to time, I hear a little whining about how hard it is to learn a new way of conducting a sales interview. I agree, but I say if it means the difference between success and failure, is it worth it? If it means the difference between a 20% and a 40% close ratio does that make it worthwhile?

The fact that we have two things, which are paramount in this place we live in (or on), is to me evidence that you should read it, drill it and do it, as the book says.

Selling is not easy, and no one said it was. In the PEO world just getting an appointment can be a major accomplish. The data in the book, Rapid Sales Success, will keep you from wasting those coveted appointments.

Sales Success In ANY Economy: Are You Concerned About New Hires, Your Children, Education In General?

2011-05-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

Sales Success In ANY Economy: Are You Concerned About New Hires, Your Children, Education In General?

Sales Success In ANY Economy: What Makes The Rapid Sales Success Process Work?

2011-03-24T23:38:00.000-07:00

Sales Success In ANY Economy: What Makes The Rapid Sales Success Process Work?

You,New Hires, Our Children, Our Grand Children -- ALL NEED TO KNOW HOW TO LEARN

2011-02-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

I served as a field trainer for years in the business sector, before owning my own businesses. While performing those duties I was dumbfounded by the gaping holes in the educational tools that new hires brought to the table – they were college graduates. I began looking for solutions so that our people could perform better and I could keep my job.

A individualized student learning system was born out of those efforts that I called The Critical Success Factors for Learning. The results of The Critical Success Factors for Learning are now in the eBook, On Building Better Students. The book cost is under $12.00.

The data in this book can begin fixing our school systems, and make our students more responsible, in the process.

Our schools rank number 29 internationally, according to the NCES, National Center for Educational Statistics. We are in crisis mode.
Facts – National K-12 Statistics
· 55.1 million K-12 students, expected to increase to 74 million by 2015
14,383 public school districts

A individualized student learning system was born out of those efforts that I called The Critical Success Factors for Learning. The results of The Critical Success Factors for Learning are now in the eBook, On Building Better Students. The book cost is under $12.00.

The data in this book can begin fixing our school systems, and make our students more responsible, in the process.

Our schools rank number 29 internationally, according to the NCES, National Center for Educational Statistics. We are in crisis mode.

Facts – National K-12 Statistics
· 55.1 million K-12 students, expected to increase to 74 million by 2015
· 14,383 public school districts
· 124,110 public and private schools
· 3.6 million U.S. elementary and secondary school teachers (~10% Teacher-Leaders)
· $562 billion in K-12 expenditures
· Expenditures rose by an estimated 36% between 1995-96 and 2005-06
Source: Digest of Education Statistics 2006

Source: Digest of Education Statistics 2006

Education at all levels is in trouble. Yes, there are bad schools, bad teachers, and administrators, and a host of smaller problems. In corporate scenarios there are problems too.

My research has shown that the real and more basic problem is the lack of learning tools given to students. This has made students appear lazy and irresponsible. There are answers --The Critical Success Factors for Learning.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20055

Are You Concerned About New Hires, Your Children, Education In General?

2011-02-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

I served as a field trainer for years in the business sector, before owning my own businesses. While performing those duties I was dumbfounded by the holes in the educational tools that new hires brought to the table – 98% were college graduates. I began looking for solutions so that our people could perform better, and I could keep my job.

A individualized student learning system was born out of those efforts that I called The Critical Success Factors for Learning. The results of The Critical Success Factors for Learning are now in the eBook, On Building Better Students. The book cost is under $12.00.

The data in this book can begin fixing our school systems, and make our students more responsible, in the process.

Our schools rank number 29 internationally, according to the NCES, National Center for Educational Statistics. We are in crisis mode.

Facts – National K-12 Statistics

55.1 million K-12 students, expected to increase to 74 million by 2015
14,383 public school districts

Google Leads

2011-02-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

Thought this may be useful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKUwK6ow1SQ&feature=player_embedded

Rapid Sales Success

2011-01-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Rapid-Sales-Success/Joseph-A-Caulfield/e/9781448672523

The wins people are getting from this sales technology book are continuing to pour in. If you have not yet read it, it is available on the website for Rapid Sales Success, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

Sales Training Manuals

2011-01-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

I did a sales training that had many 'tenured' sales people. Tenured is the word I am using, in deference to the word mature,older,near retirement, or ancient. I am "tenured" also, so I think it gives me the right.

This small training group took longer to come around than younger groups I have worked with, but once they could see, and feel the wisdom of what was being said by myself and others, they had twice the enthusiasm, and were anxious to know more. The entire experience reminded me of a not-so-famous quote by Mark Twain.

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” - Mark Twain

I have always tried to encourage my associates, friends, family and readers to keep an open mind, and closely, and completely evaluate new data. There are issues in our work life and business life that we just learn to accept, as there appears to be no answers.

Perhaps this is why another quote is still in use:

In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy.
J. Paul Getty

We have a tendency to lock in, and lock down on certain issues that we have made decisions on in the past. Rarely, do we really look at new data, and when we do, the first thing we see that butts up against a 'firmly held belief' - we just quit looking at the new data, as it must be wrong.

Old or young the best kept secret is always remain open to new ways, new ideas and new technology. Also, don't be worried about not always being 'right' about everything. It really is okay to have mid-course corrections based on new data.

