 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Girl Scout Cookie! Revisited.... I originally published this article in my March 2008 newsletter and wanted to add information to it as we are again in the Girl Scout cookie mode. As you may not may not know, you can buy extra boxes of cookies and have them shipped to your troops for them to enjoy. What a great way to give back to our brave men and women in the armed forces and at the same time support your local Girl Scout! How do we decide when to contribute to our clients' charitable interests? I was with a coaching client a couple of weeks ago and he showed me an email from one of his clients requesting that he contribute money or donate an auction item to his child's pre-school to help them make their budget. What's a sales representative to do? Well I guess we need to be supportive of these types of causes in some sort of way. If you say no to the client it may seem like you are not interested in supporting them and their concerns. I think it is important to keep in mind your own personal limits and stay true to yourself! The challenging part is when it's a grey area and you are not sure of your limits. Keep in mind the big picture and your long-term goals with that client or account. Investing a few dollars or some of your time could be a very important investment indeed. Think of ways to leverage your investment before you decide what to invest. It is always best to spend time with a client instead of just handing over a donation. See if you can attend the function with them; say yes to that charity golf tournament, fundraiser or that bake sale! I have one client that buys many boxes of Girl Scout cookies from 2 different clients and then hands them out to his other clients and prospects as a nice gesture. Now that is pretty creative way to support one client and reach out to another! Focus Point 85. Keep up to speed on the latest business tools. If you're not technologically savvy, find someone who can help you wade through the sea of new devices such as PDA's, sales lead and data management software and any other valuable Web-related resources that can improve your organization skills and help you make that sale! It's truly amazing how quickly some of these items become standard issue in our businesses. Can you imagine what a client would think of you if you didn't use a cell phone or pager? Make sure you're on the front end of this business tool curve and not lagging in the back. This is especially important for the sales veterans who might resist some current tools. Perception is still very important, and you don't want to be thought of as a dinosaur who is lagging behind the latest developments. One nice benefit of business tools is the speed in which you have access to the latest information. Believe me, clients will be impressed by such capabilities and you'll give them the impression that you're on top of your game. Hopefully, they will feel that way after the transaction or sale as well. |
 Leslie named Leadership Excellence Top 100 PIA Sales Classes  Click here to see class schedule Leslie's book  Click here to buy now Groene In the News  Click here to see video Talk of the Town Click here to see Leslie's Interview Washington Post  Click here to read the article |
|||
|
