Through the decades, entrepreneur Richard Branson has not lost that certain wunderkind vibe about him and the way he runs his brand. This aura makes him especially inspiring to entrepreneurs who are looking to start young.
“Most young people with good ideas … will find that 99 percent of people will give them every reason why their idea’s been done before or why it’s not a good idea or why they’re going to fall flat on their face,” Branson recently told Inc.’s president and editor in chief Eric Schurenberg during an exclusive sit-down interview. “In the end, you have to say, ‘Screw it. Just do it.’”
At the age of 15, Branson dropped out of high school to start his first business, a magazine for young activists titled Student.
Four years later, in 1970, Branson began selling records by mail. In 1971, he opened his first record store. In 1972, he opened a recording studio. In 1973, he started his own record label. The Virgin business empire had begun, and Branson had not yet turned 24.
Today, the Virgin Group is a well-regarded global conglomerate of about 350 companies, branching into the entertainment, travel, and mobile industries.
Not all of Branson’s big ideas have been successful. Virgin Airlines and Virgin Mobile are now flagship brands for Branson, but remember Virgin Cola? With big risks come big, public failures. Branson has a follow-up secret to success: determination even when failure seems inevitable.
“If you have enough determination…. It’s more likely that you will succeed because of what you learned from the occasions when you didn’t succeed,” Branson said. “The most important thing is to not be put off by failure.”
You already know that running a business is hard work. The late hours, the managing of customers and employees, the brainstorming sessions for lead generation and handling cash flow: These are the reasons many businesses fail before they barely even start. And even some that escape the slammer would be better off dead. All these factors comprise the tale of business owners around the globe.
However, one of the defining attributes of a successful entrepreneur is the art of being relentless. If your own business did not do as well as you projected in 2016, then you should turn the page on that chapter and look forward to 2017 with fresh gusto and determination.
Thankfully, the year has only begun. So, now is the best time to evaluate what is working or not and invest more in the elements that do work. Technology, of course, looms large here: Owing to the new wave of stay-at-home jobs and the growing acceptance of remote teams by many businesses, the use of technology in running today’s businesses is at an all-time high.
Included in that technology are the apps available for just about every aspect of running a business. What comes to mind here are apps like Dropbox for file-hosting, iMessage for fast communication, Google Wallet for mobile payments, and many more apps, all of which have contributed toward making entrepreneurship easier and more effective for more and more people.If, in 2017, one of your goals is effective business management and optimal productivity, then the apps below are non-negotiable.
1. wunderlist
Have you ever been so overwhelmed with work that you begin to lose track of your priorities and can’t recall what tasks you have or haven’t completed? Wunderlist is one of the best task-management tools you will come across when you’re looking for a solution.
With Wunderlist, you can create an unlimited number of to-do lists and share them with anybody: clients, staff, investors, partners, etc. These lists can also sync automatically so that everyone you shared the list with can see in real time which tasks are complete, and who’s accountable.
For strictly business purposes, you can delegate tasks and divide them into mini-tasks; you can also assign durations for these tasks, add notes and set reminders. While the basic Wunderlist is free, Wunderlist for Business starts at $4.99 per user, per month.
2. templafy
The Templafy app was developed to help work teams create professional files without having to leave their office application. It will help you improve the workflow of your busy team. Using the Templafy app, for instance, will help you access your company content anytime, whether you are in the office or at home.
Considering that as many as two billion business documents are created daily worldwide, this solution is rather timely. Moreover, the app is fully integrated with all your office platforms, too. The Essential package goes for $3.76 user/month, while the whole setup goes for just under $375.
3. square
This app is the best for businesses that offer point-of-sale products or services. Such businesses include food trucks, beauty salons, grocery stores, etc. Users are provided with a small card reader to plug into their smartphones. This enables them to swipe their cards and process payments quickly and conveniently.
You won’t lose money investing in Square, either, because the app isn’t characterized by heavy monthly payments as are many other online payment systems. Instead, you’re billed only a tiny percentage of your profit whenever you make a sale. Square deducts 2.75 percent for every transaction, or 3.5 percent plus 15 cents for transactions entered manually.
4. quickBooks
This is arguably the world’s largest accounting software. QuickBooks gives you a full accounting experience. Its offerings range from tracking sales and expenses and dealing with financial statements to doing your taxes, handling payment of staff and vendors, and much more.
