What 6th Graders Know about Salespeople and Technology

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to my twelve-year-old's classroom.  One of his elective classes is "careers," and my son asked if I would come to school and talk about my job.  While I accepted the invitation months ago, I had no idea what I was going to say until moments after the students entered the classroom.

I spoke about two things:  Salespeople and Technology.  I was actually nervous and hesitant to talk to the class about being a salesperson.  I knew that my son had heard from plastic surgeons, professional baseball players, attorneys and other fathers that had fascinating careers.  How was I going to make an impact on my son's class?  Sure, I could down-play the whole "sales" thing, talk about how cool the technology I sold was, and come up with some flashy ideas that would leave an impression.  Instead, I thought about asking this group of 30 twelve year-old kids, "What do you think about salespeople?"

I've done this exercise many times before in sales training classes.  We all know the answers people give.  This time, however, I was unsure how these students would answer.  Would they somehow reply differently to the preconceived notion of "pushy, dishonest, money-centered individuals?"  I wrote their answers on the whiteboard in the classroom as they blurted-out the same challenging adjectives that everyone shares.  What surprised me, however, was that there was no difference whatsoever between these kids and adults.  Even at twelve years of age, these kids thought salespeople were horrible people.  

When I asked for a show of hands of how many kids wanted to be salespeople, I got the usual "zero" response.  Of course, I did my best to break the stereotype for the class.  I reiterated the importance of caring about customers, about helping people make informed decisions.  I'm unsure whether they believed me or not.

The second topic I discussed was Network Technology. Here too, I was surprised to see their interaction with me, but for a different reason.  Nobody in the class understood what the internet really was.  Nobody knew how information flows from their laptops or iPad's to a server in another state.  One child, after I was using the work "network" for several minutes, asked me "What is a network?"

I asked my son that evening what the class thought about my visit.  He said that the class loved it and was very interested in what I had to say.  I guess I connected in some way with the students.  What he didn't know was how much I learned by the experience.  Here's my two big take-aways:

1. We will always have to strive to break the sales stereotype.  It happens early in our lives.  Even twelve-year-old kids have been indoctrinated to think negatively about salespeople.  Every day, every interaction and every communication must be a conscious effort on our part to become a trusted adviser, a buying facilitator.
2. Never assume the knowledge set of anyone.  Something as ubiquitous as the Internet or a "network," may be poorly defined.  We need to explain what we mean.  We need to seek that understanding.  It reinforced how important it is to set forth a foundation of language with our customers, and speak to them about what really matters to them.

Happy Selling

Marketing is YOUR Responsibility!

What is "marketing," and what does it mean to you, the salesperson?

The best take on this is, without question, Jeffrey Gitomer.  If you've ever seen Gitomer in person, you'll be shocked at how unassuming he is.  Five foot nothing, buck-o-five in weight, the guy can motivate a conference hall of 5,000 people in about 60 seconds (don't judge a book by it's cover).  One of his most compelling go-to-market strategies is how he views salespeople's responsibility when it comes to marketing themselves, their solutions and their companies.  I endorse his philosophy.

Marketing is about developing and reinforcing a BRAND.  While people will argue over what the word "brand" means, everyone agrees that a huge component is YOU.  Your product or service certainly represent part of the branding message; however, without you, the brand slowly drifts into competitive cannon fodder, along with all the other options your customers have (including the option to do nothing).  Below are my top suggestions on developing your marketing message and branding you!

