The boss asked him, “Have you ever worked in sales before?” “Yes, I was a salesman in my home town,” said Brad. The boss liked him instantly and said, “I’ll give you a trial day here at the store, start tomorrow, and I’ll come and see you after closing time to see how you went.”

When the boss met up with young Brad the next day at closing time, he saw him shaking hands with a beaming customer. After they parted, the boss walked over and asked, “Well, that looked good!

How many sales did you make today?” “That was the only one,” said the young salesman. “Only one!?!” blurted the boss. “Most of my staff make 20 or 30 sales a day. You’ll have to do better than that! Well, how much was the sale worth?”

“Three hundred sixty five thousand, four hundred fifty two dollars,” said young Brad. The boss stopped, truly stunned now .

“Uhm, how did you manage that?!?” “Well, when he came in this morning and I sold him a small fish hook. Then, I sold him a medium hook, and then a really large hook. Then I sold him a small fishing line, a medium one, and then a big one. I then sold him a spear gun, a wetsuit, scuba gear, nets, chum, coolers, and a keg of beer.

I asked him where he was going fishing and he said up the coast. We decided he would probably need a new boat, so I took him down to the boat department and sold him that twenty-foot schooner with the twin engines.

Then, he said that his old bomb car probably wouldn’t be able to pull it, so I took him to the car department and sold him the new Deluxe Cruiser, with a winch, storage rack, seat heating, and a built-in TV. Oh, and cup holders.”

The boss took two steps back and asked in astonishment, “You sold all that to a guy who came in for a fish hook?!”
“No,” answered the salesman. “He came in to buy a blanket.” “A blanket?”
“Yeah, an extra blanket for the couch. He just had a fight with his wife and was sleeping on the couch. I said to him, ‘Well, your weekend’s ruined, so you might as well go fishing…’”

2011 has been an exciting time at Lynbyrd Express, and things just keep getting more exciting!

We now have a brand new website which has just gone live  - www.lynbyrdexpress.co.uk - Check it out!

Shortly this blog page will be also be evolving, more news on that soon.

All the very best,

Lyn

More and more my awareness has been brought to struggling businesses and the denials that lead to self-fulling prophecies and tail chasing.

I am used to individuals and businesses turning to a strange colour whenever ‘sales’ is mentioned, the fear and sometimes confrontation the word can inject is quite amazing, especially when you know that EVERY business is dependent upon SALES! 

However this is driven by a lack of understanding of what Sales is … most tend to think of pushy sales people with the gift of the gab and no morals, couple this with a strong conviction of ethics and what they ‘won’t’ do and / or a pride that knows ‘all there is’ about selling … well, the misunderstandings usually stand out quite extraordinarily.

Yes, SALES is about selling … however it is so much more:  it is about creativity, innovation, literal and lateral thinking … it is also about customer services, service and products, after sales, sales admin, sales support, business processes … communication at all levels both internal and external.

Let me give you a ‘for instance’. 

Recently I was contacted with a cry for advice and ‘help’.  The business has been operating for 10+ years, had been doing extremely well – to the point where orders just came rolling in and required little ‘selling’.  Answering telephone orders was simple “how many do you want?”  “we can get those to you on …” “how are you paying?” … you know the type of thing.

Well in recent times these have been slowing down to the point of stopping, the business has tried ‘everything’ and nothing is working and its future is under threat.  However just in conversation, let alone a site visit, ‘everything’ turned out to be ‘everything they knew’ which were actually barriers to new opportunities. 

Luckily I am able to help by giving Sales Mentoring, enabling the Service and Administration processes to be less analytical and be more creative in identifying sales opportunities without being pushy and remaining ethical through customer service best practices, being innovative in more streamline and sales focused in processes and systems, and better communications.  Overall working with the business manager to give the knowledge, skills and abilities to be his own Business Sales Manager / Developer.  Giving short terms fixes with long term gains.

Economic times good or bad inevitably come round in the business cycle at some point, change (which everyone hates) has to happen and whether you love, like, hate or loathe sales it is the blood of your business … lets face it Nothing Happens Until You Sell Something!  whichever department you work in!

Always remember:  its okay not to have all the answers, its okay to ask for help, its okay to hate selling!

 … is it okay to keep doing the same things even if they are not working?  well only you can answer that one, however I hope I have given you some food for thought. 

Salesology is about bringing together Sales, Administration and Service – the S.A.S. of your business, whether it is a one man band or an organisation.  Salesology is so much more than just selling.

The British Forces S.A.S.’s motto is ‘who dares wins’, it is also worth remembering that the British forces S.A.S. best weapon is ‘communication’, followed closely by creativity, innovation and dogged, focussed determination and dare.  You may not know that the original S.A.S. were the creators of ‘hearts and minds’. 

Confidence  in all your business’s strengths, enhancing these for visibility and buy-ability adding in trusty and integrity; these are the backbone to your business plan, strategies and methodologies giving you the business strength to face what ever economic climate your in.  However they are nothing without Sales! 

