Business man holding Fearless on blurred abstract background
You rarely find winners lacking confidence. Look at the average person with confidence and you will see that often he/she wins and is surrounded by people that want to be around him/her. To win in sales you have to be confident in:
Yourself
Your sales ability
Your product and/or service
How do you build up confidence?
Challenge yourself to do things that you shy away from doing
Do the things that others don’t want to do and do it to the best of your abilities
Study techniques that will help you do be better at what you do
Learn about your products and services inside and out
Learn about your competitors products and services
Learn about your target audience and what the burning needs
Provide your target audience what they truly need
Don’t be afraid of hearing no…be persistent but not a pest
Share your knowledge…as you share you will gain a reputation for being an expert in that area
Hang out with other winners…don’t hold hands with losers
Don’t believe me if confidence matters…check out this awesome guy dancing…listen to the crowd’s reaction.
Marlene M. Bryan is a Distinguished Toastmaster, DTM. She is a certified speaker and leader by Toastmasters International. She is currently member of the Public Relations Team. She provides her services to over 3800 members throughout the district. Marlene is the owner of Small Biz Evolution, LLC. She is a Speaker, an Author and a Business Manger/Agent for Professional Speakers.
Three-year-old girl in pink playing with a laptop computer.. Shot with Canon 20D.
“Dang it.” I uttered as I struggled to get the screw to turn as I attempted to fix my mom’s cabinet door. I really wanted to say a cuss word, but I’ve cut that out, mostly! Plus my three year old niece was right by my side. She insisted on helping me get the job done.
If I needed a screwdriver, she handed it to me. If I needed more light, she pointed the flashlight in the right spot. After I grumbled about the screw giving me trouble, my little three year old coach said, “You can do it, Auntie Marlene. I know you can.” She had a serious look on her face and great conviction in her voice. This made me know that she believe with every fiber in her body that I could fix the door.
As I twisted in the small area to find the right tool, my niece would say, “Why don’t you try this one?” Sometimes it wasn’t what I wanted, but I smiled at her encouragement as she pulls out the tape measure. Other times, I would say I need the drill bit and she knew exactly what it was.
As I worked I thought that my niece has the skills to coach and encourage me. She didn’t need years of experience or a certificate to make suggestions to help me solve the problem. She is also very honest when something isn’t working well by saying, “Auntie Marlene, that’s not how it works.”
Oftentimes, folks have asked me to coach them in business . I only agree to do so, if I truly believe they were serious about applying my recommendations to move forward. If they appear not to be open to these recommendations, or have not made progress in getting certain tasks done, I’m not willing to take them on as a client.
The reason why I say my three year old niece is one of my coaches is that I didn’t dismiss her suggestions because of her age. I realize the value in her opinions and looking at the problem from a different angle. I value her honesty and her words of encouragement. I also know she has my best interest at heart.
2016 is less than a day away in this part of the world. If your are seeking a business coach or a personal coach, here a a few things I think work better with your coach:
You should ensure that this person has your best interest at heart. Some folks care more about the money than your success. Surprised? A great coach would tell you whether you and they are a great fit or not.
A coach should be encouraging while keeping it real. Like my niece, good coaches will let you know when they truly believe you can accomplish a task, or project. They can also be honest when things aren’t being done well and help you find a solution.
You have to be open to receive constructive feedback and applying the recommended solution.
It was a joy to have my little niece believe in my abilities to get the job done. We both celebrated when the door was fixed. We danced to the song “Cheerleader” by Omi. I hope you are successful in finding the right coach to make 2016 an outstanding year. Happy New Year to you all.
Thank you for reading my post. Please hit the “follow” button at the top of the page to allow me to share more Purposeful thoughts, ideas and experiences with you. Feel free to leave a comment or share the article with others.
Marlene M. Bryan is a Distinguished Toastmaster, DTM. She is a certified speaker and leader by Toastmasters International. She is currently member of the Public Relations Team. She provides her services to over 3800 members throughout the district. Marlene is the owner of Marlene M. Bryan, Corp and Small Biz Evolution, LLC. She is a Speaker, an Author and a Business Coach.
