Seven Habits of Amazingly Successful Salespeople

More than ever today, all of us are selling. In business, we sell our products and services. In life, we're constantly selling our ideas, our plans and more. Being able to influence others is part of the selling process, and we can all learn from people who are successful in selling.

The best salespeople seem to practice a set of common habits. Here are seven habits of highly successful salespeople.

1. They hustle when others hunker down.

When times get tough, the unsuccessful want to circle the wagons and hunker down into something safe and cozy. Unfortunately for them, life isn't designed to be cozy or safe. It rewards those who take risks and venture forth in hustle mode. Successful people have a sense of urgency about them. They know how to embrace hustle mode when it is necessary.

2. They constantly work at being relationship farmers.

They are not pushy salespeople. Instead they are constantly creating, building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships. They think of themselves as farmers — constantly nurturing, caring and doing the day-to-day tasks to grow a strong harvest farther down the road.

3. They thoroughly research their prospects.

The best-kept secret of social media is that it is a brilliant tool for research. One ninja-level trick is to start with LinkedIn to get the basics about a person, such as where your prospect went to school and worked. Then move on to Facebook to get more information about what he or she likes, such as restaurants, vacations, pets, kids or quotes. Then they move on to Twitter and track their tweets, their re-tweets and the people they follow. They learn volumes about potential clients this way.

4. They make direct, personal connections.

They deploy social media with pinpoint, precision accuracy. None of this “My cat is sleeping” kind of baloney. They research like crazy (see point No. 3), and then they take massive action to connect with others in a way that is meaningful to the other person. Let your prospects see you as an ally rather than just another pest trying to fake a common interest only to sell your stuff.

5. They are resoundingly resilient.

They know they are going to get knocked down every now and then. But 99 percent of the time they know they can get back up, dust themselves off, and get back in the game. Smart salespeople learn from mistakes and make themselves better after a bruising.

6. They do self-surgery and give themselves a “try-ectomy”.

They don't settle for a lame, “Well, at least I tried,” pity party. They keep going till they get results. Remember Master Yoda from Star Wars. “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Stop resting just because “you tried.” Successful people know that you don't get paid for trying. You get paid for results.

7. They embrace technology to help people.

Today technology is not a department — it is integrated into everything we do in business. Top salespeople don't get enmeshed in the technology, but always have a mindset to use it to be more productive and help others. They use video tools like Google+ Hangouts, Skype, and Eyejot to connect with more people. As I’ve said for years: It’s not about the e-commerce (electronics), it’s about the r-commerce (relationships).

Terry Brock gives real-world, practical tips on how to generate revenue and increase productivity. He's the former Chief Enterprise Blogger for Skype, former Editor-in-Chief for AT&T's top-rated blog, and is co-author of the best-selling McGraw-Hill book about social media, "Klout Matters." He's also an international Speaker Hall of Fame inductee and travels around the world helping business leaders connect with their customers building relationships and increasing business.                  

How Cherishing Mistakes, Being Clueless and Stress Fests Helped Birchbox's Success

Birchbox founders and co-CEO's Hayley Barna and Katia Beauchamp are revolutionizing how you shop -- and help you discover your favorite quality beauty products by delivering samples right to your door, for just $10 a month.

The duo came up with the concept while attending Harvard business school. Inspired by the luxe beauty finds their friend (and first hire) Mollie Chen would bring home from her job as an editor at Condé Nast, Barna and Beauchamp wanted to bring this sample approach to the masses. Some 400,000 customers, the launch of Birchbox Man, a monthly-digital magazine and men's style guide, and expansions into France, Spain and the UK (thanks to the acquisition of Parisian service JolieBox) later, they've created an enduring brand and growing community. We caught up with Barna and Beauchamp to talk about finding balance and the courage to take the plunge into the unknown.


Q: Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently when you were first starting up?

KB: Not knowing has had so much to do with our success. Of course Hayley and I had a big dream with Birchbox, but I believe a big reason we are successful is because we did not have the time to obsess about the long-term strategy. On a daily basis, the business was growing so quickly that Hayley and I needed to focus on keeping the customer experience strong and what needed to make that happen tomorrow and next week -- not in 12 months or five years.
HB: In terms of business approach, it's hard to say, because I really do cherish all of our mistakes.  I look back on each of them as a learning experience that helped get us to where we are today. But one thing that I've gained perspective on lately, and I wish I had realized earlier is about balance and knowing that building a business is a marathon and not a sprint. In the early days the intensity and stress level of our work was through the roof -- very little sleep, not much personal time and every little thing felt hugely important. Perhaps that adrenaline level and total commitment are what a young business needs from its founders, but I'm pretty certain that there was a lot of energy that could have been put to better use.

Q: What do you think would have happened if you had that sense of balance then?

KB: I would have slowed down the growth of Birchbox and potentially shifted focus and resources to areas that make sense for a more mature company that we could study. The big problem with that is that there is no clear analog for Hayley and I to model our business after. We need to figure out what works for Birchbox, and not rely past precedent.

