Archive for the ‘Management & Leadership’ Category

Bill Gibson – Part 2 – Exceptional Customer Care From The Inside-Out

Thursday, September 4th, 2014

Watch Out For The Dot

Where our mind goes, our energy flows! In customer service it is vital we focus on The White Space, not The Dot. Let me explain it.

When individuals at a meeting or seminar are asked by me what they see when they look at the above slide, they say “A Black Dot.”

What is actually there is a Dot with a “Whole Lot of White Space.” At work and in our life in general, we have a tendency to see the Dot (problems, why something won’t work, the negative side of a situation, what we don’t like, other people’s shortcomings, etc.) rather than the “White Space” (the opportunities, other innovative ways of doing things, the positives about a situation, the positive attributes and strengths of other people, etc.)

When we continually look at what we don’t like, what’s wrong, why things won’t work and are critical our energy gets drained and we become limited in our ability to find solutions and innovative ideas. Energy follows thoughts and feelings.

To have an exceptional marketing and creative mind, we need to be more “white space” focused than “dot” focused. (We are not saying to ignore negative realities and challenges that must be dealt with.)

What Are Some Dot Examples?

The Job: When I read this quote to people at our seminars and ask people who the above quote is, they often say the customer, their wife or husband, or even their banker. In this case it is “The Job” or “Your Profession.”This is one of the finest quotes I have ever seen. It is so true for most of us. At the beginning of our new job or new company we are infatuated and excited…then we start noticing the problem areas and begin to overreact. Our jobs and companies provide many opportunities and benefits if we look for them. A good habit to start for yourself and others around you is to discipline yourselves to acknowledge 5 positives about your job or fellow workers before making a criticism.Within 60 seconds of meeting an employee of a business you and I know whether or not they are happy with their job that day. Our attitude about our job reflects either positively or negatively in our company marketing.Let’s take a look at a few more “Dot” focused situations, and see how they can be turned from “Dots” into “White Spaces” (Innovative Marketing and Servicing Ideas and Opportunities).
- American Express Credit Cards:
American Express Credit Card users often pull out their American Express Card to pay for a hotel room, pay for a meal or buy a product or service and get the following answer. “I’m sorry Ma’am we don’t accept American Express but we do accept Visa or MasterCard.” The question is, what credit card did the customer prefer to use? It wasn’t Visa or MasterCard or Diners. Many businesses say they don’t carry American Express for their customers because American Express charges an extra few percentage points than other credit cards plus they seem to pay slower. Most businesses have anywhere from 50% – 150% mark-up on their products and services. Is it wise to lose the sale and the customers goodwill over 3% – 4%?

The customer may want to use American Express because their Visa or MasterCard may be over the credit limit. It could be because with a rent-a-car there is automatic car insurance when they use American Express or they are well protected against “fraudulent use of the card” or it may be the only credit card they have.

Getting even with American Express because you or I may be disagreeing with their policies may lose customers, goodwill and profits we can’t recover…because the client often leaves and doesn’t buy or doesn’t come back.
- “Change” for the Parking…“Change” for the Taxi…“Change” for the Telephone:
It is amazing how often we walk into a Café (convenience store) or retail outlet and ask if they can make “smaller change” from a 50 Rand note to pay your parking etc. and the person behind the counter says it isn’t possible…because they don’t have enough “change”. Then you walk over to a shelf, pick up a chocolate bar, a bag of crisps, a soft drink and put them by the cash register with a 50 Rand Note and the person happily takes the 50 Rand Note and gives you “change.”

What the person is saying, “we won’t help unless you buy.” That doesn’t make you feel positive about that business. As a matter of fact it leaves a negative impression in your mind.

What if the store was innovative and each day fetched extra change and small rand bills from the bank and displayed the following sign on the door and at the cash register:

Which approach would earn your loyalty as a customer? Remember Innovative Attitudinal Marketing And Servicing comes from not doing what most other people and businesses do. Be different…be unique…and have a little fun.

Don’t Touch … Don’t Read:

Shops that display magazines and sell books, tapes, CD’s, etc. and have signs like “Don’t Touch … Don’t Read” don’t make us feel trusted or welcome.

What if the sign said?

Please feel free to sit down in the many chairs we offer you

and page through or read the books or magazines.

We like having you here!

How about the signs that say, “You Break It You Own It!”

What if the sign said?

If you happen to pick up an item and break it…

we know it wouldn’t be intentional.

Feel free to pick up items if you have a need to inspect it more thoroughly…

If an accident happens you can count on our understanding.

Display … Risk of Selling:

One time myself and Neil Godin were working with a chain of Petroleum Stations in Canada and I said to the owner of a specific station, “Why don’t you have a display of a dozen or so oil cans displayed here at the pumps? People with “used cars” always like to have an extra oil can or two in their “boot” for emergencies.”

He answered with the following statement. “No way, I did it once and I had a few “oil cans” stolen”. I replied, “Where did you put them?” He answered, “Back by the front of the Petroleum Station”. I said, “They are not there”. He quickly replied, “I put them inside where they couldn’t steal them because they still stole a couple of “cans of oil” when they were at the front.”

My reply was, “Why don’t you put them out front and display them even at the Risk of Selling Them?”

As a matter of interest Neil and I convinced him to drain the next 12 cans of oil from the bottom, clean them up and display them at the gasoline pumps. If they got stolen it would only be empty cans of oil. You see, he got so focused on the Dot that he couldn’t see the positive options. How often do we do this?

Test Drive … Try It:

Most of us don’t buy a vehicle until we take it for a “test drive”. If we can’t taste it, touch it, lie on it, try it on, pick it up, smell it, listen to it, sit in it or view it, we most likely will not buy.

Years ago Ten Speed Press of Berkeley, California published my Boost Your Business In Any Economy book. Around the same time I had two ½ day speaking engagements to do for Toyota U.S.A. in the Midwest of the U.S.A. The speaking engagements were 2 weeks apart.

On the first Saturday, I presented my half day session and then made an offer to the group to visit me at my “table of books” and purchase my new book that was just published. About 15 – 20% of the 100 Dealer Principals and Sales Managers bought.

Two weeks later I spoke to 100 more Dealer Principals and Sales Managers, but this time I put a book on each chair and told them to feel free to “page through the book” while I’m speaking. At the end approximately 80% of them bought. I allowed them to Test Drive my book.

During a tour speaking at the “Big Idea” Conference sponsored by Mark Shuttleworth’s Venture Capital Company HBD Venture Capital and the S.A. Government’s Innovation Fund, I had a similar experience.

