Look Me In The Eye

It was nearing the end of the the quarter and the Vice President of Sales sent out an urgent email asking his reps to email him a copy of their latest updated forecasts immediately.

The salesman, who had been sandbagging a deal or two, decided to now include the extra several hundred thousand dollars in potential sales, look like a rock star, and take the opportunity to ask for a raise.  So he attached his file to the response email, but not before entitling it, "Increase_my_pay."

A few moments later his email was returned, acknowledging the great effort in drumming up new business.  But there was no comment on the file name or his likelihood of getting a raise.

It was then that the salesman noticed that his attachment had been returned and the name of his file had been changed to, "Fat_chance."

Moral of the story.  Want to close a big deal?   Go out into the field and meet your customers face to face.  Make it impossible for them to ignore you.   Or you can stay in the office, send out a bunch of templated emails and hope that "Tinkerbell" waves her magic wand and whisks you away to quota attainment land.   The choice is yours.
 "The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it."     -      Henry David Thoreau


Yeah I am looking right at you,

dan

No Tears

Two new salesmen were sitting outside the large company's corporate clinic.   One was crying.

"What's the matter?" asked the second new salesman.

"I had to come here for a blood test," replied the first.

"So, that's nothing to be afraid of," asserted the second.

"You don't seem to understand.  For the blood test they cut my finger."

Hearing this, the second salesman started to cry too.

"Why are you crying now too?" sobbed the first salesman.

"Because they called me in for a urine test," cried the second.

Moral of the story.  True sales professionals know that in order to succeed in sales you need to be able to deal with cuts.   Whether it's your finger, your account base, your territory, your commission rate, your base salary, or even your job; cuts are just something you have to deal with.   Regardless, cuts are nothing to cry over.   Keep a stiff upper lip, pick up your briefcase and carry on!   Tears for Fears, may have been a successful rock band in the eighties, but they're not going to help your sales career.

"I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention.  To not be like your parents.  To not be like your friends.  To be yourself.  To cut yourself out of stone."       -       Henry Rollins

No Tears for Fears,

dan

Love Is A Choice

     I have had a love affair with sales since I saved up some money and bought an Esquire shoeshine box and set up on North Main Street in Federalsburg, MD.  I was doing really good at 10 cents a shine until the local shoemaker, who was a even family friend) took exception to me "stealing his business" (he employed a full time shoe shine "boy") and the town policeman made up some story about me not having a business license. That ended my shoe shine career after about 5 days.  I matriculated to the local drug store where it was soon discovered I had a talent for "up-selling" customers after I graduated from the obligatory stock boy apprenticeship.  They came in for a box of Kleenex and left with an arm full of other stuff I suggested they might try or need.  I think I was making about 1.00 per hour with no commission but I was thrilled every time I made a sale.  I still am after about 50 plus years.
     It is my fervent hope on this "Valenheart's" Day (in my family we call it that because my daughter, Aimee, now almost 42 called it that as a kid and it stuck with all of us and continues to this day) that you get a thrill out of making a sale that transcends the money part.  If that is all you are in sales for, then get out and get out now.  The calling is about serving others by showing them how something you genuinely believe by asking them questions is in their best interest and will enhance their business or personal lives. One of the higher callings in life I believe and I hope you do too.
     So on this Valenheart's Day 2013, rededicate yourselves to loving sales because as we all know "love is a choice"!

Vetting

I am not sure when this word became part of the jargon in the transportation world or in business in general but I have always like the sound of it for some reason. Kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? Vetting.

Vetting is a service that Trinity Logistics provides to our customers to make sure the carriers we use to transport their freight are the very best we can find.  We go to great pains to determine their worthiness to carry our customers freight.  It is a process that requires the greatest of diligence since not only our customers but Trinity has a lot riding on the outcome.

I know how seriously we take this carrier vetting process but I have often wondered how diligent we are about "vetting" the people that provide our freight.  How much do we know about those to whom we are so dependent.  Oh sure, there are the normal processes such as Dun and Bradstreet or the Better Business Bureau which would tell us about their financial and ethical strengths and weaknesses.  But what about the people within the company on whom we are depending upon every day?  How much do we know about them and what makes them tick?

As individuals who work for Trinity, we say we highly value relationships and we eagerly reach out for those relationships.  We say we genuinely like people and we like to do business with friends so we make every effort to become friends with our customers.  Are we really practicing what we preach?

Everyone is busy.  We are busy serving hundreds of customers every day and our customers are busy serving their customers every day.  We should never too busy to take time to really find out about the folks with whom we are dealing every day in so many ways.  We should ask questions about family, sports and many other “personal” things because we really and genuinely want to get to know them and understand them better.  We should know a lot about our customers because we take the time to engage them not for any gain but because it is a lot more pleasant to do business with friends than it is with strangers. We should friend them on Facebook, connect with them on Linked-In, Tweet with them, share You Tubes of our family just to get to know each other better.

