My Weblog

Who Needs A Coach?

When people ask what I do and I respond executive coaching…they often say “Oh you work with athletes.” Well not really, my clients are executives and business professionals (check the testimonials on my web site: testimonials) you will see who we work with.

This question started me thinking, why do athletes have coaches? These are individuals who are at the top of their fields, they are not looking to learn how “to play the game” so to speak. They are looking for increased performance and better results.

They are not looking for a cheerleader, but someone who can provide honest feedback about what they are doing, priorities, strategies and week-to-week progress with what must be done.

ABC’s top ranked show, Dancing With The Stars, has been dominated by athletes, Emmitt Smith, Apollo Ohno, Helio Castroneves, Shawn Johnson and Kristi Yamaguchi. Their dance partners have all commented on how their success was directly related to their willingness to be coached. These individuals know from life experience, that in order to reach their goals they must be committed, dedicated and have the guidance and support of a coach.

They also know that in order to reach a goal they must leave their comfort zone. This is not easy, no matter how hard you push yourself; you need someone to provide that feedback from the sidelines. Where does the coach stand on the field? The sidelines.

Fast Company recently conducted surveys on coaching. They found that from 2004 to 2011 there has been a dramatic increase in the use of coaching. The biggest change is from coaching being used as “a fix it tool” for leaders with problems, to helping successful leaders get even better. In many firms having a coach is seen as a badge of honor.


The most exciting thing I can hear from a client, is when they say, “This experience has changed my life.” The results are real, the results are lasting.

CoachAnovick

Developing Potential, Producing Results

201.445.2822

Paul Anovick

Five Tips To Improve Your Communication With Effective Listening Skills

Many people believe the ability to speak articulately is an important prerequisite to achievement. Communication is a two way process, sending and receiving, Disraeli noted, “Nature has given us two ears but only one mouth.” Use them proportionately. This is not to minimize the significance of good speech habits but to bring attention to listening our empathy skill.

 

Use these several listening tips to help you connect with people.

 

1.    Take the time to listen. Often we are “multitasking” or distracted with our own thoughts, we only pretend to listen. Take the time concentrate. By being in the moment you can learn and expand your knowledge.

 

2.    Be attentive. Everyone feels his or her words and thoughts are valuable. Whether you agree or not lack of attention is disrespectful to the individual. If you only hear the words and not understand the context the meaning will be lost. Focus on the words that are being said as well as the emotions and feelings that are expressed.

 

3.    Listen with an open mind. When you open your mind to the other person’s point of view, you have a better chance of understanding what they are trying to say. If you do this for the other person, chances are they will listen to your point of view.

 

4.    Listen for feelings. People tend to repeat those things that are important to them. Listen not only to what they say but how they say it. 85% of effective communication is something other than the words we say. Voices express emotion through pitch, intonation, hesitation, and speed of delivery. Facial, body and non-verbal clues speak volumes.

 

5.    Listen for retention. Have you ever wanted to share a good joke that you heard, but simply couldn’t remember anything but the punch line? If you do not consciously convey to your mind the thought that you hear, you will recall little of what is said. As you listen, verbally summarize the highlights occasionally to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to assist your memory.

 

Use these helpful hints regularly in your communication efforts. The skills will only be effective when they come from a sincere desire to understand. If people feel that you’re trying to manipulate them, you will lose their trust. People want you to believe in them, just as you want them to believe in you. When you display empathy for another human being, you heighten self-respect. Add this trait to your list of personal goals; it will reward you with a lifetime of meaningful relationships.

CoachAnovick

Developing Potential, Producing Results

201.445.2822

Paul Anovick

Find Your Future By Realizing the Power of Failure

There is enormous power in failure, especially if we truly learn from it. Several years ago when living on the West coast I was very impressed by a graduation speech that Steve Jobs gave at Stanford University. He emphasized the importance of failure to success, particularly after he was fired at age 30, from Apple, the company he co-founded. "It turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.," he said. "The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods in my life."

Well we all know the rest of the story, as I write this on my iMac and no doubt each of you have either and iPod, iPhone, iPad or some device made by Apple. In the past several years you may have either been directly affected by the loss of a job, reduced pay or you know someone who has gone through this experience. Having gone through a setback myself in 2006 and having worked directly with hundreds of individuals since that time, I would like to share some suggestions.

