Author: mike

Why You Don’t Want to Be Successful

by mike

I was in Las Vegas giving a Keynote speech at a sale conference the other week, and a rep came up to me and told me this story:

“Mike, I was out playing golf with a really successful business coach a few years ago, and after I hit my first ball about 150 yards, we got back into the golf cart and I said to him, ‘I really want to be able to hit the ball 200 yards.’  The business coach looked at me (we’ll call him Bob), and he said, ‘No you don’t.’ 

“I looked at him and said, yes I do.  I really want to be able to hit the ball 200 yards.”

 “No you don’t,” Bob said. 

“By now, Mike, I’m getting pretty mad because, yes, I do really want to hit the ball 200 yards, so I said to Bob, ‘What do you mean, no I don’t?  I do!  I really want to be able to hit the ball 200 yards!

“So Bob looks at me and he says: ‘Well, do you have a golf coach that you’re working with every week?’  And I said, no.  He then asks me, ‘Well, do you practice every week?’  And I said, no. 

“So he says, ‘Well, see.  You don’t really want to hit the ball 200 yards!’” 

I nodded at the rep and he smiled at me.  He then said, “I’ll tell you, Mike, after that ride in that golf cart, I went and hired a pro, committed to practicing regularly, and now I hit the ball 200 yards!” 

That story really hit home for me.  I can’t tell you how many times I “wanted” to have or do something, but nothing happened until I committed to it and took consistent action.  In fact, I can’t remember anything that I didn’t get or accomplish once I did that!  

And that’s why I love coaching and working with business owners and sales reps who have made the commitment to getting better.  I know through my own experience and the experience of hundreds of other people I’ve worked with over the years, that if you are finally ready to do what it takes to succeed, then I can give you the tools that ensure success.  

Think about your own situation for a moment.  What are your goals or resolutions this year?  Are you committed to getting in better physical shape?  Are you committed to a certain income level this year?  To completing a creative task?  

If so, have you hired a fitness trainer?  Do you have a sales coach or have you joined a mastermind group to support you and give you the tools you need to succeed?  Have you joined a writing or photography group?  

Just what actions ARE you taking right now to accomplish your goal?  

The bottom line is that we all want lots of things, but only a few of us are willing to actually do something about it.  Is this the year that you finally have what it is you’ve always wanted?  The good news is that it’s there for the taking if you’re ready to do something about it.  I hope you are.

I'm going to predict your future for 2012

by mike

Forgive me in advance if this rubs a bit too close to the bone.

It’s not meant to be offensive, but it is meant to be objective. (I’ll explain in a second.)

1. You will break your resolutions by the end of January.

2. You will make the same amount of money as the average of your last 5 year’s total income.

3. You will gain 2 pounds of body fat.

4. You will struggle with the same habits, patterns, and behaviors that you always have.

5. You will get to the end of the year and have made very little progress in your life.

Why do I make these predictions?

Well, statistically speaking, that’s what will happen to almost everyone, including you.

So, it’s a safe bet that the same will happen to you this year.

That is, if you don’t make some necessary changes and STICK TO THEM.

I know … I know …

What nerve? Who the heck am I to say such things?

Exactly!

No one can make accurate predictions about an individual. Only about populations.

The fact is, it’s only the people who are outside of the “norm” that really do anything significant with their lives.

So, are those people made that way?

Is it just the luck of fate or genetics?

C’mon, both you and I know better than that.

In fact, I’d like to introduce you to someone that has a large volume of evidence that shows that exactly the opposite is true.

The fact is, success “can” be reverse engineered and reproduced.

You don’t have to accept what everyone else is getting but you MUST make a few new choices.

Suppose you decided today – right now – that you’re finally serious about making a REAL commitment to turning your dreams into actions… AND your goals into achievements.

And suppose you had more fun doing it than you ever imagined!

It can happen… but you need to be challenged and you’ve got to take the first bold step.

Is 2012 going to be the year you accomplish all you’ve dreamed of…forever?

You can do it, and I’ve found a way that will show you how.

Say hello to Gary Ryan Blair and the 30 Day – Got Resolutions Challenge!

This extreme performance acceleration program will be the kick in the behind you need so YOU can change your life for the better, and I mean MUCH BETTER!

