A lot of people are searching for the next big idea.

“This year is my year to hit the big time!” some of us expectantly announce as a New Year resolution, along with losing five kilos. Ironically, it’s the same resolution stated last year. Funny that.

When a phenomenon like facebook hits, the herd reacts and instinctively curves in formation in pursuit of success with fangs drawn and mouths salivating. Cottage industries sprout up like weeds and demands for a fair feed.

If the noise is loud enough it can be heard by all, with people rally from all parts of the world to emulate it, but by then, it’s too late.

When you try imitating a big idea all you’re doing is chasing someone else’s dream. There’s nothing inspiring about that. You also focus too much on things that are constantly changing instead of long lasting. And oftentimes you miss what’s right in front of you.

The foundations of your business should be built on things that dont change. Like the stuff people wanted ten years ago and want now and will still want ten years on. I’m talking about, speedy service, friendly staff, a personal touch, guarantees, accountability, prompt responses to problems, and of course value for money.

Focus on the impermeable things that matter most and ignore everything else.

Our world is forever changing. Facebook is today’s yoyo, it will come and go. What’s hot today will be tepid by tomorrow. Instead of chasing the next big idea this year, start focusing more on the smaller, simpler and less sensational things: your customers.

What will remain long after the noise is gone, are your customers, and they’ll want more. But more small stuff, so focus on that. What a big way to start the New Year.

Inspire,
Trent Leyshan, Founder of BOOM! Sales, Author  of The Naked Salesman

Working with a good mentor is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself in business.

Being able to share your fears and frustrations, desires and aspirations with someone you trust and respect in a safe environment, is invaluable. I only have one rule when it comes to working with a mentor: choose them wisely!

Over the years I’ve had several mentors; some good and others not so. The mentors, that haven’t contributed value have always been wolves in sheep’s clothing. I met a couple of wolves early in my career that not only gave me bad advice, but when the going got tough, they got going!  Demonstrating they were in it for wrong reasons.

No matter what you’ve been through or will go through in future, I guarantee someone else has gone there before you. A good mentor has been there and will also help you navigate murky fogs and trouble waters and offer practical advice to help you get towards your destination.

A mentor can be utilised to develop most areas in business, particularly ones that aren’t your strong suits, i.e. finances, leadership, entrepreneurialism, motivation or sales, to name a few.

You dont have to catch-up with your mentor in person every week, you can meet via phone or Skype once a month or whatever works for you both.  Or it can be an ad hoc basis for areas you need help with on the fly.  Just remember a good mentor is in demand so dont abuse their generosity or time. And always offer to help them in some way in return, if you can.

What’s in it for the mentor?

Most successful people get a buzz from sharing their vital lessons and wisdom with others. Perhaps you remind them of a younger version of themself?  Maybe they just like you and share your values? You would be surprised at how many good and willing mentors are out there that never get asked for help. So ask! You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Where do you find a good mentor?

They’re all around us. It could be a client? A friend of a friend? Perhaps a father in law? Maybe your Sister? Someone you respect and trust? Or possibly it’s a person who is where you want to be in life? For me personally good mentors have always materialised through people that I know and trust, making them a safer bet.

Always be wary of wolves in sheep’s clothing and false prophets. Working with a mentor that you dont know very well can be fraught with danger, so proceed slowly and cautiously. The same principle applies if your mentor is charging for their time.

In my experience many successful mentors are older, but that’s not always the case. And not all successful people are good mentors; that will depend on their natural instinct for coaching.

Working with a mentor shouldn’t cost you more than a coffee or lunch here and there… but if you find a good one ― your small investment could pay off big time!  

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan, Founder BOOM! Sales

Many salespeople never get to hear the word, “no” instead they are provided with the ambivalent response of, “maybe”.

Your job as an elite (or developing) salesperson is to circumvent the murky fog of “maybe” and get to either a “yes” or a “no”. Anything in-between suggests you haven’t done your job properly.

There are, of course, always exceptions to every rule, but “no” always means “no” and in my world the word “maybe” also means, “no”. Anyone who has been in sales long enough and applied the necessary lessons will attest that chasing dead-ends is a waste of time and energy.

Sure, play the numbers and the law of averages, but you’re better served focusing time and energy chasing the beautiful sound of “yes!” These are people that are ready to buy now, from you, this very moment. These types of customers are out there, but you won’t have much time left to find them if you’re too busy chasing “maybes.”

Leverage is the (absolute) key to hearing the word “yes.” What is leverage? A meaningful and compelling reason to buy and now! Any salesperson can conduct meaningless meetings, write proposals and put a cost estimate together, that’s easy, particularly when your boss is paying for the process, yet few salespeople can call themselves masters of getting a “yes.”

