Memorial Day 2010

Through our great good fortune, in our youth our hearts were touched with fire...

The muffled drum's sad roll has beat
The soldier's last tattoo'
No more on life's parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few;
On Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread;
But Glory guards with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead.

Theodore O'Hara, 1847

When we meet thus, when we do honor to the dead in terms that must sometimes embrace the living, we do not deceive ourselves. We attribute no special merit to a man for having served when all were serving. We know that, if the armies of our war did anything worth remembering, the credit belongs not mainly to the individuals who did it, but to average human nature. We also know very well that we cannot live in associations with the past alone, and we admit that, if we would be worthy of the past, we must find new fields for action or thought, and make for ourselves new careers.

But, nevertheless, the generation that carried on the war has been set apart by its experience. Through our great good fortune, in our youth our hearts were touched with fire. It was given to us to learn at the outset that life is a profound and passionate thing. While we are permitted to scorn nothing but indifference, and do not pretend to undervalue the worldly rewards of ambition, we have seen with our own eyes, beyond and above the gold fields, the snowy heights of honor, and it is for us to bear the report to

those who come after us. But, above all, we have learned that whether a man accepts from Fortune her spade, and will look downward and dig, or from Aspiration her axe and cord, and will scale the ice, the one and only success which it is his to command is to bring to his work a mighty heart.

Such hearts--ah me, how many!--were stilled twenty years ago; and to us who remain behind is left this day of memories. Every year--in the full tide of spring, at the height of the symphony of flowers and love and life--there comes a pause, and through the silence we hear the lonely pipe of death. Year after year lovers wandering under the apple trees and through the clover and deep grass are surprised with sudden tears as they see black veiled figures stealing through the morning to a soldier's grave. Year after year the comrades of the dead follow, with public honor, procession and commemorative flags and funeral march--honor and grief from us who stand almost alone, and have seen the best and noblest of our generation pass away.

But grief is not the end of all. I seem to hear the funeral march become a paean. I see beyond the forest the moving banners of a hidden column. Our dead brothers still live for us, and bid us think of life, not death--of life to which in their youth they lent the passion and joy of the spring. As I listen , the great chorus of life and joy begins again, and amid the awful orchestra of seen and unseen powers and destinies of good and evil our trumpets sound once more a note of daring, hope, and will.

Excerpted from a speech by Oliver Wendell Holmes given on Memorial Day, 1894.

6.1.4 Code of Ethics

The highest standards of honesty, integrity and fairness must be followed

We are responsible for both the integrity and the consequences of our actions. The highest standards of honesty, integrity and fairness must be followed when engaging in any activity concerning the company, particularly in relationship with customers, competitors, suppliers, the public, and other employees.

ACTION POINT: Practice honesty, integrity and fairness in all activities.

Building Rapport

you need to work at your customer's comfort level, not your own.

What happens in the first few minutes of a sales visit sets the tone for the entire meeting. It helps to break the opening down into three critical steps: Building rapport, confirming the agenda, and moving into the meeting itself.

At the start of the meeting, make sure everyone is comfortable, knows who is who, and has a chance to connect informally. Encourage small talk or a discussion of general business conditions. Use your intuition to decide when to move on -- you need to work at your customer's comfort level, not your own. Here are a few ideas to help you get off to a good start:

• Look around the client’s office for something to trigger conversation, such as a picture or trophy.
• Compliment the customer on their office or facility -- but you must be sincere.
• Thank the customer for their time.
• Discuss something you know about their business -- a relevant news event, for example -- to show that you've done your homework.

ACTION POINT: Be prepared and seek to create a level of comfort with your client.

Opening a Sales Meeting

it must be focused on providing solutions to their problems.

When you make an appointment to see a client -- whether it is your first or your fiftieth -- you are effectively calling a meeting for that customer. For the meeting to run well, you need to take the initiative, while at the same time acknowledging that the meeting belongs to the customer -- it must be focused on providing solutions to their problems.

Surprisingly, two-thirds of all sales calls are made to people who do not make or implement decisions. Salespeople are often reluctant to ask a prospect whether they are speaking to the person who is responsible for calling the shots for fear of sounding disrespectful. The following preamble can help you check if you’re talking to the right person: “I visit many organizations like yours and everyone has their own way of making decisions. To ensure that I don’t waste anyone’s time or leave someone out of the loop, would you please share with me how the process works here?”

ACTION POINT: Make sure you are “selling” to the decision makers.

Getting the Message Right

The key to a successful credentials presentation is to keep it short and to the point.

