Wooden You Like To Be Successful?

Hello all and welcome to winter! The holidays are literally days away and while this is not the easiest time to focus on honing your skills, why not spend some time thinking about some practices that you might want to implement after the new year? Here is an article from Colleen Stanly of SalesLeadership, Inc that might just give you a jump start! Make sure you catch the advice from our showroom staff as well!

By: Colleen Stanley

John Wooden is known as one of the finest basketball coaches in America.  He took his UCLA team to the NCAA playoffs 10 of 12 years and was named coach of the Century by ESPN.  John Wooden was a great teacher and coach. 

The brilliance of his teaching is that he focused on the mental aspect of the game as well as the technical skills of basketball.  John Wooden repeatedly told his team that controlling emotions was at the core of winning the game.  He never referred to this control as emotional intelligence, however, when you further study him and his philosophy that is exactly what it was teaching and demonstrating. 

John Wooden made it a goal to never lose his cool.  He knew what the experts in emotional intelligence know.  When you lose control, your clarity of thought and execution become clouded. 

Many people think that a coach with this type of record must have focused solely on winning.   John Wooden won games by living by a different definition of success.  “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming.  Then perhaps when circumstances come together, we may find ourselves number 1.”  He knew that self improvement is in every salesperson’s control.  He knew that improvement and mastery were based on wise choices.       

John Wooden’ posted this note on his team’s bulletin board: 

There is a choice you have to make,

In everything you do.

So keep in mind that in the end,

The choice you make, makes you.

Here are five choices to consider:   

#1:  Choose to be a life-long learner.  In the emotional intelligence world, life-long learning is defined as self actualization.   Research shows that top salespeople score high in this emotional intelligence competency.  They are on a continuous journey of self improvement and professional improvement.  Lifelong learners make the choice between watching reality TV or reading a book that will help them become masterful.   They make a choice of being the lone ranger or seeking out mentors.  They make the choice to take risk and fail in order to learn the lessons that come only from leaving the status quo.    

Jody in the office says: I believe that continuing education is a necessity to be a better business person. You always need to keep up with the latest trends, the improvements and newest offerings. Keeping yourself updated through continuing education gives you an advantage in selling.

#2:  Choose to become masterful.  The world is full of average so that seat on the bus is taken with a waiting line.   Many salespeople learn sales techniques, however, few master influence and persuasion.   It’s fairly simple.  Choose where to focus and what to focus on.   Pundits are predicting that the profession of sales will be dramatically reduced due to e-commerce and the free information found on the Internet.  It is our prediction that only the masterful will survive and thrive.   

Vicki, one of our fearless leaders, says: Often only a small difference separates the average salesperson from the masters. Just like a horse can win a race by a nose... and the profit difference between "win, place or show" is vast.  You want to be the winner.

Master one or two techniques at a time, and you will see your sales increase.

It is very helpful to create the expectation of a sale before you even go out to the customers home. For example,  the first appointment is often just getting acquainted and getting an idea of colors, etc.  Before you leave, say something like "Lets set up our next appointment for one week from today.  Will that work for you? At that appointment I will have lots of things to show you that will accomplish the things we have discussed today.  If you are happy with the selections I bring, I will need a check for 50% down to get things ordered.  Then we will be ready to install your things in about 8 weeks.  How does that sound to you?"

If she has objections, you can deal with them up front, or be warned of possible red flags.  If she is comfortable with the idea, reinforce it when you call her back to confirm the next appointment.  "I have some beautiful things for you--I think they will be just what we need.  Are you still comfortable with getting things started?  OK,  that's great!  Your room will be done before you know it."

You have set the expectation of the sale, and you will close in fewer appointments.

#3:  Choose to plan your work and work your plan.    We have smart phones,   Franklin Covey and yellow sticky notes.  Salespeople should be the most organized people on the planet.  Unfortunately, salespeople waste 1-2 hours every day because they did not make a choice to do the basics of time management.

• Make a to-do list everyday. One minute of planning saves 10 minutes of wasted time. 
• Calendar block prospecting and client retention activities.   If you don’t block it, you will lose it. 
• Manage email and phone calls.  Yes, you can go for one hour without technology and focus on strategic work. 

Camille, the other half of the dynamic duo, says: Being organized it the best tip I can give. If you can sit down and do all of your new appointment calls before moving on to the next task, it will save you from getting up and down - time spent looking for things in the middle. Put all like-tasks together and you will find that you spend less time doing them and maybe enjoy them a little more. Especially activities you do not enjoy, having a block of time set aside to work on only this task will be much more efficient and completed at a higher concentration level. 

#4:  Choose to sell a product or service that you love.  John Wooden was a great coach because he loved being a teacher, coach and mentor.  He made a choice to be in the profession of coaching. 

If you are not passionate about sales, the company you work for or the products you sell, add another item on your to-do list: Find another job.  You will never reach your full potential as a person, salesperson or sales manager because two important ingredients are lacking in your success plan called passion and conviction.   

Wendy, on the sales floor, says: It's much easier to sell something that you love. When you love something, you know more about it than any other product. I have sold a few things I've loved and hated. The things I love, I hate to see go because I love to be around them everyday. There are certain things I won't sell or promote because they are not good quality or don't have a good product line. When you're an interior designer, quality is important. Good thing we don't have any of those lines here!

#5:  Choose to manage your emotions.  Get some downtime and figure out what is triggering you to act or respond in a manner that is less than beneficial.  Ask yourself, what would have been a better reaction?  What’s the reason I allowed a comment or behavior to “get to me?”  The power of the question is the power of the answer. 
Make the right choices and a funny little thing called winning is usually the result. 

Andrea, your usual blogstress and go-to gal, says: I definitely feel that I have to think about this a lot lately. Usually at home, I have two 18 month old boys running around - and yes, sometimes screaming. As an outsider, it seems like no big deal to make decisions and go about normal decision making. When the kids are screaming at YOU, it's no walk in the park. Suddenly brain function goes from 100% to 15% and the decisions you make would not be the typical decisions. I might say things that I wouldn't normally say or do things I wouldn't normally do. Managing your emotions is definitely key in these situations as it is in sales so you are consistent with your replies and actions. A level head can go a long way when you are caught off guard by a client or potential client (or a screaming child for that matter). The trick is perfecting this - I'll let you know about that when I get there!

 

About the Author

Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership Inc., a business development consulting firm specializing in sales and sales management training.  The company provides programs in prospecting, referral strategies, consultative sales training, sales management training, and hiring/selection.  She is also the author of “Growing Great Sales Teams: Lessons from the Cornfield.”   Reach Colleen at 303.708.1128 or visit www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com.