When it comes to growing your business everything matters.

EVERYTHING.

E-VER-Y-THING!

This includes how you instruct your staff to answer the phone.

People in your addressable marketplace do not do business with you for one of two reasons:

1. They don’t know who you are.
2. They do know who you are.

I’ll address #1 later. Let’s focus on #2.

Nothing is worse than spending money on advertising, marketing, SEO, direct mail, etc. to generate interest in a lead only to scare that person away forever because your staff has the phone skills, manners and etiquette of Archie Bunker going off on Democrats.

Not only will that prospect NOT do business with you they will tell 7-35 other people how rude or indifferent your staff was when they called, which means you lose all of their business as well as any repeat business they may normally do with you.

Spending money to have people not do business with you is a sure way to go out of business sooner rather than later.

You must script the entire prospect / client / user experience from the first exposure of your business to your prospect to the 10th time they buy from you.

Assuming you have advertising and marketing in place you can get 10% to 300% more business from your current efforts by scripting, measuring and adjusting the phone answering process your people follow. This includes:

1. How many rings before they answer.
2. Having a live human being actually answer the phone.
3. The first words that exist their lips.
4. The enthusiasm (or concern) with which they utter those words.
5. The speed at which they utter those words.
6. The clarity with which they utter those words.
7. How they conclude those opening words.
   1. With a statement. “This is the Search Engine Ninja.”
   2. With a question. “This is the Search Engine Ninja. Are you calling about local, regional or national search engine optimization assistance today?”
8. They pay scale and motivation of the person answering the phone. (One of my clients entrusted a $10,000 sale to a receptionist making $22,000 a year. Sales when up 467% when she was given a list of disqualifying questions then turned the caller over to the Director once she had a qualified prospect on the line.)

Cliches exist because they are based in truth and experience. You do only get one chance to make a first impression. How good is your first impression? Have you ever tested your assumptions? When was the last time you hired a secret shopper to confirm your assumptions? When was the last time you had a professional sales and marketing educator work with you to confirm you and your staff are exquisite in this area?

See what I mean when I say everything matters?

In finance there is a rule of thumb for calculating how long it will take your money to double called the Rule of 72. To use it simply divide the interest rate you are earning on your money into 72 and that will tell you how long it will take before your money doubles.

For Example:

• $10,000 in a savings account today at 1% (I know that’s high) gives you $20,000 in 2083.
• Earn 6% (6 into 72 = 12 for those of you from Rio Linda) and you have $20,000 in 2023.
• Earn 12% and you’ll have $20,000 by 2017.

Small changes in growth rates result in huge profits sooner rather than later.

The same is true for your personal development and sales skills. You’re reading this post most likely because of the title. So let’s look at how you can grow 35% this month.

Let’s say you start down the growth path today and let’s say you are 100% you, so mathematically the sum total of all your skills and abilities equals 1.00 (the mathematical equivalent of 100% for those of you from Rio Linda.)

I you improved your skills / abilities just 1% a day (not hard, right?) your compounded growth at the end of 30 days would be 34.78%. Round that up and you’re at 35%.

What about weekends? Oh, you can’t work on yourself during the weekend? Ok. Let’s say there are only 20 self-improvement days in month. You’d still be 22% better at the end of the year.

If your money was earning 22% a year it would double every 3 years, 3 months, 7 days.

If your money was earning 35% a year it would double every 2 years, 18.25 days.

How much and how fast do you want to grow?

The nice thing about improving yourself is that once you’ve grown you own that growth and the new and better you forever.

On LinkedIn I have a by-approval-only group with 3,600 members and I just saw an ad for 5-Hour Energy. Are you really that ignorant to think taking drugs (caffeine is a drug) will put a smile on your face and make your life all better?

Maybe you should take a moment or three and figure out why your life is so draining. If you need drugs to get out of bed, to get to work, to make it to the end of the day then something is out of balance.

Take a few minutes to review The #1 Enemy Facing Sales People Today to see if it can’t give you some tips on how to wean yourself off the chemical dependency of things like 5-Hour Energy.

Just because “everybody’s doing it” doesn’t make it right. Listen to your mom. She was right 30 years ago and she’s right today. Get off the artificial pick-me-ups and strive towards your real goals that will bring natural energy and joy to your life.

Need some help with that and you’re not a cheap ass? Contact me here.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Throw down some graffiti below along with your thoughts, comments, experiences and suggestions.

Wes Schaeffer is founder and owner of “The Sales Whisperer®,” the best dang sales training, social media marketing, copy writing and Infusionsoft Small Business CRM consultant this side of the Mason Dixon Line. He has traveled the world serving his country, selling high tech gizmos and gadgets and training business owners, entrepreneurs and professional sales people how to sell more, faster, at higher margin, with less stress and more fun. He even has a “Double Your Sales in 12 Months” guarantee. Contact him here today to start doubling your sales by tomorrow. When you’re done you can subscribe to his podcast on iTunes here.

“I don’t feel like prospecting right now. I’ll go check out LinkedIn and network there for an hour or two until I get that tingling feeling for the phone.”

