The Executive Sales Coach: Keith Rosen’s Sales Blog and Business Blog On Selling, Leadership, Managing Your Team, Business and Life » Experiences in Marketing

In an effort to combat market conditions, I’ve noticed an increase in cold calling activity within many organizations regardless of industry. Here are some solutions to be mindful of for you to use when you run into the barrier that may prevent you from connecting with your desired prospect. The elusive gatekeeper.

Think about your reaction to the word “gatekeeper.” What thoughts does it conjure up for you?

Now, think about the word “concierge.” What comes to mind? When you go to the mall and you need to find a specific store, who do you ask? The concierge. When you are staying at a hotel on vacation and are looking for directions, the hotel’s amenities, somewhere to eat or need tickets to a show, who do you ask? The concierge.

How good are you at making friends? Instead of “getting through the gatekeeper” how about “making friends with the concierge”? Now, doesn’t that just sound (and feel) better?

Consider this for a moment. The concierge secretly wants to help you. The only caveat is, you have to give them a reason to.

After all, if you try to sneak behind their back and get busted for doing so, you have succeeded in creating an adversary. Not only that but you’ve now fueled their justification as to why they need to screen all incoming calls! Now, when you need them in the future, it’s a safe bet that they probably won’t welcome you with open arms. Instead, focus on making the gatekeeper your concierge and internal advocate. Here’s how.

Strategy #1: Brutal Honesty that Complements
The old adage, “Honesty is the best policy” certainly holds true when trying to befriend the gatekeeper, I mean, the concierge. When calling to speak with your prospect or to find out exactly who the prospect is, try this approach in the following example.

You: “Hi, I can really use your help. I’m calling to speak with the person who is in charge of (software engineering/product development/ programming, etc) would that be you?”

Here’s What You Have Accomplished: Asking the concierge, “Would that be you?” or, “Are you the expert in that area?” comes across as a complement and makes the concierge feel important. As such, they are now more likely to give you the name of the contact you are looking for.

Here’s part 2 of the interview I conducted With Dr. Rick Kirschner
regarding what managers can do to drive greater results, better motivate their salespeople and boost productivity by utilizing these powerful communication strategies.

KR: How can a sales manager leverage the power of persuasion to increase the motivation and performance of her sales people?

DRK: That’s a big question, big enough to write a book, so I did, two books in fact. That’s a key point of my Insider’s Guide and Playbook To The Art of Persuasion! But here’s the quick answer. Persuasion is the deliberate attempt to influence another person’s attitude in order to change their behavior. Once you’ve paid some attention, listened well and learned about what motivates your people, using the Kirschner Motivational Model or McClelland’s Model or Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs Model, or any other motivation model that appeals to you, it is important that you use what you’ve learned to speak to the motivations of your people in a way that moves them, engages them and connects them to a desirable future while offering them protection from an undesirable one.

This has to do with what you say, and also how you say it. The fact is that most people are listening emotionally most the time, and logically only rarely. So, no matter how logical you are in what you propose they do, you have to send signals that help your people feel that they should let themselves be influenced by you. Otherwise, you may be wasting both their time and yours.

There are known ways to package what you say for maximum impact. I call these packaging tools ‘signals,’ ‘guides’ and ‘themes.’ Signals speak to how you address the emotions. Guides make it easier for others to understand the logic of what you say. Themes are a way of structuring what you say to help you stay on track while saying it.

The more you use this kind of approach, the more successful you will be in getting a sustainable result.

KR: Teamwork is an important part of any successful sales organization. How can sales coaches increase commitment and elevate the motivation among their sales people?

DRK: Almost nobody goes to work wanting to do a bad job. Most people want to do well, and want what they do to matter. So it seems to me that teamwork happens when leadership happens, and leadership begins with you knowing the answers to three very important questions. What are we doing? Why are we doing it? Why does it matter? Once you have the answers to these questions firmly fixed in your mind, you can help your sales people to find their own answers to these questions and then keep those answers in front of them as a reminder of meaning and purpose.

Of course, it’s one thing to have a lofty vision, and something else entirely when it comes to the rubber meeting the road. So to keep your people connected and focused, you simply must treat them with respect, keep them informed along the way, and give recognition whenever it’s due, and not just in the large things but in the small things as well. Thanks for showing up. Thanks for speaking up. Thanks for standing up. Thanks for keeping your promise. Thanks for following through. My mom used to tell me that there is always something to appreciate, you just have to appreciate the value of appreciation to find it.

KR: What are the most successful tactics used by sales managers/coaches when they are faced with bad behavior within a sales team that can negatively impact the entire team’s results?

