CRM - More Than Just a Business Card

“Now, on the St. Louis team, we have Who’s on first, What’s on second, I Don’t Know is on third.” – Bud Abbott
“That’s what I want to find out!” – Lou Costello


At Possibilities Unlimited, we believe that relationships are the essence of business. You have to have relationships with customers, suppliers and employees. And as your business grows, it becomes harder and harder to manage those relationships, and keep track of every time you talk with someone.

CRM – Customer Relationship Management – is the system that you can use to capture all the data you have about your clients, your vendors, and your prospects. Typically it is a software program that you update every time you have a conversation with someone, or you sell them something. Depending on the data that is important to your business, you can customize the CRM system to give you up-to-the-minute reports on your target market and your existing clients.

The days of keeping business cards in a rolodex are vanishing. With all the affordable, entry-level CRM systems available today, there is every reason to get on the bandwagon and start making effective use of the information you collect on a daily basis. Even social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be valuable tools for getting your marketing message across to a managed group of prospects.

There are a multitude of CRM applications available. So how do you choose the right one? The important thing is to sit down and analyze what information is going to speed your sales process, your reporting, enhance your marketing initiative, and be easily shared by all those in your company who need to access the information. Start with your information needs, and then shop for a system that provides those needs. Too many companies attack CRM from the opposite direction. They purchase a product because someone recommended it, and then they try to make the product bend to their needs.

So take the time to analyze your needs and to learn more about CRM and what it can do for you. One of my favorite resources is CRMAdvocate, a daily e-newsletter that really has its finger on the pulse of this ever changing industry. It’s a good jumping-off point for any business that wants to improve their results.

The age of the rolodex may be over, but the handshake is still important. Make sure you’re up to speed on your customers and your relationships with them so that each time you meet, you’re ready to provide solutions to their needs. Because relationships are the essence of winning in business.

Are you ready to win?

Your Relationship to Sales

“Nobody is a natural. You work hard to get good and then work hard to get better.” – George Halas, Legendary Chicago bears Football Coach

I just got off the phone with someone who wanted tips on how to raise money for a non-profit organization through…telemarketing. The mere thought of someone calling me during dinner makes me cringe, and I admit, I am not the most receptive or pleasant person when I get those calls. Why? It’s an intrusion. It’s someone I don’t know who got my number and is trying to sell me something I never expressed a need for. It’s everything we hate about sales.

At Possibilities Unlimited, we train people to examine their relationship to sales. Sales should be a process of problem solving. We sell our product to people who need to solve a particular concern. There will always be someone who needs your product, the key is to find that person and focus your sales efforts where you fill a need. Don’t try to sell handbags to people who need paper supplies. I’m not saying you won’t ever sell a handbag, but your chances of success are much greater if you sell to people who want handbags. And your relationship to this concept of helping people solve problems will strengthen your confidence to sell.

Back to my telemarketing friend. When she first spoke to me she had no specifics about what she needed or what her organization was about. She was calling people in desperation, trying to get them to donate. Her relationship to the situation was one of begging, and she understood her calls were an intrusion.

First, I advised her to seek other ways to raise money that might have more bang for the buck. But as for her phone pitch, I explained that she needed to change her relationship to the situation and be ready to tell the benefits. She needed to be specific about how much money she needed to raise and by when. And she needed to tell people why they were being called. She was calling people in a group of neighborhoods raise money for programs for at-risk teens. The goal is to keep kids occupied after school and teach them work ethics skills. The benefit for her “customers” is a safer, more productive community with less crime. She defined a specific fundraising goal, and is now able to tell people what their donation will buy in the way of putting kids through the program.

By changing her relationship to the sales process, she is now equipped to confidently speak to people who can support her. She can solve a problem for the community. She understands her relationship to sales and is ready to win the game.

Are you ready to win?

Coaching for a Proactive Business

"I learn teaching from teachers. I learn golf from golfers. I learn winning from coaches." -- Harvey Penick

There are millions of people worldwide that dive into the excitement of entrepreneurship. It is a powerful feeling to have your own business that you control and grow based on your hard work and ingenuity. It seems though that entrepreneurship is synonymous with long hours, hard work and almost no vacation.