New Book Now Available

2011-01-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

Education is in trouble.

Yes, there are bad schools, bad teachers and a host of smaller problems. The real problem, however, is the lack of learning tools given to students. This has made students appear irresponsible. We rank number 29 internationally, according to the NCES, National Center for Educational Statistics. There are some answers. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20055

Promotional price: $11.54
Coupon Code: QR49U
Expires: January 21, 2011

This book and it's Critical Success Factors for Learning is important to all public education, private and home school students, teachers, home school moms, sales people and trainers.

Sell Them What They Want...

2010-04-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

In the book Rapid Sales Success the golden rule is “sell them what they want and deliver what they want and need”. The reason for this is contained in the definition of the two words.

Want = feel or have a desire for; want strongly
Need = require as useful, just, or proper

The book states that a “perceived need” is a want – by the prospect. Selling to a ‘desire’ is always better, as opposed to trying to convert a need into a desire (want). It is just more efficient.

To accomplish this we created a Commonality of Issues Sheet (CIS) for our prospects, based upon actual surveys of previous buyers, by asking previous buyers why they purchased. We came up with fifteen choice reasons for our test industry product/service, put them into a form that stated them as questions, and two boxes to be checked as “In Control” or “Needs Improvement” by each one. We then have new prospects fill out the newly created form and only address the ones that prospects tell us “Needs Improvement”. This is their reality level – these are their wants, this is where they currently live as regards our product.

Prospects do know what they “want” when put into this encoded format.

Then, we also developed a process called the Rapid Recall System (RRS) to address what I called The Evil Twins of Procrastination and Hesitation that we see in a lot of prospects. When someone has checked “Needs Improvement” on an item off of the Commonality of Issues Sheet, we address each of those items with this simple RSS question format.

The book also comes with a website and tools for expanding sales, and one on one help is also available. You will need a password for tools, so email me from the website.

Good Reading!

World Class Management

2010-02-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Worst Class to World Class

Some “worst class” sales management today has a harsh, almost military mentality in managing sales consultants.

·They use fear to motivate employees,
·They micro manage,
·They terminate for non-compliance,
·They do not accept or tolerate whining about the recession.

Other “worst class” sales managements strive for a work-life balance and a respect for the individual.

·They are understanding,
·They have a “hands off” management style,
·They lend help whenever wanted,
·Terminations are rare.

The question becomes, which of these styles work best?

I have found in working with many different types of companies, that the successful sales manager and sales consultant have similar psychological assets. It is a blending of the two “worst class” mentioned above, that creates World Class Sales and Sales Management.

The psychological assets are jointly and separately adopted:

·Learn and follow the chain of command,
·Know your product or service cold,
·Understand your valuable final products (sales quotas, etc.), and what is expected of you,
·Do that, DO THAT!
·No whining,
·Micro manage yourself for better sales,
·Comply with all rules and regulations,
·If you need help ask for it, if you cannot get help, get a coach or trainer

Most successful managers and successful sales consultants are also passionate about what they do. They are enthusiastic public relation people about their company and their industry, in addition to their other tasks.

Getting Appointments

2010-01-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Thinking skills and sales training are an important subject for success to any training program and most steps within the sale. My thought has been that thinking skills and sales training skills are at least first cousins to each other.

What exactly are thinking skills? Thinking skills are those set of psychological principles that we use in selling in order to mesh with the buyers of our products and services. If we do not ‘mesh’ we fail. If we give up on the process we fail too.

“The prospect is just not tracking.”
“This prospect is a waste of time and effort.”
“This prospect just does not get it.”
“This prospect just wanted unpaid consulting.”

We could build quite a long list of excuses as to why someone took no interest or just seemed oblivious to what we were talking about. The commonality of the excuses however, is the failure to proceed. Hard to accept perhaps, but somehow we were not able to move into an area of extreme interest, from the prospect’s viewpoint, and so we were dismissed. Failure.

Getting appointments seems like a particular “non-meshing” arena, but if you execute the rules of sound psychological principles, you would not be calling for an appointment for a sales call in the first place. Instead you would be inviting potential prospects to take a look at the research you had done on their marketplace. Data that is relevant to your prospect. Your prospects would be much more willing to attend a meeting that contains research that is relevant to their profession, then they are any sales call.

Step #1: Select your sales target (preferably a niche market)
This is so you can re-use the same research data on other calls.

Step #2: Get the contact info for your sales target’s prospects.
Who are their possible clients? Make a list of them.

Step #3: Create a short survey for your eventual niche marketing call.

Sample survey:
·When you think of ____________ who is the company that comes to mind?
·Can you name other vendors?
·Who do you think does the best job? Why?
·Who do you think does the worst work?
·What are the most significant factors when you make the decision to purchase___________?
·What advices would you give vendors in this sector?
·What do you like least about vendors in this sector?

Step #4: Now, call the contacts on your list and conduct the survey. Have it take no more than 3-4 minutes. Get a minimum of 10 completed surveys.

Step #5: Call the prospect you want to meet with. Explain that you have some market research about their company's markeplace, that while not scientific is very informative. Give some of the highlights from your research and close for the appointment, like so:

Mr. Prospect, the research I have done produced some great results. What I learned during these calls includes:
·Which companies in your market space had top of mind awareness
·Who is perceived as doing the best (and worst) work
·The buying factors that are important to them when making a purchasing decision for ___.

