The Elite Seller

You're An Idea Machine--Now What?

Ideas are your way to wealth. As a high achiever you are obligated to cultivate your ideas. You have them right now. They’re those little glimpses of genius that you think of during the day that would make your business easier, more profitable quicker, more successful.

But why do you do nothing with them?

The reason is because you don’t see that as your role--cultivating and bringing those ideas to reality. But in the world of high achievement, you must. Your ideas are the one thing that is proprietary to you--an output of your experiences, wisdom, and thinking. No one else has your ideas!

Recently in the news you've seen the Google pursuit of YouTube, the online video posting service. YouTube was an idea less than two years ago by a former eBay Exec. He had an idea that, “It would be cool to have people be able to upload their videos for everyone to see.” Now Google has just announced their intention to acquire them for 1.6 billion dollars (not bad for an $11 million investment).

But it has nothing to do with the investment; it has to do with the idea and the execution of that idea, which most of us are miserable at. But you have ideas, too. Ideas that can, if not make you wealthy, at least make you more successful.

But those ideas need a petrie dish for nourishment, coaching for true cultivation, and prototypes for physical expression.

At the Elite Seller Seminar we’re going to talk a lot about ideas and how they matriculate and how you can turn ideas for your business into new customers (another thing we’ll address is the factor that confidence plays in idea generation and execution. If you have no confidence in your ability to bring an idea to fruition, you won’t get too many ideas).

Conversely, if you have the confidence that every good idea is executable--if it’s the right idea--then you will have a flurry of ideas that can help you create wealth.

Ideas Are The Coin of the Realm
Not sure who said this but it resonates with me. You are probably doing the same thing you've been doing for years--prospecting--qualifying--handling objections--closing. But what if there were a better way? A way in which they were chasing you, instead of you chasing them? A way in which you could tap into that idea-generating machine (your mind) to make selling easier?

We will spend time at the Elite Seller in "ideation" which is a rapid fire way to generate ideas. We have intentionally kept the group small so that we can all be a part of each other's growth. (Often, the best ideas come from people who aren't hampered by the 'industry baggage' that might hold you back).

See you on November 9 in Indianapolis!

'What Are The Indicators That This Program is Appropriate?'

Thoreau said “most men live lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with their song still in them.” Do you feel like you’re sleep-walking through life—doing the same thing over and over? If so, you are not at your creative best.

So “how do I know this is appropriate for me” is a relevant question. We’ve assembled this list of conditions that you might find yourself in. If you check more than 7 of these 14, then The Elite Seller Retreat is appropriate.

__  I have been doing the same thing in the same way for so long it seems like I’m in a rut. I feel like I could be leveraging my talents better.
__  I watch other people have a lot of success in my field, and I wonder “what do they know that I don’t know?”
__  The training I’ve attended leaves me cold and unmotivated. I feel like I could teach it better than the instructor.
__  I’m already working a lot of hours—I would like a way to be more effective in that time. I don’t want to work longer.
__  I feel like the prospect doesn’t get my value. Sometimes I feel like my message leaves them cold and unmotivated to take action. Therefore, selling cycles last too long—and it keeps me from calling on other prospects.
__   Even though I have a lot of experience in sales, my confidence sometimes slips back to where it was years ago.
__  I’m sometimes bored with my job. And occasionally I have this feeling of emptiness. Like what I do isn’t full of meaning and joy.
__  I feel like although my company supports me, I don’t always feel there are mentors inside the firm to take me to the next level.
__  I feel like I don’t have a good plan for my higher success. I sometimes feel like I just go “do” everyday without a good sense that I’m making progress on my personal goals.
__  It’s been years since I’ve worked ON myself and ON my business. Consequently, I’ve been  "doing" and not "thinking intelligently" about whether I'm doing the right things.
__  I feel like those around me are making progress and are using the latest tools and technology. I sometimes feel like  … I'm back in the stone age.
__  I sometimes wonder if my goals are big enough—meaningful enough—or achievable. And therefore I never know if I’m following the right path to get them accomplished.
__  I feel like the game of sales is changing around me—and I’m not sure I’m prepared for it. Not even sure if I’m using the latest sales strategy to acquire and keep customers.
__  I feel like for as long as I’ve been in the business, that prospects should be chasing me. But they aren’t. And I don’t know why.

Take a look again through those. These have come from actual people who have engaged us over the years with the intent of solving those exact problems. Hope this helps.

'What If I Don't Think I'm an Elite Seller?'

We have heard that a lot. That's one of the dangers we knew we were taking, from a marketing standpoint, by focusing on the high achiever.

Here's the way I would look at it: 
==if you have some experience in sales (over 5 years);
==if you are at or near the $100,000/year income level; and/or
==if you have market potential to create a lot more income,
then this program is right.

We won't look at W-2's or ask you to take a blood oath. If you get to the retreat and it's apparent that you aren't in the right place, no one is going to hold you hostage. You can ask for your money back and move on.

We've been around training for 19 years. We haven't held one hostage in all that time.

Super Leverage Is Your Friend

For high achievers, there is a word that you should  become familiar with: Leverage. In it's rawest definition,

Leverage is the equation that measures inputs
and outputs.

