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You can learn a lot from a Beatle
“The problem with success is that too often it comes disguised in overalls and hard work” – Mark Twain
About 40 years ago the Hall family (Hallmark Cards) opened a luxury Hotel in Kansas City that was the talk of the town. Built on a rock formation, the urban gem had waterfalls and landscaping that gave a renewed ambiance to KC. I remember when they interviewed the general manager: They asked him his success secret. He said, “I started my career as a bellhop, and I never used the luggage cart…People like to see you earn your money” He’s right.
How to warm up cold calls
If you took a survey of personal preferences, most people would probably say they much prefer a warm shower over a cold shower. I have found the same rule applies to cold calling. Most (not all) of us would prefer a warm call to a cold call.
The biggest barrier to increased sales..
The main reason businesses succeed is due to high sales. Conversely, the most common cause of business failure is low sales. Selling is like oxygen: You can choose any attitude you wish about it. The reality is that we need it to survive.
The most important component in a successful close
Have you ever seen a situation where a big deal is ready to close and things fall through in the “11th hour”? It happens way too often. Why? Yes, we could have been weak and ineffective in our closing techniques. Even if we are the worlds best closer, we would have a tough time closing if we have not understood up front exactly what the prospect wants and why they want it.
The power of a personal story
Two weeks ago, I received some shocking news: One of my lifelong best friends had died suddenly of a brain aneurism. We rushed to Lexington, Kentucky to attend the funeral and be there for the spouse and family.
Although we did not arrive in time to go to the wake, we heard about some of the things that were said and it reminded me of what Dale Carnegie referred to as the “Power of the incident”. If we want to celebrate someone’s life, tell a story about them that proclaims their rarity.