You can access this software on the go on your smartphone or tablet; and connect it to your bank account, PayPal and Square, or credit cards. You can also upload data from these sources without hassle. Pricing ranges from $10 to $24 for the first six months and $13 to $40 per month after that. Quickbooks also comes with a free 30-day trial period.
5. nimble
As a customer-relationship management tool, Nimble is a solid bet. CRMs are supposed to help you keep track of all customer-related events in your business, and Nimble does a really good job of this, especially if your business has a huge online presence — as every business should.
Nimble can automatically update your contacts’ information from their social media profiles. It also offers robust reporting and analytics and third-party app syncing, among many other features. Nimble further works on all platforms; pricing starts at $25 per license, with a 14-day free trial period.
Many of the most significant and memorable conversations of my professional career were impromptu. I don’t look back with any high degree of fondness for the formal performance reviews my working life. The talk over a beer about my career with a mentor — or even the complete unscheduled dialogue with an executive I looked up to — are the moments I remember years later. These conversations helped support confidence in myself and reassured me that I was headed in the right direction. These “napkin” talks where my future was discussed were sketched on a scratch sheet of paper or literally a napkin in some cases, not a power point presentation. The casual nature of the exchange made both more natural and sincere. They were having the talk with me because they cared and saw potential in me, versus the discussion being mandated by management to include in a performance review.
Part of the enormous value of the napkin talk isn’t that you are necessarily going to paint a crystal-clear picture of your employee’s future; the point is you are expressing to your employee that you want them there, you see them in your company future and, most significantly, you care. You aren’t required to have this talk; you want to have this talk because you’re invested in your employee’s success.
1. paint A Long-range picture
Your parents or grandparents worked in vastly different times than we live in today. Perhaps they started their careers in their twenties with a big corporation, and four decades or so later, they retired from the same company. They probably worked their way up the rungs of the ladder, one at a time. Today, the path up the ladder is significantly more unpredictable and complex. Because of this, the importance of a great napkin talk conversation is more powerful than ever.The best napkin talks visualising with your employee what their long-range professional future may look like. This exercise can be powerful in a mature company, but even more important if you are currently a smaller company or a start-up. If you have a high-potential employee, chances are good they think about their future and career frequently. Instead of letting them just speculate on their own, the napkin talk allows you to help shape their vision. It also helps crystallise in their mind that they indeed have a future with your company. This conversation shows that they’re in your plan and that you can see them not only long-range with your organisation, but also advancing and playing a significant role.
2. this is what could happen but no guarantees
If there is any danger in having a napkin talk, it’s that your employee will take the conversation literally. Obviously, there are a lot of factors that can interrupt their path — most notably their own performance and effort. This challenge, however, is easily mitigated by putting a disclaimer on the conversation. Make sure you preface anything can happen. There will undoubtedly be unforeseen factors and nothing is written in stone. Part of the napkin talk’s power is that it is indeed informal, which complements the “asterisk” you attach about anything being possible.
3. tell them they ultimately determine their own path
The best leaders believe they influence their career trajectory more than external factors. That’s not to say they place no value in other factors. But at the end of the day, they take responsibility for where they end up. This is of particular importance because you want to encourage accountability and a relationship between effort and reward.Right now, your best people are visualising their future with, or after, your company. The napkin talk is a conversation better had sooner than later. It gives the up-and-coming stars of your organisation useful insight to consider when they are day-dreaming about their career. It allows you to help shape their expectations. Most importantly, it shows them you care. It’s a talk they will likely remember years later.
Time ticks away relentlessly, no matter what you do. The only thing you control is what you do between the ticks on the clock. You are what you have to manage.Here are five things you can do now to be super-productive.
Plan your weeks and your days
If you don’t know what you need to do, you can fall into reactive mode, doing little things that don’t move the needle for you. If you show up to work without knowing what you need to do, even if work is your home office, hours can go by without you doing anything meaningful. This is why so many get so little done.
By planning your weeks and your days, you know what you need to do, and you can start on it right away. Without having to make a list, and without having to clean your desk first. Having a plan as to what work you are going to do eliminates the wasted time deciding what to do, and it reduces the likelihood that you are distracted by small things.
prioritise your three most important projects
If everything is a priority, you have no priority. Priority is singular. If you have two, you have competing priorities. What is the most important priority for you now?
Your number one priority should dominate your calendar. Your calendar is evidence as to what your priorities are, and if your priority doesn’t have large blocks of time dedicated to that priority, you will never be productive. You’ll just be busy.