High leverage is a slight change in inputs (activities) that yield a sizable change in outputs (income/results).Every elite seller should pay constant attention to how to leverage themselves, their talent, their client relationships, their value and their processes.

A $70,000 Raise
Let me give you an example of a concept we teach. Many of our clients do speaking for small groups. Many times, this is set up because one of their clients belongs to an association and that association is looking for speakers. 

(Incidentally, if you aren't actively in pursuit of speaking engagements, then you're missing the front half of leverage. We'll teach you how to do that at the Retreat).

So every time my client does an engagement (they usually last about 20 minutes), he does five things:

1. He gets the business cards of everyone in the room (sometimes he bribes them with a $50 Starbucks Gift Card.
2. He puts each of them on his email newsletter list (with permission).
3. He sends a letter to them after the speech, with a One Page Summary of his talk (not a whole PPT slide deck).
4. He audio-tapes the program and calls them two weeks after the event asking if there is anyone else in their company that would get value out of hearing
(the speech on CD).
5. He sends those out with a letter.

He has grown his business and his database 75% in the last 12 months since beginning this "leverage strategy." He has blasted his income from just under $85,500 to over $155,000 in 2005.

Remember, he's giving the speech anyway. So why not turn it into a marketing bonanza instead of giving one speech and forgetting about those that benefitted?

But don't get lost in the details of his plan.
That isn't the important part. The critical component to this is he began thinking of himself as more than a mere sales person. He began to think of himself as a GO TO RESOURCE in his market. And he has concluded that there are many ways to leverage those activities to get monumental results from them.

Can You Learn From This?
Before you say, "No," think about "leverage in your world." It may not be speeches but it may be case studies, client interviews or any number of ways you can become a better marketer. Then think, "how can I take something I did and repurpose it into a marketing plan?"

==All the best.

'What Happens After The Event To Further My Learning?'

That question sounds like it comes from the place of "no two day event is going to change my life." I concur. I have however, seen people make radical changes in one day. And it's because what we are after in all training we do at Caskey is a change in attitude--in perspective--in strategy. Not just in the words we use.

But enormous growth comes after study. I'm reading a book now called "The Expert Manual" which says that it takes 10 years to become an expert in anything. And that you can quicken your results in your field, if you study under an expert.

Not sure I could be considered an expert, but I do know that our clients have experienced monumental growth due to our focus on Strategy, Confidence, Skills and Planning. And those are the four areas we will explore at the Retreat.

So after the two days, we WILL have some sort of ongoing reconnection with the faculty, probably by phone, so that we can all take our personal growth (me included) to the next level. Not sure what that will look like yet, or what it will cost, but there will be an extended program.

'I'm Doing Alright Right Now. Why Do I Need This?'

As I look at professional sales, (and I've been observing for 29 years), I see a dramatic change coming. The change is in 'the role of the business-to-business sales professional.'

If you don't see those changes coming--or if you're in an industry where nothing as changed in the past 10 years--then maybe this retreat would be a waste of time. But before you make that conclusion too quickly, take a look around. Be aware. Look at the most successful people and companies and compare how they're doing things to how you're doing things.

Your competitor of the future won't come from the other supplier down the street. In fact, you don't know from where it will come. So, how can you possible be ready for something, the form of which you aren't sure of?

The way you do it is to be in the "get ready position." That means, work on your self, on your value, on your process and on your communication skills. That trumps all--all of the time. I don't care if Google enters your market. If your relationship with your customers is based on a problem solving attitude, then they can't unseat you--regardless of how much money they throw at it.

That's why we're doing the Elite Seller retreat. Because I want you to be ready. 

Some Attributes of Elite Sellers

I've interviewed our esteemed faculty, so I thought it useful to bo back into our training archives and pull out a section on "Attributes" that I'll be talking about in more detail at the program.

This was done in front of a live audience a few weeks ago--and is sort of a 'training rant' that runs about 16 minutes.

Highlights
= How most sales people do the opposite of what it takes to attract new business.
= How you can substitute the old, "convince, persuade and defend" approach with a new one.
= A way to "show up" in front of the prospect ALL of the time.
= How to view your territory and annual plan.
= The skills more sales people need to learn.
   ....and much, much more.

Download top_attributes.mp3

Are You A Thought Leader? Or, Just A Sales Rep?

This is an article published by one of our faculty members, Steve Van Yoder. He gave me persmission to use it. I think it explains perfectly what he will be teaching at the retreat.

==============================================================

Thought Leadership Marketing
David Silverstein, CEO of Breakthrough Management Group (BMG), works actively to cultivate his reputation in the corporate performance enhancement industry. He practices thought leadership marketing, a strategy that has helped him develop BMG into a global firm with eleven offices on
five continents in just six years.

This strategy centers on promoting BMG's reputation as a leader in Six Sigma consulting, training, and software support tools. David actively positions himself as an expert and resource by writing articles, giving talks, and influencing the overall discussion in his industry.

'I became the flagship for BMG's reputation, which has helped our global expansion tremendously. In Asia and Latin America, for example, where name recognition is key, my industry reputation has helped BMG's sales team get into key overseas markets,' observes Silverstein.