“I’ll finish my marketing campaign later. I’m just not feeling it right now. I’ll go sort through some Tweets for an hour or two and get inspired.”

“Things are just hard right now. I’ll work on building my business later. I have to get my taxes done anyway.”

“I’m not alone in feeling this way, you know? Don’t think I’m wimping out. I’ll get my head back in the game next week. I’m sure things will work out fine. I have a little cold. I think I’ll take a nap.”

There’s a reason martial artists deliver a battle cry / yell (Kiai or Kiyop) when they deliver a blow. There’s a reason you don’t mess with the Texas Aggies 12th Man. There’s a reason LSU fans and players go nuts when they hear this song (wait for the horns to kick in at the 18 second point.)

Actions create feelings. If you don’t feel like prospecting or marketing or writing or doing whatever is necessary to build your business do these four things:

1. Shut up and do it anyway. Babies need their diapers changed. Clogged toilets must be unclogged. The Sun must revolve around the Earth (at least according to 20% of stupid Americans that I hope don’t work for you). Businesses in a capitalistic economy must advertise, market, prospect, promote themselves and close sales to grow. (See “How Well Do You Do What You Do When You Don’t Feel Like Doing What You Do?“)
2. Once you did what you needed to do analyze why you don’t like doing whatever it is that’s holding you back.
   1. Are you lacking the skills to do it?
      1. Can the skills be learned in a timely manner?
      2. Can you affordably and effectively outsource it? Whatever you suck at should be outsourced every time, all the time.
   2. Are you lacking the energy to do it?
      1. What is your pre-work routine?
         1. Do you allocate enough time to do what needs to be done?
         2. Have you given enough thought and focus to what needs to be done? (Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance)
         3. Do you have the right tools to do what needs to be done?
      2. What is your daily / lifestyle routine?
         1. Do you sleep enough or do you stay up late watching movies and 90210 reruns and playing video games?
         2. Do you eat right or do you still think Doritos and Oreos with light beer is a complete meal?
         3. Do you exercise 3-5 times per week or have you let yourself go with the excuse “I’m not in bad shape for a 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 year old”? (My second favorite is “I’m not out of shape. Round is a shape.”
      3. Are you following your life’s purpose?
         1. If not then you’ll be faced with these challenges forever.
         2. Figure out how to do what you love or at least enjoy, even if it means you’re making less money.
3. Develop a plan to outsource that which you truly hate and suck at.
4. Implement a plan to create a business, not a service.
   1. When you own and run a “service” you have to be there all the time to do it. Doctors, dentists, attorneys, CPAs all provide a service and while most are paid well to provide that service they must still be there doing what it is they do to keep the money rolling in.
   2. When you own and run a business you can implement processes and systems that run for you day and night to free you up to do what you want to do. Check out “The Edge of Success” for some inspiration on getting this done.

Now that you’ve read this post what will you get done in the next hour? Today? This week? Start small. But start. Just like going to the gym or eating better, you’re always glad you did it after you got it done.

Make your list and attack that which you hate the most first, even if you don’t feel like it. Like Zig Ziglar says, “If you gotta eat a frog, there ain’t no use staring at it.”

Basic training teaches you to continue towards your goals even while dragging ass.

Some days you’re more tired, stressed, angry, distracted or just plane worn out than you wish. During those times do you buckle down and get the job done or do you whine and complain and use it as an excuse to produce less-than-optimal results for yourself and your clients?

How you produce during tough times or less-than-ideal times will define you.

So what’s your definition of you?

When faced with death you do what you have to do to live. Are your sales alive and kicking or fluttering and floundering?

Socrates was approached by a man who kinda sorta off the cuff mentioned in a rather detached, dispassionate manner that  he would like to have the wisdom and knowledge that Socrates possessed.

So Socrates did the obvious thing. He walked him down to the ocean and pinned the guy under water until he nearly drowned the poor slob.

After the man said “WTF?’ Socrates asked him, “What do you want?”

“Air!” replied the dude. “Air!”

To which Socrates replied, “Good. As soon as you want knowledge as much as you want air you will have it.”

So what keeps you up at night?

Do you really want to get better at sales? Do you really want to grow your business? Do you really want to make more money?

Once you do then you will know what to do and you will take the necessary actions to achieve your true desires.

Let me know if I can help.

Learn To Speak, Communicate and Network Effectively To Grow Your Sales

The great writer and poet, Emily Post said, “Ideal conversation must be an exchange of thought, and not, as many of those who worry most about their shortcomings believe, an eloquent exhibition of wit or oratory.”

How to master effective communication skills to grow your sales:

Too often people are nervous and anxious when they attend a social function. If you are in sales, which we all are, this can be a golden opportunity missed because it’s in social settings (or professional networking settings) where you may run across an ideal prospect who is “letting her hair down” and is open to what you do.

However, if you can’t engage them in dialogue the opportunity could be gone forever.

Fortunately for you this is a simple problem to resolve. All you have to do to strike up a conversation with 100% of the general public in any situation whatsoever is just pay that person a sincere compliment and then sit back and listen.

