The Business Linchpin

The Business Linchpin: Can It Destroy You?

By Mark Bowser

Is there a linchpin that could start a domino effect that could devastate your business? Or, is there a tipping point that could start an avalanche of success like a runaway snowball?

Interesting questions, but is there an answer? My wife and I love to watch the hit TV show Castle. Recently, they had an intriguing two part episode that explored this concept of a linchpin. In the story, an economic linchpin was discovered that if put in motion would destroy the United States economy and start a downward domino effect that would lead the globe to World War III. It was a very entertaining escapade from our daily lives and in the story the bad guys almost succeeded? But, it got me thinking. Is it possible? Could one event so delude human reasoning and magnify emotions to the point of utter devastation?

I believe that there very well may be a linchpin or a tipping point for your business. Let's explore the linchpin first. What if you had all your eggs for success in one basket and you lost the basket? Do you see where I am going with this? Brian Tracy says that "Everything Counts" when it comes to selling. What if you or one of your associates kills (accidentally of course) the business with your largest client? What if that client composed of 85% of your annual business? Could you survive...or would it be your linchpin?

So, what is the solution? We must avoid the business error so many of us are guilty of, including myself. We put most of our eggs in one basket and if we lose that business, we are headed towards economic devastation known as Chapter 11. We avoid it by spreading out our marketing. By kicking into high gear our prospecting for new and more clients.

The only way to avoid the business linchpin is to make sure that no one event or any one client so controls the life blood of your business existence. Spread it out. Market more. Do business with different size clients. That will kill the linchpin...and not you.

Now, let's talk about the tipping point. Is there a point where all your marketing, all your sales, all your success converge into a place where it spills over to tremendous, incredible visibility and success? I believe so. Why do some products go viral?

I don't think we can know the answer...but we know they do. In fact, this article may go viral, but why this one and not another one?

Your tipping point exists and it will find you...if you continue to practice business success. In fact, do more of it. Supercharge it. What will make you more visible? What will get you and your product or service more attention? How can you get your product or service into the hands of more people? How can you serve them more than you currently are? Seek the answers to these questions and take action on what you discover and before you know it, your tipping point may find you.

I would now like to invite you to email us on how you can bring myself and a Ziglar seminar to your location. Email me at info@MarkBowser.com. From Mark Bowser of Corporate Training. Thanks for reading today.

Why Are the Top Sales Producers the Best?

By Mark Bowser

It is not an accident that the top producers in the world of selling are at the top. It is also true that there are no born sales champions. Yes, some people have more talent then others. But, success in selling comes down to some basic fundamentals. Fundamentals, if taken action on consistently will lead to success.


Some people doubt this, but it is true. Let me give you an example from the sports world. I was born and bred in Indiana, so I grew up being an Indiana University basketball fan. Indiana has five national championships in basketball. That is the third most in history. Why? Because they master the fundamentals. Not always did Indiana have the most athletic, most talented players in the NCAA. They did have the discipline, the game plan, and the will to succeed. These are qualities that all sales champions have too.

So, what are the fundamentals that all sales champions master? Well, one is Prospecting. Most people don’t like to prospect. Me included. But, you have to have someone to sell to. LinkedIn has made the prospecting and networking process more simple and more powerful then it has ever been in the history of selling. Build your network with people who can and want to say yes to your offer.

Another fundamental is Building Rapport. It has been said that in a perfect world, people want to do business with their friends. Well, in the imperfect world in which we live, people would still rather do business with their friends. Have we made friends with our prospects and customers? Do you have a plan to do this? A book I have found extremely helpful over the years is Dale Carnegie’s classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” I use what I have learned from Mr. Carnegie everyday.

The third fundamental is Presentation Skills. Let’s be honest. Most sales professionals are lousy presenters. They ramble, They jump from subject to subject. Quite frankly, they confuse and bore the prospect. When is the last time you bought something when you were confused and bored?

Then, of course, there is the fourth fundamental of Closing Skills. Research shows it takes around 5 closes to begin a partnership with a customer. Many sales professionals know only one or two closes. That is a problem. Closing is a natural part of the presentation process. But it is the scariest for the sales professional as well as the prospect. You must practice and master the closing process so that it becomes natural and not canned. When this is done, is eases the buying tension of the prospect and builds the confidence of the sales professional.

The fifth fundamental of successful selling is Customer Loyalty. My mentor Zig Ziglar says that we as sales professionals have to become assistant buyers to the prospect. Selling is not something you do to someone. It is something you do for someone because you know your product or service is the answer to their challenge. It is not an adversarial process. You are on the same side of the table as the prospect. It is a fundamental belief system that creates loyalty from the prospect but also from you.

So, there you have it. Five fundamentals that the champions share. Master these five fundamentals and I will see you crowned as the next national champion.

The Most Important Training to Have Is...

By Mark Bowser

Without a doubt, there are two elements that all successful people share. If that is true, and it is, then shouldn’t we seek the same knowledge and training if we want to be successful too? Of course. It makes sense, doesn’t it?


Well, then what are these two elements of knowledge? The two elements that all successful people share are Leadership Perspective and Selling Success. If was John C. Maxwell who said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” And, Zig Ziglar expressed, “Nothing happens until someone sells something.”

Let’s take a peek at these two elements and see how they fit in with our lives. Let’s start with Leadership. We are all leaders. No, you may not lead an organization, a department, or a social club, but you are still a leader. The first person you lead is yourself and from there you lead the people around you.

