Randy Clark's Blog, page 9

Did You Know There Are So Many Free Online Courses?

There are so many free online courses. However, I know for many of you there’s not enough hours in the day. That’s not the case for me and others. I’ve thought about free online courses for a long time. I’ve considered taking classes and creating a leadership course. It wasn’t until recently that I seriously began looking at what was available. And what I found was amazing. Here are a few examples:

Free Online CoursesWork

So, my work is twofold and overlapping. I write blogs for several organizations and books, but I also have a Leadership training business, Randy Cark Leadership.com. I manage content marketing for both. So, for me, it was easy to look for classes that might enhance my work. I googled writing courses, social media, leadership training, and content marketing.

I found Class Central 180 Free Online Courses to Improve Your Writing Skills and jumped down the rabbit hole. There are classes in basic writing, grammar, and style, as well as journalism, media writing, and creative writing. There was a lot, and that’s not the only site by a long shot. So, if you’re looking to add to your work knowledge, just Google free online _____________ training. I think you’ll be surprised at what you find.

Prestigious Universities

Many, if not most, of the top colleges in the world offer free online courses. For example, you can find business, programming, humanities, mathematics, and education courses at Harvard. There are also social sciences, art and design, and music courses—not one or two but dozens. MIT Open Courses offers 2,400 online courses! Stanford, Yale, and, closer to home, Indiana University offer various courses. There are thousands of free online college courses available.

Here’s another site I found intriguing: EdX — Access 2500+ Online Courses from 140 Top Institutions. Be careful because this site is a vast rabbit hole. With courses from Berkeley, Penn, Michigan, and so many more, 140 institutions, to be exact, there are almost too many to choose from. While exploring the site, I found most classes were free (but not all). Some offered free courses and then a small fee for certification. Every course shared the number of weeks, hours per week, and a course description. One of my favorites was a class on Medieval Norse sagas from the University of Iceland. I am not making this up; yes, I am interested in the class.

Hobbies

So, what are your hobbies and interests? Because whatever they are, you can take them to the next level with online courses. One of the interests I googled was recording. I would like to learn more about modern recording techniques. Here’s one I found that offers a free trial, Skillshare.com Recording. Whatever you’d like to learn, it is out there.

How about painting with acrylics? There are dozens of free videos from the Will Kemp Art School Painting with Acrylic Paint. Or maybe learn to play an instrument, such as piano, Flow key piano tutorials, or cook? The Culinary Cook — The Science of Professional Cooking. Mashable shared this post, 10 hobbies you can learn to do online so your life is a little less boring, with courses on embroidery, plant care, juggling, and my favorite – cocktail mixing.

What Course Will You Take? 

Whatever interests you, simply google free online courses and the topic. You’ll discover more than you can vet. For example, when I googled free cooking courses, 206 million popped up!

If you have the time, energy, and interest, it may be a great way to while away the hours. Besides, when you stop learning, you stop growing. Let me know if you have any free online courses you recommend.

How Can I Help You? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

 

The post Did You Know There Are So Many Free Online Courses? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Think of Holding People Accountable as Help

When you think of holding people accountable as help, not conflict, it opens up new avenues of leadership. No one has ever been helped by being allowed to fail. Good managers know this and understand accountability is a form of help. In a Harvard Business Review Report, 46 percent of managers were found to be terrible at holding staff accountable. The report, written by Darren Overfield of Kaplan Devries and Rob Kaiser president of Kaiser Leadership study, surveyed more than 5,000 executives and learned one out of every two executives is terrible at accountability.  This surprised me; I thought the number would be higher because I’ve seldom seen managers who are good at accountability, including me for most of my management career.

Think of Holding People Accountable as Help

I’ve observed managers primarily use one of two approaches to accountability. Neither is effective, yet they continue to use their chosen approach over and over again. What’s the adage about doing the same thing and expecting different results? So, does either of the management styles below describe you?

