Author: mike

How to Qualify Inbound Leads

by mike

New marketing funnels and lead nurturing campaigns have created what has always been a salesperson’s dream: more inbound leads. Sales reps love receiving these leads and tell me all the time that these “warm” leads must be better because they called in requesting information.

“These leads are more qualified because they are calling in,” I hear over and over. But we all know this isn’t necessarily true is it? In fact this attitude leads to one of the biggest mistake 80% of your competition is making when they receive warm leads — they go into pitch mode rather than qualification mode.

Eighty percent of your competition mistake the “implied interest” of an inbound lead to mean they are already qualified, and all they need to do is explain their product or service. Wrong!

Top reps, on the other hand, know that inbound leads can be some of the biggest time wasters of all, so they do what they always do — disqualify out people who are “just looking” so that they can identify and spend time with the real buyers.

And they do this by asking questions instead of pitching.

Here are some great questions to ask the next time you get an inbound lead:

How to ask for the buying motive:
“Thank you for contacting us today, what was it about our ad/promotion/website that motivated you to call us today?”

How to determine a shopper:
“Who else are you looking into?”

How to determine how close or far away you are from a potential deal:
“What do you like best so far?”

How to determine further motivation:
“How long have you been thinking about (buying, investing, changing) something like this?” Then,

How to determine the possible objections:
“What has kept you from acting on this?

How to determine time frame:
“When are you looking to make a decision on this?”
You see how this goes. Just remember, to be a Top 20% producer, you have to begin finding buyers — whatever the lead source. So stop pitching your inbound leads and start qualifying! Remember, it’s still up to you to find and separate the buyers from the non-buyers.

The “Turkey Shoot” Motivation Technique

by mike

I’d like to thank all those readers who commented on the eZine article: “Using Bingo to Increase Sales.” I’m glad you found it useful, and I especially like how many of you sent in ideas and techniques of your own that you’ve used to motivate your sales team. One of our readers, Yvonne, sent in this technique called the “Turkey Shoot.” I think you’ll enjoy it:

“Mike, this reminds me of another way that we used to ‘get the job done.’ Perhaps you’ve heard of it, too.

We had a ‘Turkey Shoot’ so to speak: Across the top were number of days of the month (this was thought up during Thanksgiving season, hence the name). Down the side were listed all the items that you could do that would be considered “prospecting.” This actually was done per office, so some had a few items that another office might not. Be that as it may, handing out x# business cards, making 10 cold calls, sending __# mailers out, showing a property, writing a contract, and of course, the Biggie, getting paid!. Each item was given so many points (business cards 1 pt each, mailers 1 pt each, cold calls 5 pts, showing 10 pts, contract 20 pts, paid 25).

Each day, each person entered what he did for that day, and the squares would get filled in. Some agents did more than others, of course. However, even those who didn’t do much had done something, and they were inspired to do more when they saw the results of their fellow
agents.

The interesting thing is that it didn’t matter whether you were ‘an old hand’ at prospecting or brand new, as long as all the activities were done, there would be lots of winners. It seems like that would be a ‘duh!’ However, Thanksgiving and Christmas were always very difficult to get through, even for seasoned agents. So, when they came up with this ‘accountability’ grid, everyone profited. I’ve even used it around the house, whether for housekeeping, or for keeping the kids happy. There were always categories that would fit whatever the goal was, and the
results would always be the same: feeling good about accomplishing something that might have been a little ‘drab’ otherwise.

Thanks again.”

Yvonne
What I really like about this technique is that it can be adapted to any sales initiative you’re having, and it can be used to motivate just about any kind of behavior (I love that she used this at home with the chores). This just shows you how important having goals can be and how hard people will work for recognition.

If you’ve enjoyed this article and have a game, contest or way of motivating your team that you’d like to share with me, please do me a favor and email at: Mike@mrinsidesales.com. The more we can learn from each other, the more successful we all will be!

