Category: Sales Tips

You know what the nice thing about the truth is?  It doesn’t change.  What’s true today was true yesterday and it will be true tomorrow and next year as well.  It’s like math: 2 + 2 = 4.  You will always get 4 no matter what you’re adding, and no matter where you add it – in this country or in outer space.

And it’s the same in sales.  There are certain sales truths that are true no matter what you’re selling, no matter where you’re selling it or who you’re selling it too, and no matter what the economy is doing or how your company is doing, or whatever.  Just like 2 + 2 will always equal 4, these sales truths will always work for you – or against you.

That’s the good thing about the following 5 truths: If you follow them, stick to them, abide by them, you will close more sales with less frustration.  On the other hand, if you ignore them or try to deceive yourself into thinking that maybe, just maybe, it won’t be true for this particular prospect, then you do so at your own expense.  The expense of lost sales, much frustration and pressure, are the penalties for not following the following 5 sales truths:

1)      You can’t close an unqualified lead.  Seems straight forward enough, doesn’t it?  And yet 80% of sales reps across all industries are trying to do just that – close prospects that should never have made it into their pipeline to begin with.  To test this, ask yourself, “Out of 10 leads or prospects that send information to and follow up with, how many turn into deals?”  If you’re like the average sales rep, your answer is one to two.

What this means is that 80% of the leads in your pipeline weren’t qualified to begin with and were never going to close.  This is where the ‘sales is a numbers game’ philosophy came from.  The solution to his is to learn the most important skill in all of sales – learn to disqualify rather than to qualify your leads.

2)      Leads never get better when you call them back.  Let me ask you, “How many times have you called back a prospect and found they were actually more interested and receptive than they were when you first called them?”  Rarely, right?  This sales truth is similar to the first one in that the more important thing you can do is properly qualify your leads.

People ask me all the time what the secret to closing sales is.  They are surprised by my answer, but it’s always the same: The secret to closing is that you have to find someone who not only needs your product or service, but is ready, willing and able to buy it.  In other words, see sales truth #1.

3)      The objection, “I want to think about it” usually means no.  Again, ask yourself this question: “How many times have you actually closed a prospect who tells you this and then gets you off the phone?”  Almost never, right?  The reason is that this objection is one of the most used smokescreens ever created to mask the real objection – which is usually that they’ve made a decision to not use you and they don’t want to have to argue with you or explain why not.

The only way to deal with this (and it’s not, “Oh, then when should I call you back?”) is to use a close that gets them to tell you the truth (see my blog for examples), and then learn why they weren’t qualified to begin with and do a better job qualifying your next prospect (otherwise you’re going to repeat this hundreds of times in your career).

4)      Your success is always, 100% up to you.  Until you take 100% responsibility for yourself (not 90% or 99%), you will always look for (and find) an excuse for not achieving what you want.  For years I would point to bad leads, a bad economy, a bad territory, etc., as reasons why I wasn’t a top producer.  When my manager pointed to the top reps driving porches and living in the homes I could only dream about, I found other excuses…

It wasn’t until I took 100% responsibility for my life and my results that I finally shed the excuses and found a way to succeed – no matter what.  And once I adopted that attitude, I accomplished more than I ever dreamed possible.  And still do.  There’s a saying that if you’re not part of the problem, then there’s no solution.  If you take 100% responsibility for your results and your life, you’ll find a way to succeed.  All winners do.

5)      Some sales people should be selling something else – or not selling at all.  I’ve been managing and training sales people for over 25 years and this is one of the consistent truths in all of sales.  It’s a hard truth to swallow, at first, but once you follow it, everyone’s life gets easier.

Let’s take the first part.  Some people are better at outside sales then inside sales.  Some people are better at a longer sales cycle than a short one.  Some people are better at selling a service than a product, and some are better at B to B and others better at B to C.  Ask yourself what you are best at and what makes you the happiest, then go sell that kind of product.

Second, not everyone is cut to be in sales.  That doesn’t make you a bad person rather, it’s just the truth.  Some people are better in a customer service role.  Some people are better in marketing.  And some people are better off going back to school and learning a different profession.  Again, be honest with yourself and ask yourself what you are best at and what makes you the happiest.  Then go out and pursue what will make you happiest (and more successful).

So there you have it.  Twenty five years of experience boiled down into 5 sales truths.  Are there more?  Of course, but you’ll have to wait for another article for that…

Many times a week I’m asked several things:

“Is cold calling dead?”

