5 Components of a Well-Constructed Up-Front Contract

Five components of a well-constructed up-front contract are:
• The specific objective of the interaction
• The amount of time required
• The prospect’s role, both to prepare for the interaction and to take part in it
• The salesperson’s role, both to prepare for the interaction and to take part in it
• The intended outcome. What decision(s) will be made or conclusion(s) reached at the end of the interaction?

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Tips for Keeping Yourself Focused at Work

Distractions and the wandering mind happens to all of us - While working away on something that needs to get done, you suddenly realize that for quite some time you’ve been lost in a reverie about something else entirely. You don’t know when your mind went off track, nor how long you’ve been off and distracted.

While the exact rate varies, most of our minds wander, on average 50% of the time.

In a recent study, the largest mind gaps were seen during work hours. Here we explore a few suggestions to help your wandering mind on track and focused while you're on the lock.

Tip 1: 
Manage temptations. Many distractors are digital: Facebook's status updates, tweets, emails, and etc. There are several apps that can wall off those temptations to wander off. Check out the following 2 apps and stay on track:

1. Nanny for Google blocks off websites you might be tempted to visit 
2. StayFocusd limits the amount of time (also set by you) you can spend in your inbox, on Facebook, or wherever else

Tip 2:
Monitor your mind and take second thoughts. Noticing where your mind has gone – checking your twitter feed instead of working on that report – gives you the chance for a second thought: “my mind has wandered off again.” That very thought disengages your brain from where it has wandered and activates brain circuits that can help your attention get unstuck and return to the work at hand.

Tip 3:
Practice a daily mindfulness session. This mental exercise can be as simple as watching your breath, noticing when your mind has wandered off, letting go of the wandering thought and bringing it back to your breath again. These movements of the mind are like a mental workout, the equivalent of repetitions in lifting free weights: every rep strengthens the muscle a bit more. In mindfulness what gets stronger are the brain’s circuits for noticing when your mind has wandered, letting go, and returning to your chosen focus. And that’s just what we need to stay with during that one important task we’re working on.

Sandler Rule #1: You Have to Learn to Fail to Win

Start by asking yourself the following question, "Have you ever lost a sale & felt like a personal failure?" Failure is part of the human condition. Everybody fails at something. People who achieve a great deal fail at many things. It's important that we remember:  

• It's OK to fail.
• You as a person are not a failure.
• There is the REAL - you vs. the ROLE - you.

You can choose to regard failures as negative experiences - defeats, losses, setback. Or you can choose to regard failures as positive learn what not to do, what needs to be changed, and what needs to be fixed. Failure can accelerate your success. If and only if you take the time to extract clear lessons from your failures, and then apply those lessons to your next endeavor.

Recognizing failure as a potential positive experience gives you a new freedom- the freedom to try new thing, be more creative, and stretch outside your comfort zone. If you don't achieve the results you seek, ask yourself, "What did I learn from this?"

Of course, accepting this concept intellectually is one thing. Dealing with failure emotionally is another matter entirely. Before you can learn from your failures, you must learn to fail. And, in order to do that, you must understand failure and put it in its proper perspective.

When you fail to accomplish something, you're not a failure. You did not fail. Instead, it was your attempt, your action plan, strategy, or technique  that failed. There is a difference between the real you and the role you.

Real You:
The real you is defined by your self identity and your sense of self-worth.
Role You:
The role you is defined by your performance in a role - As a sister, spouse, parent, little league coach, or salesperson.

You must learn not to take role failures personally. An unsuccessful attempt to obtain an appointment or close a sale is just that- an unsuccessful attempt. It has nothing to do with your personal worth. Your personal worth is still intact! If there is a lesson to be learned from the failed attempt, identify it and apply it to subsequent attempts.

You will know when you have learned to fail in a way that supports winning - as opposed to failing in a way that you take personally- because you will start thinking about "failure" differently. When you begin to look forward to the lessons from "failures," because you know those lesson will lead you to future "wins," you will be on the right track.

Doug Cohen of Summit Performance brings Sandler Training to Plantation, Florida

Many business owners and leaders believe that “training doesn’t work.”  And since many of them regard training as a single event, designed as a short-term quick fix––they are right––that training doesn’t work.