And, I've got the names of people who've told me they're going to be buying ___ in the very near future. (if true)

When would be a good time for us to set up a meeting for me to share my results?"

This approach meshes with the general goals and purposes of the prospect. You are much more likely to get that appointment. As an example, I was selling to electrical companies. I had over fifty of them in my city. I found out who their clients were, called them and told them I was a freelance writer doing research and would they take a short survey? 70% said yes and I ended up with over 30 in my survey. I had no problem getting appointments, and generated sales. My sales VP at the time, Lou Bennett taught me this – it works.

Is manipulate a good word after all?

2009-12-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

Is manipulate a good word after all?

Do you believe the following paragraph? Really read it and answer for yourself.

Sales consultant psychology itself is within the purview of selling. We deal with the mental functions of the buyer in every call, if we like it or not. You are successful to the degree that you can positively Influence and shrewdly control the direction of those mental functions, and thus permit a change in behaviors that leads to the betterment of all parties concerned – if they purchase your products or not.

It seems as though it is very true from my viewpoint. Everything on our planet seems to have an evil twin – a dichotomy. The good side of manipulating is “…Influence or control shrewdly…” The evil twin is “…Influence or control deviously…” Over the years I have sold and managed I had many prospects that I really got close to, and I ended up with an Ann Landers hat on.

When I started wearing a more consultative mantle, I was naturally diving a little deeper into situations or problems within a prospect’s business. I am certain you may find this also. In many ways what were once prospects became friends, and with a few this friend advice relationship has lasted through the years.

As a sales consultant to small businesses, when we see people, it is in their place of business at their company’s office -- where they are generally comfortable and relaxed. When our sales consultant processes start truly biting into a vulnerable area, the shields come down and business owners open up. They finally have an outsider with an objective opinion they can talk with.

Well, letting prospects endlessly go on about any situation within their business, with no direction or no control, leaves them feeling helpless and oftentimes compulsively talking in order to find a solution. These men and women – these entrepreneurial warriors feel as though they are totally self-contained with no help and no advices from anyone – not anyone who understands.

Suddenly you are there in front of them utilizing a very short needs analysis on issues that came from other previous buyers that have used your product as a solution. After the discovery of their needs from this analysis, you simply do the recall system as shown in the book.

The recall system within Rapid Sales Success helps prospects sort through areas of vulnerability and confusion, from the perspective of what your product or service addresses. The system has them inspect what was or is a bad situation, and ends up liberating them to make a today decision based on logic and emotions that are not tied to past bad decisions.

If you do NOT do this positive control technique, prospects feel and know inherently that you cannot help. Instead of going deeper into their company issues they become very social, and put on their public relations hat. It will be a great meeting, but go nowhere.

Your sales consulting success depends on helping prospects pilot through their decision-making process. Rapid Sales Success keeps you on track, and is a laser-guided solution for decision-making issues.

There is a 20% Christmas//Holiday discount too, when ordered here. Enter discount code WUCNE3DQ upon checkout.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
Joe Caulfield
jc@rapidsalessucess.com

Social Machinery Kills Sales

2009-11-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

Social Machinery Kills Sales

In sales most have dealt with paradigm shifts throughout our careers. As sales psychology becomes a more integral part of the sales process we almost live or die by the latest gimmicks -- the next book. Yesterday it was a personal letter, today a blog, or a webinar. Yesterday, it was Psycho Cybernetics, Professional Selling Skills or S.P.I.N. Selling; today it’s Rapid Sales Success or Sandler Sales Training. There has never been a shortage of innovations in American sales.

The sales methods keep changing, and if you have been selling for seven plus years you have seen it and it can be tedious. Why does this happen? Maybe it is just a bunch of various authors looking to make some dollars? The answer to that is, “No, generally not”. It is, to a large degree centered around, a subject called social machinery.

Social machinery is something that we humans build internally to handle the everyday stuff. Surely, we have wondered a bit when someone who is in the middle of a serious bout with allergies or a cold runs by us as we walk down the hallway and we say, “how’s it going?” their social machinery kicks in and responds, ‘Good”, or “like a million”. It is almost laughable. Prospects have social machinery too, we all do.

It is this desire to defeat the prospect's social machinery that helps to create the sales paradigm.

As sales consultants or advertising people we are looking for ways to bypass that machinery and get to the actual person. This is why you see ad copy today that says things like “The sales model is broken!” Or, “Now, here’s the shocking thing discovered about business owners…” It is all an attempt to get by your social machinery as sales consultants to tell you about something new – a new sales paradigm.

Did you know that most of your prospects have read quite a bit on how to sell? They know that sales and marketing is responsible for their company’s revenue production. They know the sales consultant's game – they have your playbook. They are ready for you when you walk through the door and many times they look at you as an unpaid consultant. Are you?

Well, how do you stop that? You stop that with highly interactive and impactful interviews that deeply involve the prospect. It is almost personal, and always informal; their participation is invited and yes, demanded. If they refuse to participate we walk away and end the cycle on being unpaid consultants. We chalk that experience up as being with someone who did not match our perfect client profile.

The book Rapid Sales Success has a sales process that was created to get by social machinery.

