how to brand and market yourself
TRANSCRIPT
How to Brand and Market Yourself
TiP Keep Things Focused
on yourself and use thestrength of “I” to
back-up yourstatements
In Business Today, Our Most Important Job
Be Head Marketer For The Brand Called Me.
The real action is you becoming a free agent in an economy of free agents, looking to have the best season you can imagine in your field, looking to do your best work and chalk up a remarkable track record, and looking to establish your own brand.
Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc.
Remember
"What do you hope people say about you behind your back?" What do you want to be associated with and what is the catch phrase that capture the incredible Brand YOU!
Develop a Marketing Plan Before you start calling
Develop a process for working your plan
What are your goals
What Activities are needed to achieve your goals
Remember to Manage your Time
Life lessons are like a book…
When things in life Change.
Learn to turn the page and start a new chapter
Philisms….
• A genius will learn from other peoples
mistakes
• A smart person learns from their own mistakes
• If you live life making the same mistakes over
and over again you’re an idiot
Starting With Basics
Prospecting
Key Factors That Leading Sales people possess that
Leads to Success:
Everything you do should be aimed at achieving your goals
Find ways to engage the clients
Do the things that everyone else is not doing
Find unique ways to make a lasting impression
They have a ridged daily process that is rarely compromised
Constantly seek ways to be more efficient
Value time Manage your time wisely
Traits of a Great Sales Person
They are genuine listeners and able to absorb what theprospect/client says
They are creative problem solvers who rarely allowobstacles to defeat them
They have control of their egos and allow the prospect/clientto take center stage in conversations
They work with the highest levels of personal and professional honesty and integrity
•
A survey of 400,000 Sales people from 8,000 companies says there are 20 main
traits Top performers possess
Written Goals
Follows Sales Plan
Has Positive Outlook
Takes Responsibility
Strong Self Confidence
Supportive Beliefs
Controls Emotions
Doesn’t Need Approval
Recovers From Rejection
Comfortable Talking About Money
Reaches Decision Maker
Effective Listening/Questioning
Early Bonding & Rapport
Uncovering Actual Budgets
Discovering Why Prospects Buy
Qualifies Proposals & Quotes
Gets Commitments and Decisions
Strong Desire for Success
Doing What It Takes for Success
Supportive Buy Cycle
First Thing in Sales is Knowing How to Prospect
Make Warm Calls vs. Cold calls
Methods of Prospecting
Get a library card and then use it to get access to the library databases
They will normally include Dunn & Bradstreet and Reference USA - both of these will include the names and titles of Mid and Sr. level Managers
Find a directory of names and email addresses & then go onto Netprospex.com and Jigsaw.com and add those names into their database.
For each name you enter in, you will be able to get out the names and titles, e-mail addresses and in most cases the direct extension of your contacts.
Ways To Prospect
Get a list of your target companies and do a search on them in a business site like Reuters.com and set up an RSS feed for each company.
Now, next time you are ready to make a prospect or customer call, look into your RSS feed folder and identify some news article that relates in some way to the products and services you are selling.
Don’t forget Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Kompass-usa.com and stlcareers.us.
What is RSS
RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.
Benefits and Reasons for using RSS
RSS solves a problem for people who regularly use the web. It allows you to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content from the sites you are interested in. You save time by not needing to visit each site individually. You ensure your privacy, by not needing to join each site's email newsletter.
There are a number of sites offering RSS Feeds like www.sybdic8.com/feedcat.php is growing rapidly and includes big names like news.yahoo.com/rss/
Ways to Prospect
You should never call any company for any reason without having decision-makers name and title.
There are too many resources available at no charge to ever call and ask for the person in charge of ......
Even if you have an old name, and the person is no longer there, you still have established credibility that you have the name of a valid contact.
If this stops you, then I definitely go to Jigsaw and sort by date and pick a name listed within the past 90-120 days, wait a day and call back.
Ways to Prospect
Now, regardless of who the gatekeeper is or how extensively she
screens you, if you have an RSS feed folder and you look at the
news releases for the prospect, and you tie the purpose of your call
to that newsfeed, you'll get to your DM 98.7% of the time.
Be Prepared have a spiel (in your own words) already written out
and Practiced so It doesn’t sound canned.
Put it all together...
"Hello Mr./Mrs/Miss Smith, this is (your name) I just saw a news
article come across the wire that mentioned xxxxxxx.
Use Social Network Sites as Branding Tools!
Pertinent Information
Industry is evolving so fast, yet we are able to stay current using Linkedin and Twitter. Join online groups, post industry-related questions and get invited to webcasts. Today, organizations are sharing information to generate leads and brand themselves as experts.