I also often wonder if our customers are really “vetting” us.  Really finding out about what makes us tick so they better understand the person on the other end of the phone, fax or keyboard.  I really hope they are because what they will find are some really great people who have done and are doing some really great & interesting things in their home, community, and work place. They will find people who are serious about their reputation and standing in the transportation industry and whose only purpose here is to serve them with the excellence they deserve. This will very rarely happen unless you "put yourself out there" first.  Someone has to take the initiative and that someone is likely going to have to be you.

I sincerely hope that we all  take some time from working “in” our businesses each day and start working “on” our relationships just as hard.  You make friends with your customers, providers or vendors or whatever we call one another and I think you will see the wisdom of when it comes to building relationships it works just as well on both sides of the fence.

When all other things are equal (and sometimes when they are not) people like doing business with people they like.

I am "vetting" on you to be better in 2013 than you were in 2012,

Dan

The Dig

Two salesmen decide to take a sabbatical from their jobs and do something they've always wanted to do.  And so, after several months of excavating a site, an archaeological dig in Scandinavia, they unearthed an imposing statue of the ancient Norse God of Thunder.  It was an exciting find, and everyone associated with the dig gathered round to admire the figure's rippling muscles and famous giant hammer.  But what really set it apart from similar statues were the dramatic eyes - two dazzling, blood-red rubies that shone menacingly from his warrior-like face.

Knowing that the stunning eyes in particular would make headlines around the world, the two salesmen were naturally keen to claim the remarkable discovery as their own and, much to the amusement of the assembled throng, they squabbled long into the night as to whose name should be put forward.  The bickering finally ceased when they reluctantly agreed agreed to a proposal that the statue be listed as a joint discovery.

As their colleagues dispersed, one of the junior diggers turned to his friend and remarked, "Well, that was a fight for Thor eyes."

Moral of the story.  True sales professionals know better than to waste time fighting with a colleague over who should be given credit for a particular sale or account.   Both reps involved in such a dispute lose face amongst the rest of their colleagues and management.  Everyone knows if they had simply agreed to split any disputed revenue and had just gotten back to digging for more sales, instead of wasting their time bickering, both would have been way better off.

"While seeking revenge, dig two graves - one for yourself."      -     Douglas Horton

Walking Away

In 1965 an American folk rock band The Byrds recorded a song written by Pete Seeger called Turn Turn Turn which was based on some verses in the book of Ecclesiastes in the Holy Bible.To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted.........A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
Good sales people are eternal optimists or at least should be!  Sometimes that optimism can cloud good judgement about a failing relationship with a customer.  I could list a whole page of reasons why relationships are not always made in heaven but rather in hell.  I am sure each of you could do the same.
My purpose here is to tell you about sitting on an egg that is never going to hatch.  It is a detriment to you personally because it is an act of selfishness which is contrary to team play.  When you work for a company your work with a team and if you are sitting on a still born egg expecting a miracle which will never occur you are not thinking about anyone but yourself.  A new face, a new perspective, a new attitude could change everything and it is your responsibility to recognize that you have failed for whatever reason and give up the ghost to some one else who might be able to succeed.
My Dad taught me so much about life and sales which is intertwined with life.  He said "cure it or kill but do it quickly" Hanging on to a bad relationship, be it business or personal is an albatross around your neck and likely that of the other party who might well be your customer, will prevent you from growing your business and your personal life as well. 
Be wise enough and "big" enough to stand up and say "it ain't happening, let's find someone who perhaps can do better!"
You will be happy you did it BEFORE someone else has to do it for you.

NO FEAR!

"Doctor O'Hara," the salesman pleaded, "I've got trouble. Every time I get into bed, I think there's somebody under it. I get under the bed, I think there's somebody on top of it. Top, under, top, under. You gotta help me, I'm going crazy."

"Just put yourself in my hands for two years," said Dr O'Hara, the psychiatrist, "Come and see me three times a week, and I'll cure your fears."

"How much do you charge?"

"A hundred dollars per visit," replied the shrink.

"In that case, I'll sleep on it," answered the salesman.

Six months later the doctor met the salesman in the street.

"Why didn't you ever come to see me again?" asked the psychiatrist.

"For a hundred buck's a visit?  A bartender cured me for ten dollars," smiled the salesman.

"Is that so!  How?"

"He told me to cut the legs off the bed."

Moral of the story.  True sales professionals know that in order to succeed they must have no fears.  And if you do have fears, it always pays to have a large network of bartenders, to help you through.

"A psychiatrist asks you a lot of questions your wife asks for nothing."    -   Joey Adams

Wishing You a Fearless 2013,