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Michael O'Grady Articles

Written by: Michael O'Grady

What Do You Do When No One is Watching? A Lesson in Integrity - Click To Read Article
In business, when you consistently choose to do the right thing by your customers, there are more rewards beyond just a more business. Your integrity is the root from which your character, your intentions and your competence grows, leading you to the results you see in all aspects of your life.

How to Sell to Customers who Bargain: A Lesson in Cross-Cultural Selling - Click To Read Article
It's common to not understand cultural differences in buying situations. You may have had challenging times dealing with cultures that naturally negotiate. But how you react to these differences is crucial in business.

Closing Takes Guts and Conviction - Click To Read Article
You not only can’t be afraid to ask for the order, you almost need to have a swagger about it. You should have such a level of confidence that you can ask for the order anywhere, any time and to anybody.

Loss Leader Marketing and Advertising: Business Owners Need to Keep an Open Mind - Click To Read Article
The concept of a loss leader is a fairly simple one. You advertise and sell a product at a loss in the calculated hope that a customer will purchase other items in addition to that one item for an eventual profit. This approach involves marketing strategy, which I find to be greatly missing in the in-home services industry.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Set Business Goals - Click To Read Article
I learned about goal setting very early on in my sales and management career. Sales training, sales managers and business owners taught me how to create business goals. I was told how important it was to write my sales goals down on a sales board, and that there was nothing worse in my career than defunct goals.

How to Use the Time Management Matrix - Click To Read Article
One of the most challenging things to do effectively in any career, especially sales, is manage your time. You have to keep focused on what the best use of your time is at any given moment. Improper use or mis-management of your time can result in the loss of possibly thousands of dollars in sales volume and as a direct result, your commission suffers.

5 Contractor Selling Techniques to use with Research-Savvy Customers - Click To Read Article
There are many kinds of customers, but the most classic might be the “we’re just shopping" type of customer. When this customer presents him or herself to you, they like to make sure that you know they are “just starting the process” of getting estimates.

Planting Seeds for Lead Generation - Click To Read Article
Seed-planting practice can be used when talking to residential customers about work needed in future seasons. Making suggestions for maintenance work for the spring while it’s still winter is a lot like planting seeds.

Getting Naked With Homeowners - Click To Read Article
It’s up to you as the professional to make the recommendations that are “right,” but not popular. You have to be willing to tell the naked truth even if it’s not what a customer wants to hear.

Selling to Seniors: You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks - Click To Read Article
Most seniors won’t even entertain the idea of “interest free” payment plans (better known as interest free financing.) The truth of it is that using one of these programs really can be to a seniors benefit.

Don't Get Pissed If Someone Cancels A Job - Click To Read Article
In the home services industry, plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, remodeling etc … there are going to be times things happen and people have to cancel a job. As a sales professional, you’ve done your job. You’ve post-closed, made sure everyone involved in the buying decision was comfortable and you get the phone call.

How to Use Logic to Close Sales - Click To Read Article
You can’t be emotional and logical at the same time; your brain doesn’t allow you to. I’ve spoken and written about this many times throughout my sales and coaching career. In the residential sales industry, there are many moments throughout your day that puts that statement to the test.

Crazy People Buy Stuff Too! - Click To Read Article
The truth is, we all have had moments when we feel like we’ve completely lost it. The words “I feel like I’m going crazy” have come out of more mouths than we can imagine. The key is to stay focused.

Dare To Look Them In the Eye - Click To Read Article
One thing that I was taught at a very young age was common courtesy. Saying please, saying thank you, wiping your feet before you go into someone’s home- things like that. Something that I also remember being taught at a young age was to look someone in the eye when you’re talking to them. In sales it is critical to have good eye contact.

5 Tips to Persist - Click To Read Article
The first quarter of the year is just about history. If you’ve set goals at the start of the New Year, by this time, you should have your resources in place and a plan of action underway. You may even have gained momentum on the tasks and projects necessary to achieve your goals. Maybe you've had to make some difficult business or personal decisions to accomplish what you want. You may have second-guessed some decisions or you may have made them with utter confidence. It's fitting at this point to recognize the importance and power of persistence. How persist are you in the face of difficult obstacles in your way?

21 Ways to Get New Customers in a Slow Economy - Click To Read Article
In these financial times, I think we have to challenge the idea of a recession. Yes, real people are losing jobs. They’re struggling to pay their bills, even losing their homes. Yet, even during a recession, there are plenty of real people who still have jobs and continue to live very normal lives. Taking advantage of every opportunity you have to gain new customers and maintain your existing ones will help you to thrive in your business or industry, no matter the current state of our economy. Here are 21 ways to do just that.