“What is the best way to keep track of your calls and call backs?”

“Is there an easy way to record your calls?”

“How can you keep all your scripts near you so they are easy to get to when you need them?”

Whenever I asked these types of questions, my answer is always the same:

Have you tried the best CRM solution on the planet for inside sales: VanillaSoft? VanillaSoft does it all – keeps track of your leads, organizes your call backs, displays your scripts, records your calls, and SO MUCH MORE.

They even have a “Lite” version that will fit many selling situations for just $16 a month!

Try it for free for 30 days here.

I want to share an email the owner of the company, Ken Murray, sent me the other day:

Dear Mike,

You and I always joke about the naysayers that claim the phone is dead, cold calling is old school, social medial has the answers and so on. Well my friend, you still remain a leading force in helping those that sell by phone do it more professionally and successfully and VanillaSoft remains the leading software platform driving phone sales. Perhaps we are getting the last laugh.

If we had listened to the pundits we would have pulled the plug years ago. Selling by phone is dead they yelled. We heard it all. No one uses the phone anymore; people can’t be reached. If you reach them they do not want to be bothered. When sales people kept selling by phone in growing numbers, the voices remained loud but changed directions slightly. The new chant was “cold calling is dead.” To be successful by phone, you must social-sell. Well Mike, here we are at the end of 2011 and I am here to tell you that the phone is still alive and well, cold calling still works and companies still sell and acquire customers by phone. Why? Because as you and I know, it still works!

Knowing this does not give one permission to stick you head in the sand and ignore the changing dynamics of selling by phone. Yes– you can still cold call and be successful. But, you can do it more professionally, more productively and more successfully. The pundits were wrong on many accounts, but the concerns they raised led to many new market innovations and selling techniques (and training) that greatly enhanced selling by phone. Think of the early DNC (Do Not Call) regulations. It was said that this will kill the industry and end selling by phone once and for all. It actually had the opposite effect. Today, companies benefit from DNC by not calling those individuals that have opted out. They were the “guaranteed NOs” that in past days you would have had to spend time and effort on. Today, the government has removed them for you. The legislation actually saves businesses money. Nice! How often do we hear that about any government regulation?

The same is true for software and the many innovations that have taken place in the last several years. Using your father’s CRM, contact management, or a “dialer” to sell by phone is like- well, sticking your head into the sand again. Today, many choices are flourishing that can make your phone selling efforts more professional, more productive and more successful. Gone are the days of one-trick ponies. Today’s software can be deployed as SaaS, up and running in hours and deliver amazing functionality for cold calling, setting appointments and selling by phone. The functionality, features and modules can be tailored to your specific selling needs. An abundant amount of research has been conducted in the last few years highlighting what features “best-in-class” companies are deploying to maintain their success. Many features are covered in the white paper, “Why Traditional CRM is Not Enough.” Simply visit: click on the title and you can have it for free.

Selling by phone is alive and well. The pundits and naysayers have not killed it. Doing it right, leveraging the new tools available and garnering new success… that is up to you. Get the best training and marry it to the best software. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

Great Selling in 2012!

Ken

Grab a Free Trial of VanillaSoft from Mike’s page at http://www.vanillasoft.com/mrinsidesales

Thanks, Ken. Again, if you are looking for an affordable, robust and highly effective CRM solution for your calling situation, check out VanillaSoft.

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!

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

I don’t know about you, but two days before July the 4^th business slowed down and then after the holiday, it seemed to stop!  We do have business, of course – very much like you – but the pace of business, the new leads and the urgency of the first half of the year seem gone…

What happened??

Summer happened, that’s what.  As I speak to clients and colleagues (who aren’t on their family vacations) they tell me the same thing – many of their bosses, co-workers, suppliers or business partners are either on vacation, just coming back from a vacation, or just about to take a vacation.

In fact, many people I know are taking as much as three to four weeks off!  (I just spoke with a potential coaching client, and when I asked him when he was thinking of starting our coaching relationship, he told me it would be after his month long vacation in August.  He and his wife will be back right before Labor Day.

So there you have it.  Business is seasonal.  Kids get out of school.  The weather changes.  People have worked hard and are now ready to take some time off.  Business changes and people seem to relax.

Does this mean companies aren’t buying or planning for the fall?  Of course not.  It just means that they are going to begin doing things on their time table, not yours.