It really is that simple. Try it when you’re standing in line at Starbucks. Look at the person behind you and say something like, “I love that watch,” or “Your perfume smells wonderful,” or “That’s a nice jacket,” or “That’s a beautiful necklace,” or “I love your glasses,” or “That’s a great belt.”

Then listen as they say:

• “Oh. Thanks. I love this watch. I picked it up on sale…”
• “Why thank you. I’ve loved this perfume forever. My mom gets it for me every year for Christmas…”
• “Thanks. This thing keeps me warm in the worst of weather…”
• “Thank you. My ex-husband was a bum but he had great taste in jewelry!”
• “Hey. Thanks. I like your glasses, too. Don’t tell anyone, but, they’re not prescription!”
• “Thank you. I picked this up while in New York on business. I got it at half off…”

Then just let the conversation flow from there.

If you still have questions about ordering Infusionsoft for your business and would like to see Infusionsoft in action check this out.

If you’re ready to get started with Infusionsoft and you want to secure your over $2,741 in bonuses and savings by ordering through me please contact me now and I’ll help you secure your own Infusionsoft application today.

If you already have your own Infusionsoft application and need to get more out of it just pick the block of time for my Infusionsoft Services that fits your budget at my Infusionsoft Concierge page and get ready to get more leads, convert more sales and make more money…while you sleep.

Good Selling,

As you read the following, consider the wisdom of St. Ignatius in that “All is Gift”, even difficult circumstances.

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for difficult times, because they give you the opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary, because it means you made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they become your blessings.

- Author Unknown

My church has a 4-part program for engaged couples whereby they receive instruction on various topics including communication and finances to help them prepare for a lifetime together.

For the last few years my wife and I have volunteered to lead the session on finances since investing and the financial markets have been a hobby/passion of mine since 1991 and my wife is a master at managing household finances as she keeps a family of 8.5 fed, clothed and entertained on whatever money I have brought in each month since 1995.

The program was launched right around the time the housing bubble toppled – or I should say when the bubble was decimated, squashed and is now being ground into the dirt…but I digress.

As fears and anxiety about the economy have risen I’ve been telling couples in the program that now is a wonderful time to get married because the pressure of keeping up with the Joneses is greatly diminished.

The reason I say the pressure is down is because when we are faced with difficult times we are forced to cut out the fluff and focus on what matters, i.e., paying the bills. This leads to reducing debt by eating at home with family instead of going to an expensive dinner, renting a movie instead of going to the theater, playing games at home with family instead of goofing off somewhere you shouldn’t be spending money you can’t easily replace, etc.

Those types of activities make all families stronger and they create solid foundations and traditions on which new couples can build lasting marriages. It helps us al build up ours savings. It reduces arguments about money. It cuts down on the “noise”

This year, whether times are tough for you or not, make a decision to not only ignore the noise coming from advertisers this year but also commit to not contribute to the noise either.

So live large this Christmas by going small:

• Eat less.
• Shop less.
• Give more to those with less.
• Build stronger relationships with your spouse, family and friends.

Merry Christmas.

“Are you done yet?”

“Don’t you own a TV?”

“Your husband needs to get a traveling sales job!”

“Don’t you know what causes that?”

“Are they all yours?”

“You must be Catholic or Mormon.”

“Wait until they’re teenagers.”

“Don’t you know how much college costs?”

“They have surgical procedures that can stop that, you know?”

These are just some of the responses my wife and I heard in the last couple of weeks ago since my wife and I found out we are expecting our 7th child in just over 14 years.

What does it take to turn a society so openly, callously and utterly against children that the first thing most utter when they hear that someone is blessed with a child is a negative comment?

If I met a gentleman at a networking event and he said he had 7 Rolex watches or 7 motorcycles or I met a woman that said she had 7 dogs or 7 laptop computers and I said, “What are you thinking? Are they all yours? Y0u must be Protestant or Jewish!” how do you think I’d be received? (Picture Sarah Palin walking into a Nancy Pelosi rally.)

Marriage is a good thing. Ask Zig Ziglar.

Children are a good thing both from a religious perspective (read Psalms 127) and an economic perspective (read the U.N. warning on declining populations.)

What does this have to do with sales and marketing? On the one hand, not a dang thing. I just felt like venting.

On the other hand, it has everything to do with sales and marketing insofar as:

• Without humans to whom you can market your wares you have no business, so be happy for large families. (Like I told my cousin a couple of years ago, when The Schaeffer 8 show up at your restaurant or place of business, even if we redeem coupons we increase your sales for that day! So much more when it’s The Schaeffer 9!)
• When you are interacting with others you must possess “situational awareness,” a phrase I learned in the Air Force, which means pull your head out of your a$$ and know what is going on around you! When you blurt out a stupid, redundant, repetitive, expected, insensitive remark to someone you just met you have no way of knowing if you are insulting the CEO of the company you’ve been targeting for years – and you’ll now be locked out for another lifetime because you violated Deadly Sin of Selling #3.

Remember the motto of the Jacobs brothers, Life is Good. Celebrate life. Without it how would you make your quota?