Category Archives: Five Star 5
The 5 Star Five – My Best Selling Tips Ever!
When I was recently preparing a speech to up and coming sales reps, I realized that I had compiled a list of selling tips that I wanted to share today. Here are the best of the best:
#1 Consult, Don’t Regurgitate – better to listen to your prospect and find out what they really need, rather than “barf out” everything you know
#2 Share, Celebrate and Support – be a fantastic teammate!
#3 Manage Time, Plan and Prioritize – not the “sexy” part of selling, but crucial to success
#4 Fly Under The Radar, Don’t Be “On It” – if your boss does not have to follow-up with you about things not getting done, that is a good thing!
#5 The Path of “Most Resistance” Pays Dividends – anyone can do the easy stuff, but tough it out and do the difficult (or less desirable tasks) day in and day out
BONUS…
#6 Customers And Prospects Are Human Beings Too – get to know them on a personal level, make notes and show that you care about them as people too
Keep these close by and refer back to them when you need a gentle reminder of what it takes to succeed in sales!
Good luck!
The Five Star 5 – Just Go “Google” Yourself!
Remember way way back in the 1990’s if somebody wanted to find out what you were all about, they either had to ask somebody that knew you, or ask you directly?
Well this internet thing has been a real game changer for researching people quickly!
I hop on Google several times a month to see what shows up for my name, and the name of my blog.
What I look for is:
- What shows up on the first page (and what may have dropped off)
- What new search results are showing up
- What new “shares” of my content are showing up; where I owe somebody a thank you
- Is there anything negative being that I should look in to
- It’s just really fun to scroll through lots of pages of results as I reflect on my online journey!
Bonus – some people have very common names, so it is a good idea to see where your content may be getting confused with somebody elses’
Your brand can become very powerful, and what shows up on web searches can help big time by providing people with the opportunity to get to know you very quickly.
If what shows up online is all positive, then you are good to go! If you are seeing a lot of negativity, probably time to review your branding strategies and assess some changes for the future.
- When is the last time you “Googled” yourself?
- Were you surprised with some of the search results (good or bad)?
- Are you going to pay more attention to your online search results in the future?
The tools are there to take your game to the next level. You might as well embrace them and build as strong a personal brand possible!
The Five Star 5 – Your Brand Can Rock…
If you want it to!
Seriously (my 7-year-old son loves to say that word now)!
Today more than ever, personal branding is incredibly important. The tools are there to stand out in very crowded niches and be game changers helping those who really need it.
I think many people undervalue their worth online in one, or multiple niches that they are working in.
Always remember that people love to work with like-minded people, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and build a kick-a** community of raving fans.
When I think of personal branding, 5 things really come to mind:
- Be Yourself – Don’t try to be somebody that you are not. It rarely works, and you just look silly
- Engage Others -Nothing worse than somebody putting out great content but never engaging their audience
- Be Consistent – One big red flag that stands out for me when I come across a new brand is if their social media content is inconsistent, with long breaks of nothing. If you are in, you are in – show up often with high quality content
- Be of Service – It is not about you, it is about your audience. Once you get the mindset of helping others, it will be a game changer. The money will be there, as long as you don’t focus on it
- Start a Blog or Website With Your Name – Even if you have an existing business, it is a great idea to be branded online with your name as well. What better way to get known online than people being able to stop by “Insert Name.com”!
- What does personal branding mean to you?
- What struggles have you had with your brand, and what steps have you taken to make yourself a “rock star” brand now?
I would love to hear your thoughts!
Shoot me an email at TimMushey@gmail.com, or comment below.
Oh yeah..let’s connect if we are not already!
- http://ca.linkedin.com/in/timmushey
- https://www.facebook.com/SellLeadSucceed
- https://twitter.com/TimMushey73
- https://plus.google.com/+TimMushey/posts
- http://www.youtube.com/user/TimMushey
Have a FANTASTIC day 🙂
The Five Star 5 – My Favourite Words
These words were once spoken to me by an executive manager, who became a friend I respect greatly to this day:
- Trust
- Respect
- Loyalty
- Passion
- Inspiration
I will never forget where the conversation occurred, and how it affected me going forward. They were “stamped” in his memory, and the commentary came straight from the heart:
An organization and specifically a sales team “achieving” these five words can mean great things are currently happening or are coming soon. On the flip side, if any or all or these words are “breached” by team members, well let’s just say things may not go as planned!