All you have to do is say YES, I’m ready for a challenge, and Gary will show you how to make this the best year of your life!

I recommend the program, I recommend that you act quickly, and more importantly I recommend Gary as he is the BEST at what he does.

Click here to turn your dreams into reality.

You’ll love this very special program!

Mike Brooks
Mr. Inside Sales

P.S. Be sure to check out the video that explains the entire system. It’s a very unique approach with cartoons that is one of the best I’ve ever seen.

Go here now:

Click here:

5 Key Closing Questions

by mike

I get a lot of Ezine topic requests each week, and the majority of them are requests for different questioning techniques to use during the qualification stage.  I’m glad to see these requests because it means people understand the importance of identifying and then spending time with buyers.

I’ve written many feature articles over the years that address these kinds of questions, and if you’ve missed any of them I encourage you to visit my inside sales training blog.  You’ll get a ton of scripts and techniques that you can begin using right away to make more sales.  See my blog here.

Last week, however, I got a request for questions that could be used during the close or presentation stage.  That was a good question, and today’s feature article will cover 5 of my favorites.  These questions will vary from taking a prospect’s pulse to see if they are with you, to finding out if a benefit you just listed would work for them, all the way to a trial close.

All of these questions are crucial to ask during the close, and after you read them I encourage you to put these into your closing scripts and outlines.  They will give you the feedback you’ll need (and don’t get because you’re not in front of your prospect) to close the sale.  To get the most benefit from them, incorporate them into your script today:

#1 After giving any part of your presentation, you can ask, “Are you with me so far?”  You can vary this with, “How does that sound?”  Or, “Do you see what I mean?” And, “Does that make sense?”

Always listen carefully to not only what they say, but to how they say it.  And always allow a few seconds after they respond to give them time to add something else.

#2 After you give a benefit, ask, “How would you use that?” or, “Could you use that?”  Or, “Would that work for you?” or, “How could you use that in your situation?”

Again, LISTEN to what and how they respond…

#3 Another good question to ask throughout your presentation is, “Do you have any questions so far?”

This is one of the best questions to ask, and it’s also one of the least used.  You’ll be amazed by the kinds of questions you’ll get, and each one reveals what your prospect is thinking.  You should use this question often!

#4 Trial closes are always good.  Try: “How is this sounding so far?” or, “Does this seem to be the kind of solution you are looking for?” or, with a smile in your voice, “Am I getting close to having a new client yet?”

Even though that sounds cheesy, you’ll be amazed by how it will often break the ice and get your prospect to lower his/her guard!

#5 When you’re done with your presentation, always ask, “What haven’t I covered yet that is important to you?”

This a great way to end your presentation!  If they tell you they don’t have any questions, then you get to ask for the order!  If they do have questions, you answer them and then ask for the order!

The bottom line is that asking questions — and then shutting up and listening — is still one of the most important things you can do either during the qualification stage and during the close.  Use the above questions during your next presentation and watch your closes get stronger and your income get bigger!

If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mike’s Ebook: “The Complete Book of Phone Scripts,” which is packed with word for word scripts and techniques that you can begin using today to make more appointments and more sales.  You can read about it by clicking here: http://www.mrinsidesales.com/scripts.htm

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance.

If you’re looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

How to Handle Underperforming Sales Reps

by mike

Every sales team has them: sales reps who consistently miss their quota, don’t appear motivated, or, when you try to help them, do better for a while and then drop back down into underperformance.  As a manager or business owner, it’s frustrating trying to get these underperforming reps to do better.  And as a sales rep, it’s also frustrating not making quota and being under the gun all the time.  What can you do about it?  Read on, I’ve got some suggestions for you.

To start with, I’d like to share a somewhat shocking study with you.  In their book, “How to Hire and Develop Your Next Top Performer,” Herb Greenberg, Harold Weinstein and Patrick Sweeney compared results from hundreds of thousands of assessments that were conducted over several decades with actual sales performance measurements and concluded:

1)      55 percent of the people earning their living in sales should be doing something else,

2)      Another 20 to 25 percent (of salespeople) have what it takes to sell, but they should be selling something else.

