Articles
A Distributor's Hidden Asset
I saw that you have a section on drivers on your newsletter this morning. I want you to know about my driver Gene.
Samples, Support and Something to Sell
On a recent trip to a Midwest distributor, I posed the following question: What can suppliers do to be a more effective partner. A sampling of the comments is below.
8 Simple Ways for Drivers to Own Their Accounts
I've been working with many driver groups lately. In these programs we discuss the 6 building blocks of successful service providers. Price, curiosity, honesty, organization, attitude and ownership. I typically ask the group for their ideas before sharing mine. Here's what one group came up with. It's pretty good if you ask me!
Traits of a Good Sales Manager
Traits of a good sales manager
What Happens if your Customer's Cooler is Broken?
Creativity is the asset of true sales professionals and I love telling the story of a young beer guy I met in Minnesota. Ricky told me a truly inspirational story to answer the question – what is creativity?
"Better than I deserve"
My wife and I went to dinner last Saturday night to celebrate Valentine's Day. "How you doing?" I asked the waiter as we sat down. The waiter, who was crouching uncomfortably close to our table in an effort to get closer to us replied, "Better than I deserve!"
Are your moods....ruining the mood?
Are you aware of your moods? Become aware of your moods, and don't allow yourself to be fooled by the low ones. Your moods can be extremely deceptive. When you're in a good mood, life looks great. When you're in a bad mood, life looks unbearable. Here's the catch: Moods are always changing. The truth is, life is almost never as bad as it seems when you're in a low mood.
Selling Rufenbrau's Latest and Greatest New Beer
At 2 PM today you and other executives from your company, Marathon Distributing, have an appointment at the friendly local retailer to introduce Rufenbrau's newest beer: Dos Banana's. Yes, the new beer tastes like a banana, a concept you're not quite enamored with, but hey, all the Nielsen reports suggest that the American public is clamoring to include beer as a fruit serving.
What do we got? A Victim!
My boys love NBC’s hit series – Law and Order. The show always starts out the same. New York City’s finest arrive at a crime scene and utter the same phrase every time, "What do we got?" Unfortunately, it’s usually a victim.Are you a victim? Do you ever feel held captive by circumstances? Do you find yourself blaming others? Failing to confront the critical issues that you face? Whenever you get stuck in the victim cycle, you can’t get unstuck until you first acknowledge that you’re acting like a victim and probably paying a price for it. Ask yourself the following questions:
Are you Praising Enough?
Last week I conducted a manager’s retreat that lasted almost 2 days. In an effort to keep everyone enthused, I stumbled upon a group exercise that helped in that effort. Consider doing this with your sales team to show the power of praise.
IF your manager...
When I was growing up we had a poster of a famous poem by Rudyard Kipling called "IF" hanging in our house. I'm not sure why but I thought of this poem a few weeks ago and penned my own version. My attempt speaks to the manager/salesperson dynamic and isn't nearly as poetic! Anyway, I believe that the way managers act and think directly relates to the way salespeople act and think...
Is your road to success paved with objections?
Last week a beverage professional asked me for some of the reasons I typically objected to a salesperson’s presentation back when I was a retailer. Well, the reasons were numerous, but in no way did it mean that all was lost; that the sale was doomed to Death Valley.
Are you Carrying Positive or Negative Energy?
How is the energy level at your company? Would you characterize the situation as positive or negative? Is there room for improvement? Are you a manager or leader looking for the key to hitting your goals this year? As a manager or leader, your greatest charge in 2010 is to turn sales reps and others into a team focused on team goals as well as individual goals.
Piece on Lance Armstrong
Piece on Lance Armstrong: Throughout the Tour de France, a Colombian rider on the Kelme - Costa Blanca Team, Santiago Botero, has been keeping a diary for the newspaper. Each day the newspaper publishes his diary from the previous day. Unfortunately, the only diary entry I have seen appeared in this past Sunday's edition. However, it was worth the read.
Would you Like Some Fresh Bread with your Dessert?
Should the bread arrive with the dessert? That’s my question to restaurateurs this morning. Should the bread arrive at the same time the dessert comes?
What do your Customers Think of you?
Do you ever wonder what your customers are thinking about you? Is this news you can use? Absolutely! It should be of great interest to you. Some of you may be thinking, "I don’t want to know!" Uh, probably not a good idea. Today's brief email is about taking a good hard look at how your customers see you. The goal is to find ways to ask these questions on a semi-regular, or regular basis. Some questions drive at how you're performing within an account, while others are about how your company is performing. Both areas are vital.
Do you Master Difficult Conversations?
Do you shy away from difficult conversations? Do you avoid people and situations because you don’t want to deal? Do you avoid returning calls to certain people because you don’t want to deal? Do you change subjects because you don’t want to deal? Do you rely on jokes, sarcasm and snide remarks instead of telling people how you really feel, because you don’t want to deal?
Your Customers don't Buy Everything at Costco
It’s no secret that price is important. But is it the only consideration that people have when they shop? No! If it were, then your customers would buy everything at Costco! And, if they did that—well, they’d need a gigantic warehouse to store everything.
