streetlevelconsultants.com

 

My good friend Tim Sanders has just released his third book: “Saving the World at Work”.

 

I met Tim in 1992 while he was the front man for his band Code 4. At that time I owned a garment printing business and we were printing Tim’s band shirts and gear. Being a fan of rock music I was instantly drawn to Tim and his success in the local Dallas music scene but I quickly found there was more to Tim that just being a rock star.

 

Tim was VP Sales at Criterion productions, the largest privately owned studio in the country. He soon left Criterion and went to work for Mark Cuban, now the audacious owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team and then owner and founder of Broadcast.com which he sold to Yahoo for 6 billion dollars. After that Tim landed at Yahoo as Chief Solutions Officer and founder if Yahoo’s ValueLab. 

 

Tim has had a great career. I can’t say I had anything to do with his career but Tim has had a profound effect on mine.

 

I had lost contact with Tim for a few years and one day I picked up a copy of the business magazine Business 2.0 and on the cover was Tim with his new book “Love is the Killer App.” The writing style instantly reminded me of Tim and it was true to form. The book was about loving people enough to help them with building their business by offering your database to them. It made perfect sense.

 

I think many times in our careers we tend to focus solely on ourselves and then wonder why we aren’t more successful. I instantly took the business article and blew it up to 6 feet high and mounted it and sent it to Tim to celebrate his success with him.

 

Tim and I don’t talk much these days. He’s busy traveling the globe sharing the stage with Dr John Maxwell (“21 Laws of Leadership”); Dr Stephen Covey and many others.

 

The one thing I take from all of Tim’s book…is love. To steal his words; he’s a love cat.

 

He reminds me of the movie, “Big Fish” where there’s a statement of; “he was never a wealthy man but he made others rich.” Tim however has done both; become a wealthy man by helping others become wealthy…and not just in money but in spirit.

 

If we all concentrate on Dale Carnegie’s statement “Help others get what they want then you’ll get what you want”; this has been the premise of my business ever since reading Tim’s books.

 

Think about who you can help today. Open your database without asking for anything in return. If you do this one thing in business, you’ll not only make some serious lifetime friendships, you’ll also see your business grow over the years by people reciprocating in kind.

 

Go love someone today. Help them grow their business and I promise they’ll help you with yours.

 

(You can find more about Tim Sanders at www.timsanders.com)

 

 

Michael J Gilbert is a small business expert having started 12 businesses in 22 years. His direct approach and no nonsense dialogue with business owners make him a sought after coach and consultant for small businesses. He runs free roundtables for business owners in the Dallas area and nationally via teleconference weekly for business owners using other business owners to help solve their problems. You can reach Mr. Gilbert at www.streetlevelconsultants.com.

 

 

 

Business Start Ups…Learn to Let Go so You Can Get Back to Work

What To Do When You Lose Your Motivation

 

Today I really didn’t feel like writing anything. It’s been a tough week dealing with impossible clients, tight deadlines, long hours and dealing with life at home. I’m in the middle of having my foundation repaired on my home, a new roof after the storms that hit Dallas; my three daughters have birthdays this month and a thousand other projects that seem to go unfinished seem to be pressing on my mind today. I’m exhausted.  With all this ‘to do’ stuff floating around my brain, I’m so exhausted I have no motivation to do anything.

 

These are the days when you must do at least one thing. Anything. Clean up. Tidy your desk. Don’t do any real work that requires your brain, just your back. It’s not only good for your body but it’ll give you a sense of accomplishment on that one task that’s been hanging over your head.

 

September is always a busy month around my house. Three birthdays and an anniversary can really empty my pockets quickly. I lose motivation to do any work with all the planning that goes into birthday parties, buying gifts and dinners. We start to order pizza and eat poorly because my wife and I are so exhausted from our day jobs and the planning that we just don’t have the energy to do anything else.

 

Over the years I’ve learned to combat this by creating a list of mindless, small jobs I can do around the house or in my business that when finished I at least feel like I have at least accomplished something. Even if it only takes 15 minutes.