It isn’t likely that too many of us are fortunate enough to work on only one priority. So let’s make it three. What are your second and third most important outcomes, initiatives, or projects? This is where your time and energy should be invested, and in the order of importance.
choose three tasks each day and block time
In my experience, I can get three major tasks done each day. That means blocking 90 minutes per task for my three major tasks. That’s four and half hours of time, not much of your twenty-four hours, but more than most people dedicate to their primary outcomes in a week.
Choose the most important task that will move your most important priority forward and block time to do this first. Block time for your second most important task and do that task only after you have completed the most important task. Then, block time for the third.
Productivity isn’t how much work you do, or how busy you are. It’s a measurement of your results. By doing what is most important, you are going to be super productive.
negotiate for time with no distractions
What can make this difficult is all the people and things that can distract you from your real work. You may need to negotiate with the people at work for time that you can work without distractions. You may also have to negotiate with your family. You will almost certainly have to negotiate with yourself.
The time you spend working without distraction is worth ten times the time you spend distracted. As I am writing these words, by phone is far enough away from me that I can’t reach it. I saw the screen light up when a text message came in. It will be there when I finish my work. The only software program open on my computer is Ulysses, the text editor I use for all my writing. Nothing else will command my attention before I finish writing this and reviewing the editor’s notes on my second book, The Lost Art of Closing.
Focus and energy are what allows you to do quality work.
wake up early
A half a dozen of my friends are now waking up at 5:00 AM. At first, they were unhappy with me for sharing this recommendation with them. It’s easy to be grouchy when you haven’t had enough sleep. But, they are adjusting, and they are more productive. I have moved my wake-up time to 4:30 AM from 5:00 AM, which wasn’t that difficult of an adjustment.
Your first two hours can win the whole day. You can get so much done in the first two hours of the day that it is almost impossible not to be super productive. It’s quiet. There are no distractions. For me, my brain is much fresher, especially for work that requires me to think.
If you haven’t tried waking up early, you are missing out on one of the keys to getting more done. Yes, you will feel tired for a few days or weeks. Yes, you will go to bed earlier (like 9:30 PM, in my case). And yes, you will get more done faster.
Time is your single, finite, non-renewable resource. Anything so precious should be treated with the greatest care. That means you should invest it in what’s most important and not fritter it away.What deserves your time and attention?
If eyes are the gateway to the soul, a subject line is the gateway to an email. Everything a prospect needs to know about an email is in the six to eight words they see in their inbox: Do you seem human? Do you have interesting insights to share? Does it seem like you could potentially help?Prospects will make assumptions about the answers to those questions the moment they read a subject line. if you choose your words wrong, your emails will never get opened. It doesn’t matter how good your insights are or how cute the GIF you included is — if your subject line sucks, you might as well have sent a blank email.
When you only have six or eight words to capture a prospect’s attention, every single one has to count. It’s bad enough when the words you choose aren’t compelling or interesting. It’s even worse when your subject line uses a word or phrase that sets off subconscious alarm bells. Avoid the 13 words below unless you want your prospects to send your messages straight to the trash.
1. “15 minutes”
Judging by all the cold emails in my inbox asking for 15 minutes, salespeople think this is a great inclusion. But asking for your prospect’s time before you’ve even introduced yourself is a rookie move, and buyers won’t respond well to being asked for a meeting with no established value.
2. your company name
How do you know your buyer’s even heard of you? Putting your company name in a subject line is a waste of space and also reinforces that this is a sales email. Put the customer first.
The one exception here? When you’re following up with an inbound lead who’s just converted and has your brand top-of-mind.
3. “hi, <prospect name>”
This phrase may have been novel in 2000, but it’s 2017 and things have changed. Customised outreach no longer means dropping in personalisation tokens and copying a generic subject line. If you want to personalise, tweak language according to your buyer’s industry or role.
4. “quick call?”
This follows the same principle as #1. Here’s what a buyer sees when they see this subject line: A salesperson who they’ve never met or heard of asking for a meeting. There’s no faster way to establish yourself as just another pushy salesperson.
5. anything misspelled
Making typos is a rookie mistake that makes you appear unprofessional and unorganised. Buyers have hundreds of emails and other priorities pulling at their attention. You’d better believe they’re not going to spend time reading an email from an unknown source with misspellings in it.
6. “re:”
This is another trick that’s come into vogue lately. The thinking seems to be that writing “Re:” in the subject line of a first-touch email will fool buyers into thinking they have corresponded before. Even when this tactic worked, the subsequent realisation that this was a first-touch sales email creates bad feelings between buyers and salespeople. And by now, this technique is so ubiquitous that buyers see through it immediately.