• Your Own Domain - Really?  You don't own your own domain name yet on the internet?  Where you have been in the last 15 years?  Don't you realize that domain names are now critical to your future success?  Sure, you want to advertise your product/service by pointing customers to the company's website, but what about you?  Your customers cannot learn about who you are on your company's website.  Invest in your future.  Invest in your branding.  Figure out how to develop an online presence without relying upon your company!  FYI - this includes a financial commitment of web hosting that pays off over time.
• Think LinkedIn is unimportant?  You're dead wrong.  It's astonishing to see how many LinkedIn profiles have empty descriptions, poor completion and a horrible take-away message.  Are you aware how many people scour LinkedIn every day?  For those of you asleep at the wheel, LinkedIn "hits" are registered by people searching for something (not your direct name).  If you didn't bother to use every square inch of what LinkedIn will let you post, you're missing out on developing a brand.  First action item:  Go completely fill out your LinkedIn profile.  Google tips on what works with LinkedIn and watch what a difference it makes.  Don't think your customers are checking you out online?  Think again. By the way, Facebook gets you nowhere - that's for your personal use.
• Blogging is Everything.  Sure, you might have your own personal website.  You might have a Facebook page.  You might even see what's happening on social media every day.  Unfortunately, your work counts for nothing on the web until you POST something.  I'm not talking about a "like" or a "friend" request.  I'm talking about blogging your opinion.  I'm talking about you creating a brand for yourself because people see what you have to say.  Don't have anything to say?  Maybe you picked the wrong profession.  Sales is about creating a network and leveraging people to help you create impact for your customers.  What are you going to do today to start making yourself heard online?
• Differentiation Matters.  When all is said and done, your potential customers only remember a very small portion of what you feed them.  Scientific studies show that most people remember the differences between you (and your company/services) versus other competitors.  What will you say that makes a difference?  How will you relay your message in a DIFFERENT way?  What matters most to your customers?  If it's not about them, and how your solution impacts them, forget it.  Stop and check yourself.  Is your message blurry?  Does it fold-in with your competitors?  If so, change it.  Change it today.

You have a lot to do.  Get started.  Invest in yourself!  Invest in your future.  This is a long-term strategy for long-term gains.  

Enjoy!

You Can't Manage Sales

Sales Manager:  Hi Nancy.  Numbers are looking weak right now.  What I need are more sales.
Salesperson:  Well, I can't force the prospect into buying.  I'm working on it.
Sales Manager:  Nancy, it's already the 15th of the month, and your nowhere near your monthly number.
Salesperson:  I know.  I'm working on it.
Sales Manager:  Maybe you can call up your prospects and put some more pressure on them.
Salesperson:  Are you freaking kidding me?

What a ridiculous conversation.  Unfortunately, it's happening right now, in sales organizations all over the world.  

A sale, is the OUTPUT of a process.  You cannot control the output of anything by simply pushing.  If you're building something on an assembly line, does the supervisor go the end of the line, and try to get more products to come OFF of it?  Of course not.  That's absurd.  To manage output, you must change all the things that happen BEFORE you get to the end.  A sale is end output of a sales process.  Any company or manager that thinks putting "pressure" on the sales team to SELL MORE STUFF, is kidding themselves (and is poorly managing).

Let's say your SALES PROCESS looks something like this:

1. Prospect & Market - Create/obtain leads
2. Meet with the prospect - identify goals and opportunities
3. Develop a solution/proposal
4. Present your solution/proposal
5. Negotiate/Modify
6. Close

YOU CAN'T CONTROL #6.  You can, however, control other things in the process that will help you accelerate #6.    If you have a bad month or quarter, it's not because you weren't focused now.  It's because you didn't have enough sales activity a while back (depends on your sales cycle time frames).

This is the reason for the "roller-coaster" effect typically seen by salespeople everywhere.  You work on sales activity for a few months, things break loose - then you slow down activity to deal with the sale.  After your "high-point" in the cycle, you dip back down to poor performance because you slowed sales activity.

If you're a sales manager - never tell a salesperson or a sales team that you need more sales.  You know you can't manage sales.  You can only manage the activities that go into the process.  By the time you're measuring sales bookings - it's too late. Measure sales activity and ask your team to focus on that!

Explain It To Me Like I'm Nine Years Old

Salespeople are under a significant misconception.  In 2013, millions of salespeople will meet with customers and talk about lots of different topics, EXCEPT the one thing that's most important:

Customers ONLY care about one core concept:  How will this decision impact my business or myself?

Let me put it a few other ways that other salespeople have found helpful;

• Customers don't care about the speed, feed, tech or coolness.
• Customers don't really don't want to buy your product or service - they only want to buy the positive impact that product or service will provide them.
• Business Decision Makers make decisions on business impact.