A good way to build a credentials presentation is to use your team -- not just the sales team, but anyone in the business who would like to contribute. Ask different members of the team to put themselves in the position of a customer of your company, and talk to you about what they would like to hear. As you build your presentation, practice it with the team: discuss how it sounds and tweak it until you get it right.

The key to a successful credentials presentation is to keep it short and to the point. Don’t overload the customer with information -- you will (hopefully) have the opportunity to provide detail later. Give some history about the company and yourself. If you have an interesting anecdote about how the company started, don’t be afraid to share it. In a general sense, aim to tell them the kinds of things you do and the kinds of companies you work with, and briefly outline your success stories. Discuss needs in general, and then explain why what you have to offer can be of value to a company like theirs. Words such as “can” “could”, or “might” are the most appropriate because you have not yet learned enough about your customer to get specific.

ACTION POINT: Use the presentation to give a brief overview of needs you an fulfill and of your product line, but don’t make any assumptions about the specific needs of your customer.

Presenting Your Credentials

A credentials presentation is an overview of your company, what it does, and how it adds value to its customers

Despite your best intentions to focus on the customer’s needs, you will often find that you are asked to give a quick explanation of who you are and what you have to offer -- a credentials presentation -- before the customer will give you any information about themselves.

A credentials presentation is an overview of your company, what it does, and how it adds value to its customers. You need to be prepared to give a brief presentation, but if you can avoid having to do so at this early stage of your relationship with a customer, you should: as soon as you start talking about how to help them before identifying and confirming their needs, it becomes more about you than about them. If your customer says to you: “Tell me about your company,” it can sometimes work to respond with: “I’ll be delighted to explain who we are and how we may be of assistance, but I can do that much more effectively if I learn a bit about your first.” If the customer agrees, you can start the needs-determination process; if not, you will have to make a credentials presentation.

ACTION POINT: Always focus more on the customer instead of yourself

6.1.3 Positive Mental Attitude

We should not listen to the negative influences of other people.

A positive attitude is most important for yourself as well as others who become easily influenced by your actions. We should not listen to the negative influences of other people.

We must face reality in all things, but have hope in all things. Hope is the substance of positive attitude. Hope makes the hard times bearable because it promises a brighter tomorrow.

ACTION POINT: Hope.

Making the First Visit

It’s a new beginning...so be sure to make it a memorable one.

Try thinking of cold calls as fun: you’ll never know exactly what to expect, so be ready for anything and take pride in your ability to respond to the situation. It’s a new beginning...so be sure to make it a memorable one.

Some things to avoid on your first call include:

• Showing unfounded familiarity -- it’s only the first meeting.
• Acting like you are entitled to be there.
• Treating this meeting as if it were just another meeting.
• Just showing up without putting in the preparation time
• Present specific recommendations

Indicators that you are on the right track include:

• Being humble -- you haven’t been there before
• Showing appreciation for the customer taking the meeting
• Doing your homework and demonstrating what you have learned in preparation for the the visit
• Confirming the meeting in writing to show interest
• Asking lots of questions of the customer and letting them talk

ACTION POINT: Make a lasting impression on your first call.

Creating an Impression

Learn what you can about the individual and their business.

Your first meeting with a new prospect may have many purposes -- from simple introduction to a full-blown sales all. Whatever happens, stay calm and begin the process of understanding your potential customer’s needs. You should try not to present anything specific (although you should be prepared to present your company's credentials).

Learn what you can about the individual and their business. Look for, and reinforce, common ground. Are they familiar with your company? Is

there any relevant history between your organizations that could form a bond? Do you share interests or acquaintances in the industry?

ACTION POINT: Use the first call to start to understand your customer’s needs.

Making an Appointment

...you will be more successful if you obtain an appointment first.

In some industries, it can be acceptable just to drop by regardless of the business you are in, you will be more successful if you obtain an appointment first.

Send a confirmation letter, letting the customer know you are looking forward to meeting them and confirm the date, time, and time allocation. Review your own agenda and include some relevant material for the customer to look at. Encourage them to invite anyone who might benefit from attending.

Initial impacts can be made by doing the following:

• Get the lead
• Write your letter of introduction
• Make the call and secure an appointment
• Confirm the appointment in writing
• Make the initial visit
• Send a follow-up letter

ACTION POINT: Use appointments to make your first calls.

Making Your First Move

You can’t set up a first meeting until you have a lead.

It has lots of names -- the initial contact, the cold call, the first call, the canvas, the exploratory call, and others. That first visit to a prospective customer can be daunting, even scary, experience for most people early in their careers. The good news is that this does change over time.