Good consulting!

Professional Selling Skills

2009-11-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

Professional Selling Skills

We all want rapid sales success in selling to the C Level, and there are some simple things we can do to assist this. Professional selling skills go through a lot of change, as the sales paradigm is a moving target. Selling skills training should be part of our weekly routine.

My friend Garry Duncan from www.leadershipconnects.com recently stated:

“Everyone knows that if you need information on a service or product, just talk to a well informed salesperson. Sellers re-buy their wares every time they give a presentation, so it seems logical to assume that if buyers understand all the valuable points, they will buy too! Too much information creates objections, confusion and lost sales. Give the customer the information they need to make a decision, no more, no less. How will you know? Ask them!”

Take a look at the Commonality of Issues Sheet for PEO (our test market)to get the idea of format. http://www.rapidsalessuccess.com/. RSS Tools is password protected – the username and password this month is “Juran”.

The Commonality of Issues Sheet will enable you to talk about what the prospect is interested in, by asking them. For a more complete understanding buy the book, Rapid Sales Success and watch your closing ratios move you to the top of your leader board.

Joe Caulfield
jc@rapidsalessuccess.com

Sales Success In ANY Economy: Selling toward the "Want"

2009-11-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

Sales Success In ANY Economy: Selling toward the "Want"

Selling toward the "Want"

2009-11-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

In the book Rapid Sales Success the golden rule is “sell them what they want and deliver what they want and need”. The reason for this is contained in the definition of the two words.

Want = feel or have a desire for; want strongly
Need = require as useful, just, or proper

The book further states that a “perceived need” is a want – by the prospect. Selling to a ‘desire’ is always better, as opposed to trying to convert a need into a desire (want). It is just more efficient.

To accomplish this we created a Commonality of Issues Sheet (CIS) for our prospects, based upon actual surveys of previous buyers, by asking the previous buyer why they purchased. We came up with fifteen choice reasons for our test industry product/service, put them into a form that stated them as questions, and two boxes to be checked as “In Control” or “Needs Improvement” by each one. We then have new prospects fill out the newly created form and only address the ones that prospects tell us “Needs Improvement”. This is their reality level – these are their wants.

Prospects do know what they “want” when put into this encoded format.

We also developed a process called the Rapid Recall System (RRS) to address what I called The Evil Twins of Procrastination and Hesitation that we see in a lot of prospects. When someone has checked “Needs Improvement” on an item off of the Commonality of Issues Sheet, we address each of those items with this simple RSS question format. This generally addresses your last question also on ‘People who fear the risks associated with change’.

Evading The Conditioned Response

2009-10-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Evading The Conditioned Response

Wouldn't it be nice to never have to persuade your prospect to buy?
Instead, your prospects would line-up trying to convince you to sell your product to them. Selling may never be that simple, but might you be working way too hard to make the sale.

By acting in a manner opposite of what the prospect has come to expect, the sales consultant can reap huge benefits. Prospects have come to expect certain behaviors from sales consultants; they are trained in a general way, on sales and selling. Enthusiastic sales presentations are one of those behaviors, along with justifications, explanations, and defenses of products.

If you are feeling down yourself, and someone (anyone) comes up to you in wild enthusiasm, what is your reaction? If you just found out you lost an account, you thought was in the bag, and your office assistant sweeps into your office full of cheerfulness – how do you feel? How do you feel toward them?

It is best to mirror your prospect’s mood and do the processes contained in the book Rapid Sales Success.

It is said, that in the consultative sales process, prospects will swing between two mood levels. Sometimes they can be very positive -- ready and eager to listen. Sometimes they can be very negative -- they don't perceive a need for you, your company or your service. When you first meet them, they can be in either of these positions.

Most sales consultants will try to push their prospect in the direction s/he wants the prospect to go. Not only is this the typical sales behavior, it is exactly the behavior the prospect expects and is mentally prepared for – this behavior creates a competitive environment between the sales consultant and the prospect. What happens when a sales consultant tries to push a prospect in one direction or the other -- nothing, generally? The prospect either does not move at all, or goes below the mood level where they started – they push back.

How can you use this tendency of prospects pushing back to your advantage? Try this --rather than push the prospect in the direction you want them to go, push them in the opposite direction. The prospect's tendency will be to push away from you, resulting in them moving in the direction you intended. Like a pendulum, if you pull it one direction and let it go, it swings in the opposite direction. Chapter Fifteen in Rapid Sales Success goes into this further.

By asking questions and making statements opposite of what the prospect expects, you can get the prospect moving in the direction you want them to go, and it can be faster, easier and a lot more fun. The Rapid Sales Success (RSS) process encompasses this phenomenon. The RSS process would have you move in unusual patterns to avoid the conditioned responses from prospects.

It will require you to withhold excitement, and to stop talking about your product and company at the first chance you get, and not offer solutions to what you think are your prospect's problems.

Instead, allow your prospect to get excited, ask you about how your product or service will help him and, most importantly, let your prospect tell you the solution he is looking for.

If your product provides the solution your prospect is looking for, a sale will follow quickly.

In The NEWS!

2009-10-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

Rapid Sales Success: A Recipe Book For B2B, C-Level Sales @ Book ...