7. branded terms
Like your company name, a branded term is a waste of space and relies on the assumption that the buyer already knows you. Use the buyer’s language for the best shot at connecting with them.
8. “connecting”
… But don’t say “connecting,” because it is — and sounds like — jargon. Instead, get right to the point — why are you connecting?
9. “outreach”
Another jargony word, “outreach” automatically brings to mind the days of direct mail, cold calls both physical and over the phone, and that’s just about the last thing you want prospects to be thinking about when you are reaching out to sell something.
10. “touch base”
Like “connecting” and “outreach,” touching base is a mostly meaningless phrase that doesn’t hook the prospect’s curiosity in any way.
11. “services”
You might offer unique and valuable services, but including the actual word transactionalises your role immediately as merely a provider. Position yourself as a consultant instead.
12. “Great deal”
Unless you’ve been regularly speaking with a prospect and have an end-of-month pricing package to offer them, avoid this phrase. It puts price top-of-mind before any real conversation has happened, and makes you sound like a storefront holding an “everything must go!” sale.
13. “[FIRST NAME]”
Remember when I said personalisation tokens aren’t enough? They’re not, but what’s even worse is using them wrong. Misspelling a token or pulling in the wrong field not only makes the message seem less human, it also makes you look sloppy.
I don’t know about you, but as a rule, I communicate better via written word.
Speaking to another human being over the phone can be nerve wracking. Maybe it’s because so few of us actually use our mobile devices for that anymore.
But even if it looks like phone calls are fading on the surface, there are times when they’re still essential — especially, it seems, where a sensitive subject is concerned. That means it’s time to stop hiding behind the screen, take a deep breath, and dial. We’ve outlined six of the most important occasions when a phone call is better than an email. Have a look, and start talking.
6 times a phone call is better than an email
1. when you want to apologise
Most of us grow up understanding that, when we do something wrong, we should say, “Sorry” — 96% of parents think it’s important for kids to apologise when they deliberately upset someone, and 88% believe the same is true, even when it’s unintentional. But what constitutes a heartfelt apology?
2. when you anticipate a lot of questions
I recently had a phone call with someone to discuss a project. I specifically chose to have a spoken conversation — rather than explain the parameters over email — for a few reasons. Among them, was that I anticipated the writer would have several questions.
As it turns out, I was right. Calls that have a lot of questions are typically harder to handle over email, because that’s not a real-time conversation. With a phone call you, can go back and forth on one question until it’s clarified, then move on to the next one.
In other words, it was more efficient for me and my counterpart to address all questions in a single phone call, rather than over a string of emails. When you do the latter, you risk losing track of what’s been asked and answered. But there’s a catch — if you don’t take notes during your call, it’s just as easy to forget what you’ve discussed, given our declining attention span and retention of details.
For that reason, there are times when it’s a good idea to combine a phone call with an email. Following up in writing is a helpful way to ensure that both parties are on the same page after a conversation, and gives you a point of reference after the fact.
3. when you have to explain something complicated
There’s a reason why telephone support still exists.
Written instructions are always helpful as a point of reference — see above. But if you’re trying to follow a series of complicated steps, or you’re simply new to what you’re doing, it’s tremendously helpful to have someone walk you through it via spoken word.
But while it’s great to be friendly, it’s also crucial to stay focused — it can be easy for the conversation to go off-track, especially when you strike a good rapport with the person you’re speaking with. So remind yourself of the purpose behind the conversation, and stick to it until the issue is resolved.
4. when you’ve taken way too long to respond
It’s tough to say how many unread emails exist in the average person’s inbox. When I polled by team, just over 37% of my colleagues responded that they have anywhere between 11 to over 50.
That explains why it’s so easy for emails to be overlooked or forgotten. Admit it — how many times have you opened an email and marked it as “unread” with intention of answering it later? That habit makes it easy for messages to quickly become buried under constant incoming email.
There are two potential solutions to this issue:
Organise your inbox with resources.
If you’ve overlooked something crucial, call the sender.
Remember our advice to call when you need to apologise? Here’s a great example of when that’s particularly helpful. With inbox overload becoming a workplace epidemic, chances are, the person you’re calling will understand a little bit of neglect. Plus, making the effort to actually call the person and address the issue — rather than responding with an overdue email that’s just going to flood his or her inbox, too — speaks volumes. It sends the message that the person is a priority, rather than something at the bottom of endless to-do list.