First take a deep breath and BE HERE NOW. Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it were. This is one of the biggest obstacles to moving ahead, the desire to return to the previous "status quo" or the inability to accept the reality of where you are. Accept the brutal facts.

If you are in a situation that is unpleasant or feels shaky realize this: Whatever got you to where you are today will not be sufficient to keep you there. The "World is Flat", competition is greater than ever and productivity is accelerating each moment. The skills, knowledge and experience you possess may not be enough for the future. Start training and expanding your skills and knowledge today.

Connect to your purpose. Often we hear the term "reinvent" yourself; people come to me with decades of experience and want to go in a completely different field or direction. Well sometimes that may work, however, my experience has been it is best if you can "repurpose" yourself. Meaning that you identify from the things you have been doing in your life what do you enjoy and love the most. This is no doubt close to your purpose, when doing that which you love you will do it well.

Have no fear. Sam Wells, the dean of Duke University Chapel, said to a recent graduating class: "The most powerful person in the world is the one who isn't paralyzed by the fear of their own failure."

In this challenging time look at the changes we confront and find the opportunity for your future. The future of America is counting on YOU!

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.

~Victor Frankl

CoachAnovick

Developing Potential, Producing Results

201.445.2822

Paul Anovick

How to Successfully Schedule an Appointment

There is nothing worse than showing up for an appointment with a targeted prospect to only have them not be there.  After all the time and energy you spent identifying and reaching the decision maker, you don’t want that wasted on a no-show. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, last minute crises do occur and you’re likely at the bottom of their priority list for the day.  And sometimes the prospect forgets—but there are ways to increase the probability of success.

Email a meeting invite. After scheduling the appointment, immediately email a meeting invite confirming the date, time and location agreed upon. This will guarantee it will go on all attendees’ calendars, making it less likely for them to forget. And if they don’t accept the invite, it alerts you to get back in touch and remind them to do so.

Ask who else should be attending? Assuming you are meeting with the sole decision-maker isn’t good enough. Ask who else would benefit by attending the meeting. Sometimes you need to probe a little bit here, but the upside potential of including more buying influences is significant.

Contract for their time with realistic expectations. Tell the prospective client how much time you will need beforehand so they can allocate accordingly. Always stick to this. If you ask for 30 minutes, then start wrapping up your appointment prior to that deadline. Look at your watch, or iPhone, and say, “I see we are approaching the half hour mark that I contracted for, do you have any further questions?” Let them ask you to extend beyond that, don’t just assume it is okay even when it’s going well.

Seed in advance of your appointment.  While you don’t want to tip your hand, it’s a good idea to provide some foreshadowing.  Email a link to a blog that you wrote, that enhances your brand or position. Send an analysis of their current marketing plan, which will demonstrate that you’ve taken the time to do your homework. Or send general information on how their industry, as a whole, is marketing itself. Don’t make it about your product or service, but focus on how other businesses have had success working with you and entice them to learn more about these successes.

Schedule a virtual meeting 48 hours prior to your appointment. This allows you to send a reminder, as well as ensure they will be prepared to join you online with the meeting access code. Make certain to be online at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time to set-up your PowerPoint and prepare what you plan to share on your screen.

Confirm the day before. Conceivably this can be perceived as giving the prospect an out, but if you have done your job in contracting for their time, and establishing value in the mind of the prospect, then it is the professional and confident thing to do.

Be punctual. Plan for delays, and give yourself enough of a window to arrive on-time.  First impressions can be adversely affected by a late arrival. At the same time, don’t wait indefinitely for the client to see you. If you have a scheduled time, then barring an emergency, you should expect to be seen no later than 15 minutes after that time. Your time is valuable, too and it would serve you better to ask for the appointment to be rescheduled, than to sit in the waiting room too long.  
In the event, that the prospect does cancel or stand you up, maintain your composure and try to get back on their calendar as quickly as possible.  Guilt is good.

