Monthly Archives: December 2013

Is Your New Years Resolution Holding You Back?

So are you that person that says in the New Year I am going to start doing something or change a bad habit? Do you let yourself slide or fall short in the month of December because in the New Year you will fix everything that went wrong? According to a report from the University of Scranton only 8% of people stick to a New Year resolution. With those kinds of statistics is it even worth setting yourself up for a failed commitment? I am here to advise you that this year you should skip the resolution and make changes and improvements when you are READY!

Traditions: It’s A Ritual To Try and Fail

The worst thing you can do is create resolutions year after year to be broken. It’s as if you know you have failed every year and just for fun you are setting another soon to be failed goal…..because it’s a ritual. Break your ritual. Do not set the resolution until your are ready to take on the habit. If you are ready on January 1st then that is when you start. If you are ready on March 31st then that is when you start. Unless you are in the 8% that stick to your resolution then it would be advised to take on your resolution during a time when you “want” to change.

Easy Gratification: Results with Habits

Many people make resolutions that only have a result in mind. Such as I am going to lose 30 pounds, increase my sales by 50%, run a marathon, or get a better paying job. I am not saying these are bad goals or resolutions….they just aren’t resolutions they are results. If you are set on reaching these resolutions you need to be ready to create habits to help you reach the desired goal. In order to reach that result I need to create successful habits and practices. For many of us the only habit we create with resolutions is the habit of creating another “failed New Year Resolution”. You have given yourself a pass to fail because that’s what people do with most New Year Resolutions.

Commitment: Creating Goals is Not Just for Fun

Commitment and goal settings should NOT be done for fun or because everyone else is doing it. Goals and the efforts to reach them are big achievements. The feeling of accomplishment for small and big goals is an overwhelmingly good feeling. It will help build your confidence and the feeling of pride. To make a mockery of goal setting creates a mindset of “it’s okay to quit” or regret.

So this year free yourself from the pressure and only make goals and commitments when you are available to reach for the targets. Whether your goals are business or personal related break the trend of setting yourself up for an “acceptable” broken resolution. It should never be acceptable to let yourself down with goals let alone create a tradition out of it.

Boondoggling to the New Year

Are you familiar with the term Boondoggling? It is defined as “to do work of little or no practical value merely to keep or look busy.” A few years back when I worked as an outside sales executive I was really offended by a boss that asked me if I was “boondoggling” one Holiday Season. I think he only made that reference to me the first year I worked for him and he may have not really had an understanding of my work ethic. I was really shocked that he thought I would waste this time of year to “Boondoggle”. If I wanted to take time off then I would have taken time off.

As an outside sales person you rarely should find yourself in the office, let alone in the office to “boondoggle”. Your job is to be in front of clients and prospects. Typically during 9 to 5 you are making sales calls or attending meetings. If you have paperwork it gets put on hold for after hours so that you make yourself available as much as possible for client interactions. The end of the year is a treat for me. It’s a great time to plan and get caught up. A successful salesperson does not have time to Boondoggle anytime of the year. This does not mean that I do not enjoy taking time to break and I am not afraid to say today I am taking a break.

The two weeks at the end of December are far from Boondoggling for those of us who choose work. It’s a great time to get caught up on loose ends and create plans for the New Year. The planning that we can get done during this time helps to create a successful year ahead! So for those that choose to Boondoggle and not make the most of your days before the New Year….you probably should have just taken the time off and recharged. There is nothing wrong with shutting down….however if you are going to boondoggle you probably just wasted some valuable time.

Get Personal During the Holidays

Everyone gets busy during the holidays even when they try to avoid it. It’s inevitable we have decided that November and December are the time of year we will get dressed up and throw parties to celebrate our achievements and an even better New Year ahead. There are parties you will attend and parties you will host. We will run into old friends and make new friends. We will over indulge and promise that in the next year we will work it off. It just part of November and December. So how do you really make the most of November and December? I challenge you to get personal without overstepping your professional boundaries.

Continue your routines from the years before, send out the Christmas Cards, attend the parties, participate in gift exchanges, tell clients and employees you appreciate them. In addition to the norm add a personal touch. This does not mean you spend extra money it’s the opposite. Spend less money and more time. Avoid the gift cards unless you know it’s place the person enjoys. Drop off gift and packages in person if you can. Create gifts that are personalized. Take note of what someone likes and they dislike. Think back to conversations you have had with clients, peers, and employees. Show them in their gifts and cards that you were paying attention. People like to know you are listening so show them at this time of year. Show them you value what is important to them by taking the time to recognize those things.

In business and sales you are often in front of many different people and learning about their businesses and lives. You can always tell the person that is making small talk and is uncomfortable in their skin. Are you the person that really listened and engaged during meetings? Did you take note of something outside of the meeting that was important to the person you met with? Of course it’s hard and sometimes impossible to give personal gifts and messages to everyone on your list. People notice when you notice so if you can try to sign your cards personally and add a special touch.

Never Run Out of Prospects

One of the most interesting questions I have heard asked many times in my life as a sales person and sales manager is “what do you do when you run out of people to call”. That questions shocks me every time. At first I stop and think they are not serious and then I realize they are serious. Every sales person depends on finding new leads and opportunities to put in their pipeline. How do you find those leads? Here are a few tips that have always worked for me….and trust me I have never ran out of people to call on.

First, start thinking outside the box!

There really is no wrong way to find leads there are just better ways. Go to where you customers are. Join the associations your customers are members of, and get involved. Go to events even when you think its optional. I have dragged myself to countless events that I could have not attended and every time I go I end up thanking myself for the new leads or connections I gained. Become a peer to your prospects and clients. Show them you care about their business needs by supporting what they support. Do things your competitors do not make time to do. Offer solutions to your prospects.

Second, pay attention!

Read your local business publications. Listen to the radio. It sounds simple and it is all you have to do is pay attention to what is going on around you. Also, when you are driving look out for billboards or signs for potential clients. When you go to an office building pay attention to other potential clients that have businesses in that building or near. Listen to your current clients. You will be surprised what information and new leads can be generated just from listening to your current clients. Perhaps they have a need for a service or product you sell that is not what you originally intended on offering. Have conversations with people even if you think they do not have a need for your service. It’s amazing how many new prospects come out of situation when you least expect them to.

Third, rework old leads!

Call back old leads and try a new approach. Perhaps you called them in July and the person who took your call had a bad day, and now when you called back in December they are in great spirits. Ask yourself a few key questions about prospects. Why should this prospect meet with me over the other 20 people who called today? Why do they need my service or product? Is it important for them to meet me and if its not why am I calling them? Do I have a solution for them that I didn’t have 6 months ago. Create follow up task while prospecting and make sure you go back to those actions items. Never give up on your leads. Business changes, people change, trends change, competitors change, and industries change.

Apply these 3 basic principles in your search for new leads and you should always have unlimited possibilities and a very busy schedule for prospecting!