5. when you need to discuss something personal
Simply put — life happens, and sometimes, it’s not so awesome. And on occasion, the less-than-awesome things require us to temporarily step away from certain responsibilities, like work.
As we’ve emphasised, using the spoken word in lieu of email can help to make your counterpart feel like a priority, and to understand the significance of what you’re discussing. So when you need to bring up something personal, like a family emergency or medical issue, skip the email and have a real conversation about it instead.
That also helps to instil a sense of empathy. Not too long ago, researchers at the University of Michigan found that there was a 40% decrease in empathy among certain populations, which correlated with an increased use of technology. It’s a symptom of hiding behind a screen — and, therefore, not being able to associate emotion with what’s being said.
That’s why we generally advise using the phone — or an in-person conversation, if possible — when you need to discuss anything important, as we note below.
6. when it’s really important
What constitutes “urgent,” these days, has become somewhat fluid. We’re a deadline-oriented culture — in fact, it’s been found that adding a deadline to a task makes us 24% more likely to do even get it done. But sometimes, we can’t pull off those deadlines alone. We need to interview an expert for a quote, or have an official party sign off on something.
But remember — a lot of us have unread emails in the double digits. So when an important request comes in, even when labelled as “urgent,” it’s easy for it to get pushed down by a high rate of incoming emails. What’s urgent to me, might not be a priority for the person I’m trying to reach.
Sure, most people would rather type it than say it. But reaching out by phone not only prevents an email from going unread — and adding to the recipient’s email avalanche — but also, it helps to instil that sense of empathy we mentioned before, and emphasise urgency.
Here’s another instance when following up in writing can help. If you can’t reach the person at his or her desk, for example, email might be received quicker, since 88% of us check it on our smartphones. Try sending a written summary of what you said in your voicemail, but save the meaty details for a phone call, so that they don’t get lost in the email shuffle, as per Ye’s above example. But be respectful of that person’s time, and ask when it would be more convenient to speak by phone — that whole “empathy” thing goes both ways.
make the call
To be clear, we’re not trying to knock email. We love email — there are times when it’s an invaluable resource for marketers, and when it’s a perfectly appropriate method of communication.
But we also like to keep a human element to things, which is why — and feel free to call us “sentimental” — sometimes, we like to talk it out. These are six instances in which that’s the way to go, and when it can help you accomplish things more effectively.
Words can make or break a business deal. They have the potential to convert unaware prospects into repeat buyers. Businesses become brands when they communicate their vision effectively. So, how do you bridge the gap between your company’s vision and your buyer’s need?Writing is the thing that will come to your rescue. It is one of the effective mediums to create more clarity, boost confidence and strengthen your credibility in buyers’ eyes.If you’re an entrepreneur, chances are, you have control over your professional life, but you still have to make many stressful decisions. To minimise the stress of writing, check out the following 61 questions to improve your business-writing skills to win the hearts of your target audience and thereby increase your online sales.
preparation
Thought process: Do you plan in advance to make your writing more direct and efficient?
Idealisation: Do you write your first draft without worrying about perfection?
Communication: Are you clear with the theme of your article? (If you are not clear about your theme, expect the same from your readers)
Feel the pain: Are you putting yourself in your buyers’ shoes?
Action: What are the actionable takeaways from your article?
Headline
Benefit: Are you presenting the benefit to gain your readers’ attention?
Curiosity: Does your headline force readers to click the link for more information?
Convey: Does your headline convey the same benefit as your article’s theme?
Specific: Is your headline specific, not too general, to get an instant reaction?
Study: Do you study headlines of popular business blogs and magazines in your industry?
storytelling
Visualise: Do you help readers visualise the benefits of your product/service?
Aggravate: Do you up the ante of your the story by introducing the villain (the pain points)?
Hero: Do you calm your readers by presenting the hero (solution) of the story?
expectations
Justify: Are you making a true connection between your audience members’ time and their high expectations?
Referral: Do you expect readers to become your brand ambassadors by sharing the content?
Next visit: Do you expect a next visit by the same reader to learn more about your offer?
Over-deliver: Do you surprise your readers by delivering more than was expected?
listening
Intention: Are you listening with the intention of solving your customers’ problems
Capture: Does your listening capture the mood of your target audience?
Action: Does your listening translate into actionable content?
engagement
Drive: Do your subheadings push readers to the body paragraph?