Ineffective salespeople seldom have appropriate leverage to create the right buying decision, or any decision for that matter. They simply present their case and then hope for the best. Hearing responses from clients such as, “We’ll think about it and come back to you.” This statement and many others like them are crushing blows to an elite salesperson; but all too common for the average ones.

If a client says, “no” at least you know where you stand and you dont have to submit yourself to the months of following up emails and borderline harassment calls.  And if you have done your job properly which is always to facilitate the right outcome for the customer―you have the confidence to know that there is nothing else to say but “yes’’ or “no”.

The right customer + the right sales process x Value and Benefits = Yes or No.

This is the type of conviction and confidence you should have as an elite salesperson. Winning salespeople are clear and concise. Grey is the enemy and so is the word “maybe.”

I translate the word “maybe” to mean, “no”. So when I hear it, it’s the last time you will hear  from me. I will happily give you as much time and space to make the buying decision as you need, but I won’t chase and harass you with emails and follow-up calls for months on end.

My time is valuable and so too that of my real and most valuable customers. I dont have time for games, time-wasters or procrastinators. Life is short, but the road to success is long!

Do you want my help or not? Yes or No?  “Maybe” is not an option for you sorry. As far as I am concerned, “maybe” customers can go to my competitors and I often provide them with their contact details to do so. 

If you get a “yes”, great!  If you hear, “no”, that’s ok, just move on. Remember “no” means “no” and “maybe” means “no.” Cut-through both and you’ll find “yes” a lot more often!

 Inspire,

Trent Leyshan, Founder BOOM! Sales

Down-selling is the art of narrowing a customer’s expectations and matching them more effectively with a solution that best fulfils their needs or desires.

Too often I see salespeople praying on their customer’s ignorance and up-selling even though there is no extra value being created for customer. In this instance the salesperson is simply meeting their own agenda and getting the customer to pay for it.

Recently my company was in the market for a new office.  I dealt with a leasing company who tried diligently to persuade me to take a larger space with more features, even though I didn’t need them.  I explained on numerous occasions what my very specific needs were; but these seemed to take a backseat to the salesperson’s own needs.

The office spec did fulfil my needs, but also included an additional 33% of costs associated with features I didn’t require. I asked the salesperson what she would do if she was me. She responded, “I would take the extra features, just in case you need them.”And then proceeded to tell me “again” about all the benefits of the (non relevant) extra features. As if to smoke screen her response in the hope I would lose my better judgment and simply agree to the deal.

This is a classic example of a salesperson pushing their own agenda to simply get paid with a complete disregard for what is really important to the customer. In doing so, she lost my trust.

Had the salesperson “really” listened to me and appropriately down-sold she would have provided me with an opportunity to buy-in and she would have made the sale. Instead she went for the up-sell and not only lost the initial sale but also my ongoing business and the potential to up-sell me downstream when my needs better matched her extra value proposition.

McDonald’s has built a fast food empire on: convenience, average food, great systems and of course: “up-selling.” But when you drive through a McDonald’s and an attendant asks you, “Would like to upsize your meal?” and you respond, “No thank you” they dont reply with, “Are you sure…  I mean really sure?” They listen and then act accordingly.

Up-selling is a powerful skill, but only when your customer is getting more value. Not less. When you down-sell you build trust and demonstrate you are acting in your customers best interests. This may not please your sales manager sometimes, but  your customers will appreciate it and thank you with their business and loyalty.

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan, Founder BOOM! Sales

What is the best way to develop your sales skills? In short: sell something you dont have to sell.

Let me explain. Selling is nothing more than leading customers to win-win outcomes. This is so basic yet so challenging for so many salespeople because they’re selling or working for a company they dont believe in.

I would be doing you all a disservice every week in my blog, if I was to simply spruik ideals and philosophies that sound logical and well thought-out, but aren’t practical. There is always a chasm between knowing and doing. So what actually works?

Hard work! The tough stuff! The things that most people dont enjoy doing. Facing fears and overcoming rejection. The late nights and the early starts! Paying your own way. The relentless push and grind every day. Investing in yourself. Being accountable. Getting off your butt and doing something you believe in. Learning from your mistakes. Contributing!

And most certainly swallowing your pride and getting your hands dirty when you dont have to. For many business people they think they are too good to sell. They’re above selling their own products or services. Madness! Choosing instead to pay someone to sell for them and then whining and complaining about the poor results.

Usually the simple stuff that is easy to do, but easier to forget is the most effective. The fundamentals. Or try passing-up a few pay packets and your fragile reputation in exchange for a career that is truly meaningful to you. Then it’s not about selling, it’s merely talking with people and leading them to the benefits.

