Dave Hamilton shares four things you need to understand to construct a strong base for your business.

When you're swamped with your own work, how can you make time to coach your employees - and do it well?

Responding to what a customer is saying word-for-word can often create false expectations.  This result is especially true during the sales process and can lead to the incorrect notions of blue skies, intimate dining, and endless availability; just to name a few of the pitfalls.  

So often we think about “don’t haves” vs. “do haves”.  I used to say this all the time, “If I had __________ I could compete so much better in the marketplace.”  Both personally and professionally, we’ve all worked hard and sacrificed to get that “I don’t have” just to find out that once you get it there’s an entire new set of challenges. Reality check – there is always going to be newer, shinier, or cooler stuff others will have that you don’t.

I like the word “pure” because it’s simple, clean, and immediately makes you think of value.  In the sales arena – keeping your value pure is a really good thing. Pure value is deadly powerful! If used correctly, it maximizes positive results and often shortens the sales cycle. 

MacGyver is television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. The show ran for seven seasons during the 1980’s. Angus MacGyver, the show’s main character, was a resourceful consultant who always epitomized extreme common sense.  MacGyver could solve complex problems with everyday materials, along with his trusty Swiss Army knife and a roll of duct tape. I was always impressed by MacGyver’s success!

“Let’s do lunch” is a phrase or continuance tactic that most sales people have uttered more than once at the end of a sales call during their career. I’m secure enough to admit that over the years I have in fact created several original continuances –soon to be clichés– to convey the same message. “Call me sometime”, “let’s get together in the new year” or often: “take some time to think about it and I’ll follow up”. A sales message focused on vague next steps is certain to net you vague results. There is a BIG difference between potential and actual, wouldn’t you agree? I’ll call you next Tuesday at 3pm is an actual plan. 

Objective – Aim – Intent – Purpose – whatever your organization calls it, is what separates good sales people from those that can’t seem to get their fair share. I like to think of it as starting your “new” revenue generating cycle with the end in mind. What really needs to happen as a result of your efforts to move this opportunity forward? 

Common myths that have been around for decades are…the Cobbler wears the worst shoes and Doctors make the worst patients. What’s not a myth is that trainers and teachers make excellent students.