On day one 10 of the participants were at the product table looking at our three programs from the Business Success Series (Boosting Sales and Profits With Focus Selling, Turning

Entrepreneurial Spirit Into Business Opportunities and Making Personal And Corporate Marketing And Advertising Really Pay). They asked if we were going to be here with the products on day two. We asked “why”? They replied with answers like “I don’t have cash with me”, “my credit card or cheque book is at home”, or “I need to speak to my spouse or business partner”.

We responded by putting the products in a bag and said, “take them home tonight and look through them. If you decide you want them, you can pay tomorrow, if not, just bring them back”.

Most of them responded with, “You can’t do this, you don’t know me, how do you know you can trust me?”

I replied, “I can do this, the products are mine and I trust you”. 8 of the 10 people bought. At events we actually let people take the programs and electronically transfer the money at a later date. The vast majority paid immediately without follow-up.

Now, some business people would say, this isn’t wise. What if 2 of those people didn’t pay and kept the product?

Let’s look at it logically.

What if the cost of my individual programs is R150 and they retail for R700 at the event. My margin is R550. And, suppose the 10 people each take the 2 programs home. What if 2 of the 10 don’t pay? Here is what the financial results would be:

– 8 buy with a margin of R550 x 2 = R1 100

– 8 x R1 100 = R8 800

– 2 don’t pay (R150 lost x 2 = R300 x 2 = R600)

Results: R8 800 Margin

R 600 Minus

R8 200 Gross Profit

The results could be R8 200 margin I would not have had.

I’m not suggesting you need to do this, but it works for us. “White Space Thinking” instead of “Dot Thinking” can make a difference.

Penny Wise and Pound (Rand) Foolish – “Refunds” & “Exchanges”:

This is an old saying that comes from the U.K. In South Africa it may be “Cents Wise and Rand Foolish”. How often as a consumer have you returned something to a business asking for a “refund” or “exchange” and they point at a sign that says, “No Refunds or Exchanges, sale is final!” Or, they scrutinize you, make you feel like a criminal, argue with you and finally begrudgingly give you a refund.

What we are saying here is, if you are going to give an exchange, refund, discount or credit do it in a positive way. Try this:

“I’m really sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you of having to make a special trip to bring this back. Here is your refund and a 20% off coupon on “sports jackets” that you can use anytime in the next 12 months. Be sure to come back. We value your business.”

Remember, most of us shop at large department stores and large retail chains because of their “No Hassle” exchange policies. It works. Focus on the “White Space” not the “Dot”.

What am I saying? It all starts deep on the inside with the right Attitudinal Marketing.

Where can you improve on your Attitudinal Marketing?

“If you have found this blog article to be valuable for you, I would be grateful if you “shared” it with your Social Media Networks. Also feel free to circulate it by e-mail or other means internally within your organization or externally to your clients, suppliers and personal and business network. Thank-you!” – Bill Gibson

Bill Gibson is a Canadian who is living in South Africa. He is an international speaker and author and a developer of sales, service, marketing, collecting, employee morale building, personal development and entrepreneurial training programs and systems. His blog is www.bill-gibson.com and his website is www.kbitraining.com. He can be reached at bill@kbitraining.com or phone +27-11-784-1720 in South Africa. You can follow Bill Gibson on Twitter: @billgibson1, connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gibsonbill or Knowledge Brokers International SA Pty Ltd Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/knowledgebrokers?ref=hl

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Bill Gibson – Part 1 – Exceptional Customer Care From The Inside-Out

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014

Companies often promise their customers superior service and superior products through media advertising. We just have to look around us to see the promises of different companies regarding service. Look at the customer service slogans below, used by companies now and in the past, to assure customers that their companies are the best option.

Examples of Customer Service Slogans:

“Good for You” – Spar
“Isn’t That What You Would Expect From Volkswagen” – VW
“Moving Forward” – Standard Bank
“Together We Can” – Metropolitan Life
“Experience Our Expertise” – Kathy Cohen
“Today, Tomorrow, Together” – ABSA
“Excellence Is Our Only Standard” – Auto Bavaria
“Professional Excellence – Small Enough To Care” – Otter Real Estate
“Sheer Driving Pleasure” – BMW
“Everything Keeps Going Right” – Toyota
“Expect Even More” – Knowledge Brokers International (Our Company)

An advertising agency or group of Marketing Executives coming up with a great Advertising Slogan does not necessarily guarantee better results.

How often have we heard advertising slogans like the ones above only to experience the opposite when we phone the business, arrive at their store or office or have a problem that has to be solved?

We believe Media Marketing (Advertising) has value, but we believe it has to be “backed up” from the inside-out. The following description of the Marketing & Selling & Servicing From The Inside-Out Model indicates the power of working from the Inside-Out.

Marketing and Selling and Servicing From The Inside Out

1. Attitudinal Marketing & Selling and Servicing

The backbone and real power of any business starts deep on the inside of a business. It starts with the attitude of management and the attitude of staff towards clients, each other, their products and services, their service approach, community and life in general.

A well-used survey statistic indicated that 68% of dissatisfied customers stopped shopping at a specific retail outlet because of the attitude of the staff and management. This percentage would probably hold true in almost any business. I think most of us would agree the reason we most often don’t go back is because of the attitude of the people serving us.

2. Face To Face Marketing

The next most important part of Marketing And Servicing From The Inside-Out is the face-to-face handling of the customers and each other. This is the one-to-one sales and services communication that we have on the telephone, inside our business and outside the business. This is where we either get the positive or negative “word of mouth marketing” happening.

2. Environmental Marketing

After Face-To-Face Marketing we then move to Environmental Marketing. The effectiveness of our on-site merchandising and signage inside and outside the business, combined with the direct sales aids that we use inside and outside of the business can make a huge impact on the success of the operation. This includes our web-site look and even our personal appearance.

3. Extended Personal Marketing

Now, if we add in the next part, extended personal contact, we’re really starting to gain ground. We can’t go and see and talk to all of our customers personally but through extended personal contact we can. Some of the tools of the Extended Personal Marketing are the use of direct mail, direct e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, trade shows, workshops and participation in community projects. With these first four areas tuned up and working well, we are now ready to make media really work.

4. Media Marketing

For the last and final area of inside-out marketing we have effective use of the media. Most of the time, media is not there to actually sell the product, it is there to assist us to have initial credible contact with the customer. By maximising the first four power points we can now back up our advertising promises. This way we develop positive “word of mouth marketing” which is the most powerful form of marketing a company can have.

