Blog Archives
The Waiting (Is The Hardest Part)!
Tom Petty was right. The waiting is the hardest part!
We always seem to be waiting. On the surface waiting sucks, but why not take advantage of the down time? Waiting can equal learning while you are:
- Waiting for, or riding public transportation
- Commuting to work and/or driving to meetings
- Waiting for an appointment
- Waiting in line at a store
- Waiting on a golf course between holes
… You the idea. There are many other examples.
- When you are on public transportation or waiting anywhere with respect to your role, have some “catalog time” with your company’s literature. It is incredible how much more comfortable I became with catalogs by focusing on them as little as 10 minutes per day.
- When you are commuting to work in your vehicle, or driving to appointments, listen to podcasts or audio books that will help you with business and/or personal development.
- When you are waiting for a business appointment, go over your notes to prepare and focus before the call. Don’t get distracted by email or phone calls. That can wait until later
- When you are in line at a store, always be in engagement mode (check out earlier post here http://bit.ly/KAcGXS )
- If you are golfing with customers, take time to really get to know them when you are waiting between holes. You have their undivided attention.
I used to get VERY frustrated with all the waiting that goes on in everyday life. But now I embrace it, and get as much done during business hours when I have time to spare. If I have put everything in to my work during the day, it gives me more time to devote to my family out of “office hours”.
- Do you make valuable use of your “waiting”, or do you just waste time?
- If not, what improvements can you make going forward?
Remember, waiting can equal learning if you use your time wisely!
Let’s connect on Facebook! Stop by and “like” my page if you like what you see at:
Why Not Just Ask The Question?
I often tell people….
“I’m in sales, so I will always ask the question. The worst they can say is no”.
Although this logic may come across as a little generic and obvious, are you guilty of not asking a question because you think you already know the answer?
Some key situations where I have asked questions and had positive results include:
- Receiving referrals from current customers that would turn in to new business
- Offering other products that resulted in unexpected add-on sales
- In the mattress business, I would ask that my products be moved to higher visibility areas of stores to increase exposure
A couple of “fun ones” include:
- I have about a 95% success rate of returning products outside the return policy time frame and/or without a receipt
- I rented a beer sales representative a vehicle many years ago, and asked if I could sample some of his product upon return of the car. I was more joking than anything. To my surprise, he brought me back a case of beer on a Friday of a long weekend.
Two events happened recently that got me thinking about this topic again:
- I went to pick up 3 pizzas and new the restaurant owner quite well. I said, “Oh is it buy 2 get 1 free night?” He laughed and said “yeah right”. As I was about to walk away with my order he put a free order of garlic bread on top
- I was out for lunch with friends, and one of the guys got married over Christmas. The owner of the restaurant knew him, and when he walked over to say greet us, I mentioned the recent nuptials and how his meal show be free. It was a total joke, but the owner ended up taking care of his meal.
So what does this all mean?
The real “ah-ha” moment as I reflected back on these events was….
I planted the seeds to get the results that I wanted.
If I had not taken the time to ask questions with confidence and in a casual way, I would have never achieved the desired results.
When you are in sales, you need to get used to hearing the word “NO”. That is an occupational hazard of this line of work. If you can’t handle the rejection you are in the wrong industry. But a few tweaks to your mindset like I have illustrated can give you more positive results than you ever imagined.
So next time you are predicting a “NO” why not just ask anyways for the fun of it?
You may like the answer!
When Will You “Cash In” Your “Personal Lottery Win?”
The national lottery in Canada was an astonishing $100 million in October 2012. I buy tickets from time to time, but 6-8 times per year is usually my maximum. My “big win” was sharing $300 with my parents and in-laws a few years ago. It was fun to walk in the door and throw all the money in the air like I had really won big time!
The good part of playing the lottery for myself is that it is only for fun. I am not expecting to win anything, and if I happen to win a little something (like a free ticket last week) then bonus.
I heard a comment on an audio interview two years ago from internet marketing sensation Eben Pagan. It has resonated for me most days since. Many people are waiting for that ONE PAYDAY. That one day during their life that they cash in and do not have to do anything for the rest of their days.
Examples include a lottery win, a legal settlement or an inheritance. In terms of lotteries specifically, what realistically are your chances of ever cashing in on a major win in a country like Canada, or the infamous Powerball in the USA? Heck, lotteries happen all over the world, it could happen anywhere.
I interpreted Eben’s comments as most people are just waiting, hoping – banking on that one great payday that will change their lives forever. I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but it will not happen for most of us! EVER.
What about a “personal lottery win?” I don’t mean the millions of dollars that could be won on a national lottery. I mean the extra $500, $1000, or even $2000+ that you could make supplementing your current income?
Imagine how your life would change month after month, year after year if you had some extra money flowing in to your household? To me, that is a “personal lottery win”. You would not be waiting anymore. Rather making changes as soon as possible to take fate in to your hands, and not relying on colored balls in a machine to shape your future.