DRK: Most of us can agree that what’s bad about bad behavior is the bad effect it has on morale, teamwork and getting results. There’s no getting around the fact that pushy, negative, disruptive and unreliable behavior is costly because it has real world consequences.

But I think it’s important to keep in mind that behavior is purposeful, people do what they do for what they consider a good reason, and labeling a particular behavior as good or bad may do little to influence whether you get more or less of it. More important, I think, is to understand what’s behind it for them. Then, using your understanding of their good intent as a reference point, you can help your people understand that the consequences of their behavior are self defeating to their good intentions. Done persuasively, and they’ll be grateful for the insight and opportunity to learn. And you, as a result, will get better results from your people.

So what specifically do you do when there’s a problem with someone’s behavior? First, observe it. Notice what is happening, when it happens, where it happens and how it happens. Then get together with the person or people involved, and learn everything you can about it from them. Set the stage by telling them what you’ve observed, where and when you observed it, and then ask them, “When this happens, what’s going on for you? What is your intention?” Next, tell them the self defeating part. “When you do that, here’s the reaction it gets. Is that what you intended?” And the answer is almost always going to be “No, it’s not!” That’s your learning moment, right there. “What do you think might work better?” Either give your people a chance to come up with a new choice, or, if they’re drawing a blank, either brainstorm with them, or tell them what you know could work better. In any case, you’ll have set the table for learning. A little reinforcement, and it becomes their skill for life.

To read more of Dr. Rick Kirschner’s suggestions for improving your ability to use persuasion to create positive change in your life, relationships, and work, visit Dr. K’s Blog here: www.drkblog.com.

Excerpt from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Closing the Sale by Keith Rosen. Reprinted with permission by Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Release Date, January, 2007. Visit www.guidetoclosingthesale.com.

To become a great salesperson you need to foster and build strong relationships with you prospects and clients. The stronger the relationships that you build with your customers, the easier it will be to sell them, serve them and support them. While this is certainly true, essential and indisputable in some cases and professions (doctors, coaches, therapists, certain transactions with long selling cycles, to name a few) it is not an absolute principal that I would endorse in every situation and can actually hurt your selling efforts.

Here’s why. Some people are just not interested in a relationship. Some people want to get in, make a purchase and get out, keeping it purely transactional. After all, when was the last time you went out to lunch with the person who fills your gas tank, your pharmacist, your local cable provider or the rep who you speak with when calling your phone company?

There’s a big difference between developing a relationship and being pleasant, friendly and service driven. One requires no extra time on your part, one can potentially become all time consuming. (Research, reports, diligence, follow up and so on.)

Just to be clear, I’m separating sales and marketing (networking) activities as well because when you’re truly looking to build a relationship, then you have a few of your personal needs and agenda wrapped up in the sale. No good.

Look at this from a different angle for a moment. Lets say you sell insurance. Before you sold insurance, did you ever go out to lunch or meet on a social level with your insurance agent? How about the person who sold you your home, copier, or car?

So what is ultimately my point? Rather than you assuming that your prospects want a relationship, ask them.

Ask a question to uncover what their expectations are regarding the type of relationship they want with the salesperson such as, “What are your expectations of the person you are going to buy from?” “If you were in my shoes, what would I want to know about you that would help earn your business?”

These questions assist you in crafting the perfect presentation or relationship, every time.
 

New Book Project!

The Executive Sales Coach

(Working title. Sort of evolved out of two other projects I was working on, One being The Art of Enrollment and the other, The Seduction of Potential.)
Excerpt from: The Executive Sales Coach

(Due out when I’m given my deadline by my publisher. Probably next year.)

But there’s some interesting stuff on this site at www.theexecutivesalescoach.com.

Potential Is the Holy Grail

Are you tripping over your own potential? Or worse, are you relying on other people’s potential to ensure your success?
 

The Seduction of Potential
April 14, 2006
 

After traveling for speaking engagements practically once a week since the beginning of the New Year, I’m happy to report this to be the first of several weeks with no business travel. Having a moment to sit, decompress and process some of the highlights of my travels, I thought I’d share a profound and valuable story that any business owner, manager or sales management team would want to hear about, especially as it relates to hiring, training and building a first class, high performance team.
 

Two areas where managers consistently struggle are in the hiring and firing of their employees. Deciding who to hire, who to let go and when to do it is the daunting task that managers complain about most. When it comes to making the right decision about their employees, the questions I’m asked most are:
 

 ”I’m not getting the production I need from my team, even when I continually push them. How do you turn an underperformer into a top producer or at least into an average, acceptable producer? When does it make sense to invest your time, money and resources into someone who you feel you can turn around? How can I determine, based on a defined set of criteria, benchmarks and measurable steps, when to (with great certainty) cut the proverbial bait and let someone go?”
 