To be or not to be - Accountable
Do you ever ask others for feedback? Do you know what your associates, customers and others think of you? Are you continually surprised when you don’t meet your goals or you receive negative performance reports? Do you ever go home and complain about your bosses (and company) because of what you perceive to be unfair treatment? Are you putting off doing something (or making a change) that you know you need to do or make?
Travel Tip of the Week: Remove Your Baggage Tags
Yep, according to the world wide web (which never gets anything wrong), during 2008 when airlines were developing checked baggage fees and new pricing schemes, more than 3 million bags were mishandled by U.S. airlines. Mishandled baggage – a problem that seems to plague passengers – is categorized as lost, damaged, delayed or pilfered airline baggage. Though I travel a lot, I have been largely unaffected by this phenomenon.
What the Heck is a Chief Honesty Officer?
What the heck is a "Chief Honesty Officer?" That’s what I was wondering as I drove to the airport early one morning last week. I heard a commercial for a mortgage broker, and the speaker identified himself as the company’s "Chief Honesty Officer." Huh? A company needs one of those? He promised that at his company, there would be no surprises – no baloney. Well, that’s a relief!
De-Stressing a Stressful Time of Year
Last Friday I was sitting at my laptop, one eye on my screen and the other on the Today show. The resident physician was talking about stress in the workplace and during the holidays. One thing she said struck me. She recounted her conversations with corporate executives who said, "As a company, we need stress to be successful. That’s what keeps us (as a team) moving towards our goals and objectives." I think I understand that.
Paul Revere, The American Flag and your Sales Team
The American flag in our back yard has seen better days. As I’ve alluded to in the past, with stories about my sorry obsession with the Cubs, my family lives in a suburb located about 20 miles north of Chicago. Chicago, as you know, is called the windy city, and the wind has taken its toll on our American flag. When the wind is calm the flag hangs just as you would imagine - nice and straight; however, when the wind blows, the ripped parts of the flag go in separate directions. The harder the wind blows, the more the tears in the flag show.
Untimely Price Increases
What? The price is going up on November 1st? Last week I was working with a group of salespeople in Ohio. From the back row the following question was hurled in my direction. XYZ wine is going up $2 a bottle on November 1st! How do we sell in that price increase? I remember when products went up in price just prior to the holidays. That logic, raising prices, just before a time of year where millions of consumers see your products, was a move I never quite understood. So much risk at a crucial time of the year. To be sure, price increases so late in the year are confusing for distributors, retailers and consumers alike. Here is how I answered the question.
7 Quick Thoughts on Motivating your Salespeople
Simple strategies and concepts to keep in mind to help your salespeople achieve success
Consumers May Buy Brands, But Retailers Buy YOU
Last week I presented at the the Fall meeting of the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois. A-B chief Dave Peacock spoke before me and I remember him saying the following: "We are a brand business. People don't buy companies, they don't buy brewers, they don't buy wholesalers, they don't buy retailers, they buy brands...." A statement that got me thinking. If consumers buy brands, what do retailers buy? Retailers (bars, restaurants, stores and clubs, etc.) buy the YOU…
The End of an Era
Last Friday, many local newspapers ran a story reporting that the buyer of my former business was throwing in the towel and selling to my longtime, former competitor. Although neither company confirmed, nor denied the rumor, according to the newspaper, I have reason to believe it’s true. I happen to know the new buyer fairly well. I have no doubt that the surviving locations will be in good hands. But the story (and the resulting emails and calls) brought me back approximately 30 months to when I sold the business to a private equity firm....
Tales of Persistance
This is a tale of persistence. A tale with a happy ending. Boy, it used to be a lot easier. Some of you may know that I used to own a chain of retail wine stores in Chicago. You know, Chicago, previously the 2nd city, but now, apparently, the 4th city. That’s just a quick editorial on our failed Olympic bid. Don’t we have more important problems in our fair town? Never mind! This is a story of persistence, and success, not failure. During my retail days, customers used to come to me – not the other way around and when I sold my business, I was in for a rude awakening.
Do you Take Complaints Seriously?
Do you take complaints seriously? What is your organization's mindset on complaints. Over the next several weeks and months, I will tackle the subject of complaints and how taking them seriously can tell you a ton about your business. For now, here are some questions you should be asking. I will provide the answers in upcoming columns
The 12 Days of October (Days 7-12)
Part 2: The holidays are right around the corner. You know how they always sneak up out of nowhere and we always say, "I can’t believe the holidays are here, already," even though they happen at the same time every year! The point is it’s time to start preparing. I hope you’ll keep the following 3 thoughts in mind.
The 12 Days of October (Days 1-6)
The holidays are right around the corner. You know how they always sneak up out of nowhere and we always say, "I can’t believe the holidays are here, already," even though they happen at the same time every year! The point is it’s time to start preparing. I hope you’ll keep the following 3 thoughts in mind.
