Motivation comes from the goals you truly desire to accomplish AND your commitment to do whatever is necessary to accomplish the goals.

Have you ever tried to motivate yourself to start a task? Did you conjure up all sorts of means, but after all the conjuring, nothing changed? You were still stuck. Except, you were also feeling guilty about having wasted more time without getting any closer to the accomplishment you were after.

If you can relate to the experience, you’re not alone. Everyone has been in that situation at some time in their life…perhaps many times. And like others, you, too, discovered that waiting for the wave of motivation to wash over you and get you moving was futile.

So, what is the secret to creating real, meaningful, and lasting motivation? The secret is…

Well, there is no secret. Motivation is not some external force that can be switched on or off at will. It’s not some magical feeling that comes over you, energizes you, and propels you into action. And, it doesn’t come in pill form with a “take as needed” prescription.

So, what is motivation and where does it come from?

The goals don’t have to be glamorous or earthshaking; they can be little goals. They can reach into the future, or they can take you to tomorrow or next week. They can come from need…or from desire. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that they are YOUR goals. Goals that hold real meaning for you.

How does it work?

If you have a set of worthwhile goals, you’ll also need a plan of action—a sequence of specific measurable steps—to accomplish the goals. Then, you can set your plan into action at any time—day or night—simply by taking the first step…which, upon completion, will provide the motivation to take the next step and then the next.

So, maybe there is a secret to motivation after all. If so, here it is: actions generate the feeling.

Develop meaningful goals and a plan for their accomplishment. Then, make a commitment to act…to take the first step of the plan. The motivation you’ve been waiting for has been there all along. It’s just been waiting for you to do something.

Can You Expand Your Business by Narrowing Your Focus?

A mistake many salespeople make in their efforts to find new business and grow their client bases is to expand their market search rather than narrowing it. Instead of zeroing in on specific market segments, they expand their searches by including prospects who only loosely match their ideal client profiles.

If you have a true mass market product, the “reach out to everyone” approach may be appropriate. But, for most salespeople, that’s not the case. Typically, there are specific products or services, or specific aspects of those products and services, which provide the most benefit to a particular segment of their market. And, that niche is where they should be focusing their efforts.

There are two requirements to implement a niche market strategy. Obviously, you must define your niche market. With which customers do you have the best relationships? Which ones buy the most products or pay you the highest fees? And, here is the most important question: why do they buy the most products and pay you the highest fees? When you answer these questions, you will be able to create an ideal prospect profile that defines the target at which to aim and becomes a yardstick by which to measure the quality of potential prospects. And, you will also be able to begin working on the second requirement, which is to refine your message.

When you narrow your target market, you can expect to be calling on a significant number of prospects that are already using the products and services of your competitors. Your marketing message must differentiate your company from those competitors by highlighting your niche market specialty. Before they invest any time on the phone talking to you, much less invite you in for a meeting, prospects want to know, “What’s in it for me?”. Your message must succinctly highlight what prospects will gain by working with your company and/or what they are losing by not working with your company. Here are two examples:

We help independent retailers avoid wasting their advertising budgets on flashy advertising that doesn’t drive customers into the stores.

We make it possible for manufacturers to substantially reduce the cost of meeting their chemical recycling mandates without complicating or violating compliance requirements.

By narrowing your focus to prospects who fit your ideal client profile and adjusting your marketing message to reflect the unique aspects of your product or service valued by ideal clients, you will not only get their attention, but their business as well.

The post Is Motivation a Myth? appeared first on Biz X magazine.

You may have a “procrastinator” script, a “double-check everything” script, or a “think-it-over” script. You may have a “tell the truth at all costs” script or a “some things are better left unsaid” script. You may have a “don’t be in such a hurry” script or an opposing “never be late” script.

You have an inventory to take, a phone call to make, and a report to write. But instead of diving in and getting the tasks completed, you put them off. “I’ll get to them soon,” you tell yourself. But your definition of “soon” and Webster’s definition have little in common. Maybe you need a script?

You’ve collected all the facts and figures, weighed the pros and cons, and performed the cost-benefit analysis. It’s time to make a decision…but you don’t. You want to chew on the information just a bit more. After all, the voice in your head tells you, “Important decisions take time.”

You have a project to complete. But regardless of how much planning and preparation went into the design of the project, or how well you mapped out the necessary steps, you always run short of time.   You’re always working up against the deadline.

Can you relate to these situations…or perhaps other recurring situations of similar thought and behavior? In those situations, it’s typically not the external circumstances of the world that make you think, feel, or act in an unproductive or counterproductive manner. It’s your “scripts” and the significance you’ve assigned to them.

What is a script? It’s your programming—behavior based on patterns of thought and action that was derived from early childhood “messages” you received from your parents and other authority figures. Through their messages, they taught you (their version of) right from wrong. They taught you behaviors such as looking both ways before crossing the street and not to talk to strangers. They taught many “do” and “don’t” behaviors. Perhaps, “Don’t act hastily,” “Be patient,” and “Don’t make decisions until you weigh all the facts.” Those messages shaped your behavior then…and created the scripts that continue to influence your behavior today.