These are the most common questions, challenges and headaches amongst management and business owners that seem to keep them up at night. 
 

Now, back to the event. It happened a few weeks ago, during one of the best weeks I’ve had all year. This week happened to be the perfect balance of positive indulgence; extreme success in every area. I delivered some of the most well received keynotes/workshops in my career (I was even asked back to deliver an encore performance.)
 

The subject matter of my seminars was cold calling, prospecting and leadership. (That is; how to shift from being a manager to a coach so that you can turn an underperformer into a superstar in under 90 days.) Following this four day event in Orlando, Florida, I enjoyed taking my oldest daughter and wife to Disneyworld; a special Birthday present for my 6 year old.
 

It was during the management workshop I was delivering on the first day of this week long conference. Someone asked a question regarding how to handle an underperformer. As this manager was sharing in great detail the challenge she was having with a salesperson she hired several months ago, I noticed an interesting reaction from the audience. I glanced out at a sea of people, their heads nodding up and down in agreement; as if she was sharing not just her story, but everyone’s story.
 

She talked of an experience that practically every manager and business owner in the room was able to relate to; an all too common tale of a new, promising hire with incredible potential. 
 

The story continued about the candidate with a wonderful resume, great background, stellar references and a seemingly positive attitude and disposition. A candidate who was given the opportunity to work with her. A candidate who she felt had the potential to live up to her expectations. A candidate whose experience seemed to be a perfect complement to this new position she was looking to fill.
 

I listened intently to her as she described this experience. Her once positive level of exuberance; her hopes and dreams evaporated, as she painfully explained how this promising young superstar became one of her biggest disappointments, frustrations and overhead. And it wasn’t like she just called it quits after a few weeks and fired this person. She invested her precious time trying to turn them around. The more she invested her time in supporting and training this person, the more her expectations were shattered.
 

This manager was stuck. She didn’t know what to do. At this point, this new hire was now costing her money, time, selling opportunities and resources every day this person stayed on her team. She completed her story, sounding as drained as if she and the rest of the audience were reliving their personal staffing nightmares all over again; touching what seemed to be an eternal wound that simply would not heal. What sounded more like a desperate cry for help, she concluded, “Keith, what should I do?”
 

The room was silent. Every manager and business owner in that room were gripping the edge of their seats, waiting, looking for and anticipating a magnificent solution to this common and painful dilemma. What was this magic formula that Keith Rosen was going to impart which would forever change the landscape of business by ending this ongoing problem and enable every manager to maximize the performance of their team and each player?
 

My response: “Do not be seduced by the ether of potential.”
 
Blank stares.
 
I knew I was on to something. I heard each person in the audience thinking.
 
Yes, we are often seduced by the potential that we believe we see in others. We see potential in the people, as well as in the opportunities all around us. We see the untapped potential in the people we have a vested interest in. Our children, spouse, co-worker, partner, supervisor and of course in our staff. We see potential in new hires as well as the untapped potential in the veterans on your team.
 
We believe that sometimes, if we wait, if we’re patient, if we give them just a little more time, a few more resources, better training, they can finally live up to their potential. We believe our employee when they tell us, “Just give me a few more weeks. I’m about to close in on two big sales. Yes, I know my performance has slipped, but as I told you, those personal problems that have been distracting me are no longer there.”
 We get hung up on potential experiences and past defining moments.
 

We think, “Okay, if they really could turn it around that would make my life so much easier. After all, it sure beats the painful, and time consuming process of having to recruit someone new, let alone having to figure out how to cover a territory with no salesperson!”
 

This belief is counterintuitive. Ironically, it costs you more to keep someone like this on your team. More time, more lost sales, more lost opportunities, more internal problems and less time for you to focus on growing your business and on the people who are performing. The people who make you look great, who are coachable and who want to truly live their potential.
 

And that’s when it happens. The seduction begins. The ether of potential seeps into your veins. We start believing this can truly happen. Its seductive forces blind you to the facts. Now, you begin making decisions based on your emotions and unrealistic scenarios, rather than on the facts and what’s best for you, the company as well as the person in question.
 

The seduction of potential clouds your best judgment. If you’re looking for evidence, then just glance over at the people on your team today. Think about the people who you have hired in the past who did not work out. How many people can you think of who you hired, that, in your heart, you knew there was something telling you that they weren’t the right fit? Call it your gut reaction or intuition.
 