If you're not relating your selling solutions to business impact, expect the typical sales cycle of:  being compared to your competitors, being evaluated mostly on price and getting similar success results you've had.  Isn't it time to make a conscious choice to engage your customers/prospects differently?

If you're ready to hear more, the next question you probably have is:  How do I do that?  Discussing business impact is difficult and there are a variety of ways get there.  Today, I have a new suggestion that came to me as I was having a discussion with my nine-year-old son.  

My son and I were discussing a complicated topic - how internet gaming servers work.  Believe me, explaining how hosted data centers work to a nine-year-old is tough.  At first, I tried to think about major concepts and attempted to simplify these down to understandable concepts - however, in about two minutes - he was lost.

Then I stopped and thought about what was important to him.  The answer came to me quickly:  He cares about how gaming servers help him to play more video games.  Take two:  I explained things only in how the details impacted how his games work when he sits down at his computer.  He was stoked.  I call this method:  "Explain it to me like I'm nine-years-old."

What are you talking about with your customers:  explaining features or demonstrating impact?

2013 Sales Planning - Your Plan - Your Destiny!

Welcome to 2013.  While many salespeople are trying to reel-in those last sales of the year, we also have a unique opportunity to begin creating success in 2013.  In speaking with salespeople over the past few weeks, I've heard some interesting comments that strongly reinforced that NOW is the time to plan for 2013:

• "I've got to get my database tool cleaned up for next year."
• "I need to sort out which accounts have the biggest potential for me next year."
• "I have no idea how I'm going to hit my number next year."
• "With my company changing the comp plan, I have to approach my customers differently next year."

There's an axiom in selling:  We create our own plan for success.  This golden rule is founded in the word "plan."  Annual planning should not be taken lightly and many professional sales consultants insist that salespeople spend a day or two (8-16 hours) really thinking through the strategic approach to a full year's worth of sales activity.  I agree (Covey's Sharpening the Saw Principle).

With this said, you'll find my best advice here on what, how, who, when and why - in regards to Annual Sales Planning:

