The Problem With Idea Generation – And a Solution

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More ideas are not better. I know there is a saying, “If you want to come up with a great idea, come up with lots of ideas.”

Ideas

But I see Presidents and Salespeople generate idea after idea – and yet have little to show for them. So what happens. Here’s my take.

My sense is that the person that has the idea (the creator) is seldom the person who will implement the idea and bring it to profit. I didn’t say “never,” I said seldom.

So the idea-creator needs to have either a) someone around him/her who can flesh out the idea before investing too much time dreaming about it. Or, b) a system that walks them through the ‘fleshing out’ process. Read more

Fear Gets In The Way Of Intention

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Do you ever feel self-conscious during a call with a prospect? When that fear creeps in all your prior intentions go right out the window. If you are focused on yourself, you are focused on the wrong person. You are there to help them solve their burdens. When you are fearful, it keeps them from getting the solution they really need.

When You Don’t Feel Like You Matter, Do This

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That’s the number one question we ask ourselves silently, isn’t it? Do I matter? Sometimes we ask it as in ‘Does my life matter?’ More often, its circumstantial. “Do I matter in this particular area of life?”

EVEN-THE-SMALLEST,-WEAKEST,-MOST

I received an email from a blog reader this week that was most touching. Here is an excerpt:

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Bill,

Thanks for all the content publishing you do. It really helps. 

I took a job last year as a sales person for a highly technical service. And I’m lost. I don’t feel like my expertise can measure up to my client’s expertise in what I’m selling. And I don’t think it ever will.  

I’m thinking about changing professions. Either get out of sales. Or get out of this industry. I just don’t feel like I matter much when I’m calling on these high-powered doctors. 

What should I do?

Becca,

San Francisco, CA

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It struck a nerve with me. How often have I felt like my work doesn’t matter? Lots. Read more

A Common Enemy

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Do you and your prospect share a common enemy? The enemy could be mediocrity, averageness, or even a competitor. But, when you figure out who that common enemy is, you’ll become a united force battling it together.

The Perfect Agenda For A Half-Day Sales Training

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Yes, I know, I’m giving away something that I typically charge for, but here’s why I’m doing it: I am inundated with blog readers (sales people) sending me their frustrations with the sales meetings and sales training they sit through. I can only hear that so much before it wears me down.

You see, I was a part of a sales team at one time. And I wish my leaders would have given me a chance to participate in the type of meeting that I’m giving to you.

This is an actual agenda from a 1/2 day event I was paid a fair sum to do for a company a week ago. I thought you’d like to see it and send it on to your leader or use it yourself.

Enjoy.

DownloadTheAgenda

When To Coach In The Moment

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There are two philosophies of how to coach people’s behavior. One is to save up the counsel and dump it all on them at one time. (I use the word “dump” kindly). The other way, which I talk about in this audio clip, is to coach them at the moment of infraction. Hope you can learn from this.

Taking A Stand

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Do you ever feel like taking a stand on something, but the courage just doesn’t come? Or, the courage is there but not the words?

In this audio, Bill relays a story of a sales client who was in a client meeting where he needed to take a strong stand. He’ll share the coaching he gave and what happened.

Malcolm Butler, The New England Patriots and Being Ready

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Last night, Malcolm Butler made a huge interception at the right time in Super Bowl XLIX.

If you heard his interview this morning, you heard him say that he failed in practice last week to stop that very play. But inside, that interview he said, “But this time I was ready.”

“I was ready.”  Read more

The One Question

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What’s the question you want answered? It’s not the answers that you receive. The power is in the questions you ask. The clearer you are with the prospect, the better you can help solve their issues.