The CEO Elite

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If You Don’t Ask – You Don’t Get

question-mark-chalkboard

I remember as a kid I used to feel left out by those that received special gifts, access, or invitations to special events. I would think that maybe I wasn’t liked as well, maybe there was a problem having me along, or maybe someone else had suggested to not include me.  I know, a little therapy was valuable for this. But, as an adult, I realized I could still make myself feel this way when others got what I wanted.

What I found when I was young was also the answer to what I could do now. I had to ask.

Once, several years ago, when our kids were small and money was very tight, my neighbour had somehow received tickets to box-seats for a local hockey game.  She did not get them for free, but she had paid a good price for them and had six. She had two extra. I found out that she had invited a woman across the street, whom she barely knew, instead of me, a friend she saw weekly. I was hurt and stewed over the reasons behind this. Obviously, she or her husband did not like me or my husband. What else could it be? Several weeks after that incident I built up the courage to ask her and guess what I found? She had not invited me because she did not want to make me feel bad knowing that I did not have the money to purchase the $200 ticket.

Two-hundred dollars? She was right, I didn’t. She was wrong to assume I’d understand her reason when she didn’t tell me, but she was right I would not have purchased the tickets. So I asked her another question. “Would you always please include me and allow me to make my own decisions?”  She agreed.

In business, this happens often. People are afraid to ask for the sale and to make follow-up phone calls to find out if people are ready to purchase or to simply ask what people need in their business. It feels salesy, and we all hate to feel salesy.

Years ago, when my focus was technical writing for medical device manufacturers, I had a prospect that had indicated he needed my services. I phoned several times in a few weeks, sometimes leaving messages, usually not. Then I reduced the frequency to once every two weeks, then once a month. At around the 6-month mark, I left this message, “… I don’t want to harass you and I don’t want to stop calling if you need me. Please let me know if I should stop calling…” and left my contact information again. Can you believe that he called me later that day? He apologized for not returning my calls earlier. The company had run into some regulatory issues and they had been running full-out these past 6 months. Yes, he still needed me, but they were not ready. Please keep checking in. So I did, and I got their business.

I’ve had other instances where following up, which sometimes feels salesy when you are making 6 or more calls, resulted in a sale. I have never had someone be upset with me. Ever! Recently, I was surprised to find out that one prospect had put me on her vision board. I am her next step to growing a bigger business. All I had to do was reach out.

If you want to really make leaps in your business, don’t let your assumptions about what people want, or why they do what they do, stop you from finding out how you can help them. If you want something, you have to ask for it.

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Don’t Hang Around with Red-Light People

Stopped in city traffic while driving

Strangely, I have had cause to tell this analogy three times in the last two days, so I thought it was a ‘tap on the shoulder’ to share it more widely.

The Tragedy of Yesterday

Yesterday, a young musical artist (rapper) named  XXXTentacion (Jahseh Onfroy) was shot and killed. My daughter brought him to my attention and was following the news of this tragedy, looking through his life, watching how he changed, feeling sorrowful for the man he was becoming. It was interesting to see how she would speak about how he had come from a troubled background, the things he had done and had done to him. Then she would explain how he was making a huge difference to the world by changing himself. Yesterday she was touched by the public outpouring of grief of loss. This morning she came out angry, because of the haters online.

We all know of haters in our world. They don’t trust, don’t love, don’t say positive things, and are usually looking for the worst in any situation. This is what my daughter started reading this morning and it is no way to start a day. In fact, it was encouraging her to witness more of the same, because it was giving people permission to speak more of the same. (Like begets like). So I told her my “red-light analogy”.

Red-Light Analogy

traffic signal redWhen I drive around town I realize there are two states I can be in. The red-light state or the green-light state. When I am in the red-light state, I see red lights at every intersection. I feel like someone is purposefully trying to make me late. Maybe Kharma is working against me today. I feel impatient and the cars around me seem to be filled with aggressive, stupid drivers. When I arrive at my destination I am angry and frustrated. Even if I’m not late, I will apologize and then rant about my terrible experience with all the red lights.