Theresa Merrill is the Director of Business Development for Anovick Associates. She has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in NY, Boston and Atlanta working for Katz Communications, CBS, Tribune and Cablevision and can be reached at 201.444.2991 or by e-mail merrill.theresa@gmail.com

Developing Potential, Producing Results

201.444.2991

Theresa Merrill

Simple Steps to Get Going With Networking

Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, feel like you have the gift of gab, or just don’t know how to make small talk—networking know-how is very important for your business success. There is a notion in business that I believe most of us subscribe to that says all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those they know, like, and trust. And the key to this is obviously being able to develop relationships.

Think of networking as the cultivation of mutually beneficial, win-win relationships. In order to be win-win, there must be GIVE and take (notice the emphasis on give). Networking shouldn’t be viewed as events where you go to sell your business. When effective networking is taking place, the parties involved actively share ideas, information, resources, etc.

Okay, so you know that you should be networking because it is one of the most cost-effective lead generation activities when used wisely, appropriately, and professionally. But, maybe that seems easier said than done. Here is a seven step plan to really get going with networking for your business.

Check out several groups to find the best chemistry and perceived value. Most groups will allow you to come and visit at least a couple of times before you have to join. Ask around to find out why others have joined and what value they get out of belonging. Resist the urge to just go join the Chamber of Commerce simply because everyone tells you that is what you need to do. If that is not where your target group can be found, then you might be wasting a considerable amount of time and money. I’m not telling you not to join the Chamber. Just be clear about what you’d like to get out of this or any other group. If it is to find prospective clients or referral sources, then you need to be networking where those resources can be found.

When you find a group or two, join and go to all the meetings you can. Don’t go just once or twice expecting things to happen and then if they don’t, quit. Building mutually beneficial, win-win relationships will take some time. The contacts you make need to constantly see your face and hear your message. Continual contact with others over time will open up opportunities for you to go deeper and learn more about each others thoughts, ideas, and capabilities in regards to your respective businesses. Know, like, and trust generally only happens over time. Being regular and persistent will pay off.

Get involved - be visible. Do as much as you can to make yourself more visible within the organization. Volunteer to help with meetings, be on committees, or become a leader or board member. Being involved does a couple of things for you and your business. First, you’ll get more opportunities to establish connections and get to know some of the contacts you’ve made even better. Secondly, the higher the visibility you have in the group, the less you’ll have to work to make new connections. Instead, as new people come into the group, they will likely seek you out because they view you as a leader within the organization.

Keep your circles of contacts informed. Don’t just assume that running into someone once a month, or even once a week, will cause them to start doing business with you or sending it your way. You need to let them know what’s going on when you’re not at that particular group in order to inform and educate them. Send them invitations to your events or open houses. Send them email or letters to share big news or success stories, especially anything of relevance to them or those in their networks of contacts. If you believe that you have valuable ideas, information, and resources to share with others, then doesn’t this just make sense?

Work at GIVING referrals and sharing valuable information.
That’s right, you need to be willing to GIVE before you get. That means you need to get to know other members and what makes a good prospect for them. What kinds of information might you have access to that could be useful to them? You may initially think you don’t have much value to share with others besides your business and what you provide. Part of the key to getting good at giving is to not make assumptions. For example, don’t assume that some basic resource (e.g., a web site) that you’re aware of is familiar to someone you might be talking to just because they are the expert in that field. Be willing to ask if they know about the resource and be ready to share if they don’t. Want to get better at actually giving referrals? Here is a simple question to ask someone with whom you’re connecting. “How am I going to know when I meet a really good prospect for you?” Just the fact that you are willing to explore giving will elevate your know, like, and trust factor.

Focus on Quality, not Quantity, Quantity, Quantity. It’s not necessarily about the number of connections you make, but about the quality of the ones you do make. Are they mutually beneficial, win-win relationships? Quality connections will be identifiable because all involved parties will be actively sharing ideas, information, and resources. Yes, it is true that you need to spend some time and effort getting to know the other person(s) and what’s important to them. But, you also need to be clear and actively thinking about what information or resources you want and need. Staying in touch with and following up with a smaller number of quality relationships will generally be much more productive than trying to follow up with a larger number of superficial contacts.