Unfortunately Marketing has been a word that has been overused and made to sound complicated to the average business person. My definition of Marketing is:

“All those things we do in a business that assist in developing a more satisfying relationship with not only our present and potential customers but with the community at large; the end result being a successful business.”

Staff handling, collecting money, creating a growth oriented work environment and how we emotionally feel are examples of areas not usually viewed as part of the marketing function.

In my opinion, they are an important part of the marketing function because they can directly or indirectly affect the relationship with the customer. For example, a manager that speaks sharply to her front line staff often sees the staff speaking sharply to customers. The domino effect makes employee handling an important part of marketing. Healthy relationships provide effective marketing.

Why People Don’t Come Back

The above commonly used research statistics indicates how impactful the right attitude is when dealing with present and potential clients. The combination of Unadjusted Complaints (which often reflects on attitude) and Indifferent Attitude of Management and Staff total 82% of the reasons why people don’t come back. These statistics support that marketing, selling and servicing is much more effective by starting with Attitudinal Marketing and Selling and Face To Face Marketing.

Note that only 9% of the reason is price alone. Clients, customers and buyers often use price as the reason because it is less personal and they may not feel comfortable telling you it is your lack of skill, attitude, they don’t trust you, your product, your service or don’t like your looks.

As sales or service people we are quick to accept price as the reason why they didn’t come back or didn’t buy from us. That way we do not have to closely scrutinize the part we played in losing the business. We don’t have to take accountability for the loss. Price or rates is a great way to blame an outside factor I’ve got no control over.

It is wise to be honest with yourself and carefully look at the real reasons why you may lose business or not land a contract. That way you grow and improve.

Our attitude is the state of our mind. We knowingly or unknowingly choose a response to any person, situation, thing or thought. Each response is generally viewed as being either positive or negative. The attitude of salespeople, management and support staff in a business has more effect on the success or failure of that operation than any other single factor.

Ask yourself if “Indifferent Attitude of Management and Staff” holds true the majority of the time when you choose not to go back to a business.

A dedication to making our customers feel welcome, happy and satisfied through their encounters with us, our people, our business and advertising is Attitudinal Marketing and Attitudinal Servicing. It is the ‘prime’ driving force of any business.

In Part 2 of Exceptional Customer Care From The Inside-Out we will focus on minimising the Dot and maximising The White Space in customer service.

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Bill Gibson – Boost Your Business…Dig Deeper!

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014

Sometimes we do not dig deep enough to boost those sales and profits. One of my clients Cilla McGinley, Managing Director of Lithotech Blesston handed me the story of The Rooster And The Hen…it says it all in a simple way. Enjoy!

The Rooster And The Hen

Said the little Red Rooster, “Believe me, things are tough.

Seems the worms are getting scarcer and I cannot find enough.

What’s become of all those fat ones? It’s a mystery to me.

There were thousands through that rainy spell,

But now where can they be?”

But the old black hen who heard him didn’t grumble or complain.

She had lived through lots of dry spells,

She had lived through floods of rain.

She picked up a new and undug spot. The ground was hard and firm.

“I must go to the worms,” she said. “The worms won’t come to me.”

The rooster vainly spent his day through habit by the ways,

Where fat, round worms had passed in squads back in the rainy days.

When nightfall found him supper-less, he growled in accents rough.

“I’m hungry as a fowl can be, conditions sure are tough.”

But the old black hen hopped to her perch

And dropped her eyes to sleep.

And murmured in a drowsy tone, “Young man hear this and weep.

I’m full of worms and happy for I’ve eaten like a pig.

The worms were there as always, but boy I had to dig.”

Author Unknown

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Bill Gibson – Opportunities Are All Around Us

Friday, June 13th, 2014

Opportunities Are All Around Us…If We Know Where To Look

(Succeed Magazine Interview with Bill Gibson)

Everybody is always looking for the next big thing. Business opportunities are advertised everywhere with promises to make millionaires of us all within 365 days or less.

Sure, if you are robbing banks – that is. It is true that there are some who have rags to riches stories about a simple, yet brilliant, idea which made them incredibly rich. It has happened, it still does and will still. But, the fact of the matter is that we do not need to sit hand in head, staring at a bowl of stale popcorn for dinner, for circumstance to force us into a moment of business brilliance. It can, and should, happen almost every day.

Opportunities are all around us if we only know where to look. “There are business opportunities around every corner, in every paper, in every circumstance,” says Bill Gibson, South Africa’s favourite business guru. He tells us how to maximise these opportunities:

Identify your full business opportunities: “Ask yourself what business you are really in and then act on it,” says Gibson. “If you are a neighbourhood convenience store you can really take the term, convenience, to a new level by offering more than just the basics, but expanding into total convenience for your clientele. Video hire, instant meals, a delivery service or a wider variety of goods. The opportunity is ripe for the taking.”

Identify opportunities arising from your current business: Business owners need to ask themselves if their companies’ resources are being fully utilised? Is it possible to diversify or enhance the product or service currently offered? Strengths can be expanded and weaknesses corrected to provide new opportunities. An aircraft manufacturing company had a fibreglass division which was underused and costing the company money.

The choice was to either close the division (costing jobs) or find an alternative use for it. The company decided to start designing bathtubs and, so successful were their designs, that a new company was formed just to design and produce the tubs.

Take advantage of current situations: Some people may see it as opportunism, but fact of the matter is that we do not live sheltered lives. There are many good, and sometimes bad, events that demand attention and offer potential profits. South Africa’s high crime rate, for example, has lent itself to a huge boom in the personal security market. Armed response, pepper spray, even security complexes are now the order of the day. After a volcanic eruption on Mount St. Helens, entrepreneurs developed souvenirs and novelties for the tourism industry. It is not a matter of exploitation, but rather clever and rapid reaction to needs created by sudden changes in the environment.

Magnifying (amplifying) people and events: “Magnifying or amplifying the popularity of a special person, group, enterprise or event can ensure greater demand for a product or service,” says Gibson. “Use an image-making strategy to create market demand.” This method of increasing interest is especially effective in the tourism industry. Without Nelson

Mandela, Robben Island would just be another prison, would it not? Sandton Square renamed itself Mandela Square at Sandton. While it is a great tribute to the world’s greatest statesman, it is also an excellent move to magnify or amplify the status of the square. Some South Africans will argue that the large bronze statue probably does not do the man justice, but most international visitors will not see it that way. Amplify the importance of your offer, if marketed the right way, the masses will follow.

