“Today I’m Selling” GIST

Here is the inescapable truth about doing business in 2009+.

You HAVE to be connected

You HAVE to spend a lot of time on-line

You HAVE to know what’s going on

You just can’t get by doing busy work anymore – you need to reach out and be reachable.

Gist is a brilliant product that tracks all of your contacts and prospects for you.  If they write a post, have a news event, are mentioned … you know about it without doing all of the work.

Nothing works better than a note to a prospect or customer, “I saw XYZ in the news … way to go!” … and you can do that in minutes a day using Gist.

“TODAY I’M SELLING” IS A SERIES DEDICATED TO PRACTICING YOUR SALES PITCHING CAPABILITIES. WE’LL POST A PRODUCT … WE’LL GIVE OUR BEST PITCH … AND THEN YOU GIVE YOURS. GIVE IT A TRY – IT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO.LEAVE YOUR OWN PITCH IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR LET US KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED OR WOULD CHANGE.  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AND PERFECT (IN SALES) CREATES FINANCIAL WEALTH.

“Today I’m Selling” READ INC. MAGAZINE

I don’t have time for much of anything anymore.  You probably don’t either.

I like to, and so do you, get my news and pertinent information from people I trust who recommend it on Twitter … or from great BLOGS.

But I stop each month, take two hours, and scour through Inc. magazine.  There is real power in a magazine that a staff of 30 have spent two months compiling, editing, clarifying, and simplifying.  And it is written about, by, and for business owners with the one thing you can’t buy – experience.

There are not many magazines or papers that are worth the time to read anymore – but Inc. is one you always walk away from a more knowledgeable business owner.

“TODAY I’M SELLING” IS A SERIES DEDICATED TO PRACTICING YOUR SALES PITCHING CAPABILITIES. WE’LL POST A PRODUCT … WE’LL GIVE OUR BEST PITCH … AND THEN YOU GIVE YOURS. GIVE IT A TRY – IT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO. LEAVE YOUR OWN PITCH IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR LET US KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED OR WOULD CHANGE.  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AND PERFECT (IN SALES) CREATES FINANCIAL WEALTH.

“Today I’m Selling” BASKIN-ROBBINS ICE CREAM

When you buy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream you get delicious ice cream and you support global warming reduction and seal fishing protection efforts of two very wealthy men.

When you buy Haagen-Dazs ice cream you get delicious, all natural ice cream and you support a family company started in NY that has made good and become a large international company.

But when you buy Baskin-Robbins you get delicious ice cream and you support a local small business owner and the college funds of the high school students they hire from your neighborhood.

The economy is tough enough … help your local small business owner out.  The seals are doing fine.

“TODAY I’M SELLING” IS A SERIES DEDICATED TO PRACTICING YOUR SALES PITCHING CAPABILITIES. WE’LL POST A PRODUCT … WE’LL GIVE OUR BEST PITCH … AND THEN YOU GIVE YOURS. GIVE IT A TRY – IT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO. LEAVE YOUR OWN PITCH IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR LET US KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED OR WOULD CHANGE.  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AND PERFECT (IN SALES) CREATES FINANCIAL WEALTH.

“Today I’m Selling” SLEEP 7-9 HOURS, NOT 5

By now you’ve certainly read this month’s Inc magazine spread on productivity.  The magazine had its expected sprinkling of over-the-top go-getter’s who sleep 3 hours a night (Donald Trump is the most famous of these).  While vastly successful this is not a model I recommend for one important reason; it’s too simplistic.

What’s more important is how productive you are in the hours you are working – not how many hours you work.

If I sleep 5 hours I have a lot of time in the day – but I generally get way more done if I’ve slept 9.  You probably will too.

“TODAY I’M SELLING” IS A SERIES DEDICATED TO PRACTICING YOUR SALES PITCHING CAPABILITIES. WE’LL POST A PRODUCT … WE’LL GIVE OUR BEST PITCH … AND THEN YOU GIVE YOURS. GIVE IT A TRY – IT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO. LEAVE YOUR OWN PITCH IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR LET US KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED OR WOULD CHANGE.  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AND PERFECT (IN SALES) CREATES FINANCIAL WEALTH.

“Today I’m Selling” CRAYOLA – NOT THE OFF BRAND

Let’s admit it; everyone’s kid is an artistic genius.  That first time they keep within the lines … or draw a human that has a head, a body, two arms, and two legs … it’s amazing.

For my family it was the first time my oldest son drew blood pouring out of a wound he’d inflicted on a robot with his light-saber.

Those pictures are worth keeping.  Not for the kids … but for you and me.  So we can pull them out 15 years from now and relive the great feelings.

You never know when that memorable picture is going to appear.  Why risk losing the opportunity for that great feeling by saving $0.50  on fake crayons?