By Book Super Sales

Joe Caulfield clearly knows a lot about selling, sales processes, the
buying process, and the Professional Employer Industry. In 88 pages he
nails down a direct and simple process for finding and recognizing a
“Perfect Customer”, ...

Book Super Sales

तवो Wolves

2009-10-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, Vicki Rupert, just sent the following to me:

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that
goes on inside people.
He said: 'My son, the battle is between 'two wolves' inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,
superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and
faith.'

The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asked his

grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'

The old Cherokee simply replied: 'The one you feed.'

In sales, there have been many books written on what has been called for generations, The Power of Positive Thinking. All these years we went on the assumption that it could do no harm to think positively. Besides, we felt better.

Now we have proof from various studies that have been done with PET Scans, MRI's, etc. that validate that, indeed, our brains are in much better shape if we feed the good wolf.

Encoding and the Rapid Recall System

2009-10-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

Just asking a client how you can help is limited to their vision or perspective of what you represent, and your company’s ability to render possible solutions.

The Commonality of Issues Sheet, as currently written, is a listing of what long-term issues a Perfect Client has. This was discovered by surveys that were encoded to get truthful answers.

Encoding (encrypting) a question is as follows:

Normal: What do you like least about current hiring/termination regulations?

This ‘normal’ type of question is to direct, perhaps to harsh, and could elicit a weakened response that is more politically correct than it is honest.

Encoded: What about regulatory issues on hiring would you change?

The encoded question will bring forth more answers and promotes conversation.
We spend so much time inside our field that we forget that there are hidden issues our prospects experience. They actually have a tendency to encode their answers or their complaints. It is good PR and politically correct.

When someone says, "I need to lose weight", they actually may be thinking about other issues. (They have encoded their statement to you.)

- "I feel unattractive"
- "My weight’s holding me back from getting promoted"
- "I don't want to die"

If someone has a cash flow problem, they absolutely want to get rid of this issue, but they're also thinking about other related problems, such as:
- "Will I be able to send my kid to college?"
- "Will I lose my house?"
- “Will I lose face?”
- "Will I need to significantly change my lifestyle?”

When you speak to a prospect, become aware of WHY they want help, and what it would mean to them to get rid of their problem. The quickest way to that “why” is through the Rapid Recall System from the book Rapid Sales Success. It defeats the encoding.

Then, on closing, repeat their biggest dreams and desires that were uncovered, back to them. And, indicate that it's absolutely possible to achieve them.

You'll "close" a lot more clients if you dig a little deeper, and get to the bottom of their biggest fears. The Rapid Recall System works. www.rapidsalessuccess.com

Critical thinking and Emotional Decisons

2009-10-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

The book Rapid Sales Success
Once you have done the Commonality of Issues Sheet (CIS), from the book, you will have the point specific issues that interest the CEO---their “hot buttons” i.e., their “pains”. Only discuss these issues that are real to them, the ones that they have indicated. Remember the CIS is a compilation of what previous PEO buyers had as hot buttons when purchasing.

The next step is as important as the issues they selected from the CIS. The Rapid Recall System is a psychological process that applies critical thinking to emotionally active current issues.

The prospect made a decision in the past, and it just did not work out. There is now an unconscious negative residual effect that must be dealt with to make a new decision in that same general area, without hesitation and procrastination. This discovery is monumental and has been utilized to some degree over the years. What is really innovative are the last questions in the handling phase.

The Commonality of Issues Sheet takes past decisions like these and applies critical thinking skills to dis-empower the painful parts. If you read the book Blink and the book countering it, titled Think, you would see one author telling us to use gut feel or what he calls "thin-slicing" to make decisions. In the book Think, the author stresses using critical thinking skills instead. In Rapid Sales Success both are used, as when we surveyed successful actions of PEO sales people we found them using both. That is what is related to you in the book.

Thanks for the many emails telling me about your successes. I am looking forward to the future workshops.

I hope the above is helpful.
jc@rapidsalessuccess.com

Rapid Sales Success Video-New

2009-09-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

HOT NEW HOT BUTTONS

2009-09-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

See the Commonality of Issues Sheet for PEO to get the idea of format (RSS Tools). www.rapidsalessuccess.com

Okay, as old data is replaced with the new data (paradigm) it is easy to miss or misconstrue subtle changes that can make a BIG difference.

The evidence is in and here are the latest results.

Business owners have “today concerns” that are, by survey, centered around:

1. Taxes
2. Health Care
3. Cap and Trade
4. Slow Down In The Economy
5. Regulations, particularly on hiring and termination
6. Litigation
7. Workforce efficiency and effectiveness
8. Lack of Credit

This may mean that we add/change a few items to our Commonality of Issues Sheet (CIS), but first we need to ascertain whether our products and services address these current concerns. If they do, then follow the format.

Just asking a client how you can help is limited to their vision or perspective of what you represent and your company’s ability to render possible solutions.

The CIS sheet as currently written is a listing of what long-term issues a Perfect Client has and was discovered by surveys that were encoded to get truthful answers.

Encoding a question is as follows:

Normal: What do you like least about current hiring/termination regulations?

Encoded: What about regulatory issues would you change?

The encoded question will bring forth many answers in a survey, and promotes conversation. When we see 100 surveys and the same answers keep coming up, well then we know we have a “live” issue.