Capitalising on a growth trend: Try to get involved in areas where more and more people are getting involved in. Consumer spending behaviour is a fickle thing and can move in any direction at a rapid rate. New innovations, tastes, lifestyle choices and fashionable trends offer many profitable opportunities for the entrepreneur with his or her ear to the ground. “To capitalise on the growing trend towards natural healthcare, many pharmacies now offer wide ranges of these products,” says Gibson. “The explosion of the call centre industry is another example of taking advantage of growth trends.”

Most American companies use South African or Indian-based call centres. It is cheaper for them and, especially in South Africa’s case, the quality versus cost ratio is especially favourable. Many local companies have caught on to this and are making vast sums of money. Taking advantage of a fashion opportunity also falls into this category. Skateboarding, for example, has become very fashionable again. The same can be said for the clothes, music, and equipment that go hand-in-hand with the skateboarding culture. It needs to be taken advantage of.

Find use for waste materials: South African billionaire, Patrice Motsepe, started his empire by coming to an agreement with a gold mining company to utilise the dust left from its mining activities. With a special process for extracting gold from the dust he built his business. Today, Motsepe is involved in all manner of industries including mining, finance and soccer. One company’s waste can be another’s bread and butter if utilised the right way.

“A market switch happens when consumers move from one type of product to another on a long-term basis,” says Gibson. “Just think of society moving from VHS to DVD players, from tapes to CDs to MP3s and such.” When a market switch occurs a whole host of other industries benefit from it. Packaging is needed for the new ranges of products. Other support equipment is needed to enhance products’ fashionability for the consumer. Cell phones are a classic example of secondary offers enhancing the image of a base product.

There are many other areas which we can explore to find that business idea that will make our dreams a reality. Newspapers are full of potential ideas, if we only open our minds to the possibilities hiding amongst the pages. Gibson says that we have trained ourselves to miss the obvious, to look in the wrong places and to over complicate the matter.

Business genius is not born from a bowl of stale dinner popcorn, it is all around us. In everything we do, in everything we read, in every travesty and adversity we may face. We just have to be positive enough to see beyond a few strands of hay.

For information on Bill’s “Turning Entrepreneurial Spirit Into Business Opportunities” audio CD and manual program, call +27-11-784-1720 or e-mail bill@kbitraining.com

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Bill Gibson – If You Are Alive You Are In Sales…A Tribute To The Professional Salespeople In Our Society

Tuesday, June 10th, 2014

If you are with friends and they want to go to a specific restaurant and you want to convince them to go to a different restaurant….you are in sales!

If you are an engineer or architect and you want your client to accept a specific design for a building….you are in sales!

If you are an employee and you want your boss to give you a raise in pay …you are in sales!

If you are an accountant and you have to put together a financial proposal for a client to go to a bank to borrow money….you are in sales!

If you want a specific job in a company and you are competing with others for that job…you are in sales!

If you are a person who answers the phone when clients call…you are in sales!

The trainer, manager or speaker that presents material and facilitates sessions has to do it in such a way that others “buy into” the material being presented…therefore he or she is in sales!

If you promised your partner or spouse you will be home by 10pm and you roll in at 2:00am you are really in sales! 🙂

Everyone on the planet is in sales. The only problem is that most of us don’t realise it.

Everyday of our life we need to listen so others will talk, we have to clarify to make sure they understand us, we need to deliver our point so that others will listen, and we have to say it in such a way that they will “buy in” to what we are saying. In addition we need to negotiate to get what we want as well as find middle ground with others to make the relationship work. At times we need to use methods and ways to get others to do what we would like them to do.

These are skills that are used in selling. Selling is influencing and we all have to influence others. Therefore we are all in sales.

I like what Shane Gibson, my son in Canada says: All that selling is, is “creating an environment so an act of faith can take place”

Professional Salesmanship Is Needed

In a competitive society, which is now the world market, manufacturers and suppliers of services and products have to continually improve in the value of what they offer. Every organisation has to compete. Even the Post Office has to compete with couriers, e-mail, social media and other forms of distribution.

A company may have the best product or service in the world, but if that product or service doesn’t get to market, the company will be “out of business” very quickly. Some of the best ideas in the world never made it to the market because an executive did not do a good job of selling it to his or her associates.

The two main keys to business success are:

Be and deliver the best in the market place.
Let others know how good you are so they will buy.

You can’t rely just on advertising to let others know how good you are. Advertising in most cases doesn’t sell the product or service. What it does is create an awareness, enhance the value of the brand (help build an atmosphere so an act of faith can take place), create enquiries to a call centre, drive traffic to a business, or help the buyer be more receptive when you make contact. (On-line shopping and often exceptional direct-response type selling can and will sell some products and services).

Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, electronic media all have pro-active sales forces. If advertising sold products and services the advertising companies would not need salespeople. All they would have to do is advertise in their own form of media. They know that will not work and to make sure they have advertisers and can gain their market share they employ Salespeople…whether face to face or by telephone.

Today the competitive edge often still lies in the competence and effectiveness of the people in your organisation that sell and service the clients.

Professional Selling Positively Impacts Everyone

The fact that competition continues to motivate manufacturers and suppliers of services to get better and that marketers and salespeople must keep getting more effective at letting the clients know about their improved product and services, society in general, benefits with an improved quality of life. This quality of life can be in whichever area of life they consider important to them.

Medical equipment manufacturers improve the services that hospitals, doctors, dentists, chiropractors, therapists and other medical service providing organisations offer. In the end consumers benefit with improved care and better prices.

Software Organisations, Capacity Building Consultants, Efficiency Experts, Office Equipment Manufacturers sell to Government, State Corporations and Business in General. The consumer and business clients benefit with improved service and lower charges.

The highway you drive on, the sidewalk you walk on, the street lights that light up the sidewalk and the traffic (robots) that organise traffic flow and improve our safety are there because someone sold to someone.

The text books in schools and universities, the equipment in the laboratories, the computers students use, the desks students sit at, the white boards in the classrooms, the sports equipment, the school buses, and even the bricks and mortar in the building were sold by someone.

The impact of selling reaches far and wide and into every corner of our society. Professional selling ensures that we continually see growth and improvement in all aspects of our life. These aspects include family, social, spiritual, physical, financial, career, mental and community.

If you have a role as a salesperson be proud to be a Professional Sales Representative. As you can see it is an important function in our society. Many people will benefit from what you sell and hopefully you are rewarded handsomely for providing the valuable service of helping people and businesses with what they need, want and desire.

Yes, it is true that not all Salespeople contribute positively to our communities and the companies they work for although the majority are providing a great service to us all.

I personally have invested a lifetime in the field of sales. I felt it was time to carefully and respectfully remind those that do not see themselves as salespeople that professional ethical salespeople are a benefit to us all and that “if you are alive you also are in the business of sales (influencing others).