Be persistent, but be patient. The goal of a networking event shouldn’t necessarily be to come away with prospects every time you go out, but to come away with great connections. Networking usually takes time to get the relationships developed and nurtured.
Don’t approach networking as a scary proposition or a necessary evil for being in business. Take the pressure off yourself and really focus on how you might be able to connect with someone you meet. Focus on them first and look for ways to be useful to them. As you become known as a connector you’ll eventually be ready to reap what you sow.

CoachAnovick

Developing Potential, Producing Results

201.445.2822

Paul Anovick

The Power of Storytelling for Effective Communication

Before man learned to write, he had to rely on his memory to learn anything. This required being a good listener. A good storyteller was always respected as he passed on the ideas, values and stories that define and bond humanity.

Stories captivate us. They make us think and have the ability to connect with our physical being, our heart and spirit in a way that no other media can. Storytellers create bonds with their audiences on many levels. As a manager, leader and coach I've seen that through the stories you tell audiences connect on many different levels. Perhaps the audience member shared a similar experience; stories allow listeners to derive what they want from the story, somewhat leaving your comments open to their interpretation.

We are hardwired for stories. As children we love bedtime stories, as teenagers the stories turn dark, as adults we tell jokes, which are stories, and we respond to a good story that resonates with a problem or challenge that we face. The individual who uses gestures, facial expressions, sounds, accents and body postures can create a total theater of the mind in connecting with his audience. A story told face-to-face is more persuasive than its print or screen equivalent. It is the oral telling of the story that makes it genuine and authentic.

Having been the keynote speaker at industry events and special occasions over the years I am constantly amazed how people will come up to me and recount stories that I told 15 to 20 years ago. The challenge is to make your story relevant to a take-away or key point you want to make. The power and impact of a good story is ageless.

My grandfather was a carpenter and had a wood shop; as a young boy I spent a great deal of my time with him in that shop. When customers came in to order items we would take a break to discuss a project for the customer. My grandfather was a master storyteller who would engage customers with stories of his home in Kentucky and spend time learning about them. His stories always had a purpose and he would weave it back to what the customer needed and what they really wanted--which was often much more then what they originally described. Over the years I realized purposeful storytelling wasn't show business, it was good business.

Are you a storyteller?

CoachAnovick

Developing Potential, Producing Results

201.445.2822

Paul Anovick

Seven Strategies to Reduce Email Errors

Email and electronic communication errors made in the past month, by The New York Times and Vassar College respectfully, are reason enough to examine the way we communicate today.  The New York Times sent an erroneous email to 8 million subscribers, while Vassar College directed Early Decision applicants to a website page posting misinformation.  Both a P.R. and customer service disaster, with lingering fallout, it reminds us that technology is still subject to human error.

Set-up a “Send” Delay. How often have you hit “Send” to only say “Oops” immediately after? Set your email account up with either a delay delivery time (Outlook has this) or the ability to “Undo Send” (Gmail) which allows you to take back the email message up to 30 seconds after hitting send.  Lifesaver.

Proofread. Spell check, of course, but that doesn’t pick up all errors. Read each email out loud and listen for content, phrases and words that could be interpreted other than you intended, as well as grammatical errors.  Reread it word-by-word and don’t forget to double-check the recipient’s name. I’ve received emails where there was a different name in the body of the email.  Ask a trusted person, with strong grammar and spelling skills, to read it, as well.
Do a Trial Run. Send the email to yourself. You’d be surprised at what you catch. How does it appear in your preview pane? Check out all links. Sometimes hyperlinks don’t appear correctly. Did the formatting shift? Are the fonts consistent? When you cut and paste items into an email all this can occur.

Keep Multiple Recipients Email Addresses Private. I was shocked to receive an email, from a Fortune 500, where the name and email addresses, of 50 job applicants, were visible. Not a good practice and perhaps a privacy violation? When sending an email to more than one person, either create a “Group” or send the email “To” yourself and then “Bcc” the other recipients.  This also keeps the email cleaner.

Never Send an Email When Angry. If you’re upset, do not send an email to clarify your position or feelings.  Lack of nonverbal communication in email makes it difficult to convey emotion. Remember the written word is a permanent record and email can go viral in minutes. If you need to vent, write the email, save as a draft, and then reread it the next day. You will most likely not send it. Err on the side of caution when it comes to jokes or anything that could be misconstrued, too.