Business owners who are successful find themselves with a quickly-growing enterprise that does not give much opportunity for proactive activities. Instead, there is a flurry of fires to be put out as each action is a reaction to the business that needs to get done.

How can you create a business that is proactive instead of a daily fire drill?
This is the $1 million question that every entrepreneur would love to know the answer to. A business coach can provide the solution to having your cake and eating it too. But how would a business coach help you with your dream? Business coaches focus on helping you achieve baby steps. In weekly coaching sessions you identify specific problems or areas of concern, and the coach helps you develop strategies to overcome these issues.

What kinds of problems can be resolved?
Any problem that effects the efficiency, productivity and profit of your business can be helped by a business coach. For example, at Landau Design we had many issues tracking our sales leads and making sure we followed up in a timely fashion. We attempted to managed this information through Outlook, but still pieces were getting lost in the cracks. We put white boards up in our office, but they got smeared and weren't usually up to date. We tried a CRM, but this did not allow us to assign quotes duties and client meetings at the level of detail desired.

How are solutions found?
We brought our concerns to the Possibilities Unlimited team and together we discussed the details of our problem. By working with them each week, we devised a system for managing leads through a project management system. Before talking to our coach we had not considered a lead a project, and it never would have occurred to us to use this tool, but once the solution was found, it made perfect sense. Each week of using the system we discussed and refined our implementation, and within a couple months we had an effective lead management tool which kept us abreast of every single lead, quote and pending contract on our docket.

But how does that make my company proactive?
Before putting in our lead tracking system, we dropped balls. Customers would call asking for quotes, and we weren't always sure what stage they were in. So then we would all scramble around, hold an impromptu meeting, and try to put the pieces together. Meanwhile the client did not get an answer when they called, and instead we had to call them back. We were reacting in a panicked fashion because we were not organized. Now we get email notifications when a quote is complete, and the client is usually called before they call us. We do not have panicked responses, and instead we can focus on quality customer service instead of stressed-out responses.

How long does it take for a coach to help my business?
There really is no set amount of time for working with a coach. As long as you want to grow your business, a coach will be of value to you. As an objective pair of eyes, with extensive experience in business development, a business coach can help you see paths that you may never realize on your own. So while you might want emergency coaching for a specific challenge, to truly grow a successful business, a coach is a key player.

Coach or Consultant - Understanding the Distinctions

“I learn teaching from teachers. I learn golf from golfers. I learn winning from coaches.” – Harvey Penick, Legendary Golf Teaching Pro

Whenever I am working with a prospective client who is unfamiliar with our services, I like to spend time making the distinction between a coach and a consultant. People have expectations around both of those words, and if our relationship is going to be productive, we have to be clear about coaching as opposed to consulting.

Business coaches function much like sports coaches. They are there with you in the trenches, meeting with you consistently to support you in creating results. The key concept there is that the client is creating the results. The coach’s job is to elicit ideas and actions that will move the client forward, and then provide the accountability to make sure the client delivers on his own intentions. The client is doing the work of the business, the coach is monitoring the progress and keeping the client focused on what needs to be done.

Consultants typically solve specific problems. They are hired as specialists to come in to a company and do the actual work to rectify situations that are not working. Consultants bring an expertise that may or may not be shared with the client. They are working from the past, that is, the consultant strives to fix a problem that was standing in the way of past performance. Once finished, they provide recommendations and leave the client to his own devices.

A coach is focused on future results, future thinking and future possibility. A good coach causes a shift in how the business owner perceives the future of the business and keeps the company moving toward the intended outcome. A coach is not an expert in the client’s line of work; a coach takes more of a generalized view of the business as a whole and its role in whole life of the client. At Possibilities Unlimited, we believe people go into business in order to enrich their lives. What often happens is the business becomes a ball and chain around the life of the owner, robbing him or her of the fulfillment they sought. We coach people to balance their business and their life so that business once again becomes a catalyst to fulfillment.