On days when I get a lot of green lights, I feel like I have done something right. Someone out there is rewarding me for the good things I do in life.  Somehow I deserved the green lights. This is also not a green-light day as it assumes that we have no control over how we feel about what we experience. As if it was because someone else gave us a gift of green lights that we can now feel good about our journey. traffic signal green

On green-light days I choose to acknowledge the green lights I see with a smile. I don’t think of them as good or bad, just as an experience of traffic. I choose not to acknowledge the red lights at all. I simply stop because that is what is required of me. I am grateful for the opportunity to drive, for a place to go, transportation to get me there, and for people to meet. Life is about the journey so focusing on what you have and what you are grateful for makes it easier to soften the experiences that make us feel hurt or angry. On green-light days, I get to my destination and think, I don’t remember hitting any red lights today. Hmmmm. Of course, there are no less red lights on my drive than there had been in the past. I just don’t focus on them and that delivers me to my destination in a mood to laugh, share, engage, think, and connect with people that can make a difference in my life and business.

Green-Light Days in Business

If you often find yourself focused on what other people are doing, thinking and saying, about the politics, world economies, the dollar, the leaders, the by-laws, the taxes, etc. you may be feeling discouraged, doubtful, negative, pessimistic, overcome with emotions, overwhelmed by the negative possibilities, unsure of your own future, and helpless, then you are likely focusing on the red lights instead of the green. In this mental state, you cannot focus on growth goals, finding solutions, making powerful connections and partnerships, or building for the future, because your brain is telling you it is a hopeless venture. You have to get your brain on board the green-light route.

When you focus on the people that are doing what you want to do and that are spreading the message that it is possible, you start to see more and more people that are living in a positive light, doing amazing things that support a happy life for themselves or for their family, community, country, and the world. When you train your brain to look for the best things, it sees more of the best things. It is not that the negative things disappear, or that you become ignorant to the challenges of the world, it is just the opposite. You become stronger and more competent at what you do. Your business becomes more sustainable. A world full of competent, positive people running sustainable businesses creates more for everyone.

Honestly, it takes each person the commitment to lead a positive life for themselves that will build a world full of positive and powerful change. Applied to your business, this powerful, positive perspective allows you to attract the resources you need, like people that can help you get to where you want to go.

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Tech vs. Personal Touch – Which Should You Be Using

Call Center Sales

In a meeting recently there was a person that argued that the personal touch was how people should reach out. “I hate when people send me a link to connect. If they cannot take a minute out of their day to call me then I don’t want to talk to them.” It is a pretty powerful statement and many people will feel this way. So how do we successfully use Technology to reduce our workload and make it possible for us to have the time to book calls and make new sales?

First, let me explain the technology that was being discussed when this statement came out. I was telling people to reduce the amount of time it took to go back and forth on an email, trying to find the best time to book a call, or booking their clients, it is better to use a booking software like Calendly, Aquity Scheduling, or TimeTrade. You would send a link in an email to your calendar and they choose the time that fits with their schedule. So here are my thoughts on using this type of tech.

Use Tech Instead of a Personal Call When…

  • People are expecting to connect with you and need to book a time to talk.

When people know you and are reaching out to connect with you it is totally appropriate to use an online scheduling system to book clients, prospects, suppliers, and peers. It saves on back and forth emails or phone tag trying to reach a consensus on the best time.

  • When you are trying to reach someone else.

When you have an issue and you need to speak to your supplier, or you are trying to reach a client, time may be a factor. Call first. If you do not get the person then leave a message with your return phone number and alternative instructions stating you will be sending a link to your calendar to set up a time to discuss your issue.  They will choose what works best for them. If they don’t, you always have the phone to reach out again.

  • When you don’t have their phone number.

Since cell phone numbers are not published in a centralized place, if the person you are trying to connect with has not given you their number and it is not posted on their website, you will be required to start with email. This is not ideal for potential sales leads. I rarely have this, but the time I did was an introduction from a client to someone they thought would be a good lead for me. They only had their first name and email address, so I had little to research on to find more details, like their phone number. Even though she introduced us via email, the person would not connect via email as our first touchpoint. My client could not get them to connect either, so it was less than ideal outcome for me – and based on my success rate for my clients – for him as well.

  • Push Sales – Call centres and telesales.

I don’t know about you, but getting a phone call on Sunday evening at 8:30 to sell me duct cleaning is a little too intrusive for the personal touch. It is a legitimate sales process, but it does not feel personal.

Use The Personal Touch

  • When you are trying to qualify a lead, you should always call first.