The internet has an incredible amount of resources that can help you to find areas that you may like to focus on for reoccurring streams of income. People are doing it every day, and those that do very well, end up doing it full-time. The amount of get rich quick schemes out there is astonishing, but if you ever want to know who the quality resources are (so you don’t have to waste your time), send me an email at:
TimMushey@gmail.com
I will let you know who “my guys” are. This group of people have the best content available to help you evaluate ideas about additional income streams.
Saturday Music Memories – STP Rockin’ In the 1987 “Stang”
Stone Temple Pilots was on “constant rotation” in my cassette deck from 1991-1996 driving to university in my 1987 Mustang. I have always been captivated by the band, especially lead singer Scott Weiland.
His energy and passion on stage is well documented in the music industry, and he is one of my favourite vocalist from the last 20 years.
Instead of posting one of their classic hits, here is a fantastic acoustic live cut of a song off their first cd – “Crackerman”.
Enjoy!
Have A Laugh Fridays – Always Expect The Unexpected!
Yep – sometimes a sales call does not go according to plan! Be ready to adapt at a moment’s notice.
Have a great weekend!
It Is NOT All About You!
Recently my son decided that he did not want to play ice hockey this year. He was more interested in Tai Kwon Do and wanted to give it a try. My wife and I had several conversations with him to see if there was another underlying reason he wanted to stop playing “Canada’s National Sport”, but his passions just seemed to lie elsewhere.
Our stomachs initially felt weird thinking about missing all the great friends that we had made over the two winters while Elliot played hockey. I also felt sad about not coaching anymore because I really enjoyed being involved with the kids, and seeing them progress every time they laced about the skates.
My wife and I soon had a reality check. It is NOT about us. It is about our son and his happiness. We are going to support him 100% in whatever he chooses to do in life.
My thoughts quickly turned to the sales profession. So often people get caught up in their own agendas, goals and motivations, that they tend to forget that they are supposed to be acting in the best interests of customers and/or prospects.
- Remember the great quote from Frank Tyger,
“Be a good listener, your ears will never get you in trouble”.
Don’t just “barf” your sales pitch on them.
Find out what they really want to buy!
I would love to hear your thoughts about a time that a sales rep acted in your best interests, or maybe a time that they did not.
How quickly from the start of an interaction did you know if it would be a good experience or not?
Thanks in advance for your contributions!
One last thing… I would love to connect on Facebook (if we are not already) at http://www.facebook.com/SellLeadSucceed
Have A Laugh Fridays – FANTASTICLY Funny Biz Quotes!
I love this list of quotes that i compiled last year!
It looked as awesome as I remembered it when I first posted.
Enjoy this list and have a great weekend..
ps did you love that I used the word “Fantasticly” and told the spelling editor to take a hike?
- How many people on their deathbed wish they’d spent more time at the office? – Stephen R. Covey
- The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat. – Lilly Tomlin
- Right now, this is a job. If I advance any higher, this would be my career. And if this were my career, I’d have to throw myself in front of a train. – Jim Halpert/The Office
- The successful man is the one who finds out what is the matter with his business before his competitors do. – Roy L. Smith
- By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day. – Robert Frost
- If you break 100, watch your golf. If you break 80, watch your business. – Joey Adams
- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. – Vidal Sassoon
- Aim low, reach your goals, and avoid disappointment. – Scott Adams/Dilbert
- “There’s no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery. You can’t do any business from there.” – Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken
- “Success in almost any field depends more on energy and drive than it does on intelligence. This explains why we have so many stupid leaders.” – Sloan Wilson
“No” Can Be Good
I loved this post today from my good friend Chris Goodrow! Have a read, and enjoy your Tuesday.
Did I mention it has been a busy summer?
Well it has.
What was designed to be a summer of nothing, turned out to be exactly the opposite. Please don’t mistake that statement for complaining however. Although our expectations and reality didn’t quite line up this summer, I feel that I have been productive and have demonstrated to myself that I can adapt and perform well under various pressures: certainly better than I ever have before.
Additionally out of the craziness I have some stories I would like to share.
Last year, my wife and I embarked on a new venture by investing in Real Estate. The first year has been rewarding beyond our expectations, both from a personal development perspective and a business perspective. One tiny aspect had been nagging at me since soon after we took possession. A small section of concrete at the back of the house…
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Terry Fox – A True Hero For Us All To Remember!
Today is the annual
Terry Fox run in cities and towns all across Canada.
His story of his quest to find a cure for cancer is truly remarkable, and I think it would be awesome if you took 8 minutes to watch the magnitude of his incredible accomplishments!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and take a moment to digest what a hero really it!
Saturday Music Memories – Incredible Young Drummer!
When I first heard Casey Cooper drum, I was blown away! I love the enthusiasm and passion for his craft. His talent is second to none at the young age of 21.
In this video, he covers Nirvana’s “In Bloom”.
Want more? Of course you do. You can connect with him in the following places below:
YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/user/COOP3RDRUMM3R?feature=watch
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/THECOOP3RDRUMM3R
What the heck, how ’bout Twitter too: https://twitter.com/coop3rdrumm3r
Sell, Lead, Succeed! 