#1 Strategy to Reach Your Unreachable Goals
#1 Strategy to Reach Your Unreachable Goals
It doesn't much matter though when your goals seem unreachable and you don't have a clue how to achieve them. Stuck is stuck. If you knew what to do, you'd have already taken action.
When you're struggling, it doesn't help to have your boss say, "You need more sales." Duh! Comments like that just add additional stress to the difficult situation.
Nor does it help to continually tell yourself, "I have to get more business" or "I must come up with a better plan." All that does is push the panic button.
Did you know these statements actually cause your brain to freeze up?
It's true. They literally immobilize your creative juices, enabling you to see fewer solutions to your dilemma. Plus, the ideas you do come up with are typically stale (e.g., make more calls) and don't give you an edge in today's competitive marketplace.
So, if you're in a rut, what can you do? Or, if you have an audacious goal, how can you get there?
The Answer: Ask, "How Can I ?"
This is the start of a simple, but powerful question that unlocks your thinking and enables you to see fresh perspectives where none existed before.
Look for different ways to finish the "How Can I" question. Play with it. Why? Because when you phrase the question in new ways, you'll come up with different answers. For example, you might ask yourself:
How can I increase my sales?
How can I get bigger contracts?
How can I focus on customers that are more profitable?
How can I free up time to pursue more business?
How can I leverage new offerings to get my foot in the door?
As you can see, each of these questions leads your thinking down a whole different pathway. And, instead of feeling like you're carrying an insurmountable burden, suddenly the creative YOU jumps into action, ready to help you out. Your "oomph" returns, along with a whole slew of ideas.
Let me give you a couple ways I've used this "How Can I" strategy in my sales career.
Getting Out of a Slump
Much as I hated slumps, there were times when my pipeline at Xerox was nearly empty and I had no idea how I was going to make my quota. When that happened, I'd go to breakfast alone, carrying only a notebook and pen.
Over a couple hour discussion with myself, I'd pose and answer questions such as:
How can I get more business from my existing customers?
How can I find prospects who are ready to buy now?
How can I leverage my relationships to find more opportunities?
At first, I'd jot down whatever thoughts came to mind. Then, I'd expand on each of the thoughts, adding more detail and flushing out the concept. Before leaving, I'd evaluate & prioritize the ideas and then create an action plan to move forward.
The best part of this process is that it was re-invigorating. Rather than feeling stumped or at the mercy of slow-moving decision makers, I felt empowered again. With a renewed sense of momentum and an action plan, I always got results. Big results.
And speaking of "big," let me continue on that theme.
Creating an Entirely New Revenue Stream
Several years ago, I lost my two bread-and-butter clients when the investment community demanded better financial results. Both these firms immediately suspended all "extraneous" projects which included all my work with them.
While in the process of rebuilding my business, I did some free consulting for a small magazine serving the entrepreneurial community. I became enamored with the vitality of these firms as well as their contribution to the economy.
But the failure rate was sky high. Good businesses being run by well-intentioned people were closing down because the founders didn't understand how to sell. It about drove me crazy.
For months, I kept asking myself, "How can I share my expertise with these people and make some money doing it?"
It was a real conundrum. Most entrepreneurs don't want to spend a ton of money on outside consultants. When they do hire one, they want to squeeze as much from this person as they can in the shortest possible time. With budgets a whole lot smaller than big companies, there wasn't a lot of potential for add on work either. In short, despite the apparent need, it didn't look like a good business model for me.
But I kept the question open, choosing not to say 'no' yet. Instead, I kept researching and asking the question repeatedly in multiple variations.
One day, the answer came to me: I'd create a website called Selling to Big Companies where I could give away lots of good sales advice for free. Plus, I could offer some premium content such as ebooks, emanuals and teleseminars. While doing this, I could still serve my corporate clients.
I knew I'd finally hit on a viable business model, and, as they say, the rest is history.
Trust the Questions
Over the years, I've come to trust this "How can I" strategy implicitly. Whenever I pose these questions to myself, the answers always come.
They're better ideas than I could have ever thought of myself. That sounds strange to say, but it's true.
Right now, I trust the question again with the Sales SheBang my online resource, conference and community for women in sales. I'm asking myself questions such as:
How can I attract savvy saleswomen to 2008 Sales Shebang Conference?
How can I fund this project so that I can make it bigger & better?
How can I make it an incredible value for the women who come?
The good news is that the ideas are already streaming in. The bad news is that I appear to be a bottleneck in my own system. Too much is on my plate right now, so I'm adding resources to help me out. In truth, it's really not a bad problem to have.
But it all starts with that "How Can I ?" question. Without a doubt, it's the best strategy in the whole world for reaching your unreachable goals.
Invite others to help you answer your questions. Track down a top salesperson and ask for their insights: How can I be more successful? How can I close more business?
Ask an entrepreneur: How can I create the company of my dreams? How can I get more done in the same amount of time?
The answers are already out there. You just need to ask the questions!
