THE David Anderson

Lead Your Prospects Down the Right Path

When you are fortunate enough to get a prospect on the hook, do you launch right into your “pitch”?  I equate that experience to visiting a website and having to wait for that irrelevant intro ad that you could care less about… such a waste of time.  So what is the best way to engage the prospect?  Start asking questions to find out why they called!

Even if you have been selling the same product for years, you might have a hunch but you don’t know for sure why this particular prospect is interested.  Here is how I like to handle these situations…

1. Find out why they called
   • Ask a question like, “What prompted you to look at this product/service?”
   • Really listen to their answer and pick out a few basic concepts to follow up on with more questions.

2. After they answer, restate in your words and make sure they confirm before moving on.
   • If you don’t restate what you heard it is possible that you misunderstood and it won’t do either of you any favors to head down a path that creates confusion or doesn’t answer their questions.

 Then, if both parties are on the same page, you can outline the necessary next steps to answer their questions and ultimately, close the deal.

You Want Me to Follow You?

Newsflash... I don't follow everyone that follows me on Twitter.  I know, I know, where is my sense of community?  Don't I want to be a contributing member of society?  Believe me, I have no problem with engaging others but come on... some folks out there aren't even trying.  There are plenty of posers and spam bots out there and even some real folks who only broadcast on auto-tweet and I'm not interested in that type of engagement.  When someone follows me, I don't auto-follow back.  I will take the time to check out your profile, tweets, maybe your url and if I see value, I'll follow back.

In case you would like to know what I'm specifically looking for, here are some reasons why I will follow you. 

1. I WILL FOLLOW YOU IF... you have a picture.  I need to at least be able to visualize who I'm speaking with.  I'm not down for communicating with the mystery "EGG" person.
2. I WILL FOLLOW YOU IF... you have a profile/bio.  Your recent tweets will give me a sense for who you are but what is your elevator pitch?  That is your chance to sell me.  Be professional, personal, and having a sense of humor also helps.
3. I WILL FOLLOW YOU IF... not all your tweets are RTs or filled with self-promotional links.  Don't get me wrong, retweeting is a very important piece of social media but if that is all you do, I might as well follow those you are retweeting and cut out the middle man.  Also, I see the value of self-promotion but if that is all you do, you are missing the point.
4. I WILL FOLLOW YOU IF... you follow most of the people who follow you.  Don't follow back everyone and then after you build up your following, cut everybody off to look like a celebrity.  As Primetime would say, #HOP, don't act like you don't know me!
5. I WILL FOLLOW YOU IF... you are not an organization.  Ok, I follow some businesses, but for the most part, I want to engage with a person rather than a company.
6. I WILL FOLLOW YOU IF... your auto DM isn't spammy and impersonal.  I don't use auto DMs but I have seen some good ones (e.g., "What took you so long?") but for the most part if there are links and suggestions to "make money", that isn't going to cut it.

Follow @TheDavid_A

• RT @smallbizcreativ: People ignore design that ignores people. - Frank Chimero
• If you come across as positive, your prospects are likely to feel positive about you... the opposite is also true.
• RT @DonCooper: Networking is an opportunity, not a guarantee. What you get out of it is based primarily on what you put in to it. #sales
• Make sure your messaging focuses on what you do well. Understand where you excel and where your competition doesn't.
• "Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking." -William B. Sprague
• Good salespeople help their customers with their present needs but also prepare them for future needs.
• When dealing with professional procurement dept, be yourself and be positive. They deal with sales "games" all day long.

Fear Can Be a Great Motivator... but it's lousy for production

A recent study, conducted by the University of Duke (I know fellow UNC fans but please continue reading - this is good stuff), concluded that an unconscious memory of a controlling person stimulates a negative behavioral reaction.  Participants in the study were flashed the name of a boss, parent, or significant other, whom they perceived as controlling and who wanted them to work hard.  The research showed that the productivity of these subjects dipped off when they were exposed to these names, even if they didn't intend to. 

As the study points out, this illustrates our human nature to be free and independent.  The workplace is no different but the intriguing part to me is that this happens on a subliminal level.  Of course we realize that employees want to be valued and trusted, not oppressed.  However, if your managerial style is to control every detail of your group, your staff could unconsciously react negatively to your assignments and you will not have their full support. 

