It works because it gives you a sense of urgency. Puts a deadline on you. Deadlines word. Look at Mad Men. Or Santa Claus.

“If you don’t act now, you’re going to miss out on this great opportunity.”

You’ll lose money, motivation, opportunity.  Miss out on this product. And it’s going fast because other people who’re realizing the exact same message that you are, have it within them to act now, without further information to take hold of their destiny and……it’s getting pretty heavy for a blender commercial , right?

Wrong.  There’s an infomercial going on in each one of our lives right now, that if we don’t wait, we’ll miss it, and while we laugh at most of these feeble attempts at business models, they don’t.  That’s for another blog. This one’s about the strongest postulate out there: for a limited time only.

“You’re invited to act for a limited time only.   Act now, and you’re receive Progress, Achievement, and a sense that you did something today.”    One of the studies the late Steven Covey,  Brian Tracy, Jeffrey Gitomer, and Anthony Robbins all cite in their talks and text is that the best leaders are the ones that take action in the next five minutes to get shizzle done.  It keeps getting dragged across our desk because we’re not doing it often enough.

• For a limited time only, we’re on Earth.
• For a limited time only, we’ve got time with ones we love and learn from.
• For a limited time only, we’re ahead of our competition because they’re sleeping in.
• For a limited time only, clients trust our punctuality, judgement, motives, and methods.
• For a limited time only, our employees’ jobs are bright and shiny, haven’t had their dreams dashed with criticism, and still want to give solid, honest input without repercussion.
• For a limited time only, we’re willing to try, try again, even though the first time we fell? Effing hurt. A lot. Wake boarders, snowboarders unite on this one.
• For a limited time only, its you’re idea, and nothing can stop you.

The next lesson I got from infomercials was that it CAN’T stop there….. you have to tell people, clients, employees, AND yourself what the next step in the next 5 minutes should be…..     so Stay tuned and read tomorrow’s blog.

It’s a lot like Dianna Kokoszka said once, and I’ll carry around forever: when her kids asked her which teeth they should brush, she replied “Only the ones you want to keep.”

So which clients should I call this week?

Which leads should I call this week?

Which of my family members, girlfriends, kids, friends, coworkers should I call, meet with, or send notes to?

As a business coach, tech consultant, I’m posing the same for your social media and web page staff:

You mean I have to post on these sites, recheck the keywords, traffic, and tweak them for success?

You mean I need to hit my blog goals this week? There was a holiday!   No. I’m writing,if you don’t want to keep your  followers, their attention span, and their interest and possible clientship, let them go.

If there’s a Social Media outlet you’ve subscribed to, let’s dissect your mindset, your motivation:

Don’t think of it as a savings account, think of it as a plant, a kitten, or goldfish. You don’t feed it? It doesn’t sharpen a stick and hunt for it’s food…. it waits to be fed.

And if it’s not fed, it ends up on a commercial with Sarah McLaughlin playing in the background, then ceases to be.

It’s Friday. It’s Diagnosis Day.  Time to take of the bandages and see how you’re doing. Grab your legal pad, hit your diagnostics. And if it don’t look good, change it.

Moving on– after my last behavioral assessment, a mentor of mine passes along this book called Whale Done!,   a business fiction written by Ken Blanchard, from Raving Fans,  another book I would create a suit out of and wear every day if I could.  I read it very quickly as it’s just good (and short, and has hugemongous font), and like most great points or concepts,

the point is simple:  we use negative reinforcement to no avail constantly, when positive reinforcement works, is easier, and just makes the earth a happier planet.

Works with kids, employees, dogs, departments, small business, and killer whales.

As we continually work with the idea of banner customer service, quickened and heightened skills to build rapport, and search for the silver bullet of web lead cultivation and conversion, I’ve got to wonder…  how often do we give our clients a “well done.”  We strive for approval everywhere, why not from our trusted advisors?

Your financial advisor calls and says, “Great job diversifying the rest of your funds, bud.  Shows you’re listening…keep it up. Notice the return you got from it.”

Your Doctor sends a letter to the fan “Just wanted you to know you’ll have more time with your Dad now that he’s quit smoking for the last three months. Enjoy high fives for many more years, starting today.”

Your mechanic drops a FB message: “Quick note;  thanks for keeping up on your oil changes and regular maintenance, shows you’re responsible about your car.”

Rarely ever heard…. and if searching for a product or a service is a long process that many stay silent during or quit early on, it may be because you’re not coaching them.