 

Just do it…let go.

 

I make a list; this is easy work. My list consists of things that I’ve neglected because I’ve been working so much. Clean the garage. Weed the garden. Mow the lawn. Take the spouse to dinner…and yourself. Clean up the office. Get organized.

 

Many times we neglect cleaning our office because we are so busy. I admit to being a slob. But eventually the messy office gets to me and it part of the reason I’ve lost motivation.

 

The days where I’ve lost all motivation to do anything I go to the movies by myself. I have the most understanding wife any man could ask for. She can sense when Michael needs time to get away from the hormones in the house and need to go smoke a cigar with my buddies.

 

Just do it….let go.

 

A start up is no different. After 13 start ups under my belt I speak from experience. Many days we all lose our motivation. The investor that sang our praises never called again. Our banker is on the hunt for blood because our payments are late, creditors are starting to call and the customers we do have are being a pain in the butt, our spouse is being unsupportive and our kids are about to die because if we don’t get one moments of peace we are going to hang them in the closet by their toenails and feed them bread and water for a week.

 

Take a break. You need it. Let you mind go. Try to stop thinking about work for a moment. Go weed the garden or go window shopping (don’t take the credit card…we tend to spend more when we are depressed.) Find something new to do. I’m going to play paintball today. I’ve never done it and it sounds fun.

 

Just do it…let go.

 

I find that once I give myself permission to ‘let go’ and perform some mindless task that within a few hours or maybe a day, my mind is refreshed, my energy is back and my mind starts kicking in high gear again and my mind is once again flowing with a plethora of ideas.  Without taking a break and letting go, you’ll experience burn out and my lose motivation all together.

 

Just do it. Let go. Soon you’ll be motivated again. Don’t forget to get enough sleep and eat right and remember….just do it…let go.

How to Sell like Mike, Not Ike?

How to Sell More By NOT Being A Hurricane

 

Being in Texas we are all affected by Hurricane Ike. In Dallas we experience rain and wind that kept us inside most of Friday. Our thoughts are prayers are with those affected by this storm.

 

Are you or your sales team a hurricane or a gentle breeze? Do you rush in and show up and throw up? Do you think just because you show up people show do business with you?

 

If you have this mentality you have a long way in learning ‘real’ sales strategies.

 

Most beginning sales people, business owners and entrepreneurs have a skewed perception about how sales are to be conducted. They think just by showing up and doing a presentation a customer should do business with you. That’s not the case.

 

Most people hate sales people and they hate to be sold. They do however like consultants and want to do business with someone that will stick around a while. They don’t like hurricanes to stick around. Follow these simple rules and you’ll be in like cool gentle breeze, something people want to stick around.

 

1. Talk about solutions you offer to your clients. Don’t talk about how long you’ve been in business even if it’s been 100 years. They don’t care.
2. Talk about benefits of them using you over your competition. Something like, I’m here 24 hours a day, I’m here to help you become more successful; is much better than telling them you are better, faster and cheaper.
3. Follow up. Don’t just come in like Ike, blow through their office spouting what you can do (showing up and throwing up) and then leave.

 

You should plan for two things to happen before you enter a meeting and after.

 

1. What is the one thing I want to get out of this meeting? It’s not a sale…it’s about building relationships.
2. What is the one thing I want my client to get out of this meeting? What is the one thing I want them to remember when I leave?

 

After leaving your meeting you should ask yourself:

 

1. Did I accomplish my one thing I wanted to get out of the meeting?
2. Did I accomplish my one thing I wanted my client to remember about me?

 

In like a lamb, out like a lion is not the maxim of the day here. For most of us we want residual clients not a one time hit.

 

Be like Mike (your author), not like Ike.

 

Catchy title huh? I really do Rock. You really do suck; and yes I really am going to tell you why.

 

I started my Sunday morning with my typical ritual, getting up early, taking a fresh cup of coffee from my Keurig coffee machine and heading out to my patio to enjoy my cup ‘o’ Joe and a good cigar and my favorite reading materials, one of which is CIGAR MAGAZINE.