Fee For Users
Twitter, Plaxo, Digg, MySpace, etc. are all free to join. About 74% of Americans have a computer with internet service, so the only incremental cost is your time. It’s a low-risk proposition to take Linkedin for a test drive.
Use Social Network Sites as Branding Tools!
Hyper-efficient Networking
Sending an e-mail message to ten people is faster than making ten phone calls. The same applies to networking on Linkedin, Twitter, etc.
There are even tools such as Zensify to link all your social network sites to get unified updates to save time.
Be a Leader of the Pack
In many business circles, those joining networking sites are perceived as pro-active leaders. If you have relevant information to share and you’re not tweeting about teeth brushing or dusting furniture, social networking can improve your image.
Use Social Network Sitesas Branding Tools!
Industry Giants Are Tweeting!
Best Buy, Southwest Airlines, Dominos Pizza, AT&T, Time Magazine, Xerox, the U.S. Air Force, and it’s commander in chief, President Obama are all on Twitter.
You need to use these tools in the same manner as these industry leaders.
The Basics of the
Sales Call
The Basics of the Sales Call
• Arrive early to your appointment
• Make sure you go to the bathroom first
• Wash your hands and make sure they are dry.
• Don’t put on too much perfume or cologne
• Go over your appearance in front of the mirror
The First Impression will make a Wall or a
Door• Remember the Basics
• Don’t be afraid to look them in the eye
• Be positive, give them a firm handshake
• Remember to smile
It’s All in How You Say It
• Do you fully use the power of “I” in your
interview statements
• Keep your language clear and direct and
you will come across as focused and
energetic.
• Use strong language not weak
• Have the love of your work come out in
the interview
Conduct a Creative Interview
Show Initiative
– Ask questions - find out what they really need and why
– Be prepared
– Be Positive
– Remind them the Value you bring to the company
Set SMART Goals
Conduct A Smart Interview.
Be Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-phased
Now you have an appointment.
How do you deal with the various types of
personalities
There are Four Basic Types of Personalities
• Driver
• Analytical
• Expressive
• Amiable
To negotiate with these different
buyer types we need to adapt our
behavior and be flexible
in our approach.
Driver ...The DirectorAssertive but not responsive
Task rather than people oriented
Decisive and determined
Controlled emotions
Set on efficiency and effectiveness
Likes control, often in a hurry
Firm, stable relationships
Stubborn, tough
Impatient
Inflexible poor listener.
How to Negotiate with Drivers
Plan to ask questions about and discuss specifics, action and results.
Use facts and logic.
When necessary, disagree with facts rather than opinions
Be assertive.
Keep it business-like, efficient and to the point.
Personal guarantees and testimonials are least effective,Better to provide options and facts.
Do not invade their personal space.
The Expressive
Assertive and responsive.
Reactive, impulsive, decisions spontaneous, intuitive
Placing more importance on relationships than tasks
Emotionally expressive, sometimes dramatic.
Flexible agenda, short attention span, easily loved.
Enthusiastic.
Strong persuasive skills, talkative and gregarious
Optimistic; takes risks
Creative.
How to Negotiate with The Expressive
Seek opinions in an area you wish to develop to achieve mutualunderstanding.
Discussion should be people as well as fact oriented
Keep summarizing, work out specifics on points of agreement
Try short, fast moving experience stories
Make sure to pin them down in a friendly way
Remember to discuss the future as well as the present
Look out for the impulse buy.
The Amiable…The Supporter
Not assertive but responsive
Dependent on others
Respectful, willing and agreeable
Emotionally expressive
Everyone's friend; supportive; soft-hearted
Low risk taker, likes security
Group builder
Over sensitive
Not goal orientated
How to Negotiate with TheAmiable
Work, jointly, seek common ground
Find out about personal interests and family
Be patient and avoid going for what looks like an easy pushover
Use personal assurance and specific guarantees and avoid options and probabilities
Take time to be agreeable
Focus discussion on how
Demonstrate low risk solutions
Don't take advantage of their good nature
The Analytical ..The Clinician Not assertive, not responsive
Precise, orderly and business-like
Rational and co-operative
Self-controlled and serious
Motivated by logic and facts
Not quick to make decisions
Distrusts persuasive people
Like things in writing and detail
Security conscious
Critical, aloof, skeptical
Excellent problem solver
Likes rigid timetables
How to Negotiate with The Analytical
Take action rather than wordsDemonstrate helpfulness and willingness
Stick to specifics . The Analytical expect salespeople to overstate
Their decisions are based on facts and logic and they avoid risk
They can often be very co-operativeEstablished relationships take time
Consider telling them what the product won't do. They will respectyou for it, and they will have spotted the deficiencies anyway
Discuss reasons and ask why? Questions
Become less responsive and less assertive yourself.
We also need to know how to master the use of our body
language
Basics On Body Language
Body Language - technically known as kinesics (pronounced 'kineesicks') - is a significant aspect of modern communications and relationships.