How to Use Bingo to Increase Sales

by mike

Last week I was in Las Vegas presenting to a team of about 150 directors of inside sales and the subject was how they could to help their inside sales teams set more appointments. The problem their teams were having (and they are not unique in this way as many of you know through experience) was learning how to handle/bypass initial resistance and persevere through to getting their prospects to agree to an in house meeting. More specifically, the team was getting discouraged after one or two initial objections and giving up too soon.

To help them gain perspective on the importance of being persistent, I shared the following sales statistics with them:

48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect
25% of sales people make a second contact and stop
12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop
ONLY 10% of sales people make more than three contacts
2% of sales are made on the first contact
3% of sales are made on the second contact
5% of sales are made on the third contact
10% of sales are made on the fourth contact
80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact

In terms of prospecting and asking for the appointment, these statistics are extremely useful. What the directors were finding was that their reps were giving up long before the prospect was ready to say yes to the appointment. What we needed to do was to A) teach the reps how to effectively handle the initial resistance they were getting, and then B) teach them how to persevere long enough to keep asking for the appointment until the prospect said yes.

To teach the reps how to handle initial resistance, we developed a playbook of scripted responses that equipped the reps with effective ways of dealing with the objections they get over and over again. Knowing how to confidently handle these objections is the first step to teaching the reps how to persevere in the face of rejection.

The second step in persevering long enough to finally get a yes to setting the appointment was to teach the reps that it was not only OK to repeatedly get several no’s or objections, but that it was actually necessary to get them. In other words, we needed to train the reps that more no’s they get, the nearer they were to actually getting the appointment. And this is where the Bingo idea came in.

There are many ways that front line supervisors and managers can mentor and coach sales reps through prospecting and closing calls, but a new way of teaching them to actually look forward to getting no’s is to make a game of it using Bingo as the model.

As many of you know, the game of bingo is played by matching numbers that are drawn to a game card that contains 24 numbered spaces in a 5 x 5 grid. Once a player completes a ‘Bingo’ pattern, such as a line with five numbers in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row on one of their cards, they win the game and or a prize. During the training, one of the directors had a great idea that would use the game of bingo to help their sales reps overcome their fear of getting rejected.

She said that she was going to put a bingo card together, but she was going to replace the numbers on the card with abbreviations of objections. For example, she would make one of the squares “NI” for “Not Interested” and “NM” for “No Money” and “SI” for “Just send some information.” Then she would pass out a card to each sales rep during their next scheduled call night, and she would instruct the rep to cross out one of the squares whenever they got the corresponding objection. The first one to complete a ‘Bingo’ pattern would win!

The brilliance of this idea is that by making getting objections or blow offs a game the reps will be trained to not only expect them, but also to look forward to getting them as well. In fact, because reps often get several objections per call, the practice of completing a bingo card will train the rep that the more times they ask for the appointment on the same call (and so get more objections) the more they will ‘win’ at the game. Oh, and the more times they win at bingo, the more times they will win by getting an appointment as well.

Teaching sales reps to persevere through the objections and stalls they get on calls will result in more confidence, less fear and call reluctance and, of course, more appointments and sales. And the great thing about using bingo to teach this is that reps suddenly get to ‘reframe’ what is usually a demoralizing experience into a game of chance. The more chances they take in using the rebuttal scripts and asking for the appointment, the more chances they have to win at the game of sales.

I thanked Jill for this great training idea, and each time I mentioned it to the next group of directors they liked it, too. If you are in charge of a group of inside sales reps – or if you are an inside sales rep and need some help in persevering through objections – then I encourage you to try this out as well. Remember, persistence overcomes resistance, so use the game of bingo to teach your reps how to persevere to get the appointment or the sale – or both!

5 Elements of a "Best In Class" Inside Sales Team

by mike

Recently I was asked by a client what a best in class inside sales organization looks like. This got me thinking about all the companies I’ve worked with, and after a while I picked a client company in Canada that I believe is practicing the 5 crucial elements that define it as “Best in Class.” Before we get into these elements, here is what they do and how we started working together.