So here’s what you can do to not only make sales now, but also set yourself up for the best finish of any year you’ve ever had:

1)      Don’t let up.  Keep working hard – if not harder.  Make more calls.  Send more emails, stay later and come in earlier.  The time you put in now may not seem to pay off right away, but in the fall you’ll see the fruits of your labor.

It reminds me of the “dog days of summer” in NFL training camps.  I still remember what Bill Parcells told his players in late December when they were about to begin a drive that would determine whether they got into the playoffs or not.  He looked at his exhausted linemen and said: “This is why you lift all those damn weights!”

The effort you put in now will make the difference at the end of this year…

2)      Connect with established clients.  This is the perfect time to send a card, to make a call, and to talk with clients about things other than business.  For example, where are they going for summer vacation?

Face it, if things are slow for you, they are probably slow in their business as well.  How about asking what they are doing to deal with this period and what they are doing to get ready for the fall.  And how about asking how you can help them do that?   Set yourself to work with them when they’ll be ready…

3)      Work on improving your skill set, new product development or other part of your business that will make a difference in the second half of the year.  If any of you have thought about developing a greeting card campaign to stay in front of your customers and prospects, this is the perfect time to do it!

Some of you know that I use Send Out Cards to keep in front of my clients and prospects, and did you know that you can now use that same system without a sign up fee?  Click Here to find out how.  Just use this number to try this system out for free: 83661

Why not design a card with a picture of yourself and family on YOUR vacation and send it to all your clients and prospects.  That’ll give you something to talk about.

4)      Make goals for September through December and develop a plan of action to accomplish them.  Develop an affirmation card and goal sheet of what you’re going to earn, what it’s going to feel like over the holidays to have accomplished it and begin smiling each day as you feel the feelings of having done it.

Remember, “Fear Pushes, but Vision Pulls.”  Use this time to create a compelling vision of the rest of the year for yourself and let that vision pull you through the summer…

5)      Feed your mind a positive diet.  This is the time to feed your mind every single day (and many times in the day as well).  My favorite book to re-read during each summer is: “Beyond Positive Thinking” by Dr. Robert Anthony.  You can get it on Amazon.com

I’ll bet you have your own list of positive reading material you’d like to finally read.  Pick one book tonight, put it on your desk and commit to reading it before Labor Day.  That alone will make a huge difference for you.

The most important thing to remember during the summer is that “This too shall pass.”  If business has slowed down, that will change.  And if you take advantage of any of the five suggestions above, you’ll be the most prepared to prosper when it does…

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

Have you scheduled your vacations for this year? I have, and boy am I excited!!

After I did, I remembered an article I published years ago, and I thought about all the positive feedback I had on it. So I decided to reprint it here.

If you follow the advice I give, I assure you you’ll enjoy your work more and you’ll be more successful at it!

Here it is:

At a company I consulted with a few years ago, there was a manager, Brad, who would never think of taking a full week away from the office. "Much too much to do, and I don’t really need it anyway." He told me.

"When was the last time you did take off on a real vacation?" I asked.

"Heck, I can’t tell you. Got to be over six years." He said.

"Aren’t you burned-out?" I asked.

"Naw. I take three-day weekends occasionally, and there are holidays. I get by I guess." He answered.

On the other hand, a woman I’d been coaching at the same company, Mirna, who is now a Top 20% closer, had just returned back from her first trip to Hawaii. She took her three kids and her husband, and when she came back to the office, she looked like a new woman.

She was tanned, relaxed, excited and she was energized! She talked about the fun her kids had, about how incredible Hawaii was, and about how she couldn’t wait to go on her next trip!

Vacations are the key to staying energized, focused, rested and motivated. And when you are energized and motivated, you perform better on your job and are happier overall. All work and no play make Jack, well, you know the story.

But just like in sales, there are guidelines and "best practices" to ensure that you get the most out of your vacation. After years of perfecting the vacation, I offer, "The 5 Secrets to Taking Great Vacations" — enjoy!

Secret #1 — Schedule and pay for your trips at least six months or more in advance.

Don’t wait till the last month to take a trip because it will never happen. You will always be too busy. By planning, scheduling and paying for your trips far in advance, you’re almost certain to actually take them.

July or November or March will always come and if you’ve already paid for a trip — you’re going!

Benefit: When you plan that far in advance, you get to look forward to it for months! It’s a great motivator.

Secret #2 — Go somewhere special.

Make a list right now of the six places you and your family would love to go to. Then enlist their help! It’s a great family activity.

