Ironmen meet at Peachtree Presbyterian Church every Tuesday morning from 7-8am to teach and discuss ideas and strategies on being better men. From June 11-18, 12 of us went to Guayaquil, Ecuador to build 9 homes for the poorest of the poor in conjunction with Hogar de Cristo. This is the fourth year for this trip, it was my first.

Day 1: We arrived in Guayaquil, Ecuador late Friday night after a 5+ hour flight. Half of us had been bumped up to first class, so we weren’t exactly roughing it. I contemplated the irony of our good fortune contrasted with our mission of helping the poorest of the poor. Our accommodations: a serene Catholic retreat center called Schoenstatt Casa de Retiro. We settled in for a big day ahead of us.

Day 2: Saturday morning, after grabbing supplies at the local hardware store, all 12 of us went to the first building site. I have never seen poverty like this first hand. It gave me new understanding of the term “dirt poor.” With the help of our “maestros”, Ivan and Gato, we completed the building of our first Hogar de Cristo home by 4:30pm. What impressed me most the first day was the smiles and laughter of the children in the neighborhood. We seemed to be the local entertainment for the day. We were a bit overmanned at times, and I was able to break off and visit with some of the local children. While language was a bit of a barrier (mi espanol no es muy bueno), we found some common ground in the King of Pop. Yes, Michael Jackson has fans in the slums of Ecuador. The MJ dance off was one of the many highlights of the day. Seeing a mother and her 5 children smiling on the steps of their newly built home topped them all.

Day 3: On our second day of building we broke off into 2 teams. Chuck Roberts lead our team and Gato was our chosen maestro. We traveled to a very remote area in the outskirts of Guayaquil to build for an older woman- the sole caretaker of a young boy with Down’s syndrome. She had taken him in when nobody else wanted him. To the side of the building area there was a mattress, a small grill, and a bag of clothing. I was told later that this was 100% of the possessions of this woman and child. By 3:30pm they were smiling on the steps of their new home.

Day 4: We built homes #4 and 5 today. This property seemed a bit more “upscale” comparatively- it was fenced off, across from a school, with a bunch of chickens and a couple of dogs running around. We had a bit of a competition going with the other team to see who complete the build faster, (we lost this one). We were blessed with clouds sheltering us from the hot Ecuadorian sun and all in all it was a pleasant day of work and mixing with locals. By 3pm a mother and her 5 children were moving in.

Day 5: Today we toured the Hogar de Cristo facilities. Hogar de Cristo’s mission is to help the “poorest of the poor,” mostly women and children, many of whom suffer from severe hunger, malnutrition, and abuse. In addition to building on average 50 houses per day for the homeless, HDC is producing and distributing soy milk to children in schools, resulting last year in a 20% reduction in the number of children with severe anemia. Luis Tavara, director of HDC, told us the reason he enjoyed working with the Ironmen group every year was because of our smiles. He said our smiles convey hope and possibility to the people we meet in the slums of Ecuador. I thought to myself how great it was seeing the families we met smile and made a commitment to smile more.

Day 6: Built homes #6 and 7. Another “typical” situation- we built for a single mother with 5 children from several different fathers, none of whom were around. I really enjoyed the kids, especially Esteban. He was a little firecracker- laughing, running around, constantly babbling (although I have no idea what he was talking about) and just having a great time. Apparently no one told him he was poor and he must’ve forgotten that he was hungry. He was just a kid being a kid- a happy kid. Early in the trip Chuck asked us to be aware of where we see God. I see Him in the children. I see Him in their enthusiasm. I see Him in their smiles. I was reminded of that old song… “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red or yellow black or white, they’re all precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

Day 7: Each of the 2 teams completed our final builds today (#’s 8 and 9). I am present to a bit of sadness and a lot of gratitude. More than one out of ten people in Ecuador are homeless. Guayaquil has the 3^rd highest percentage of homeless people of any major city in the world. They are born into it and the vast majority will be in it the rest of their lives. We put 9 of these homeless families into homes, and I grateful to have been a part of it. I am grateful for the men who made this trip happen. I am grateful for my family and friends who supported me in participating. I am grateful for the many blessings in my life. I am grateful to have served. I am grateful for the many smiles of the men, women and children we met along the way.