A little over a year ago, I met the C.O.O of a young company in Canada that sells HR Solutions over the phone to businesses across Canada. This company was already doing well and had been designated one of the fastest growing companies in 2010. They had a team of about 35 inside sales reps and in each of their first two years they had broken new sales records. When we met over the phone, the C.O.O. told me that they had accomplished this without any official sales structure or training and he was anxious to see what kind of growth he could accomplish by implementing proper systems and sales processes.

After an initial evaluation, we identified several key areas that we could improve and after working together for several months, we implemented the following 5 elements that would ensure his company’s continued growth and their “Best in Class” status. Here they are:

Number One: The first thing we worked on was defining his sales process. As is the case in most sales rooms, of the 35 sales reps prospecting and closing accounts, there were about 35 different ways this was being done. It took some reps 2 calls to close a deal, while other reps needed to make 4, 5 and even as many as 8 calls to close deals.

In addition, while interviewing the reps I found that there were vastly different opinions on what was needed to close a sale. Some felt that extensive emails and information was important for gaining trust and closing the sale, while others used a demo of the website to sell a prospect. Still others relied on referrals from others within the prospect company, while others couldn’t tell me what the deciding factor was. They said they just sent out information to whomever appeared to be the decision maker and then hoped for the best.

So the first thing we needed to do was to look at how the top 20% of their sales reps were prospecting and closing sales and then standardize those successful techniques into a best practice structure. We started by indentifying the bench marks in each step and then used these to define the most effective sales process. I call this building the DSP (for Defined Sales Process), and once we had that in place, we could then develop a scripted sales approach that their entire team could use to be more effective.

Number Two: Once we had the DSP constructed, we then needed to take these best practice steps and benchmarks and turn them into a useable, repeatable scripted playbook. In other words, we took each step of their best practice sales process – starting with dealing with the gatekeeper, to identifying he decision maker, building rapport, qualifying, etc. – and we scripted, word for word, each part of the sales process out.

Taking the time to comprehensively script out each part of the sales process – including best practice voice mails, emails and complete objection handling – allowed them to equip each sales rep with the most effective way of handling the sales situations they were in 80 to 90% of their day. By developing and subsequently practicing a uniform and proven sales approach, the reps were able to qualify better prospects which allowed them to close more deals in a shorter period of time.

Number Three: Once a Defined Sales Process and a scripted playbook were in place, the company was now able to better empower their front line managers and supervisors because now they had a uniform way mentoring and coaching their sales reps. Prior to this process, when the reps were adlibbing and unstructured, the style of management was reactive and inefficient. Without a standard to grade, coach and evaluate by, the managers made inconsistent progress and were generally ineffective.

This all changed, however, once both sales reps and managers were following a proven, objective sales process and scripted sales approach. During this process we developed actual script grading adherence forms so managers could regularly grade adherence to the best practice sales approach. In addition, script grading also allowed the managers to target problem areas for each rep and design very specific development plans for improvement. Because each step of the process was defined and objective, evaluating and changing performance and measuring and tracking progress of these changes was now possible.

Number Four: Once these processes were in place, the company saw the need and benefit in rearranging personnel and redefining job descriptions to better manage and train their growing sales team. Some of these changes included reducing the sales quotas of their team leads/supervisors so they could spend more time in helping their reps improve their sales skills and close deals, and in tasking their sales director with more involvement in hiring and recruiting talent. In addition, they promoted one of their human resource members into a full time sales training position – something they had never had before.

A crucial change was the creation of a qualify control person whose sole job it was to listen to and grade recordings of the sales team. Because an important component in this process was to record and grade rep’s adherence to the new sales playbook (and so analyze their sales skills and measure their improvement), it immediately became apparent that listening to 35 sales rep’s calls was a full time job. The innovative change this company made was recognizing this need and creating a position to fill it. Having a full time quality control person allowed the front line managers to spend more time on the floor working with reps and it also provided the ‘real time’ feedback on how each rep performed during the actual sale and how they were tracking in terms of improvement.

