Monthly Archives: September 2012

Creativity, Goals, Loving Life, Self Care, Winning, Wisdom

What am I doing anyway?

Leave a comment

I woke up yesterday morning feeling a bit bemused. Can I stay in bed just a little longer? What would it hurt?

What SHOULD I be doing?
And, then, it struck me! I am living with far too many SHOULDS in my day. Nothing is pulling me out of bed – no voice saying “let’s do this today” “let’s take a chance” “let’s GO FOR IT”.

Huh! I wonder where that voice went? As I canoodled with this question, it started to become clear. So many things I do in my life are “in order to get somewhere else”…well, maybe not quite that. More like “in order to have my life NOT suck” just keep the wheels in motion to not backslide, to prevent chaos and dismay.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Then, I thought, well….what IF I sat down and thought about what I would LOVE my life to look like in a year, three years, five years. I started to canoodle on this, too. Little alarms started going off in my head. “Danger! Danger! Danger!” I found out that I don’t know WHAT I want my life to look like in five years. Or even tomorrow.

This is the pitfall of living a life I always imagined. I have the great job that I do pretty well. I have the love of my life. I have a beautiful home. I have amazing friends. I have three wonderful dogs.

So, why do I feel so “blah”?
Well, I think the reason I feel so “blah” is that my life is just far too much about me. My eye is far too much on my stuff.

Do I have everything handled? Is my home in perfect shape? Am I financially free? Am I in optimum health? Is my business even remotely where I want it to be? Absolutely not! But getting by seems to be suiting me just fine.

What is going to fire me up? It is not going to be a new car…that’s just not enough. It is not going to be more money…I would LOVE more money, but it’s not enough to get out of the lovely cocoon of my warm and happy bed.

Is there life beyond FEAR?
In the past, what always got me out of bed was ABJECT FEAR. Fear that I was going to lose my job if I didn’t perform. Fear that I wouldn’t be able to pay the bills. Fear that I would look bad if I didn’t show up on time. Fear that I would fail a presentation if I wasn’t prepared. Surviving.

Now, I am faced with the challenge of living a truly invented life. Designed for no other reason than that I say it is important. I have to look inside and outside to see … what am I here for?

I have gotten so good at performing for others on their agenda. Do I have enough character to strike out on my own and claim a created life. Do I have what it takes to LIVE LIFE?

Learning a new skill
It is time to learn a new skill. And, what is that new skill? The one I have no facility with?

I don’t know how to have FUN. I take everything far too seriously. No wonder I want to keep the status quo and do the bare minimum. No wonder it all looks like drudgery. I KNOW how to do that! I know how to be stressed out. I know how to “pull it off”.

I don’t know how to be free! In love with life! Kick-up-my-heels delighted!

Frankly, I am not sure even where to start. What if I start having fun and everything else falls apart? (Can you hear the survival kicking in?)

Today I declare that I am learning the new skill of HAVING FUN. That is worth going for. That will be the voice that whispers in my ear and gets me out of bed in the early morning hours to go dance in the dew of the new day. It is my new mission.

Any suggestions on where to start? Are you good at having fun and living a full, abundant life where it all works? I want to hear from you. I want to interview you. I want to learn.

Love your life UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Education, Goals, Guest Posts, Loving Life, Top Ten Principles of Selling, Winning, Wisdom

Boy, do I have a surprise for you!

2 Comments

We have got some COOL stuff about to happen.

The amazing Robert Terson received delivery of his BRAND NEW book Selling Fearlessly today. I wish I could have seen his face when he opened the box…smelled the fresh new pages…saw the colorful covers…the completion of many, many hours of loving work.

Here is what I LOVE about this book. It is written by one of the most generous men I know. Someone whose writing chops are a match for his selling chops. Someone who ACTUALLY sold his whole career. (Go to http://www.sellingfearlessly.com/mound-road/ and read The Mound Road story he has avaialable on the site – it will draw you in!)

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Bob doesn’t tell you how to sell, he SHOWS you how to sell.

So, the cool thing that is happening is that Robert is going to do a VaVaVaVoom (Vicarious, Virtual, Voyeuristic) Interview with me, The Irreverent Sales Girl, later this month. The interview will be fun, inspiring, will share some highlights and give you at LEAST one thing that will make a difference in your success.