You can’t set up a first meeting until you have a lead. Experiment in finding different sources of leads:

• Former customers
• Referrals from existing customers
• Newspaper articles and industry publications
• Trade shows/symposiums
• Centers of influence (third parties)
• The “dead file” -- prospects others have given up on

Armed with leads, your key prospecting tool will be the letter. You can justify three of these in the prospecting process; one to introduce yourself, one to confirm and appointment to meet, and one to follow up on the initial meeting. Emails are fine once you have a relationship, but send a traditional letter for the initial approach -- it will set you apart from the competition.

ACTION POINT: Use the source’s above to build a list of leads.

6.1.2 We Reap What We Sow

What are you willing to give in return for the achievement of your goal

Effort is always required for anything worthwhile. What are you willing to give in return for the achievement of your goal. You must be prepared to give something. Achievers always go the extra mile.

• I walked by the field of a certain lazy fellow and saw that it was overgrown with thorns, and covered with weeds; and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked, I learned a lesson: "A little extra sleep, A little more slumber, A little more folding of the hands to rest" means that poverty will break in upon you suddenly like a robber, and violently like a bandit. (Proverbs 24:30-34)
• Let us not become tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't get discouraged and give up. (Galatians 6:9)

ACTION POINT: Apply effort to your goals.

Questions to Prepare you for the Sales Meeting

Starting with and continuing through the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How will guide you through the process.

Asking questions before during and after the sales meeting will help you best understand your customers needs.

Starting with and continuing through the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How will guide you through the process. Some examples include:

• Who makes the decisions?
• Who should I see?
• Who will do what from our side?
• What questions will I ask?
• What drives this customers decisions?
• What ideas will I suggest?
• What objections do I anticipate?
• Where is the best place to conduct the meeting?
• When would be the most effective time?
• Why is this approach good for our business?
• Why are we targeting this specific customer?
• How will I run the meeting?
• How can I differentiate us from our competitors?

ACTION POINT: Use questions to plan, prepare and execute the sales process.

Doing Your Homework

...key in on what the marketplace is saying, and understand what your customers are demanding.

There are many sources of data that you can tap to make sure you are prepared, including -- but not limited to -- annual reports, product brochures, articles, press clippings, industry magazines, and trade show summaries. Check your customers website and try to get a sense of what changes are on the horizon in their business. Find out about their competitors, key in on what the marketplace is saying, and understand what your customers are demanding.

If appropriate, think about what you want to recommend to the customer, and the corresponding features and benefits. Try to anticipate objections and ask yourself what the real issues might be and what answers you may be able to provide.

ACTION POINT: Study your customer, prior to making the first call.

Planning Your Approach

Start the preparation by determining the objectives of the meeting, both for you and the customer.

Most sales managers agree that the margins separating good, very good, and excellent salespeople are not dependent upon what happens face-to-face, but what happens before and after the sales process. You may feel energized and ready to jump right into a sales meeting with a new customer, but if you spend time planning the content and thinking through the process, your chances of success will be greatly enhanced.

The first state of planning is getting your content right -- ensuring that you have all the information you need for every stage of the sales process. Start the preparation by determining the objectives of the meeting, both for you and the customer. Once these are established, ask yourself what you already know about the customer and what you still need to learn. There is no excuse for knot knowing what is going on in your customer's industry and marketplace.

ACTION POINT: Plan your objectives for each sales call.

Asking, and Asking Again

Questions are the answer...

Many pieces of research on the selling process point to one simple conclusion: the more questions you ask of your client, the more success you'll enjoy -- the person who learns the most needs is primed to win the business. But the corollary is that the longer you manage a relationship, the more likely you are to lose sales. That is because, over time, you become complacent, making assumptions, about the customer rather than asking questions. That's why many salespeople report a falling share of sales, just when they thought the relationship was thriving.

The bottom line is to keep asking questions consistently, methodically, and creatively.

ACTION POINT: Ask and ask again.

Article 6. 1 Attitude Principles

6.1.1 Definiteness of Purpose

In all pursuits we must have a definiteness of purpose. Conventional wisdom will say that he who aims for nothing, will hit nothing. Guard yourself against aimlessness.

ACTION POINT: Take aim

Beginning the Questioning

They are more likely to be open and honest with their answers if they understand the structure of the needs determination process.

Before you begin to question your client to determine their needs, let them know why you need the information, how it will benefit them, and how it relates to the agenda. Explain that by answering your questions they will:

• Help you focus on the right issues.
• Allow you to make better recommendations.
• Get an opportunity to outline their concerns.
• Ensure that you learn about them.