The Hard Cost of Complacency
 
How many times have you been in a situation with an underperforming employee where every week that goes by you tell yourself, “Just one more week. They’ll turn it around. I know they can do it. If they just follow the program. Just let them get through this next project. I hope they bring in some new business soon.” (A.K.A. Mother Teresa Syndrome. “I can save them. And I will sacrifice everything in order to do so!”)
 

“Wait and see” is not a contingency plan. Hope is not a strategy.
 

We often hire people based on their potential rather than on what they have truly and measurably achieved. As such, we try to pull out, exploit and develop the potential we see in them. After all, the goal of management is to make your people more valuable. The key here is making sure you are investing your time in making the right people more valuable. Otherwise, it’s a time consuming and exhausting exercise in futility.
 

I too, fell victim to this philosophy in my younger years as a manager and business owner, thinking we can turn people around and actually ‘change’ people (without their consent.) As I mentioned, there’s a big difference between being a manager and being Mother Teresa.
 

Your internal dialogue then continues as you struggle to come up with the right decision, “If they stay, maybe they will turn it around! If I fire them, then what do I do? I have to start the recruiting and training process all over again. What if I fire them, they go to work for the competition and they become a superstar? Lets just wait and see what happens tomorrow.”
 

When it comes to creating extreme scenarios, relying on costly assumptions and making decisions that are being fueled by fear and consequence, the pendulum swings both ways. Unfortunately, you’re still in the dark either way.
 

 You Can’t Build a Business On Potential
 

Let me bottom line this. There is no potential in the terms of how we define it or embrace it in our lives. The way we use potential is more of a smokescreen, a diversionary tactic, a justification for our behavior, for doing something we want to do or an excuse not to take certain actions.
 

You don’t hire someone based on their potential. Here’s a more vivid and beneficial definition of potential. Potential is based on something that you have not seen yet nor have evidence to support. Potential resides in the future, a possibility. Besides, if you are attempting to make a hiring decision based on someone’s potential, and the candidate hasn’t been living their potential by the time you have met them, then what makes you think they are going to start living it when you hire them?
 

Either people strive to live their potential each day or they’re not. It’s that simple. (You may also want to check on the tools, resources, training and coaching that you have provided them.)
 

Besides, if you don’t know whether or not you have made the right hiring decision within 30-60 days of hiring them, then you are in deep trouble. Thinking that if you give them one more change, more time more training is the answer, it is not. This is a lie that you’re telling yourself, a justification. What will happen is this; eventually the pain of keeping that person around will become so evident that they either quit or get fired. Now, the manager has surrendered all of their power to act by choice and instead, is in a state of reaction and need.
 

If you or your staff are not currently using what you have every day each day, then you are not living your potential. It’s not that you cannot improve. The difference between lifelong improvement and building a high performance collaborative team of self motivated people and working off potential is this. With potential, you’re seeing something that you have not seen yet nor have evidence for. With lifelong improvement, you’re working with something you see with evidence that it can be made better.
 

We wind up collapsing potential with possibility. So what truly seduces us is the potential of possibility.
 

What’s missing for managers is certainty. It’s the uncertainty, the unknown, the fear that paralyzes every manager when having to make a decision whether or not to terminate someone or invest the time in turning them around. Managers rely more on their gut than on the facts.
 

Having the certainty and confidence in their people supported by evidence is a healthier more productive model when creating new possibilities based on authentic, human potential. The certainty comes from having an executive sales coaching program (Like the one I mentioned that we will be reviewing in this book). Once you have a structured, coaching program that holds someone accountable on a daily and weekly basis, you no longer have to make the decision to keep them or terminate them. Now, your underperformer in question will make that decision for you, based on the defined set of criteria and measurable actions steps they need to take to demonstrate their commitment to their position and to dramatically improving their performance.
 

If you are responsible for hiring, developing and managing a team, what process do you have from the time you hire someone through their first 30, 60, 90 even 120 days in their new position? What would having a 90 Day program for every new hire based on measurable productivity steps do for you and for your team? Wouldn’t this simplify your life dramatically? Now that you have a proven process documented, either the new hire is sticking by the program, or they are not. Now, there’s no room for you to be seduced by the potential of possibility. There’s no ‘probation’ or waiting for the year end performance appraisals.
 

No more guesswork. No more ‘what if’s”. No more stressing over what you perceive you can’t control or being frustrated because your process doesn’t work. Remove the doubt and replace it with certainty, peace of mind and the confidence in knowing that the process will produce super-achievers.
 

