Welcome! This is an especially important SpeakerSue e-newsletter. Read through the 10 tips and you'll experience 10 new ideas to make yourself indispensable. For sales people and CEO's, these tips will help.

Create. "In these recessive times, there better be a whole bag full of innovative activity." Bruce Barnes, President, Bold Vision LLC (Former CIO Nationwide Financial Services Inc.)
Try this at your next staff or sales meeting. Take an object — let's say a stapler — and come up with as many uses for it as possible. The only rule is that you can't use it for stapling. Just as a long-distance runner doesn't start with a marathon, becoming more creative takes more than just saying, I want to be creative. Play this game in your head on the train, or when you're working out. Give yourself three minutes (or maybe 30 reps) and see what comes. The more you do it, the more creative you'll train yourself to be. Use a different object each time and you can never list the item's intended use (because that wouldn't be very creative, would it?). Once your brain is humming, ask yourself: Is there a new way to do what works for us?

Talk just 40% of the time. Okay, I know you're thinking: Does SpeakerSue take her own advice? Yeah. Yeah. But I'm trying and you should too. The only brilliant conversationalists are those who listen well. (A SpeakerSue-ism!) So, stop talking and start listening. Make this a tangible goal: I'll talk only 40% of the time and listen the other 60%.

Help your customers buy. Your customers need more help today than ever before selling your services and ideas (and their own) to their management team. Build the business case for them so it's easy for them to present your solution. Connect the dots.

Sell to their needs. Remember Maslow's hierarchy of needs? Start selling safety (risk-free), acceptance, association, familiarity, comfort. Instead of lamenting what you can no longer sell, sell what you do have. Nordstrom gets it. They know their customers want to keep up appearances yet may need to cut back on their buying. They've moved to an affordability and value proposition:
Subject line: Just in: Fresh, Affordable Dresses

Ask for a little help from your friends. Ask others for help. Brainstorm ideas together. Create mastermind groups with people you respect and trust. And while you're asking, remember to ask happy (former) clients and customers for names of friends, family, colleagues who might also benefit from your services.

Be truthful. Start your next follow-up email with your truth: Hi Name, I'm thinking about you. Then, provide them something of substance. Offer a white paper or a link to an interesting article. Give, give, give. Add value to the relationship. When they have more to give, you'll be the one they want to give it to.

Keep your hand out of their wallet. Though you get paid to sell, selling today doesn't always mean asking for business. Your customers are being bombarded with sales people offering concessions. Offer your hand instead. Connect with them to stay in touch with them; to help them out, if you can.

Have a target. Hope isn't a strategy.** Better to ask yourself: What one (or more!) things will I do today to hit my targets? And, at the end of the day, What did I do today to ensure I'm hitting my targets?
** Motivational Mastery: Selling hope

Keep a sense of humor. In the speaking business, someone said that you only need to be funny if you want to get paid. Consider your brand. You may not be able to create an email, like Office Depot did, with a subject line that said: Savings You'll Love In An Economy You Don't‏, but you can write about stuff that is fun and interesting and appealing. I sent the Susan Boyle YouTube video to many of my clients. My subject line was: Three minutes will make your day! and my message said: "If you haven't yet seen this Susan Boyle You Tube video, and if you're having a day that could get better, this video will do it. It is amazing and you could show it at your next sales meeting to motivate everyone. It's about 3 minutes long." Almost every client wrote back, many telling me when they'll be looking for speakers — even without my asking or trying to sell.

Stay positive. If you're involved in a negative conversation, take responsibility for turning it around. When someone says, "No one is buying," you can respond with: "You're right. There may be fewer people buying and I'm going to find those that are." Be your own good news because when it all shakes out, You will do exactly what you believe you can do. Nothing more. Nothing less. (Another SpeakerSue-ism)

"If you keep on saying things are going to be bad, you have a good chance of becoming a prophet." Isaac Bashevis Singer, writer

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"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worthwhile." Herm Albright, writer

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"The best vision is insight." Malcolm Forbes

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All the best,
Sue

Sue Hershkowitz-Coore
www.SpeakerSue.com

Blog: SpeakerSueSays
480-575-9711

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