Number Five: Motivating a sales team is an important component of sustained and improved sales performance, and in this area the company deviated from the daily cash bonus and spiff model of short term motivation and instead took a longer term approach. Recognizing the need to grow the sales team and the benefit of offering its employees a more sustained career model, the company created a career advancement program that rewarded long term sales performance by promoting sales reps into different levels of responsibility and increased pay.

The company created new team lead positions, new supervisory positions and even new customer reorder departments that created new growth opportunities for performing reps. Each of these new positions became linked to bi-annual performance goals and replaced the short term bonus plans previously in place. The result was a more engaged and motivated sales force who’s focus was more on the long term goals of the company rather than the short term goals of daily production.

While a lot changed in this company’s sales structure, focus and execution, the amazing thing was they were able to make these changes in a four to six month time frame. The results in terms increased sales production were exceptional. Not only did they grow sales by over 34% in their existing department of new business, but they were able to expand their current accounts business by penetrating deeper and cross selling departments and products.

The bottom line is that when this company took the time to improve and implement these 5 elements, they were able to leverage their existing sales personnel and create a scalable model for across the board sales improvement. And that is what I call a “Best in Class” sales company.

5 Tips On How Not to Sound Like a Salesperson

by mike

First, let’s start with the real problem which is that most sales reps just don’t know how to really engage and talk to people. That’s really the bottom line. Most sales reps are more interested in pitching their products or services and don’t treat the people they are speaking with like people. A long time ago, my first sales manager gave me a great lesson in how to talk to and treat people. He said, “People are just people. They are just like you. They want to be respected, they want to be listened to, and they don’t want to be sold to. Show a real interest in them and treat them with kindness and you’ll go a long way…”

What’s so interesting, however, is that although this sounds so easy to do, for some reason, sales reps seem afraid to engage and ask questions of prospects because they think that as soon as they give them an opening they are going to get the door shut in their face. Most aren’t going to be interested – as we know – but many are. The way to deal with both of them is to learn how to engage and just talk to them.

Here are five tips and scripts that will help you get better at the crucial skill of relating to people so you don’t sound like a sales rep. Use these and you’ll soon find yourself way ahead of your competition. Here are some tips for working with gatekeepers:

1) Tip number one is to always, always use please and thank you – especially with gatekeepers. In fact, the more times you use the word please in your opening, “Hi, could I please speak with _________, please?” the more successful you’ll become. The more polite you are with the gatekeeper, the more polite and helpful they will be with you…

2) The second way to work with gatekeepers is to use the “I need a little bit of help please,” technique. The key to using this is that you have to stop here and wait for the other person to respond. You’d be surprised by how many people use this technique but combine it with, “I need to speak with the person who…”

This doesn’t work. This doesn’t engage the person on the other end of the phone. You absolutely must give the other person a chance to respond to you before you continue.

3) When you do get the decision maker on the phone, please, do not use that tired old phrase, “How are you today?” Nothing identifies you as a disinterested salesperson more than that worn out line. Instead, use this:

“Hi is that ________? Hi _________, this is _______ _______ with ___________, how’s your Monday (or day of the week) going so far?”

Now I know it sounds like the same thing but it is not. First, no one is saying it, and because you’re talking about the current day they are in, you can almost hear them think about their day and answer honestly. If they ask you how your Monday is going as well, always thank them for asking first before you move into your script.

Again, this may seem like a small technique, but it makes a BIG impact.

4) Introduce the reason you’re calling in as short of a time as possible and then ask them an engaging question. Most sales reps start their calls with a paragraph or two description and this is where the “speaking at” people comes in. Instead, mix your opening up with something like:

“__________, briefly, the reason I’m calling you is that I see on LinkedIn that you run an inside sales department and I was just wondering how often you work with outside trainers or consultants to help you improve your results?”

The key here is to get them involved in the conversation early – even if you fear a negative response. And ALWAYS hit your mute button and let them talk…

5) The last tip for today is to always be prepared for the objections you get with a scripted response that doesn’t challenge your prospect, but rather, that allows them to feel heard and respected. Here’s how you can handle the, “I’m not interested,” objection:

“No problem _________. Please realize that I’m not calling to sell you anything today, rather, I’m just calling to see if what we have might be a good fit for you and if I can help you down the line. Let me ask you….”