Now you can run your business or your team with greater efficiency. Once in place, you’ll be able to get back to doing what you were meant to do in the first place; make your people more valuable.
 

If you need some assistance in developing some the programs I’ve described above or would like me to share with you some proven step by step programs I have created that have worked for other companies like yours, feel free to contact me anytime. info(at)profitbuilders.com or 1-888-262- 2450. I’d be happy to discuss how I can act as your Interim Coach and develop an effective internal coaching program for your company.

Excerpt from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Closing the Sale by Keith Rosen. Reprinted with permission by Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Release Date, January, 2007. Visit www.guidetoclosingthesale.com. 

To permanently eliminate any confusion, lets draw a distinction between what it means to pre-qualify and pre-judge someone such as a prospect. If you read my cold calling book, you know that I’m a strong advocate of pre-qualifying anyone before you invest your very limited and precious time in meeting with or speaking with them. Conversely, pre-judging someone is something you do that shows up in the filter or barrier you have in your listening.

Here’s another way to distinguish between the two. When you are pre-qualifying someone you are arriving at a conclusion that determines whether or not there’s a fit worth pursuing based on a defined set of criteria you uncover through the use of well crafted questions.

Pre-judging said simply, is all about you. Here, you are relying on your faulty and costly assumptions, thoughts and beliefs to determine their needs and whether or not this prospect will potentially buy from you.

When you pre-judge someone you’re making assumptions about them before you ask any questions or uncover any facts.

When you pre-qualify someone, you’re asking questions to uncover their unique and specific needs without making any assumptions so that you can determine very quickly if there is in fact, an authentic fit worth pursuing.

Just put the final touches on the site for my next book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Closing the Sale.

www.GuidetoClosingtheSale.com

Talk about taking one subject many people struggle with and levitating it with what always seems to be a controvertial title (the “Idiot’s” portion of the title, at least). Lighten up. Your customers and prospects are.

I hope you enjoy Chapter One as well as the Introduction, which I’ve currently posted on this site  and will be available only for a limited time. Wait until you get your hands on some of the techniques in this book. It doesn’t matter if you’re a sales veteran, top producer, new salesperson, manager or business owner, this book is packed with step by step and line by line Permission Based Selling and Presentation Strategies which I guarantee will bring in more sales for you.

So, feel free to visit the site. I’d also love to hear your comments as well! And if you haven’t already make sure you get my monthly ezine which will also keep you posted on other resources available only to those who know.

Be Creative
    
It is three p.m. in the afternoon on a lovely fall day. You are on your way to work. As you walk by a school, you notice all of the children playing outside. You pause and watch them for a second. A flood of emotions and memories intoxicate your mind, as you  remember yourself as a child. You admire their youthful exuberance, their unlimited supply of energy, their fervor for freedom, their passion for knowledge, their desire to learn and their boundless creativity.
 

Become a create freak rather than a control freak.
 

You listen to their conversations as they play. Some are talking about the planets they are visiting. Others are envisioning the castle in which they are playing in. They see this vividly, down to every detail, including the moat around the castle. Some pretend to be presidents, firemen, astronauts even doctors.
    
How creative children are! How powerful their minds are. Full of ideas with no inhibitions or limitations to restrain them. Children have the ability to visualize or imagine their true dreams. They bring their dreams into their reality and making them real.
 

The most creative time in a person’s life is from birth to the age of around eleven years old. This is the time when they are not constrained by rules or regulations. Children are not concerned with what is supposedly acceptable in thought or behavior and what is not, what is practically right or wrong, proper or improper, fact or fiction.
    
In a child’s eyes, there exists no boundaries. There is nothing to regulate them or inhibit their level of creativity. Everything that children see is new and exiting. They are constantly absorbing information and expanding on their ideas. The more they learn, the more children want to express themselves. They want to share what they have learned. They have no fear of rejection, of being wrong or of the unknown. Why? Because they have not experienced it yet!
    
The years begin to pass. The people in a child’s life, such as teachers and parents, begin to instill their values and ideals in the minds of their children.
 

• “No, that is not appropriate for a child of twelve years old (or fifteen or seventeen, and so on).” 
•  ”No, you can’t act like that anymore.” 
• “No, you can’t spend all of your time playing. It is time to start thinking about your future and get serious.”
• “You can’t do that (wear that, say that).” 
• “That is wrong.” 
• “Doing that is unacceptable.”
• “No, Santa and the Tooth Fairy really don’t exist.”
   

As a child gets older, they begin to experience embarrassment, being wrong, having people put down their ideas and dreams and punishment for doing the, “wrong thing.”
    
