Our Next Meeting - February 24th
The next regularly scheduled LIEG meeting is February 24th at 6:15 PM.
The full year’s schedule is here.
LIEG thanks Regus and Stacey Williamson for allowing us to use its meeting room in Rexcorp Plaza. Please contact Stacey for any of your office, meeting or conference needs.
Please note that the regularly scheduled LIEG meetings are NOT open to the public. You MUST contact us if you would like to attend one of our meetings. You can contact us through our online form here. We do sponsor two public meetings each year and these are open to the general public.
Topics: ** OUR NEXT MEETING **
Members-Only LIEG Archive
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Topics: General
Our Next Meeting - January 20th
The next regularly scheduled LIEG meeting is January 20th at 6:15 PM.
The full year’s schedule is here.
LIEG thanks Regus and Stacey Williamson for allowing us to use its meeting room in Rexcorp Plaza. Please contact Stacey for any of your office, meeting or conference needs.
Please note that the regularly scheduled LIEG meetings are NOT open to the public. You MUST contact us if you would like to attend one of our meetings. You can contact us through our online form here. We do sponsor two public meetings each year and these are open to the general public.
Topics: ** OUR NEXT MEETING **
What I Learned From Watching “The Boss”
No, this isn’t another article about observing your management team. It’s about what you can learn from the “Boss” Bruce Springsteen. Yep, that’s right. There are a handful of extremely helpful takeaways that all of us business people can learn from this veteran rock and roller.
Connect with Your Audience in a BIG Way
A Bruce Springsteen concert is never a quiet, low-key show. He works the crowd and plays his band like an orchestra. You can’t help but feel as if he’s singing straight to you, even in a sold-out stadium. Bruce gets it. Without his legions of devoted fans, he’d be just another guy from New Jersey.
In business, it’s just as important to make the connection with those around you. To grow long-term success, you, too, need devotees that truly believe that you’re working just for them. Build your fan base just like Bruce.
Be Real, Not Superficial
Even though Bruce probably has more money than some small nations, he still successfully projects an image of blue-collar, straightforwardness that you rarely see in other rock stars.
You just can’t envision him lip-synching a song on stage, nor wearing a sequined, glam get-up. Because he’s so good at what he does, there’s no need for distracting background dancers, dizzying light displays, or overly-synthesized songs. That’s just not Bruce. He writes and performs real music that’s straight from the heart. He wears jeans and a t-shirt and plays his guitar. No muss, no fuss!
Being down-to-earth is a good strategy for business, too. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to spot the salesperson who is better at show-boating than really selling or the marketing director who has a knack for making a sub-standard product look very appealing in a presentation. Instead, the best approach is always honest and real. Having a reputation as someone who isn’t full of B.S. will always work to your benefit in the long run.
Work Hard
Anyone who has ever been to a Bruce Springsteen concert knows that they can be long. While most performers tire and quit after an hour and a half, Bruce can go on for hours and hours. During one tour in the early 80s, his band consistently played nearly 40 songs over four hours each night. His tireless work ethic has definitely added to his popularity and mystique. When you buy a ticket to one of his concerts, you know you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.
Bruce has found success through hard work, and so can you. By putting your hours in, you’ll not only improve your skills, you’ll establish yourself as a roll-your-sleeves-up type who is willing to do what’s necessary to get a job done.
Be a Perfectionist
Like all rock and roll stars with staying power, Bruce Springsteen makes performing look easy. He just picks up a guitar and plays, right? Not hardly! His “E Street Band” has up to nine performers on stage that all must work in synch to create the incredible music that they’re known for. This requires tremendous amounts of time rehearsing, practicing, and fine-tuning. Want to be a business rock star? Perfect what you do and then make it look easy.
Over Deliver
At the core of every performance is Bruce’s desire to do anything and everything to make his crowd happy. Even now at 60 years old, he works the stage and makes his way into the audience just as he has done for decades. He takes audience requests for songs and belts out each tune with the enthusiasm and vigor of someone half his age. Of course, he rarely ends any show with less than a five song encore. Why do many fans almost consider his concerts “pilgrimages” that they couldn’t dare miss? It’s because he consistently over delivers, always leaving them feeling like they’re truly appreciated.