Day 8: Today we say “hasta la vista” to Guayaquil, Ecuador. I am having a hard time coming up with the proper adjective to describe this experience. It has been humbling, enlightening, beautiful, exhausting, extraordinary, saddening, uplifting… 8 days in Guayaquil, 9 houses built, 9 families have homes, 12 men forever changed, at least 1 of them will be smiling more often…

Today is the launch date for my first ever mission trip. 12 men including myself will be building 9 pre-fabricated houses in the slums of Guayaquil, Ecuador. In preparation this exciting excursion it occurred to me that life is a building process. In business, in our relationships, and in our character we are constantly building something. Consider taking a moment today to become conscious of what you are currently constructing.

It is more what didn’t happen. Sometimes potential customers evaluate your products and services positively after a presentation and still do not buy. Something was missing… assurance. Without assurance there is no sale. Lack of assurance is almost a form of buyer’s remorse. People have gotten so used to regretting their past decisions that they now regret their decisions… in advance. They think about all the “how-bouts”, the “what-ifs”, and the “maybes”; all the things that could go wrong; all the decisions they have made in the past that didn’t work out the way the expected. Mentally your prospect is saying “Yes…..but.” You’ve got to get their big “but” out of the way.

• Strategy: Strengthen your personal belief and conviction in your company, your products/services, and yourself. The superior salesperson has unwavering certainty that what they are doing makes a powerful, positive difference for the people they sell to. List the reasons people do business with you. Interview your clients to find out why they buy from you. Associate to the specific difference you make in the lives of the people and companies that do business with you. The more “assured” you are the more you will be able to communicate assurance to others.
• Strategy: Testimonial letters are one of the most powerful, underutilized strategies for providing assurance. A testimonial letter is someone who is happy and satisfied with you and your service and they are willing to put it in writing. The best time to ask for a testimonial letter is when someone gives you a compliment. They say what a nice job you did, you simply respond with the words “Thanks, could you put that in writing?” The website www.linkedin.com makes it easy to request and receive testimonials from your network. Testimonial letters can be used to address the specific concerns of your potential clients.

When you strengthen your personal conviction and utililize testimonial letters you can rest assured more prospects will feel confident and comfortable doing business with you now.

DG sings “I want a Sale Today” to the tune of the Backstreet Boys’ “I want it That Way”

Stop digging!

If you are reading this you are likely in one now currently or are remembering a time when you were. The dreaded sales slump. It happens- even to the best of us. Sales can be a hero to zero business. The highs can be heavenly while the lows are at best bearable. When you find yourself in one, consider the 4 “R”s.

• Remind- Take a big breath. Remind yourself that you have been successful in the past. If you have been in sales for awhile, think back to a time when you were on a roll, in the zone, selling at your best. What was different about your attitude, energy, and activity? What were you feeling, focusing on, and driven toward? Strive to regain that energy and mindset.

“This too shall pass.” –Persian proverb

• Refocus- Set specific, measurable, achievable goals for the next 30 days. There are 2 types of goals to set: activity and outcome. You need both to increase the velocity of getting out of a slump. Activity goals address # of calls, presentations, networking meetings, referrals, etc you are committing to. Outcome goals address # of sales, $ amount and other relevant “bottom line” sales results. Yes, I know this is sales 101, but let me guess- you haven’t done it in awhile. Just do it.

“When you find yourself in a hole…, stop digging.” –Will Rogers

• Re-energize- get back in the gym, go for a run, listen to some of your favorite music. Get up earlier and focus on your goals. Turn off the TV- read and listen to inspirational, educational, or motivational material. Get around inspiring people. Buy yourself something pretty.

• Re-commit- This is more important than the first 3 combined (the first 3 tend to make this one easier). Decide what you are committed to and get to it.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness… the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” -Goethe

Pick yourself up, get back in the race, you’ll be “back on top in June.”

Happy Selling,
Doug Grady

DG sings “I will Commit” to the tune of “I will Survive”.

E- Evaluation. Once your prospect is within realization (see part 1), evaluation begins. Human beings are evaluation machines. Evaluations are simply questions your prospects are asking which much be answered to their satisfaction before they buy. Your prospect consciously or unconsciously asks questions in four general areas:

• Why you?
• Why your company?
• Why your product/service?
• Why now?

Failure to satisfactorily answer just one of these areas can kill your sale.  

The answers to these questions fall into two basic categories: the desire to gain pleasure and the desire to avoid pain.