Short: Is your paragraph short enough to retain the engagement level?
Simple: Are your sentences simple, smooth and easy to read?
Connect: Do you maintain the connection when jumping from one sub-topic to another?
Questions: Are you asking the right set of questions to involve your audience?
Bullet: Are you engaging the audience with bullet points to make digestible content?
conenction
Frequency: Are you on the same wavelength with your target audience?
Feel: Do you generate feelings for your readers’ pain points?
Experience: Do you share customer experiences to build a strong connection?
simplicity
Jargon: Are you (incorrectly) using technical terms to confuse your readers?
Passive voice: Do you (incorrectly) use passive voice to make ideas hard to follow?
Adverbs: Are you eliminating useless adverbs to simplify the message?
Transition: Are you using transitional phrases to create smooth jumps? (e.g., “There’s more,” “Here’s the kicker,” “Let me explain”)
Very: Do you use “very” to express dull and unclear phrases? (e.g., use “exhausted” instead of “very tired,” “vibrant” instead of “very colourful”)
Choice: Do you (incorrectly) offer multiple options that may produce decision paralysis for readers?
Cut the fat: Do you remove unnecessary words or sentences?
Originality: Does your buyer yawn over your boring clichés? (Remove phrases like “service-oriented” and “high-quality.” Instead, express the benefits of your product/services.)
clarity
One goal: Are you focusing on one goal to dig deep into a single topic?
One person: Do you please everyone to dilute the reader experience?
Examples: Are you using real-life examples to create more clarity?
Conversational: Is your writing too formal to alienate readers from your offering?
reality check
Vulnerable: Are you showing your “real” side, to build deep connections? (People buy you first, before buying your offer.)
True feelings: Do you share how you feel, to make your content more relatable?
Replicate: Are you sharing those things that matter to you?
Realistic Goals: Are you setting realistic goals for your readers?
credibility
Testimonials: Do you include customer testimonials to build trust and credibility?
Authority: Are you conveying confidence and decisiveness through content?
Data: Do you back your content with industry research or data?
Opinions: Are you taking the opinion of influencers to back your content?
closing
Summarise: Are you summing up the topic by touching on the main points?
Feedback: Do you ask questions to receive suggestions or queries in the comments section?
Specific: Are you making a clear call to action? (Don’t hesitate. If you are not clear, no one will take action.)
before hitting the ‘publish’ button
Read: Do you read your content aloud to avoid typos, missing words and errors?
Perspective: Do you present the ideas from an audience perspective? (Replace “I,” “our company” and “my” with “you” and “your.”)
Capture: Have you captured the hopes, fears, aspirations and desires of your target audience?
Practice: Do you work extensively on your headlines before publishing the post?
after publishing
Feedback: Do you ask your office team for the feedback?
Experiment: Do you experiment with your writing style to strike a perfect chord with readers?
Check: Do you keep a check on social media comments? (You might get an idea for your next article.)
Habit: Do you practice the art of writing on a daily basis?
Numbers: Are you gauging the interest of your readers by analysing the number of likes, shares and comments?
The definition of grit is courage and resolve or strength of character. It can also mean an indomitable and irrepressible spirit that doesn’t back down in the face of failure or obstacles. Experts identify five characteristics of grit. If you have them, you’ll be better equipped to handle the challenges life throws at you. How do you stack up?
1. courage: strength in the face of pain, fear or grief
People often underestimate just how courageous and resilient they can be. Every aspect of life requires a little bit of courage. A child needs the courage to face the first day of school, and a student needs the courage to step out into the world after graduation.Similarly, entrepreneurs and business owners need the courage to take risks with their daily activities, to make investments and introduce new products and services. They have to overcome the fear of failure and find it in themselves to stand up if a failed venture knocks them off their feet.
2. conscientiousness: meticulous, detail-oriented and careful
Conscientiousness requires patience and commitment and is a significant characteristic of grit. People who are conscientious try their best to avoid mistakes and never jump hastily into commitments. While courage is the ability to make mistakes and face failure, conscientiousness is the capacity to work hard to avoid failures and errors in the first place.You’ll notice that people who possess true grit don’t shy away from hard work. Conscientious people are also quite principled and won’t take shortcuts if they have to compromise their values and ethics.
3. resilience: confident, committed and optimistic
It’s easy to dismiss resilient individuals as stubborn. They stay on their path and are determined to succeed despite all odds. They’re confident in their ability to make sacrifices, put in the effort and overcome failures to reach their goals.Entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals need to be resilient to survive in a cutthroat business environment. Resilience can help you withstand the pressure of competition and even enjoy the challenges it presents.