The creative boy now becomes a man. His eyes no longer see the dreams and visions he had as a boy. He becomes serious; more focused on the perceived role to play in society and the pressures from his family. He concentrates on what he thinks he wants and needs. His thoughts and desires that he had as a child become clouded with every passing day, only to be replaced with more and more responsibilities. A mortgage, a job, a family.
    
He begins to lose sight of what was especially important in his life. The simple things. Freedom of expression, having fun, peace of mind, living simply, appreciating his surroundings, treating every day as a new adventure and not getting caught up in the manutia that blinds us from appreciating the beauty around us. All of the visions and dreams are put on a shelf where they begin to collect dust.
 

The man begins to forget what it was like to be creative, to dream and to imagine. Lack of creativity breeds complacency. He now becomes just like everyone else; another face, another number.
    
Imagine if we never lost our creative edge. Imagine what would be possible if we didn’t feel compelled to have to change, due to other people’s beliefs, perceptions or rules.  Now imagine if you had the ability to share your visions and dreams with those around you.
      
Before you assist a customer in opening up their mind, you must first open up your own. Know what it is like to sit on a cloud. Can you see yourself sitting way up in the sky? Do you smell the crisp air?  As you look down, do you see the whole world? Imagine there is nothing to restrain you. Look at the root of the word creative. Create. Take action to create your own destiny. Now, take the customer with you.
    
Anyone can study and memorize a presentation. Ask someone why they actually purchased from you. Will they say it was because you had the most beneficial package? They might. However, most of the time they will say it was because of you.

I was talking to Jan, a client of mine about building her practice through more referral business. We worked on building her referral engine; (you can find out more about my ebook on generating more referrals here) developing an approach that she was comfortable with.

We fine tuned the language she felt confident using when approaching and talking to her clients about building her business through referrals. She then practiced her approach until it felt natural for her.

The day finally came for Jan to use the new skills she’s developed. She felt prepared, actually a bit excited, although naturally nervous to use her new approach when speaking with a client, should the opportunity arise.

During her third appointment of the day, it did. Like a graceful dancer, Jan elegantly asked a few questions that evoked permission from her client to have that conversation with her.

The conversation went wonderfully well. Her client was happy, even eager to help Jan. Before her customer left the office, Jan already considered this a success. Just the mere fact of asking for referrals, something she’s feared for years was an incredible achievement for her. Regardless of the outcome today, Jan knew this would make a huge difference in her practice.

As Jan’s client was leaving her office she turned to Jan and said, “Jan, you know, I was a bit surprised to hear that you were looking for more business and of course, I am happy to help you any way I can. As I’ve always told you, I know lots of people who would love to work with you.

I was just surprised that you even needed referrals, as I thought your practice was entirely full! If only I’d known, I would have sent you all the people I’ve been sending the other person I know who does what you do.”

What dangerous assumptions are your customers making about your business? How much business has Jan lost over the years simply because she didn’t ask a few simple questions? Stop leaving free business on the table that your competition it taking from you.

Generate more referrals without hounding people or sounding pushy. Click here to develop a referral system that you can put on autopilot.

Any self proclaimed guru, if they were being truly honest, would admit that at some point in their career, in the spirit of lifelong development and continued evolution, (as well as walking your talk) they would reach out to someone else, another expert, a colleague in their respected field for assistance in an area of their life or business in which they, themselves, are not. Take selling, for example. As a professional presenter who makes their living delivering keynotes, seminars, and training events; one core competency they need to master is How To Sell and position themselves effectively.

How to market, sell and package themselves, how to get organized, how to utilize technology to stay ahead and streamline their business operations are just some of the areas that any wise and insightful business leader would reach out in search of that guru who could assist them in developing, mastering or delegating these critical components of their business.

For me, 2005 was the year of fine tuning the positioning, technology, structure and future of my business. 2006 is the year of execution and abundance. The year of getting ahead of the future. With my oldest daughter in kindergarten, the twins turning 2 in January and the house completed, it was the first time in 2 years that I managed to position myself ahead of the game; something I’ve always done in the past. With 3 new projects launched online, new programs, new technology, new books, happy clients that are a blast to work with, it made sense to continue this path of refinement, enlightenment and evolution by looking under the hood when it comes to perfecting my public speaking skills so that every person in every audience that I’m speaking in front of has a powerful, enjoyable experience that becomes the foundation for measurable, long lasting results.

After some Googling online, I came across one self-proclaimed expert on public speaking. A “presentation coach or public speaking coach” is what he suggested he was. According to his website, he only works with the top speakers in their profession. His website spoke of a system he developed to make any presentation pop, engaging and entertaining.

