I’m fond of the quote that says, “Insanity is doing the same things over and over again expecting different results.” If you asked, I bet most sane people would agree that it makes no sense to repeatedly follow a process or business tactic that hasn’t worked, hoping that “this time” it will be different. But isn’t insanity exactly what we see manifesting from the boardroom to the stockroom in companies every single day? If the recent economic meltdown should teach us anything, it is that things must change, especially when it comes to our sales approach. Alan Deutschman might say that we either figure out a way to change or we die.

Time for a little housekeeping.

For lots of reasons, these last couple of weeks I have felt stuck, lacked motivation and felt that maybe my creativity well had run dry. Much as I love business development aka selling, I too sometimes want to stick my head in the sand and avoid it all together. Yes, it happens to me. I’m human. So earlier this week, I decided it was time to shake things loose. What did I do? I cleaned my closet. For bonus energy clearing points, I also organized my dresser drawers. As a result, 3 things happened:

1. I felt better. Like discarding old, outdated ideas and approaches to running a business, I felt liberated letting go of clothes and other items that no longer suit me.

2. It gave me a chance to give back. Though those clothes no longer work me, they might for someone else, so it’s off to Goodwill they go.

3. My energy block disappeared. Poof – just like that! I think that when we hang on too long to things that no longer serve us, everything about us can become stagnant.

Cleaning out the closet is really a metaphor for clearing the energetic clutter that leads to dull thinking, mediocre ideas, boredom, lack of motivation, complacency and more. When you stop everything and take the time to clear out the garbage that is bogging you down, amazing things happen. Within 24 hours of completing my clearing project, two new speaking engagements came my way, I had a terrific lunch meeting with a colleague that led to the kick-off of a completely new kind of Mastermind group, and I was asked by a business leader I admire to team with them on a new project. Does it work? Well, duh.

My challenge to you…

Clean out your closet. Now. Your closet can be your office space at work, file cabinets, computer folders, an overhaul of your sales process or your actual clothes closet at home. It doesn’t really matter. The result will be the same. You’ll feel more refreshed, energized and clear headed.

Are you ready? Are you willing to take on the challenge? If you are then there is only 1 rule you must follow. You cannot do anything else until you are finished. Nothing. No email. No meetings. No phones. Nothing else means you cannot do anything else until you complete the exercise. Once you finish…how about sharing your experience here on my blog. I’d love to hear what magical results you achieved.

Last night, I had the pleasure of being interviewed on Penny Haynes on her radio show hosted on the TalkShoe Network. Penny is a terrific host, and we had a great conversation about how to use podcasting and video as part of your overall sales and marketing strategy. It never ceases to surprise me how small the world truly is. It turns out that my good friend and colleague, Ruth King of Profitability Channel was interviewed by Penny a few months ago. AND…I came to meet Peter Shankman of HARO fame through Ruth and that’s how Penny and I connected. You’ve just got to love the power of networking! Listen to the show here! Enjoy the conversation.

Today’s post is from Jack Canfield, a man that I’ve admired for many years. I happen to be a big fan of his Success Principles book and recommend you read it for yourself if you are interested in truly achieving your ideal success.

I wanted to use Jack’s piece today, because it focuses on our relationships with others, gathering feedback, course correcting and sticking with taking action until we achieve our objectives. Successfully selling your product or service depends on creating great relationships with potential buyers and partners. If you had to rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 in terms of your relationship building, how would you stack up?

Now, let’s hear from Jack…

As you begin to take action toward the fulfillment of your goals and dreams, you must realize that not every action will be perfect.

Not every action will produce the desired result. Not every action will work.

Making mistakes, getting it almost right, and experimenting to see what happens are all part of the process of eventually getting it right.

Thomas Edison is reported to have tried over 2,000 different experiments that failed before he finally got the light bulb to work. He once told a reporter that, from his perspective, he had never failed at all. Inventing the light bulb was just a 2,000-step process. If you can adopt that attitude, then you can be free to take an action, notice what result you get, and then adjust your next actions based on the feedback you have received.

Ready, Fire, Aim!

Don’t be afraid to just jump in and get started moving toward your goals. As long as you pay attention to the feedback you receive, you will make progress. Just getting into the game and firing allows you to correct and refine your aim.

The Most Valuable Question You May Ever Learn

In the 1980s, a multimillionaire businessman taught me a question that radically changed the quality of my life. So what is this magical question that can improve the quality of every relationship you are in, every product you produce, every service you deliver, every meeting you conduct, every class you teach and every transaction you enter into?

Here it is:

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the qualityof our relationship during the last week?” Here are a number of variations on the same question that have served me well over the years…

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate…

• our service? • my teaching?
• our product? • this class/seminar/workshop?
• this meeting? • our date/vacation?
• our performance? • this meal?
• my coaching/managing? • this book/recording/show?
• my parenting/babysitting?