When’s the last time you didn’t just say “thanks” yet you said, “Pursuing your goal through research and being realistic shows integrity.  Thought you should hear it.”  Or “with all of the information and technology and choices that are out there, the last four visits to my site showed you’re quick to pick up on how to make them all work together.  Good on ya.”

You’re not pandering, you’re not manipulating. You’re addressing correct or admirable behavior in someone you’d like to get into a relationship with.

Maybe not a bad idea?

Where is my DNA, personal contribution on this, and am I being real about it? Am I being honest about my fingerprints here?

“I hate planning. I’m a ‘fly by the seat of my pants kind of guy/girl/robot from the future’.”

Great. You like flying? Check out what it would cost for you to fly to Hawaii right now for NEXT Christmas.  Compare with flying there this weekend.

(I’ll wait)

Turns out the real savings are only around $200. Yet I’ll be looking for better deals and won’t have to feel as if I’m being reamed for not planning. Tickets this weekend are starting at $904.

Even if you put together a gong show of a business plan, if you’re looking towards something that is worth a damn, you’ll track where to get it, everything about it, and possible tips and helpers along the way.

PLAN OF ACTION: Plan your next trip, shop what it would cost to go there this weekend, then track how much money you’ll save through other deals over the course of the next few months.

Checking in on your prices is sales accountability. When you’re ready for some of your own…find us.

What’s the most pressing issue you need to resolve right now?

Starting a series of flash cards to remember the general order of stuff. Enjoy…

If no change occurs, what will happen? I really liked this one, it’s where I’ve been stuck sometimes, and these words become home to us.    Keep on it.

If this perfect world were to happen, what would the results be, and who would it affect?

BAIT

“How much will I make?”

You adjust your cup of coffee for it’s fifth rotation, a sign that you’re curbing your temper/anxiousness.

You’ve got a business plan, a role, training, a community, that’s your equivalent to cold fusion at cold pizza prices jig and they’re already cashing in, without even one honest days work. Why aren’t they asking how much they can help ME make? I’d hire them right here and now.

Note: I’ve got to remember to include vision in the next ad

JIG

Because this kid, this newb, this “last chance before I leave the business” is in a mindset that’s wondering where the next can of chili bait is coming from, and there’s a business to build, and I need able hands.

JIG

Scene. How’d you get here? How’d they get here? Are they going up, or down in their own admission jig? If you pulled a Zappos and asked them to keep sitting here or take $2,000 and walk away right now, which would they do?

BAIT BAIT BAIT!

Did you lay a plan for them, or did they lay out a plan for you? Did you help them through it? Highlight what tasks are before them to take care of it? What’s the next step they can take in the next 5 minutes?

JIG

Are you using bait to close them, or wiggling how they want you to wiggle so the job seems right for them right then? Or are they looking for the next bait to float by while they’re floundering, workin’ for you?

I want to see you in this chair by January. here’s the training to put you there. You’ll have to do these jobs to qualify for that job. Here’s the weekly benchmarks you and I are going to visit every week, and make sure you’re showing up the best you can, and performing the best you can. Your trajectory is set, your energy and timeline is your own choice.

Would you have this conversation at a first interview?

Miss? Nice to meet you. If we ever get married, we’ll move south as the weather’s easier to raise kids in, and the sports programs are better. We’ll be having 3 children, in a contemporary home with a black SUV and I’ll have a coupe……

You can see what a killer first date this would be.

The difference between jigs and bait is that with a good jig, you can use it over and over again. With bait? after a while, it gets rotten, stinks, and changing it for everybody is a pain.

Dave Ramsey and the inability to control the Incredible Hulk of spending has pushed me away from most credit out there. I’ve been a bad boy. (you must consume this video to understand) I’m okay with it.

Yet I want stuff. I want bigger processes, I want staff, technology, new cars, vacations, more coaching, business models. Fashion models. Floor model. You get the point.

Back in high school, I remember a friend putting away the amount of money he wanted every week until Christmas, then BAM! December hits, and he’s got $600 for Christmas presents. Fast Forward to real estate career, talking with a mortgage lender of mine, I had alluded to helping clients get to the point where they could buy a home through borrowing money.

He said no. Very un-2008 for a lender.  They’d never made those big of payments, they were kids.

Odds were, they would start to default in 6 months if they didn’t get responsible, real fast. Losing a home and wrecking your credit is a hard way to do it.

They should practice making the payments. And set money aside. For 12 months.

Make your rent payment, then take the difference between what you’re willing to pay for a home, and set it aside, each month. They’d feel the pain of making the payment, and would now have money to put down on the home.  It would help everyone in the long run and teach them a little bit about making payments.