1. It Has To Be In Writing.  You just can't ignore the pile of scientific studies which point directly to formalizing the planning process.  Whether it's a simple document, a slide-deck, or even a hand-written process, this must be something that is taken seriously and documented.  This process drives ownership, creative thinking and absolutely higher achievement.
2. Your Goals Must Align With Your Company's Goals.  While somewhat obvious, don't overlook this important prerequisite.  Most organizations re-align goals at the beginning of the year.  Make sure you take this into account.  As you develop your goals, ask yourself, "How does this goal align with the organizational goals?"
3. Sales Plans Begin With Goals.  No need for introductions, market analysis, defining statements.  If you haven't figured these things out already, this needs to be a tactical action item in month one.  Goals are the "big-picture" achievements, or milestones that you must achieve in the year to meet your criteria of success.  Studies have shown that people can't focus on more than 3-5 goals, and one of these should certainly be your quota (or sales volume metric).  Keep in mind that goals should be specific and measurable.  [Other goal ideas are:  How many new customers will you get?  How many high-potential targets do I need?  What kind/type/number of networks can I leverage?]
4. Goals Require Plans.  For each goal that you've identified, think of the things that must be done to achieve the goal.  Plans are the tactical details that must be accomplished.  When you've completed all the plans associated with a goal, you should have achieved your goal.  Document the plans in writing along with time-frames required for each plan.
5. Sales Logistics - It's Part of the Annual Process.  Document the things you need to do, logistically, to get ready for 2013.  I'll go out on a limb here and say that all of us need to do the following logistical things:  
• Classify all your accounts/prospects by their potential to contribute in 2013.  Use a ranking system like A, B, C, D, F.  Be consistent.  If you or your company uses a CRM tool (who isn't using one, right?), be sure this is documented in the tool.
• Re-organize your filing systems.  This could be physical or electronic.  Organize your old emails.  Sort documents that you've been putting off.  Throw-out or delete items you no longer need.  Archive old emails/documents in a safe place for later, easy reference.
• Create a list of other logistical things that you can't do now, but want to do later in the year.  Maybe this is an action-item list that you keep in your binder or task-tool.
6. Sales Strategy.  Besides numbers, appointments and other sales activities, it's important to review Sales Strategy at the beginning of the year, and to include a section on strategy in your Annual Sales Plan.  This is about approach, market trends, education/training, and style.  HOW are you going to do things differently in 2013?  WHAT is required for you to implement your new strategy.  Write this all down in a measurable way.
7. Activity Formula.  While some salespeople simply "wing-it," in terms of level-of-effort regarding sales activities - this is a mistake.  Professional, top-of-their-game salespeople do NOT wing-it.  They prepare and plan for level-of-effort.  Create a simple spreadsheet for your plan that has the following metrics (or your organization's equivalent):  Sales Volume Required to meet your compensation goal, Average Deal Size, Number of Deals required, Number of Proposals required, Number of Appointments/Demos/Meetings required, Number of Cold Calls/Warm Reaches required, etc.  This is an exercise that you can revisit throughout the year.
8. Sales Obstacles.  What are the things you know of, or might anticipate in 2013, that will get in your way of success?  Let's document all of these and plan on a way to mitigate these obstacles.  Some of these you can push through.  Others will have to be navigated around.  Now is the time to plan for these, so that you can minimize down-time in 2013.  What is the obstacle?  What is the mitigation plan?
9. Growth, Development and Staying Motivated.  Grow or Die.  Get better or you will surely get worse. Enhance your position, or your competitors will take care of that for you.  Create a spot in your Sales Plan to document the things you will do to ENHANCE your success.  Maybe this is courses, training, peer-mentoring, outside coaching, sales books, blogs?  Maybe this is year you get your college degree?  Pick three important goals in this area and create plans to make this happen.
10. Present Your Plan.  Would you be surprised to learn that salespeople who formally present their plan to a peer or manager gain (on average) a 15% improved performance over those people who choose to keep things private?  FACT.  Harvard Business Review cites two studies that showed the simple rule of accountability to others helped salespeople achieve more.  Maybe you should present your plan to several people!

Don't let your competitors take advantage of you by failing to PLAN FOR YOUR SUCCESS. It happens all the time.  When you think about it, sales are won or lost by people.  Invest in yourself.  Invest in your family and future.  Plan today for your success in 2013!

Enjoy.

People are Successful Because It's In Their DNA!

If you haven't read Jim Collins' best-selling book, "Good to Great," make sure you give yourself this gift over the holiday season.  I cannot recommend it more highly for any business-person, regardless of title or role.  Jim mentions the topic of this blog in several places in his book.  I've seen some recent reinforcements of this concept and thought it might make for some interesting reading.

There are all kinds of people on our planet.  Regardless of how closely related we all are to each other, and no matter what geography we come from, it is fascinating to see two clear sets of individual behavior.

On one hand, there are those people (who may be very moral, kind and caring) who seem stagnant in their business and personal goals.  Regardless of coaching and a midst our "instant information" environment, these folks do not drive towards success.  They become confused and unproductive when changes arise.  They may be "good" at their job (or in their life), but they will never become great.

On the other hand, there are other people who seem to succeed at anything they can get passionate about.  These are the folks who almost can't help themselves in driving towards excellence.  They do "whatever it takes," not because the boss or company requires it.  They just can't help it.  They embrace changes and figure out a way to get things done, regardless.  It's inherent.  It's in their DNA to succeed.