Specific “pleasure” points may include:

• Return on investment
• Improved employee morale
• Pride
• Ego
• Security
• Approval from others
• Feelings of Success
• Intelligence
• Convenience
• Personal growth
• Keeping up with peers

“Pain” relief may fall into these categories:

• Increased profits
• Decreased costs
• Increased sales
• Efficiency
• Less stress
• Increased productivity
• Peace of mind
• Job security

Strategy 1: Ask “pleasure” and “pain” questions. In order to influence the valuation if others, you know how they evaluate. Earth-shattering, I know. Yet so many salespeople simply “show up and throw up”. They talk about every feature, advantage and benefit known to mankind regarding their product in hopes that one will miraculously connect with their prospect in such a way that they are uncontrollably compelled to say “I’ll take it!”

Examples of “pleasure” questions:

                What’s most important to you in _______?

                Why is that so important?

                What do you like most about your current situation?

                Why do you like that so much?

                Why did you decide to go with XYZ company?

Examples of “pain” questions:

                What’s not working?

                If you could change anything about your current situation, what would it be?

                What concerns do you have in this area?

                On a scale of 1 to 10, how are things going in this area? What’s missing to make it a 10? 

Strategy 2: Presentational Positioning. Your presentation should be relevant and specific to your prospect and their current situation. If you have asked effective questions, listened, and received accurate answers you are ready to give a tailored presentation. In your presentation, position your product or service as a way for them to move toward what they want and away from what they don’t want.

Recommended HAN faculty: McKain, Weldon, Grady, Sjodin, Hutson (in members area)

Cheers!

Michael & Doug

It’s not about you.

So much of traditional sales training has focused on what you, the salesperson do. If they say this, you respond with that; this is what you say and how you say it; you have to go through the steps of the sale, you have to close early and often, blah blah blah. This is all about you. There is really only one entity that determines if and when a sale is made, it’s your prospect. In this 4 part blog we’ll explore the 4 steps all prospects go through before they buy anything from anybody.

Part One

Step 1: R- Realization. Have you ever talked with a potential customer- someone you know would be better off with your products or services than without- the only problem is… they don’t know it! Until your prospect accepts the possibility they might do business with someone in your industry within a reasonable period of time (it might even be you) the most powerful of presentations will fall on deaf ears. Realization occurs when your potential client first understands that they are in fact a potential buyer of your products or services. Your job is to find them in realization, creatively get them there, or be around when they get there.

• Strategy 1: Find prospects in realization. This is what traditional prospecting is designed to do. You keep beatin’ the streets, smilin’ and dialin’ until you find someone who is at this point of realization and is willing to talk to you. While it is true sales is a numbers game, it’s not just quantity, but quality of activity that counts. If someone is not yet at the point of realization, you have 2 choices:  move on or:
• Strategy 2: Creative door-openers. One of the questions your prospects are unconsciously asking themselves is, “Why should I talk to you right now?” You must find ways to creatively answer this question. Look for excuses to call back your best prospects. Do your homework- research your best prospects and ask yourself, “If I were this person, what would get my attention?” Find people, places and things to creatively open the door for you.
  • People: Who do you know that can provide an introduction for you to your best prospects?
  • Places: There are people who will have coffee with you and not lunch, and vice-versa. There are people who will accept a golfing invitation who will never have you in their office. Think creatively as to what type of invitation your prospect might accept.
  • Things: I once secured an appointment with an elusive prospect after finding out he was from New Orleans. I sent a bottle of Tabasco sauce with a note saying “Some of the best things come from Louisiana- I’d like to meet you.”

If you are unsuccessful at creatively opening the door you have 2 choices: move on or:

• Strategy 3: Be around when your prospect realizes. When someone in your market has a need, do they think of you first, second, or not at all? Many of the best salespeople I know are also the best personal marketers I know. They stay on the “mind of the market” by developing and nurturing an identity in their market. When realization occurs, they are thought of, sought out, and given a shot at the business. Your personal marketing efforts should include several of the following personal marketing strategies:
  • Newsletters
  • Personal brochure
  • Direct mail
  • Networking meetings
  • Business associations
  • Referral groups
  • Speaking engagements
  • Writing articles
  • Social media
  • Blogging
  • Strategic alliances
  • Advertising
  • Charity work

Until realization occurs in the mind of your prospect, nothing will happen. Once they get there, they begin to move into step 2, E, the focus of next week’s blog.