“TODAY I’M SELLING” IS A SERIES DEDICATED TO PRACTICING YOUR SALES PITCHING CAPABILITIES. WE’LL POST A PRODUCT … WE’LL GIVE OUR BEST PITCH … AND THEN YOU GIVE YOURS. GIVE IT A TRY – IT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO. LEAVE YOUR OWN PITCH IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR LET US KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED OR WOULD CHANGE.  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AND PERFECT (IN SALES) CREATES FINANCIAL WEALTH.

“Today I’m Selling” LET YOUR KID BE

It’s very, very, very difficult being a parent in 2010.  The pressures to do everything “just right” are astounding.  Your kids have to eat the right foods, play with the right friends, see the right videos, learn sign language, learn Spanish, get into this pre-school, and play with these toys.  On and on … it’s too much and, most importantly, it’s doesn’t allow for the fact that we’re all human and we all are imperfect beings.

So stop all of the clutter for a minute and think about the one thing you want to make sure you do NOT screw up.  What’s the one thing, of all the things you can do for your kid, that you want to do right?  Well for me it is self confidence.  I want my kids to be confident, happy, outgoing people who don’t fear the world, fear challenges, or have a sense of disappointment with life.

If I do nothing else that’s what I’m going to do right and to do that right I lay off a little.  I let them make mistakes, I let them have fun, eat candy, make decisions and drop the ball.  I coach them along … but I take my time … I’ve noticed that over time they gain something much more valuable than learning Latin; the gain a sense of satisfaction for who they are and how they will be able to handle what life throws their way.

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“TODAY I’M SELLING” IS A SERIES DEDICATED TO PRACTICING YOUR SALES PITCHING CAPABILITIES. WE’LL POST A PRODUCT … WE’LL GIVE OUR BEST PITCH … AND THEN YOU GIVE YOURS. GIVE IT A TRY – IT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO. LEAVE YOUR OWN PITCH IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR LET US KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED OR WOULD CHANGE.  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AND PERFECT (IN SALES) CREATES FINANCIAL WEALTH.

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“Today I’m Selling” SUBSCRIBING TO A PAPER NEWSPAPER

Want a prospective customer to call you back?  Send them a newspaper clipping in the mail with a short, handwritten note, “saw this and thought of you.”

1. You stand out – no one else will do this
2. You come off as educated and well read (especially if the paper is the WSJ, the IBD, or the like)
3. You show them you know something about them and are thinking of them
4. Again, your competitors ARE NOT doing this.

There is a difference between being a well thought of smart person and being someone with a reputation as “exceptional”.  This will make you exceptional.

Buy the paper, read it every day with a pair of scissors, a nice pen and your stationary near by.

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“TODAY I’M SELLING” IS A SERIES DEDICATED TO PRACTICING YOUR SALES PITCHING CAPABILITIES. WE’LL POST A PRODUCT … WE’LL GIVE OUR BEST PITCH … AND THEN YOU GIVE YOURS. GIVE IT A TRY – IT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO. LEAVE YOUR OWN PITCH IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR LET US KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED OR WOULD CHANGE.  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AND PERFECT (IN SALES) CREATES FINANCIAL WEALTH.

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Today I’m Selling SHOEBOXED.COM

Okay, quick question:  On a scale of zero to ten how satisfied are you with the paper trail you have for your business expenses?  Good.  Now, same scale – zero to ten – how satisfied are you with your paper trail if you knew you were being audited next week?

Want to answer “nine or ten” to both of those questions?  Try shoeboxed.com.  It is a receipt scanning service that ensures you’ll never have to worry about proving ANYTHING to the IRS … EVER.  It’s all there.  I *love* this service.

Think of it another way.  The top-of-the-line service is $50 a month – that’s $600 a year.  You can make that back easily if:

• You’re paying a bookkeeper to sort and organize your receipts today.
• You ever get audited
• You sometimes forget about expenses and, therefore, miss the deduction
• Your accountant ever needs to see the expenses or wants you to deliver them to [him]
• You think that, at some point, you’ll want to get a loan, or an equity investment.
• You think that, at some point, you’ll want to sell the business.

Having all those receipts there, on-line, categorized and accounted for … it’s priceless.

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“TODAY I’M SELLING” IS A SERIES DEDICATED TO PRACTICING YOUR SALES PITCHING CAPABILITIES. WE’LL POST A PRODUCT … WE’LL GIVE OUR BEST PITCH … AND THEN YOU GIVE YOURS. GIVE IT A TRY – IT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO. LEAVE YOUR OWN PITCH IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR LET US KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED OR WOULD CHANGE.  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AND PERFECT (IN SALES) MAKES WEALTHY.

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Today I’m Selling iPHONE OVER BLACKBERRY

Is it really true that you’re cool with the Internet being, “that thing that sits on a computer somewhere I have internet access”?  Remember 10 years ago when someone said, “you really need to get the internet” and you thought, “come on, I watch the nightly news, what’s the big deal?”

It’s all changed, right?