The key takeaway for managers is to balance this need for freedom with accountability.  When you ask your direct reports to perform a task, make sure you do so in a way that doesn't infringe or make them feel backed into a corner.  Be direct and make sure deadlines are understood but seek their opinion and make sure they also believe your requests are reasonable.  Also, don't be know-it-all.  If your employees are afraid of you they will bottle up and not be willing to voice their opinions.  Sincerely ask for their feedback, who knows, maybe they might have good ideas also ;). 

iPad? ...iDid!

I have always been intrigued by the iPhone but because my employer’s phone of choice is Blackberry (no complaints by the way) I never entertained it. I could have gone the iPod Touch route but I didn’t want to carry a blackberry and an iPod (How’s that workin’ for ya?). So when the iPad was first announced I wanted to learn more. I didn’t take the plunge and pre-order or buy on launch day because I wanted to learn from the first wave and I also felt like I wanted the 3G model.

Well, the first wave arrived and a buddy of mine was in love with his. After talking more with him about the possibilities of the iPad, and researching it on the web, I decided to get the 3G model on launch day… except all my nearby stores sold out and I eventually just ordered it from apple online. Now, after having in my possession for 10 days, here is my review.

The iPad rocks! Here are some reasons why (in no particular order)…

1. Mobile internet the way it was meant to be – I don’t need to go to a different room if someone else is on the computer, I can sit next to them in the living room and surf away. I realize you can do this with a laptop as well but I don’t need to “boot” the iPad. With one click, I’m up and going.

2. Reading – The iPad makes it so easy to download books, magazines, newsletters, etc. Between iBooks, Kindle App, and the new Barnes and Nobles App (B&N is my top choice), you are covered to read almost anything. Are there other devices out there that do this? Yes, but do they do all of these other things? No.

3. GPS Navigation – One less thing to carry. Right now I’m using the iPhone App – MotionX GPS and it works just fine.

4. Video viewing – Streaming TV, movies, podcasts, converting DVDs, ABC, Netflix, etc. (oh yeah, if you plan on downloading movies or viewing your own, go 64gb… either that or go with one of the cloud apps). The perfect size for mobile video, plus you can buy the adapter and connect it to a larger display. The quality is excellent.

5. Travel – perfect travel device. Not too big, not too small, just right.  Watch, listen, read, surf, write, email, etc. all from the road. I could go on but you get the picture.

6. Email and Social media – My blackberry covers my work email and I can use the iPad for personal use. The twitter apps, the Facebook iPhone app (I’m sure a better one will come out later), the web, etc.

7. Games – I love my psp but gaming on the iPad will be huge. It is small enough to take with you but big enough to impress you visually. Not all games have great graphics so far but the potential is there. My only concern is the control functionality. That could diminish game play somewhat (thinking about Madden) but it won’t replace my console… just enough to get me through when I’m not at home. By the way, my family is addicted to Plants vs. Zombies and Angry Birds… so much fun!

8. Blogging – this post brought to you by the Wordpress iPad app.

9. Work – yes, I do plan on using this to work on . With Numbers, Pages, and Keynote I can put together a proposal, pricing document, presentation, etc. (especially with a bluetooth keyboard). I don’t think it will replace my laptop but it can get me by in a pinch.

10. Family sanity – This might sound corny but I can turn my daughter’s mood around in a heartbeat with the iPad. If her brothers pick on her I can say, “Let’s go play with Doodle Buddy” and she is immediately happy. She was a bit of a momma’s girl but that is starting to change. Are there other ways to build this relationship? Yes, but can they do all these other things?

I could go on but I won’t… need to go kill some zombies. Is it perfect? No, but I don’t think that should stop you from buying. Software will continue to be developed and it will get even better than it is today. Besides, I don’t think this will be my last iPad. Enjoy it for what it is right now!

Time to Reflect and Refocus

I received an email from Michael Dalton Johnson with a list of suggestions for a more productive, healthy, enjoyable, focused, and successful life.  Here are some of my favorites...

Taking Care of You

Drink plenty of water. [My drink of choice... people think I'm cheap but I just love water!]
Eat more fruits and vegetables and eat less that is manufactured in processing plants.
Avoid eating food that is handed to you through a window.
Play more games. [Fine... I'll play more games :)]
Read more books than you did in 2009.  [Does speed reading count?]
Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
Sleep for 7 hours.
Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. [Get active!]

Your Outlook

Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. [Amen, live your life, don't try to be someone else]
Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.  [Don't ask why me?  Ask what am I supposed to learn from this?]

Your Relationships

Call your family often. [Faceboook notes work too]
Each day give something good to others.
Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6. [We can learn from every generation... we never know it all]
Try to make at least three people smile each day.