Do you see how this doesn’t push back on them? Using a response like this will get you much further than challenging them as so many sales reps still tend to do.

By using the above techniques (and developing many more), you’ll begin to actually have conversations with the people you speak with and you’ll differentiate yourself from the hundreds of other sales reps who are pitching and annoying them. This will make their day, and yours, much more enjoyable and profitable.

2 Great New Year’s Questions for Your Clients

by mike

Welcome back to the office, how do you feel? Overwhelmed? Under pressure already? If so, then you’re not alone. Most company’s management and sales teams are under immediate pressure already to begin accomplishing their new goals and sales targets. In fact, this pressure is also felt in the accounting department, the marketing department, and everywhere else. You can probably feel it in your company, too.

As you speak with your clients and prospects this week, realize that they are all feeling this pressure as well. While this may seem like a bad thing, it can actually present a great opening for you. Here’s how I handle the companies and contacts I speak with this month:

After talking briefly about the holidays and new year’s celebration, I always start with question number one –

“So ________, what are the top 3 initiatives for your department has this year?” Then I hit mute and take notes.

If they need a little help here, I use layering questions like:

“And what was your revenue like last year?” Or

“What percentage increase are you asked to produce this year?” Or

“What are you doing differently to accomplish this?”

“What do you think is most needed for you to succeed at that?”

After I’ve listened and asked layering questions and taken notes on the three initiatives, I ask the second question –

“And how can I help you accomplish that?”

Once again, I hit the mute button and take notes. If I get an, “Ah, I don’t know,” then I once again use layering questions like:

“Have you heard of my new automated Core Inside Selling Skills Webinar Program?” Or I ask a good assumptive question like:

“How much of a budget do you have per quarter for sales training?” Or,

“How big of a role do you think increased sales training is going to play?” Or,

“If you could wave a magic wand and get three resources to help you accomplish your goals, what would they be?”

Now I’m sure you can come up with a few of your own questions here, but you get the idea. The point is to ask questions and LISTEN to your prospect’s response. Remember, your clients and prospects have all the information you need to make a sale, and they will almost always tell you IF YOU ASK QUESTIONS AND LISTEN TO THEIR RESPONSES. This is where your mute button comes in.

5 Qualifying Questions You Must Ask Every Time

by mike

Would you like a way to become instantly better at closing more sales over the phone? If so, then simply incorporate these “must know” questions into your first qualifying call and you will immediately have better results when you call back to close.

How can I be so certain knowing the answers to these 5 questions will make you a better closer? It’s because of the indisputable rule in sales: “You can’t close an unqualified lead.” And that’s exactly what 80% of your competition is doing.

I listen to hundreds of actual calls from my clients each month, and I hear it over and over again – sales reps struggling to present their products and services to prospects who are not qualified in fundamental ways. Here’s are the questions you can ask to avoid this and to qualify your prospects better:

1) “What role do you play in the decision process?” You’d be amazed by how many sales reps simply never ask this question and, instead, assume they are dealing with a decision maker. In fact, have you ever gotten to the end of your close and been told, “Well, I have to send this to corporate and see what they think…”

That’s because you never asked question #1.

2) “How does this decision process work? Walk me through it.” If you have a pipeline full of prospects who didn’t buy after your demo or presentation, then you probably didn’t ask this question either. And I’ll bet your closing rate is less than 2 out of 10…..