Are you going over and above the call of duty and providing more than expected with your prospects, clients, and colleagues? Take it from “The Boss”, if you’re really “Born to Run”, you’ll make it your passion to over deliver, too!
ARTICLE AUTHOR
Adrian Miller is President and Founder of Adrian Miller Sales Training, a sales consultancy that she launched in 1989. Adrian is also the author of “The Blatant Truth: 50 Ways to Sales Success” and is a well-known and highly regarded speaker and consultant. Always entertaining and rigorously practical, Adrian can energize and motivate your sales force to reach new heights. She also works with solopreneurs and professional services providers to help them grow their business using high-impact sales process.
Topics: Business Improvement
Excellent Holiday Party at Shiro of Japan on Dec 16th
The food, drink and conversation were excellent last night at Shiro of Japan.
Everyone had a great time!
Topics: Uncategorized
Our Next Meeting - December 16th
December 16th is our holiday party.
This event is for MEMBERS ONLY!
Topics: ** OUR NEXT MEETING **
Happy Thanksgiving!
Topics: General
Adding the ‘fun’ factor to sales networking events
Q&A | Adrian Miller
Adrian Miller has had enough Merlot. “Sometimes standing around [at an event] holding that stupid glass of wine gets very tiresome,” said Miller, founder, president-CEO of Adrian Miller Sales Training, which offers executive-level consulting and sales training. At your garden variety networking event, “people may be engaged in a conversation and not know how to extricate themselves, or not want to extricate themselves because they’re scared to go onto to the next person,” Miller added.
When it comes to pressing the flesh these days, sales managers must take pains to separate their events from the pack. For instance, Miller recently hosted an event for her clients at Bath Junkie, in lower Manhattan, where guests were able to concoct their own lotions, creams and bath cleansers. “It’s a chemistry lab for adults,” Miller said. “It’s much better to have a common activity and something that can be shared. By sharing activities, people can wind up having very substantial conversations.” Miller, whose clients include Cotronics Corp. and Lonely Planet, offered some other tips on effective networking for sales execs.
ZoomInfo: What’s your strategy for online networking?
Miller: Primarily to build visibility, credibility and recognition not only for my company, but personal brand. The strategy is to deploy appropriate articles, links, event notices and other relevant information that would contribute to the reader drawing an impression of – and a feeling for – who I am and what I do. Used strategically, [online networking] should only be able to help, and certainly not hurt, what sales execs are trying to do. People need to make sure that they don’t allow things to appear [online] that would necessarily be contradictory to the image they are trying to grow.
ZoomInfo: When it comes to live networking events, what are some of the ways that sales executives can distinguish their companies?
Miller: The way companies can stand out from the outrageous clutter of networking events that are around 24/7 is to be very careful about who they invite and what’s the ultimate deliverable they want to provide. Is there an informational component, say, bringing in a speaker to address a topic relevant to that audience, coupled with time at the beginning [or end] for focused networking? Should there be facilitators working the room, helping to put peoples’ hands together? Should there be follow-up and follow-through? Make it different (see above) and make it worth somebody’s $50.
ZoomInfo: What’s your take on social media as a networking tool?
Miller: It levels the playing field to a certain degree. It can start the relationship, but no one does business with someone who they know only through some Facebook conversation. No one selects a vendor because they saw a name on LinkedIn. It requires a lot more work, but [social media] enables sales execs to access untold number of people and companies that they didn’t have access to before. It gives sales execs the ability to expand those contacts and connections that, through nurturing, will lead to something more substantial.
ZoomInfo: What are some of the most chronic mistakes sales executives are making in networking, online or offline?