Hated this idea. They were ready, willing, and able buyers. They wanted a home now. I found another lender.

I was a mid 20-’s dumbass. Okay, late 20′s dumbass. What followed was a horrible, horrible short sale. Superlender’s program would have worked, and still will works all over.

It’s called saving.  I’d propose for you to do the same, when you think about coaching, when you think about programs for first time home buyers, when you think about car payments, house payments, and Christmas accounts.

Set aside the money.  Ask your coach/financial advisor what the perfect client will need to start with, and start prepping while you save to afford it.

You can do the same thing when you’re saving for your executive assistant. I got this idea from every one of Gene Rivers’ classes. So don’t give me full credit.  Or most of the credit.

Save your money. Every month. If you want it now, you’ll want it in 6 months ever more, and be able to afford it. Read Where the Red Fern Grows  if you don’t believe me.

Old Dan and Little Anne were worth it. So will be your coach. And they’ll understand.

(cast) That was a great cast, sure to get something.

the skeletons of the frame work are pretty complex on these things, like the architecture of a gazebo. the hurdle is that due to saturation, we’ve found shortcuts around these signatures, mall shot photos, infographics, and the reason was they were the earliest dorsal fins of spam. Few are using that gazebo.

(cast) Who saw that last one? that was like 30 yards, straight! Haven’t seen any fish yet, and all the signs are there.

let’s repeat that.

images and framework were the first dorsal fins of spam.

fast forward through 10,000 hours of mastery regarding e-mail training, internet marketing strategy, we all do it. and few of us are seeing it.

on the front end, no one is buying, in the back of the restaurant, we’re still making the donuts.

Are we done with photos? nope, we’re done with the saturation.

Blogs are different, though. Look to the next blog when we talk about what the brain processes 60,000 times faster than your sweet mission statement.

yes, it was that. so, one habit pays you, the other one brings you back to the same conversation, the same “i wish i coulda” , the same bar in dennys, where four guys are bitchin’ at QVC cuz somebody stole their idea.

enough. get to work. seriously, anyone with three pots of coffee and a laptop can come up with great ideas, a true genius should roll up his or her sleeves, quit bitchin, and get to work.

This is my conversation with myself….breathe. (then smile, if you got the reference)

Seriously, just one more touch and i’ll be finished.

Nope. You won’t, you’ll keep waiting until someone else beats you, unless you switch your mindset and just get to it, and do it! real estate agents and business owners getting caught in analysis paralysis, UNITE! Then beat each other until morale improves.

e-mail mcnamara@kw.com with subject “Book, please” for more info.

Numbers hover around 90%/10% , and surprisingly more folks will move away from pain than towards pleasure–you can guess the architects of the pyramids didn’t get their deadlines met with “IMAGINE THE VIEW FROM THE TOP!” posters, and conclude, yeah, you’re right.

Drill down to how this applies to your business; the skeleton of yours is dependent on the strength of your database, whether you sell shoes, life insurance or the occasional 3 bedroom ranch. And not just for what’s in store for you, your exit strategy as an owner. More later on that.

The hurdle: more and more of these DB’s have pages that look like a page out of Mad Libs– blanks here, phone numbers missing there, anniversaries, birthdays, spaces that make your database pages look X-ray of my cousin Jimmy’s last dental check-up.

There are a few teeth missing.  So fill them. And make it painful to miss a spot.

$5 a tooth. How many spots can they find to just make it painful enough for you to pull the book back again, and double check.   Dare you.     These missing teeth are costing you more than a fin, so take the time and the dare to save/make yourself some money. Or dare someone else to put their money where their mouth is.

Someone chatty.  You know who they are. Might be you…I’m up for the challenge if you want to call me directly for a year of dares to perform like this one. (register with me)

And for the retirees in the crowd……tomorrow we’ll visit how much alike you and that unrealistic seller you really are…

That’s because you’re looking at the Yankees starting lineup, or any of their fans.  Too easy,  I digress.

It brings up a good point, and I’ll stray from the usual position of bashing any particular generation, mainly because “the greatest generation” apparently, at time of writing this, is gearing up for dinner, and Matlock, before settling in for the night.

You’re talent pool is out-smarting you already. They’ve found jobs. And they’re clever enough to find either ones where they can hide their malaise, or make the most money doing the least work (they’re out leveraging you already, too).

To the point: they’re waiters. Anyone with a budding business that needs to find talented salespeople with work ethics needs to go no farther than where they eat.