1 Strategy to Reach Your Unreachable Goals - To learn more about this author, visit Jill Konrath's Website.
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Sometimes it's just plain tough to get sales. There could be a hundred valid reasons why it's happening - aggressive competitors, the economy, ornery customers. Or, the problem could be of your own making.
It doesn't much matter though when your goals seem unreachable and you don't have a clue how to achieve them. Stuck is stuck. If you knew what to do, you'd have already taken action.
When you're struggling, it doesn't help to have your boss say, "You need more sales." Duh! Comments like that just add additional stress to the difficult situation.
Nor does it help to continually tell yourself, "I have to get more business" or "I must come up with a better plan." All that does is push the panic button.
Did you know these statements actually cause your brain to freeze up?
It's true. They literally immobilize your creative juices, enabling you to see fewer solutions to your dilemma. Plus, the ideas you do come up with are typically stale (e.g., make more calls) and don't give you an edge in today's competitive marketplace.
So, if you're in a rut, what can you do? Or, if you have an audacious goal, how can you get there?
The Answer: Ask, "How Can I ?"
This is the start of a simple, but powerful question that unlocks your thinking and enables you to see fresh perspectives where none existed before.
Look for different ways to finish the "How Can I" question. Play with it. Why? Because when you phrase the question in new ways, you'll come up with different answers. For example, you might ask yourself:
How can I increase my sales?
How can I get bigger contracts?
How can I focus on customers that are more profitable?
How can I free up time to pursue more business?
How can I leverage new offerings to get my foot in the door?
As you can see, each of these questions leads your thinking down a whole different pathway. And, instead of feeling like you're carrying an insurmountable burden, suddenly the creative YOU jumps into action, ready to help you out. Your "oomph" returns, along with a whole slew of ideas.
Let me give you a couple ways I've used this "How Can I" strategy in my sales career.
Getting Out of a Slump
Much as I hated slumps, there were times when my pipeline at Xerox was nearly empty and I had no idea how I was going to make my quota. When that happened, I'd go to breakfast alone, carrying only a notebook and pen.
Over a couple hour discussion with myself, I'd pose and answer questions such as:
How can I get more business from my existing customers?
How can I find prospects who are ready to buy now?
How can I leverage my relationships to find more opportunities?
At first, I'd jot down whatever thoughts came to mind. Then, I'd expand on each of the thoughts, adding more detail and flushing out the concept. Before leaving, I'd evaluate & prioritize the ideas and then create an action plan to move forward.
The best part of this process is that it was re-invigorating. Rather than feeling stumped or at the mercy of slow-moving decision makers, I felt empowered again. With a renewed sense of momentum and an action plan, I always got results. Big results.
And speaking of "big," let me continue on that theme.
Creating an Entirely New Revenue Stream
Several years ago, I lost my two bread-and-butter clients when the investment community demanded better financial results. Both these firms immediately suspended all "extraneous" projects which included all my work with them.
While in the process of rebuilding my business, I did some free consulting for a small magazine serving the entrepreneurial community. I became enamored with the vitality of these firms as well as their contribution to the economy.
But the failure rate was sky high. Good businesses being run by well-intentioned people were closing down because the founders didn't understand how to sell. It about drove me crazy.
For months, I kept asking myself, "How can I share my expertise with these people and make some money doing it?"
It was a real conundrum. Most entrepreneurs don't want to spend a ton of money on outside consultants. When they do hire one, they want to squeeze as much from this person as they can in the shortest possible time. With budgets a whole lot smaller than big companies, there wasn't a lot of potential for add on work either. In short, despite the apparent need, it didn't look like a good business model for me.
But I kept the question open, choosing not to say 'no' yet. Instead, I kept researching and asking the question repeatedly in multiple variations.
One day, the answer came to me: I'd create a website called Selling to Big Companies where I could give away lots of good sales advice for free. Plus, I could offer some premium content such as ebooks, emanuals and teleseminars. While doing this, I could still serve my corporate clients.
I knew I'd finally hit on a viable business model, and, as they say, the rest is history.
Trust the Questions
Over the years, I've come to trust this "How can I" strategy implicitly. Whenever I pose these questions to myself, the answers always come.
They're better ideas than I could have ever thought of myself. That sounds strange to say, but it's true.
Right now, I trust the question again with the Sales SheBang my online resource, conference and community for women in sales. I'm asking myself questions such as:
How can I attract savvy saleswomen to 2008 Sales Shebang Conference?
How can I fund this project so that I can make it bigger & better?
How can I make it an incredible value for the women who come?
The good news is that the ideas are already streaming in. The bad news is that I appear to be a bottleneck in my own system. Too much is on my plate right now, so I'm adding resources to help me out. In truth, it's really not a bad problem to have.
But it all starts with that "How Can I ?" question. Without a doubt, it's the best strategy in the whole world for reaching your unreachable goals.
Invite others to help you answer your questions. Track down a top salesperson and ask for their insights: How can I be more successful? How can I close more business?
Ask an entrepreneur: How can I create the company of my dreams? How can I get more done in the same amount of time?
The answers are already out there. You just need to ask the questions!
1 Strategy to Reach Your Unreachable Goals - To learn more about this author, visit Jill Konrath's Website.
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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