I don’t know about you, but when I read those statistics I almost fell off my chair.  As I thought about it, though, I began to compare those results with my actual experience.  I work with a lot of companies and a lot of sales teams, and as I’ve written over and over again, almost all sales teams have the 80/20 rule going on: the Top 20% of the producers are usually generating about 80% of the revenue and income, while the bottom 80% are struggling to make quota.

And isn’t that true in your sales organization as well?  If you’re like many inside sales teams, you’re constantly trying to get your underperformers to produce more, but how much real success do you have?  Again, sad to say, many bottom 80% producers simply don’t improve that much and that’s why most companies are constantly hiring and replacing reps.  When you look at it that way, the numbers from the conclusion above begin to make sense…

OK, so what’s the solution?  I mean, you can’t just fire 55% of your sales team.  The good news is that there are steps you can go through to train and raise performance, and once you go through these steps you’ll know who can become a productive member of your sales team and you’ll have the structure in place to onboard new reps more quickly and efficiently.  Here they are:

1)      The first thing you need to do is to give every member of your sales team the specific tools and training they need to be successful.  Many companies I work with, including the sales managers themselves, just don’t have specific, effective sales skills, techniques, scripts to give to their sales reps.  As a result, while their Top 20% seem to intuitively know what to do, the rest of the team struggle because no one is training them how to be successful in their sales environment.

The solution is to take the time to develop a “Defined Sales Process” by identifying what steps 80% of your successful sales go through and defining the best practices at every step of this sales cycle.  Once you have defined your best practice sales process, you need to:

2)      Script out the best practice techniques and turn these into your company’s training program.  In other words, you need to give each of your reps the exact tools and techniques and scripts they need to successfully navigate every step of your sales cycle. Next, train and reinforce these skills with every member of your team.

You see, before you can properly evaluate who can make it and who can’t, you have to give them the training on your best practices first.  Only then will you be in a position to know who has the talent, motivation and work ethic to succeed in your sales environment.

3)      Once you’ve defined your sales process, turned it into your company training program and actually trained your reps on it, it’s now time to objectively evaluate each member of your team to see if they have what it takes.  I use the word objectively here because it’s now up to you to record your reps, create a “sales process or script” grading form to measure adherence to your best practices.  At this point your reps either are or they aren’t doing what you know it takes to succeed.

The good news once again is that after about 90 days of measuring, coaching and managing reps to adhere to your new best practice sales process, you’ll have a very clear idea of who is going to make it and who isn’t.  At this point you can begin replacing those reps who clearly won’t.

4)      Now that you have your DSP in place, a solid training program that teaches the most successful best practice techniques, you will be in position to hire and quickly train and evaluate your new sales reps.  With this kind of a proven system in place, you’ll get a lot more production out of your new reps much faster, and you’ll have a very clear idea of who isn’t going to make it much sooner as well.  This will make you more money and save you money and frustration at the same time.

There is obviously a lot that goes into building this kind of structure, but it’s well worth the time and effort.  In fact, according to CSOInsights.com, sales teams that have and follow a “Defined Sales Process” average more than 33% in production and revenue than sales teams that don’t. 33% – now that’s significant!  Just ask yourself how much that would mean to you and your company’s bottom line.

There are many ways to go about creating a defined sales process and training program and one of the best ways is to break down what your Top 20% are doing.  They obviously have figured out the best way to do it, so why not copy and adapt what they are doing and saying?

If you’d like to know of more ways, simply visit the link below.  Regardless of how you go about it, making this your number one priority is essential to evaluating and dealing with your underperforming reps.  It’s also the way you’re going to build and grow a multi-million dollar producing sales team.

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, if the Best Selling author of “The Real Secrets of the Top 20%” and “The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts.”  Voted one of the most Influential Inside Sales Professionals two years in a row by The American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, he is recognized as a leader in the industry.  Mike’s core selling skills webinars and onsite sales training programs are packed with proven skills and techniques that make an immediate impact on your bottom line

Mike also works as an executive coach with business owners and sales managers, and does complete phone script development.  To learn more about how Mike can help you and your team succeed, visit: www.MrInsideSales.com/managementtraining.htm

How to Get Bigger Sales

by mike

Every Monday morning, Peter King of Sports Illustrated publishes an online
recap of the previous NFL Sunday called, “Monday Morning Quarterback –
MMQ.”  This is required reading if you’re an NFL football fan, and even if
you’re not, it’s entertaining and filled with great insights.