1. There is a misperception that process and coaching changes people's inherent drive towards success.  This old adage has been described as, "getting a zebra to change it's stripes," or "can't change a D-Player into an A-Player."  However, I believe there's more to this issue than simple change.  At a very basic level, people are genetically predisposed to live life a certain way.  For some, there is simply not enough inherent drive to succeed.  Process and coaching will only move these individuals into uncomfortable situations and/or failure.  
2. Every sales candidate I've ever interviewed says, "I'm great at overcoming obstacles.  I'm a fast learner."  This stock answer is simply not always true.  People who are driven to success because that's how they're wired, will find a way around a challenge.  They will succeed in any role in which they feel valued.  Unfortunately, if they are not wired this way, no amount of learning can change them into a driven performer.
3. Jim Collins' Rule #1:  FIRST WHO, THEN WHAT.  I see this everyday as a Sales Manager in a large busy company.  It's far more important to hire the right person for the company than it is to clearly know the exact pathway to success for them.  People who are DNA-driven will find that pathway or make one themselves.  This take-away is key for any hiring manager.

As an important footnote here, not all employees need to have this DNA-wired-drive.  As a matter of fact, there are plenty of roles in almost any company in which this type of drive may be counter-productive.  You don't want an accountant or controller who by-passes important procedural steps in an effort to drive towards success.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

 

The Power of Planning - 10 Minutes A Day!

I'll admit it.  Sometimes its all I can do just to fight the commute home, spend time with my family and crawl into bed.  Same with the morning.  After barely getting enough sleep to survive the next day, I'm in the car the moment I'm done getting dressed and when I arrive at work - it's one emergency after another.

Unfortunately, this pattern isn't the norm, and all of us as sales professionals can stop this behavior with some simple planning...to PLAN.  Let's discuss some really key principles of planning and allow me to humbly make a few suggestions to dramatically change your effectiveness at work (or home):

1. Did you know there are over a thousand scientific studies on the effectiveness of short, simple planning methods?  A PubMed search reveals these easily and should be enough for even the most skeptical salespeople to realize there's something actually happening here.
2. Planning for your success in work or at home is an age-old concept, going back way before there were personal computers, task managers, PalmPilot's, Day-Planners or even hand-written accounting journals.  Planning can be as simple as two things:  1) A little bit of time;  2) a piece of paper and something to write with.  With today's modern computerized tools, it makes it even simpler.  
3. Have you heard this age-old wisdom:  Failing to Prepare is Preparing for Failure.  True today just as it's always been.  If you don't invest time in preparing for your life, it will go wherever it wants to.  Sometimes this isn't the best road to travel.
4. I believe in the practice of planning for:  tomorrow, next week, next month, next quarter, next year and 3-5 year strategic planning.  You can do this for your work, but it works wonders for your personal life as well.  Need a tool to help?  Franklin Covey makes it easy.  So does plain-old calendaring (like Outlook).
5. The 5/5 Rule for day to day planning.  The last five minutes of your work day, stop and plan the next day.  What needs to get done?  What item has priority over others?  What resources will you need to accomplish your daily tasks?  The first five minutes of your work day is more of the same.  If you invest the 5/5 each day, you'll increase your productiveness about 20%.  Pretty sweet for ten minutes.
6. Monthly, Quarterly, Annual Goals.  These need to be a bit more scripted based on your specific career and job.  As salespeople, we can certainly understand what we need to sell for these time-frames  but there are other tasks and projects that require more thought.  Here's some examples:  What career education needs to be accomplished?  What books should be read?  What training classes do I need to attend?  How do I plan to get to a higher compensation model?  What requirements need to be met for me to get promoted?
7. Three to Five Year Strategic Planning.  This is the one that most of us put off.  Unfortunately, this type of planning is really some of the most important time-spent to accomplish longer term goals.  When I ask sales candidates this question in the interview process, 90% have not thought this through.  "Where do you envision yourself in 3-5 years?"  I always follow-up with the following question:  "What planning are you doing to realize these goals?"

Do more with less.  Be more productive.  Create efficiency in your sales and personal life.  Get what you want by planning it in advance.  Take the time today to sharpen Covey's proverbial saw.

Email Down? It Really Is The End of the World!

My fellow Business Leaders:

Last week something horrible happened, and it wasn't associated with the normal Halloween Horrors.  The corporate email for my company went down.  When I say "down," perhaps I should be more specific.  First, it started as a massive slow down.  Emails were delayed 6-8 hours.  The next day there was the perfect Trifecta:  compete disconnections, lost email and corruptions of databases.  The total impact was about three working days.

