Colleen’s Blog

I was thinking about yesterday’s post on productivity and was reminded about a recent sales seminar we completed where the participants and I brainstormed ways to better manage their day. I dug out my notes to share with you today. The goal of our discussion during the seminar was to ensure that proactive, outbound sales prospecting remained the first priority everyday. The team committed to making 9-11 am everyday their “calling time” and came up with the following list of actions to ensure they stuck with their commitments.

Consumer spending rose for a fifth straight month in November of 2010 and incomes rose slightly more than expected, reinforcing views of a solid economic growth pace in the fourth quarter. In addition, Retailers are announcing that 2010 has been the best season ever for sales. With all eyes firmly on the recovery How are you capitalizing on this rebound?

I’m frequently asked how I can be so productive business world and still have time to enjoy a robust personal life. The answer is that during my frequent travels I am an freakish and focused workaholic. I work on the planes, catch up on my reading while waiting at airport, and complete all my work each night before I go to bed while on the road.

At this time of year many sellers are looking for ways to say thank you to their buyers. I say skip the calendars, and trinkets. Besides, I can never understand why realtors send me calendars of houses that are bigger and nicer than mine in anonymous cities that are clearly not the ones I live in. Why would I put pictures of other peoples houses on display in my house? Sheesh – there is a true case of seller not thinking about the value to a buyer.

Almost the end of the year! Time to start thinking about what you want to accomplish in 2011. My first task – and I will have it completed by the end of this week is to plan my holidays. What days and weeks will a take off from work. Planning those dates know, and working all my projects around them ensures that I do take holidays. I suggest that you do to. After all do you live to work? Or work to live?

Here are a few more of my favorite questions to reflect

It’s my experience that most sellers confuse the value to the customer with the products and services being sold.

Value is defined as results or output.

Products or services being sold are inputs.

I am so honoured we have Zig Ziglar as a guest blogger this month. I have been following Zig’s work for 20 years. He was the first motivational sales trainer I ever saw. And, his messages were a key reason why I was able to pull myself out of the $12,000 debt I had created in my life insureance business. Read this one carefully:

Make sure you do take some time to have some fun and relaxation with friends and family before the end of the year