Any answer less than a 10 always gets this follow-up question:

“What would it take to make it a 10?”

This is where the *really* valuable information comes from. Knowing that a person is dissatisfied is not enough. Knowing in detail what will satisfy them gives you the information you need to do whatever it takes to create a winning product, service or relationship.

There Are Two Kinds of Feedback

There are two kinds of feedback you might encounter – negative and positive. We tend to prefer the positive – that is, results, money, praise, promotion, raise, awards, happiness, inner-peace, etc. It feels betters. It tells us we are on course and doing the right thing.

We tend not to like negative feedback – lack of results, little or no money, criticism, poor evaluations, complaints, unhappiness, inner conflict, pain, etc.

However, there is as much useful data in negative feedback as there is in positive feedback. It tells us that we are off course, headed in the wrong direction, doing the wrong thing. This is priceless information!

In fact, it’s so valuable that one of the most useful projects you could undertake is to change how you respond to negative feedback. I like to refer to negative feedback as information for “improvement opportunities.” Here is a place where I can get better.

Ask Yourself for Feedback

In addition to asking others for feedback, you need to ask yourself for feedback, too. More than any other source of feedback, your body will tell you whether or not you are on course or not. When you are relaxed and happy, your body is telling you that you are on track. When you are constantly exhausted, tense, in pain, unhappy and angry, then you are off track.

Take time to listen to what your body is saying to you. Take time to listen to your physical sensations and your feelings. They are sending you important messages. Are you listening?

Remember, Feedback Is Simply Information

You don’t have to take it personally. Just welcome it and use it.

For more on Using Feedback to Your Advantage, review Principle #19 in The Success Principles. It’s one of the most important principles you can apply.

Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

In a recent presentation I delivered, I talked about how John Patterson, NCR founder is typically credited with being the father of the structured sales process largely in use today. Patterson wanted a way to create a repeatable pattern of sales success and in 1887 rolled out his NCR Primer.

Patterson created a detailed management system to monitor and train company salesman. Scripts were given to salesman to memorize and they were each assigned territories to cover. Patterson strove to create a sales method that encompassed all aspects of selling, from the calculation of quotas and commission rates to the motivation of discouraged salesmen. Sound familiar?

Your sales teams have likely been indoctrinated in Patterson’s approach, given that the majority of today’s sales training programs still focus on methods introduced by Patterson 122 years ago. I think it’s about time for a refresh!

Sales leaders have told me of their struggles to increase sales using tactics that have worked for them in the past, but what they overlook (or haven’t quite accepted) is that the way sales is conducted has fundamentally changed. Now more than ever, it is a buyer’s world. And buyers have about had it with sales people who over promise and under deliver, who tell them half truths and outright lies just to get the sale in the door.

Today’s sales success will hinge on understanding and participating in the fluid, collaborative, conversational nature of the internet. This new world is driven by “conversation” and creates what Gerhard Gschwandtner; Publisher of Selling Power Magazine calls a conversation economy. No longer do companies dictate how prospects will buy, nor can they continue to pretend they really know what’s best for the client. This sales world is all about adapting to what the customer wants. You must match your sales process with your customer’s buying process and they definitely will not be the same.

On the internet your prospects are talking to each other. You must be there to engage in the conversation. When buyers have a need – they must think of you, but if your sales people aren’t visible on popular networking sites like LinkedIn then they will be locked out. Make it first priority to ensure that your sales people have profiles that are:

• 100% complete
• Include a professional head shot
• Utilize key words that your buyers would use to search out your services in the summary and name header
• Create a compelling summary of your offering
• Utilize applications to add more oomph to your profile. Include a presentation using Slideshare, create an Amazon book list or integrate blog posts.
• Use status updates strategically to stay visible with your network.
• Build solid search lists of ideal prospects and work your network to secure introductions.

These are but a few of the ways to get moving with LinkedIn to build your buying network. So what are you waiting for? If your sales people keep selling the same way they always have…you will only end up with more stress and lower sales. What worked in past no longer does so it’s time to adapt to this new world…now!

In search of inspiration, I cracked open my copy of Re-imagine! I haven’t read it in some time, but I couldn’t help smiling as I turned the pages. Tom Peters is at his ranting best as he sounds the wake up alarm for businesses and individuals alike. Published in 2003, it is almost a little spooky to read Tom’s predictions about the future (many have come to pass already) about things like personal branding, HR, supply chain management, the web, talent attraction and development, or the value of running departments like accounting as internal professional service firms. In the wake of 9/11, Tom’s book challenges us to re-envision what is possible. The visual impact of the Re-Imagine! and Tom’s prophetic words make this book a must read for anyone looking to reinvent themselves or their businesses.