While my company learned valuable technology lessons and had the right resources to mitigate the problem, the whole three day experience allowed me to come to some interesting conclusions regarding how email has impacted our lives in the business world.  Here's the revelations that took me by surprise:

• Emotional Frustrations Skyrocketed:  While I've experienced email outages for brief periods of time (and certainly when I artificially create one by going on vacation), the sheer level of panic and turbulence was far greater than I had experienced before.  In looking back over the years, email traffic has steadily increased in my work life.  While it was easy to pick up a phone or send an Instant Message (IM), the loss of traditional email practically stopped my day.
• Multiple Devices, Multiple Problems:  It was amazing to see how much I relied on the seamless integration of email for all three of the devices I use in business:  laptop, iPhone and iPad.  While ten years ago, this was a Palm Treo synchronizing via an old file server in my office, today, we simply ignore the massive complexity and coordination that synchronizing provides us.  I think I was most frustrated when away from my laptop and I saw emails deleted elsewhere still there.  What was sent? What wasn't sent?  What am I missing?
• Attachments Drive Business Processes:  Also a surprise was the way I took attachments for granted.  Gone are the days of Journal entries, hand-written notes, faxes and snail-mail.  I came to the realization that attachments were the one thing I could not substitute with another form of communication.  While some IM systems allow attachments, it usually doesn't work with the outside world and  only gets by in a pinch.
• Cover-Your-Ass and Document:  Probably the biggest item that took me for a spin was how many people utilize email to create a documentation trail to be used later.  To be fair, this is more about showing a clear pathway on a complex issue, but the real point here is that I wanted to point to a specific communication with somebody else, and when email was down - I was screwed.

With this said, it only reinforces the challenges going on in the Northeast part of the US, with Hurricane Sandy.  We take so many things for granted, only when the simple things are removed do we appreciate what technology brings us.  For millions of people, there is no electricity going on ten days and even longer.  They are freezing cold, without food and depending on the rest of the world to survive.  In the business world, email is technology that acts in the same capacity.  Without the subtle distinctions of the email system, we are indeed starving.

Let's keep the candle lit.

The Simple Thank You Note - Providing Value First

I highly recommend a small book I received as a gift a few years back called, "Say Please, Say Thank You," by Donald McCullough.    From the back cover: "When it seems that civilization is collapsing around us, can we really afford to take the time to worry about old-fashioned courtesy and day-to-day niceties?  The fact is, we can't afford not to.  Because civilization grows out of community . . . and a community is built with one small act of kindness at a time."

As my company just broke out a new box of blank Thank-You Note Cards today, I thought this a good time to reinforce the importance of sending these handwritten gems.

In today's fury of emails, its so easy to simply return from a customer meeting and type out a follow-up email.  At the end of the email we usually type, "Thank You."  As a matter of fact, I must admit, I actually have "Thank You," in my electronic signature.  Unfortunately, rarely is such an email drafted where providing thanks is the only topic.  As with the other hundred emails your customer gets, the message of gratitude is lost.  Here's some things to think about on the topic.  How will you make time in your schedule to write a real, hand-written Thank You Note?

• Thank You Notes must be handwritten.  The power of the note is in the effort and the thought, not the computer!  Handwritten notes are interpreted differently in the brain then typed text.  Studies by Harold S. Moss in 2009 revealed different areas of the brain being activated in the reading and interpretation of hand-writing versus typed text.
• Thank You Notes elicit an emotional response.  Have you ever heard your sales manager or your favorite sales guru talk about passion and emotion?  Entire sales methodologies have been developed to create emotion in the sales process.  Emotion drives sales behavior (either for the good or the bad).  What better way to stimulate a positive, emotional experience than such a simple task.
• Thank You Notes are for thanking - not selling.  Don't be tempted to create a sales argument inside a Thank You Note.  If you attempt even a soft-sell, you risk losing the power of your efforts in simply being courteous, thanking your customer for their time, and demonstrating that you care enough to do this.
• Thank You Notes provide VALUE FIRST.  I've blogged a lot about providing value first.  Here's another opportunity to show value before they buy anything.  The value is your time and concern.  For many customers, the gift of time and concern is well received.
• Good times to send a Thank You Note:  1) After your first customer meeting;  2) To new people who join the organization internally/externally;  3) After your customer does something special for you;  4) After you get a Purchase Order;  4) After you've delivered your services/product.