“They need to show up or they don’t get paid, and show up to hustle.” Check.

“They need to be able to follow a script, and answer questions on the fly”  Double check.

“I need someone who’s creative, good with people, yet can close, and get paid.”  Check, please.

“I need someone who has a history of  success, and can hold down a job, and is grateful.” Ever met a waiter who’s not looking for something else, besides the ones who’s names appear on the neon side outside? I’m looking at you, Applebee.

Who can recruit, who can balance a till, who can hustle…..yep.

Also need folks who can mirror and match their clients to the point they’re so happy, they stay AND buy stuff. Done,done, done.    And they’re presentable.

Here’s the deal, folks….they’re smart. Possibly smarter than you are, they’re just in search of a vision, and you’re not offering them anything except for your temperature preference on your steak  (it had better be Pittsburg, or your just ruining meat.)

Dare you to sit down with 4 waiters, give them your value proposition, and not have them push back. Talent does that.  If you can convince them, you’ve got a good UVP, 4 new recruits, and the good feeling you’ve just closed 4 closers.

If you can’t? Back to the drawing board.

Who’s your favorite waiter, and wouldn’t you have them work for you, with you?  Best training ever, ps.

Keller Williams: Call Reluctance for real estate or small businesses. Not calling? It’s because you’re not choosing. Base your scripts off reason that YOU believe. then you won’t feel like such a schmuck, and be afraid to pick up the phone. That’s me, Chris McNamara in the car seat, hot seat, telling it.

He keeps this phrase on his lapel he flaunts often–begin with the customer experience in mind, and reverse engineer THAT.

Start with not just a satisfied customer, an ELATED customer, and to hell with everyone else who gets in the way.  Including engineers, designers, and folks who tell you they can’t get it done. The customer/client doesn’t care how it gets done, they’re just psyched that it does.

how often have I slid pimento loaf (crappy service/product) in front of someone on a dirty plate, then walked away broken-hearted, when, even though I explained the heck out of it, and I sure knew MY STUFF, even when I sold the living daylights out of it, it turned out to still be pimento loaf (crappy service/product)? Worst part is….the customer tried to like it, they tried the pimento loaf (crappy service/product) because I told them it was good. Guess who’s not in the sequel?

Redfin gives money back to the clients after they’re done using a visually pleasing site.  They also feed into an assumption the buyers have already, full service agents aren’t worth all that money. Sometimes they’re right.

Zappos just gives and gives and gives.  It’s like a Willy Wonka factory of treats when you call, without all the hidden punishment and shame when you drink the Fizzy Lifting drinks.  Serious, TRY and make them angry. You only make them stronger. Their customer service is like Ghandi, but in Chucks.

Their structure, their business models aren’t built around maximum return, they’re around making a market segment happy, so happy they make money at it.

Anna is a rock star.

And she hates it. More to the point, it’s not the behavior or the success she hates, it’s the overuse of the term.  Plus she hates catch-phrases like “kick ass” or “Do unto others…”; really anything she perceives as mental laziness or not thinking for yourself.  She’s probably in the best place to get over it, “baptism by fire” treatment-wise.

Party like a rock star.

Our culture’s a little like that; we repeat the same phrases, speeches, quotes, acronyms over and over again for the reason they’re intended, it’s a familiar way to get a point across, once said to “be the wisdom of many and the wit of one.” (actually LJR’s definition of a proverb.)

“Hey Bill!  Early bird, right?”                          Yep. Good one.

Yet we’ll cut off the rest of the quote, take it out of context until the shape, color, and taste make us happy again.  Tell our story right.  Either make it edgy or dull it, depending on what’s in and out of culture, how brave we are, or how much Scarlet letter credit we’ve built up with the powers that be.

Not completing the sentence means I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about, Willis.   I’m guessin’.

Am I the bird?  I know someone gets the worm, or you’re inviting me to Old Country Buffet for a 4:00 dinner?

Dave is working it like a rock star.  Knowing how most rock stars work 350 days out of the year, on about 4 hours sleep a day, consistently talking to people who love them only when they work, I’d say that’s probably not a compliment. Dave likes it, though.

We start looking up to shorteners and the people that love them, mimicking and mentoring what THEY do, or solely what we SEE them do, or what they TELL us they do.

We’re missing out on the story behind them, the understanding, and REALLY? The whole message. We’re rating the movie by the trailer, and besides “Dude, where’s my Car?”,  that’s a huge mistake.

Party like a rock star is the “rock star” phrase, never accompanied by it’s entourage of

• Work like a rock star, 
• practice like a rock star, 
• travel/plan/produce like a rock star, 

the actual band that got P.L.I.A.R.S. to where it is today.