Drained and hungry after a flight from Florida Philadelphia, Dawnna St. Louisand I decided to get something to eat at one of the airport restaurants. :We decided to eat at Legal Sea Foods. I ordered soup and salad. When: the server, Edwin, brought our food I noticed that the salad did not have cranberries. I really thought cranberries will add a nice flavor to the salad.
I asked Edwin if they had cranberries. He said he would check. It was about 6-8 minutes before he reappeared with the cranberries. Pleasantly surprised, I told him I thought that they didn’t have it, because it took a while for him to get back. Edwin said: “We don’t. I went around to the Chinese restaurant to get them. I knew they have them.”
Wow! Dawnna and I were so impressed by this. Edwin could have simply said: “No, we don’t have them,” and continue on with his day. But he didn’t. Edwin provided superior customer service by going out of his way to give me with what I wanted. You know that earned him a great tip.
Now, you may say that this was not so significant. It was a small gesture and he was doing it for tips. For me, it was a big gesture. One that left me with a great impression not only of Edwin but of Legal Seafood. I will definitely visit the establishment again.
Edwin’s actions is a great example of the way customer service will win you new clients. As an entrepreneur, you cannot discount the value of providing your clients with the best customer service that you can. Here are some tips I gathered from my experience with Edwin:
Listen to your clients: Take the time to hear what challenges your client is facing, or what he or she wants. When people know that you are truly listening to them, they know you care. Therefore, they are more apt to do business with you.
No shouldn’t be the first answer: Before you say “No,” think of the issue your client is experiencing or what they want. Is there a solution that you can provide that will not cost you a lot of money, time and significant effort to provide it? By providing the solution, does it bring greater dividend in the long run? If so, go ahead and deliver it.
Let them know what you did: This one may not feel right to everyone, but I learned early in my corporate career that sometimes you have to do this. How will they know that you care enough to give them this special service, if you don’t tell them? It is similar to telling your manager what you did to deserve a raise or a promotion.
Don’t discount the Power of Great Customer Service: More than likely you have experienced good and bad customer service. Lately, it seems that the latter occurs more often than the former. Ensure that your company is delivery customer service that your clients are willing to tell people about it and recommend your company.
Provide the proper customer service training: Lack of proper customer service training for your employees can kill your business. I have seen it often enough. You may save money up front by not paying for training, but you will lose much more if your staff doesn’t know how to provide your clients with good customer service.
Lesson learned: Superior Customer Service = Happy Clients = Revenue Growth.
Upon leaving the restaurant, I asked Edwin if the restaurant had a Tweeter account. I told him I wanted to send out a tweet about how impressed I was by his service. He said he didn’t know if they did, but he was so happy I was pleased with his service. He raised his hands above his head, pumped his fists and chanted: “Edwin, Edwin, Edwin.” Dawnna and I had no choice but to laugh. Edwin’s gesture made me feel that I had truly entered the City of Brotherly Love. What a great way to start our business trip on a hight note.
Thank you for reading my post. Please hit the “follow” button at the top of the page to allow me to share more Purposeful thoughts, ideas and experiences with you. Feel free to leave a comment or share the article with others.
Marlene M. Bryan is a Distinguished Toastmaster, DTM. She is a certified speaker and leader by Toastmasters International. She is currently the District 47 Public Relations Officer, and leader of the Public Relations Team. She provides her services to over 3800 members throughout the district. Marlene is the owner of Marlene M. Bryan, Corp and Small Biz Evolution, LLC. She is a Speaker, an Author and a Business Coach.
Buckets of rainkept pouring down as we drove through the streets of Manhattan. My nephew maneuvered in and around the traffic to get me to my book signing event at Sister’s Uptown Bookstore. He was determined to get me there on-time for my “Special Event” as he called it.
The torrential rain was just another obstacle I had to face on Tuesday. The day started with me arriving at the airport only to be told that my flight. This was cancelled due to some difficulties at the arriving airport. My heart almost stopped! I told the valet that there is no way I will miss getting to New York that day. I had my book signing after all. He instructed me to go to the main reservation desk.
Wheeling my bags frantically and praying unceasingly, I found one of the JetBlue personnel who directed me to the front of a line. She told me someone would be able to help me. When I approached the counter the young man said there is a seat available at the same time to JFK instead of Westchester, my original destination. I told him I would take it. A little over an hour later I was on my way to New York.