HB: If I had truly understood that being a balanced, calm and rested leader was more important than the extra hour of email from 1:00-2:00 AM, I would have been making better decisions and been a better role model for the team. If I had this perspective earlier, we could have avoided some burn out and created the more sustainable culture that we've achieved today.

Q: How did you learn this lesson?

HB: Over time as the business matured and grew, I learned to let go of the little things to trust my team and the momentum of the business. My first vacation post launch proved to me that even if I lost email service for several hours, not only would I be able to relax and have fun, but the business would not fall apart without me. I also remember a Sunday afternoon in the office with Katia when we talked about how much we loved building Birchbox, and if this was going to be our long-term career and a huge part of our waking lives, we better make sure we have fun doing it. When we take a step back, we are lucky to have the privilege of living through our toughest days as business leaders and it's important to remember that.

Q: How do you think young entrepreneurs might benefit from this insight? 

KB: There is a lot of positive in the unknown. You can see it as a positive and as something that frees you, rather than something that prevents you from taking action.

HB: When you're 110 percent committed to making your startup work it's tough to pull away from quantity of work to focus on quality. If young entrepreneurs are able to understand this earlier than I did, I think they could create a more sustainable approach to building their businesses, make better decisions on a day-to-day basis and store up their energy for the times it really matters to push hard.

Q: Besides inventing a time machine, how might they realize this wisdom sooner?

HB: In some ways, learning to create balance is something that must be learned over time. The amount of decisions you need to make on a day-to-day basis starts to feel normal, your confidence builds and the stress level recedes. But having a support network of friends and family outside of the business that can provide feedback and a safe haven from the workplace is important. Mentors can be a sounding board and shed light on unnecessary stress and achieving work-life balance. Also, it doesn't hurt to make rules. For example, choosing one day each weekend to totally unplug and then dedicating a set amount time for work is better than kind of working through the whole weekend. Little things like reminding yourself to get up from your desk and move around make a difference too.

Q: What are you glad you didn’t know then that you know now?

HB: I'm really glad the business unfolded the way it did. If you had told me four years ago that we'd be running a business of this scale and a team of this size I would have been too intimidated to even start. But instead, little by little, Birchbox grew in the way it was meant to, and I was better prepared by my experiences to take on the next challenge as it came.

Q: What's your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

KB: Go from aspiring to being as fast as you can. It is the best way to learn whether your idea has a customer and whether you love dedicating your days to see it come to fruition. Don't worry about realizing the full vision in the beginning but try to build a MVP [minimum-viable product] that allows you to test the key aspects of the model and the questions you have about it's potential.

HB: Don't just start any old business to start a business. Instead, make sure you truly love the concept and the team you're building it with.  It's the best feeling in the world to make an idea a reality, but it's also going to be very hard work. It's the people you work with and the impact your have that make it worthwhile.

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231503#ixzz2tPKUML00

Is Delegation a Nasty Word?

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inShRecently, I delivered a leadership seminar to school executives. The focus was on administrative mentorship with a particular emphasis on delegation. I asked the principals in the room as to why they don’t delegate more.

Before sharing their responses, I will share why I asked the question. School leaders, like most executives, are in over their heads in work demands. Not only do we ask more from our schools and their administrators in terms of programming, assessment, communication and accountability, but we expect them to “stay current” in an ever-changing technological and educational landscape that has huge implications not only on core instruction, but also on professional development, budgeting and many other areas.

A research article published by NAIS (Northern Association of Independent Schools, an association that provides services to more than 1,700 schools in the United States and abroad) spoke of the frequently overwhelming demands on the head of school.

In their study, the authors found that school heads identify “big-picture” aspects of their job, such as providing vision, managing their school’s climate and values, and working with their boards, as most demanding. Right behind those on the continuum are such tasks as managing their school’s financial health, fund raising, and strategic planning. And that does not even include such ongoing administrative staples as instructional oversight and student relations.

Knowing this about the stressors of school leadership I turned to the assembled and asked whether they delegate as much as they should. When the majority responded to the negative, I probed further. Using a think-pair-share technique, the participants were asked to complete the following sentence: “I would delegate more if I …”

I received these primary responses:

1. Trusted my colleagues more
2. Wasn’t so controlling
3. Had more time to think about what to delegate
4. Knew how

This feedback was not surprising. Article after article speak about the challenges for leaders and small-business owners to relinquish control and delegate. Why? Delegation is a foreign concept for many who think that they need to hold all of the cards or to have their spoons in every pot. Those who are willing to share responsibility may not invest the time into doing so strategically or may not even know how to go about it.

Trust is one crucial element to effective delegation and teamwork. You have to believe in your people in order to empower them. But it takes more than willingness and trust to delegate effectively. Others important components include:

• Decide what to delegate. Start with a small project or one that doesn’t have to be completed in a specific way. This keeps the temperature low and the end goal in sight.
• Pick the right person or group. Take time to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the members of your team. Select those whom  you’re confident can do the job well. They should be self-motivated and comfortable working without constant supervision.
• Provide clarity about the expected outcome. Include timelines and deliverables and provide a template or guidelines for the project. The more that you can spell out in detail, the less the risk of subsequent confusion or error.
• Grant the necessary authority. Supply the control and leeway for your co-worker to find the best approach on his own. This increases his creativity and initiative while boosting his self-esteem.
• Be prepared to assist. You may need to delegate the task as a whole, but can often still assist here or there. Also, make sure to offer proper training to build skill and efficacy for the task designees.
• Monitor progress. Stay on top of things and correct/redirect when necessary. This motivates colleagues (who don’t feel abandoned) and helps you catch problems early. Obviously, inexperienced colleagues will need tighter control than seasoned veterans.
• Recognize key milestones and celebrate successes. Anything from a simple “thank you” or “well done” to arranging for awards, gifts or bonuses.