It is my privilege to help this amazing man introduce his masterpiece to the world. Stay tuned for more information!

Love your stories UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Goals, Loving Life, Performance, Purpose, Self Care, Winning

The pursuit of happiness…are we getting closer?

4 Comments

I had dinner with a GREAT friend of mine tonight. A few years back this wonderful friend abandoned the Corporate World for her bright, shiny future as a business owner. She has created some amazing stuff. And it is just getting better.

She looked me straight in the face and said, “I have never worked harder, made less money, or been any happier!”

This experience of hard work and being broke while being HAPPY has put her on an interesting quest. She is becoming an expert in HAPPINESS.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Know what she discovered? FORTY-SEVEN percent of people are unhappy in their work. (This figure should scare the daylights out of Human Resources and CEOs.  WAKE UP CALL: nearly ONE out of every TWO workers is unhappy – which has a direct impact on your bottom line. You might want to connect with my friend and get some advice.)

Know what else she discovered? A lot of the reason people are unhappy is because they have less and less HUMAN interaction. She says, “People sit in cubicles and have no idea who is on the other side of the wall. They check on their Facebook and think they have caught up with their friends – instead of sitting across from them and seeing more than a sound byte of how it really is…hell…just picking up the phone to hear their voice and what is happening right now!”

And it is making them UNHAPPY.

Want to get happy? Do like AT&T used to tell you to do. Reach out and touch someone.

We were joined by another fantastic girlfriend tonight. The last time we had all gotten together was over three years ago. But, it worked! We had a great night. We were in person. And, tonight, I am very happy!

I wish you the same.

Love your peeps UP (in person)!

The Irreverent Sales Girl 

Buyers, Creativity, Customer Service, Dignity, Goals, Performance, Presentation, Top Ten Principles of Selling, Winning

Keeping the wolves at bay

Leave a comment

Keeping the wolves at bay…

I have had a client for a long, long time. They are a signature client and many other clients come on board with me because of THEM! They are important to my past, present, and future success.

Recently, they decided that they wanted to start looking around at other options. New, sexy, exciting, (unproven) options! They have included me in the process and are giving me the chance to stay in the game with them.

Tomorrow, I present to their team – and here’s why I’m 90% positive I am going to keep the relationship…because every chance I get, I talk to them about all the great things we’ve been able to do together over the years. We have a PARTNERSHIP. When THEY wanted to make a big, unprecedented splash in their industry, I was there. IT was awesome. When they wanted to expand their reach, I was there, we have results to show for it. When they wanted to support new markets, I was there and it made a huge difference.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

But, if I weren’t communicating these wins with them (like a walk down memory lane), then it’s easy for them to forget when something new and sparkly shows up on the scene. It’s why I am going to keep this business (they even let ME select the position I wanted in the order of presentations. I picked LAST, of course).

The principles I’m talking about are easy to apply in any industry. They go like this:

When you get a new client

Send at least a handwritten thank you note, if not a gift. AND thank the person who sent them to you. This works with selling cars, furniture, appliances, real estate, mortgages, farming equipment, office supplies … ANYTHING.

When you have had a client for awhile

Check in to see how they are using your products. Has anything changed in their life? What is coming up that you should know about?  If you are a car dealer, you will find out that a daughter is about to turn 16 and a new car is in order (probably for mom and dad, but a new car, nonetheless). If you are in furniture, you will find that a baby is on the way, or that an aging couple is moving to a smaller place and needs help with the new setting.

When you have had a client for a few “seasons”

Send tokens of appreciation and schedule a coffee, simply to “walk down memory lane”. If you are in real estate, you can reminisce about how far that couple has come from their “first home buyer” experience to upgrading to a home for babies and for helping the first child get their first home. If you are in appliances, you can chortle about the surprise new range that he bought for his wife on their fifth anniversary.

The point

The point is…if you want to have a successful book of business that builds on itself, you will keep it personal and you will remind your clients of the partnership you have developed over the years.  This may seem like a lot of work, but BELIEVE ME…the repeat business and referrals you will receive FAR OUTWEIGH the cost and effort it takes to keep getting NEW clients.