Sandler training does work, because our training is built on the concept of incremental growth and change over time—supported by repetition, reinforcement, coaching and accountability.  We know that achieving lasting behavioral change and mastering new skills does not occur at a one-day seminar, or overnight.

We also know that people are not likely to consistently implement a particular strategy or tactic, regardless of how effective it is, unless it’s part of an overall behavioral plan. And, they are not likely to implement a plan unless it is supported by the appropriate attitude and outlook. Therefore, Sandler training addresses all three areas necessary for success—attitude, behavior and technique.

About Doug Cohen
Doug Cohen is President of Summit Performance Training, an authorized Sandler Training center serving the south Florida area. Doug combines real-life problem-solving experience, with coaching and communication, to provide solutions to the day-to day challenges faced by sales people, sales managers, and customer service professionals.

Doug works closely with individuals and companies on a myriad of sales-related issues, including:

• Sales Training
• Management & Leadership Training
• Executive Coaching
• Keynote Speakers
• Assessments/Benchmarks
• Systems/Process Implementation
• Customer Service Training
• Goal Setting
• Prospecting and Lead Acquisition

Specifically, Doug’s expertise can be leveraged to help sales professionals in any industry learn and implement a proven selling system that focuses not just on sales techniques, but on attitudes and reinforcement.  Sandler Training is an ongoing development program grounded in proven theories, hard skills, powerful techniques, and workable strategies that sales professionals can use on every call, with every prospect…for the rest of their lives.

Doug volunteers for Junior Achievement, a national organization whose vision is to inspire young people to succeed in a global economy.  Doug has taught courses to middle and high school students in the areas of economics, personal finance, and entrepreneurship. He holds an M.B.A. from Nova Southeastern University and a B.S. in Broadcast Communications from the University of Florida.

If you would like to know the TRUTH about what might be secretly wrecking your business or to request more information click here: http://www.summitperformance.sandler.com/requestinfo

Productivity, Performance & Proficiency Lies and Your Solution

When it comes to productivity, you may think you have it mastered. You check tasks off your to-do list, multitask like the best of them, and stay insanely busy from morning until night. But it turns out, your so-called “productivity” may actually be a jumble of popular myths that make you think you’re getting more done than you actually are. Think you’re using your time wisely? Check out these four lies you might be telling yourself about being productive—and how you can free yourself from that false reality.

The Lie: My Day’s Full of Activity, So I Must Be Super Productive

These days, there’s no shortage of digital time-fillers that can make you feel productive. You can easily spend all day emailing, playing on LinkedIn, searching, instant messaging, texting, and whatever else it takes to stay in the online loop. But while your fingers are busy typing and your eyes busy reading, all you’re really doing is getting hits of information—over and over again—instead of working toward a goal.

Or, you might pack your schedule to the brim—coffee meetings in the morning and networking events after work—which forces you to spend all night responding to all the emails in your overflowing inbox. But are you really getting anything significant done?

The Logical Solution: The Done List
To make sure you’re actually accomplishing substantial tasks each day, keep a “done list”—that is, a list of tasks you’ve completed instead of things you have left to do. When you stop to recognize each day’s accomplishments, you’ll be able to reflect more constructively: Did you spend your time wisely? Did you make any significant progress today? Which allows you to reevaluate how you’re spending your time.

The Lie: The inspirational multitasking guru
Multitasking can trick you into feeling like you’re a productivity superhero. After all, if you have the skills to simultaneously compile a budget, listen to a podcast, and catch up on your email, you must be running circles around your single-tasking co-workers, right?
Actually, studies show that multitasking can make you perform worse in whatever you’re doing.

The Logical Solution: Dial in the Focus
Try focusing on one task at a time. Why should you work against what you believe are your natural multitasking talents? Yes, it might feel less productive to work on one thing at a time, but extreme focus will bring out your best.
To help you get out of your task-juggling habits, work in ones:

• Keep one simple to-do list.
• Complete at least one significant task toward the beginning of your day.
• If you’re really up for a challenge, try working in only one browser tab!

When you single-task, you’ll boost your brainpower and since you’re not spending partial attention on multiple tasks, you’ll get the task at hand done faster.