In last week’s edition (10/2/11) I read this brief story in his Travel
Note of the Week section and it inspired today’s article on getting bigger
sales.  Here it is:

“Friday morning, 5:09 a.m. Back Bay Train Station, Boston. Man sitting
with a blanket outside the front of the station said to me, “Sir, do you
have five dollars?”

“Uh, well, I can give you a buck,” I said.

I reached in my pocket, took out two ones and handed them to the guy.

“Don’t have a five, huh?”

“I’m sure I do, but I’m giving you two.”

The guy grunted and gave me a withering look, and we both went about our
day.”

As soon as I read that article, I thought about how great a closer the guy
with the blanket was.  If he hadn’t asked for more – $5 here – he would
have gotten just the one dollar Peter was going to give him.  But because
he asked for more, he got DOUBLE the money he probably would have gotten!

This is the power of asking for more, and this is what you should be doing
in your sale as well.

Whatever you’re selling, you should be asking for the premium membership,
the biggest bulk quantity, the policy with all the bells and whistles,
etc.  Even if you don’t get it, you’ll often get a lot more than you would
have if you started lower.

This is without a doubt one of the easiest ways of making more money,
increasing your sales and becoming a top producer.  Remember, your
prospect is sold on your product, they’re in the buying arena, and they
have their check book out.  There is no better time of making MORE money.

And all you have to do is ask for it!

How to Get Bigger Sales

by mike

Every Monday morning, Peter King of Sports Illustrated publishes an online recap of the previous NFL Sunday called, “Monday Morning Quarterback – MMQ”.  This is required reading if you’re an NFL football fan, and even if you’re not, it’s entertaining and filled with great insights.

In last week’s edition (10/2/11) I read this brief story in his Travel Note of the Week section and it inspired today’s article on getting bigger sales.  Here it is:

“Friday morning, 5:09 a.m. Back Bay Train Station, Boston. Man sitting with a blanket outside the front of the station said to me, “Sir, do you have five dollars?”

“Uh, well, I can give you a buck,” I said.

I reached in my pocket, took out two ones and handed them to the guy.

“Don’t have a five, huh?”

“I’m sure I do, but I’m giving you two.”

The guy grunted and gave me a withering look, and we both went about our day.”

As soon as I read that article, I thought about how great a closer the guy with the blanket was.  If he hadn’t asked for more – $5 here – he would have gotten just the one dollar Peter was going to give him.  But because he asked for more, he got DOUBLE the money he probably would have gotten!

This is the power of asking for more, and this is what you should be doing in your sale as well.

Whatever you’re selling, you should be asking for the premium membership, the biggest bulk quantity, the policy with all the bells and whistles, etc.  Even if you don’t get it, you’ll often get a lot more than you would have if you started lower.

This is without a doubt one of the easiest ways of making more money, increasing your sales and becoming a top producer.  Remember, your prospect is sold on your product, they’re in the buying arena, and they have their check book out.  There is no better time of making MORE money.

And all you have to do is ask for it!

If you found this article helpful, then you’ll love Mike’s NEW book of phone scripts, “The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts.”  Get over 220 Brand New Scripts to help you easily get past the gatekeeper, set appointments, overcome objections and close more sales. Visit:  http://www.mrinsidesales.com/booklaunch.htm and get over $400 of FREE Sales Bonuses by Jeffrey Gitomer, Tom Hopkins and more!!

Do you have an underperforming inside sales team?  Talk to Mike to see how he can help you and your team reach your revenue goals.  To learn more about Mike, visit his website: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

3 Ways to Avoid Call Reluctance

by mike

Do you suffer from call reluctance? No matter how experienced you are – or even how successful you are – picking up the phone to prospect, call leads back, and even call on existing clients can still be difficult.

If you find that your phone has seemed like a 200 lb weight lately – you know, hard to pick up – then follow the 3 suggestions below to get into action again:

#1) Believe it or not, call reluctance often starts the night before – usually Sunday night is the worst. Dread can begin building and by the time Monday comes it’s almost impossible to avoid dumping VM’s, answering emails, organizing leads – anything to avoid making those calls…

The Solution: Set a specific goal for the # of calls you’re going to make each day and then make that your #1 priority for your day. Once you make those calls, you’re free to do all the other things that are important and the pressure will be off you.