This time, the work has been done, so all that is necessary is to take these found “live” issue and put them into a question format.

“Regulations on hiring and termination?”
In Control____ Needs Improvement_____

“Workforce efficiency and effectiveness?”
In Control_____ Needs Improvement_____

Surveys can be done by companies, and/or by sales consultants in the field. Doing them in the field gives you a great reason to talk with your current clients to keep abreast of their issues, so that what you are presenting to your new prospects is fresh –crisp.

Maximizing First Calls

2009-09-01T12:13:00.001-07:00

http://www.amazon.com/Rapid-Sales-Success-Recipe-C-Level/dp/144867252X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251832319&sr=1-1
The next best thing to Rapid Sales Success materials is probably S.P.I.N. Selling by Neil Rackham.

S = Situation
P = Problem
I = Implication
N= Needs (Payoff)

There is a list of questions for each category-a good read.

One of the things that Rapid Sales Success establishes is the Psychographics of the PEO buyer, as compared to the demographics. Demographics are the physical characteristics identifying the broad spectrum of our possible client. Psychographics and this book identify the emotional characteristics and the "hot buttons" of an actual Perfect PEO Client. This is your "Commonality of Issues Sheet" from the book.

The Rapid Sales Success material is designed to match the psychographics of a perfect client profile, as determined by survey. It is also designed to exclude other than the perfect client - self-disqualification.

S.P.I.N. Selling is more general. And, it works and delivers great benefits to a general audience. The problem we have in calling on the C-Level Suite is that nasty little thorn of getting the first call, they are not as plentiful as we would like, so a plan had to be devised to maximize that first call.

Rapid Sales Success is point specific to our C-Level buyer and based upon the emotional characteristics of actual clients. Rapid Sales Success Has the reader take each "problem", as identified by the prospect, and drills down through the Rapid Recall Process to get the emotional impact (implication), and then offers solutions to the prospects situation (Problem).

It works - Rapidly

Expert Author Status

2009-08-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

This service was kind enough to classify me as an "expert author" for B2B sales, and I guess I am taking advantage of the bragging rights. See my articles by clicking on the link below or copy and paste.

http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joe_Caulfield

Don't forget to get your copy of Rapid Sales Success at http://www.rapidsalessuccess.com

If I can be of service, let me know.

PEO Sales Book

2009-08-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that an Amazon company, CreateSpace, published my book, Rapid Sales Success, today as a multi-format book.

As many of you know, the book is about combining the latest marketing technology with a psychologically based sales process.

Here’s the link to my author profile: https://www.createspace.com/3394922

Won’t you also take a moment to spread the word about my book to everyone you know?

Thank you so much for your support!

Paradigm Shifts In Sales Methods

2009-08-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

The word paradigm is used to describe a change in basic assumptions. It is contrasted to the word "normal".
Example: It is normal in sales just to get an appointment, go and make a presentation and let things either work out or not.

So what? So there are paradigms, and anomalies. Why should I care? The only reason I can think of is better closing ratios.

In the shift from sales person to consultant there are paradigms presented for many, but not all.Some have already made the shift.

Selling is defined as the activity of persuading someone to buy. A consultant is defined as an expert who gives advice. Which should we aspire to?

A sort of revolution occurs when experts in sales consultancy encounter anomalies (a deviation from normal) which cannot be explained by the universally accepted basic assumption.

There are anomalies for all paradigms, that are brushed away as acceptable levels of error, or simply ignored and not dealt with. Anomalies however, are many times, baby paradigm shifts waiting to be born.

When enough significant anomalies accrue against the current paradigm (the norm), the discipline where the anomalies occur is thrown into a state of confusion. During this confusion, new ideas, perhaps ones previously discarded, are revivified and tried once again. Eventually a new paradigm is formed, which gains its own new followers.

Paradigms to most of us are actually invisible.

When top sales people's successful actions (Critical Success Factors) were studied, the same anomalies kept coming up from successful person to successful person. Suddenly, amongst top performers at least, what I was looking at as an anomaly, was their norm. They had already made a paradigm shift. They had already shifted to a methodological sales process that was empathy based.

The major paradigm shift for sales today is perhaps shared with the new definition of value-added selling as follows:

Value-added selling? (New Definition) It is selling according to the prospect’s perceived needs (see: wants, as perceived needs are "wants"). This IS what they value. Remember," sell them what they “want” — deliver what they want and need.”

This concept in and of itself is a paradigm shift from generations past. It is a clarion call for listening skills, observation skills and empathy toward the buyer's viewpoint.

Joe Caulfield

Take Control of Marketing

2009-08-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

An earlier blog stated that "Responsibility ultimately is the willingness to be at cause over something, as opposed to being the effect. The words ‘willingness’ and ‘cause’ should be highlighted."

This could be important right now, as most of us know that our pipeline today will reflect our sales 60 to 90 days down the road - the 4th quarter. That is when anywhere from one-third to one-fourth of your sales can ccur for the entire year, The extra effort put in now should pay big dividends a lttle later in fame and residuals.

The book, Rapid Sales Success strongly suggests that you learn a new process for selling AND that you begin to take control of your marketing world too. It really is quite easy. Try this (not in book).

Start by compiling a list of ten clients that you have sold. If you do not have any go to your sales manager and see if you can get the names and contact person for the last 10 clients that signed up that do NOT belong to another existing sales consultant. If you cannot find ten, go for five.