They are more likely to be open and honest with their answers if they understand the structure of the needs determination process. That process consists of the following:

• Introduce the questioning session
• Ask the right questions
• Listen for the needs
• Review and check the needs

ACTION POINT: Let your customers know the reasons why you are asking them questions.

Be Honest With Yourself

Customers are smarter and more educated today; market dynamics demand this.

Ask yourself ----- Do I demonstrate these key characteristics? If not study the key factors. Practice on improving your skills. Take the information you have as a sales professional in your market and build unique solutions that solve your customer’s problems even if those problems have nothing to do with selling them product. They can buy stuff from anyone. They will buy it from you to get the “out of the box” benefits.

Customers no longer spout off about quality products and reliable deliveries. That’s a given. And, relationship equity today is still extremely important but it often becomes the ante to even play the game. Although all customers are trained to say, “Your Price is too High,” if you find their pain and provide solutions you can become “Supplier of Choice”.

Some Pain Examples:

•Recruiting & retention of employees

•Training of employees

•Getting and keeping customers

•Emergency crises

•Business management skills

•Constant stream of new competitors

•Profitability

•Productivity

•Cost effectiveness

•Inventory management

•Employee turnover

In today’s turbulent economy it’s not about the features and benefits of your product. It’s about value and how your customers are going to make a profit, improve productivity or reduce costs. You no longer just sell yourself and everything falls into place. Customers are smarter and more educated today; market dynamics demand this. You must bring every resource your company has into play and leverage those resources to create competitive advantage. Learn to really listen to your customers. Let them talk and when there seems to be a pause in the conversation and resist the temptation to start talking again. Chances are good that the customer has more to say. The quieter you are the more they will tell you. Listen long enough with a few strategically placed questions and the customer might just tell you exactly how to gain their business (and it won’t just be about price).

ACTION POINT: Practice on improving your sales skills to become the supplier of choice.

Key Factors to become Supplier of Choice

Key-identifying factors that will help you grow your sales territory and become “Supplier of Choice” include:

• Understanding the value of planning and actually document the key actions necessary to meet specific objectives at specific accounts.
• Become professional with your planned presentations whether it is to an individual buyer or a group of customer decision makers. Perfect your 25-word elevator speech that clearly outlines your value proposition. Get it down pat for those opportunistic moments that may occur.
• Goals are a matter of course and they include more than just revenue and margin growth. Milestones should be established for target accounts to highlight progress toward specific objectives.
• No one likes record keeping and paperwork but the really successful sales professional understands the necessity and the value received in return for being methodical with their record keeping. (This does not include journalistic call reports that have little value beyond redundant diatribe)
• Time management should be forever on your mind and you need to continuously practice efficient time control.
• You've got to be hungry. Hungry for knowledge to improve your skills and demonstrate enough curiosity that you don't wait for company sponsored seminars for education and training. Read, listen to tapes and finance your own self-improvement in addition to company programs.

• Don’t chase orders, chase customers. Be willing to lose an order but fight aggressively to never lose a customer unless you need to prune your territory garden due to unacceptable profitability.

• Your objective on every sales call is to identify the customer’s real needs, not to just take an order. Take pride in being a solution provider and demand creator instead of a demand fulfiller.

• Understand that often a key to your success lies in your ability to educate the customer. This may range in form of business acumen to helping the customer understand real value. Become an expert at demonstrating the difference between price and cost.

ACTION POINT: Practice the factors above to become the supplier of choice.

Your Role in Today’s Economy

They manage the relationship and continuously build relationship equity.

The emerging role of the sales professional today is not to increase sales. Let me repeat that--- your role today is not to increase sales. Your role as a sales professional today is to systematically and consistently increase the number of customers who choose you to be their #1 supplier.

You must become----The Supplier of Choice----which means you always get-----The First Call----and The Last look.

Don’t make the rookie mistake of thinking that your customers don’t give last looks. If your customer does not give you the last look, then that means somebody else is getting it. It’s time to evaluate the relationship equity you have built with that account. Sales representatives are successful today because they gain the majority of their targeted customers business. They manage the relationship and continuously build relationship equity.

That does not mean they operate with the old lone wolf mentality doing everything under the sun for the customer. They are successful because they take full advantage of all the resources their company has to offer. Transactions and promos flow through a managed relationship. They also dedicate a specific amount of their time to new account development and penetration of those accounts with high potential rather than over providing service functions to existing accounts.

ACTION POINT: Identify the number of accounts where you are the supplier of choice.