4. excellence: being outstanding or extremely good
People with grit will always strive to achieve excellence rather that focus on perfection. While perfection focuses on the result of your efforts, excellence is more concerned with how you get there. Excellence is a forgiving concept and only asks you to give your all to a particular task.If you fail despite your best efforts, you’ll learn from your mistakes and move on. If you succeed, you’ve achieved the best result possible. Think of excellence as progress vs. perfection. It’s better to start and learn with a bad product, then to have never started at all.
5. endurance: staying put in different situations to achieve long-term goals
You won’t succeed in life if you don’t remain on a path you’ve chosen, regardless of how difficult and challenging the road becomes. Most people find it difficult to keep up the hard work and want quick rewards. Long-term goals require time, patience, sacrifices and effort and you need to have the endurance to stay on the path.All of these characteristics of grit will help you succeed in your personal and professional life. If you don’t yet possess these characteristics, life will happen and you will either develop grit or live a life of helplessness. As John Ortberg explained: “Over time, grit is what separates fruitful lives from aimlessness.”
I recently sat in on a pipeline review with a sales rep, Clare, and her manager. After asking a couple questions about one particular deal, her manager asked how confident Clare was that it’d close.“They were really enthusiastic, so I’m almost certain,” she replied.
But when I checked in a week later, Clare told me that buyer had ended up going with a competitor. She’d gotten happy ears: The common sales trap of being overly optimistic about a deal because you haven’t qualified enough to discover true objections.Happy ears lead to inaccurate sales forecasts and missed quotas, and are usually the result of salespeople failing to ask tough questions and uncover objections. These five strategies will help reps maintain a healthy level of skepticism.
1. ask probing questions
Digging into the buyer’s positive statements helps salespeople identify if there’s a true intent to buy. It’s easy to interpret a statement such as, “It seems like a great fit,” as “We don’t have any reservations.”However, that statement could just as likely mean, “We like what the product does, but the integration process sounds time-consuming and the price is a little higher than we’d like.”The takeaway: If reps take everything buyers say at face value, they’ll miss serious reservations.To surface potential objections, salespeople can ask these probing questions:
“Glad to hear it, [prospect name]. Can you explain what you mean by X?”
“Would you mind going a bit more in-depth about [prospect’s comment]?”
“I think [feature] is great too. But is there anything you’re not as confident about?”
“When it comes to X, do you see any obstacles to successful implementation?”
If prospects don’t have any objections, they’ll simply elaborate on their earlier statement — which will subconsciously reaffirm their own positive opinions while confirming that reps haven’t missed anything.
2. seek out red flags
The prospect might sound ready to sign the proposal right then and there — but unless they actually do, reps should be still keep their eyes peeled for warning signs the deal won’t close.These include:
Lack of authority: When salespeople get happy ears, they often forget to verify that their contact is the actual decision maker.
Lack of consensus: One of the stakeholders might be be eager to buy, yet their enthusiasm won’t matter if their colleagues are skeptical. To get a deal over the finish line, reps must identify everyone involved in the buying decision and show each person why the purchase helps with their individual goals.
Lack of urgency: Salespeople are always worried about the competition, but they should be focusing on the status quo. Doing nothing is always the easier option for prospects, even if inaction is harmful in the long run. Reps need to determine if their prospect is truly motivated to act and why. (Not sure how? Try assigning homework.)
Lack of budget: Sellers can only help buyers find creative solutions to budget problems if they know buyers are having budget problems in the first place. Don’t assume there’s money for your product: Ask how your prospect plans on funding the purchase.
Everything might look good at first glance. However, if these red flags are present, reassess your strategy rather than preemptively celebrating.
3. get an outside opinion
Reps can get a reality check by asking their manager or a team member to review the deal. An outsider can hone in on key details the salesperson might’ve overlooked. For instance, they might ask, “Why are they looking to switch solutions now? With the end of the year coming up, it’s an inconvenient time to replace all of their processes with new ones.”The rep could have forgotten to confirm his prospect’s timeline. Thanks to his coworker’s suggestion, he can explore this crucial detail on their next call.