Work horse, rock star, machine…all these terms at work we’re bestowing on folks as verbal awards start to tell the sad truth– these are albatrosses.

Suddenly?  Not so fond of birds.

also, I , like,get around? So you can find me and my story at http://about.me/chrismcnamara and owe a Chewbacca life-debt to Tumblr at http://chrismcnamara.tumblr.com/ and I double dare you to follow me on twitter @chrismcnamara 

Through concentrated practice, representatives learn what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Your team is also more confident in delivering your brand message with ease.  Studies show those who practice consistently will be able to deliver brand messages better than those who don’t. Implementing a culture of practice within your organization can also increase your sales 51% in 90 days!

Technology (voice recognition) exists today that enables employees to practice key messages.  It saves managers time and will yield significant results.  The culture of practice has helped companies:

• Increase Sales
• Decrease recruitment and training costs
• Reduce field management time and expense
• Shorten learning curves
• Reinforce long-term brand development

A recent study from ClemsonUniversityfound reps only deliver 10-20% of the intended message and 80% of the message is what they think is important and/or something they made up. 

Other studies show the importance of concentrated practice:

• Before instituting a culture of practice, only 13% of your workforce were saying the right things
• After consistent practice, 100% of your workforce hits all of the talking points

To be even more successful, many organizations are adapting the culture of practice and tying it to rewards and recognition. For example, those who are practicing for the desired minutes every week (as little as 20 minutes), would be recognized and rewarded for consistency of practice and increased sales.  This is also a great coaching tool for your managers – training effectiveness is enhanced and helps managers efficiently monitor and accelerate the implementation of new initiatives. 

Take a look at your organization’s value statement. Is your workforce consistently communicating this with confidence and passion? Would you benefit from instituting a culture of practice?

FACT: 82% of Salespeople Fail to Differentiate

Q: Why is this?

Most salespeople fail to follow a process that matches the natural buying process that nearly all customers make. 82% of sellers are out-of-sync with the buyer. Learn how to join the elite sellers that truly understand how to “walk arm-in-arm with their customer” as each of the Five Sequential Buying Decisions are being made.

We structure our sales presentations in this order to avoid resistance later in the call.


The salesperson who follows this process always wins.
FACT: 99% of Salespeople Fail to Set the Right Call Objectives

Q: Why is this?

This is not surprising since over two-thirds of companies lack a formal sales process. Even fewer have a documented “Best Sales Practices.”

As companies and salespeople Certify on this critical selling skill using the Action Selling Certification Program, they finally have a road map to follow. The entire sales process gains momentum. Salespeople win more business – at higher margins – while decreasing sell cycle time.



This critical selling skill unlocks more sales potential more quickly than any other.

FACT: 86% of Salespeople Ask the Wrong Questions

Q: Why is this?

The Question is the number one tool the salesperson has for managing sales calls. It’s surprising how many salespeople are poor performers when it comes to asking the right questions. The Best Questions actually “Open” the sale. And you can’t close a sale unless you’ve opened it.

• Poor Questioning leads to resistance in the form of Objections
• Poor Questioning doesn’t allow product or company differentiation
• Poor Questioning leads to poor sales strategy

FACT: 95% of Salespeople Talk Too Much and Listen Too Little

Q: Why is this?

Many sales are lost due to the lack of a procedure for presenting product capability. The symptoms associated with poor sales presentation skills include:

• Sales calls that lose momentum
• Customers that lack enthusiam about your product
• Price or product objections
• Losses to competition
• Stalls such as: “I’d like to think about it.”

When a consistent procedure is used, sales presentations are focused on specific, high-priority needs. Your solution is viewed as unique to the customer. Salespeople win more business, at the right price.

FACT: 62% of Salespeople Fail to Ask for Commitment

Q: Why is this?

The principle mission of the salesperson is to Gain Commitment. That’s the reason why companies value the work that we do. So why would more than half of sales people skip this act?

1. They don’t set the right kind of objectives for sales calls.
2. They miss buying signals from the customer.
3. They lack a procedure for gaining commitment.

When a consistent procedure is used, salespeople know when and how to ask for the sales commitment.

Source :-

http://www.thesalesboard.com/sales-books.asp

According to the Consumer Advice Centre Concerning Electorinc Communication, the number of complaints in 2007 was 10060: the claims concerning charges for phone usage was top; next was phone scam; third was a defamation via internet. For 4 years till 2006, a phone scam was top.