3) “How many times in the last couple of months did you present something like this to (the board, corporate, the owner) and what happened?” If you want to know what the likelihood of getting your product or service through the decision process they described to you and what the likelihood of them actually closing is, just ask this question. The answer they give you will be the same as the one you’re going to get back next week…

4) ” __________ based on what you’ve heard so far, how much of a fit do you think this is for what you’re looking to accomplish?” What, a trial close on the first call?! Absolutely! If you’re dealing with a real buyer for your product or service, there is no better question than that one to uncover what any potential objections might be waiting for you when you call back to close. AND, there is no better question to reveal how close you may be to getting the deal when you call back…

5) ” ___________, is there anything you can think of that might stand in the way of us doing business in the next few weeks if you like what you see?” This question is for Top 20% closers only and it’s the question that will move you into the Top 1%. Try it and start re-qualifying or start writing up your order for the next call…

3 Secrets to Reaching Your Financial Goals in 2013

by mike

Now that December is here, it is time for me to solidify my goals for 2013. As always, I balance and set goals in all areas to maximize my growth as a person and as a professional. I have goals for health that include a targeted lifetime eating plan; goals for my business that emphasize professional growth; goals for creative expression that include writing and photography; goals for relaxation that include Europe and a lot more NFL football games!

When it comes to setting and reaching these goals, I use a simple and proven 3 step process that virtually assures that I reach my goals. I’m going to lay it out here as it applies to a financial goal, but recognize that this method applies to the success of reaching ANY goal. Here’s what you do:

Secret #1: The first step is to be absolutely precise on the desired goal. While you may have heard this before, it’s still amazing that many people I work with don’t practice this. For example, I still ask people what their financial goal is and they tell me, “earn more money than I made last year.” If you earn $1.50 more in 2013, then you will have reached your goal, won’t you?

Instead, you need to know the exact amount. In determining that number, I always look at each month, factor in vacations, holidays, projects, etc., and then I add up each month and come up with an EXACT figure. And then I add 20% more!

Once I have that “stretch goal,” I break it down again per month and write each month’s specific dollar goal everywhere so I’m looking at it each day of every month. I post it on my desk, in my car, in the bathroom; I know exactly what I’m going to accomplish each and every day.

I also adjust it per my production for that day so it is a fluid and ever changing number. Sometimes the daily amount gets bigger as the week goes on, and sometimes it gets smaller (depending on my production each day). But the point is that it is specific and exact, and I’m always aware of what my daily, monthly and yearly, specific dollar amount goal is for each and every day.

If you haven’t done this yet (especially the “add 20%”), then do it before January 1, 2013. You’ll be amazed how much this will keep you motivated and into action. And you’ll be amazed by your increased production!

Secret #2: Get clear on where every dollar of your income is going to go. Ask yourself: “What am I going to do with all the money I’m going to earn this year?” How much are you going to save by the end of the year? How much debt are you going to pay off? Are you going to buy a new car? Pay for your kid’s education? How much do you have budgeted for vacation? How about taxes? How about retirement?

These are just some of the questions you need to get in the habit of asking yourself this month, and you need to be completely clear on exactly where each dollar is going and where you’re going to be financially by the end of 2013. Having this kind of clarity and purpose helps keep you focused and disciplined, and it has a magical effect on how the Universe helps you accomplish your specific financial goal.

Now I know that things come up, but when you have every dollar accounted for, you’ll be amazed at how you can earn extra money to handle the unexpected. That’s just how it works. But I have found that when I’m crystal clear on how much I’m going to earn and what I’m going to accomplish as a result of it, my focus is razor sharp and I remain motivated each and every day.

In addition, when you know why you’re working so hard and what for, you’re ready to put secret number three into effect:

Secret #3: Once you are clear on your exact financial goal and know what you are going to get as a result of it, you can now practice one of the most important parts of any goal accomplishment: acting as if you’ve already attained your goal. If you’ve ever read any book on the Law of Attraction, then you know all about the importance of accepting and believing on a subconscious level that you already have what it is you’re trying to accomplish.

The Law is simple: the Universe responds to what you feel and believe to be true. If you think you’re broke or that your territory is poor or that you can’t do something, then you’ll find evidence to support your belief and you’ll act (or not act!) accordingly. If you believe the opposite, then you’ll find a way to keep taking actions to accomplish what you believe is possible, and the Universe will provide you with the opportunities to confirm what you believe.