Thank-you for reading this blog article. “Hats off to all professional salespeople.”

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Bill Gibson – Your Perceived Self-Worth…The Key To Negotiating

Friday, June 6th, 2014

“You don’t get what you deserve in life…you get what you negotiate.”

Many gurus of negotiation often make this powerful opening statement and, while there are merits to what they say, why not try this statement on for size: “You don’t get what you deserve in life, you get no more or no less than what you believe you deserve, at the time you negotiate…”

Negotiating is a way of life and lack of self-worth is one of the main reasons we continually fall short of our expectations in life. A strong sense of self-worth is one of the main reasons why we prosper in life. If you feel worthy and deserving you have a tendency to open yourself to receive the abundancy and opportunities available to you in life. (The world is my oyster). If you feel unworthy or undeserving you have a tendency to take less than your share in life. (Beggars cannot be choosers).

Your perceived self-worth will influence whether you choose the high road or choose the low road in life. Your sense of self-worth tends to influence whether you choose to learn easy lessons or difficult ones. Do you dance through life or struggle through life, choose good role models or poor role models, develop good life-building habits or choose self-sabotaging habits? Do you get into healthy, productive relationships or end up in destructive, energy draining ones? Are you materially, emotionally and spiritually wealthy, or poor?

As we treat ourselves with more respect, other people tend to do the same. They can subconsciously ascertain how we perceive ourselves through our facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, dialogue other subtle cues and behaviours. “We teach others how to treat us,” the saying goes. Our perceived self-worth is a big part of that teaching.

People are often upset and disappointed with the money or exchange they receive for their services. This often happens because they are not clear in their own mind what their services are worth. They hope that other people will see their value and give them what they deserve. When you know what your time, energy, knowledge and services are worth and you believe it, others will tend to honour and value what you are offering as well.

It is important to understand that money represents an exchange of energy between you and the outside world. It represents the energy going out from you and the energy coming back in. Your energy is a major factor in determining whether or not money flows freely and harmoniously to you. If you do not value your time, energy and ability you cut off your flow of energy and, in turn, cut off abundancy.

If you constantly cut your fees and prices and accept less than what your services are worth, you cut off your flow of energy and money in two ways. First, the resentment or bad feelings, even if it is only slight, will stop money coming back to you because resentment and bad feelings push money and energy away. Secondly, you are giving the signal to your subconscious that your services or work is not worth very much. The subconscious begins to believe it and gives off signals that it is so, and the inflow of energy (opportunities and money) declines. It becomes a downward spiral.

When you honour your value and worth, energy and money move toward you. Because of this, a perceived high self-worth or a perceived fair value for your services and products must be understood and believed before entering into negotiation with other parties. Otherwise, the odds are you will come away from the negotiation with less than what you really deserve. You literally set yourself up for failure.

Remember, you are already worthy. Your worth already exists as a fact of life. You just need to discover it. In actuality, the present state of your relationships, work, finances, education and life style is a good indication of your perceived worth.

When negotiating it is important to always “negotiate from strength”. Before going into a negotiation be sure to enter the negotiations believing you deserve the right outcome. That is negotiating from strength. If you are negotiating for a percentage of a company in order to build your perceived value, make a list of why your experience, your money, your contacts and your knowledge are worth what you are asking. Daydream about it, add more points, leave it alone, come back again, add more reasons and do this until you are really sold on your own views, on yourself or your situation.

As an entrepreneur, you can use the same approach whenever you are raising capital or borrowing money. I’ve done it many times in my Entrepreneurial life. Virtually every time I managed to borrow or raise the amount of money I needed. Why? It was because of the inherent belief in myself and the business, to the point that others bought into my belief during the negotiation. Remember, focusing on all the things you did wrong in life, why you do not deserve the best, what is wrong about right now and how things never work out for you, drains your energy.

If you focus on what is right about you and your life situation right now, it gives you the energy to overcome the past, present and future challenges and hurdles that you must correct now, or face in the future. Positive energy equals abundancy.

Your self-worthiness makes a big difference in negotiating the outcome you want. Invest time, energy, brainpower and money, honouring your value and worth.

“When you honour your value and worth,

energy and money move toward you”

“Your perceived self-worth will influence

whether you choose the high road or choose

the low road in life”

“When you know what your time,

energy, knowledge and services are

worth and you believe it, others will

tend to honour and value what you

are offering as well”

Posted in Entrepreneurship & Business Ownership, Management & Leadership, Personal & Spiritual Development, Sales & Key Account Management | Comments Off on Bill Gibson – Your Perceived Self-Worth…The Key To Negotiating

Bill Gibson – The Discipline of Destiny…A Glimpse of A Chapter In Jim Janz’s great book “A Rendezvous with Destiny”

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014

“I am “disciplined”, focused, centred and committed”, “I am “disciplined”, focused, centred and committed”, “I am “disciplined”, focused, centred and committed”…was the affirmation I was repeating while out for my 30 minute walk today. Suddenly, out of the blue, Jim Janz’s smiling face popped into my mind. 10 minutes later I walk into my home and there sitting on the coffee table was the book A Rendezvous with Destiny by Jim Janz. I picked it up and it voluntarily opened to Chapter 16: The Discipline of Destiny.

Was it my Destiny to repeat that affirmation today, have Jim Janz’s smiling face pop into my mind, walk into my home and see his book A Rendezvous with Destiny sitting on my coffee table and then pick it up and have it open to Chapter 16: The Discipline of Destiny. I prefer the latter.

According to Jim Janz, “if our dream is focused enough, our purpose is sure enough and our goal is intense enough, the “discipline” part will flow out of that.” He goes on to say “Destiny comes from the gut and drives us to the goal.

In Chapter 16 of his book he goes on to tell the story about how one beautiful spring day while visiting Southern California he was watching a craftsman chiselling away at a huge block of granite. When the craftsman took a break Jim asked him “what is this going to be when you are finished?” To which the craftsman replied, “A horse.” Jim then asked him how he would get the block of a granite to look like a horse, and the craftsman quickly said, “you just chip away everything that doesn’t look like a horse.” Jim goes on to say that the craftsman wasn’t doing this casually…he was enthusiastic and animated…as his shiny black hair bobbed from side to side as he vigorously attacked the granite with his hammer and chisel. Jim interrupted him again asking “How long till you are finished?” He replied “The plan calls for nine months.”

The man then explained to Jim that he wasn’t doing this by sight alone…he had drawings, measurements, stages and tools for each phase. Without fail he was there every morning at 7:30am, seven days a week…cleaned up between 4:30 – 5:00pm which took about an hour each day.