There’s your silver bullet right there ― BOOM!!!

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan, Founder BOOM! Sales

One of the most frequent areas that I get asked to consult on is sales team ‘performance’, or lack thereof…

In many sales teams what I observe is a small percentage of sales stars shining and the rest making up the numbers. This conundrum I call ‘The Law of Lesser Equals’. This law propounds: All men and women are created equal, yet when compared in competitive environments some underperform, not just marginally, but resoundingly. Many team members have the same training, similar backgrounds and experience, but some get the results, while others struggle. Is that a result of luck, experience or natural talent, or is there a more substantial explanation?

A few months ago, I coached a team of 12 experienced medial liaison offers. This group consisted of a mixed bag of personalities: outspoken directors, reserved thinking types, socialisers and relaters. As I facilitated the session, I observed the behaviours and engagement levels of each participant and it soon became evident who would get the most out of the sales training content. By the morning break, even without viewing individual sales performance records, I could tell who the top sales performers were and why. How?

There is second part to The Law of Lesser Equals: Those that are created equal will determine their advantage, not by luck or natural inclination, instead through will and determination to better themselves and those around them. You see, the salespeople who understand this principle are invariably those who outshine everyone else. These people think and behave in a way that develops them into more of their potential. Research indicates it takes approximately 10,000 hours (roughly 10 years) of practice to achieve mastery in any field. So those who are patient and committed to their development over the long-term will more often than not come out the other end more successful.

In the medical liaison group there were two people who contributed most during the session, and surprise, surprise, when I spoke to their manager afterward, she explained they were the two top performers. Not just marginally, nearly 40% of the business was being achieved by these two salespeople, the rest were merely making up the balance. Some of the rest had more experience and had been working in the company longer, others presented more impressive credentials, yet those attributes were not enough to outshine the two best people.

If your poor sales performers are putting in the effort, have a positive mindset and are doing things right most of the time, but are not getting the results – give them more time. In sales there is a lot to be said for effort. It’s not often the hare that wins the race; they may get the quick wins here and there. It’s the person who is committed to slow, steady and never ending improvement that develops the mindset and habits that not only create but sustain success.

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan

Donald the management consultant arrived late to a public sales seminar I was conducting.

The rest of the participants arrived early for their 8.45am registration and had been chatting amongst each other. He apologised for being late and then rushed in and sat down. His body language was stiff and noticeably anxious. Although now behind schedule, for Don’s benefit, I asked everyone to again quickly introduce themselves and describe what business they were in. All were happy to oblige.

A couple of minutes into the introductions I sensed Don’s energy. He seemed disengaged and uninterested in the stories the others were sharing. I continued into the morning break paying extra attention to him but not at the detriment of anyone else. As soon as the other participants left the room for the break, he approached me and explained the seminar was not what he had expected.

Don had white-grey hair and the lines on his face told me he was in the twilight of his career. He looked stressed and his desperation was obvious. He thought the content was about generating more leads. I explained this was not advertised – the session is about the ‘sales fundamentals’ – things that are easy to do but easier to forget. He responded, “No thanks, I’m really busy, I just need more leads.” His comment didn’t make sense to me, yet hearing the resolve in his voice, I explained that’s not our content for today and offered a refund. With half a foot out the door, he promptly agreed, but pretended he didn’t care about the money.

When everyone returned from the short break I explained, Don had left for his own reasons. With a collective shrug of the shoulders’ everyone quickly drew their attention to my presentation on the big screen. Unperturbed I continued with the seminar.

What Don missed in the next section would have provided many answers to his sales problems: the fundamentals that are ‘easy to do but easier to forget’: aligning values and maximising value, buying-in and being interested in others, the ABC’s of selling – ‘Always Be Contributing’, the Seven Sales Pillars – ‘Presentation, Preparation, People Skills, Passion, Persistence, Patience and Process’. We explored how to create and develop business friendships and a retro-service culture by harnessing change yet not forgetting the essentials of human interaction: courtesy, politeness, integrity, listening, trust and loyalty.

Also in attendance was a young girl, Taylor who was just starting her business journey. Don and her worlds couldn’t be further apart. She had just graduated from high school and came along with her step-father who owned a promising online start up business. In a relaxed manner she listened intently throughout the session and engaged and contributed where she could. Her receptors were wide open and she devoured the content as nourishment. Taylor wants to get into PR and marketing when she graduates from university. To her credit she is already investing in her own development. If she stays on this path her success will only be limited by her imagination.