Your Life

You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.
However good or bad a situation is, it will change. [Be mellow... it is easier to think through the hard times and keeps you humble during the good times]
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. [Follow through with your committments!]

 

Drive the "Middle", "Tighter and Righter"

"Most of your team members want to make a valued contribution - to find purpose in their work" Stephen R. Covey

Covey's book, "Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times", contains some great words of wisdom for managing others.  Here is an explanation of those ideas as relayed via Fast Company blogger, Thomas Clifford.

• People and teams within organizations work extremely well; say about 20% to the right of middle.  20% under-perform to the left of middle.  The 60% in the middle could move to the right if they knew how.
• Move the "middle" to the "right" by
• • identifying islands of excellence: find the top performers and visit with them.  Find out what they do that sets them apart.  Ask them to share their success stories.  Invite them to mentor the "middle"
  • asking the team how to improve performance: Start generating success stories from the "middle" instead of focusing on failures.  Involving the team on a consistent basis by setting goals on how they can improve.

By driving better performance your organization will provide better brand experiences through a better offering and experience with your audience.

Yoda's Branding Advice

Like many of you I am a Star Wars fan and an even bigger Yoda fan.  Henrik Edberg posted Yoda's Top 3 Words of Wisdom and I will attempt to translate them into Branding advice.  Let the branding force be with you...

1. "Do or do not... there is no try."  I have often said that to build a brand you must DO THE THINGS YOU SAY YOU WILL DO.  If you do not follow through on your commitments you will not be trusted which also means you will not be valued.
2. "Fear is the path to the dark side.  Fear leads to anger.  Anger leads to hate.  Hate leads to suffering."  Many companies are so afraid of what could happen that it prohibits them from reaching out and becoming engaged with their community.  You do need to be careful about what you put out there but make sure you weigh the benefits before you pull the plug on that next project because it will be "too hard to control".  It might lead to unnecessary suffering.
3. "You will find only what you bring in."  We are all limited to our circle of ideas, friends, thoughts, and other influences.  If a product manager relied only upon their own ideas to develop a product they will miss the boat.  By looking outside of your "world", you will find different roads and paths to solutions you haven't dreamed of.  If you "bring in" ideas from your customers it will demonstrate a sense of appreciation, respect, and loyalty.

Branding Advice from Vanilla Ice

 "...stop, collaborate and listen" we are all familiar with these lyrics from Vanilla and we could probably all repeat the lines that follow but that isn't what I want to talk about today.  This particular phrase holds some sound branding advice that we can learn from.

We all have preconceived notions of ourselves, our products, our company, etc.  We should also have a strategy for continuous development but it is wise to not make all of these decisions alone.  Learning to "stop, collaborate and listen" to your peers, employees, and customers will open your eyes and expose you to thoughts and ideas that you may not have come up with.

Word to your mutha

Brand-phobia

The term "branding" is used so frequently these days that in some circles it has lost meaning and others just switch their brains off when they hear the word.  However, regardless of how you feel about the term, "it" still exists and you must pay attention to "it" or else "it" could come back to haunt you.

In the New York Times today, Alina Tugend wrote a good article explaining some basic steps everyone should take even if you suffer from Brand-phobia.  Let me share a few of the highlights with you.

1. "The reality is, many of us may not have the option of staying in a company, unbranded. We have to create our own job security, and branding is part of that. "  DIAGNOSIS: Are you the idea guy, the reliable guy, or the whiny guy?  Each of us have a brand and it can help you survive and thrive at times like these or find yourself on the out-list.
2. “If you don’t brand yourself, Google will brand you,” said Sherry Beck Paprocki. DIAGNOSIS: People are Googling their neighbors, co-workers, vendors, etc.  If we are not taking charge of our online reputation we will either have a) the wrong rep or b) no rep at all, both of which are not very helpful.
3. Dan Schawbel's four-step process: 1) discover your passion, 2) create a personal branding tool kit 3) communicate on and off line 4) maintain.  DIAGNOSIS: Don't just dive into all of the social sites blindly.  Have a plan and a desired outcome, make goals, and then stay on top of it and see it through.
4. "All the specialists told me that Brand Me needs to be unique. But also authentic."  DIAGNOSIS: You do need to stand out so try to find those things that make you 'u'-nique.  Also, don't try to be someone you're not.  It is easy to tell if someone is a pretender rather than a contender.

Thanks for the simple reminders Alina!  Everyone has a brand whether you want one or not so be aware and make it the best brand possible.  You can do it and it is even pretty fun.  If you want to read the rest of Alina's article click here.