One more thing – Profit; Profit is not just about Margin …. Margin + Volume = Profit … 20% of 0 = 0!

We might not all be millionnaires this time next year, Rodney, however by taking a literal and lateral look at your business may just increase your opportunities so worth considering when you are reviewing your Quarter One results, don’t you think?

I would be pleased to hear from you with your comments or questions on this blog topic.

Happy Selling!

Lyn

If you would like some advice or guidance from Linda which you do not want to share in this forum, or like to take advantage of her Sales Mentoring services contact Linda direct on lyn@lynbyrdexpress.com.

So, its nearly New Year Resolution time!  what will yours be?  giving up smoking? lose weight?  they are usually high on the list !  How long did last years New Year Resolution last?  or have you given up making any because they just dont work?

Why not take a different approach to your New Year Resolutions this year? 

Rather than start from a negative, “what can I put right about me?” or “what can I put right about my business?” …. why not start from a positive, “what went well and I am going to make even better in 2011?”

Recognise your mind sets and do a bit of thought management, what were your behaviours - your self belief and expectations?  what was your attitude? how did that impact on your actions and results?  What can you influence? 

We can’t control alot of things but we can influence much, we may not be able to change the world … however never say never!

To help you set New Year Resolutions that may just let you be the ‘you’ you want to be and achieve the things you want to achieve I have now published my books ‘The Art of Unlocking Your Potential’ and ‘Job Hunting – CV Writing and Being Interviewed’ in black and white versions, which make them even more affordable!  and as a New Year present for a limited time they are discounted! 

And for all you sales boffins, I have even discounted my ‘Sales Career Foundation Programme: Modules One and Two’ so you can refresh, revitalise and stimulate your 2011 from the start!

Just click the following link http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?fListingClass=0&fSearch=linda+roshier or go to www.lulu.com and enter Linda Roshier. 

Make a New Years Resolution which will last, not just a quick fix which is doomed!  Life is grand, we only get one shot at it so make the most of every moment and if it doesn’t go to plan … well hey, thats okay too its all about the journey.  I hope you find the fun in everything you do, and have a prosperous 2011.

The very best of wishes,

Linda Roshier

Spare a thought for the less fortunate, and give a smile with a friendly ho!ho!ho! where its least expected – you might just be surprised by the power of this gift.

Here is a linked to a cheery little Christmas ditty which someone shared with me http://www.aroundmd.com/whitechristmas/
It made me smile, I hope it makes you smile.

Have a wonderful festive time

x Lyn

We all have different responsibilities, worries and concerns however with every news broadcast even the most optimistic can start to see the glass half empty!  The impact being that the burdens of responsiblity become a stack of unyielding rods we are pushing stubbornly against to get things moving, so much so we can’t see the woods for the trees! 

So what do we do about it?

Well instead of pushing stubbornly against those pesky rods, we could actually carry they differently … for example, tucking a pile under each arm (metaphorically speaking).  The trick is to take a step back and have a long, honest look at what went well and what could have gone better.  Once you have done that you can start considering what to do differently.  Using a basic S.W.O.T. Analysis can help wonders here.

Before you can provide a solution to any problem you have to know the cause, and then be brave enough to face that cause head on.  This is where we can have ‘blind spots’, fear factors and run the real risk to making matters worse.  The reason being we will tend to keep to what we know, rather than take a leap of faith, and stick to what worked in during the better times - keeping our head in the sand!

The world of business is changing,  and not just electronically, economic efficiencies and competence are returning to the fore sadly often more out of necessity rather than intention.  This is empowering opportunity, innovation and creativity thus turning the gloom into an inspirational business world full of potential!  For those of us who have been around for a few cycles of business ups and downs we should be better equipped to maximise, and along with the young entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to captialise.  However unless we see it we can’t make it happen.

With every knock there is an opportunity, its just a matter of looking and listening.  So after you have stepped back and viewed your current status take a big metaphorical step to the side and view your options from a different angle.  Get some help or support, ask a child … it was my child (of 23 years)  that enlightened me that I could carry my rods under each arm rather than push against the stack!  In other words, be simplistic don’t over complicate things.

When you decide on your strategy ensure that your methodology does not change everything at once, otherwise you are doomed to fail.  Change small things.  Little and often as my grandmother used to say!  Embed and support the changes.  Ensure everyone is aware of what is happening and why.  Yes there will be hard decisions to make, however understanding and communication make these easier to bear.  No one likes changes, however without change we do not evolve … go with the flow of change, manage it pro-actively and positively … nothing is guaranteed, nothing is limited except the limitations you put on yourself. 

One more metaphor:  You are standing at the edge of a cliff, you can step back from the cliff or you can jump off.  Each side of you there are two parachute bags: one packed with innovation, creativity, opportunity and self belief;  the other packed with usual practices … 1. Are you going to jump or step back?  2. If jumping, which parachute will you choose? …  Jumping off the cliff, well you could crash and burn but hey you might just FLY!