Avoid hitting “Reply to All.” Only use this feature when you are absolutely certain of who is seeing your response.  Thoroughly check the “To” and “Cc” fields. If in doubt, don’t hit “Reply to all.” Even if you know the other recipients, ask yourself “is responding to the sender sufficient?”  Don’t duplicate your efforts, and annoy people. This applies to the use of “Cc.”  Don’t “Cc” someone if they are totally out of the loop on what you’re communicating about.  It can seem self-serving, as if you’re going around the original recipient. Make sure that either you, or the original recipient, have discussed the need to keep this person informed.

Don’t Forward Messages Without Carefully Studying the Thread. Everyone has been there, received an email that inadvertently included messages not intended for our eyes. In order to avoid, cut and paste the message and copy the subject line into a new email before replying or just start a new email, referencing the other one.  I often change the subject line anyhow, because they are unclear and inaccurate.

I assume The New York Times and Vassar College employed some of the above tips, yet they still made email mistakes.  As with anything in life, it is not the error, as much as how you recover.  Both the Times and Vassar were criticized for their lack of follow-up.  Do not make that mistake. And do not follow-up an email error with another email, pick up the phone or go see your client. Accept responsibility for the error and do whatever it takes to satisfy the recipient and make things right.

Theresa Merrill is the Director of Business Development for Anovick Associates. She has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in NY, Boston and Atlanta working for Katz Communications, CBS, Tribune and Cablevision and can be reached at 201.444.2991 or by e-mail merrill.theresa@gmail.com.

For more articles by Theresa Merrill GO HERE.

Eight Simple Steps for Tactful Communication

What is tact? The ability to deal with others without offending, giving feedback without creating conflict, a keen sense for what is appropriate, this is the skill of tactfulness. If you see the value of being tactful the following suggestions will help.

Think before you speak. It is not what you say but how you say it.

Use Active Listening, be in touch with your audience, "seek first to understand, then be understood", by listening you are demonstrating respect.

Keep your Thoughts Positive, be helpful, keep your attitude friendly, if you do this even the most direct comments and feedback are projected in a constructive manner.

You can disagree without being Disagreeable. Keep the situation and relationship in perspective. Don't sweat the small stuff, and it is all small stuff.

Defuse explosive emotions by keeping yours in check. This requires that you know yourself and take responsibility for your actions and words.

Resolve conflict; do not add fuel to the fire. Recognize difficult people and apply the appropriate skills.

Understand the impact of non-verbal communication and be aware of clues from your audience.

Be confident and use effective diplomacy. This is the ability to achieve one's own ends yet avoid any unpleasantness or opposition.

Communicating with tact, diplomacy, poise and finesse improves your ability to work with other people. You can't control others and though this may be frustrating focus on what is controllable, YOU.

T Think before you speak
A Active Listening
C Control your emotions
T Thoughts positive

CoachAnovick

Developing Potential, Producing Results

201.445.2822

Paul Anovick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seven Steps to Produce a Powerful Sales Presentation

You’ve met with the prospect, conducted a thorough needs analysis and contracted for a follow-up meeting. Now how do you blow them away with your presentation? A salesperson’s success in crafting a compelling presentation depends on their ability to understand the prospect’s business so well that he can identify and analyze its problems and come up with a solution. In order to provide value, your presentation must convey the solution in terms that the prospect understands and accepts.

A well-executed client needs analysis makes a powerful sales presentation possible. During the CNA you set the stage by demonstrating effective listening. The value of the process is not only the information you collected, but the trust you gained. You modeled the behavior you wish to experience when it’s your turn to speak. Still you want to maintain a dialogue, and engage the prospect with questions and confirmations. If a question arises that you will cover in your presentation, its okay to say, “Good thought, I will be addressing that in a few moments.”

Deliver in person. Make sure all decision-makers are present; do not leave it for others to tell your story. This is non-negotiable. Don’t give them a copy until you’re finished, you want them paying attention to you—not flipping to the last page. You shouldn’t read it either, maintain eye contact with the prospect and speak from the heart.