4. avoid “this one is different” syndrome
Ideal co-founder and COO Shaun Ricci recommends salespeople think twice when they find themselves saying, “This one is different.”Reps may use this line to justify why a deal will close more quickly than normal or a buyer will spend more than the average customer, Ricci explains.“There are exceptions to every rule, but if you find yourself uttering those words when your boss asks why a prospect will buy in two weeks when your average sales cycle is 90 days, that should trigger you to go back and review why you believe this prospect is truly different,” he says.
5. prepare for the worst-case scenario
A positive mindset often transforms a salesperson’s ability to convince her prospects of her product’s value. On the flip side, being too positive blinds the rep to the obstacles in her path.How can salespeople strike the perfect balance between pessimism and optimism? Try New York University psychology professor Gabriele Oettingen’s W.O.O.P. strategy:
W: Think about your Wish.
O: Think about your ideal Outcome.
O: Think about the Obstacles in your way.
P: Plan for those obstacles.
W.O.O.P helps you envision the best possible future while also requiring you to prepare for roadblocks. If you have happy ears, this exercise will help you come back down to earth.Getting happy ears can wreck reps’ chances of closing. These five tactics will help them maintain a balance of confidence and realism.
When I started my sales career I was brought up in the old school way of sales — cold call like crazy, prospect until you dropped, hunt them, kill them, and collect your money. One and done.
Account management? What the hell is that?
My job was to get prospects into my funnel and close them. After that, I had no idea what to do because nobody taught me what to do. In my outside sales career I just closed and moved on to the next sale.
If the prospect churned the next month I didn’t care because I was too busy hunting new business — I didn’t have a client list because the only time I was in the office was to turn in a contract or show my manager the business cards I collected (unless it was a blow-off day and I went fish bowl prospecting — which happened a lot)
Getting those cards was gold. It was my raison d’être, because without a contract or business cards, there was no proof that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing — it was old-school accountability.
So when I came back with a signed contract — proving closed business — I turned it in with much fanfare and put it up on the board, the measuring stick of sales success and worthiness. (And if I ever had two sales in one day I would only turn one in and sandbag it for the next day so I could go play hoops or golf — hey, I was 22 years old!)
Once that contract was in, I had no idea what happened to my client. I never reached out to them or did any account management or customer service. When they were done, they were dead to me. I didn’t check in with clients to see how their families were (even if I’d referenced the family picture on their desk as a way to gain trust, build rapport, and eventually close the deal). I didn’t care whether the product had actually helped them. I only cared about me, mine, and my next sale.
In my last blog, I wrote about why and how you should upsell. But following up with your clients post-sale isn’t about making more money. It’s about staying in touch with the real gold, the client, and seeing how they are.
Have you ever told your client you loved them? I have. Of course, it has to be said with the right touch of humour and playfulness, and be a declaration of real love. I have a client who I tell that if he keeps doing business with me I’ll visit him and we’ll do cartwheels on the beach and our families will high-five and sing songs.
I’ll ask clients if anyone has told them they love them today, and if not I tell them that I do. It’s very disarming, makes them laugh, and helps build a bond. I know my competitors aren’t doing that — I know this because they haven’t built the kind of relationships I have with my clients and so they can’t say these kinds of things.
Do you have a real bond with your clients? If not, they can be easily stolen away. If you value your clients, you should continually let them know you care about them and are interested in helping them be successful by continually showing them value. In our highly commoditied world, clients have many options so when they buy from you, it’s proof that you have shown them value and made a connection. Why would you ever ignore them and risk losing that?
I made these mistakes as a young salesman who only looked for the sale, and as I matured in the sales business and lost a lot of clients because of this ignorance, I vowed I wouldn’t lose a client due to inattentiveness again.
Here are 15 ways to show you care about and value your clients:
Send handwritten notes and thank-you cards
Call them on their birthday
Monitor the LinkedIn feed that notifies you when your contact is mentioned in the news
Call them and tell them you are grateful for their business
Refer a prospective client to them
Send them news about their Alma Mater
Send them articles you see that are published about them
Tell them you love them (when appropriate and the right amount of humour)
Send them a funny video
Take them to lunch or dinner
Call and ask them what they wish your company could do different for them
Ask for their advice
Share the content they produce on all of your social media channels
Buy and send them a book they would be interested in.
Send them 10 ideas that may help them improve their business or process
Existing customers are your best source of additional business and referrals. They literally help feed your family, so treat them like the gold they are. Be interested in their success, provide maximum value and build a solid relationship with them.
FREE Limerick Event: How to get More Cash in Your BusinessWhere: The Savoy Hotel, LimerickWhen: 6.30 – 8.30pm, October 20th 2016