Scripts, and their associated behavior, that once served a purpose may no longer do so. Today, some of those scripts may actually hinder you from accomplishing your goals, and it may be time to change one or more of them.

How do you know if a script needs changing?

If it doesn’t…

• encourage you to take action;
• acknowledge your environment as it is today (rather than as it once was); or
• prescribe behavior that will get you closer to the accomplishments you seek…

…then it’s time to rewrite the script.

What will it take to rewrite a script?

A massive commitment.

You’ve been living with your scripts for some time…and you won’t change them over night. But you can initiate the process if you are massively committed to it.

Begin by identifying the actions your new scripts would require.

Start a daily journal and commit those actions to paper in a present tense, first person manner. For example, “I gather facts and make decisions quickly,” or “I always keep the commitments I make,” or “I follow up and follow through on a timely basis.”

Then, identify where in your daily routine the behavior defined by the new scripts would occur. And when you reach those points, take the new action. Do that to which you committed on paper…even if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

There is always some discomfort associated with change. Rather than allow the discomfort to dissuade you from taking action, let it serve as an indicator that you’re doing the right thing…that you’re on the correct path.

Some people are more likely to keep their commitments when they know that someone is looking over their shoulder. So, you may find it helpful to share your intended new behavior with those who will hold you accountable—friends, family members, or colleagues, perhaps.

Some scripts need rewriting. Even though you played a somewhat passive role in the development of the original scripts, you now have the opportunity to rewrite them to better serve your current goals, interests, and challenges. Don’t ignore the opportunity.

Check out more X-Pert Advice from local business professionals.

The post Write Yourself A Script…for Planning appeared first on Biz X magazine.

Why is it that so many salespeople start their selling careers with a great deal of enthusiasm—truly motivated to grow, to succeed, and to advance their careers—and then, somewhere along the way, the motivation fades, and the “career” becomes little more than a job…a way to make a living?

What happened to the motivation?

Motivation is not a capricious feeling that comes over us when we least expect it or disappears when we most need it. It’s a feeling that begins, and is sustained, by a process which we control—a process that starts with, of all things, curiosity.

When you’re curious about something, like a new job, you want to know more. So, you seek out information—knowledge about the company, the products you’re selling and the customers to whom you’re selling them, as well as the competition you’re selling against. The more you learn, the more interested you become; and the more interested you become, the more you want to learn.

So, what brings this self-perpetuating cycle of growth and motivation to a halt?

At some point, usually around the one-year mark, you realize that you’re doing a fairly good job. You’re earning a living; you’re beginning to consistently make your monthly quotas; and you’re even giving advice to other salespeople. You still have the opportunity to participate in training and obtain additional education, but you don’t seem to feel the need. And, with family responsibilities, community activities, and of course, the obligatory (?) golf outings with your key customers, you can’t find the time.

Several years pass and the job has become just that, a job—something you have to do, rather than something you look forward to doing. Your five years of experience has actually been one year’s experience five times over. That’s because the moment you stopped learning, you stopped growing. And, when growth stopped, so did motivation.

So, how do you maintain motivation (or regain it if it’s slipped away)? You must continue to learn, to enhance your skills, and to gain knowledge about your company, your marketplace, and your products.   When you continue to learn, you maintain interest, facilitate growth, and most importantly, perpetuate motivation.

The post What Happened to the Motivation? appeared first on Biz X magazine.

How long should a 30 second commercial be? No, it’s not a trick question. Hopefully though, it’s a thought-provoking one.

The objective of a 30 second commercial or “elevator pitch,” whatever you choose to call it, is to achieve one thing—initiate a conversation. So, how long should it take to accomplish that? Is 30 seconds long enough? Is it too long? Too short, perhaps?

If you suspect that the time element—whether it’s 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 67.3814 seconds—is not so important, you’re correct. Time is not the benchmark; it’s what you say, how you say it, and more importantly, the reaction it elicits from the prospect that really counts.

Since the objective is to initiate a conversation with your prospect, your 30 second commercial should be delivered in a conversational tone…as if you were talking to a friend or colleague. You shouldn’t sound like an infomercial announcer, barking the unique aspects of your product at an unsuspecting prospect, nor should you sound like an unimpassioned college professor, lecturing on the benefits of your product and the advantages that will accrue to its users. Instead, keep your message simple and brief. Focus on the one aspect of your product or service that your research and experience indicates is likely to be of greatest interest to the prospect. Then, boil it down to one thought that you can articulate in a conversational manner—an idea the prospect can absorb and understand quickly. Here’s an example:

“We provide international freight forwarding services for several large companies who rely on us to not only expedite their overseas shipments, but do so at substantially lower costs than they were accustomed to.” 

One idea: faster shipments at lower costs. If the prospect is at all interested in efficiency and profitability, he’s likely to engage in a conversation.

So, don’t be so concerned about the length of your “pitch”; focus on the content. And, keep it to the point—one thought. If your 30 second commercial sparks the prospect’s curiosity to know more about what you do or how you do it, you’ve accomplished your goal—to start a conversation.