Next, call those five or ten and say that you are with their PEO - "the guys who do your payroll", and you are doing a survey and would like to talk to the person that purchased your services. Now,hopefully you have their name and a direct line so you can go directly to them.

When you get that client on the line, say that you are doing a survey and you just have three very short questions.

1. What did you buy our services to handle?
2. Are we handling it?
3. What could we do better?

Write their answers down word for word. The answers become useful as an email, or phone script for prospects, or an internet flyer that you can deliver electronically to your networking groups.

If they are your clients they will have no hesitation in answering you. If you can do it in person, so much the better - perhaps with a fruit & cheese tray from the local supermarket. Yes, you may find some problem areas, but there are two areas in sales consultancy. New clients and saved clients. The added other benefit is that if you find someone that is enthralled, what a great time to ask for a referral.

Next step is to learn the Rapid Sales Success sales process by purchasing the book (available next week) and getting access to the website and all the great tools there. I wanted to name it S.P.I.N. ON STEROIDS, but there was some legal issue with that - go figure.

Remember, have fun!

You Create What You Have Your Attention On

2009-07-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from Rapid Sales Success:

As sales consultants we are successful to the degree that we can positively influence mental functions and change behaviors that leads toward the betterment of all parties concerned.

"Including Yourself"

Here is an excellent presentation on this principle by Mary Lore.

http://fli.gg/TlMDZX7W

Her website is:

www.managingthought.com

A Message To Garcia

2009-07-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

http://people.whitman.edu/~hashimiy/garcia.htm

A very famous essay entitle "A Nessage To Garcia: Written by Elbert Hubbard a long time ago, but is refreshing to read today. This essay personifies the thinking of our Peak Peformance people too.

Henry Ford tells us:
He (Elbert Hubbard) had a rare faculty of expression and he used it to serve the cause of common sense in this country. Elbert Hubbard demonstrated the power of an idea when conceived by an independent mind and supported by intelligent industry. His Shop became a place of pilgrimage to men and women who were interested in handicrafts and who dreamed of a greater idealization of common life. Whether Mr. Hubbard made a permanent contribution toward that end, the event will declare, but certainly he served to keep the thought alive in his time.

A Really Neat Tool for Selling PEO/ASO

2009-07-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

Dear fellow PEO Salesperson,

Innovation helps us to stay unique and "top of mind" for our prspects. Here is a tool that may help.
The Problem:
You've got a deal hot on the burner, but there's no money in the budget for anything. You want to customize a professional looking video quickly - before your prospect grows cold.

Your local video place says they need 2 weeks. Your internal department is swamped, and don't have the equipment to edit video.

You could buy a do-it-yourself, basic video editing software, but they are too complex. It takes time to learn and you have to understand technical terms like mpeg2, bit rate, interlace, and more.

So...What do you do?

Introducing: http://affiliate.instantvideopresenter.com/aw.aspx?A=22

Momentum

2009-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday,

My goal for years has been to pay it forward. In the interest of that here are two things I believe you should check out.

One is free, the other $1.00 in starting – both are wonderful. Hope you check it out.

https://onecoachcorp.infusionsoft.com/go/BMCSales/jacaul00/

https://onecoachcorp.infusionsoft.com/go/OCcall/jacaul00/

Regards,

Joe

Organization

2009-07-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Recommended by: David Talamelli a Recruiter for Oracle

http://gizapage.com/

A Useful Tool for keeping social networking sites organized.

Responsibility

2009-07-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Responsibility ultimately is the willingness to be at cause over something, as opposed to being the effect. The words ‘willingness’ and ‘cause’ should be highlighted. Additionally there is what could be called “areas of responsibility”.

The responsibility of a fisherman is to catch fish. Period. If they are fishing in an area and not getting bites, then they need to relocate themselves to an area where they do get bites and catch fish. Period. They cannot be successful by getting into a ‘blame game’ by trying to channel their lack of success to the weather, the EPA, or that dumb bait shop.

The bottom line for any business is two-fold - revenue and debt ratio. The divisions within the organizational structure overseeing these critical success factors are sales, marketing and finance. In any model, growth of revenue is the responsibility of sales and marketing.

If someone within sales or marketing cannot get the job done there is a tendency to get away from their “area of responsibility” and try desperately to find what is causing them to fail, i.e., marketing, client services,Underwriting, operations, finance, etc. We so desperately want to be right, that we try to justify our short comings by now being the ‘effect’ of something or someone else. This in essence gives away our personal power.

I would suggest that we can’t take the mantle of revenue production off of sales or marketing. That it is their job to catch the fish with the equipment they have, or get more training (better equipment) or find a different pond to fish in.

The Shocking Thing Discovered

2009-07-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here's The Shocking Thing Discovered About Business Owners Not Buying Needed or Wanted PEO Services

...It is NOT because business owners are dense...

...It isn’t because they didn’t care...

...And it isn’t because of a lot of other things that traditional wisdom teaches.

It was discovered that procrastination is a habit that they didn’t know how to break, and that it was because past painful decisions got in their way.
As I did the research to handle this I started to see patterns; and then a process; and then the skeleton of a system appeared. I was overjoyed!