 Carry those rods differently and change the small things to make the BIG things happen!

How are you going to carry your rods differently into a successful 2011?

Written by Linda Roshier

If you need help with strategy and methodology for 2011, or other areas of business sales to increase sales volume contact Linda direct by email at lyn@lynbyrdexpress.com

“The Art of Unlocking Your Potential”  and
“Job Hunting – C.V. Writing and Being Interviewed” …

both inspired by some fab people:  my No.1 daughter, little bro in Brisbane and an amazing school teacher and her even more amazing Year 11 girls!

…. must haves for Christmas me thinks! lol … two different publishers or you can get them direct from my website – I’ll sign all those direct from the website !

All so surreal and bizarre!  Just shows you dreams can come true!
(copies of Unlocking Your Potential are winging their way to me from the States as I type!).

www.lynbyrdexpress.com

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/job-hunting—cvs-and-being-interviewed/13661290?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/3

http://www.authorhouse.co.uk/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000413771

DEAD HORSES 

The tribal wisdom of the North Dakota Indians, passed down from generation to generation, says that when you find you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.

However, businesses often attempt a whole range of far more advanced strategies, such as to:

• Change Riders.
• Buy a stronger whip.
• Do nothing: Tthis is the way we have always ridden dead horses”.
• Visit other countries to see how they ride dead horses.
• Perform a productivity study to see if lighter riders improve the dead horse’s performance.
• Hire a contractor to ride the dead horse.
• Harness several dead horses together to try and increase the speed.
• Provide additional funding and / or training to increase the dead horse’s performance.
• Appoint a commitee to study the horse and assess how dead it actually is.
• Re-classify the dead horse as ‘living impaired’.
• Develop a strategic plan for the management of the dead horses.
• Rewrite the expected performance requirements for all horses.
• Modify existing standards to include dead horses.
• Declare that, as dead horses do not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overheads, and therefore contributes significantly more to the bottom line than many other horses.
• Promote the dead horse to a supervisory or senior management position.
• Do nothing in the hope that the dead horse recovers.

 Who do you think has got its strategy right, the North Dakota Indians or Businesses?

Sales has been my passion for many a year, and I have been in sales for … well lets say ’a while’  (never ask a lady! lol).  The one thing that always gets me is when good sales people get chewed up and spat out for all the WRONG reasons!  generally because of bad practices being taught or forceed up on them … or because they just cant see the wood for the trees!  They are limited by what they know, and the stresses blinding them to what is actually happening.

Quick fix sales solutions are okay, however its the long term gains that knowledge, skills and abilities can bring – consistencies and competencies in performance.  A performance born on a solid and strong foundation enabling individual AND business growth – whatever the economic climate!

Hence I have now founded THE SALES CAREER ACADEMY – this will now be its blog, hence the change in name.  It is founded on SALES CAREER FOUNDATION PROGRAMME – which is something I wrote about 7 years ago and have been updating, revamping and training ever since.

Today is exciting for me for another reason too … I have published SALES CAREER FOUNDATION PROGRAMME: MODULES 1 & 2  Skills & Using Skills ….  if you go to www.lulu.com and enter LINDA ROSHIER you’ll find me – alternatively visit the website www.salescareeracademy.org Products page.

A friend of mine warned me about letting all my knowledge, skills and abilities be out in the general domain … some one will ‘knick it!’ … well it is covered by copyright! and quite honestly - how sad is that!  however thats just another fear, and the most important thing to me is that I want to share my experience, knowledge, skills and abilities with as many people as I can because I am so passionate about sales and I really, really hate mis-selling and bad practices.  I always say, you only know what you know … so be the best you can, know you are the best you can be, and exceed your goals.   This blog is free to use and will be here to support you through your career development.

So go preview you the first 10 pages of the book at http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/sales-career-foundation-programme—modules-one-and-two/13584060?showPreview  then let me know what you think … place an order and you can use this website to ask me any support questions … or you can take up a Skype support option.

Happy Selling!

Lyn

Here is the feedback:

“Those who know me will tell you i get very passionate about what i do and get very excited about it! I’ve been selling for over half my life and have sold in foreign countries and in different industries from home renovation to network marketing so as you can imagine I’ve met my fair share of over inflated egos and talkers. However i immediately found her technique and personality inspiring,mainly because she could and would back up everything she taught with results. i found myself once again itching to get back to work to put into practise what i just re-learnt with a passion like id just discovered it for the first time! Lynn’s method will teach you how to use a series of achievable step by step goals to not only reach your targets but smash them enabling you to become the order maker you deserve! For me the greatest thing about this workshop is that Lynn actively practises what she teaches.
Its time to get excited, welcome to the master class.”

Scott Arnold, 2/11/10

Happy Selling

Lyn,

If I can help and support your development contact me via www.lynbyrdexpress.com or by email enquiries@lynbyrdexpress.com