The reality is, despite whether you understand the fundamentals or not, there is a world between knowing and demonstrating them. As for Don, he’s most likely still chasing leads, and for his sake I hope he does catch them eventually.

Had he taken the opportunity to stop chasing and start contributing he would have learnt: when you get the fundamentals right the business will chase you.

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan

Some people may think my views on business are fanciful and idealistic, and that may be true.

I don’t mind people voicing their opinions on matters they are genuinely passionate about; in fact, I encourage it. I’m always enthusiastic to hear when someone has something authentic and valuable to say.  There is an abundance of creativity in our world. Humanity is replete with inspirational people who have enormous value to contribute in their own ways ― yet most are never seen or heard.

As a collective society, we seldom encourage others to take a path of true innovation because it’s untested, risky, and breaks convention and related reputations.  Most of us are trained to do things based on what’s already been done, and that’s ok, but being led to believe it’s the best and only way― isn’t. I’m here to say, there’s always a higher and more powerful way if you dare to jump off the cliff of ‘certainty’ into the unknown realms of ‘possibility.’

Next time you’re in a sales team meeting and a colleague offers an ambitious idea ― before you shoot them down in flames, take a moment or two to put some creative thinking around their suggestion. I encourage ‘you’ to encourage a team culture that supports, not only each other, but the development of bold and ambitious goals.

You don’t need to have your head in the clouds all the time, but being on the ground all day doesn’t serve you either. You need to have a balance of pragmatism and a process that allows you to see things from a higher perspective. This is the only way you will rise above ‘what is’ and see the path that leads to ‘what can be!’

Tips to inspire innovation:

• Declare ‘innovation’ as part of your sales culture and elect champions to lead it
• Set-up a task force responsible for implementing great ideas
• Support and encourage innovation through recognition
• If you’re passionate about a great idea – fight for it!
• Initiate one great idea or grand ideal per quarter
• Reward people not only for results but for engagement and participation
• Get everyone involved – great ideas can come from anywhere and anyone
• When a great idea bombs – be accountanble, dust yourself off, learn and grow
• When a great idea fly’s and really takes off  – Celebrate and share the success with everyone!

What holds many people back in life is their unwillingness to share more of themselves and their value to others. They believe they are not good enough and fear being judged as a consequence.  So, it’s up to you to inspire them to see more, feel more, and be more in life.

Why is it up to you? Because you’re a leader and that’s what real leaders do!

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan

Who do you think appeals to people more ― a person buying or selling?

I can tell you without hesitation the ‘buyer’ wins hands down every time! Why? The buyer contributes to us usually by adding to our success or financial wellbeing.

In the heady pursuit of success, the fatal mistake many salespeople make is they ‘sell’ and self-promote all the time.  This trains people to ignore them much like TV ads that are in your face so much, after a while we simply don’t see or hear them.

So with more people selling, (than ever!) than buying, how do you compete in an overcrowded and self-focused market place?

Step 1:  Do the exact opposite of what the majority are doing in your space. Give customers choice, either ‘same-same’ or you. Most salespeople are focused on ‘the sell’ ― you need to be the minority of unique and interesting people buying!

Step 2:  Understand that buying means buying-in and contributing by taking a genuine interest in your customers and their best interests. Move from a ‘self-focused’ state (all about me and what I do) ― to a ‘selfless’ state (all about others and how I can help them).

Step 3: Rethink your ‘value proposition’, and redefine what you do and how you contribute with real value and benefits.

Step 4: Get out into your market place and buy the pants of your competitors!

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan

Sharpen your focus and target small groups of people you are confident you can contribute to most.

Your existing (best) customers will provide the clarity you need to establish this.  Less is more, work in a narrow pipe and leverage each call by communicating with benefits, specialised knowledge and commonality ― this helps build rapport and develops foundations of trust.

Cold-calling is as much about process, support and leverage as it is about dealing with rejection and maintaining enthusiasm. You have to work to a structured plan and initiative contact as you would a warm referral, i.e. I know who you and your competitors are ― and the reason for my call is to help you, just like I have helped others in your space.

I often indulge cold-callers simply because I’m curious to learn what they say and how they engage customers.  I recommend any cold-caller do the same to pick up valuable insights. Recently, I asked a cold-caller who randomly contacted me, what the nature of my business was? His response, “Um, could you please give me your web address?”  Clearly he did not care about me or my business, nor had he taken the time to buy-in and demonstrate an interest in my best interests.

Traditional cold-calling is about volume and working with the law of averages.

Contrastingly, modern cold-calling is more about understanding your niche and carving-a-path to market that engages customers in meaningful conversations and leads them (willingly) to benefits via your sales-process.

Inspire,

Trent Leyshan