The sending and receiving of body language signals happens on conscious and unconscious levels.
Your own body language reveals your feelings and meanings to others.
Other people's body language reveals their feelings and meanings to you
Basics On Body Language
Body language is especially crucial when we meet
someone for the first time. We form our opinions
of someone we meet for the first time in just a few
seconds, and this initial instinctual assessment is
based far more on what we see and feel about the other
person than on the words they speak.
On many occasions we form a strong view about a new
person before they speak a single word. Consequently body
language is very influential in forming impressions on first
meeting someone.
Basics On Body Language
Body Language - technically known as kinesics (pronounced'kineesicks') - is a significant aspect of modern communicationsand relationships.
Body language is especially crucial. We form our opinions ofsomeone we meet for the first time in just a few seconds, and thisinitial instinctual assessment is based far more on what we seeand feel about the other person than on the words they speak.
On many occasions we form a strong view about a new personbefore they speak a single word. Consequently body language isvery influential in forming impressions on first meeting someone.
Basics On Body LanguageEye Language
looking right (generally)creating, fabricating, guessing, lying,storytellinglooking left (generally)recalling, remembering, retrieving 'facts'looking right and upvisual imagining, fabrication, lyinglooking right sidewaysimagining soundslooking right and downaccessing feelingslooking left and uprecalling images truthfulnesslooking left sidewaysrecalling or remembering soundslooking left downself-talking, rationalizingdirect eye contact (when speaking)honesty - or faked honesty
direct eye contact (when listening)attentiveness, interest, attractionwidening eyesinterest, appeal, invitationrubbing eye or eyesdisbelief, upset, or tirednesseye shrugfrustrationpupils dilated (enlarged)attraction, desireblinking frequentlyexcitement, pressureblinking infrequentlyvariouseyebrow raising (eyebrow 'flash')greeting, recognition, acknowledgementwinkingfriendly acknowledgement, complicity (e.g.,sharing a secret or joke)
Basics On Body Language Handshake
handshake - palm downdominance
handshake - both handsseeking to convey trustworthiness, honesty, and control
handshake - equal and verticalnon-threatening, relaxed
pumping handshakeenthusiasm
weak handshakevarious
firm handshakeoutward confidence
handshake with arm claspseeking control, paternalism
Basics On Body Language
Head Movementshead shaking disagreement
pronounced head shakingstrong disagreement
head down (in response to a speaker or proposition)negative, disinterested
head down (while performing an activity)defeat, tiredness
chin uppride, defiance, confidence
active listeningattention, interest, attraction
Basics On Body LanguageHands and Arms
crossed arms (folded arms)Defensiveness, reluctance
crossed arms with clenched fistsHostile defensiveness
gripping own upper armsInsecurity
one arm across body clasping otherarm by side (female)nervousness
arms held behind body with handsclaspedconfidence, authority
handbag held in front of body(female)nervousness
holding papers across chest (mainly male)nervousness
adjusting cuff, watchstrap, tie, etc., usingan arm across the bodynervousness
arms/hands covering genital region (male)nervousness
holding a drink in front of body with bothhandsnervousness
seated, holding drink on one side withhand from other sidenervousness
touching or scratching shoulder using armacross bodynervousness
Basics On Body Language Hands
palm(s) up or opensubmissive, truthful, honesty, appealing
palm(s) up, fingers pointing updefensive, instruction to stop
palm(s) downauthority, strength, dominance
palm up and moving up and down as if weighingstriving for or seeking an answer
hand(s) on heart (left side of chest)seeking to be believed
finger pointing (at a person)aggression, threat, emphasis
finger point and winkacknowledgement or confirmation
finger pointing (in the air)emphasis
finger wagging (side to side)warning, refusal
finger wagging (up and down)admonishment, emphasis
hand chopemphasis - especially the last word on a matter
finger tips and thumbs touching each other onopposite hands ('steepling')thoughtfulness, looking for or explaining connections orengagement
steepled fingers pointing forwardthoughtfulness and barrier
palms down moving up and down, fingers spreadseeking or asking for calm, loss of control of a group orsituation
cracking knucklescomforting habit, attention-seeking
interwoven clenched fingersfrustration, negativity, anxiousness
index finger and thumb touching at tipssatisfaction, 'OK'
Mirroring Or Matching Body Language
When body language and speech characteristics are mirrored between people this tends to assist the process of creating a mutual feeling of empathy, understanding, and trust).
The term synchronized is arguably a more accurate technical term because mirroring implies visual signals only, when the principles of matching body language extend to audible signals also speech pace, pitch, tone, etc.
When another person displays similar body language to our own, this makes us react unconsciously to feel, "This person is like me and agrees with the way I am. I like this person because we are similar, and he/she likes me too."