In his book, Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders defines leadership with one word and one word alone. That word is “influence.” The truth of the matter is that we all influence people every single day. It may be as simple as influencing your co-workers on where to eat lunch today or as important as influencing your 15 year old daughter not to get on drugs. We are all leaders…and it is vital that we improve and increase our influence for the sake of not only ourselves, but more importantly for all the people around us.

The second element is Selling Success. This is one where many people get confused. You may be thinking, “Mark, I’m not in sales. Don’t even want to be. Nothing against salespeople, it just isn’t my thing.” Well, let me correct you right there. Selling is your thing. That is, if you want to be successful. Listen to Zig’s words again, “Nothing happens until someone sells something.” We sell every single day. No, you may not be in the world of selling as a career but you still sell. We sell ourselves, our ideas, our beliefs, our knowledge, etc… If you can’t sell these things, then nothing happens in your life. You are like a boat on a lake with no oars. You get pushed and shoved by the waves of life with no control, no direction, and no focused success.

Earlier, we said that leadership is “influence.” Couldn’t we say the same thing about selling. Think about that teenage daughter pondering about taking drugs. Doesn’t it take a selling influence to persuade her not to walk that path? Parents are some of the most influential sales professionals on the planet.

Now, let’s talk just for a moment about the people who are in the world of selling as their career. Our whole economy is based on selling. Successful selling creates growth for a nation. We, as a nation, need to be grateful and appreciative for our sales professionals. In a very real sense, we all have jobs because someone went out there and sold something.

How do we get out of a recession? How do we create more jobs? How do we springboard this economy? By taking unnecessary regulations off the back of American business’ and by training effectively at least 4 million sales professionals throughout the nation. I can help us with that. That is what I do. I train leaders and I train sales professionals. That is my contribution to the marketplace. And I am committed to doing everything I can to increase my influence in these areas. So, let me close today with two questions. Where is your influence? And, are you willing to commit to increasing that influence? Now, go out there…and make it happen! God bless you!

 
http://www.takeactionsales.com/ 

Sales Lessons from a Newspaper Columnist

Good morning Sales Champions!

We, as sales professionals, can learn a great deal from Dorothy Dix.  Dorothy was a very popular newspaper columnist.  She said this, The shortcut to popularity is to lend everyone your ears, instead of giving them your tongue. There is nothing you can possibly say to an individual  that would be half as interesting to him as the things he is dying to tell you about himself. And all you need, in order to get the reputation of being a fascinating companion, is to say: 'How wonderful! Do tell me some more.'"

Wise words.  How is your listening today?  Are you listening into profitability or are you talking yourself out of the sale? 

Now, go out there and make it a great Selling (Listening) Day!  God bless you!

Mark

Customer Service & the Airline Industry? Not So Much!

By Mark Bowser


Recently, I had a speaking engagement in a small town in Iowa. Let me tell you, it wasn’t the easiest place to get to. I flew into Chicago O’Hare’s airport where I had a layover. I then flew into Moline, IL and then had to drive to the seminar location in Iowa.

Well, my two day Leadership seminar went great and I made my way back to Moline for my flight. I got to the airport earlier than expected so I went to see if there was an earlier flight to Chicago. There was. I thought “Great. I’ll get an earlier flight back to Chicago where I can get a nice meal before my flight into Dayton.” Great thought, but that is where it died.

I went up to the counter and asked if I could take the earlier flight. Guess what, there was a seat available. Guess what, it would cost me $75 to get it. I tried to get them to wave the fee. They were taking me to Chicago anyway. What is the big deal. Just put me on the earlier flight. Should be a no-brainer, right? Wrong!

It is only a no-brainer for a company who values its customers and believes in serving them. I felt sorry for the young clerk at the counter. She was in a tight place. She wanted to serve me, but wasn’t allowed. She said, “We get in trouble when we waive the $75 fee.”

Here is the focal point of the entire problem. Leadership. Lousy Leadership. Now, I am not going to mention the name of the airline because most of them would do the exact same thing. There is only a few airlines like Southwest Airlines who know what service is. Unfortunately, I wasn’t flying Southwest.

The airline industry is so short sighted and so desperate for money that they would rather charge me an extra $75 (for a seat that was going to go vacant anyway) and risk my future business. Will I think twice before I book another ticket with this airline? You bet your great grandfather’s dentures! If I have a choice, why would I choose to fly with them when they treat me like that.

Well, long story short, I refused the pay the $75 and went and ate a lousy meal at the snack bar and took the later flight.

As we close out our message today, I remind you and myself of my Dad’s wise words, “The customer is our life blood.” Provide extraordinary service for your customers and before you know it, more customers and more profitability will be headed in your direction.

Selling Ideas: Earning the Sale!

Good afternoon Sales Champions!

Here is a thought I encourage you to ponder as we go into this Labor Day Weekend here in America.

"You have to earn the right to sell to your prospect. Are you doing this? If not, you don't deserve the sale. It's harsh, but true."
Mark Bowser

Now, go out there and make it a great selling day. God bless you.

Mark

What is the Most Important Part of the Sales Process?

Good morning Sales Champions!

Here are some words to ponder as you go through your selling day.

"What is the most important part of the sales process? Is it closing? No, it is preparation."
Mark Bowser

How well have you prepared to win today?

Now, go out and prepare and Make It A Great Selling Day!  God bless you.

Mark

JEREMIAH 29:11