Start with a small goal, one you know you can accomplish and then work up from there. Success will build on itself and it will get easier and easier to make calls…

#2) Develop a script you’re comfortable with and then use it on each and every call. Nothing is more demoralizing or frustrating than trying to ad-lib your way through brush off’s, objections and negativity you get day after day. Being prepared with and using a script will give you confidence and help you build rapport quicker.

The Solution: If you want free scripts, then visit my blog. If you want even more word for word scripts, invest in my “Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts”.

#3) Change your expectations. Most sales reps start with the wrong mindset. Because they believe in their products and services, they think that everyone should and would be a deal – if they would only let them pitch them.

The Solution: Reset your expectations. Start by reminding yourself that regardless of how good your product is, you can only sell someone who is interested at that time and willing to listen to you. In other words, you’re only looking for buyers.

Once you adopt that attitude, it will be easy to make calls because when someone says no, you’ll be able to thank them for not wasting your time. You’ll now be able to move on to the next call and next possible buyer.

Bottom line – once you set an achievable call goal, write an effective script, and being calling looking only for the buyers, calling will get much easier.

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, if the Best Selling author of “The Real Secrets of the Top 20%” and “The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts.”  Voted one of the most Influential Inside Sales Professionals two years in a row by The American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, he is recognized as a leader in the industry.  Mike’s core selling skills webinars and onsite sales training programs are packed with proven skills and techniques that make an immediate impact on your bottom line

Mike also works as an executive coach with business owners and sales managers, and does complete phone script development.  To learn more about how Mike can help you and your team succeed, visit: www.MrInsideSales.com

3 Rules for Successful Up Sells

by mike

If your product or service allows you the chance to up sell your customer at the point of sale (and seriously, what product or service doesn’t??), then you instantly double and even triple your income if you know how to properly suggest and get your prospects and customers to buy more.

First, let’s talk about what NOT to do:

1)      First of all, you absolutely have to ask for the up sell in order to get it.  I know that sounds like a “duh!” comment, but take it from me – out of the thousands of sales reps I listen to each year, a very small percentage actually do.

2)      Ask for the up sell as an afterthought.   As you’ll see, timing is everything with the up sell.  Don’t wait until the very end of the sale to suggest one.  You have to make it part of your original product offering as you’ll see.

3)      Ad lib it.  You absolutely have to be prepared, polished and assumptive when asking for the up sell.  Again, this is where many sales reps fall short as you’ll see…

OK.  And now here are the 3 rules for successful up sells:

1)      The first thing you need to do is know exactly what up sell item or service you’re going to sell with what product.  If you sell many different types of products or services, then you may have a pair them in advance and be ready to offer the product that most likely fits or goes with what it is you’re selling.

Take some time this week and map out exactly what specific product or service you’re going to up sell with which product you’re selling.  And then stick to that and pitch that over and over again.

Case Study: I consulted with a blood plasma company once that sold everything from blood plasma, to flu shots, to disposable supplies.  There was a lot to choose from in terms of up sell.  We hired a new rep and he quickly became the number one producer because he decided to up sell the same bottles of blood plasma whenever someone bought blood plasma.  In other words, he didn’t try to them sell them gloves or needles.  Here’s how it went for him:

If the client bought two bottles, he would always say, “That’s great.  You know, we happen to have two more bottles of that left with the same expiration date.  They come in a case of four – would you like me to just send you our last four bottles?”

Over 60% of the time they would!

2)      And that leads me to rule #2: Be prepared with a scripted approach.  The up sell is one of the easiest and most important parts of your presentation to script out.  So many sales reps (like 80% of them), ad lib the up sell (whenever they think about it at all), and often aren’t convincing nor persuasive.

But the top reps have taken the time to script out the most compelling up sell pitch they can, and then they deliver it with confidence and in an assumptive manner.  This makes a huge difference.  Here are some great ways to start your up sell script:

“________, I’ll tell you what many of my clients are also taking advantage of….”