1. The passionate, angry manager: Getting mad at employees and using fear as a motivator doesn’t work for long. Lashing out when the results don’t meet expectations isolates the staff from the manager. Passive aggressive behavior, open frustration, and firing people in a fit of rage aren’t the answer. If anger and fear are your primary methods for holding employees accountable, ask yourself this: How’s it working so far?

2. The too nice manager: A manager who hides from holding teammates accountable isn’t being nice. A caring manager would help the team rather than bury their head in the sand, hoping the challenge will go away. Things will not get better on their own. Ignoring, excusing, and being controlled by conflict avoidance are not management strategies for success. If that’s your plan, when’s the last time it worked? Has it ever worked?

If you understand that anger and avoidance aren’t good plans for holding your team accountable, the next step is learning what does work. Here are a few steps to holding your team accountable:

Set Expectations

To hold someone accountable, they must first understand the expectations. Clear-cut plans of action as well as the expected results must be defined and communicated, and not only in one 10-minute talk. Expectations should be in writing. They should be realistic and achievable, and consequences should be attached.

Deliver the tools

Before setting expectations (or holding someone accountable for poor results), you must be certain they have the tools to achieve the intended outcome. Do they have the personnel, equipment, and training to succeed? Were there consequences outside of their control that adversely affected the results?

Use objective criteria

Base accountability on objective criteria such a numbers and facts. For example, if you sell, then your objective criteria could be 300 widgets sold in 30 days. Don’t base accountability on subjective criteria, like saying your team needs a better attitude. If that’s the case, use observable behavior, not blanket statements about their attitude. What is it that they do that shows a poor attitude? Do they openly complain about work, customers, and co-workers? Are they producing an inferior product because they don’t follow procedure? Watch it and name it.

Give feedback

Honest feedback isn’t confrontational, or shouldn’t be, because it should come from a mindset of helping. And feedback shouldn’t wait until the end of a project but should be followed up throughout. Never get emotional; deliver feedback calmly and honestly. Don’t sugar-coat it and be sure to recognize positive activities to reinforce the behavior.

Hold to the consequences

Whether it was a positive consequence (such as a bonus) or negative (a demotion or termination), not holding to consequences sends the wrong signal to the entire sales staff. If consequences aren’t held to, how serious will expectations be taken?

Remember, before you can hold your direct reports accountable, they must know what’s expected of them. If they don’t know what’s expected, how can they be held accountable?

How Can I Help You? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy Leaders vs Commanders: Which Approach Drives Success?

Photo by Urban Gyllström on Unsplash

The post Think of Holding People Accountable as Help appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

3 Things Not to Do as a Team Leader

There are more than 3 things not to do as a team leader, but these were my big 3. I’m highly qualified to share on this topic. You see, at one time, I was an ineffective manager. I’d hit my quotas often enough to hold on to a sales management position, but I had constant turnover and didn’t lead my team to their potential. Often, I got in their way rather than helping my team achieve new levels of success. Here’s some of what I did wrong.

3 Things Not to Do as a Team Leader1. Manage People Like They Were a Project

Managing a project can be a step-by-step system that nearly always stays the same. Most often, but not always, when the activity is repeated, it can be done successfully the same. I thought it was the same for managing people. I thought what worked with one would work with everyone. What I failed to factor was the human equation. You don’t manage people like a project. You must consider individual motivations, learning styles, and knowledge, and form a plan specifically for each person.

2. Think One Strategy For All, and All For One

I thought a strategy should work with all clients if it worked with one client. Shouldn’t it work with all if one target audience responds to a plan? No. Instead of teaching universal sales techniques, I should’ve spent time training how to determine each audience’s pain, what problems they had, and how to solve them. How to e a problem solver.

3. Base Goals only on Results, not Activities

I was obsessed with sales goals. I conducted goal sessions monthly with every individual. The sales and marketing teams set weekly goals, and the organization had yearly goals that were tracked month-to-month and compared to the same month from the previous year. However, when I reviewed goals, I focused on the results. Either you didn’t hit your goal, so next month, you need to do more, or congratulations, you hit your goal.

