Okay, I had to go and ruin it didn’t I. Can’t I just get off your back and let you enjoy the revelry of the recently departed Holiday Season before dropping the “reminder bomb” of the “life altering” resolutions that you just made. But good news! It’s only January. Which means you have eleven plus months to really get things going. I mean, you still have tons of time to blow out of work early while walking passed door after door of possible clients. Or perhaps burn up an hour or so doing meaningless paperwork after one halfway decent tele-sales call. Sure, don’t sweat it. And oh, it’s time to start researching that 2012 spring break trip. Never mind those Facebook updates you need to get on top of. And did you see what Kim Kardashian was up to today on Twitter?!!! Your change can wait a while, can’t it? Whew!

Well, I hate to do this to you. Hell, I like some good procrastination like most, but I just can’t let you do it. You are in this thing with the rest of us. We are all going into 2012 together…as a bunch of crazy Sales Weapons. Why? Because things aren’t as easy as they once were. All right, I said it. This economy stinks, customers seem harder to find, and margins aren’t what they once were. But guess what? A lame economy, tough customers and eroding margins only affect average and below average salespeople. And YOU don’t have to be average. That is a choice no economy or customer can take away from you.

So why make 2012 the year you worked harder, became smarter and did more than ever to increase your skills? Because the feeling of accomplishment that comes from being THE top sales performer in your company or industry is tough to beat. Think of the perks that come with being better than everybody at the world’s greatest profession. While I will promise not to sound like a late night infomercial promising lavish yachts, fast cars, and beautiful people falling at your feet, I will promise you this. You will feel like a champion. You will gain the respect of your managers and company leaders, and perhaps more importantly, your customers.

While I fully realize the thrill of a large commission check may be good enough for you, for most, the driving motivation is recognition and respect. So ask yourself a question right now. When was the last time you were publicly recognized by your company, manager or industry? I’m talking about an award, a voicemail passed on about something extraordinary you did, or a posting of a customer testimonial on the company website about your amazing service. When was the last time somebody made you feel respected by asking your advice about how to sell at a high level, how to overcome that common objection, how to get to the top! If you said six months, one year, or never, then things are about to change. In 2012 you WILL be noticed. You WILL be respected. And you WILL be a top performer. It’s time to become famous in your company and industry. But how?

Step 1: Grab a pen and pad, an iPad, or a computer right now.

Step 2: Think clearly about what your success will look like at the end of this year. Then answer the below questions:

• How will you ultimately measure your success?
  _______________________________________________________________
• Who will be positively affected if 2012 is your best year?
  _______________________________________________________________
• Who will help you get there?
  _______________________________________________________________
• What did you do in 2011 that you should keep doing?
  _______________________________________________________________
• What did you do in 2011 that you should stop doing?
  _______________________________________________________________
• What do you need to begin doing in 2012 that you haven’t done yet?
  _______________________________________________________________

Step 3) Let’s talk activity and make it specific.

I will make $______________ this year.
I will close ________ sales a week.
I will have _________ sales presentations/meetings a day.
I will make _______ prospecting calls a day.
I will plan _________ hours/minutes each week to plan.
I will be rank #_________ in my company in sales.

Now take that sheet and tape it to your forehead! Take a deep break and let those commitments sink into your brain. And when you are done peeling the tape off your face, make one more commitment. Promise yourself that you will look at that sheet (electronic version works good, too) each Monday morning and Friday afternoon. The more you look at those objectives, the more quickly you will become a top performer. You see, by keeping the finish line in front of you at all times, you will know exactly where to run. The target will be stationary, and a stationary target is much easier to hit than one that is moving.

And notice the second to last line of the PRECISE Objectives. You need to plan to plan. This means that you need to pick a set time each week to map out your month. And during that planning time, DO NOT pick up voicemails, emails or tweet! Plan your high value activities at least two weeks out.

So here’s my prediction for 2012. If you are committed to mastering sales, consistently focus on your objectives, and schedule time each week to plan, you will get the recognition and respect that we talked about earlier. Your peers will want to be like you, your CEO will want to know your secrets, and your customers will want to fix you up with their closest relative (assuming your single). And next holiday season, as you review 2012, you will be thankful for the commitments to excellence you made one year ago.

And lastly, never forget:

“No amount of success at work can compensate for failure at home.” -Patrick Morley

See you at the TOP!

Sales Coach and Business Consultant Brian Sullivan, CSP is the author of the book, 20 Days to the TOP- How the PRECISE Selling Formula Will Make You Your Company’s Top Sales Performer in 20 Days or Less. Sign up for his free weekly motivation and sales tip by going to www.preciseselling.com. Fun stuff that will keep you focused on getting to the top!

“If you want to be famous in business, do your job so well that everybody wants to tell a friend about you.”
-Brian Sullivan

Let’s get something straight. Nobody…I mean NOBODY likes to make cold calls. That’s because well over 90% of the cold calls we make lead to rejection. And that rejection leaves us feeling as we are somehow less human than we were before the cold call. While many of our professions rely on us reaching out to new prospects, who says those new prospects have to be ice cold? Because they don’t! In fact, if you do your job exceedingly well for current customers, then make it a habit to ASK for their help in growing your business, your days of getting kicked to the curb should be greatly limited or eliminated all together.