But the key is to believe it has already happened. By acting as if you are already the top producer at your company, or by going to sleep at night already feeling the feelings of having accomplished your goal, you’ll act like a magnet for the success you’ve already determined is yours.

By acting as if you’ve accomplished your goal, you’ll automatically and easily take the actions necessary to achieve them. Suddenly it will be “like you” to come in earlier, to make more calls, to qualify better, etc. I have found that acting as if is the most important thing I have ever done to catapult me into new earning levels and new conditions in my life.

And I have found that it ALWAYS works. Whether I believe I can or I can’t, I’m always right.

There are lots of ways to achieve the “being state” of acting, feeling and experiencing your success in advance, but my favorite is to write and read affirmations that are rich in feeling and emotion. There are many books out there that will teach you how to do that, and I recommend you invest in them today.

The bottom line is that when you follow these three secrets to successful goal attainment, you will become unstoppable. There will no longer be road blocks, and no outside element will ever permanently get in the way of your accomplishing any goal you’ll set. You see, there is always a way to achieve anything you can dream of. And if you’re absolutely clear on what it is, know exactly why you’re going for it, and can feel and live as if you’ve already accomplished it, then nothing can stop you from attaining it.

I encourage you to use this month to put these secrets into your goal planning for 2013. If you do, then next year at this time you will be reaching for even more aggressive goals because you’ll have discovered the real secrets to performance in life.

All the best for 2013!

Getting into Gratitude to Improve Your Sales

by mike

Let’s face it, sales can be a hard profession. If you’re on a commission only basis, then you know how easy it is to go from hero to zero at the beginning of each month as your quota starts over. You are constantly under pressure to make all kinds of numbers and metrics – number of calls, appointments, closes and revenues. If you’re in management, then you are also responsible for each team member and the goals of the whole department. If you’re an owner, then you often have the pressure of the board or the share holders to make your quarterly numbers or grow your market share.

What can make this profession especially hard is that it seems as if the battle to make all these numbers is fought one sale at a time, and each no you get takes a little bit from you and many no’s in a row can really bring your confidence down. So how can you stay positive and keep your attitude where it needs to be to keep picking up the phone, calling on those prospects and persevering to make a sale?

After years of struggling with these same challenges, I’ve found a reliable and consistent way to keep myself focused and smiling and dialing and contacting one prospect after the next. The great thing about it is that it costs no money, takes very little time, and I can do it anywhere and at anytime. It’s a method I never grow tire of, and, best of all, it always works to restore my attitude, my hope and my perspective. It’s called writing a gratitude list.

I was taught long ago that when things didn’t seem to be going my way, or if I felt like I wasn’t “getting mine” or if I began feeling sorry for myself, then it was time for me to stop and make a list of all the things I already had and to focus on how grateful I was to have them. I was told that many times we’re so focused on what we have to have next that we often forget to acknowledge and truly appreciate the things we already have and how fortunate we already are. Writing a gratitude list restores that appreciation and helps me to focus on the things that are truly important.

Writing a gratitude list is easy. You simply get a piece of paper, or make a list in a notes section of your smart phone or computer, and start with a number of things you’re going to list that you’re grateful for in your life. I’ve found that 25 items is a perfect amount for one sitting as it gets filled easily up to about 16, then I have to search deeper to find the other treasures in my life. If you think that you’d be hard pressed to find even 10 or 15 things you’re grateful for, don’t worry – once you get started, you’ll be surprised by how rich you truly are. Here’s a sample list to help remind you and get you started:

Often times I will break things down into categories to help prompt me. I always start with the most important thing of all, health. It’s interesting how I’m immediately grateful for the ability to walk, to see, or to do anything physical whenever I’m in public and I see someone in a wheel chair or disabled in some way. Instantly I’m reminded of how fortunate I am and of how I take such important things for granted. Spending a few minutes to really cherish my health has amazing positive benefits. I often list things like this:

1. I’m grateful for my total health today, and I’m reminded that as long as I have my health, I have hope. And hope is the start of everything.

