TODAY'S BREAKFAST SPECIAL: HAM AND EGGS!

The year is 1950 (Some of you had already been introduced to the world, some of you were WIP-Work In Progress, some of you were a futuristic dream waiting to come true and truth be told some you were just a mistake waiting to happen!) Nonetheless, on 13 June 1950, a writer by the name Bennett Cerf wrote a book “Try and Stop Me”. On page 4 he writes of a parable and it went something like this: 

“A hen and a pig were sauntering down the main street of an Indiana town (yes, this is another shaggy dog story!), when they passed a restaurant that advertised “Delicious ham and eggs: 75 cents.” “Sounds like a bargain,” approved the hen. “That owner obviously knows how to run his business. “It’s all very well for you to be so pleased about the dish in question,” observed the pig with some resentment. “For you it is all in the day’s work. Let me point out, however, that on my part it represents a genuine sacrifice.” 

     In today’s business world this fable may be translated to define the two main essential members needed in a successful project i.e. the pig and the chicken. A Pig here would be the performers. They are committed to the cause and are accountable to the success or failure of the cause. A Chicken is someone who has something to gain by the pigs performing and their “eggs” are a renewable resource which is essential for the pig’s performance.

      Your role therefore trickles down to two options in an organization i.e. either you are a pig or a chicken…never a picken! But how do you know which you are? We can use the synonyms of each to simplify this

Chicken=Involvement=Association

Pig=Commitment=Pledge

Still confused? Marriage is to pig as anything less of it is to chicken!

       However a team never succeeds with a pure breed of pigs or chickens. You need the two! You need the pig as commitment ignites the action and the chicken because involvement sustains the action.

10 COMMANDMENTS OF SALES :)

1) Never take ‘No’ for an answer it really just means "Not Yet"!
The word "No" is an absolute that no successful sales person accepts as anything but a temporary hurdle to be overcome.

2) Give value first!

Value is a concept like love there is no definite meaning. Many words and actions express it and that applies the same for value. But the rule to delivering customer value is straight forward: First, Give Value. Then, Get Value. In doubt? Let somebody try something tasty, and they’ll come back for more. 

3) Treat all customers like family through communication!
Ask plenty of questions and listen to the answers! Asking questions will educate you as to customer needs and show your concern for their needs. Listening is the great educator.

4) Thou shall not lie! Always tell the truth!

Never intentionally exaggerate or lie to a customer. Err to the conservative and don't guess. If you don't know whether a product can meet the customer's needs...say so, then dig into all the details until you know the correct answer. Particularly in the early stages of building strong relationships, one bad decision can jeopardize a relationship forever.

5) Prospect, Prospect, Prospect!
Fact: The only thing that is worse than one is none! Generating qualified leads is the lifeblood of any great sales person. Digging, research and networking produce entree to new clients. Again better one prospect than none!

6) Keep a positive and have passion for selling and your product!
Passion cannot be faked. It is not possible to be a success in sales without conviction that the product being sold is beneficial, important.

7) Practice, Practice, Practice!
Preparation before the meeting leads to more and larger sales! Know everything possible about the customer, the industry, trends, competition, and newest technology and pricing before the sales meeting. Using customers, a friend, video or a mirror practice the presentation of a product until it is hard wired to your being thus perfecting your confidence.

8) Under-promise and Over-deliver!

If you give to others without measuring, you get repaid without ever asking for it.

9) Never make an excuse for your price!
Selling price is usually not selling, but buying business. Great salesmen know the competition and tout their products superior benefits. Do not sell low price, ever Offer a Price Cut Unless No other Choice!

10) Keep the faith and work smart! Hard Work makes for Sales Luck!
You might not be smarter than the competition, but you can outwork and out hustle them. Harder working sales persons are often lucky, as well.