A study published in the Gallup Business Journal found that the most cohesive and successful teams possess broader groupings of strengths, rather than one dominant leader who tries to do everything or individuals who all have similar strengths.

The process of building a well-informed and properly trained team allows leaders to harness various talents and perspectives for the collective good. It may be challenging at first, but will pay great dividends over time while also alleviating some of the crushing burden that often sits on a leader’s shoulders.

Naphtali Hoff (@impactfulcoach) served as an educator and school administrator for over 15 years before becoming an executive coach and consultant.

The 5 steps for an effective ‘tradigital’ advertising campaign

"Tradigital" marketing combines traditional advertising such as direct mail and TV, newspaper, magazine and radio ads with digital marketing to create stronger results than either could do on its own.
I outlined the concept in an article a couple of weeks ago, and now I’ll outline the steps necessary for an effective tradigital campaign.

1. Know your audience

It seems obvious, but targeting an advertising campaign to the wrong demographic (or to “everyone”) can be a costly mistake resulting in poor results. With a clearly defined target audience, it is much easier to determine where and how to market your company.

2. Be creative

We use an acronym AIDA – Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Insuring that this criteria is met will result in a more effective ad that delivers results. A well-crafted ad can often make the difference between a successful or disastrous campaign.

3. Have a ‘vanity URL’

In a tradigital campaign, your goal is drive as much traffic as possible to your digital destination. Many small to mid-sized companies continue to struggle with a website that is less than optimal. Many have a long wish list of how their site should be, but do not have the time or resources to get it there.
Here’s where a landing page or vanity URL can help.

Simply stated, this is a one-page website that has the sole purpose to welcome your visitors, show off your product or service, and allow visitors to quickly and easily find and act on your current promotion. That may or may not be something you have done, but the key here is to come up with a name that is easy to remember and ties in your company.

On average, the conversion rates of landing pages in tradigital campaigns are between 8 percent and 10 percent with one (a golf course) at a high of 32 percent. Can you imagine if a third of your traffic converted into new leads? To put this into perspective, quality traditional websites average a conversion rate of around 3 percent.

4. You need a social media tie-in

A good tradigital strategy allows consumers to respond on their terms. If the landing page does not attract their attention, a custom Facebook tab that serves the same “landing page” function also works well. Of course. the social nature of FB, with the ability to share a page or to simply come across the offer because your friends also participated in it, can quickly multiply your responses.

5. Don’t forget email marketing

With many social media sites now charging you to sponsor an ad to reach a larger portion of your fans, email marketing remains the most effective way to close a prospect who is in the decision making process of buying your product or service. As you collect all of your leads from the landing page, and from the custom tab on your Facebook page, it is essential to have an email marketing strategy set up and ready to go.
This five-step ‘tradigital’ strategy, which uses a well-crafted TV, radio and newspaper ads to raise awareness of your company and add a sense of urgency to your offer, will increase the results of your campaign by 35 percent or more.
In the next series of articles we will drill down into each one of these steps so that you can clearly understand how a tradigital strategy delivers maximum results.

On average, the conversion rates of landing pages in tradigital campaigns are between 8 percent and 10 percent with one (a golf course) at a high of 32 percent. Can you imagine if a third of your traffic converted into new leads? To put this into perspective, quality traditional websites average a conversion rate of around 3 percent.

4. You need a social media tie-in

A good tradigital strategy allows consumers to respond on their terms. If the landing page does not attract their attention, a custom Facebook tab that serves the same “landing page” function also works well. Of course. the social nature of FB, with the ability to share a page or to simply come across the offer because your friends also participated in it, can quickly multiply your responses.

5. Don’t forget email marketing

With many social media sites now charging you to sponsor an ad to reach a larger portion of your fans, email marketing remains the most effective way to close a prospect who is in the decision making process of buying your product or service. As you collect all of your leads from the landing page, and from the custom tab on your Facebook page, it is essential to have an email marketing strategy set up and ready to go.
This five-step ‘tradigital’ strategy, which uses a well-crafted TV, radio and newspaper ads to raise awareness of your company and add a sense of urgency to your offer, will increase the results of your campaign by 35 percent or more.
In the next series of articles we will drill down into each one of these steps so that you can clearly understand how a tradigital strategy delivers maximum results.

On average, the conversion rates of landing pages in tradigital campaigns are between 8 percent and 10 percent with one (a golf course) at a high of 32 percent. Can you imagine if a third of your traffic converted into new leads? To put this into perspective, quality traditional websites average a conversion rate of around 3 percent.