Remain customer-focused. Identify their biggest challenge—which will be either an opportunity or a problem. Focus on this when you write your presentation. Stay narrow; don’t try to solve all their problems—just the one that has the biggest upside for their business. Share the story. Create a story line; have a beginning, middle and end. The beginning is your understanding of their problem, the middle is how your plan provides the solution and the end is the client winning.

Start with the summary. Relate everything you learned about the prospect’s wants and needs. Explain how your product or service can help satisfy those needs. Demonstrate the additional research you conducted when you went back to your office. Communicate a “we’re all in this together” mentality.

Clarify and confirm. Feed back the objectives they mentioned during the needs discovery. Engage them and gain commitment by stating “I know you place a great deal of importance on customer service…is that correct?”

Discuss outcomes and benefits. People buy products for what they can do, not for what they are.  Everyone is looking for value. Help your prospects understand the value of doing business with you by identifying the expected outcomes your solution will produce. Emotionalize the benefit by tapping into how the prospect will personally benefit or ask “What will be the consequences to you if we don’t move forward with this plan?” Often the risk is greater in not taking action.

Provide a timeline and expectations. Include how long it will take to get started, taking them step-by-step through the process. If this involves another department in your office, make sure you have checked their schedule to ensure accuracy.  “We could have a production team out next Wednesday to discuss creative, after that it takes about two weeks to turn a spot around.”

Ask for the sale. As you proceed through the process, you have been gaining commitment, at each step through your question-asking. Now be assertive in asking for the sale. Summarize your most compelling reasons as to why they should buy from you and why they should buy now.  Then ask “When can we get started?”

You have the order. The sale begins now; it doesn’t end. Convey your success is directly linked to their success and you’re not in this for the quick sale, but a long-term partnership. You have an opportunity with each order to prove your value and develop the client’s trust, by exceeding their expectations.

Theresa Merrill is Director of Sales for Anovick Associates Consulting Firm.

Theresa brings a diverse background in sales and marketing having over 20 years of experience in New York, Boston and Atlanta working for major media outlets: Katz, CBS, Tribune and Cablevision.

A "Hunter" at heart, Theresa understands that selling is all about the ability to open doors and the development of new business. A skilled negotiator, she has trained executives and teams in getting to high-level decision makers and gaining commitment. "Never take no for an answer" is the motto she lives by.

She draws on a lifelong passion for writing and public speaking, with a degree in Communications, to help clients communicate succinctly and effectively.

Theresa Merrill

Developing Potential, Producing Results

201,5466.1351

Seven Steps to an Effective Client Needs Analysis

Years ago I was sought out by a media firm for a consultative sales position. During the interview process, I was to demo present to a team of managers my follow-up to a “Client Needs Analysis” I conducted for a prospect. While summarizing the client’s needs and problems my manager to-be shouted out “What does this have to do with why they should buy time on our network?”—he didn’t get it. I got the job though and went on to demonstrate how my success was directly linked to a consultative sales approach.

Consultative selling is a term that is often used, but are you executing the Client Needs Analysis properly? In my mind it is the distinction between being customer-focused or being product-focused, and it can’t be faked. These are the seven steps to conducting a successful Client Needs Analysis.  

Questions should enhance your credibility. A good lawyer never asks a question she doesn’t have the answer to. When you meet with a prospect to conduct a CNA (Customer Needs Analysis) always prepare for the call like a lawyer would prepare to question his witness.  You don’t presume to know their business better than they do, but that doesn’t mean you can’t research their business so you can ask intelligent questions. “Congratulations on achieving your fourth quarter revenue goals, how will this success impact your business model for 2012?”

Ask open-ended questions that allow for a large number of potential replies. In a CNA you should be talking only 20% of the time, while the prospect should be talking 80%. Questions should be easy to answer and non-threatening. Your goal is to engage them in a conversation, not stump them.  Don’t ask about their margin of profit. Something as benign as “So, how did you get started in the restaurant business?” works. Be flexible; allow the client to take the conversation into their areas of interest.