Well not having the internet in your pocket is sort of the same thing.  Too much is happening on the internet, too many things are stored there, too much of your life depends on real time status and information.  And the only way to stay on top of it all is to have the internet with you at all times … sitting in your pocket.

The only way to get the internet (the real internet, the full functioning internet) in your pocket is to have an iPhone.

Other phones are cool.  The Blackberry, for example, is very utilitarian and extremely useful for keeping up with colleagues, family, and customers … but it’s only that – a communication device – it’s not the internet.

When it comes right down to it the question MUST be this, “do I agree that the internet is important enough to me, to the decisions I make, and to my future that I need to have it with me or am I okay to only have access to it when some computer with some wire somewhere I left it is the way I get onto the net?”

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“Today I’m Selling” is a series dedicated to practicing your sales pitching capabilities. We’ll post a product … we’ll give our best pitch … and then you give yours. Give it a try – it will make you better at what you do. Leave your own pitch in the comments section or let us know what you liked or would change.  Practice makes perfect and perfect (in sales) makes wealthy.

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Today I’m Selling BLACKBERRY OVER iPHONE

Jean-Paul Sartre would be proud of me – but I think I’d like to propose a semi-transcendental view of a blackberry phone.  If you really stop and think about why you have a blackberry – it is to make sure you never waste any spare time.  Here are a few examples of what I mean:

• Standing in line at the grocery store
• Stopped at a red light
• On the subway or a bus
• During commercials of your favorite show
• Waiting for a meeting to start

You see?  What Blackberry has really done for us as a profession is give us access to all the spare minutes we used to waste.  Now we use them to get caught up on communication and news.

So what does an iPhone do?  Well, in much the same way it is there to ensure we don’t lose those wasted minutes … but the problem is it mostly fills those wasted minutes with unproductive, useless time-grabbers: playing a game, a song, checking Facebook, ordering flowers or a book, learning Spanish.  Kudos to the great design, kudos to all the applications.  But at the end of the day what we really need to do to be successful is use our time wisely.

A Blackberry saves my wasted minutes, uses them productively, and keeps me on task.  An iPhone?  Not so much.

“Today I’m Selling” is a series dedicated to practicing your sales pitching capabilities. We’ll post a product … we’ll give our best pitch … and then you give yours. Give it a try – it will make you better at what you do. Leave your own pitch in the comments section or let us know what you liked or would change.  Practice makes perfect and perfect (in sales) makes wealthy.

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Extra! Extra! A great technique for getting more meetings.

I conduct a lot of business in Philadelphia.  Because I’m there often I’ve boned up on some of the history.  On the plane ride there I have been reading the autobiography of their most famous citizen, Benjamin Franklin.  Mr. Franklin was quite a salesmen and the father of a lot of key ideas used in sales today.   (Though he is not widely cited or acknowledged)

Another of their great salesmen was Frant Bettger who wrote, How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling with a forward by Dale Carnegie.

I love studying the history of this great skill; this art I admire and practice.  As I have sojourned down that path I ran across a familiar but great selling technique of yesteryear.  The “Extra! Extra!  Read all about it” our great-great-grandparents heard on the corner of the street as paperboys competed with each other to sell their editions.

Back in the 19th century newspapers were 1) easy and inexpensive to produce and 2) competed only with each other.  There was no TV, Radio or Internet.  “Extra! Extra!” was a competitive tool used to sell more paper.  The Washington Post wrote a 2006 article giving more history.  According to the article extra does not mean ‘additional’ but is a shortened version of ‘extraordinary.’ Isn’t that great!??!

Extraordinary!

So how does this skill apply to you and me and building a pipeline?  It’s simple really – compare the number of cold calls your prospect receives to them walking down Lexington Ave in NYC in 1865.  They would hear constant and incessant calls of “buy my paper!”  They become numb to it and dismissive of the sales pitch.  On one corner, maybe its on 42th near the train depot, you hear a particularly persuasive little guy really selling his paper.  “Extra! Extra! Read all about it.    Lincoln says the war will be over in months not years, he tells us how.  Read all about it”   The prospect will buy that paper.

So too will your prospect “buy” your approach if you sell them on spending time with you.

You’ve got to find a way to break out of that noise and say, “Extra!  Extra!  Learn all about me.”  You’ve got to find a way to get your prospect to listen to you!

So what can you say that will get them to open their minds and listen?  In article I wrote for Connect Magazine (June 07) I covered the idea of selling time with you the same way you would sell a ticket to a workshop.  In those posts I discuss the three critical components of your “Extra! Extra!” strategy.  1)  It must be educational, 2) it must be relevant, and 3) it must be urgent.

Relevant means what you are talking about IS happening to them or COULD realistically happen to them.  Educational means you offer a way to deal with this event.  Urgent means the consequences are significant enough that putting it off won’t do.

There are a lot of great lessons to be learned from the fathers of modern day sales (many of whom came from Philadelphia) and one of the greatest is the simple technique of breaking from the fray by selling the EXTRAordinary news you have to offer.