Next, pick one special or exotic place this year and — that’s right — book it now. Go ahead, buy the airfare, book the hotel and car and pay for it. And then, have everyone mark it on his or her calendar.

Benefit: Watch the attitude of your family change — for the better. Suddenly there’s something bright, fun and enjoyable you are all looking forward to. Gee, the kids sure are nice to be around again!

Secret #3 — Don’t return to work until Tuesday!

Even though you get back Saturday or Sunday, don’t go right back to the office. Give yourself time to readjust, run errands, and settle back in. Nothing ruins of good vacation more than going back to work the very next day. Vacation? What vacation?

Benefit: Taking Monday off is like getting another "bonus" vacation.

Secret #4 — Take at least one mini vacation per quarter.

Besides your large vacation, plan to take at least one extended weekend, holiday or other three or four day break per quarter. Hitch a Friday and Tuesday onto a Memorial Day weekend, and voila! — you’ve got a bona fide vacation using just two personal days.

Try to go somewhere on at least one of these, and spend the others around the house getting things done or just relaxing.

But all the previous rules apply: plan, schedule, and pay for it in advance!

Benefit: Even more to look forward to!

Secret #5 — Don’t work while on vacation.

Your vacation is exactly that — a vacation! Leave your laptop, blackberry, and paperwork at the office. Resist the temptation to check in with your office. This is your and your family’s time.

Train your sales manager, VP of sales, or assistant to handle all business while away. They will do fine without you, and it will all be there when you return.

Benefit: You will actually feel like you’re on vacation and you’ll enjoy it even more!

So there you have it — the 5 Secrets to Great Vacations. I guarantee that if you follow these rules, you will not only enjoy your life more, but you’ll be more productive at work as well.

Imagine that — more successful and happier!

When is your next vacation?

If you found this article helpful, then you’ll love Mike’s NEW book of phone scripts, ?The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts."  Buy now and get over $500 worth of free bonuses from top sales trainers like Tom Hopkins, SalesDog, Stan Billue and many others by taking advantage of this Special Offer: https://mrinsidesales.com/booklaunch.htm  Find out why Brian Tracy calls this the best book on inside sales available today!

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

Would you finally like to know exactly what to say in any selling situation when you call prospects and clients? Well now you can?

My new book, ?The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts,?  has over 220 word for word, proven scripts to help you deal with all the blow offs, put offs and objections you get day in and day out when prospecting, setting appointments and closing sales over the phone.

Check it out here.

This book is packed with script after script of real world, effective come backs and rebuttals that will help you easily handle situations like:

• Overcoming initial objections like, ?We?re not interested? and ?I?m too busy,? and ?We already have a company/supplier for that,? and many, many more;
• *Learning how to build crucial rapport in the first 5 seconds;
• *Connecting with gatekeepers and getting through to the decision maker;
• *Knowing what to do and what NOT to do when prospecting and qualifying;
• *Dealing with smokescreen objections like ?The price is too high?;
• *Getting your prospects to return your emails and voice mails;
• *Overcoming common objections like, ?We just need to think about it,? and ?I can get it for less money,? and many more.

Let?s face it ? you get the same objections 90% of the time, so why not be prepared in advance with the absolute best scripts and techniques that really work. These scripts are focused on helping you connect with and engage your prospects instead of talking and pitching at them. That?s why Brian Tracy calls this book, ?The absolute best book on inside sales I?ve seen in a long time.?

Also, by taking advantage of this book launch, you can get over $795 worth of free bonus gifts including valuable e-books, and recordings from authors and experts like Tom Hopkins, Jeb Blount, Wendy Weiss, and many others when you order this new book today.

Go here right now and get details about purchasing the book and receiving your special free gifts.

Mike Brooks,
Mr. Inside Sales

P.S. The Chapter on cold calling alone will instantly change your experience of prospecting and will easily pay for the book within the first day! Check out Ultimate Scripts Here.

You know that saying, ?Practice makes perfect?" Do you think that’s true? IT?S NOT. Practice only makes permanent. Only practice of perfection makes perfect.

This is why 80% of sales reps struggle so much. They have never learned the proper sales skills, or, if they have, they aren’t using them and so day after a day they practice poor techniques and develop habits of selling that don’t work.

And after weeks or months or years of selling, they automatically and consistently do and say all the wrong things — and get poor results because of it.

