One of the reasons a sales position can be so lucrative is that one client can turn into many. How many sales people do you know followed up with you after they sold you something? Personally, if a sales person does not follow up with me, they usually won’t hear from me again. Could you imagine if you were to get one repeat customer a month how your sales could increase dramatically? By not touching base with your customers could have detrimental results.

We have all heard of the 80/20 rule. This rule suggests two things. One is 20% of sales professionals do 80% of the business or two, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your sphere of influence. Let’s look more closely at the second scenario.

Let’s look at the real estate industry for a minute. Over 80% of real estate agents clients do not remember the name of the agent that represented them in a buying or selling transaction. By being proactive in periodic follow up would more than cut that percentage in half. Clients usually won’t bother you with minor problems, but them knowing you are there for them if they need you is powerful. Continually putting your name in front of them has very positive results and will show in your sales figures.

Always consider each customer or client in multiples. Every client could potentially produce 3 to 5 more clients. The one way to assure this will happen is to always touch base with your clients AFTER the sale. Always focus on treating your clients as you would want to be treated.

With advanced technology, there is no excuse for you NOT to reach out and touch your past clients. Some of the resources available for you to follow up with your clients are written thank you cards, birthday or anniversary cards, or periodic emails.

But let’s don’t forget the original phone call method. It has been around forever and is still the most powerful follow up tool to communicate with our customers and clients. A “Just called to see how you are” or “Just following up to see if you have any questions” can carry a long way with the client.

Many sales people perceive that “sales” are just a numbers game. Although there may be some truth to this, this perception will most likely eliminate that particular sales person from obtaining repeat business. I strongly believe from over 20 years experience in sales, that referral and repeat business is the foundation and strength of our future.

Add this “follow up with my sphere of influence” to your daily or weekly calendar. By doing so, you will see your sales increase significantly if not skyrocket to the top.

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If you find your company in a position to hire someone quickly due to an unexpected resignation, you will find recruiting someone to be more challenging. With that in mind, recruiting should be a daily responsibility. This quick reflex to hire a candidate immediately might cause you to hire more out of desperation. The potential employee might lack the necessary skills required to fill the position.

The best recruits will be acknowledged and found through constant and diligent efforts. Only recruiting when it’s a necessity will create a “knee-jerk” response and the outcome could have a negative reaction. Consider recruiting daily and possibly hiring on a monthly basis. Even if you don’t hire, this will give you a great database of future candidates.

There are many avenues to take when recruiting. Don’t depend on a single approach. A few ads in the Sunday newspaper will not be effective. To obtain quality candidates, use all the available resources at your disposal. The way we market is changing and we have to change as well. You want to be able to “touch” as many prospects as possible.

In-house employees, job fairs, word of mouth and Internet sites are just a few of the tools at our disposal. Take full opportunity to utilize these resources.

With the current market, companies are always in completion for the best employees. Their “first impression” of you is just as important. Be professional, well-organized, receptive and courteous to their time and interests. Try to stay on schedule and do what you say you will do. If this could be a model employee we want them to stay with the company after we hire them.

If you have found a good candidate and decide they are perfect for job, it’s always a possibility they could turn down the offer. Don’t take it to heart. Definitely don’t take it personally. If the candidate turned down the position because of another opportunity, it is very likely they might realize a mistake has been made and reconsider. Continue to follow up with the individual as their reconsideration could be very favorable in the near future.

In certain sales industries such as real estate, it might behoove you to consider overstaffing when appropriate. Good people are always an asset. Having trained real estate agents or sales professionals in reserve who understand the company and its philosophy, will give you greater flexibility in expanding your team or in replacing a marginal performer.

Management’s duty is to delegate responsibility. Recruiting is one area that might be better off left in the hands of management. Inexperienced recruiting tactics could be detrimental to your organization, not to mention the cost and ramifications that could be caused by hiring the wrong individual. The initial interview is of the utmost importance as is the final determination.

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Thinking about purchasing a home as a rental? Whether you are an investor or second home buyer this might not be your initial intent but could definitely be a consideration in the future. As a second home buyer you may consider renting your home during the off season. Could you imagine a law informing you that you are restricted from renting your home? It occurs more frequently than one would believe.

Many areas throughout the United States, especially in more populated areas have Homeowners Associations. These HOA’s have rules called CC…R’s (Covenants, Conditions … Restrictions). You have an obligation as a homeowner to abide by these rules and regulations. These rules and restrictions mandate how you as the homeowner can use the property.

Surprising enough there are guidelines as to what percentage of grass you are allowed in the landscape, the colors and trim on your house and even your window treatments. Review and thoroughly read the CC…R’s before purchasing a home. You are usually given a certain time frame to review these documents and will have an opportunity to cancel your contract.