What I should have done was tie the results to activities. If a sales rep hit their goal, I should’ve recognized and reinforced the activities to repeat. And when they failed to meet their goal, I should’ve pointed out activities to improve or eliminate. I should’ve asked where the person needed help or training.

How Effective Are Your Management Activities?  

There’s more but why not start with these 3 things not to do as a team leader? Are you leading people or managing projects? Do you set goals based on activities to continue, eliminate, or improve, or do you strictly look at the results? Do you believe one sales strategy fits all your clients and sales team? If so, you’re walking the streets I paved, and those streets lead to disappointment. The good news is if you recognize these behaviors in yourself, you can change. I did.

How Can I Help You? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like, Why Communication in the Workplace Sucks

Photo by Anna Samoylova on Unsplash

The post 3 Things Not to Do as a Team Leader appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

3 Things Not to do as a Team Leader

There are more than 3 things not to do as a team leader, but these were my big 3. I’m highly qualified to share on this topic. You see, at one time, I was an ineffective manager. I’d hit my quotas often enough to hold on to the sales management position, but I had constant turnover and didn’t lead my team to their potential. Often, I got in their way rather than helping my team achieve new levels of success. Here’s some of what I did wrong.

3 Things Not to Do as a Team Leader1. Manage People Like They Were a Project

Managing a project can be a step-by-step system that nearly always stays the same. Most often, but not always, when the activity is repeated, it can be done successfully the same. I thought it was the same for managing people. I thought what worked with one would work with everyone. What I failed to factor was the human equation. You don’t manage people like a project. You must consider individual motivations, learning styles, and knowledge, and form a plan specifically for each person.

2. Think One Strategy For All, and All For One

I thought a strategy should work with all clients if it worked with one client. Shouldn’t it work with all if one target audience responds to a plan? No. Instead of teaching universal sales techniques, I should’ve spent time training how to determine each audience’s pain, what problems they had, and how to solve them.

3. Base Goals only on Results, not Activities

I was obsessed with sales goals. I conducted goal sessions monthly with every individual. The sales and marketing teams set weekly goals, and the organization had yearly goals that were tracked month-to-month and compared to the same month from the previous year. However, when I reviewed goals, I focused on the results. Either you didn’t hit your goal, so next month, you need to do more, or congratulations, you hit your goal.

What I should have done was tie the results to activities.

If a sales rep hit their goal, I should’ve recognized and reinforced the activities to repeat. And when they failed to meet their goal, I should’ve pointed out activities to improve or eliminate. I should’ve asked where the person needed help or training.

How Effective Are Your Management Activities?  

There’s more but why not start with these 3 things not to do as a team leader? Are you leading people or managing projects? Do you set goals based on activities to continue, eliminate, or improve, or do you strictly look at the results? Do you believe one sales strategy fits all your clients and sales team? If so, you’re walking the streets I paved, and those streets lead to disappointment. The good news is if you recognize these behaviors in yourself, you can change. I did.

How Can I Help You? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like, Why Communication in the Workplace Sucks

Photo by Anna Samoylova on Unsplash

The post 3 Things Not to do as a Team Leader appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

10 Fun Facts about Fish Quiz

Here are 10 fun facts about fish. Do you fish? Do you covet the return of summer, plan your vacations around fishing trips, and have more than a small investment in fishing gear? If you answered yes to all three, you probably know a thing or two about your quarry. Would you like to test your knowledge? How much do you really know about fish?

10 Fun Facts about Fish Quiz Star fish, Jellyfish, and Seahorses aren’t fish.

True – Not a fish among them

False – Sea horses are the only upright swimming fish. Seahorses are fish, but not the other two.

 

Catfish have 27,000 taste buds 20,000 more than humans

True – I wonder if we taste good to them.

False – Come on they can’t have that many more than me!

 

Most brands of Lipstick have fish scales as an ingredient

True- But I hear they’ve “scaled” back.