It’s also important to note that business coaches are not therapists or counselors. Therapists and counselors work on important issues embedded in the client’s past that stand in the way of them being able to function in the present. Business coaches stand firmly in the future, beckoning their clients to realize their full potential.

Does your business need a coach to keep you winning the game? Give us a call and we will help you design a future for your business that has you taking home the gold.

Are you ready to win?

Handling Objections - Clearing the Hurdle

“You can’t make a great play unless you do it first in practice.” - Chuck Noll, Hall of Fame NFL Football Coach

Every salesperson knows that handling objections is an important skill to master if we want to close the deal. It sure would be nice if customers bought from us without hesitation, but in fact, that would reduce us to being order-takers, and where’s the fun in that?

Price is the source of most customer objections. They say they can’t afford your product or service. What they are really saying is that they haven’t heard that the value of what you’re selling is worth the price. When they say “no, I can’t afford it,” that is a cry for help that you need to answer. Give them more benefits and reasons that there is value in working with you.

Always be open to objections; it’s there that you can distinguish yourself and show that you will provide good customer service. In fact, ask for the objections up front, because there will always be some. You don’t want to leave the sales call not knowing where the prospect’s hesitation lies. If you don’t know what’s standing in between your customer and the sale, you can’t address the problem.

It’s important to acknowledge the objection so the client knows he’s been heard. Then be clear about how you will solve the issue. Anticipate common objections and be ready with answers. If the client presents an objection you don’t know how to answer, don’t panic! Again, acknowledge the objection, make sure you’ve heard it correctly and tell the client what you will do to handle it. Follow up so the client knows you can be counted on to respond. Your attitude in handling these objections does a lot to show your prospect how you will handle the future relationship.

Learning how to effectively deal with objections takes practice. In our Sales2Win course, we will spend time talking about objections and practicing what to say when they arise in the sales conversation. You must be able to fly over the objection hurdle if you want to close the deal. Register today for Sales2Win and learn the skills that will get you to the finish line every time.

Remember, objections are your chance to shine. Instead of dreading the questions and doubts your prospects have about your product, shift your thinking into how you can beat the competition and be the best person to buy from every time.

Are you ready to win?

Managing stress

"Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow." - Swedish Proverb

The ability to manage stress can make the difference between success or failure of your business. Stress has an impact on performance and interactions with others. The better you are at managing your own stress, the more you'll positively affect those around you and the less other people's stress will negatively affect you.

How do you know when stress is affecting you physically? Do you feel:
· Anxious, irritable, or depressed
· Uninterested in work
· Unable to get a good night sleep
· Unfocused and unable to concentrate
· Physically ill: tension headaches, stomach problems, high blood pressure, heart issues
· Withdrawn socially
· Loss of morale and drive
· Lack of control when drinking, eating or smoking

Some causes of stress:
· Fear of losing job or business
· Increased work demands due to downsizing
· Fear of not being able to perform at optimum levels at all times
· Guilt over having less time with family
· Lack of time for yourself

How to Reduce Stress:
· Begin a fitness program – walk, jog, bike, yoga – just make sure you make time to get in some cardiovascular activity to recharge your batteries and get the adrenaline flowing through your body
· Eat a balanced energizing diet, low in sugar and salt and high in dietary fiber and protein and low in saturated fats and trans fats
· Get enough sleep – eat a healthy night time snack with tryptophan and calcium
· Reduce alcohol consumption and nicotine
· Get organized – reduce bad habits and time wasters
· Get emotional, psychological, and/or physical help
· Take vacations and recharge

As a business owner, you can help reduce your employees' and your own stress by offering a support network, education, and reminders to keep stress at bay. Design a wellness program which provides stress management. Endorse and encourage physical fitness activities to help with stress. Talk to your employees and give them the ability to express their work-related issues so you can have a basis on which to make change occur. Putting programs in place can lead to reduced stress, improved productivity, and ultimately can help reduce your own stress about your business. When you are feeling good, you can be the leader your business needs you to be and you will be poised to win.

Are you ready to win?