 

The night before I had stopped off at the cigar store and they had the latest ‘CIGAR MAGAZINE’. I don’t mean some cigar magazine; I mean my favorite cigar magazine aptly called CIGAR MAGAZINE.

 

There are a hundred reasons why CIGAR MAGAZINE (CM for short) is so much better than CIGAR AFICIONADO (CA for short). One, CM appeals to the average Joe, like me. CA appeals to the massively wealthy. You know, the people that can afford $12,000 bottles of Hennessy or $250,000 cars or $45 cigars. CM gives me stories about people like me, the business owner who rakes in hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions of dollars a year but still struggles to keep the lights on. Or the guy on the corner working at a $10 dollar an hour job but enjoys the weekly smoke at $5 a pop. That’s why CM’s market is growing and CA’s is shrinking. It appeals to the average person. Frankly, it rocks and CA sucks.

 

I do not own a $250,000 car. I still drive ole trusty, my 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with is 154,000 miles, hanging headliner, it’s cracked vinyl dashboard and it smells like a cigar ashtray. The real reason I keep it is because it fits my butt. Frankly, it rocks. A new car is coming but it’s going to suck because the wife has stipulated no smoking in the new vehicle. The Jeep still rocks. Guess who’s keeping the Jeep for Saturday evening drives around the city?

 

I live in a modest home regardless of my huge winnings in business. I buy nice things but only because they last longer. I don’t buy useless things anymore, I buy things that will make me more successful, or healthier, or will make my life easier. I don’t buy just to buy but I do buy and I hate to be sold.

 

I was at the furniture store on Saturday. The sales guy rushed us at the door. That irritated me right away. He followed us around the store in fear his fellow sales people would steal his commission. He sucked. He sucked because he kept telling me about all his sale items. “Hey, look at this; this is $300.00 for this sofa.” Do I look like a guy that would buy a $300 sofa or a $2000.00 sofa? I’d prefer a $2000.00 sofa at the $300 price. But my mother in law, being an interior designer has taught us how to look for quality. You do that buy turning over the furniture and looking at the way it’s built. She says if you can take one leg off the floor and the other 3 stay on the floor, it sucks. This guy just sucked. Get a real tie.

 

I say all of this because I want you to ask yourself, “Do I rock or do I suck?”

 

Do you try to sell your customers and prospects or do you act like a consultant and find out what their needs are or do you sell them something they don’t need.

Do you spend time with them getting to know them, their wants, desires and needs? How will they use your product? What are the benefits of what you offer compared to your competitors? How will what you sell make their life easier, better, allow them to do things faster or make them look good?

 

The old adage selling is not telling is true. Especially in small business.

 

So how do you go from sucking to being a rock star to your prospects and clients?

 

1. Don’t sell. Ever. Start off by asking questions. Open ended questions are best. Like: ‘What is keeping you awake at night?” How do these products or services benefit you in the long run? If you could design the perfect __________ (who you are) how would that look to you?
2. Don’t’ sell on the first appointment. You haven’t earned my friendship or respect to do so. Find out about me. My likes and dislikes. Find out about my lifestyle and what problems I have.
3. Talk in a conversational tone. This is a relationship, not a sales call. (even though we do want to make a sale we do not want to sell…ever. Find our about your prospect. Ask questions then shut up and listen. God gave sales people one mouth and two ears…for a reason. Talk little, listen more.
4. At the end of your first appointment you should be asking, “What’s next?” “Where do you want to go from here?” And let them tell you. Do not set the appointment yourself, let them mention it. Then suggest you take their top 3 problems, go back to your office and come up with a solution for each problem and then come back and ‘discuss’ these solutions with your client. See, you are not selling you are offering solutions.

 

By taking the pressure of the sale off your client and yourself, you’ll be rocking, instead of sucking.

 

Your competition sucks. You rock. My competition sucks, I rock. Why? I’m not in the sales mentality but rather in a relationship building, consultants mentality.