False – Sounds fishy to me

 

Sharks are the only fish with eyelids

True – I saw it on Jaws

False – all fish have eyelids otherwise how would they sleep?

 

How old was the oldest fishhook discovered to this date?

a. It was made by Neanderthals more than 10,000 years old.

b. Approximately 42,000 years old give or take a rotation of the sun or two.

 

How far has a flying fish has been documented to fly?

a. More than 1000 feet

b. 660 feet

 

Can a fish drown?

No. Don’t be silly, fish breathe water!

Yes, sort of, if the water becomes deoxygenated.

 

There are more species of fish on earth than any other vertebrate.

Nope, they’re second to birds. Birds outnumber fish almost two to one and can be found on every continent and ocean.

True, they’re more than 32,000 species of fish and man has only explored a small percentage of the oceans.

 

How long can Lungfish live out of water?

 a. More than 6 months if the conditions are right.

b. They have been known to survive for several years.

 

Do fish sleep?

No, they’d drown, and then they’d be sleeping with the fishes.

Yes, sort of. Their brains continue to receive information, but they have periods of lowered stimulation.

 AnswersFalseTrueTrueTrueBBYesTrueBYes

How’d you do? Are you a fish expert or just a teller of tall fish stories?

So, what do you call a fish that won’t shut up? A big-mouthed bass!

And there’s a book of humor

Want to read a collection of humor pieces? Writing I Think I’m Funny: and it gets me in trouble all the time has been a labor of love. Of the 47 stories in this book, more than 30 are true tales from my days on this planet. Most of those make it clear how my warped sense of humor gets me in trouble.

If you enjoyed this post you might also like, 10 Fun Facts about Indianapolis. 

Photo by Rachel Hisko on Unsplash

The post 10 Fun Facts about Fish Quiz appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Your Best Networking Plan – Keep it Simple

Your best networking plan shouldn’t be complicated. I remember representing an organization at a local business event. I set up a table, handed out brochures, and answered questions. The event lasted the better part of the afternoon, with speakers presenting throughout the day. I was looking forward to seeing a scheduled presentation on networking, a passion of mine. The networking presenter spent an hour lecturing and going into detail. He offered some helpful advice, but much of what he shared was just too complicated to be practical for most. An hour of lecturing without interaction, questions to the audience, or any other participation was painful.

That said, the presenter’s glaring mistake was that he didn’t network. It would’ve been easy to walk the room, booth to booth, before or after the show, but he didn’t. The only person he met with before the presentation was the promoter, and he left immediately after his presentation. It didn’t add credibility to his networking presentation. I’ve been privileged to present all over the state, and regardless of my subject matter, I always network before and after my presentation. I’ve made professional connections and learned the audience’s expectations, and I count friends among those I’ve met this way. Whether presenting or attending an event, I’ve learned it’s more productive to have a plan.

Your Best Networking PlanAsk yourself why am I here, and what do I hope to take away from the event? By putting thought into this, you can maximize your networking opportunities rather than wandering aimlessly, chatting with the nearest person for 30 minutes, or standing in a corner like a wallflower.If a guest list is available, plan on meeting those you can help and those who can help you. Is there someone on the list you’d like to meet? Which attendees have connections to industries or people you’d like to be introduced to?Arrive early; it’s an easier and more relaxed time to visit with other attendees. I’ve met speakers and organizers who may have been too busy to chat with me later. I’ve also volunteered by placing flyers on tables and helping with setup, all of which put me in a position to meet key people.Know what you’re going to say to whom. Keep in mind good conversationalists listen more than talk. Ask questions, such as what others hope to gain by attending the event, and most will reciprocate.Are You Prepared?

If you prepare for networking events with a plan, you’ll get much more out of it. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But let me ask you, how many events have you attended without any plan? How often have you spent most of your time visiting with friends and co-workers? Have you caught yourself saying, “I wish I’d met so and so!” If this sounds familiar, take a few minutes to create a basic plan and decide what you hope to gain and who you want to meet. Keep it simple.

Is networking difficult for you, or does it come naturally? What networking strategies have you learned?