These are your sales calls. I would love to tell you that calling prospects and leads are now not required because of online automation, but that is simply not true, especially if you are in a service based business. Think about it, if you were to receive an email from someone you don’t really know, or maybe don’t know at all, and they ask you to “take this link to my calendar” are you likely to do that? No, in fact, you should never click links in emails from people or business you have not previously vetted.  Even though most would be legitimate, this is where viruses come from.

  • When returning someone else’s call.

If someone is expecting you to call, then make the call. An email with a link is not the response they are expecting and may not be appropriate timing for them. If you cannot call and have their cell number, then text them a time you will return their call.

  • When you have a meeting.

When you have booked a time to have a personal conversation, you should be on time and show up where they expect to connect with you (on the phone, in person, or on a video conference call). Don’t email someone 15 minutes before a meeting to let them know you cannot make it. Email is too slow. Some people may have Facebook messenger available to them all the time, but if you have not arranged a process for cancelling or being late, then call. The timing for personal connections is more precise then sending emails, messages, or even texting.

 

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Finding The Way To Success – It Is How You Look For It

buddha meditating

Who knew that meditation was going to help me find success? It was Not because I learned to meditate, but because I learned how to look for success.

For a long time, I was told that meditation was a great way to find my center, relieve stress, get focused, and become more successful. I could not afford, at the time, to hire someone to teach me meditation so I thought I would have to wait until I found another way. Surely I would know someone that could help me find what I needed or teach me.

Then someone said to me, I could find a guided meditation using free apps on my phone. I was so excited. I looked, and I could not find guided meditations that did not cost money. I was disappointed because I was sure this was going to be the way to my success. I mentioned my disappointment to someone else and they then gave me the name of a free app I could download and use. It was perfect because it was only 2 – 5 minutes long, and for someone that did not know how to meditate it was a great learning platform.

After some time I became bored with the same few meditations. I wanted more and I still did not want to pay for apps on my phone. Then another person told me that there were hundreds on YouTube. That may be obvious today, but a few years ago it was not. I started finding one, two, three… I had a few I liked and listened to often. They taught me how to meditate for longer times and in different ways. As I became better at self-meditation I continued to find more videos to listen to and follow. With my growth came an opening that allowed me to see and find more of what I had. I subscribed to one channel and two more would pop up as recommendations. The more I listened the more channels became available. There are literally thousands of sites with free meditation music that I now take advantage of and at one time I could not find one.

There is an old saying that I’m going to paraphrase here, and I think you will get the gist of the meaning:

–To those that have much, much will be given & and expected– 1

You have a lot and there are literally thousands of places for you to share what you have. The way to success is to ensure that you don’t give up looking for what you need.

 

1 Partially based on Luke 12:48

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Check Back – Evaluate Now – Plan Forward

While you are celebrating the incoming year it is important that you look back at what you have done, evaluate what you have accomplished, and make plans for the future. It is important if growing your business over the next year is part of your vision.

Check Back

Look at your accomplishments over the year. Look at your accounts, your sales, your clients’ results, your product turnover, and include your personal and business achievement. Use your calendar if you have to, to remember what you have been doing over the year, where you have been, who you have been networking or doing business with. If this feels like a lot of work, then try keeping track during the year. Create an accomplishment list, a list you add to every time you achieve something, so you can simply review it at the end of the year.

Evaluate Now

What were you expecting to have accomplished this past year? If you wrote out your goals at the end of last year then go back and review them. Do any of your accomplishments meet or exceed your goals for the year? Create some metrics around your results.

  • Percent of your goals met.
  • Percent of each goal achieved.
  • Areas where you did not achieve expected results.

Plan Forward

Now, start looking forward. Look at where you need to get help (check the “areas where you did not achieve expected results”). Create goals based on last year’s results and try to match or exceed them again. Look at new areas of growth. Create your Goals for the next year in terms that you can understand and measure at the end of the year. Add the phrase “All this or better” to the end of your goal list and then make sure you review them during the year.

Don’t let the year go by while you hope to achieve this great list you created; evaluate, make adjustments, put in new effort, bring on more help, do what needs to get done to meet or exceed your goals and next year you will be singing your outstanding achievements to your inner circle and receive the accolades you deserve because you did the work you committed to do.