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The wisdom of Wayne Campbell
By Richard White | August 26, 2008
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I am a big fan of the movies and I love to reflect on my favourite movies and draw wisdom from them, especially wisdom that will help my clients with their businesses development. One of my favourite movies is ‘Wayne’s World II’ which must be one of the most unlikely stories from which to draw business development wisdom.
Wayne’s World II is the story of how public service TV presenter Wayne Campbell has a dream of putting on a rock concert which he calls ‘Waynestock’. He follows his intuition and overcomes some hurdles and eventually he turns Waynestock into reality. The only problem is that all the major bands that he has invited failed to show up. Wayne and his side kick Garth are faced with a park full of angry rockers all waiting for the event they have been promised.
After a little panic Wayne decides that it is his movie and he does not like the way it is turning out. He starts to run through some alternative endings in his mind – like the ‘Thelma and Louise’ ending where Wayne and Garth are dressed up like ‘Thelma and Louise’ and drive their car over a cliff - just like in the ‘Thelma and Louise’ movie.
Eventually Wayne decides on a happy ending where all the bands show up and everyone has the concert of a lifetime!
When things do not seem to be going according to plan from a business development point of view I remember Waynes World II and get inspired. I remember that it is MY movie and If I do not like the way the movie is turning out then I can choose how the story goes from here.
Quite profound stuff from a movie about adolescent rockers!
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Make selling easy - be a specialist
By Richard White | August 25, 2008
To win business away from tried, tested, and trusted suppliers is hard and the best way to do it for an accidental sale person is through being seen as a specialist.
Lets say a buyer had 3 potential suppliers are they are tried and tested…all liked and trusted… why would she pick one and not the other?
I would suggest that the specialist that fits closely with a key buying criteria for the prospect will normally have an edge in such a case. The higher the stakes, the more tried, tested, and trusted in the specialist area would be important.
For example, lets say a buyer/prospect is looking to roll-out a large sales management development programme across Europe and they want to do it in multiple languages
Even though they may be perfectly happy with the business they use in the UK (tried, tested, trusted and producing great results) and even though the business says that they can assemble an international team…….the buyer is more likely to veer toward a business that are specialists in sales management development programmes on an international basis. (Tried and tested in that specific area)
Its always scary specialising but it makes it much easier to focus and much easier for people to recommend you over other people who are just as nice and just as tried and tested.
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Topics: Lead Generation: Networking, Closing the sale | No Comments »
Take care of your advocates
By Richard White | August 23, 2008
I know a business owner who is relatively new into networking, especially from a business development point of view. He is very talented at what he does professionally but lets just say that he is not overly blessed with people skills!
Anyway, he made a great start to his networking and began to get his name out in the same circles that I operate in. He had some great projects to point to and his enthusiasm was quite contagious. As is normal with networking, after a period of meeting people and demonstrating his competence he started to get one or two advocates who began to pass him referrals. So far so good!
Then one of the advocates had a need for the business owners services and engaged him for a small project. The business owner gave the advocate a generous discount as a ‘thank you’ for the referrals and to encourage more of the same. Again, so far so good.
Then the business owner got very busy, partly due to the referrals coming from the advocates. He had over committed himself and he started to cut corners. He made the decision to focus attention on the highest paying clients. The consequence of that was that the advocate’s project was pushed way down the totem pole. When the advocate commented on how long it was taking to get his project done the business owner said that their major clients had to come first. It did not help that one of their major clients had been referred to him by this advocate.
Anyway, one year later and the business owner is struggling for business and wondering why all the referrals have dried up.
It reminds me of the story of the goose that laid the golden eggs. Your advocates are the geese that lay golden eggs. If you don’t look after your geese they stop laying the golden eggs!
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Topics: Lead Generation: Networking, Lead Generation: Other, Weblogs | No Comments »
Good guys can sell too!
By Richard White | July 19, 2008
I was talking to a business owner recently who has been struggling with sales for quite a while. The struggle has been with herself which is bizarre as she has displayed to me on many occasions that she has the potential to be very good at sales. Yet it is clear that she has a general dislike for sales people. This dislike is holding her back just like it once held me back. It was only when I realised that not all sales people behaved like they were selling double glazing that I made significant progress!