It peaked my curiosity. After all, if someone knows more about something than I do, it only makes sense to tap into the wisdom of others.

I see he’s written a few books, so I had my assistant schedule a one to one call with this presentation guru. Now, you would think, anyone who touts themselves as an expert in a specific area or topic, they would be a model of what they preach. That is, walk their talk. I must say, I would expect this person to have a strong presence, even on the phone and be a master of communication. That’s what I’d be paying him to teach me, right? To take me somewhere I have not been myself.

Well, not exactly.

I called him one afternoon for our scheduled appointment. “Hello, Jon?” I asked.

“Yes, how can I help you?” A soft, monotone, lethargic voice responded.

“My name is Keith Rosen. You may have heard of me?” I said jokingly.

Silence…...

I continued. “I’m an executive sales coach, corporate trainer and professional speaker. Since I’m always on the lookout for ways to do things better, I came across your website and was curious to know how you may be able to help me.”

“Sure,” he responded…... Empowering…..

“Let me tell you how this works. Are you going to be in the LA area next month during the week of March 14? I’m conducting my next live workshop that you still have time to register for.”

I paused, taken aback. Was I having a flashback to my first Dead show in the early 80’s and blacked out the last 30 minutes of our conversation? Did I fall through a crack in the space-time continuum and landed at the point in time we refer to as the future where we were wrapping up our conversation? Possibly. Or could it truly be that this artist of the spoken word began the conversation without any regard to the sanctity of the consultative sales process; the very basic foundation upon which any great sale opportunity is built upon.

This master presenter didn’t ask me any questions about who I was. He didn’t ask about what I did or why I was even calling him. (Kind of makes you look at those people who consider themselves “strong closers” in a different light.) Considering that a very large portion of my practice consists of executive coaching and sales training over the phone, you would think it would behoove him to find out at least some basic information about my business. His approach to attracting me to hiring him and the way he demonstrated his illuminating presence and years of refining his skills as a presenter in a way that would connect with your audience, hold their interest and feel empowered at the end of every speaking event was by telling me when he is speaking next and asking me to register. Brilliant.

“No,” I replied almost a bit bewildered and taken back from This Diva of Delivery’s approach. Maybe I’m underestimating his powers of enrollment. Maybe this is a carefully planned and executed approach to blind side any potential client and baffle them into the sale. Maybe.

“Well then,” Diva Dan continued, “We can work together on the phone. I can offer guidance on your approach. You can also send me the manuscripts of your presentations as well as a live demonstration of a presentation you delivered, even an audio presentation would be fine. I would then review them and offer my suggestions. I charge $575.00 per hour. However, you can buy a package of 10 calls for $5500.00.

“Okay,” I said. “Well, would you want to know a little about me and what I’m doing to see if you can even help me and there’s a fit between us in terms of what I’m looking for?” I figured, I would try and salvage his fragile sale.

Silence. Again. Hmmm, an elusive fellow. More Jedi mind tricks?

I threw him another bone. I voluntarily shared with him what I do and what I’ve been doing, writing, creating.

When I concluded, more silence.

“Well, thanks for your time.” I decided to end this unique experience. “Let me consider what you can do for me and I’ll get back to you if I’m ready.”

“You can also attend the next program which we’re now taking reservations for that will take place in August. What part of the country do you live?” Was this his confusion close?

Oy. 20 minutes into the conversation and this is when he is interested in finding out about me and where I live?

If this is the impression he leaves with people and how he performs on the phone, what would he be like in person? I don’t know what I’m more concerned about; him or the companies he claims hire him for corporate work.

I have to say, I was also a little perturbed by this experience. I felt a bit deceived and lied to. So, for those people who are looking to hire a speaker or coach; whether it’s a life coach, sales coach, executive coach or trainer for your sales and management team, remember this. You’ll be able to recognize the really great trainers and coaches by the ones who focus on delivering value to you immediately and are tuned into your objectives, your personal and unique needs and the measurable results you can and want to expect. (“And by the way, here’s a list of all my clients that you can call at any time.”)

The first experience you have with them and the way you feel after talking with them is typically the way they will present, train and coach your staff because they masterfully model what they teach. The other stuff, (the things I’m guilty of as well but recognize them for what they are); the sharp websites, good looking pictures and strong value proposition is still, at the end of the day, fluff.

If this guy with the golden tongue is the guru, then we desperately need to re-evaluate the standards and perceptions which we have of these self proclaimed gurus. Are we buying into them a bit too much? Do we believe their marketing message over the core value they can actually deliver on in a measurably positive way?