Become the listener

2009-06-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

Passion gets in the way. A strong desire to help is the number one reason most get into sales consultancy.

When we have this kind of passion it is difficult not to be a bit windy - to talk to much! We want to help.

A sales process system that invites a healthy interchange with the prospect doing most of the talking is a good thing.

Really listening to your prospect also creates empathy - on both sides of the aisle. It will help your prospect partnership thrive.

Prepare some questions before your interview. It has been said that those who ask - receive.

Friday Humor

2009-06-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

"All screaming does is attract the monster's attention."

Stephen King, author

Get Faster Decsions

2009-05-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ideas are important, it is that creative part that helps us form the vision of our success, but action is priceless.

Selling is guiding others to make decisions - in fact selling could be desribed as a persuasion architecture.It has been reported time and again by our Peak Performance Group members that their prospect's decisions come faster when their own personal ability to make decisions is at peak. So work on your own decision making process to make more sales.

Our good sales consultants have honed the ability to observe, make a decision and act.

We are getting reports of success with this!

2009-04-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

http://blog.pastramitopublishing.com/2009/01/22/how-to-get-an-appointment-with-anyone--including-the-ceo.aspx

Let us know what you are finding and remember to 'pay-it-forward.

Time to Market

2009-04-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

Time to Market.

Marketing does not necessarily mean massive dollar expenditures because new marketing techniques as described in John Jantsch’s book Duct Tape Marketing can be employed.

The advent of the Internet has been incredible. Linkedin with its demographics is simply stunning. 38 million networkers that are college graduates with an average of over 100K per year in salary and where 60+ % are executives, makes a Linkedin the medium of choice when compared to the traditional Wall Street Journal.

What may be necessary is “massive communications” using all of these new outlets, instead of “massive dollar expenditures”.

I recently read a blog that was a proponent of:

1. E-Mail Harvesters identify all websites that contain target prospects and capture their e-mail addresses. (joe: aslo try www.jigsaw.com)
2. Spidering Web 2.0 databases provides targeted prospect contact information.
3. RSS feed systems capture target prospect news releases pertaining to your solutions and retrieve contact information and stated needs providing credibility establishing data.
4. 37 million people searched Google for a blog last month.
5. HTML documents with tracking software provides what portion of your targeted solution your prospects view.
6. Webcasts establish your company as the thought leaders and key knowledge source in your area of expertise.
7. Social media sites and viral marketing components spread your e-marketing campaigns to your targeted prospects like a good virus should.

Yes, by golly, it is a new world out here and perhaps we need to dust off our “lifetime student” attitudes and get into the new game.

Getting The Appointment-Resources

2009-04-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here are two or three resources that could prove useful.

http://blog.pastramitopublishing.com/2009/01/22/how-to-get-an-appointment-with-anyone--including-the-ceo.aspx

Also, try this.

From: Joe Caulfield
Subject: Mentoring Memo to Peak Performance Specialists

Good Morning,

INDIVIDUAL MARKETING OF PEO

There is a PEO salesperson that is from Dallas, Texas, but currently lives in the Midwest. I was introduced to him when an Executive Vice President for a PEO referred him to me as a peak performance candidate four years ago.

I placed him at a company, and he stayed with them quite awhile, and as promised, he was a peak performer.

As most of you know, I study peak performers, so over the years I have talked at length about his style of selling, his methods of selling, his attitudes, and his marketing of PEO to get First Calls.

When I had a rough draft of my book, Rapid Sales Success, I sent a manuscript to him and other Peak Performers asking for their opinions - if I had it right or not.

His reply was--yeah, that is mostly what I do.

Well, one of the biggest problems in most businesses is getting that First Call--a problem that we are all familiar with and racing to solve.

This is what one of the Peak Performers does, as suggested by his mentor Clay Kelley:

Picks out "ideal prospects" from a list. (Demographics + psychographics + analysis of current clients)

2. Mails them a letter and a book ("Good to Great")
3. Calls for an appointment
4. Has an excellent closing ratio**

Statistics for his industry are typically:

Fair = 9.0 customers per year
Good = 10 to18 customers per year
Excellent = 21+ customers per year

Here is a copy of the letter that he is using:

"Dear (Business Owner),

I thought you might find this book of value for your business. I would welcome the opportunity to visit with you about how my company can help your company achieve greater results.

Good to Great sites many examples of companies who went from good to great by focusing on what they do best.

My company helps you do just that.

I will call you _____________________. If this is not a good time please call me at.................

I look forward to speaking with you.

Warmest regards,
_____________________________________________________________________
He sends out about 10 books per week. He has over 200 worksite employees this year already.

This system is working and has worked for some time.

His overall statistics/metrics are:

10 books per week out
Talks to 70% of Business Owners he sends books to
Converts 3 to appointments
50% close ratio on appointments
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Cost is approximately $20.00 per book or $200.00 per week.

I would consider using a less expensive book and I would recommend Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch, or Squaredime Letters by CJ Coolidge, mainly because small companies need the help with marketing and/or structure that these books provide. Both books are real winners.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=duct+tape+marketing

http://www.amazon.com/Squaredime-Letters-Mechanical-Organic-Business/dp/0981875815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239298505&sr=1-1

Costs $10 to $15. Every company should read these books.

Good Consulting!

Joe Caulfield