We all remember the bad sales encounters but rarely remember the good ones because when selling is done at its best we do not feel like we are being sold to. We feel totally in control, relaxed, and able to say what we really think rather than being on the defensive.
I asked this business owner if she had ever bought anything from a cold call in her life. Her first response was that she had not. Then, after some reflection, it dawned on her that she actually had purchased a number of items over the years that originated from a cold call. She just had not classed it as selling! In her mind, selling meant pushy. She had not realised that pushy is just one style of selling.
Eventually this business owner agreed to start looking for examples of people selling in a soft, non-pushy way that she could admire. In a style so elegant that it is hard to tell that selling is taking place. So respectful that the buyer knows that the sales person is there to serve and advise and not to manipulate.
This business owner was both inspired and saddened at the same time. Inspired to discover that effective sales people were normally very honest and respectful!! Saddened to hear that she will have to look for the exception rather than the rule.
Here is the thing - if you think you have to be pushy and manipulative to succeed then there will always be a part of you holding you back. If you look hard enough you will always find examples to prove your point of view. I just chose to look for examples of people selling in a way I felt comfortable with. I just copied what they were doing and how they were thinking. A little bit from this person, a little bit from that person….before long I had developed my own style and realised that the difference is in the attitude.
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Topics: Personal Development, Weblogs | No Comments »
Are you willing to pay the price?
By Richard White | July 17, 2008
Everything comes with a price tag. The best things in life may be for free but even they come with a price attached. Although money may not be involved, there is still a price. For example, you may need to give something up or do something that you are reluctant to do.
I have not yet come across a successful business where the owner has been resistant to sales. You do not have to enjoy sales but one way or another every business needs a sales pipeline. The more we resist sales, the more prospects will respect our wishes and stay away!
Significant progress in sales starts with a decision to become a student. That is the price. It is non-negotiable.
I made the decision many years ago to pay the price. The journey was not easy and yet I now look back on the journey with fondness. I only remember only the successes and forget the many failures that were so disappointing at the time. Its like any quality purchase. You still remember the quality long after the price has been forgotten.
I am glad I chose to pay the price and I will continue to pay the price to develop my craft.
There is a saying that when the student is ready the teacher will appear. For me the teachers were people like Brian Tracy, Stephan Schiffman, Tony Alessandra, Dale Carnegie etc etc I used to, and still do, read their books and listen to their audio programmes. They were inexpensive to buy but took time. The time was the price.
The sooner you pay the price the sooner you will start to enjoy the rewards. I hope that you choose today to pay the price for sales success in your business!
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Topics: Personal Development, Weblogs | No Comments »
Being a know-it-all can be expensive
By Richard White | July 12, 2008
Wanting to expand knowledge and understanding is an admirable quality. A mark of top sales professionals is that they never stop looking for new insights to make selling easier and more productive. That is why most of the sales books are purchased by sales people who are already successful.
This is at direct odds with people I regularly meet who are very clever people who have read a few books and think that they know it all!
After 15 years of learning about all the various aspects of sales, psychology, human behaviour, sales process, goal setting etc etc I still continue to learn. I go back and re-read or re-listen to materials. I probably listen to the Accidental Salesman recorded interviews more than anyone else!
I have a very simple outlook. If people who are very successful in sales continually invest in their own learning then there is probably something in it!
Its the small differences that can make a big difference. If you learn and apply one small nugget each week which increases your sales by just 1% then over the course of a year it will add up to over 50% and it will be a compound growth too!
When someone thinks they know it all then they miss out on more sales for less effort. That can be an expensive mistake to make.
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Topics: Featured Articles, Personal Development, Weblogs | No Comments »
Tele-marketing without tears! (premium)
By Richard White | July 12, 2008
Have you considered using a tele-marketing agency to generate more leads for your business? I regularly come across business owners who have invested in tele-marketing only to be left with a large bill and nothing to show for it. I also come across business owners who swear by tele-marketing and sometimes they have been using the same agency as other business owners who have had a bad experience!