Recommended HAN faculty: Weldon, Grady, Gundrum, Levinson, Misner, Reaves

You have to wonder- what are the winners doing that the losers aren’t doing? That’s a great question for your business isn’t it? What does the top 5% of your industry do that the other 95% does not do? If you do what the top 5% does, you too will be successful. The best poker players have what is referred to as “poker instinct”. Poker instinct is the ability to read people and situations; to pick up on verbal and non-verbal hints and clues; to understand basic personality styles, to anticipate tendencies. Based on this read they make better decisions, in other words they alter their communication, and in the long run, if their read is accurate, they make more money. Doyle Brunson, considered to the “Godfather of Poker,” once said, “Being able to read people, understand people, is as important as the mathematical knowledge necessary to weigh pot odds and figure out betting strategy. Poker is a game of people, not cards, and you have to be able to understand and know people.” Reread that last sentence and replace the word “poker” with “sales”, “communication” or “leadership”. Replace “cards” with “services”, “products”, “prices”, “numbers”, or “features.”

In sales, in communication, and in leadership we have instincts. They are very similar to those poker instincts. They are your ability to read people and situations, to understand human behavior, to pick up on verbal and non-verbal hints and clues. Based on an effective read you can make better decisions, in other words you can alter your communication. You can become more appropriate, relevant, and specific to the situation and the person you are working with. If your read is on, your communication will be on and in the long run you will make sales you previously would have missed. Let’s start with a basic premise- it’s not about you. There is only one entity which ultimately determines whether or not a sale is made or a commitment is reached and it is not you. It is your potential customer. The speed and manner in which different customers go through these steps varies based on many factors: personality, external influences, culture, even mood of the day. Based on an accurate read you will make better decisions, you will alter your communication and ultimately achieve more sales, more results in a shorter period of time. Here are a few simple strategies to improve your read:

• Do your homework- the simple task of “googling” your prospect before you approach can give you invaluable insight into who they are and what they are all about.
• Become a student of human behavior- study basic personality types and how they communicate.
• Become more flexible in your communication. Try mimicking the voices you hear on the radio and the actors you see on TV and in the movies.
• Ask better questions and become a great listener. Most of us can dramatically improve our listening ability. Be interested not interesting.
• After every presentation ask yourself 2 questions: “What did I do right?” and “What could I have done differently?”
• Get coaching. Find someone you trust and share with this person a challenging communication situation for feedback. Better yet, record a live presentation with a live prospect and watch it with your coach. This can be as enlightening as it is uncomfortable.

Develop your sales instincts, improve your reads, make more sales…

Recommended High Achievers Network programs: Niurka, Brinkman, Grady, Reaves, Hutson, Weldon, Gundrum

Similar to many individuals and many other companies, High Achievers has felt the impact of the recent decline in the economy. Attaining sales and new memberships when individuals are struggling to make ends meet proved to be difficult, to say the least. Goals were not achieved on many levels, despite a high-quality line-up of speaking greats such as Ivan Misner and Les Brown, among others. The last 2 years have no doubt been extremely difficult for you or for someone close to you. We’d like to thank you for sticking with us through these difficult times.

“Success is never final, failure is never fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
-Winston Churchill

It is now a brand new year. What do you do after you’ve experienced painful struggle or what some might even call “failure”? At High Achievers, we are continuing to fight the good fight and stay in the game, just like you. That’s what high achievers do.

We are pleased to announce the launch of High Achievers Network 2.0.
We’ve regrouped and are leading the way to success in 2010 with the development of new tools to attain personal and professional growth moving forward.

We invite you to explore our new, easy to use High Achievers website with enhanced content. Get access to a variety of educational and inspirational content through…
- Online networks
- Live events
- Tele-seminars
- Downloads
- Affiliate programs
- Expansion into more major cities

Furthermore, I am thrilled to welcome new additions to the High Achievers Network team. Erik Therwanger, author of Think Great, has joined the management team in California. Dave Dinwiddie is now handling administration and online education.

Our commitment continues to be to provide our members with the best in personal and professional development, and to expand High Achievers Network globally in 2010 and beyond. Our 2010 schedule is not yet finalized, and I enthusiastically welcome your input on how we can better serve you now and in the future.