Here's your call to action:  Go get a box of Thank You Notes (either from the store or from your company). When you send your follow-up email, that's your reminder to write a Thank You Note.  It takes six-weeks to develop a habit.  Commit to sending a few notes each week, for six weeks.

You and your customers will benefit.

A Halloween Story: Salesman in Hell

Mr. Frank Bones, Account Manager for the Crimson Insurance Company, felt a cold chill tickle the hairs on the back of his neck.  He sat in the dark, dank, cellar of the company (where the business had recently moved him), hunched over his chair while drops of sweat ran down his nose and puddled on the blotter of his calendar.  He was in a difficult situation.  There was only ten weeks left in the selling year.  Forty-two weeks had fled past him like the headless horseman's coach on the moors of a small country town.  While he reminisced on the meetings, phone calls, paperwork and deals he had toiled over during the past year, it now came down to this:  he needed a miracle to hit his quota.  Quota...quota...quota.  The words repeated themselves over and over like a hungry zombie moaning for his brains.

Frank stood up and paced around the desk.  "I've got to get my head on straight," he said aloud as the buzz of the air conditioner grew louder in the company basement.   Ten weeks to book a half a million dollars to hit quota.  Ten weeks before the weight of the company executives would be squarely on his shoulders.  He imagined the horrified look on his manager's face as he would be called into the cramped conference room.  "Frank, we've got a problem," the manager would say.  "This isn't personal, and you know how much we like you here at Crimson."  Frank knew what the manager would say next.  "You've put yourself in an awkward situation.  We've talked dozens of times about your sales performance," the beady-eyed monster-manager would say.  As if he were in a prescient dream, Frank closed his eyes and immersed himself further in the future meeting.  "We're going to need to put you on a Performance Improvement Plan," cried the manager.  Frank had heard about the dreaded Performance Improvement Plan.  Everyone around the office called it the PIP.  The dreaded PIP.  The kiss of death PIP.  The poisonous, foul-smelling stench of the PIP.  He imagined himself drowning in a graveyard of decaying flesh.

Startled, Frank quickly opened his eyes and saw the vibrating cell phone flashing on his desk.  Who could be calling him at this hour?  He rubbed his eyes to clear the foggy vision of the phone screen.  In clear bold letters, the caller ID spelled:  P I C K  U P.  Frank didn't think this was funny; not in his current state of mind.  "Who has a caller ID of P I C K  U P," he thought.  Frank quickly silenced the ringer.  "What kind of freak has that caller ID," he said aloud, now in a state of panic.  He'd figure it out tomorrow, when he could get his head clear.

The phone rang again.  Slowly, Frank peered down to see what kind of game somebody was playing on him.  The called ID was the same.  Apparently, this was not going to stop.  "This is Frank," he mumbled as he pressed the "accept" button on the phone and brought the handset up to his ear. "Frank, don't talk.  Just listen," said the eerily familiar voice on the other side of the call.  "Listen carefully now buddy.  I know this is going to be difficult to believe, but I'm you...sort of.  Better put, I'm the future you.  I'm Frank Bones in 2016."

"Who is this?" cried Frank.  "I'm going to kick your ass Doug.  How did you do that caller ID trick?"

"Frank, you know I'm telling you the truth.  Remember when we were 17 and we blew up that mailbox of old lady Sellers that summer?  Remember the time you stole that radar detector from Radio Shack when we were 22?  Nobody knows about that, right?" said the future Frank.

Frank's mind raced recalling those past events.  He never told anyone about that radar detector.  Maybe this was a dream.  Maybe it was the six tacos he'd eaten for lunch.  Maybe this really was the future Frank.  He barked at the phone, "OK, if you're some future version of me, you should know exactly what I'm doing at the office so late tonight."