During the real estate boom, many builders and HOA’s began improvising and changing their rules to include if your home could be used as a rental. Or the rules stated how long you had to occupy the residence before renting to someone else. At first, renting the property might have been the furthest thing from our minds, but in today’s current market many of us have had no other choice but to consider renting our homes out. When we first closed escrow on our homes we agreed to follow the CC…R’s.

People’s perception of rental properties usually relates to higher crime rates, declining property values and un-kept homes. Although this is the assessment by many, it is not true in most cases. In the current housing crisis the foreclosures and bank-owned properties are portraying a worse image.

With the declining Real Estate market and more homeowners considering renting their homes, we are starting to see Homeowners Associations attempting to amend their CC…R’s to include rental home restrictions. Many people believe that CC…R’s cannot be amended. Amendments happen regarding all sorts of rules and regulations. Can this be true for rental properties too?

Most states have laws clearly stating that if you reside in a Homeowners Association that has CC…R’s, there is a contract between the property owner and the Homeowners Association. When you execute your purchase, the imposed restrictions are binding. Hence, you must follow the rules.

Although somewhat difficult these amendments to the CC…R’s are realistic and can be done. Take these factors and considerations to heart when purchasing a home. Your investment strategy decisions could weigh differently in the short and long term.

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Motivation is a word often used to describe having the energy to accomplish a task from start to finish. Motivation gets the marathon runner from the starting line to the finish line. But motivation requires a little more than just energy.

Motivation is a driving force within your conscious and subconscious mind allowing a person to attain a pre determined vision. The success of obtaining goals relies heavily on the motivation or inspiration behind them. If the conclusion of your thoughts is sincere and heartfelt, motivations gives a person the extra kick they need to stay on track.

You are what we think about all day. If you impress your mind with negative and unfavorable thoughts, eventually, these beliefs are what we become. If you impress your mind with positive information and reiterate your action plan, these beliefs are what you will become.

We all have areas of our lives we would like to improve. Whether it’s a new job, more time with our families or furthering our education, what we think will enrich our lives, usually will. As long as the thought is personal and not derived from trying to please someone else, this becomes the first step in using motivation to help us.

One way to accomplish this is by simply giving some thought to what we really want in our lives. We are not talking about material things like fancy cars and boats. We are talking about what would make us truly satisfied with our lives as individuals.

After determining our motivation, we can then begin implementing discipline or a strategy to incorporate our motivation into reality. Remember, discipline is what will improve a skill or begin a new one. Discipline involves focus on your motivation and a plan to carry out your goal.

Several times a day, review your plan. Remind yourself why you are changing a previous course of action or learning a new thought process. Doing this several times a day will enable you to stay motivated. Remember, motivation is prompted by thought. Take some time to think.

As you begin achieving your desired results, reward yourself. Make sure you know you’re heading in the right direction. As you begin to see and feel the transformation happening within yourself, this will motivate you to the next level.

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An effective and inexpensive marketing idea that has been around for decades is networking. Social networking via the internet including Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and many others seem to be the latest craze, although time and time again, face to face networking has been successful in bringing together many new contacts and business opportunities for professionals of all industries.

There are a vast number of social networking groups active today. The Chamber of Commerce, Toastmasters, the American Legion and Business and Networking International are just a few. They are in almost every market in the US and the world. The potential for untapped prospects in these networking groups are endless. Several of these groups require no fees or are minimal in annual dues.

Another option would be to start your own networking group. Likeminded professionals meeting once or twice a month at a pre-determined location to “tout” the services or products they provide. Starting your own group gives you control over the size of the group and the types of professionals who will be attending.

As business entrepreneurs, we want more prospects, clients, customers and the like. With the same goals in mind, we can share ideas and meet new and exciting people. Business success always begins with getting in front of people, communicating and sharing our knowledge.

Don’t forget your business cards when participating in a social networking group. Hand out two to every person you’re introduced to, one for them and the other so they can pass it on to a colleague or friend. If you don’t give them something to remember you by, they will most likely forget you.

At each meeting, you will be given the opportunity to give a one to two minute commercial about yourself and your products or services. Rehearse what you are going to say. Then rehearse it again. The spotlight will be on you and you want to make your first impression your best impression.

When researching networking groups or starting your own, try to limit the number of professionals within your own industry. In other words, if you are in the Real Estate business you wouldn’t want seven other Realtors in your group. The same would hold true for Insurance Brokers, Doctors, Contractors or other professionals.

Especially in today’s economy, face to face networking is very inexpensive. The success and knowledge you will be able to gain in a short amount of your time will be priceless. You will hear other success stories, meet new people, make a few friends and will be able to interact with one another to achieve your common goals.

