Category Archives: Sales

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!

Jealousy Doesn’t Look Good in a Suit

I remember it like yesterday although it was almost 30 years ago. I was a little girl and my older sister was in the town parade. She looked beautiful and was getting lots of attention. She got to ride in a fancy car, holding roses, waving and smiling to the crowd. I don’t remember why she was in the parade but I remember watching her and wishing it was me. My sister was always the prettiest girl in the group and it was “easy” for people to like her and want to shower her with attention.

We came home from the parade that day and I felt left out and I was sad really sad. I went to my room and cried. I felt like it was no fair that she was getting this attention. That was the day I learned one of my most valuable lessons. My mom came in to my room and she had no pity for me. She told me to stop crying and that I was being jealous. Jealous…what is that? I asked her to explain. She told me that I was feeling sorry for myself, because someone else was getting attention for an achievement. My mom explained what jealousy was, told me to get over it, and never feel that way again. I was shocked that my mom was not going to comfort me in my moment of need. I wanted to feel like my sister, but instead I felt shafted and hurt. After my mom left it hit me that my sister being in the parade had nothing to do with me. My sister didn’t hurt me and certainly she didn’t want to make me sad. She had earned that opportunity to be in the parade. It was her moment and I would have moments in my life where I would want my sister to be happy for me.

So what does my childhood moment of jealousy have to do with business? It has a lot to do with business. I see jealousy daily in the business world. Sometimes I even start to feel “jealous”. So as soon as I start to hear myself say “I am jealous”, I immediately switch to the thought of I am really happy for that person. The people you are happy for will be there to cheer you on.

Jealousy can run rampant in a sales team. Being part of a sales group always it’s imperative to strive to be number one, and especially important to always be happy for others when they win. If you can sincerely be happy for others and recognized the fruit of their labor you will learn from them. Luck runs out and hard work pays off.

Successful people sometimes get looked down upon because jealous people wonder why they can’t have what the successful people have. If you spend all your time worrying about what others have you will never make time to get what you want out of your career and business. Celebrate the success of your peers, partners, bosses, and companies. If you think they are undeserving then you need to make a choice to not be a part of their group. If you work for a boss that takes credit for your work look for a new job. If you find yourself secretly wanting others to fail then you will fail. If you think successful people got lucky or had things handed to them then you are spending too much time worrying about those “lucky” people.

Don’t let career envy scare you from overcoming challenges. Most of the people you are envious of have great stories of working hard and making their way to where they are. Work harder and set high expectations for yourself. Take the energy that you would spend worrying about others and worry about you and your goals. Jealousy usually shows and I haven’t met anyone it looks good on especially in a suit.