March Speaker Lisa Peskin – The Top 10 Secrets to Success in Sales

Lisa Peskin was raised with her father telling her she should have her own business, be her own boss and make her own money. To her that meant being a doctor and as she went through classes for pre-med she discovered being a doctor was not her passion. She changed her bachelor’s degree to psychology and went on to receive an MBA. Lisa has since lead large sales organizations and been a top performer but her passion of helping others be successful has lead her to opening the Business Development University.

For someone who was once as she described very shy, she has come a long way leading one of the more dynamic and informative presentations we have had at WRN Montco. For over a year Lisa interviewed a number of top sales people and organizations to find out what made them successful and she shared with us what she found to be the Top 10 Secrets to Success in Sales.

1. Have a Strategic Plan
Have a business plan for how you are going to move forward. If you do not have a plan they way she described creating one was to imagine that you were going on a vacation for 3 months and would have no communication with the person who would take over your role while you were gone. What instructions step by step would you have them do, what order, etc?

2. Be Goal Oriented
Put your goals in writing and be sure to include both Activity and Results oriented goals. She described creating the goals to be S.M.A.R.T. – Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. She reminded us of the timely and realistic stating that sometimes we focus on large, futuristic almost unattainable goals and suggested we spend time focusing on goals that can be accomplished in the next 3 months or less.

3. Effective Time Management
The best sales people know how to manage their time. The best way to manage your time is to have….goals and a strategic plan. On average a person wastes 2.5 hours a day. To put it in perspective if you made 100k a year that’s on average over $40 an hour and over $100 wasted a day.

4. Stop Selling
She encouraged us to look at ourselves as consultants not saleswomen and to ask more questions, to find the problem and offer a solution. A great idea she had was to model yourself after a physician. A doctor doesn’t come in and tell you where they went to school and why they are good, they ask questions and try to solve your problem. Find out how you can help first and be sure you are the right person to meet their needs and that you are speaking to the right person in an organization.

5. Consistently Prospect and Build Your Pipeline
She found that in the end it really is a numbers game. Consistent Results come from Consistent Activity. Remember to network and follow through. Use LinkedIn and other ways to stay connected and build your reach.

6. Maximize Your Opportunities with Current and Past Connections
Keeping a client is easier than getting a new one. Make sure to stay connected for referrals and future business. She says “squeeze the lemon” get the most out of each connection; ask for testimonials from every satisfied customer.

7. Organization Skills
She found really great sales comes from really great organization skills. Keeping your calendar, your system, everything organized.

8. A Great Attitude
She noted that sometimes it’s not always the smartest person who gets the sales but it’s the one who gets out there, sees people face to face with a smile on their face and shows up to work with a great attitude. It’s all the between the ears and in your heart. She reminded us of the quote by Henry Ford “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

9. Willing, Committed and Able
Are you willing and committed to being successful and setting yourself up with the skills to succeed? You have to commit to being successful.

10. Avoid Going to Buyer School
What she meant by this was to set clear expectations with buyers, not to give everything away for free or waste time with someone who will not commit to a yes, no or next step. Don’t get dragged along by a customer so they just learn from you and shop elsewhere.

We hope everyone enjoyed Lisa’s presentation and appreciate the time she took to share with us. If you would like more information about Lisa or some of the presentations and classes she offers visit http://www.businessdevelopmentu.com/.

March Sponsor Jane Butler – Accessible Home Health Care 

Accessible Home Health Care provides reliable and compassionate care to anyone needing assistance in the home. Services include, but are not limited to; bathing, dressing, meals, medication reminders, laundry, transportation to appointments or companionship.

What we learned from Jane’s presentation about her business this month was a lot more than just what services her company provides but what the name and the slogan “We Guarantee Compassionate Care” really does mean and how that differentiates Jane and her company.

Jane is the primary contact for her business. If clients have a concern or something happens in off hours, the voice they will hear on the phone is Jane’s. The services they provide are what anyone who cared for a parent or anyone with adult needs would provide and really are not limited as she says to bathing, dressing and medical needs. They will accompany a client to bingo, the cemetery, church, the store, they are true compassionate caregivers.

Jane personally interviews everyone who works for her company including the references. She not only looks for certifications and requirements but whether the individual fits the profile of offering compassion. Her orientation program, requirements for hire, certification requirements and continuing education for staff are extensive well beyond what are required as the industry standard. In addition to Jane interviewing the staff for hire she also allows families to interview and select the caregivers who are assigned to their family, a service rarely offered by other companies.

If you would like to contact Jane or would like more information about Accessible Home Health Care visit them online at http://www.accessiblemontcopa.com. Many thanks to Jane for being this month’s luncheon sponsor.