What is the difference between a successful campaign and one that is doomed to failure? What should you really expect from a tele-marketing agency and is it a potential option for your business? In this teleseminar recording I interview chartered marketer Nigel Woods. Nigel runs a successful telemarketing agency and I find out from Nigel how to maximise the return from any tele-marketing campaign.
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Topics: Premium: Audio, Lead Generation: Cold Calling | 2 Comments »
Generating leads on your doorstep! (premium)
By Richard White | July 1, 2008
Most businesses spend time chasing all over the place trying to find new clients when there are more than enough opportunities within a 30 mile radius of their offices. In this recording, small business marketing expert Rosie Hatton covers some of the marketing options for developing a thriving business in your local area.
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Topics: Premium: Audio, Lead Generation: Other | No Comments »
Learn how to create your own blogs and podcasts
By Richard White | June 26, 2008
Many people have asked me how I managed to set up this blog and the podcasts I do for next to no cost and that includes all the teleseminars and premium content. The answer is a lovely lady called Diane Corriette. Diane was mentored by some of the biggest names in internet marketing and is fast becoming respected in her own right as someone who is able to help people deliver tangible results.
I am still a relative beginner but it all came from learning from Diane. I was speaking to Diane earlier this evening and she told me about her new workshop where she is teaching everything she taught me and a whole lot more. I am interested in signing up and I thought I would let you know too. You can get more details at:
http://www.inspirationalguidance.com/onlinebusinessbuilding/
Best wishes
Richard
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Business development insights from Indiana Jones!
By Richard White | June 19, 2008
I spent an evening at the movies recently watching the movie ‘Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull’. I was very disappointed with the movie but thought I would have a go at at least getting a blog out of it by drawing some business development insights.
My own personal rating of this movie is 6 out of 10 and deducting the business development insight from it was a bit challenging - I was rather quiet on the journey home whilst pondering the possibilities. Here goes:
Business development insight #1 - Get a good title for your product
A good title for a product makes a lot of difference. The title of this movie pushes a few hot buttons. Having ‘Indiana Jones’ in the title was probably enough for many fans of the previous Indiana Jones movies. Also having the words ‘Crystal Skull’ would be attractive to some new people especially when then promotion alluded to it being connected with Peru - a popular tourist destination.
Business development insight #2 - Deliver on your promises
For me it was so OTT Indiana Jones that it lacked credibility and Peru hardly featured at all which left me feeling a little let down. You can argue that the buyer should beware and all that…. true but I am not sure I will be spending my money to watch another Indiana Jones movie at the cinema. By the time I had stuffed my face with overpriced popcorn and Pepsi, it cost £30 for the visit. I think that a lot of people were entertained but the Indiana Jones fans would be a little disappointed at the fact it was so farcical.
Business development insight #3 - Give people what they want
The fact that I was disappointed with it does not mean that it did not have a lot of great bits in it. Lots of car chases, lots of action, lots of stunts and special effects. It was as if Steven Spielberg and George Lucas piled in a collage of ideas from all their previous movies. Personally, I think this is what ruined it for me. It was a case of overdoing it and in terms of the movie, a little less would have made all the difference.
Business development insight #4 - Have a back end!
I takes effort to find a client so make sure that people who like you and your stuff have more they can buy from you in the future. Now that Harrison Ford is getting a bit past it - he has discovered he has a son. Actually, his son does a lot of the more extreme stunts and turns out to be a bit of a swashbuckling hero himself. In fact, along with William Hurt, I thought he out performed Harrison Ford by miles. Anyway, it looks like they may be setting him up for some kind of Indiana Jones Junior role with Harrison Ford taking a back seat..
Business development insight #5 - Promote, promote, promote
I get a big suspicious if a movie is over promoted these days but Hollywood knows that if they promote a movie it is more likely to sell than just relying on PR and word of mouth. I would have given this one a miss had it not been for the promise of some connection to Peru and South America…..(apart from the fact that my young lady wanted to see it because everyone at her office was talking about it!)
So, as for the business development insights, finding the angle was a little challenging but there was clearly something to learn as the cinema was packed!
Best wishes
Richard
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