Mirroring Or Matching Body Language
Speech pace or speed is an example. When you are
speaking with someone, first match their pace of speaking,
then gently change your pace - slower or faster - and see if
the other person follows you. Often they will do.
People, mostly being peaceful cooperative souls, commonly
quite naturally match each other's body language. To do
otherwise can sometimes feel uncomfortable, even though
we rarely think consciously about it.
When another person leans forward towards us at a table, we often mirror and do likewise. When they lean back and relax, we do the same. Sales people and other professional communicators are widely taught to mirror all sorts of more subtle signals, as a means of creating trust and rapport with the other person, and to influence attitudes.
Mirroring in this conscious sense is not simply copying or mimicking. Mirroring is effective when movements and gestures are reflected in a similar way so that the effect remains unconscious and subtle. Obvious copying would be regarded as strange or insulting.
Mirroring Or Matching Body Language
Body Language and Seating Positioning
Lots of unnecessary friction is created in work and communications situations due to ignorance and lack of thought about seating positions.
The “science” of where people sit in relation to each other, and on what and around what, is fascinating and offers opportunities for improving relationships, communications, cooperation and understanding.
Body Language and Seating Positioning
Here are some guidelines:
If you cannot arrange the seating give a very deliberate thought to the seating positions before you sit down.
Don't just let it happen because commonly, strangely, people often end up sitting opposite if free to do so.
Sitting opposite someone across a table or desk adds a barrier to the confrontational set-up and can create a tension even when the relationship is good and strong.
Sitting at a diagonal angle of about 45 degrees to another person is a comfortable and cooperative arrangement. This is achieved naturally by both sitting around the same corner of a square table
Body Language and Seating Positioning
Here are some guidelines:
The 45-degree rule is approximate, and anyway under most circumstances seating angles are influenced by furniture and available space. Importantly, simply try to avoid opposite or side-by-side positions.
Low settees and easy-chairs and low coffee tables cause people to sink and relax back are usually unhelpful for work meetings. For this reason much seating in hotel lounges is entirely unsuitable for work meetings. People naturally are more alert and focused using higher formal table and chairs.
Identify Skills Neededto Achieve Your Goals
Relationship selling.
Telephone skills.
Asking questions.
Using evidence.
Handling objections.
The Three Basic Characteristics Employers
are looking for
• The Ability to get things done• The Ability to Solve Problems• The Ability to work with Others
Be Prepared on How You Will Answer Tricky
Interview Questions
• Why should we hire you
• Why do you want to work here
• What are your greatest weakness
• Why did you leave your last job
• Describe a problem situation and how you solved it
Be Prepared on How You Will Answer Tricky Interview Questions Cont.
What accomplishments are you most proud ofWhat are your salary expectationsTell me about yourself
(Practice how to answer these questions)
The Car Method
Context: Tell them a story about some of the things you havebeen involved in
Action:Tell them what actions or ideas you took or hadResults: Let them know what the results were
Be Prepared For the Close
You Must Ask For the Order
At the end of the conversation, The employer may ask, “Do you have any final questions?”
This is your opening to say, in your own words, “I want this job.”
You must tell the employer that you want to take the next step. “Is there anything standing in my way “
Cambridge UniversityResearch Shows How
Amazing How Our Minds Can Actually Work
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Amzanig huh?
Things to Remember Before you Respond
• Never respond before you are absolutely sure what they are saying
• Asked a closed question if you think you know.
• If your assumption was wrong ask an open ended question to get them to elaborate, then again a closed question for verification.
Be Aware of Who You Are
WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS; WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS; THEY BECOME WORDS.THEY BECOME WORDS.
WATCH YOUR WORDS; WATCH YOUR WORDS; THEY BECOME ACTIONS.THEY BECOME ACTIONS.
WATCH YOUR ACTIONS; WATCH YOUR ACTIONS; THEY BECOME HABITS.THEY BECOME HABITS.
WATCH YOUR HABITS; WATCH YOUR HABITS; THEY BECOME YOUR CHARACTER.THEY BECOME YOUR CHARACTER.
WATCH YOUR CHARACTER; WATCH YOUR CHARACTER; IT BECOMES YOUR DESTINYIT BECOMES YOUR DESTINY.
Fixing Your Objective is like Finding
the North Star
You sight your compass on it
and then use it as the means of
getting back on track when you
tend to stray."
At the time when you are worthless and give
up...
Its time to take the silver out of your hair
The gold out of your teeth
The lead out of your pants and junk you
Remember when you go into an interview set a goaland achieve that goal.
Don’t allow fear to guide your responseWhen you are prepared you will be more confident
Learn from your mistakes and don’t be afraid of making them
Remember you are not worthless