There was silence on the phone for a slow five seconds.  "You're at the office tonight because you're worried about not hitting your sales quota for the year and you're trying to figure out what to do," said future Frank.

Frank was astonished, and in moments, he felt the grip of acceptance wash over his mind like a warm blanket.  "Holly Crap," Frank replied.  "You've got my attention.  I can barely believe it.  Why...I mean...what do you want?"

"I'm here to help you Frank.  I mean, I'm here to help us," said future Frank.  "I only have a few minutes, though.  Something about this whole thing tells me our phone call will end soon and I won't be able to call you back this time.  Listen carefully."

Frank raced back to the desk and got out his pen and paper.  How many times does your future self call you with advice?  He thought he'd likely need to write this down.  "OK, I'm ready," said Frank.

"Good.  Frank, I want you to know that everything's going to be OK.  I was there, just like you are now.  I was sitting in that same basement, thinking about quota, wondering what to do.  I was you three years ago.  A few months from now, you're going to hit your quota.  I've told myself over and over that if I could ever help anyone get through the situation you're in, I would.  So I'm going to give you way out of your predicament.  Write this down Frank.  For some reason, I'm thinking the phone is going to disconnect right after this.  Good luck Frank.  Heed my words."

There was a moment of silence on the line.  Frank was excited.  He felt as he was going to get the secret to eternal life.  This was the moment he had been searching for.  Why wasn't future Frank saying anything. "Frank, are you still there?  Frank?  Frank?"

Future Frank spoke.  Frank wrote down the advice.  The call disconnected quickly.  Here's Frank's advice to himself.  It's also advice to you or anyone who finds themselves in this Halloween Horror Story.  As Frank told himself, "Heed my words."

FRANK'S ADVICE TO HIMSELF (as written by Frank Bones)

1. Life Has a Way of Figuring Itself Out.  Not hitting your sales number in a single period (month, quarter, year) doesn't really mean that much in the big scheme of things.  There's always another chance.  There's always another way.  There's always another job (if it comes to that).  Life is too important to waste it on worrying about quota.  I'm not saying something religious or spooky.  You need to take action to change the events in your own life, but keep a perspective on things.
2. Most Reasonable People Are Patient if You Do the Right Things in Sales.  For some reason, salespeople think that they are only measured on sales performance.  99% of the time, this is NOT the case.  Sales performance is just ONE measurement of a quality contributor to your company and to other people.  An important Sales Axiom is:  You cannot control sales.  You can only control the activities that go into creating opportunity.  For most companies, if you're running hard, filling the pipeline, communicating well and getting in front of customers, management is patient.  Rarely, is any salesperson fired ONLY because of failure to hit quota.
3. Success in Anything Takes Time & Effort.  One of the oldest proverbs in any society, this one is obvious, but goes against our instant-gratification culture.  If you want success, you must plan for success.  You must practice your craft.  You must be a student.  If you find yourself 90 days away from the end of the year, plan out the way to achieve your goals.  Even if you don't hit your quota, you'll demonstrate competence, and set yourself up for future success.
4. Ask Others To Help.  The more challenging a situation, the more likely it is you will benefit from the advice of others.  Professionals ask for help, seek out solutions from others, and learn from other approaches.  Other people have always been in your exact same situation before.  Ask them how they succeeded or failed.
5. Your Attitude Is the Only Thing Completely in your Control.  We all have bad days, but a short moment of reflection at the beginning of the day sets the tone for the day's events.  Create an attitude of excellence, caring and value each day.  This is mental shift.  How's your attitude today?
6. Practice a Sales Methodology.  How many scientific studies will it take for you to believe that having a proscribed method for sales excellence makes people succeed?  
7. With Growth, Comes Pain.  Shifting from one perspective to another, one life-event to another and changing as a person, takes work.  Many times, changes are difficult.  Work through the challenges and realize that on the other side of the problem comes a different way of thinking.  A better way.

Happy Halloween 2012!