So this week, identify 10 current customers who love you and your company. Then ask each one of them this question, “Can I ask you for a favor? I am trying to grow my business,  and I trust your opinion. Do you know of three or four friends or associates who could use the type of service/value that I have been providing?” Then don’t look shocked when they actually give you some names. Hey, if you get three referred leads from each of those ten customers, you just created 30 new warm and cozy leads. Then go spend your sales time prospecting with that list…a list that carries a much higher percentage of success than that frigid one staring you in the face right now.

“But wait, there’s more…”
Billy Mays

This week the sales world lost one of its great Pitchmen, Billy Mays. His ability to create millions of dollars in sales by pitching common household products landed him on his own Discovery Channel show known as Pitchmen. So what can we learn from Billy that will make us a top Pitchmen or Pitchwomen? Well there are many lessons, but perhaps the biggest one that stands out is Billy’s ability to make common products seem uncommon. To do this, he made his demonstrations fun. They never got stale or boring. He was able to get more done in a two-minute commercial than most “professional” salespeople can get done in 60 minutes.

So this week, pick your favorite product to sell. Then sit down and write a short two-minute commercial on what makes that product so special. It should include

•    An introduction,
o    “Hi, I’m Billy Mays here for What Odor.”
•    Heavy on Benefits
o    “Eliminates Embarrassing Odors with One Spray.”
•    The Secret to How it Works
o    “Non-Toxic, All Natural Formulation of 41 Oils.”
•    Where to Use it
o    Sour Milk, Moldy Rotten Cheese, the Litter Box
•    Wow Examples
o    “Can eliminate a Skunk’s Odor”
•    Call to Action with UREGENCY
o    “Order now and we will add a second bottle.”

By taking time to think like Billy Mays, you will have developed the essential ingredients of what will become your greatest sales presentation. So thanks Billy, for teaching us how passion, energy and an occasional loud voice are essential tools to not only getting prospects interested, but committed.

“I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something, I sell it, and I sell it hard.”
Estée Lauder

Hard selling, Estée? Careful, that may scare some of the readers. Nobody wants to be perceived as a salesperson, do they? But you don’t care, do you? And you know what I love about your comment? You aren’t afraid of the word “selling.” You see, in this politically correct business environment we live in, “selling” has become a nasty word. In fact, we have become so afraid to call ourselves salespeople (this includes executives and business owners), that we have forgotten how to sell! Have we become WIMPY? We aren’t asking enough questions, we are talking too much, and we are delivering too many presentations without asking for agreement.  And because we aren’t “selling,” we are walking out of meetings having accomplished nothing. We are visiting the same customer fourteen times having never asked for a commitment. And as leaders, we are wondering why our employees aren’t “buying” into the corporate initiative. And why, we ask? Because we aren’t SELLING!  So  Estée, thanks for reminding us of who we are…salespeople…the engine of our great economy!

Brian Sullivan
President Salesperson
PRECISE Selling

“I want to discourage you from choosing anything
or making any decision simply because it is safe.
Things of value seldom are.“

Toni Morrison (1931 – )
American editor, writer & teacher
first African-American to win the
Nobel Prize for Literature

So you like to play it safe, do you? Well…stop it! Few people in this world, and in your industry, ever become famous by being wimpy. So take a calculated risk in your business that stirs up the pot a bit. Might you fail…absolutely!! But WHO CARES?! Isn’t there freedom in those two words?

You see, there really are only two types of people…spectators and players. So if you are sick of sitting in the stands and instead want to get in the game, do something this week that tells those around you that it’s game time. And then swing for the fences!

Okay, the year end sprint is in full swing. You have some choices to make, don’t you? Should you take on that extra project, tackle that nagging “problem” that’s been hanging over your head, iron things out with that co-worker who you walk by in the hall, or make that sales call to the account you have “absolutely no chance” of getting? The answer is YES! Because by undertaking in things that you don’t want to do, you will receive things that you didn’t know you could get. So this week, do something that seems painful but that you know is the right thing to do. And by next week, you will be happy you did.

Do you look at your customers as friends? And do they see you as a friend? And what is your definition of friend? Well, the dictionary describes a friend as a person you know well and regard with affection and trust. But as it relates to business, I have another definition. I believe a friend is somebody you care about so much that you feel you OWE it to them to keep them informed of the latest products and services you offer. Because if you truly believe in the benefits of what you sell, wouldn’t you FIRST want your friends to know about it.

But unfortunately, the word “friend” has been distorted by countless salespeople who believe that if they try to present too many new solutions to a “friendly” customer, they will suddenly stop being their friend. On the contrary! Because by delivering value to your “buddies” you will create friends for life. And your friendship will be built on a foundation of service, not a foundation of knock-knock jokes, indifference and sales guilt.

So this week, don’t forget that while many of your customers make you feel like you are part of the team, your friendship is NOT what they are paying for. They are paying for your professionalism, your knowledge, and your ability to match their needs with the perfect solutions. Keep selling them products and services that make their life easier, more efficient and more profitable and you will create value-based friendships that are nearly impossible to break.

President of Kansas City-based PRECISE Selling, Brian delivers seminars and Internet training programs on sales, customer service, leadership and presentation skills to companies of all sizes. He also hosts the radio talk show Entrepreneurial Moments, a show dedicated to personal and business development. To find out more, visit him at www.preciseselling.com or email Brian at bsullivan@preciseselling.com.