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The philosophy of triumph in business are not any different than winning on the football field. Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers, a Hall of Fame coach, had such a strong belief about winning, that many of his principles are practiced and taught in the business industry throughout the world.

Vince’s absent has been forty years but his attitude and viewpoints are relevant in today’s society and business practices. He was also famous for many coined quotes of his era, and these phrases are pertinent in business, politics and sports today.

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up”- Life has many challenges and there will be times you will fail but don’t give up. No matter how many times you get knocked down, dust yourself off, get up and keep pushing forward. Out of respect for your peers always be early. Vince would say “be 10-15 minutes early or you are late”. If you can maintain punctuality, you will be taking one of the first steps to success.

Be enthusiastic, dedicated, motivated, determined and ambitious. Another famous Lombardi quote was “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm”. These quality attributes will no doubt be passed on to your subordinates especially if you are in a managerial position. If you don’t project these traits to others, then the person above you will have no use for you.

PERFECTION IS NOT ATTAINABLE, BUT IF WE CHASE PERFECTION WE CAN CATCH EXCELLENCE – Setting goals that are easily reached only guarantees mediocrity, whether in business or sports. Setting lofty goals and aspirations, and honestly striving towards them, may not make you the best, but you will become one of the best.

THE ONLY PLACE SUCCESS COMES BEFORE WORK IS IN THE DICTIONARY – Practice and hard work will reap success. Think of the Lombardi Sweep. The defense knew it was coming, but they still couldn’t stop it. Hard work and “perfect practice” will always win out.

IF WINNING ISN’T EVERYTHING, WHY DO WE KEEP SCORE? – Whether you are in a foot race, football game, or climbing the business ladder, if you don’t want to be the best, you will be satisfied with second place. It will become a habit.

Forty years later and Lombardi’s truisms are practiced throughout the world. Live these philosophies of winning and put forth that hard work, determination and beliefs that you will be the best and your success and achievements in life will explode you to the top.

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Goal setting and planning are not just for the independent contractor but for small and large business entities as well. Companies should have a solid Mission Statement along with written goals and objectives. These of course are instrumental in the success of any business. This is not only beneficial to the Company but employees as well to maintain a balance.

Some of the most profitable companies are susceptible to failure. There will always be competition. We need to always be aware and proactive to constant change for continued growth. We have seen many companies fail after years in the business. One of the main reasons for their failure was the ability to change with the times. Setting goals and planning ahead will keep us to the forefront.

The old adage ‘to fail to plan is to plan to fail” rings true. There are many myths in life as well as business that some use today to avoid setting goals and plan. The following are several that more than likely we all have used or at least thought of.

I don’t see how this can be so important! Remember to always plan ahead. If you don’t write your goals down, you are preparing for failure. Knowing subconsciously what needs to be done based on previous years is not good enough. Begin goal planning TODAY for the future or the path to the future will be almost impossible.

If I know what needs to be accomplished, I don’t need to put it in writing. There is no such thing as an “unwritten” goal. Goal setting and planning needs to have a charted course and written on paper with a beginning and an ending date. Written goals will also entice your employees and give them the confidence they will need to contribute to the company’s success.

GOALS ARE ALL YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL! If this were true, we never would have heard of Bill gates or Warren Buffet. Success in any business or profession is dependent on the implementation, supervision, and coordination of the written goals.

THERE’S NO NEED TO REVIEW MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR! This belief might have been true with some businesses in the past, but with the economic downturn and turmoil over the past several years, a revisiting of our written plan and goals makes sense more than once yearly. Adaptation and redirection could save the life of a company if properly sequenced.

Timing is so very important. There are still some tough times ahead. Making the changes necessary when the time is right will keep our company strong. This can only be accomplished through the awareness of our goals and planning. This will determine our future along the bumpy road ahead.

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Since 2000 it seems that the American economy is changing in every which way. The mindset of the American people seems to be changing as well. We have seen fraud with major corporations, the uneasiness of the stock market, banks folding, bankruptcies escalating rapidly, and the housing market breaking records with foreclosures. We are awed and questioning the stability of our nation.

If employees aren’t getting laidoff, corporations are instituting hiring and spending freezes. The continued terrorist attacks and attempts has left an uneasiness in America. As business owners, employees and our customers are molding into a changed mindset. Our behavior is more conservative no matter what the geographic area or industry we are in. The American public are not making hasty decisions and are more conscience when it come time to make a financial decision whether small or large. As I converse with people every day, I continue to hear complaints but everyone seems to think doing nothing is “good enough” for the time being. Everyone is waiting for everything to “fix” itself.

We don’t have much power to alter the situation, but we do control how we react to the current climate. Now, more than ever, we are challenged to rise to the occasion and be the most skilled salespeople possible. We have to be embraced with a distinct advantage of a quality proven product and system for sales.