Be empathetic. Harvard Business Review studied successful salespeople and one of the most important qualities they possessed was their ability to gain feedback from their clients through empathy.
Adapt to their behavioral style. Are they open/direct or closed/indirect? If you’re talking to Bill Bottom-Line adjust your questioning tempo to his style or risk losing him. Studies show that you establish rapport with people when you mirror their body language. Don’t sit on the edge of your seat, if the client is leaning back in his.

Don’t talk about your product. You’re gathering information; refrain from talking about your product during the CNA. If you contracted for the meeting correctly, explaining your desire to understand their needs and challenges, this shouldn’t be an issue for the client. Also resist providing a solution on the spot, this goes against the very nature of an effective CNA, which is to provide customized solutions to fit their specific needs. Your solution will appear as one-size fits all.

Listen effectively. Often we are so fixated on our questions, that we don’t focus on what is being said.  Concentrate and listen for ideas, not facts. You’re listening to gain insight into what the prospect perceives as value. Don’t jump to conclusions. Repeat what you think you heard and clarify. Clients like you to tell them what they said. Ask good follow-up questions to demonstrate this.

Write down your questions and answers. If you show up without a notebook, or iPad, you’ll not be effective. You’re conducting an interview, have your questions written down and be prepared to jot down their comments. Clients note this and mention other salespeople don’t do this; again this is not a veiled attempt to learn about their business. Upon closing ask if you missed anything, if there was something they would like to share, that you neglected to touch upon. This is also valuable for when you make your follow-up presentation, in case of any discrepancy in communication you can reference your notes.

Lastly, don’t leave without scheduling a time to come back and present your findings.  If you’ve genuinely demonstrated interest in the client during the CNA, they will be more anxious to buy than you are to sell at this point.  Get back to them with your marketing plan, as soon as possible.

Theresa Merrill is the Director of Business Development for Anovick Associates. She has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in NY, Boston and Atlanta working for Katz Communications, CBS, Tribune and Cablevision and can be reached at 201.444.2991 or by e-mail merrill.theresa@gmail.com

Theresa's articles can also be seen on a weekly basis in Radio Ink Magizine. Please comment below and Theresa will respond.

Developing Potential, Producing Results

201.566.1351

Theresa Merrill

Seven Simple Steps to Increased Personal Productivity

Your ability to increase personal effectiveness emanates from you. We are inundated with the "tools of technology." From our computers, to GPS, PDA's, iPods, Kindles,iPads and the ubiquitous cell phone. You would think the person with the most "equipment" would have the edge, be MOST effective. It is my observation that often the individual with the 39 cent yellow pad is the most effective. Why?

It is not about the "tools", it is what you do with them. Here is a checklist of several elements that influence effectiveness.

1. Self-Responsibility: The choices, actions and responses you make determine your outcomes. Here is a poem that has influenced me for the past 30 years: The Man In The Glass. 

2. Accountability: Webster says "an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility." Often I hear "the blame game", people dodging or failing to accept responsibility, this is a non-productive waste of time. Step-up, take charge and make things happen. Think of these ten words that insure success, "If it is to be, it is up to me."

3. Awareness: Do what you say you're going to do. This fundamental strategy will place you at the head of the pack. How do you feel when others fail to follow through on what they said they were going to do? Don't make promises you can't keep; it dilutes your effectiveness.

4. Desire: Is it your goal to be more effective? You must own the goal and link effectiveness to results, i.e., clearer communication, retention of employees, shorter sales meetings, and increased revenue.

5. Knowledge: There are many "how to" books on time management, one of my favorites is "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". This will help you with the "what to" and "why to" of being more effective.

6. Develop Habits: We are creatures of habit, it is not easy to change or "break" habits. To be more effective you must create new habits that will lead to positive behavioral changes. Begin by seeing the outcomes you desire. What actions must you take to get there?

7. Practice: When you identify the actions you must take to reach your goals, begin the journey. Practice by doing the things that will create your success. It you want to do webinars to develop your target market, start by finding out what must be done to do a webinar. Then take the steps to make it happen. Effectiveness is DOING not trying.

Your comments and feedback are always appreciated. We thank you for your support and interest in the work we do at Anovick Associates. These comments are intended to help you be the best you can be.

CoachAnovick

Developing Potential, Producing Results

201.445.2822

Paul Anovick