Knowing that I made it to NYC on-time gave me the strength I needed to be optimistic that folks will turn out for the book signing despite the rain. This faith proved to be true. When we walked into the store, I was greeted by one of my sorority sisters. She came all the way from Sheepshead Bay to support me. This was more than an hours ride on the train.
Not long after, others turned out for the event. My heart was filled with joy as my friends and family came out to support me. I saw folks I hadn’t seen in years, including my brother that lives in the United Kingdom. This will be one of my favorite moments in this journey called “Life!”
If you are faced with obstacles today, here is what I recommend:
Don’t give up.
Take a deep breath and believe that it will work out.
Have faith in yourself that you are strong enough to handle it.
Enlist the aid of others that will take some of the burden off you.
Push forward and see the magic unfold.
It was a thrill to be able to conduct one of my book signing in one of the few books stores left in Harlem. I am so grateful to the owner, Jenifar (I even like the way she spells her name), and her assistant in being such wonderful hosts. If you are in Harlem, check them out at 1942 Amsterdam Ave.They were a part of my Magic in Manhattan.
Thank you for reading my post. Please hit the “follow” button at the top of the page to allow me to share more Purposeful thoughts, ideas and experiences with you. Feel free to leave a comment or share the article with others.
Marlene M. Bryan is a Distinguished Toastmaster, DTM. She is a certified speaker and leader by Toastmasters International. She is currently the District 47 Public Relations Officer, and leader of the Public Relations Team. She provides her services to over 3800 members throughout the district. Marlene is the owner of Marlene M. Bryan, Corp and Small Biz Evolution, LLC. She is a speaker, an author, and a coach.
“People are always asking me to help them, but I don’t know how much to charge.” Does this sound familiar?
You have the knowledge. You have the experience. Yet, when someone asks you to help them on a project or take them on as a client, you don’t know what to charge. You become frustrated and either don’t charge and you do the work for free. Or you don’t do it at all.
This seems to be a common occurrence for people who want to start their own business. At first, I encountered this issue when I started my speaking business. Then I went back to my experience as a product manager when I had to develop products. Here are some of the steps I took to set the product or service rates:
Benefit and Value: I had to think about the benefit to the client and whether are not they will see the value of the product. If the client cannot see how the item or service will benefit him or her, they will have a hard time understanding its value.
Cost: I had to determine the cost of providing the product. Think about the raw material, the manufacturing and shipping costs; if it’s a tangible product. Or if you are offering your service, assess the time it takes to offer that service. This includes the time for researching, writing, etc. Your time is valuable.
Competition: What are others charging for the same item or service in your marketplace. Keep in mind that the rate sometimes vary by region. You don’t want to be the most expensive in the area unless you can demonstrate that your product or service can command that rate. Yet don’t be the cheapest on the block. Your clients may not appreciate you; if you cheapen yourself. Your product or service becomes a commodity at that point. This lessens its value.
Return on Investment (ROI): When you present your product or service, you have to learn to show the client, his or her return on investing in it and in you. Show your clients the outcome of utilizing your product or service. Give them the before and after picture. This will help them in their purchasing decision. Make it a compelling one that leaves them without doubts that it’s best to sign up with you.
Value Your Knowledge: If you don’t value your knowledge how would you expect someone else to do so? Value what you know and keep building on what you know. By keeping up-to-date you increase your value.
Next time someone asks you to help out and they are willing to pay you, take the time to determine your worth. This person asked you, because they believe you have something that they need. Set the rate and value. Know that You are Worth It!
Thank you for reading my post. Please hit the “follow” button at the top of the page to allow me to share more Purposeful thoughts, ideas and experiences with you. Feel free to leave a comment or share the article with others.
Marlene M. Bryan is a Distinguished Toastmaster, DTM. She is a certified speaker and leader by Toastmasters International. She is currently the District 47 Public Relations Officer, and leader of the Public Relations Team. She provides her services to over 3800 members throughout the district. Marlene is the owner of Marlene M. Bryan, Corp and Small Biz Evolution, LLC. She is a speaker, an author, and a coach. Pick up the latest copy of her book:
