Anne Miller | September 2011

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Think Differently

"A plain iron bar is worth $5. If you make horseshoes from it the value increases to $10.50. If you make needles it is $3285. If watch springs, $250,000. Ergo ,the difference between $5 and $250,000 is creativity." Anonymous. Thinking creatively has a high pay-off and EVERYONE can be more creative, even if they don't think so.

At the core of creativity is the ability to connect the unconnected and come up with something new. Steve Jobs connects technology with style and the result is a long line of exciting and cool products like the iPad. Lady GaGa connects music with outrageous costuming and she is a stand-out in the music field. TV producers connect cooking with entertainment and suddenly Emeril, Mario Batali and Rachel Ray become celebrities. Creativity is not limited to technology and entertainment. It manifests itself in all fields from science, gaming and the arts to business, negotiating and sales. I know this to be true because of the results I see when I run creative thinking programs for clients.

In the spirit of believing everyone can be more productive by being more creative, I would like to share this excellent article from the Harvard Business Review to remind you what you can do to stimulate your own creativity.

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To those who celebrate it this week, a very Happy Healthy, and Prosperous New Year to you and your families.

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Words Matter: Make What You Say Pay!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

What's in Your Smile File?

The economy is a mess. The Middle East is in convulsions. Europe is teetering. And corporate budgets are tightening. It’s enough to drive a person to drink. However, a better option is to check your “Smile File.”

A “Smile File” is a collection of letters, emails, or conversations with past or current clients that tell you how great you and your products or services are and what a difference you made in their lives and business success. The positive reinforcement that comes from reviewing these helps re-energize you to carry on, regardless of the world around you. (It’s like your kids suddenly bursting out with, “Mommy, Daddy, I love you.” The clouds part. The sun shines. Your heart warms. And you’re ready to take on their next challenge. The same is true in business. It doesn't make the problems go away, but it does put the wind to your back. )

This is an excellent example of what I mean. I ran into a woman in my neighborhood last week who was in one of my seminars maybe ten years ago. She was very appreciative of what she had learned, which was very complimentary, but then she sent me this wonderful email:

“I am still ‘star struck’ that I actually ran into you on the streets of NYC last Friday. I tell you, it was truly such awesome timing as I was just giving a speech to some of the younger sales associates here at [my magazine] earlier in the week. The questioned tossed to me was, ‘What was a turning point in your sales career early on?’ I immediately remembered your class and one particular topic that stuck with me. You spoke about the importance of 'dialoguing' with your clients. You referred to it as a 'ping pong match' to always be 'checking in,' pausing, digging for more information, In other words, don’t just throw up on them, keep it going back and forth. I promise that class had to be back in 2001 when I worked at Time, Inc. Or, it may have been when I was a Fairchild employee in the mid- 90’s. Still a bit foggy on that. Nonetheless, that approach has obviously proven to be successful. I also appreciated your ‘closing’ techniques. I again remember the example of probing on price.....I still have your tapes and your sheets. I was looking for the sheets over the weekend and feel I maybe stuck them in a folder that I can’t find. Ugh.”

“Anne, clearly you impacted my sales career and for that I am forever grateful.”

“Thanks again for stopping and chatting. Hope to run into you again in the neighborhood.”

I am thinking of framing this and hanging it where I can see it every single day.

No “Smile File?”

You work hard. You have helped people. You deserve to periodically acknowledge that. Don’t rest on your laurels, but don’t ignore them. Past successes help you see and create even more successful futures.

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Recommendation: In the spirit of releasing the endorphins that make you feel good and ready to take on the world, check out this video on youtube. You don't see this quality too often. And I dare you not to have a smile on your face, when it is finished!

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Words Matter: Make What You Say Pay!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

7 Ideas for No/Low Budget Training

Between watching the finals at the U.S. Open and running nine programs in Mexico City last week for Deutsche Bank, I was reminded again of the importance of continuous training and practice. If your firm does not offer regular training, focused time when you can really perfect your sales “game,” then it’s imperative that you find other ways to be continuously stretching and growing. Here are 7 suggestions to keep you sharp...

You can...

1. Advocate for a “Learning Week” (like the one DB ran for its staff in Mexico), a series of ½ day programs where people sign up for what they want. If that schedule is too aggressive, ask for a series of 1 hour “Lunch & Learns” and bring in experts to focus in on one skill or strategy for the sixty minutes.

2. Take an outside course (association workshops) or attend a sales conference

3. Go on joint calls with a colleague and de-brief what happened afterwards for feedback and “lessons learned”

4. Create a group of friends in sales and meet regularly to swap problems, solutions, ideas

5. Read sales books and sales blogs

6. Set up a sales book club where each person reads and reports on a different sales book and then discuss how the ideas in the book can improve your business

7. Stay current with the latest online tools to help you do your job faster and better*

“How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall? Answer: Practice, practice, practice”

One of my favorite sayings is: “Even if you are on the right track, if you just sit there, you are going to get hit.” In today’s time-accelerated and demanding sales environment, periodic training helps you stay ahead of the competition and stay on top of your game.

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*Recommendation: Check out Sam Richter's KnowMoreBlog for really useful online tools that help you get smart fast about prospects and gain an advantage in developing stronger sales relationships quickly.

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Planning a Fall sales meeting? Call today for ideas to help your team stay on top of their game. 212 876 1875

"[Anne is the] Best investment you can make in your salesforce." SVP Sales, PointRoll

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Words Matter: Make What You Say Pay!