Are You a Good Networker?

I’d always considered myself an effective networker. I’m friendly, easy to talk to, and I’ve never met a stranger. However, none of that makes me a good networker. It makes me outgoing. If I wanted to be the most effective networker I could be, I needed a plan. That’s how my networking workbook, Help Networking started.

My plan probably won’t be your plan. That’s why throughout the book there are worksheets, checklists, and simple CTA’s. Use these to create a networking plan that fits your needs.

If you enjoyed this post you might also like, Attending an Event? Don’t Just Sit There.

Photo by Product School on Unsplash

The post Your Best Networking Plan – Keep it Simple appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

How to Make the End of your Blog Post a Beginning

Knowing how to make the end of your blog post a beginning is huge. The end of your post shouldn’t fade into the sunset, end abruptly, or ghost off into the night. It should be as compelling as the title that attracted the reader in the first place. And it should be as entertaining or enlightening as the body of the post. If the purpose of your post is to attract interested parties, introduce them to your company and product, and then lead them to action, try these steps.

How to Make the End of your Blog Post a Beginning

The key to a great ending is a new beginning. Directing visitors to further action may include visiting other pages on your website, seeking a quote, or contacting you for information.

Summarize

Before writing the conclusion, revisit the opening paragraph. Did you lay out what the post was about? Did you offer points throughout the post? Finish the post by tying back to the opening and recounting the points presented in the post.

Link it

Offer links that share additional information or a deeper study such as a white paper. Backlink to similar content you’ve previously published.

Ask questions

This can be as simple as:

Would you like to know more?How does your business handle this?What’s your opinion?What are your thoughts?Present a CTA (Call to Action) such as:If you’d like to discuss this contact usAre you ready to take on this challenge? Complete the activity steps below. Be sure to let us know the outcomeGet a free quoteVisit our products pageFor more on this go to our free downloadable eBookHow could you use our product or service, we’d like to knowTake our survey on this topicSign up for updates to this blogHere’s further reading on this topic2 more ideas Make it easy to sign up to get notifications for related postsOffer an opt-in to receive replies to commentsWhat’s the Key? 

The key is to think of it as a start not an end, an introduction to your business and its capabilities. You’ve captured a prospect by offering a tantalizing title and compelling copy; the next step is to show your visitor what action to take to begin their journey with you. Has this post helped? Would you like to know more?

How Can I Help?

Let me know if I can offer any help or advice. If this post struck a nerve, you might want to check out my book, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever. The book is full of action plans to create a blogging/writing system that works for you.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like, What Makes a Blog Attractive to Readers?

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

 

 

The post How to Make the End of your Blog Post a Beginning appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

9 Easy Ways a Copywriter Can Improve SEO

Can a copywriter improve SEO? Good question, considering nobody knows all the factors that Google, Bing, and other search engines use to rank content. However, many agreed-upon and accepted actions can improve a website’s SERP (Search Engine Results Page) ranking. How important is this? Let me ask you a question: when you do an organic search, how many search pages do you peruse—one, maybe two?

Copywriters don’t control web development. Unless they’re developers, a copywriter doesn’t impact load speed via HTML, fix sloppy code, or add LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) software. (Are you unfamiliar with LSI? It helps searchers identify language usage, for example, whether an apple is a fruit or a computer.)

Can copywriters impact SEO, and if so, what can they control? The answer is copywriters control their words, how they use them, as well as where they place their words, which impacts SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Here are nine actions you can easily accomplish as a copywriter or editor.

9 Ways to Improve SEOPut the Keyword in the Title

Sometimes, it’s tempting to write a cute, catchy title that omits the keyword. There may even be times when a compelling phrase outranks the keyword in the title, but not often. The best title is an eye-catching one that includes the keyword. Also, the sooner the keyword appears in the title, the better.    

Be sure the URL includes the Keyword

As with the title, the keyword needs to be in the permalink, and the sooner, the better.     

Place the Keyword in the first paragraph 

Ditto above.

