Blog

consistency

Actions for achieving your goals

Completing ACTIONS is the only way to produce results. Period.

Your actions need to align with your strategy and your goal. Similar to your goals and strategies, you want your actions to be specific, clear, measurable. When writing actions, begin with a verb. For example:” ASK the BADAS Questions with 90% of your opportunities.”

Consider quantity (how many) and quality (when and how well) as you write these actions. You want to calendar them to DO at the time of day that will allow you to …

Read more…

HOW do I reach my goals?

Now that your goals are written, we move to creating a strategy for achievement.

This is kind of fun because you can focus on HOW you will achieve this. During your evaluation and assessment of the year, you might have noticed that you like doing some strategies more than others, or you were better at some than others, or some strategies were more effective than others.  You may have found that the market or buying habits of your customers/clients has changed and you need to adjust your appro…

Read more…

What exactly are goals?

Consider WHAT you WANT to create and achieve next year. What matters to you so much that you are going to “make it happen,” as my father used to say by setting a strategy. Those are your goals.

Goals should always be written as RESULTS. Articulation is important. I like the S-M-A-R-T process because it’s clear and simple.

               Specific                             Clear, not ambiguous or vague.
               Measurable                    It can be counted. Numbers or percentages…

Read more…

Goals Again

Yes. Goals again!

In most showrooms, December is rather quiet, with customers, clients and designers preparing for and celebrating the holidays. Prior to setting goals for the new year, December is a good month for evaluation and analysis if you didn’t do so in November. If not, see my November blogs for assistance.

Are you noticing any resistance to writing goals for next year? Do you have any sense that you don’t really need to do write goals? Perhaps you feel that you have figured out a p…

Read more…

Differently

Differently? What?

We have looked at what to do more of, less of…and now differently.

Doing things differently is just that. If you have been ‘white-knuckle attached’ to using a paper
calendar and absolutely resisting using technology…it might finally be time to do things
differently.

Or you don’t want to make appointments with prospects you haven’t closed, preferring to follow
up in 2 days, because you think appointments are too pushy. Look at what it cost you in time and effectiveness.

C…

Read more…

Practice – the concept

Most of us would agree that to achieve excellence or to be good at something, we have to practice. Right?

We may have natural talent in an area of interest, but talent alone will only get us so far. To go beyond our innate skills, we’ve got to practice.

Conceptually, practice equates with something of interest. To invest the time to practice, we would need the desire to improve…to learn beyond what we know…to discover and expand our limits…to experience ourselves beyond who we know oursel…

Read more…

Everything Old is New Again

I am often asked by showroom owners to ‘focus on fundamentals of selling’….as if there was anything else. ☺

Selling home furnishings has been a consultative selling approach for as long as I have been involved in it. The archaic ‘borax’ sales approach died out with short-sleeved salesmen with even shorter neckties… and was replaced, with people (often women) who are interested in learning about the problem or the vision and helping solve those with engagement, understanding, and knowledge. Ap…

Read more…

Conscious Consistency

Conscious Consistency. I love the way this sounds. It came up in a coaching call (as so many things do!) and I had to write it down.

Conscious. Consistency. Two related but separate qualities that contribute to making new habits. Cool, huh?

Conscious. Present. Mindful. In the moment. Paying attention. Being focused on the action now. Noticing my thinking and how it impacts my actions. 

Consistency. Repeating things that work. And again. Noticing how the action starts to become second na…

Read more…

Ending the First Month in the New Year

Whew! Month one in and done.

Are you off to a good start? Did you start and stop and start again? Did you hit your target for January yet?

This is a good beginning, whatever the outcome. You are starting a new process and you are completing your first milestone. Take a look at your actions and results and find something to celebrate – even it’s just sticking to the program! 

You are likely in this for the long run and not just a quick accomplishment, so slow and steady wins the race.

Read more…

Part 20 of 20: HubSpot Sales Statistics…With Secret Sauce Added

157341-636283001243114363-16x9-1

20.   An average company loses 10% of its customer base every year

Don’t be discouraged! This is just a lesson in prospecting and staying ahead of your sales pipeline. Stay active and continuously reach out to new prospects and past clients to keep your pipeline full and your team looking ahead.

Salespeople

Simply put, keep prospecting and don’t take it personally. If you lose more than 10%, you might want to explore further to discover why that is. However, if you ask for referrals, market cons…

Read more…

Categories