The Age of Thought Leadership
Marketing used to be about 'getting in front of' prospects. But in the era of the empowered consumer, traditional marketing methods like advertising, direct mail, cold calling just don't work any more.

In an Internet-driven age, consumers expect to find companies through their own efforts, often through a search engine. They actively seek solutions to their own problems. We live in an era in which buyers distrust marketing 'claims.'

Since the old rules of marketing no longer apply, businesses are increasingly turning to thought leadership marketing-- a mindset based on earning trust and credibility, and building recognition as a trusted resource.

Thought Leadership in a Virtual World
In the Internet Age, prospects often find you, instead of the other way around by Googling around for someone with your skills. Prospects expect your business to be 'findable' on the Web, and to have a credible record of results.

Many of us now form 'virtual first impressions' of people and companies in a few seconds through our Internet browsers. How often does your business appear, and how high does it rank, in a Web browser?

Online prospects expect you to make a virtual 'case' for yourself. If you don't make a good impression or appear lackluster compared to your competitors, you will lose the potential client or customer.

The Internet has created a new marketing reality. It affects every business, regardless of size or industry, and presents both challenges and opportunities.

Show, Don't Tell
Consumers increasingly expect businesses to show, not tell, when describing their abilities, expertise, products and services.Thought leadership centers on providing useful content, information, and resources to attract prospects, make them receptive to your marketing
message, and help them make an informed choice. Thought leadership works because it is not a sales pitch, but rather offers prospects a chance to engage in a two-way dialogue with companies of interest.

Elements of a Thought Leadership Program 
As a thought leader, you put your clients' and customers' needs first, and advance the perception that you know your business deeply and truly understand your target market. You can pursue a thought leadership marketing strategy with communities where members of your target market congregate.

Cultivate Influence
Thought leaders position themselves as centers of influence, who are always 'present' within their target markets. Visibility is part of their formula, so they create opportunities to be seen, read, and heard by the people who matter most on a regular basis.

'Thought leadership requires a spirit of generosity - generosity of one's time, intelligence, and knowledge,' says Elise Bauer of Pacific Group. 'It requires a trust that by being open with what you know, and by sharing your time and knowledge, the world will reward your efforts.'

Media Strategies
Thought leaders establish relationships with editors and publications in the trade, and in local, national, and international media to enhance their credibility.

David Silverstein frequently writes as an expert for Business Week, Executive Decision Magazine, and Healthcare Strategic Management. Consistent media coverage has built name recognition for BMG in fields ranging from financial services, to healthcare and manufacturing.

The Internet
Thought leaders factor the Internet into their marketing plans. Your website should be a source of useful information for customers, potential customers, and influencers. A blog can serve as an effective tool for practicing thought leadership. A blog puts a human face on a company and signals to your target market and to influencers that you want to engage with them.

Speaking
Identify trade shows and conferences that customers and industry influencers are attending, and get on their panels or lead workshops. Find local associations that host speaking events and ask to give a talk. Silverstein is a sought-after keynote speaker, and chairs numerous high-profile industry events. He appears annually at the International Society of Six Sigma Professionals Leadership Conference, with other speakers such as Jack Welch and Stephen Covey.

Write and Publish
Thought leaders create and distribute information such as white papers that educate their target market about issues related to their business.White papers are often downloadable PDF files that serve as online 'bait pieces.' When done correctly, a white paper is the vehicle for a thought
leadership marketing strategy, and also attracts prospects via search engines and other online channels.

Many of my future posts will discuss thought leadership: defining it as a concept, highlighting what works in pursuing a thought leadership marketing strategy, and defining its overall role in the Get Slightly Famous marketing model. I'll also be profiling companies of all sizes and industries, which
are living the thought leadership mindset. Stay tuned!

How Can I Justify The Tuition?

Good question again.

When I invest in personal development, which I do often, I look at ROI. But I look at ROI from a "minimum standpoint." How many ideas will I have to get from this retreat in order for me to create a 10:1 return, as a "minimum"?

I went to a seminar this spring in Chicago and spent $5500 on it. Using my formula, I had to bring home $55,000 of ideas from that event. So as I explored the event, I did so with the filter of "maximum return." Frankly, it colored how I took in information at the event, who I networked with, and what faculty members I talked to personally. My ROI was "easily" $55,000.

The lesson here is that the better question than "can I justify it?" is "What am I going to do with the content that I learn?"

We have kept this tuition low ($1997) because I don't want money to get in the way. Plus, you aren't going to get a "pitchfest" with presenters trying to sell you their products and goodies.

If you're going to earn around $100,000 or more this year, then $1997 should be easy to part with when the belief is that it can make you $10K-$50K next year.

Caskey Client Talks Process

Joe Kukolla is a Regional VP for a medical services company. Joe's been in sales for years and a client of ours since 2005. One thing you'll hear from this interview is that Joe is an excellent communicator. I interviewed Joe recently so he could give you some sense of the results achieved by the content we've taught. He has some good insight into sales, achievement, and process.

Download JoeKukolla.mp3