The Top 20%, on the other hand, are in the habit of learning, using and practicing techniques and skills that work. They’re constantly adjusting, adapting and improving on each call, and they practice proven techniques, skills and methods that keep making them better.

The bottom line is that practice creates habits. And first we form habits and then they form us. My question to you is what kind of sales skills are you or your sales team practicing everyday?

My tip for you today is to take one of the proven sales technique you?ve read about in this manual — either using a script, questioning the red flags, or recording yourself – and commit to practicing it everyday on every call this week. If you do that, it will become a habit for you and you will quickly see the benefit.

Then do the same thing next week. Take another Top 20% skill or technique and make it yours and get in the habit of practicing perfection.

If you do this consistently, you’ll soon be performing like a Top 20% producer.

I know because this was how I became a Top 20% producer, and I can tell you that it builds on itself — your closing percentage goes up, your confidence goes up, and soon you?re in the habit of closing like a Top 20% producer.

And it all starts by practicing perfection.

What technique or skill can you incorporate starting today?

At a company I once consulted with there was a manager, Brad, who would never think of taking a full week away from the office. "Much too much to do, and I don’t really need it anyway." He told me.

?When was the last time you did take off on a real vacation?" I once asked him.

?Heck, I can’t tell you. Got to be over six years." He said.

?Aren?t you burned-out?" I asked.

?Naw. I take three-day weekends occasionally, and there are holidays. I get by I guess." He answered.

On the other hand, a woman I’ve been coaching at the same company, Mirna, who is now a Top 20% closer, just last week got back from her first trip to Hawaii. She took her three kids and her husband, and last Wednesday she came back to the office and she looked like a new woman.

She was tanned, relaxed, excited and she was energized! She talked about the fun her kids had, about how incredible Maui was, and about how she couldn’t wait to go on her next trip!

Vacations are key to staying energized, focused, rested and motivated. And when you are energized and motivated, you perform better on your job and are happier overall. All work and no play make Jack, well, you know the story.

But just like in sales, there are guidelines and ?best practices" to ensure that you get the most out of your vacation. After years of perfecting the vacation, I offer, ?The 5 Secrets to Taking Great Vacations? — enjoy!

Secret #1 — Schedule and pay for your trips at least six months or more in advance.

Don’t wait till the last month to take a trip because it will never happen. You will always be too busy. By planning, scheduling and paying for your trips far in advance, you’re almost certain to actually take them.

July or November or March will always come and if you’ve already paid for a trip — you’re going!

Benefit: When you plan that far in advance, you get to look forward to it for months! It?s a great motivator.

Secret #2 — Go somewhere special.

Make a list right now of the six places you and your family with love to go to. And enlist their help! It’s a great family activity.

Then, pick one special or exotic places per year and — that’s right — book it now. Go ahead, buy the airfare, book the hotel and car and pay for it. And then, have everyone mark it on his or her calendars.

Benefit: Watch the attitude of your family change — for the better. Suddenly there’s something bright, fun and enjoyable you are all looking forward to. Gee, the kids sure are nice to be around again!

Secret #3 — Don’t return to work until Wednesday!

Even though you get back Saturday or Sunday, don’t go right back to the office. Give yourself time to readjust, run errands, and settle back in. Nothing ruins of good vacation more than going back to work the very next day. Vacation? What vacation?

Benefit: Taking the Monday and Tuesday off is like getting another ?bonus? vacation.

Secret #4 — Take at least one mini vacation per quarter.

Besides your one or two large vacations, plan to take at least one extended weekend, holiday or other four or five day break per quarter. Hitch a Friday and Tuesday onto a Memorial Day weekend, and voila! — you’ve got a bona fide vacation using just two personal days.

Try to go somewhere on at least two of these, and spend the others around the house getting things done or just relaxing.

But all the previous rules apply: plan, schedule, and pay for them advance!

Benefit: Even more to look forward to!

Secret #5 — Don’t work while on vacation.

Your vacation is exactly that — a vacation! Leave your laptop, blackberry, and paperwork at the office. Resist the temptation to check in with your office. This is your and your family’s time.

Train your sales manager, VP of sales, or assistant to handle all business while away. They will do fine without you, and it will all be there when you return.

Benefit: You will actually feel like you’re on vacation, and you?ll enjoy it even more!

So there you have it — the 5 Secrets to Great Vacations. I guarantee that if you follow these rules, you will not only enjoy your life more, but you’ll be more productive at work as well.

Imagine that — more successful and happier!

When?s your next vacation?