If we were successful in the past, we can be successful in the future. We need to trust the system if we expect to flourish and enjoy continued success. Yes, we will get knocked down along the way, but we get up, dust ourselves off, and drive forward. This part of being successful has never changed. There will always be obstacles in the way. Customer’s mindsets and anticipations have changed and we need to be accommodating to meet their requests. We need to ask ourselves, what can we do to reach that success at the end of the pipeline?

Consistent prospecting keeps our pipelines full giving us a greater chance to make sales and protect our income streams. Many people in the sales workforce are required to cold-call to set appointments that lends itself well to our Initial Benefit Statement. We simply have to make more contacts during the day to arrange a meeting than the hit and miss process of simply cold calling 100% of the time.

If we are talented and experienced with postcard prospecting, then increasing our volume and frequency might be the key. Email prospecting is becoming more and more popular and we can use this to our advantage as well. There are unlimited ways to obtain potential client contact lists. The most important strength of an email lies in the subject line. Be sure it’s powerful and catches the attention of the customer. You can touch many more customers through an email campaign quicker and usually less expensive than a postcard campaign. Alternating your campaigns and using a variety of both could be more beneficial.

Creating value in the customer’s mind is one of our primary responsibilities. What customers were willing to find acceptable in the past may not measure up to their current standard. This is the principle that U.S. automakers were slow to embrace and lost market share as a result. Let’s learn from their experience.

The business world is concerned with economic challenges and constantly changing rules. There is only one question we need to ask ourselves in reference to our roles: Is “good enough” really good enough?

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In our current uncertain times we are now faced with the economic downturn affecting nearly everyone. The potential for losing our jobs can be psychologically and economically devastating. Uncertainty and instability can create unneeded turmoil.

The number one cause for termination usually is accredited to inferior work performance. Policies and procedures should be clearly outlined and the employee should review this information periodically to help safeguard them from an unexpected departure.

Commitment and loyalty to an employer goes a long way to keeping a job. Commitment coupled with a good work ethic usually goes hand in hand.

The method in which you carry yourself significantly affects your quality of work and the quality of those around you. A problematic or demanding attitude tends to reduce overall group morale. Lack of enthusiasm is not tolerated in the work environment.

If it is a consistent practice for an employee to not show up for work or to be tardy, then these are clear indications to an employer that this person has a resentful, unwilling thought process. Again, not a characteristic of an ideal employee.

As an employer, you need to set realistic expectations for your employees. A well written job description, a company mission statement and good leadership are just a few of the ways to set people up for success. Successful employees equates to successful employers.

When challenged with the task of delivering the bad news, be understanding but proficient. Always discuss issues with employees in private. Inform the employee of the skills in which they could improve in an attempt to help them understand.

As a leader, you too should learn something from your experience. Something as simple as a suggestion box in the break room may allow an exchange of communication which could help prevent a reoccurrence of the same situation. Communication is key to a long term employee to employer relationship.

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Ever notice how difficult it is to start a project? Then once you start it, it easily becomes a creature of habit. Take for example an exercise program. We keep putting it off but once we start, we ask ourselves, “why didn’t do this earlier?” We seem to have the same mindset with proactive prospecting. We continue to find excuses not to prospect even though we know how productive and the positive results that will come from it. So why is it that we will make every excuse in the world not to do it?

Make an appointment with yourself for one hour each day to prospect using your sphere of influence. Prospecting, like anything else, requires discipline. (Seems like prospecting can always be put off until a later day when the circumstances will be better.) Make an appointment with yourself each day to prospect.

Have a specific message. Everyone needs to hear the latest news of markets conditions in your area. It’s likely that they have some misinformation and you can become the expert to help them get a more accurate picture.

Sales have always been a “numbers” game. You want to touch as many people as possible. Defining your target market and being organized will help you obtain your goals.

Before you start prospecting, gather a list of names so you don’t spend valuable time you are using for prospecting. Get an idea of how many customers you plan to call in your allotted hour or two and have at least a one month supply of names.

Remember you have set aside some time for prospecting. Work in an area without interruption. Don’t answer calls or schedule meetings during this time. As you start going through your calls, you will find each call will become easier and easier. Before you know it, you will feel like a pro. You will learn as you go and practice makes perfection.

Consider prospecting during off peak hours when conventional prospecting times don’t work. Some of your best work will be done between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM, and between 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM. Vary your call times. We are all creatures of habit. So are your prospects. In all likelihood, they are attending the same meeting each Monday at 10:00 AM (or whatever time you can’t seem to connect with them). If you cannot get through at this time, call this particular person in your sphere of influence at other times during the day or on other days.

Don’t stop. Persistence is one of the key virtues in selling success. Most sales/valuable contacts are made after the fifth call, and most sales people quit after the first.

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