The Lie: Go with the flow? Planning & Schedules
Don't hold everything in your head. You may think that having a flexible and open schedule can be conducive to creativity (and it can be, to a certain extent), but that doesn’t mean all forms of scheduling should go out the window. A little structure can help you clarify your goals and think more clearly—so you won’t waste time trying to figure out if you overlooked anything from your mental to-do list.

The Logical Solution: Rhythms & Timetables
Create a reliable rhythm for yourself. Instead of scheduling your day down to the very last detail and task, try working with broader goals in mind.

With this strategy, I still recommend to-do lists—but not necessarily filled with specific tasks. Instead, list categories of what you’re working on.

This will allow you to work productively toward your goals without locking yourself into turn-by-turn directions. Then, set aside a dedicated block of time for you to work on each category, so you can minimize distractions and focus on actually producing.

The Big Lie: The Tomorrow Excuse
The power of procrastination is a powerful monster. Without much thought, the top task on your to-do list can get pushed to tomorrow, and then to the next day, and then to the next. And in your mind, you truly believe you’ll get to it eventually—but “eventually” keeps getting pushed further and further away.

The Logical Solution: Find an Accountability Ally
The root of procrastination is often a lack of accountability—if no one knows what’s on your to-do list, no one knows that you’re not actually making any progress on it. To stay on track, partner up with a co-worker or group of peers—people who are committed to helping each other do what they say they’re going to do—and plan to check in with each other at least once a week.

If you can’t find an accountability partner, technology can help you become your own coach. Check out apps like iDoneThis, Lift, and Email Game, which keep you updated on your progress toward specific goals and which can help keep you on track and motivated to stay productive.

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10 Steps for Using Social Media in Business And In Sales

Here are 10 steps to being social:

1. Getting Started: Locate your professional headshot and/or business logo. Create a summary about yourself, work, skills and expertise. Take that information and go sign up and complete your profiles on the following networks:
A. LinkedIn
B. Facebook
C. Google +
D. Twitter
E. Blog
Note: These sites are cataloged by Google, Bing and Yahoo and will not only make it easier for people and brands to find you, it will also BOOST your organic SEO rank and help your websites rank.

2. What Comes Next: Follow the favorites in your industry, join popular groups, and connect with key influencers and referral partners.

3. Friends, Invitations & Connections: Send personalized invitations to connect to your network and suggested friends.

4. Testimonials Written & Received: Request recommendations and favorites politely and return the favor (that's good LinkedIn etiquette). If your LinkedIn profile is completed, you will have skills listed for easy endorsements and your connections can endorse you easily with a click-of-a-mouse.

5. 1 Time Per Day Rule: Update your status 1 time daily. Facebook is a bit tricky and shouldn't be posted on multiple times on a daily basis until you have many fans that are actively engaging with your posts (like, share, comment). If you're not sure about the best way to use Facebook for business, review information on how Facebook rates your activity called "EdgeRank"

6. Interacting: Share and comment on other people’s posts at least once per day.

7. New Connections: Send invitations to connect to new people at least one per day. Just make it a personal invitation, like you are shaking hands or being introduced at a Chamber event.

8. How to Get Noticed: Comment or answer questions in groups 3 times per week.

9. Getting Brands & Businesses to Engage: Cross-promote your other profiles, email newsletter, and website or blog once per week.

10. And What About the Competition? Spy on your competition, research potential clients, and help referral partners.

Saying "Yes" to Success with the "Yes" attitude

The "yes" attitude. That means that your default response to requests is “yes.” Consider the movie, Yes, Man, played by Jim Carrey. In this movie he says, "yes!" to everything. This doesn’t mean lying, and it’s not a risky practice because most requests at the beginning of a relationship are simple and easy.
Responding to conversations with a "yes" buys you time, enables you to see more options, and builds rapport. Creating good networking practices is always thinking about how you can help the people when you meet them.

Which leads to the "no" response and the reactions that 1 word creates. A “no” response stops everything. There’s no place to go, nothing to build on, and no further options. You never know what may come of a relationship, and you will never know if you don’t let it begin. At least, try thinking with a “not yet” response instead of “no.”