Love the partnership UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Authenticity, Dignity, Goals, Loving Life, Performance, Presentation, Self Care, Winning, Wisdom

BEWARE the laurel resting…

3 Comments

I’ve been having a pretty great Summer and Fall. Closing business like crazy at work, making all sorts of great connections with incredible people. Getting very cool opportunities for work and play.

I’ll say it straight. I’ve been feeling pretty great about myself.

So much so, that I had the brilliance of giving someone my opinion about them recently (an opinion that is nowhere grounded in any sort of fact). Somehow, I’d got myself thinking that I can say any old thing I please and everyone is just going to eat it up.

(Think :BIG SHOT by Billy Joel – you can hum it in the background as you read this post).

Well, I got the wake up call today. Not only did this person not appreciate my opinion (the one based in ABSOLUTELY no fact – mind you) but neither did her best friends – who happen to be in my business AND personal world.

Fortunately, these friends have had the generosity to share with me the damage I have done. I was so full of myself, I didn’t even notice.

Now, I get to go about the business of cleaning it up with everybody…looking around and seeing where I’ve left all the loose ends untied – (“Why should I have to take care of THOSE things when I’m clearly so awesome?”)

I have to learn that if I AM going to be more successful than I’ve ever been before, I’d better develop a much larger character than I have displayed lately.

Fingers crossed that I will be able to restore my friendships first. I may never be able to restore the professional relationships after this incident.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

If there is anything I can offer from this horrible mistake I made, it is to share it with you. If I want to go big places, I  have to be bigger than I’ve been before. No use “beating myself up” (that’s just MORE of being irresponsible), But there are consequences and I will deal with them – they are MINE – I have earned them after all. And I will clean up what I can and learn and grow and even be grateful that the Universe keeps making sure that I become who I REALLY want to be – not some “shiny” replica with a hollow core.

Love the lessons UP (even when they suck)!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Creativity, Customer Service, Dignity, Goals, Irreverence, Loving Life, Performance, Top Ten Principles of Selling, Winning, Wisdom

What I learned from Galaga this week

1 Comment

Have you ever played Galaga (the video game)?

I LOVE that game. Haven’t played in years.

This weekend, I went to a resort in the Smoky Mountains that had the vintage game Galaga! YAY! I was so happy.

I started playing. I was having a blast. Playing and playing and then…something interesting happened.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

I started approaching the HIGH SCORE! YAY! I was going to beat that high score. WOW! The first time EVER I was going to be on the screen for being the HIGH SCORE.

So, what did I do? I started playing the game with an eye on the score…and GUESS WHAT!

GAME OVER at 10 POINTS UNDER the high score. Aaaaargh!

Isn’t that just how it goes? You are playing like a winner and THEN you look at the score and GAME OVER.

I played another game after that and came nowhere near my first score. Then, I just turned the game off.

The lesson? Keep your eye on playing. Let the score INFORM you, but keep your eye on the game.

When I am being my best and doing everything I know to make my customer happy, game on! When I calculate against what someone else has done or the “score” I am hoping to achieve…it comes to a DEAD STOP!

Love the game UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Buyers, Creativity, Dignity, Irreverence, Performance, Presentation, Winning

The Big Wig is falling ASLEEP?

Leave a comment

I’m in a meeting today at a Fortune 500 company that I’ve been selling to for about 6 months now. My key contacts have asked me in to present to all the Very Important Executives who help make the buying decision.

My contact is GREAT she’s got everyone there – the VP of This, the Head of That, and the Boss of All of Them (BOAT). Sounds like a great set-up, right?

Except my job is to make my contact look like a ROCK STAR, address all of the angles that everyone is looking from, AND keep it on time.

Still, not a problem really, but about 5 minutes in, it is clear that BOAT has other things on his mind, and he’s doing his best to not fall asleep, the dear. Oh, and the Head of That is 40 minutes late but wants to cover everything.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

It was crazy…but I decided to have some fun with it…here’s what I did

I used BOAT’s name from time to time
Instead of pretending that he wasn’t interested, I used BOAT’s name from time to time in the examples I was giving, this kept him awake, and amused, and even interested (you must do this gracefully and appropriately and not single him out.) Pretty soon HE was asking great questions. Once I even CRACKED HIM UP

I asked each person what they wanted to learn from our meeting
That way, I could keep it HIGH LEVEL and on point and everyone knew where we were going.