I have tried to write something very insightful utilizing these five words for at least four years now, but always have trouble.
I will leave it open to your interpretation.
What do these five words mean to you?
I just know that I get to a very good place in short order when I see those five words all in a row!
The Five Star 5 – Why Public Speaking Sucks!
Many people are terrified to speak in public and/or give presentations. Here are five reasons why public speaking and presenting can suck:
- You were not prepared / did not understand your content
- You did not practice ahead of time
- You did not know your audience well enough
- You did not have a back up plan when things like visual aids had technical issues
- You have not at least visited your local Toastmasters Club as a guest, to see how they can help develop your speaking skills
Public speaking and presenting can be a rewarding experience if you address these five points, and several others.
- Are you due for a public speaking “makeover”?
- What is the greatest challenge that you face getting up in front of a group?
The Five Star 5 – How Do You Relax?
We all get busy running around like crazy, and sometimes forget to kick back and do things that we love to do!
Remember, if an oxygen mask ever popped down on an airplane, you should put yours on first 🙂
You need to take care of yourself before even attempting to help others.
How do you relax and unwind?
For me, I love to:
- Workout and run
- Read books
- Search for rare music videos on YouTube
- Play recreational hockey
- Hang out with my family
“Better learn balance. Balance is key.” – Mr. Miyagi
If you need a little more “balance” in your life, why not start today?
Good luck and let me know how it goes!
The Five Star 5 – FANTASTIC Leadership Goals
Carol Blair recently spoke at a Toastmasters Leadership Institute event that I attended.
She outlined 5 FANTASTIC leadership goals:
- Pursue purpose with passion
- Practice solid values
- Lead with your heart
- Establish lasting relationships
- Demonstrate self-discipline
- What do you think of this list?
- Would you add anything to it?
If you are an up and coming leader, this is a great list to focus on. If you are a well established leader, hopefully this helps take your “leading-abilities” to the next level.
You can find Carol at:
http://www.carolblairassociates.com/
Let’s Connect!
The Five Star 5 – Why I Am LOVING Blogging!
For those of you who have followed me for part (or all) of this two-year blogging journey, you will know that I am having the time of my life!
Here’s why:
- Help others
- Share my message
- Meet incredible people
- Promote and share other’s content
- Learn from fellow bloggers
- If you are currently blogging, why are you loving it?
- If you are you on the verge of blogging, what are you most looking forward to?
Let’s connect!
- https://www.facebook.com/SellLeadSucceed
- http://ca.linkedin.com/in/timmushey
- https://twitter.com/TimMushey73
- https://plus.google.com/+TimMushey/posts
- http://www.youtube.com/user/TimMushey
Please keep me posted on your blogging journey. I will be posting some success stories!
The Five Star 5 – My Favourite Sales Quotes
I have complied a large collection of sales quotes over the past 2 years. Here are my five favourites:
- Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble – Frank Tyger
- Become the differentiator. What you sell can be copied but you can’t – Jill Konrath
- Stop selling. Start helping – Zig Ziglar
- Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect – W. Clement Stone
- If you’re speaking and not getting a reaction, well, you are just making a speech – Unknown
I would love to know what your favourite sales and/or business quote is.
Send me an email at TimMushey@gmail.com and I will share the top 5 responses early in 2014!
Merry Christmas!
The Five Star 5 – Leadership Lessons From Coaching Kids Hockey
I never thought being an assistant coach for my son’s six-year-old hockey team would be easy, but there is more to it then I thought!
I have learned many leadership lessons from the experience, and here are my favourites:
- Patience – Many of these kids still sleep with teddy bears. They are very young and their development takes time
- Encouragement – “High-Fives, pats on the back, and a “great job” goes a long way for their confidence
- Focus On The Positive – We tend to focus on what is being done wrong, that we sometimes forget to reward what is being done right
- “Sandwich Method” – Put a suggestion for an area of improvement between two positive comments
- SMILE – Then laugh with them, and make them feel comfortable. It is truly about having fun, developing skills, and learning what it means to be part of a team
As I was writing this, I realized many of these points can be related to managing in the corporate world, or business in general. At least, I thought I could inspire other coaches who may need some new perspective!
If kids are not inspired by their coaches, there are many other activities that they can do these days. Each interaction with them is critical to building that connection.
Is it time to tweak your coaching, managing or general leading philosophies?
Sell, Lead, Succeed! 