“That’s a great choice.  And did you know we’re running a special offer on two or more cases?  Yes, you can get free (shipping, package of wipes, promotional posters, etc…)…”

“_________while that policy is perfect for you, the smart way to go is to increase your coverage to 2 million dollars for just a $100 more a year.  That would be your best move on this….”

3)      The third rule is that timing is everything!  The best time to suggest the up sell is right after your prospect or client has said yes to an order.  Don’t talk past the close, don’t go over any other details, just go right into your up sell pitch.

The reason for this is that your client is in the “buying zone” at that moment and that is when you make your up sell offer.  Don’t worry, they won’t cancel their first order – that’s in the bag.  What you want to do now is suggest an up sell (that you’ve scripted out and that is compelling) at this exact moment and then hit your mute button and listen.

There you have it.  The three rules to effective up sells.  Try them today and watch your sales – and your confidence – soar!

3 Rules for Successful Up Sells

By Mike Brooks, www.MrInsideSales.com

If your product or service allows you the chance to up sell your customer at the point of sale (and seriously, what product or service doesn’t??), then you can instantly double and even triple your income if you know how to properly suggest and get your prospects and customers to buy more.

First, let’s talk about what NOT to do:

1)  First of all, you absolutely have to ask for the up sell in order to get it. I know that sounds like a “duh!” comment, but take it from me – out of the thousands of sales reps I listen to each year, a very small percentage actually do.

2)  Ask for the up sell as an afterthought. As you’ll see, timing is everything with the up sell. Don’t wait until the very end of the sale to suggest one. You have to make it part of your original product offering as you’ll see.

3)  Ad lib it. You absolutely have to be prepared, polished and assumptive when asking for the up sell. Again, this is where many sales reps fall short as you’ll see…

OK. And now here are the 3 rules for successful up sells:

1)  The first thing you need to do is know exactly what up sell item or service you’re going to sell with what product. If you sell many different types of products or services, then you should pair them in advance and be ready to offer the product that most likely fits or goes with what it is you’re selling at the time.

Take some time this week and map out exactly what specific product or service you’re going to up sell with which product you’re selling. And then stick to that and pitch that over and over again.

Case Study:  I consulted with a blood plasma company that sold everything from blood plasma, to flu shots, to disposable supplies. There was a lot to choose from in terms of up sell.

We hired a new rep and he quickly became the number one producer because he decided to up sell the same bottles of blood plasma whenever someone bought blood plasma. In other words, he didn’t try to sell them gloves or needles. Here’s how it went for him:

If the client bought two bottles, he would always say, “That’s great. You know, we happen to have two more bottles left with the same expiration date. They come in a case of four – would you like me to just send you our last four bottles?”

Over 60% of the time customers said yes!

2)  And that leads me to rule #2: Be prepared with a scripted approach. The up sell is one of the easiest and most important parts of your presentation to script out. So many sales reps (like 80% of them), ad lib the up sell (whenever they think about it at all), and because of that they aren’t very convincing nor are they persuasive.

But the top reps have taken the time to script out the most compelling up sell pitch they can, and then they deliver it with confidence and in an assumptive manner. This makes a huge difference. Here are some great ways to start your up sell script:

“________, I’ll tell you what many of my clients are also taking advantage of….”

“That’s a great choice. And did you know we’re running a special offer on two or more cases? Yes, you can get free (shipping, package of wipes, promotional posters, etc…)…”

“_________while that policy is perfect for you, the smart way to go is to increase your coverage to 2 million dollars for just a $100 more a year. That would be your best move on this….”

3)  The third rule is that timing is everything! The best time to suggest the up sell is right after your prospect or client has said yes to an order. Don’t talk past the close, don’t go over any other details, just go right into your up sell pitch.

The reason for this is that your client is in the “buying zone” at that moment and that is when you should make your up sell offer. Don’t worry, they won’t cancel their first order – that’s already a done deal. What you want to do now is suggest an up sell (that you’ve scripted out and that is compelling) at this exact moment and then hit your mute button and listen.

There you have it. The three rules to effective up sells. Try them today and watch your sales – and your confidence – soar!

If you found this article helpful, then you’ll love Mike’s NEW book of phone scripts, “The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts.”  Get over 220 Brand New Scripts to help you easily get past the gatekeeper, set appointments, overcome objections and close more sales. Visit:  http://www.mrinsidesales.com/booklaunch.htm and get over $400 of FREE Sales Bonuses by Jeffrey Gitomer, Tom Hopkins and more!!