Every hour or so the artisan would stop, then stand back and analyse his work, do measurements and settings to see if perfection was being achieved. The craftsman also had others, some who were professionals, come and check his work almost every day. On top of that he had a mentor who came occasionally to give suggestions and critique what was transpiring from that big piece of granite.

Jim goes on to say, “granite is expensive and allows very little room for error…fixing up mistakes is not a pleasant excuse here.” In addition Jim points out, “When your work is out there for all to see, possibly for one hundred years or more, you want it to be perfect.”

Yes, we all may have a “calling” although in Jim Janz’s book A Rendezvous with Destiny Jim points out that it takes much more than just the “calling.” One of those attributes or qualities needed is “discipline.”

To me, it is amazing the lessons that sit right in front of us if we are mindful enough to see them. In the story of the sculptor…the question is…what are the learnings he has taught us while he is having his Rendezvous with Destiny?

For me here are some of the valuable gems that I received:

He had a very clear picture or outcome or goal of what he was out to achieve. How clear are you and I on what we want to achieve?
He said “you just chip away everything that doesn’t look like a horse.” In other words we must push aside the distraction or things that could take us off track. As my wife Beverley Gibson often says to me…“Distraction Is The Enemy.”
The sculptor was not casual about what he was doing. He was committed and enthusiastic and animated. Are you and I enthusiastic and animated and do we “vigorously” attack what we are doing like the artisan?
He had a plan and the plan had a time frame of 9 months. The difference between a goal and a dream is that “a goal is a dream with a deadline or time frame.” Set deadlines and time frames.
The man had drawings, measurements, stages and phases and tools for each phase. “What gets measured gets managed and what gets managed gets done.” Put up a storyboard, flow chart, dream board…have your drawings…know how you will measure your progress and for most projects or goals break them into stages and phases and realise…you may need different tools, people or processes for each stage or phase.
The sculptor also had the discipline to be there every morning at 7:30am and had a clean up hour. Wow, I could take note of that…that clean up hour would really help me. Also the consistent “early” start time is powerful. As a salesperson what would happen if each week you had the discipline to be at a minimum of two 7:30am appointments with potential or present clients. That discipline alone could give you a 10 to 20% increase. Someone once asked Aristotle Onassis, the billionaire Greek Shipping Magnet (who married Jacqueline Kennedy…John F. Kennedy’s widow) what are the keys to success? He quickly answered; “two things…get up real early each day and always have a sun tan (makes you look successful). I am not sure about the sun tan part…but I can vouch for the early start each day.
Every hour or so the artisan would step back, analyse his work, do measurements and settings to see if perfection was being achieved. When heading towards our goal or achieving mastery in what we do, these are a powerful set of “how to’s.” Step back…look at where you are at…analyse what you have done…are you ahead or behind and is the quality there.
In addition, he was not too proud to have other professionals check his work almost every day. He even had a mentor that would occasionally critique his work. For years…especially when I was geographically close to Jim Janz…he was one of my main mentors. (I think we need to start skyping regularly Jim) :-). I personally could take a lesson from the artisan on having the professionals check what I am doing and give me their opinions. Just today I met with Siya Mapoko of Mapoko Research International who is an author and speaker whom I mentored for the past 8 years who now is giving me input and mentoring me in areas where he has strengths and experience where I don’t. We will now meet weekly to give each other input. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
The craftsman also worked as if there were no room for error. With granite it is expensive to correct an error. This is a good one…yes we will continually correct ourselves along the way although in business as in life we forget to look at the real cost of errors and often too quickly jump into things without also looking at the downside of certain errors and misjudgements. They can cost you and I and our families years of our lives when it didn’t have to be that way. Take risks but make them calculated risks.
Last but not least what I received is to do my work and live my life “as if my work is out there for all to see possibly for one hundred years or more!” This has proven out for me. When I built the 25 Module The Complete Sales Action System…I built it to last and did not cut corners. I thought it would take 6 months…it took me a full year. That was in 1997. In the past month one bank client ordered over 120 sets of the system…17 years later. The program is still very relevant. Last year 2 Short Term Insurance Companies paid licensing rights on the system both here in South Africa and in Dubai. A big part of marketing in my opinion is deliver quality…deliver quality…deliver quality and deliver quality again. Do it right the first time. The longer more lengthy route is more often the real “short cut” to success.

Amazing…all these valuable insights that were triggered for me came from one page of Jim Janz’s 227 page book A Rendezvous with Destiny. Can you imagine what’s in the other 226 pages…if we take the time to read and practise what’s in there?

About Jim Janz:

Jim’s business operates in seven countries and territories. Jim and his wife Sharon have received many awards in the direct marketing industry including the Mark of Distinction Award from the Direct Marketing Association of Canada. He lives in British Columbia, Canada, has served as the government – appointed chairman of the Foundation Board for Trinity Western University, as a taskforce member on small business for the Province of British Columbia and as a member and the chairman of nine charitable and religious organizations over the past 38 years. He was also chairman of World Serve for 37 years.

His passion is to help people do more with their lives by discovering and fulfilling their destiny. Jim has been a business associate and good friend to me and my family for over 30 years. I highly recommend his book as a “must read” and “must use” during your Rendezvous with Your Destiny.

You can book Jim Janz as a speaker and / or order his book by contacting him on: jejanz@telus.net or http://myrendezvouswithdestiny.com/

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Bill Gibson – The Day I Personally Met Nelson Mandela (Lessons In Leadership)

Tuesday, April 8th, 2014

Friday, the 18th of July was Nelson Mandela Day here in South Africa (His birth date). As a tribute to this great leader I am re-posting my blog article: The Day I Personally Met Nelson Mandela (Lessons in Leadership). It is worth a re-read even if you have read it before. Great Leadership Principles. The thought of Nelson Mandela takes me back to late 1995 when I was preparing for my 3rd visit to South Africa from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. On the way out the door, I made a very bold statement to my wife Beverley and my two sons Ryan and Shane. It went something like this, “during this trip to South Africa I am going to personally meet Nelson Mandela!” Well, needless to say there was lots of laughter and comments like “are you dreaming?”, “get real dad”, “I know it’s great to be positive but it will take more than positive thinking!”

