When curve balls are thrown at you seize control

shutterstock_195916973Almost always there exists a way around troublesome situations, and it’s up to us to take action. But before hasty actions are taken, pause to consider the options.

Confer with your better friends as to how they might handle similar situations. Over time, make it a habit to take the time to frequently update one another. Sharing your history and progress empowers those friends to advise you well, when the going gets tough, so that you may keep on going. Moving forward instructs you on how to qualify and match the better connections for greatly improved results.

At the time curve balls are received is an excellent time to revisit your values and priorities, and whether your long-term vision is due for change. Should this be the case, create a new plan for getting to where you prefer to be. Usually we want to remove ourselves from the situation as quickly as possible, so this is the time to also increase time efficiencies while putting priorities in place for moving forward.

The good news about the desire to accomplish much in so little time is that there is no room to second guess yourself, or for allowing fear to enter the picture. For example, if you are an entrepreneur who is told about an interesting event in passing, ask for the details and push yourself out the door to attend. Connect with new people wherever you may. The unexpected conversations frequently reveal new ideas.

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Extra Effort

An effective technique suggested for beginning salespeople is to make ten extra phone calls per day. Those who choose to pick up the phone to ask for an appointment are able to improve their phone and meeting skills after having made repeated calls. Eventually they learn how to get in the door for the desired appointment and make a great first impression.

Connecting Online

Today, social media makes the introductions far easier. The profile page of the person with whom you are about to connect is a great place to become acquainted. Next, write a brief message, include what caught your attention, and then ask permission to connect online and possibly by phone. Finding commonality is the beginning of a pending relationship.

A great conversation starter, upon connecting with people both in-person and online, is to ask if they would be interested in exploring ways in which to help one another. Very few will turn that offer down. The next step is to offer a range of dates and times, nail one specific time down, and then show up for the meeting.

After in-person meetings, interviews, and online meetings, write a thoughtful sentence or two about how much you enjoyed the conversation. If you found ideas to explore together, express your enthusiasm for doing so.

Initiating action, pursuing actionable goals with timelines included, and following up on the action taken, will drive sales and long-term relationships for a returning and referring clientele.

Taking action transforms into the Smooth Sale!

Picture of Elinor Stutz

Elinor Stutz

Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, was honored by Open View Labs with inclusion in their international list of “Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012.” Elinor authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, Sourcebooks and the best selling career book, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”, Career Press. She provides team sales training, private coaching and highly acclaimed inspirational keynotes for conferences. Elinor is available for consultation. Kred ranks Stutz as a Top 1% influencer; CEO World Magazine named Stutz as one of “The brightest sales minds to follow on Twitter”. She speaks and consults worldwide.

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