Miller: They spread themselves too thin and then do not stay on the grid of all the people they’re meeting. They shake a hand, they take a card, maybe they follow-up once, but they totally forget that business development is a process and a long-term engagement. It may be better to do less, but more [with contacts]. The other thing is [sales execs thinking it’s all about them. They’re a lot of people who will take your time and tell you who they are what they do and never will the conversation circle back to, ‘And by the way, what can I do for you?’ The biggest mistake is not having a really good touch-point management system in place so that sales execs can ultimately turn all those contacts they’re making into business, instead of a nice card that’s scanned into your computer.
ARTICLE AUTHOR
Adrian Miller is President and Founder of Adrian Miller Sales Training, a sales consultancy that she launched in 1989. Adrian is also the author of “The Blatant Truth: 50 Ways to Sales Success” and is a well-known and highly regarded speaker and consultant. Always entertaining and rigorously practical, Adrian can energize and motivate your sales force to reach new heights. She also works with solopreneurs and professional services providers to help them grow their business using high-impact sales process.
Topics: Business Improvement
Our Next Meeting - November 18th
The next regularly scheduled LIEG meeting is November 18th at 6:15 PM. The full year’s schedule is here.
LIEG thanks Regus and Stacey Williamson for allowing us to use its meeting room in Rexcorp Plaza. Photo courtesy of Regus. Please contact Stacey for any of your office, meeting or conference needs.
The rest of this article is available to premium members only.
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Topics: ** OUR NEXT MEETING **
Blatantly Autocratic Sales
A healthy ego is certainly a good thing to have if you want to be a successful salesperson. Yet, some of us are simply off the chart when it comes to self importance. You might know who you are, and the rest of us can certainly spot you from a mile away. But, if you’re not quite sure if you’re the poster child of the blatantly autocratic sales approach, answer the following questions and find out for yourself.
Do you frequently catch yourself saying or thinking “It’s my way or the highway?”
Sure, you may or may not be able to use this tactic with your kids who are living under your roof. However, if you’re not giving your customers options and choices, and don’t bother to negotiate or work to meet others’ needs or wants, you’re guilty!
Guess what? This lack of flexibility translates into you being deemed “difficult” and a “jackass.” Sure, you can stick to your guns, but the people who you’re trying to sell to aren’t going to feel the need to put up with your attitude.
Do you demand that they sit through your presentation or else?
You’ve diligently developed your PowerPoint presentation, honed your speech, and have memorized every benefit and feature of what you’re selling. Of course, your audience is going to listen intently from start to finish without interruption. You don’t need to accommodate their pesky time constraints or questions. Right?
It’s time for a wake up call. Maybe you have a busy schedule, but so do those you’re selling to. Most likely, they have lots of salespeople who want them to sit through presentations just like yours. Unfortunately, there’s probably much more to their day than just listening to their vendors. Hey, give them a break. Make your presentations short and sweet, and do your best to work with their schedules.
Do You Not Really Care All That Much about What Your Customers Want?
It’s all about your needs. You have a commission, a quota, or a boss breathing down your neck. You just don’t have time to focus on what your customers want.
Whether you once cared about your customers needs and have just become jaded over time, or you’re just naturally a selfish, rude salesperson, this attitude is a surefire way to lose customers very quickly.
Sometimes, it’s hard to take a self-assessment and find out that you’ve become the jerk that everyone loves to hate. However, in these tough economic times, can you really afford to take this approach with your clients? Don’t think for a moment that your customers don’t recognize these behaviors.
The good news is that you can change for the better. The best salespeople really do care about their customers and want to do their job well by being helpful, informative, and professional. You can, too! Take the ego down a notch and roll your sleeves up to start working with them not just for yourself. You’ll be glad that you did!
ARTICLE AUTHOR
Adrian Miller is President and Founder of Adrian Miller Sales Training, a sales consultancy that she launched in 1989. Adrian is also the author of “The Blatant Truth: 50 Ways to Sales Success” and is a well-known and highly regarded speaker and consultant. Always entertaining and rigorously practical, Adrian can energize and motivate your sales force to reach new heights. She also works with solopreneurs and professional services providers to help them grow their business using high-impact sales process.
Topics: Business Improvement