Hmmm, note to self: Find out what companies he’s trained and sell your stocks in them-immediately.

My wife and I were finalizing the kitchen design in our new home, when my phone rang. “Keith Rosen?” A strong, resonating voice on the other end of the phone asked.

“Who’s calling?” I responded.

“Joe Connolly withThe Wall Street Journal and WCBS Radio,” he announced. No wonder why he’s on the radio.

“Hi, Joe!” I replied. How can I help you?”

“Keith, I just finished reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about you and your approach to prospecting and cold calling. It seems this article originally ran in Inc. magazine. Is that correct?”

“Yes, Joe, that’s right.”

“Very interesting stuff you’re doing. We’re hosting our next Small Business Breakfast in Connecticut next month and wanted to see if you would be interested in sitting on our panel of experts.”

“Thanks for the invitation, Joe. What are the details?”

“We’d like for you to sit on our panel and answer some questions on the topics of your two books on time management and cold calling. This event would be Wednesday morning, May 18 at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, Connecticut. We would need you there at 7:30am. There will be about 600-700 people in attendance, all local professionals as well as our sponsors. One more thing, Keith, would you mind if I asked you a few questions, right now [on the record].”

“Sure. Feel free to ask me anything you’d like.”

After about 20 minutes, we concluded our conversation.

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“Keith, you’d really be a perfect fit for this event. I hope you can make it.”

“Thanks, Joe. It sounds like it would be fun! I hope I can make it as well.” I told Joe that I would confirm with him within the next day whether or not I would be available.

Step one, good news. The date was opened. After confirming my availability with Joe, we discussed some additional details of this event.

Fortunately, I asked my dad if he was available to come along and he joined me for the ride. Like any other successful business event, the venders were set up outside of the ballroom, doing their best to mine for prospects in this qualified crowd of professionals. People were chatting and networking themselves through the crowd, as they made their way to a seat in the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency.

The next time Joe and I spoke was the day of the event. The panelists took their position and Joe began the job of moderating and facilitating. He introduced the panelists. When it came to me, he added, “After speaking with Keith, I knew he was the real deal, especially when I asked him if he could commit to the date. Instead of saying, “Yes” on the spot which, according to Keith can mean you’re a “Yesaholic” he responded with, “Thanks Joe, let me check my schedule and I’ll call you back.” So, not only did he write the book on time management, here’s a guy who practices what he preaches.”

A question came my way. It was on how to best manage your time. “Hi Keith,” the gentleman in the audience began. “What strategies would you suggest to better manage your time?” Given the reason why I was seated on this panel, an appropriate question.

My first response was to say this, “Stop. Stop trying to manage something that you cannot manage in the first place.”

Blank stares. “Let me explain, I continued.”

“But first, let me tee it up with a question I have for all of you.”

“How many of you are familiar with the expression, time is money?”

About everyone raise their hand.

I then asked, “By a show of hands, how many of you manage your money in some way? Whether you use a stock broker, financial advisor, accountant, bank or just do it yourself, raise your hand if you manage your money ins some way.”

A few seconds later, several hundred people raised their hand; a good 90% of the audience.

Finally the point blank coaching question; “How many of you manage your time as diligently as you manage your money? In other words, raise your hand if you have a consistent, weekly routine that you follow from the time you wake up in the morning up until the time you end your day, [whether that’s when you end your work day or go to sleep] that contains the specific, measurable activities and tasks you engage in that move you closer to your goals, while keeping your life in a happy balance?”

A few seconds later, I thought I might have to repeat the question. Not a hand went up. I’m not surprised. After all, it was my clients who inspired me to write a book on time management in the first place.

In a room filled with highly successful professionals, there wasn’t one person in the room who could confidently raise their hand and say, “Yes! I have that!”

And yet these people are still successful (however you define what “successful” is).

“Is that some irony,” I continued after my question. “Here we are, on the surface believing that time is money, yet when it comes down to it, we’re not managing our time and ourselves the way we manage our money. We don’t give our time the same respect, diligence and planning it deserves the way we do money.”

“And the kicker is, once you invest your time, you don’t get it back. You can’t double it, invest it or save it for a rainy day or slow it down. That’s why it’s important to shift the focus from trying to manage your ‘time’ to managing what you can control, which is yourself and the actions you take each day. You can control where you invest your time, rather than other people or situations doing it for you. That’s why the foundation to living your potential is to first upgrade your relationship with time so that time becomes your ally not your adversary or something you try to beat out each day. Then you can begin the process of developing a routine.”

The universal law certainly applies; we resist what we need to learn the most.