 

I guarantee if you follow these simple rules for the first appointment you’ll close more deals with people that want to buy. And, you’ll rock your competition. They are probably still trying to sell. Sales people rarely get first appointments.

 

I don’t sell but merely be a friend and consultant to my prospects and clients. I offer suggestions and solutions. Sometimes I refer them to my competitors because I’m a consultant and that means making the right decision for my prospect not my pocket book.

 

If you are still selling, then you suck and I rock.  

It’s September. For us Texan’s it means cooler weather and we can hang outside more. I take full advantage of this.

 

I’m sitting outside in my back yard with my laptop, a good Kinky Friedman book and one of my sinful passions, a great Partagas Black cigar.

 

The end of September is a special one to me. My three daughters all have birthdays within weeks of each other. I guess my wife and I are active during January. *Wink*. My anniversary is also this month.  So today was birthday shopping for the parents.

 

My wife and I went to Toy’s R Us to start our shopping and then stopped at our favorite sandwich shop.  I asked for a large drink in medium cup. I always ask for that because I don’t want the drink spilling in my car. It’s a trick I learned from someone else. Of course they always seem to fill your cup to the brim don’t they?

 

When I asked the girl behind the counter to do this for me she said she’d have to charge me for the large drink instead. I agreed. I’ve never been charged for a large cup before, but was in no mood to argue with her. She merely stated it was company policy. I laughed and took my cup.

 

When I took the lid off I noticed she had filled it to the rim and told her the reason why I wanted a medium drink in a small cup. “So I won’t spill it in my car”. She told me she couldn’t do that. When I asked why she stated, “That’s the way the machine fills up the cups. I told her that she should push the medium button for my large cup and I’d get my medium drink in a large cup. She became adamant about not doing it and it being against company policy because “it’s tied to the computer system.”

 

I told her to watch what I do. I went to the trash can, poured out enough of the drink so it wouldn’t spill and walked out.

 

My wife Joy is a customer service expert for McKesson. She was dumbfounded. She blamed it not on the girl but on the manager and the company for not training this girl correctly.

 

Are you treating your people with company policy? Are you training your people to do whatever it takes to help your customers do business with you?

 

My wife recanted a story from her files about a man who visited Rockfish, a seafood restaurant.

 

He walks in and has to wait. While he is waiting a man cleaning up dishes looks at him and says, “Can I get you anything to drink while you wait?”

 

“Actually I am in a hurry and just need a salad and need a Diet Coke.”

 

“We don’t have Diet Coke but I have Diet Pepsi.”

 

“That’ll do.”

 

Within 5 minutes he had his salad and a Diet Pepsi. No waiting. About 5 minutes later the man came up and placed a glass of ice and a bottle of Diet Coke in front of him.

 

“I thought you didn’t have Diet Coke.” 

 

“We don’t the man replied.”

 

“Then where did you get it?

 

“There’s a Walmart next door.”

 

“You went to Walmart to get me one Diet Coke?”

 

This is awesome. Take note.

 

“No sir, I sent my manager”

 

It reminds me of the Hallmark card ad, “When you care to send the very best.”

 

I can tell you, just from that story and my own experiences when dining at Rockfish, we’ll be going there more often.

 

Do you treat you prospects and clients like the coffee shop or like Rockfish?  If you don’t know maybe you should ask your clients. They’ll be happy to tell you.

 

My closing thoughts are: 

 

1. Always…always…always….go out of your way to do whatever you need to do to get and keep more clients. Always.
2. Train your entire staff to do as you do…treat your customers as if they were family. If you do this one thing, word of mouth will spread so fast you could potentially double your sales in less than a year.
3. If you don’t, someone else will.

Customer service and the staff in large organizations are typically the most overlooked departments and the most underpaid, under appreciated people. Train your staff to treat your people in customer service like gold. They are the lifeline and blood to your company. Make sure everyone understands it’s our customers who pay our checks and each person should be trained accordingly. Down to the guy that cleans your toilets.