Use Good Grammar and Correct Spelling   

Regardless of text talk and the proliferating number of businesses that use the letter X instead of S in their name, grammar and spelling still count, and they matter to search engines as well, How important is Proper Grammar?

Publish Useful Content

If you want to improve your rankings, give people what they want—helpful content. Solve problems, answer questions, entertain, share a story, make people laugh, and you will attract readers, which might be the best method for improving SEO. Is Content Really King?

Optimize Images

Use images on every post, but choose images that fit the content, add to the story, and look professional. Include alt tags and descriptions on images. Neil Patel — 11 Best Practices for Including Images in Your Blog Posts.  

Use Multimedia

Not only images but video (proven to increase dwell time, a ranking factor), infographics, audio, GIFs, and more.

Create a User-Friendly Layout

Include lists and bullet points. Keep paragraphs under three hundred words and limit the number of 20-word sentences. Make your content easy to read by avoiding passive sentences. Use subheads and include keywords in subheads. 9 Steps to Creating a Compelling Blog Layout

Include Links

Add outbound and inbound links, but only if they fit the content. For example, a blog post on SEO shouldn’t include a backlink to an Italian recipe cookbook, even if the author is your wife. How to Get Backlinks: 10 Strategies That Work (semrush.com)

What Can You Do to Improve SEO?

There you have it: nine easy ways for any copywriter to improve SEO. You’re likely already doing most of the nine. However, is there one or two you could do more with? Is there room for improvement? I know I can step up my SEO game—how about you?

If you’ve mastered these nine ways to improve SEO, here are 200 additional ideas: Google’s 200 Ranking Factors: The Complete list.

 How Can I Help? 

Let me know if I can help. If this post struck a nerve, you should check out my book, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever. The book contains action plans to create a blogging/writing system that works for you. If you have any questions, please reach out to me. Thank you for reading this post.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like, What Makes a Blog Attractive to Readers?

Photo by Merakist on Unsplash

The post 9 Easy Ways a Copywriter Can Improve SEO   appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Where Does the Sales Process Begin?

Where doe the sales process begin? The answer depends on who you ask. If you ask marketers, it begins with advertising campaigns, PR initiatives, and social media marketing. Salespeople might say prospecting, gathering referrals, and building customer relationships to establish repeat business. Neither answer is incorrect, but they’re incomplete. If you ask customers where the sales process begins, it starts online. According to multiple studies, nearly 75% of customers, including those in B2B, use Google search to find businesses. This should come as no surprise because that’s what most of us do.

Where Does the Sales Process Begin?Where Should Your Sales Efforts Begin?

Your sales efforts begin with your online presence. The day is long past when a sedentary website could be left alone for months or even years and be expected to funnel leads effectively. That’s not going to happen. Today, marketing begins with dynamic and evolving online participation.

Website

Your website needs to be interactive, easy to use, and customer focused while at the same time offering concrete calls to action. Examples of your work, including testimonials and portfolios, should be upfront and eye-catching.

Social media

Sharing your content on social media is critical to your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) standings. Social media marketing isn’t only using X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube to help prospects discover you; social media usage also affects your SEO ranking. Keep in mind the majority of online searches never go past the first page.

Content creation

Blogs, FAQs, checklists, videos, photos, eBooks, white papers, and case studies should be added weekly, if not daily. Search engines look for and recognize the quality and quantity of new content and rank sites accordingly.

Online reviews

According to this Marketing land survey, “Research shows that 93% of consumers say online reviews will affect shopping choices, indicating that most consumers have the habit of reading online reviews regularly and rely on the comments for their purchasing decisions.” — National Library of Medicine  

Providing superior products and services is the first step in developing advocates who will offer positive online reviews. If you’ve developed loyal customers through hard work and diligence, there’s nothing wrong with asking for an online review.

As important as traditional marketing and sales strategies are, they aren’t the place where most sales begin. Today, whether B2B or B2C, sales start on a search. Most of your customers begin the vetting process online. If they like what they see, if the information they need is readily available, and if others share a favorable opinion of your work, they’ll contact you.