I graciously welcomed the Head of That when she walked in the room, but kept on point
Once BOAT even started answering her questions.

I respected everyone’s time
I stayed late with Head of That, but made sure that VP of This and BOAT had everything they needed by 5 minutes before the hour, so that they could cut out for their next thing

I made every word count
I did not give an unnecessary stories or expansions on my answers. Straight, to the point and I gave every word energy with an intent to communicate

I was flexible with my presentation
Of course, I have a way that I normally show my product, but I followed their lead. If they asked about something, I went right there and I kept it all on point. (You have to KNOW your product INSIDE OUT to do this)

I loved ’em ALL UP!
I took them all JUST THE WAY THEY WERE and made sure they all won and got to be great.

AND my contact looked like a ROCK STAR. She was so grateful.

So, if you get in a jam, SWING OUT, have some fun and

Love ’em UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Education, Goals, Loving Life, Performance, Self Care, Wisdom

I am so spoiled right now!

Leave a comment

I have just spent the most amazing weekend with 20 incredible people in the Smoky Mountains – participating in an amazing program called Elevations.

I have been spoiled rotten. Every detail was attended to. From food to lodging to personal gifts that made ME feel KNOWN and SPECIAL.

The whole program has been fantastic. Intelligent exercises to think newly about my goals and aspirations. .Plenty of time to practice living outside of my comfort zone – and watch other people do the same. Expanding my horizons and taking everything I’m doing to the next level.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Most of my life is about taking care of my clients or getting people things they need from me to become a client. I am ON CALL for others. I loved having something for ME. I loved being taken care of and challenged and reflecting and taking personal risks.

It reminds me…if I am up to big stuff and I want to accomplish things I have never accomplished…I MUST continue to learn and practice and STEP AWAY from the laptop. Time for me. Time to learn new things (always room for that).

Look for pictures, on their way. We had a blast!

How will YOU feed your ambitions this year?

Love your success UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Creativity, Goals, Performance, Winning, Wisdom

Need a BRAND NEW idea?

Leave a comment

So, I am driving through middle America this week, enjoying the pre-Fall in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Ohio. Many clients to see, and many hours in between.

I am listening to Napolean Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” on audio books. Believe it or not, I have never read this all the way through. What a mistake!

At any rate, one story stood out for me. It was about a man named Burbank – who boasts over 200 patents with the US patent office. Not Steve Jobs, but a brilliant man who made a fortune for himself and others.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Hill talks about a practice that this interesting man used to do. When he was stuck on a problem with a new invention – and he need a BRAND NEW IDEA – he would go into his “sitting” room.

This “sitting” room was entirely closed off from light and was mostly sound-proof. He would take a pad of paper, a pen, and have a light switch at his finger tips. And then, in the dark, he would close his eyes and wait. He would wait to tap into the “sixth sense” – what Hill calls the “Creative Intelligence”. He would wait until he got inspirations about entirely new approaches to his puzzle. And then he would write, sometimes for hours, EVERY little thing he received from this session.

Companies hired him to “sit” for them.

I realized. I rarely spend time deliberately shutting everything out until I get a new point of view in the places I am stuck. Seems like it’s worth a try!

What about you? What do YOU do to get inspired?

Love your ambition UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Goals, Performance, Top Ten Principles of Selling, Winning, Wisdom

A funny little story about Uranium

Leave a comment

You’re familiar with Uranium, right? That lovely little radioactive substance?

Funny thing about Uranium. It has a very specific rate at which its radioactivity decays. It has a precise half-life and, so far, has never been known to vary.

Here’s the crazy thing…If you watch Uranium under a microscope…it will not decay. No matter how long you watch. You can watch and watch and watch. No decay. BUT, as soon as you leave the microscope to do the dishes or grab a nap or something, when you come back to take a peek at the little guy it is EXACTLY as decayed as you would expect it to be given the precise half-life and all that jazz.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Sounds like that BIG DEAL you keep waiting to close, doesn’t it? You watch and watch and watch it. You poke at it. You hold your breath. You make promises to a higher power. You fret. Then, just when you go talk with some other customer, start doing other work…BOOM! It slides right in. Deal closed.

See what I’m sayin’ here?

Love all the deals UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl