Articles by Mike Crandall

Do you like wasting your time? Do you think your prospects or clients like their time wasted? I imagine the answer to that is a resounding “No!” Yet when you respond to RFPs, create the “perfect” presentation, or even quote a number off the top of your head without the right information, you may be doing just that.

When someone realizes you want something from them, how do they react? If they are close to you, they may respond happily and want to help you. However, if they perceive you as just another salesperson, their reaction can differ. They will immediately get defensive. They will bring up the drawbridge, put out the hungry gators, bring out the cannons, and fire their warning shots.

Do others perceive you the same way that you perceive yourself? If your answer is yes, how are you sure? If your answer is no, why not? Either way, have you thought about how this may be costing you? How it may be holding you back? Or what it may be doing to you professionally and personally?

Have you ever been frustrated because you wanted someone else to learn something and they did not? It is very common for people to get frustrated because others around them don’t seem to learn very well. This is especially true in leadership and parenting. Leaders get frustrated or even upset and angry when people they lead don’t learn things, they want them to learn. This is also very true for parents and their children. 

The young sales rep was excited about his new role. He had been hired by the company straight out of school to sell to the business world. After all of the training, he finally had his first solo sales call. He enthusiastically went through everything he had been trained to do. Afterward, he raced back to the office to debrief his call with the sales manager.

“Why did they go out of business?” That is an interesting question that is asked very regularly. Although businesses fail (or struggle) for many reasons, there is one huge one, and it is not what you think. Common answers include customer service, management, location, price, or quality. The most frequent answer is money – which is still not correct.

One of the most important and least-liked aspects of business growth is prospecting. Prospecting leads to sales, and sales is where all revenue in business comes from. Without revenue – any business is just a hobby.

When you look at others you consider successful, have you noticed the systems they have in place and follow? A frequently overlooked key to success is the power of having a system for things.

The number of things around us is ever-changing, and they are changing at an increasing rate. Certainly, you have noticed changes in the last couple of years, months, and possibly even the last couple of days. No one can deny the change or the speed it’s happening.

How would you feel on your wedding day if, during the vows, instead of hearing “I do,” you heard “I’ll try” from your spouse-to-be? What about if, when flying, the pilot said we’re “going to try” and land safely instead of “we’re going to” land safely? If you’re like more than 99% of the population, hearing either would make you extremely uncomfortable. Now let me ask: How often do you use “try” in your life or accept it from others?