Do you have an underperforming inside sales team?  Talk to Mike to see how he can help you and your team reach your revenue goals.  To learn more about Mike, visit his website: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

Fear Pushes, Vision Pulls

by mike

This saying really resonated with me the first time I heard it. At that time I was selling over the phone, and I knew all about being driven by fear. I was afraid that if I didn’t make quota I would be fired. I was afraid that if I didn’t close any business before the end of the month I wouldn’t be able to afford my rent. I was afraid to cold call because no one seemed interested in what I was selling.

It was this fear that pushed me to show up. It was there in the morning when I awoke. As I laid there it overwhelmed me and pushed me out of bed. When I got to the office, and after I had procrastinated most of the morning away, it was there to push me to make cold calls. Later in the day it was there to push me to make closing calls. All day long (and the days turned into weeks and months) my fear of economic insecurity, of having made the wrong choices in my life, of what my future would be like, pushed me through my life as a salesman.

As I looked around my office I’d wonder what I was doing wrong and why others in my office looked and acted more confident and happy. The top producers driving the new cars and moving into their new homes didn’t look like they had much fear. The two bosses who owned the company didn’t look like they had the fear I had. In fact other producers who seemed to be trying hard and actually looked like they enjoyed the challenge and their successes didn’t seem to have the fear I did.

What was wrong, I wondered?

And then I heard the statement, “Fear pushes, Vision Pulls”. Someone asked me what my goals for the rest of the year were, and I couldn’t tell her. She asked me what got me excited in the morning, and I had to admit there wasn’t much. She asked me what I was looking forward to accomplishing in the coming years, and I didn’t have an answer. She asked me if I had specific goals in each area of my life that I could actually believe in, and I told her I didn’t. And that’s when she explained about the importance of having a vision for my life.

She told me that before I could have a dream come true I first had to have a dream. She explained that developing and having a vision that I could believe in was what made the tough times easier to bear and it made the good times more rewarding. She told me that it was easy to develop a vision and once I really believed that it could come true that it was then destined to manifest itself in my life.

After doing a lot of work with goal setting, affirmation setting, visualization and imprinting my goals into my subconscious, my visions did come true. Books like “The Secret” and “Beyond Positive Thinking” and “The Sermon on the Mount” helped me change my life and my thoughts, and I highly recommend books like these if you’d like to learn techniques and methods to help you manifest your dreams as well.

Over the years, though, what I’ve found to be important is that if I don’t keep painting a vision for my life then fear quickly sneaks back in to push me to take action again. While it works for a bit, it’s highly inefficient and it’s uncomfortable for me and for all those around me. When I’m driven by fear, my life quickly becomes unmanageable and I start asking myself all the old questions again. When that happens I know it’s time to create a new vision for my life.

What I’m doing right now is setting a two year vision for my life and just thinking about it has already rekindled the enthusiasm and spirit that were briefly missing over the last two months. Just mentioning this to my wife has invigorated her as well. Separately and then together, we are mapping out what the various areas of our lives are going to be like by the end of December 2013. We picked that date because it gave us enough time to get everything done and having that time is important to allow us to buy into and believe that it’s possible. That’s one of the keys manifesting.

The other key that has me so excited about the vision I’m creating is that it is balanced and includes all areas of my life – not just my business. I’m setting specific goals in terms of:

Health and fitness

Finances

Creative (in terms of books to write and publish)

Travel and fun!  There are trips to Europe, NFL football games, fall color tours and more

The vision includes daily, weekly, and monthly benchmarks, as well

And through it all I’m staying focused on exactly how I will feel when I’ve accomplished it all. I’ll tell you, I get excited just writing about it right now! I can’t wait to get on the phone! Over the last week I’ve woken up with a new energy and it’s the power of being pulled forward by vision.

If you’ve found yourself in a slump lately, or if you’ve detected some of the old fear creeping back into your life, then I encourage you to sit down over the upcoming holiday and write out some specific goals and to turn those goals into your vision. Read some of the books that inspire you to create the life you know you were meant to live, and share it with those who love you and whose lives will benefit from the dynamic and exciting vision you can create.

