As some of you know, I am a big reader. I just devoured “11/22/63” by Stephen King. Gorgeous book. If you like him at all, I highly recommend it.
There was a little snippet in there, though, that got me thinking about simplicity and the fundamentals. If you have ever listed to one of Bill (Farquharson) and my webinars, we ALWAYS talk about the fundamentals. So whenever you’re in doubt about what to do next, or what else you should try, remember that the simplest answer is often the best one.
The first of these five recommendations I got from the book, the others are my own additions:
1) When all else fails, go to the library. If you can’t find the information that you need, please remember that there are people that are PAID to help you. They have master’s degrees in information, and they are not afraid to use them. You don’t even have to be a cardholder to use this resource. You can just walk in to ANY library with ANY information challenge, and then just watch them go to work.
2) When you are totally stuck, take a walk. Sometimes a change of scenery, some fresh air and silence are just the ticket for solving a problem, recharging the batteries, or shaking off a particularly bad call. When you have a bad moment, give yourself the gift of a little peace.
3) If you have five free minutes, make a call. Maybe you’re between appointments, are waiting to get into your bosses office, or finished up a quote early. Rather than shooting the bull with a co-worker or trolling the water cooler for talk of last night’s “The Voice” episode, sit down and make a call. Or research a company you’ve been dying to do business with. Or ask for a recommendation on LinkedIN. Get more productive in small doses.
4) If you don’t know the answer, ask someone who does. Nuff said, no?
5) Hard work without clear goals is kinda pointless. What do you hope to bill in March of this year? What is your income goal for 2012? If you can’t answer those questions clearly, please sit down and figure it out.
You can be much more effective and KNOW when you can give yourself some credit for doing really well when you know what “really well” looks like. You should be able to articulate what your average account size is, how MANY accounts you have, and how many you need to land to get you where you need to be with regard to volume and income.
Forgive me for being repetitive, because I know that I have mentioned all of the above in previous blogs. I guess this is just a kind of greatest hits inspired by Mr. King, and I know that sometimes you have to hear something more than once for it to actually sink in.
Anything to add?
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
Blogger, author, consultant, coach and all around evangelist for the graphic arts industry, Kelly sold digital printing for 15 years so she understands the challenges, frustrations and pitfalls of building a successful sales practice. Her mission is to help printers of all sizes sell more stuff. Kelly's areas of focus include sales and marketing coaching, enabling clients to find engagement strategies that work for them and mentoring the next generation of sales superstars.
Kelly graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Political Science and, among other notable accomplishments, co-founded the Windy City Rollers, a professional women's roller derby league. She is also the mother of two sets of twins under the age of ten, so she fears nothing.