2. I’m grateful I’m healthy enough to go to the gym, and that I can run, box, lift weights and get my endorphins going.

3. I’m grateful I can sleep at night and wake up without pain; that I am not enduring the challenges that a disease or diagnosis would impose on me and my loved ones.

4. I’m grateful that I can choose to eat a healthy meal; that I have food choices and abundant fresh water available to me and nearby whenever I want or need it.

5. I’m grateful for my Starbucks card :–)

As you can see, this can go on and on and sometimes does. Here are other categories in no particular order. Again, I use them as needed, and I expand and add to them regularly. Here is just a sample – by no means a complete list – of the things that might be included in each category. I’m sure that with just a little bit of thought you can add many of your items in each.

Work and opportunity:

6. I’m grateful that I have a job (or business) that gives me the opportunity to be of service and to make a living. If I’m in sales, then I have a company that provides me everything I need to succeed. They pay for the building, the rent, the products, the phones, the back office support, the training, the leads, etc.

7. I get paid to find people to be of service to! Wow, what an honor! My day always goes better when I remember that I’m here to find ways to help people rather than to get something.

8. Because I’m in commission sales, I can make as much money as I want! How fortunate am I? If I want a raise, all I have to do is find more companies or people who could benefit from my product or service and then meet them. Next year I could buy another home or car or move closer to retirement. Wow, I’m so blessed to have so much opportunity…

9. If I don’t have a job right now, then I have nothing but opportunity and I can do virtually anything I choose – the training, the colleges, the jobs, the opportunities are there for me to do anything I decide I want to do.

Family is always at the top of the list:

10. I’m grateful for my family and their health. I’m grateful for their love and support and the privilege I have to be in their life and the opportunity I have to add to their lives.

11. I’m truly grateful for the unconditional love I feel from my family.

12. I’m grateful for the opportunity to provide for them the life I’ve had or didn’t have and for the opportunity to share in their lives as their futures unfold.

13. I’m grateful for the family get together this Thanksgiving and over the holidays. Though I may not always like them all on the same day, I do love and appreciate them for who they are and for what they add to my life.

This category and the ones before it can be a list of 25 items by themselves as you can see. We truly have so much to be grateful for. Here are 12 other random items that can also be expanded. As you read them, you might want to make a list of others that you think of as you go through them:

14. I’m grateful for my love of photography and for the wonderful cameras, books, and programs available to me.

15. I’m grateful to be alive in the beginning of the 21st century! I love technology and all the wonderful things it affords me.

16. I love my new iPhone 5!

17. I’m grateful for God and for my understanding of and relationship with Him.

18. I’m grateful for having my own business and for the freedom I have to take an occasionally half day on Friday and sneak off to the movies to see the new James Bond film on opening day!

19. I’m grateful I have a roof over my head and that my family didn’t have to endure days and nights without electricity or suffer the loss of life and home as many others did during hurricane Sandy.

20. I’m grateful I can contribute to the relief effort simply by picking up my phone and texting to the Red Cross or by visiting their website: https://www.redcross.org/

21. I’m grateful for my goals and plans for 2013 and for the opportunities to achieve them.

22. I’m grateful for the wealth of great books, CD’s, and other programs that keep my attitude focused on what’s possible.

23. I’m grateful for the NFL! I can’t wait to be at our local sports bar cheering on my surprising Tampa Bay Buccaneers!

24. I’m grateful for the unconditional love from the pets in my life.

25. I’m eternally grateful that I have the awareness and ability to stop and write a gratitude list like this…

Now I don’t know about you, but I already feel So Much Better. And I felt pretty good before I wrote this list! For me, the real magic of writing a gratitude list is that it takes the focus off of “what’s in it for me” and “where’s mine?” and puts it back where it should be – on what I can do for you. You see, when I take just a few minutes to acknowledge how truly rich and blessed I am right now, it’s so much easier to want to share this attitude with others. It’s so much easier to truly want to help others rather than to get something by closing a sale. And developing an attitude of giving rather than getting is what makes everything I do so much more rewarding.