I guarantee you’ll feel better when you stop being pushed by fear and start being pulled by your vision…

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Do you have an underperforming inside sales team?  Talk to Mike to see how he can help you and your team reach your revenue goals.  To learn more about Mike, visit his website: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

The Secret to BEING Happy and Successful

by mike

Years ago I discovered a secret that has enabled me to create so much happiness and success, and the amazing thing about this secret is that it’s the exact opposite of what I had always been taught. You see, I was always told that if I wanted to BE happy or successful, then I had to Do things first that would enable me to HAVE something and then I would BE happy.

So I went about DOING a lot of the things people said I had to DO to be successful. For example when I wanted to become a Top 20% producer, my manager told me that I needed to cold call a lot, that I needed to give a lot of presentations, and that I need work harder, smarter, etc… So I did. But I didn’t become a top producer!

The reason was that the image I held in my mind was that of a bottom 80% producer who was trying to Do the things so I could HAVE the things I thought I needed to BE successful. And that image of me trying to struggle to become something I wasn’t (and that I didn’t see myself as) was the reason I wasn’t making much progress.

It was my self-image of not already BEING something (successful) that kept me from DOING the right things to BE successful. You see, I was still a pretender trying to be something that I didn’t believe I was. So I kept adlibbing it through my sales process, still wasn’t using proven techniques, and I still sent out unqualified leads, etc. So no matter how much more I DID, I remained a struggling rep still trying to get the things (to HAVE them) so I could BE successful.

It didn’t work.

And then I learned the secret. It was simple and made perfect sense, but it wasn’t that easy to do in the beginning. What I learned is that the image I have of myself, my self image or picture that I hold of myself, is what drives and ultimately determines all levels of success and happiness. And my number one priority was to first SEE myself as successful, in other words to BE successful in my thoughts and consciousness FIRST, and then I would Do (take the right actions) and HAVE success.

I learned that the way the world really works is opposite of the way I had been taught. All manifestation and results work like this: You first have to BE something in your mind (really feel it and believe you already have it) and then you imagine to HAVE the things you want and then it will be like you to automatically DO the things you need to do to get them.

And here’s how I now practice this “law of manifestation”:

1) First I identify exactly what I will feel like when I accomplish any goal I have. Exactly what it will mean to me to BE in that state of accomplishment and feeling. If my goal is to achieve a certain level of production and income, I then capture all the feelings and describe all the things I will have now that I’ve accomplished the goal. I do this in intimate and elaborate detail…

2) Then I write up an affirmation card that includes a paragraph that reinforces exactly how I’m feeling and what it’s like to BE at that level of accomplishment. I read and visualize that affirmation and imprint those feelings into my subconscious mind so that I can BE that in my mind’s eye. After a few weeks of BEING this in my mind, my self-image is changed and I have changed the picture of myself at my deepest BEING level.

3) All while this is happening, I watch myself as I begin making better decisions and as I begin getting (HAVING) different, more successful results in my life. And all this leads to me DOING things differently that support and reinforce and bring into reality the image that I now have in my mind (of how I am BEING).

The way this breaks down is that if my goal is to make more money in a month, I visualize what I feel like now that I’ve accomplished this, and then I watch as I naturally take better actions, and watch as more people, situations, and deals come into my life. I know this might sound magical and, well, it is. But it works…

If you find that you are struggling to achieve a certain result – whether it’s earn more money, get in better shape, improve a relationship, etc., then before you wait to be successful at it, why not start with the end result first? Try BEING the thing or state you are trying to accomplish first, and watch as what you HAVE begins to change and the things you begin DOING change to support that new image.

It’s how all long lasting change takes place, and it’s a lot easier than going about it the old way you may have been taught, too.

If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mike’s bestselling book on what it takes to become a Top 20% producer: “The REAL Secrets of the Top 20% – How To Double Your Income Selling Over the Phone.”  (Recommended by Jeffrey Gitomer!)  Get a Special Offer and read about it by clicking here: http://www.mrinsidesales.com/secrets_and_CD.htm

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance.

He offers a FREE audio program designed to help you double your income selling over the phone, as well as an internationally acclaimed FREE Ezine. If you’re looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com