Three weeks later I’m packing my suitcase getting ready to head back to Canada after a great few weeks of speaking in Johannesburg, South Africa! At the last minute I realized I had forgotten to buy gifts and that most of the shops were closed on a Sunday. I hopped in my car and made my way to the Rosebank Rooftop Market that I heard would be open. Suddenly in the middle of Rosebank, the traffic came to a halt…obviously a car accident. The line of traffic was moving very slowly and people were out of their cars. I asked one of them, “is there an accident?” His answer was, “no…Nelson Mandela (Madiba) is out for his Sunday afternoon walk…that is stopping the traffic!”

Then I noticed to my right a wall of body guards giving President Mandela the privacy and room to walk. I pulled over and parked the car and quickly walked to the wall of body guards and took a deep breath and asked “can I meet President Mandela?” They answered “not today.”

Then from behind the wall of body guards came Nelson Mandela’s voice …”ask him if he is Canadian” I said “yes” and he replied, “let him through.” Wow…the power of thought and the power of taking a chance and asking! (By the way Nelson Mandela is an honorary citizen of Canada.)

I stepped into his presence and he grasped my hand in the most sincere handshake fashion imaginable. He asked me my name and then proceeded to ask where I was from? I told him Nova Scotia…he knew where it was. He wanted to know my father’s name…what he did for a living (diesel mechanic), my mom’s name, my sister…was I from the city or the country. Eventually he asked me what I was doing in South Africa. I explained that I was a speaker and trainer with a focus on entrepreneurship, marketing, sales and people development. His response was, “please don’t just visit…come and spend time here and help us grow our people and our country.” We spoke for about 5 minutes and all the time we chatted he held my hand and looked squarely into my eyes. The only way I can describe it is…I had just had a rare experience of being with a man who was deeply rested in his being! I could feel the peace within Nelson Mandela. It was a spiritual experience. I was electrified.

How wonderful…he recognized the Canadian accent. He wasn’t political or all business…he wanted to know about me as a person. All of us as leaders could take a lesson from Nelson Mandela’s way of dealing with people. There is a saying that people will often forget the words we use but they will always remember how we made them feel. I felt special, I felt his sincerity, his humbleness and his caring yet powerful presence. I will never forget how he made me feel. Thank-you Madiba! 19 years later and I am still here in South Africa.

There is a message here for communities, countries, business and families. Try to remember…“people go where they are invited and stay where they are appreciated.”

When it came to the use of Power, Nelson Mandela also had it right. He was quoted saying after becoming President of South Africa, “The problem I have “is not” how to use power. My biggest problem is how “not” to use power.”

In his book Leading Like Madiba, (Leadership lessons from Nelson Mandela) Martin Kalungu-Banda got it right. He wrote:

Where he could punish, he tried to understand the position of the one at fault
He practised restraint, when he could have used power to settle scores with those who had treated him and his colleagues as if they did not matter
When he was in such a strong position that he could push others to comply with him, he preferred to consult, persuade and even plead in order to settle matters

Instead of intimidating people with his power, he chose to bargain and quite often forgo the short term “sweet victory.”

If all those who are called or think of themselves as leaders, learnt how not to use power, our homes,our work places and our world could be friendlier, happier and even maybe more peaceful.

Madiba you will live on in my mind forever. I am so grateful that I met such a giant of a man during one of my first visits to South Africa. What a privilege! We need more leadership role models like Nelson Mandela in this world. You are and always will be a legend…you will live forever!

Bill Gibson is a Canadian who is living in South Africa. He is an international speaker and author and a developer of sales, service, marketing, collecting, employee morale building, personal development and entrepreneurial training programs and systems. His blog is www.bill-gibson.com and his website is www.kbitraining.com. He can be reached at bill@kbitraining.com or phone +27-11-784-1720 in South Africa. You can follow Bill Gibson on Twitter: @billgibson1, connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/viewid=143197191&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic or Knowledge Brokers International SA Pty Ltd Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/knowledgebrokers?ref=hl

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Bill Gibson – How To Master Risk

Monday, April 7th, 2014

A few years ago my wife Beverley and I were discussing the setbacks that we had encountered in our life because of taking uncalculated risks both personally and in business.

We immediately brainstormed the topic of Mastering Risk and came up with some valuable “pain saving” insights on the topic.

Recently on Facebook I posted a “cut down” version and immediately some of my Facebook friends requested the complete version. These short but realistic tips point out that the “short cuts” in life may actually be the “long road” to what we determine to be our successes. Corporates, Governments and non-profits will find this blog posting very useful as well and may want to circulate it.

Mastering Risk

A “Risk” is when we know what we want but we are not taking the time to “think it out” and “source it out” properly.

Instead, we take the risk of a “shorter cut,” a “shorter route” to try and get what we want. This usually results in failure because we didn’t take the time and energy to gather enough information, seek out the know-how, focus with the right action and utilise patience and persistence to see it manifest.

We don’t have to “fool ourselves” by taking unnecessary risks because we actually have the “intelligence” available to us to get there if we will be honest with ourselves about what it really takes to get what we want and follow the steps to get there.

In essence what seems to be “the longer road” to getting what we want may be the “real short cut” that frees us from our own anxious, emotional, impatient ego selves.

Patience is a virtue. Impatience breeds mediocrity through “short cuts.” Mediocrity breeds risk. Unnecessary risks breeds disappointment and unhappiness through their unsatisfactory outcomes. Therefore, Mediocrity is self-inflicted and genius is self-bestowed.

Be your Genius Self. Take the time and energy to be an absolute Master in all that you do … even the little things and those tasks that you don’t like to do but need to do.

Mastery of any skill, action or task is the path of joy. You achieve this by “being one with the present” and by “being one with the now.” Give and be your absolute best at all times.

Joy and ecstasy are in doing your absolute best in the moment you are in and giving your utmost to the present task at hand. This is Mastery and Mastery eliminates unnecessary risks. Mastery is Genius! Choose to be a Genius!

May the Genius in you shine forever!

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Bill Gibson – The Secret Sales Strategies Of Corporates And How You Can Use Them

Thursday, May 30th, 2013

Written by Samantha Greathead for Succeed Magazine

June 2013 Issue

Any size business can have a sales strategy which is successful as that of a large corporation. There is hardly anything you can do in a large corporation that you cannot do in your business.

Successful sales specialist and executive coach, Bill Gibson, says what limits businesses from attaining as great a success with their sales strategies is owners who limit themselves with a small mindset. Just because your sales team may only consist of you and a few others does not mean you should not follow the same strategy as a large business. “The same principles apply no matter what size your business is,” says Gibson.

The tendency of small businesses is to avoid these techniques because the owner is too busy to spend time on a strategy or go to a sales meeting. “Even if it is only you, have a sales meeting with yourself where you focus on sales strategy.”