Selling to 4 Personality Types - A Lesson in Sales Psychology - Click To Read Article
According to the Latin theory of "Humorism", each person is born of a basic temperament, as determined by which of the four humors (or blood types) is more evident within them. The four temperament types are: Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholy and Phlegmatic. These personality or temperament theories have a very practical application in sales and business. Sales professionals, managers, business owners and any professional who works with people can use this basic knowledge of pesonality to enhance their dealings with people. By understanding the underlying reasons why people behave and relate the way they do helps us to work through challenging business dealings and help our customers make better decisions. Find out more about the 4 temperament types and how to sell to these 4 types of customers.

3 Habits to Achieve Your Greatest Goals - Click To Read Article
It's impossible for me to talk about how to achieve your goals without talking about habits. Stephen Covey teaches us that habits are the overlapping of knowledge, skill and attitude. Creating good habits will help you manage your time and yourself more productively. In this article, I tell you what you must do before you can work new habits into your life. I also highlight 3 of Covey's most effective habits that will get you closer to your greatest personal and professional goals.

Change Your Ways or Go Out of Business - Click To Read Article
Small business like delis, pizza shops, thrift stores and other shops will close their doors in this kind of economy. Large businesses aren't doing any better. Business owners that were previously making a good living off their great reputation and quality product must change their ways. The old saying, "If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got” doesn’t have much practical application during a recession. You won’t get what you’ve always got because you’ll go out of business! Read on for practical tips on changing your ways and staying in business.

5 Personality Traits of Action-Oriented People - Click To Read Article
I'm an action-oriented person. I take on big goals and go after them full force. I don't like to take too much time to plan and prepare. I believe in the "ready-fire-aim" approach to life. I'm alright with making mistakes and fixing them after the fact. I believe it builds character. In this article, I give you 5 personlity traits of action-oriented people.

Guarentee Your New Year's Resolutions by Turning Them Into Goals. - Click To Read Article
Every year at exactly this time, the articles and news stories begin building on the topic of New Year's Resolutions. Sadly, many people who make New Year's Resolutions won't achieve them. Why not? They aren't thinking about their resolutions as goals. Resolutions won't happen unless they are a turned into goals that you are passionate about and you take actions to achieve them.

6 Miracle Closing Techniques for Struggling Contractors - Click To Read Article
In-home service contractors are finding it very challenging to sell to homeowners these days. If you’re a builder, home renovator, plumber, heating and cooling contractor, pest control company, landscaper or you sell to home owners, you’re probably struggling with your sales. It’s time to change your approach with your customers or you'll go out of business.

The "Lunch Bucket Salesperson" - Click To Read Article
What is a "bucket mentality"? Usually this phrase is referenced with football players and their approach to the game. “Rough, tough, lunch bucket group of guys...they'll do whatever is takes to win". Can this mentality be applied to sales? Are you a "lunch bucket salesperson"? Read on.

A View on the Law of Attraction - Click To Read Article
If you're interested in the law of attraction, here's a basic view. The law states that invisible frequencies of energy attract each other through thoughts, feelings and meditation. Positive feelings and thoughts attract a positive frequency while negative feelings and thoughts attract a negative frequency. Given this, is it so simple to think that we will get positive things in life when we think positive, and visa versa for the negative? Read on.

Why You React to Certain Customers and How to Stay Positive - Click To Read Article
Have you ever started off a day feeling great, then…WHAM…out of no where, you find yourself in a foul mood? You wonder, “What happened to put me in this mood?” Learn why certain situations in sales and business can affect your mood. Use your new knowledge on "conditioning" to control your reactions and improve your business relationships.

The Power of Persistence - Click To Read Article
If you've set goals at the start of the New year, you should have your resources in place and a plan of action underway by the second quarter of the year. By this time, you should have gained some momentum on the tasks and projects necessary to achieve your goals. It's fitting at this point to recognize the importance and power of persistence. Read on.

Break a Few Eggs - Click To Read Article
When faced with new challenges, do you ever ask yourself, “Why does this always happen to me?”, “What else am I suppose to do?”, and “I only have so many hours in a day “? Are these thoughts and statements normal? Will they restrain and inhibit your productivity, or are they normal reactions to everyday challenges?





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