Which Way to Easy Street?  

Common sense would dictate that it’s impossible to reap the rewards of your efforts if you don’t actually exert the effort. So, why do some salespeople, perhaps many, believe that they can grow their client base, close more sales, and earn more money without doing the work, sometimes hard work, associated with those accomplishments? Perhaps Voltaire had the answer when he observed that “Common sense is not so common.”

No investment—no reward.

You won’t grow your client base without actively and consistently engaging in the activities that will put you in contact with potential clients (for example: proactive prospecting, networking, obtaining referrals, and forming strategic alliances). And, you definitely won’t grow your client base by sitting at your desk waiting for marketing or advertising leads to come in and direct you toward hot, or even luke-warm, prospects.

You won’t grow sales with existing clients unless you invest the time to know their businesses as well as, or perhaps better than, they know their businesses so you can discover additional opportunities for your product or service. Of course, you can sit at your desk and wait for your clients to make the discovery…and hope they contact you before contacting your competition.

Identifying potential new clients and new opportunities with existing clients won’t guarantee more sales (and more commission for you) unless you can effectively develop those opportunities in a timely manner. That means putting every opportunity under the microscope; identifying every aspect of it to make sure it meets the benchmarks defined by your selling process; and investing your time and energy in those that truly measure up and reject the ones that don’t. Sounds like work, doesn’t it?

More clients, more sales, more money—it takes work: effort and energy. And, it takes a commitment to do what needs to be done…without excuses. There’s no free lunch. But, once you’ve paid the price…enjoy the meal.

The post 30 Second Commercial – How long should it be? appeared first on Biz X magazine.

Jane was in trouble. After a stellar year as an inbound salesperson for her company, she had committed herself to the challenge – and the dramatically higher income potential – of a sales career where she was responsible to qualify and develop her own leads.

But after 90 days on the job in her new role, her closing ratio was anemic.

During a coaching session with her manager Dave, Jane encountered a sobering possibility: the people she was listing as “prospects” on her sales reports might not actually have been prospects at all.

During the successful year spent handling inbound calls, Jane devoted most of her time to discussions with people who had already resolved to make a change in their situation – and had taken action on that resolution by picking up the phone and calling someone about the problems he or she was facing.

Once they reached Jane, these people were, as a general rule, quite eager to talk about where they were now, where they wanted to be instead, why they had to make a change, and when they wanted the change to take place.

After a half-hour coaching session with Dave, Jane realized that the people she was giving presentations to now were nowhere near as committed to resolving their problems as the people she was used to dealing with on the phone. According to Dave, the people she was presenting to now were actually unqualified!

That word surprised Jane, until Dave explained what he meant by “qualify.” When Dave said “qualify” he meant emotionally committed to take action to address a specific pain, with a budget consistent with that commitment, and a clearly understood decision process consistent with that commitment. “The people you’re telling me about,” Dave said, “don’t sound all that emotionally committed.”

Dave had a point. When Jane reviewed her notes from her discussions with her prospects, she saw words like “looking into,” “thinking about,” “considering,” and “exploring” making a change by working with her. She had to admit that this was not the kind of language she heard from people who had called her directly. They were eager to make progress toward a new situation, and the sooner the better!

THE LANGUAGE OF DELAY

When prospects use intellectually-oriented qualifier phrases when talking about their existing situations, it’s usually an indication that they don’t really view their situations with a sense of urgency and a desire to take action.

For example:

“We’re looking into the likelihood of replacing our equipment.”

“We are thinking about upgrading the terminals.”

“We’ve been considering the various alternatives for replacing the existing system.”

“We are exploring the possibilities of adding an additional repair station.”

 

Whenever you hear such phrases, it would be prudent to question your prospects about their time frames for taking action!

You probably have had experiences with people—friends or family, perhaps—who are perpetually “looking into” or “thinking about” something … but who rarely (or never) take action on those things. You can’t afford to waste time with prospects who demonstrate that same tendency, despite their willingness—even eagerness—to meet with you!

Jane couldn’t afford to waste time, either.

PRIORITIZING FOR EMOTION

After a few more sessions with Dave, Jane got a lot better at posing and following up on questions designed to uncover – and quantify – the PAIN of the people she was talking to. As a result, she ended up doing a much better job of identifying, and having meaningful conversations with, people who could benefit from working with her. Soon she started hearing things like …

“We’re concerned about equipment reliability. Seven of our nine facilities have had breakdowns in the past month.”

“I’m disappointed with the amount of down time we’re encountering on the production line. We’ve lost fifteen calendar days this year to breakdowns.”

“We’re determined to improve consumer satisfaction ratings by at least 10%.”

This was the language of emotional commitment – not the language of delay. Jane realized that deciding with whom she was going to invest her time and company resources was an important business.

That decision had to be based on specific measurable benchmarks. She couldn’t identify those benchmarks unless she connected with someone who was emotionally committed to making a specific change in the status quo. Once she prioritized her selling day around interactions with people who fell into that category, the number of actual prospects in her funnel went up … and her closing ratio improved.

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