Jog our memory

I'm pretty sure none of us were just born to be ass kicking machines, who, by nature, automatically hone in and do the things a man must do to be a high achiever. Can't speak for any of you but I can say with 100% certainty, that I wasn't. In fact, with the hand I was dealt, I may have been the farthest thing from it. But, now I've gathered the information. I've studied and studied and uncovered the philosophy and the strategies I need to shape my life any way I choose. I spend a great amount of time each day churning through them and articulating them on this blog for us all to use in our own lives. What you and I need now is to have this stuff in front of us, at all times,so we don't forget what we're after.

My next project....Coming Soon

Content for the day....

Closed a monster deal today...a friggin whale, down in STL. Well, I shouldn't say it's a done deal. The prospect gave me his commitment...all of the decision makers and key players were present and all bought in...my team just has to produce and follow through on the promises we've made on our end. I thought this would be a good time to go through my approach to this phase of the deal.

In blogs past, I'm sure I've given my thoughts on what we need to do once the deal has been inked. You're about to hear it again. The work has only just begun, at this stage. They've seen something in me and my offer they like, but now we have to earn the business. I'm talking about all of the business.

Early in my career, when I got to this point, I handled it about as poorly as a guy could handle it. Here I was with a deal in hand, and I got soft. I assumed the customer was going to follow through. I assumed my company was going to just magically going to grow from this new volume we'd been promised. Shortly after the news to my boss, the questions started coming...."when is that new guy going to start ordering, Greg?" "Well, I got them their samples last Tuesday. Should take a couple of weeks to get their sales guys pushing our stuff. Probably see some deals next week, or the week following." But, truth is, I was quietly shitting my pants. I hadn't talked to anybody since that last meeting a couple of weeks ago, and I had no idea what was happening. So, I call the owner...no response. I stop by the office, unannounced...lukewarm reception from a few of the folks there, but the owner is out. Look in a couple of the sales guys' cars...not my window sample in his car. Uh Oh.

On many occasions, I didn't do what I needed to do to get the deal done. What I'd gotten at that point was the ok to earn the business, and it was up to me to walk the walk that I'd been talking about during the discussions we'd had up to that point.

So, here I am again. The dealer told me they love the window, they love the program, they love the private label marketing solution I created. Now, I have to see it through. Where do you think I'm going to focus my energy and time? Product? Literature development? Memorizing key people's birthdays and favorite colors? Forget that noise. I'm digging into the three areas that keeps my new best friend up at night: internet marketing(he's freaked out about being old school and has nobody who's comfortable with it / Sales training to help his sales team close more deals at a higher gross margin / A canvassing system for his sales guys so they have more deals to pitch.

This stuff is what's hurting my guy, so I'm going to come back next time and blow his doors off with some kick ass systems for him to utilize immediately. I won't show up and regurgitate some half ass idea I heard on the radio or from some other dealer I call on. I will walk into his office with something real for him, and I'll immediately separate myself from every other sales guy that has or will come calling on him.

I say we have fun with this. We only get one chance in this life....we might as well pin our ears back, have some fun, and be memorable in the work we do with our customers. Go hard.

Flip the switch

Flip the switch