In early 2011 FNB started revitalising and repositioning their brand under a new Chief Marketing Officer. Since then the brand has seen great success with the “Hello Steve” campaign. The bank has seen tremendous growth and awareness even earning a place in the Sunday Times Top Brand Survey.

The head of growth at FNB Business Banking, Marcel Klaassen, says that any business can implement the strategies of corporations but small business can also use their size to their advantage. They can embrace the simplicity of their structure and are able to tweak elements as they go. “Smaller businesses have the advantage of speed and dexterity,” says Klaassen.

Segmentation

The first step is to segment your target market. Divide your potential customers into A, B or C categories where A customers should receive the most attention. “It is critical to put more energy into A because this group has a better return on investment,” says Gibson.

In order to categorise your customers you should look at factors which affect their potential as clients. Customers who rank A will be ones that you absolutely must have and keep, B clients are ones that are good to have, but need a little less attention than A customers. For example, if you analyse the possible geographic limitations of your business you may find that there are three potentially large clients right on your doorstep and another three further away. The closer ones would be A clients and the ones further away B clients.

You could also look at the client’s potential spend. You may find that someone is currently spending what a C or D client would spend, but they have the potential to spend much more and you would classify them as an A client. “Ultimately it is critical to decide who to favour,” says Gibson. “This classification is the first step to building a winning sales pipeline.”

Klaassen says the functions of the strategy need to be prioritised early on. “The sooner everyone knows the strategic intent, the sooner they can crack-on with sales and sales enabling functions.”

It is important to identify who you want to target and the frequency with which you want to reach them. By understanding your target market correctly you will spend your time and money on activities that count.

Sales targets

Just like a larger corporation, set targets and review them quarterly. Every sales person, including you, should have a goal to work toward. “All businesses should set targets,” says Gibson. “This gives you a goal to work towards. And reward yourself or your staff when they reach their goals. It keeps the team motivated.”

Corporates measure the results of a sales strategy. “There is a saying that, what gets measured gets managed and what gets managed gets done,” says Gibson.

There are a number of advantages to measuring. It will indicate whether your sales team is in need of up-skilling or not. You will also see if an employee is not right for a position in your sales team. If a sales person is not making sales then you need to transfer them or let them go.

Measuring results includes self-measurement. The same principles and advantages apply. “You might realise that you need to fire yourself and hire a new salesperson,” says Gibson.

Klaassen says he develops their sales strategy into a workable action plan. This has to be executed within a given time frame using existing and available resources. “We then ensure all strategies and respective actions can be tracked and measured accordingly.”

Training

Gibson says corporates understand the need for continued sales training. Enrol yourself and your sales staff in training, watch videos or buy books that you can learn from. “Keep teaching yourself and your group. Hire a business coach. This is especially true if you are, or form, part of your sales team. A coach can help you set targets and then sit with you and review those targets. It provides a level of accountability.”

Another characteristic of successful corporate sales strategies is to have sales conferences. Even if it is just the owner and one or two people you should go away for two days to strategise. “A mistake that small companies make is thinking that they do not need to strategise,” says Gibson.

CRM system

Every sales strategy must include some sort of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Even a paper-based system that gathers information on your clients will suffice. These systems remind you to look at the activities of your sales team like measuring how many calls are made in a day. It involves analysing whatever action is crucial to your sales strategy.

Such a system will allow you to form estimates or averages that you can use to create targets and cash flow projections. “Corporates know what the average size of a sale is. They also know how often people buy and why they buy. If big companies can do it why can’t all companies?” asks Gibson.

Klaassen says, “Customer management is an important part of the sales strategy. We understand our market, segment our customers, determine what our customer’s value is, look at ways to improve customer experience and the message portrayed to the customer.”

Budgets

Something many business owners may not include in their budget is the finer points of their sales strategy. For example, you should set aside a portion of the budget for relationship building. This money is not for socialising with friends but specifically to bring in business. Another example is to budget for promotional gifts to clients.

Do not inhibit yourself by thinking a smaller advertising budget is a limitation. Advertising with a smaller budget just needs to be more targeted. This is why segmentation is so important.

Planning

Gibson advises planning for objections. “Think of all the objections a potential customer can have when you approach them and create a guide with objections and how to handle them. In this way there will be no surprises and sales people will always have an answer to objections.”

Create a motivation plan. You know which period of the year is the most difficult for sales and which are high points. Plan to have motivational sessions around both periods. Gibson says, “Using outside resources, like motivational speakers, is effective in motivating employees. If a business cannot afford the cost of a motivational speaker you can use free seminars, presentations on YouTube or use business aids. With a little bit of strategic thinking and discipline, you can create a culture of motivation and excitement.

Part of your processes should involve doing a credit check before accepting a sale. Gibson says, “Often businesses sacrifice this step just to make the sale. However, a sale means nothing until you have collected the money.”

Another strategy that corporates employ is to draw a careful distinction between sales and revenue. For example, if you make the majority of your sales in the last quarter the revenue is only likely to come through next year. Gibson says, “Without drawing this distinction you can make the mistake of relying on the revenue this year when it is only likely to come through next year.”

Your sales strategy does not need to be complicated to be successful. Klaassen says, “The most important thing to do is keep your overall strategic direction and message as consistent as possible. This will allow you to try new things and shift your focus where necessary. Remember your strategy is only as complicated as you make it.” Keep it simple and focus on actions which you can implement easily and measure.

Whatever size your business is it takes time, energy, ability and money to succeed in a sales strategy. Be careful of skipping crucial steps because you think it is not necessary for your business. “If it is being implemented in a big business it should be implemented in your businesses as well,” says Gibson.

Posted in Entrepreneurship & Business Ownership, Management & Leadership, Marketing - Internal & External, Sales & Key Account Management, sales training south africa | Comments Off on Bill Gibson – The Secret Sales Strategies Of Corporates And How You Can Use Them

Archive for the ‘Management & Leadership’ Category

Bill Gibson – Part 2 – Exceptional Customer Care From The Inside-Out

Watch Out For The Dot

Bill Gibson – Part 1 – Exceptional Customer Care From The Inside-Out

Bill Gibson – Boost Your Business…Dig Deeper!

Bill Gibson – Your Perceived Self-Worth…The Key To Negotiating

Bill Gibson – The Discipline of Destiny…A Glimpse of A Chapter In Jim Janz’s great book “A Rendezvous with Destiny”

Bill Gibson – The Day I Personally Met Nelson Mandela (Lessons In Leadership)

Bill Gibson – How To Master Risk

Bill Gibson – The Secret Sales Strategies Of Corporates And How You Can Use Them

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