New Age Consulting

When I was younger, I used every sales trick in the book and even invented a few. I used these tactics to sell and taught others how to dupe a customer into buying the product I wanted to sell, which was only sometimes what the consumer needed. I’m not proud of my early years in sales. I was “that” Salesperson.

Eventually, I learned that helping customers rather than “selling” them built lasting relationships. It not only made good business sense, but it also felt good. It was the right thing to do. Are you ready to do the right thing? Do you want to learn how not to be a compassionate sales consultant and increase sales while building your customer base? If so, read this book. How to Sell Without Becoming “that” Salesperson

If you like this post, you might also appreciate, 5 Things Top Consultants Do. 

Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash

The post Where Does the Sales Process Begin? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

On the Eighth Day there Was Breakfast

It was the eighth day of a ten-day excursion into the Southwest. My wife and I were meandering our way towards Phoenix for a flight back to Indianapolis. We overnighted in Flagstaff, Arizona, staying in one of those roadside inns named by putting an adjective in front of their function, like Well-Being Motel or Amenity Inn. I awoke before my wife. The Happy Hotel had a complimentary breakfast. It was open from 6 am until 10 am. It was 5:40. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and quietly headed to the lobby, leaving my wife resting peacefully. I’d bring back coffee.

The lobby/breakfast area was packed. There were folks everywhere. As I tried to make my way to the coffee, I was cut off, nudged, and ignored. I heard Excusez-Moi and guttural grunts. I believe some were directed at me.

The Eighth Day Breakfast

After grabbing a cup of joe, I found a seat in the lobby of this L-shaped breakfast hall. I had eyed a USA Today on the table next to a plush black leatherette lobby chair. I picked up the newspaper and read the news of the day.

As I quietly sat and read the paper, a man came over and, without saying a word or making eye contact, picked up the large foyer chair next to me and moved it alongside a couch where two companions sat. He didn’t know if I had a purpose for the chair. I could’ve been saving it for my wife. I wasn’t, but I could have been.

Across from me was a table of five friends speaking loudly, food dangling from their lips as they all chewed and talked simultaneously. The breakfast area was self-serve and self-clean, and although there was a trash receptacle next to the table of the full-mouth-talking clan, they left their mess of saliva-moistened crumbs for someone else to dispose of.

At another table, a young couple with a cute toddler ignored their son as he threw fistfuls of baby-squeezed scrambled eggs three feet in every direction.

Still, others jostled past people as if they weren’t there. They stood in front of the coffee, blocking access as they slowly deliberated which cream to use, French raspberry or vanilla grape.

Reading the Paper

I perused the paper. As I finished scanning each section, I placed them on the table perpendicular to each other. When I was done, I went for a second cup of coffee, grabbed one for my wife, and headed back to the room.

It was our tradition that I’d bring her coffee, and then we’d return together to eat. Not today. She’d had eight days of Cheerful Roadside Canteen breakfast and wasn’t prepared for the food or the crowd.

I returned for a breakfast of hard tater tots, greasy sausages, and what I hoped were scrambled eggs with at least a bit of warmth remaining. Hey, it was free. Don’t judge.

On My Return

At the dining hall, I saw the chair had been returned to its rightful place, the tables (and floors) were clean, and the USA Today I had left scattered on the table was neatly stacked. Maybe I shouldn’t be casting stones.

It was a lesson in humility. As I was judging those around me and smugly back-slapping myself for being superior, the truth was, I wasn’t much different. I was as selfish as the next person. I left the newspaper not as I had found it, but in disarray. You could argue that my offense was less intrusive than some of the others, but that’s not the point. The point is I was inconsiderate of my fellow human beings.

The eggs were cold, the sausage was hard, and the tater tots burnt, but only slightly. I finished my plate. Like I said, it was free.

Photo by Andrei J Castanha on Unsplash

 

 

 

The post On the Eighth Day there Was Breakfast appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.