Brought in the last of the wood from up on the ridge last weekend.  Now, if Tom the Wood Guy shows up next week, four cords should do the trick for what is being forecasted as a heavy winta’.  Last Saturday, I asked the Boys on the Bench (all of whom were dressed out in various shades of camo given huntin’ season) down at the general store, and they’re all predicting a long season of tough storms.  Actually, I’m not really sure that I got a very accurate forecast since everyone, including the Chief of Police of our town (population 647), was embroiled in a hot and heavy debate regarding whether it was a good thing or not that the combination Mobil station/gun store down in Bennington was now selling modified AK47s.   Vermonters… you gotta love ‘em. 

So, whether it’s going to be a hard winta’ or a long spring like it was last year, everything seems to be coming together up at the house, over at the barn and out in the woods in prep for the snow which has been already layered into most of the mountains from last week’s storm.  The refrigerator winter list of “Honey Do’s” was officially thrown away on Saturday, as we now enter one of the two Tween Seasons-this one being…“waitin’ tween fall and winta’ ”. 

If only this simple theme of “coming together” could be transferred down to Washington, and it became the environment of reconciliation and, more importantly, advancement regarding our economy.  Now that the election is over, now that both parties have spent have spent in excess of $2 billion (and didn’t really change any expected outcomes), now that the heated acrimony has lessened at least in terms of its verbal intensity and some of the wounds may be healing, perhaps, just perhaps, both parties could come together and solve this economic morass that we are in.  At the end of the day, as any of us in business know all too well since we’ve there more than once, the solution to all of this is pretty simple:  raise revenues and cut expenses. 

Easy to say and actually easy to do…as long as there is a strong leader with enough chutzpah to lead with one hand and facilitate consensus with the other.   I know- “government is different”-but the reality is that it isn’t.  The leadership of both parties needs to actually become a leader in more than rhetoric, take a stand, increase revenues and cut deeply into the sacred expenses of entitlements without looking back so that we can start moving ahead.  

Shifting this theme of “coming together” now to the world of Sales, with only 28 selling days now left in the year, I would ask you to think about just two things this week.  Part of this process is your own personal sales planning as a player, while part of this also relates to your role as a manager, even it if only your key accounts that your managing and not a team of other players. 

1^st, focus 100% on the 28 days

Plan every single day now between today and the end of the year.  Everything needs to come together in every one of your major accounts like a well-oiled machine.   Just like Belichick is not only plotting out every single game left in the season, but trying to foresee every single potential play as he drills his guys, has them reviewing game tapes, working through extra practices and studying play books into the night, so should you be doing the same with your team.  Leave absolutely nothing to chance, and, if a couple of your guys don’t like the added pressure, get rid of them once the quarter is over.  This season is for all of the marbles, and anyone who is acting like they are not 100% on the team, is definitely not on the team. 

2^nd, find an extra 20%

Getting through this quarter is vital, but you also need to worry about your Q1 pipeline.  I know that you and everyone on your team intellectually knows this, but the reality is that you and they are going to do everything you can to make the Q4 number…including pulling in deals from Q1.  Unless you’re careful, and you’re putting in an extra 20% to prospect, qualify and do discovery on new deals, you will find yourself behind the 8 ball come January 2^nd. 

Yes, the math of your time does add up to 120%, but you knew when you took this job that not only would it be the most exciting and the most rewarding thing that you did, but that it would also require you to push beyond your limits.  This quarter is coming together right this minute, so now is the time that you need to find the extra 20% from yourself and your top team. The top performers clearly have it in them.  You need to just bring them together and take them that one step beyond.

Good Selling !!!

Jack,
Head Coach

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Listening 

Check out our latest addition to our Sales Toolbox on the subject of Listening Skills by clicking HERE.   Too often as sales people, simply because we are sales people, we want to tell & sell rather than listen.  What we know from our experience is that Listening is one of the most important skills practiced at the initial steps of Qualifying and Discovery in your sales process, which is why we put together this short Brainshark on listening.