Month: December 2015

5 Investments You Should Make in Yourself Today

On By Joe DeRosaIn Leadership1 Comment

books

Your mind and body are indeed your most valuable assets.  Most people would say their home.  And while on paper that may be true, without your mind and body nothing else matters.  Here are 5 investments you should make to strengthen both:

  1. Read – Your brain is the most important organ in your body, controlling all bodily functions including your muscles and other organs.  Reading, especially fiction, improves your brain connectivity and function according to a recent Emory University study.  In addition to the health contribution reading has on your brain, it also helps in developing your thinking skills, perspective, and decision making skills by filling your brain with more ideas and insights.
  2. Exercise – Study after study, year after year, we know that exercising each day produces huge benefits for the body, mind, and soul.  According to WebMD, the body’s release of endorphins caused by exercise increases self-esteem, reduces the perception of pain, and creates a positive feeling in your body. Knowing this, how could anyone argue against the value of exercise?  If you’re working out now, great job.  Continue.  If you’re not exercising now, start with just 30 minutes, 3 days a week.  A walk, a jog, push-ups, whatever you chose but start.
  3. Pay it Forward –  Time is your most scarce resource.  Some people horde it.  Others squander it.  I’d suggest you invest it in others.  I spend hours each week with people in my network.  I’ve helped countless friends and associates with resumes, interviewing tips, sales strategies, branding practices, and other areas where my expertise can add value to them.  I am most excited, most engaged, most rewarded when I know I’ve helped someone improve and develop themselves.  For me, paying it forward creates a feeling of pride, improves self-confidence and raises self-esteem.
  4. Clothing – Here’s a tricky one. Remember the saying, “dress for the job you want”?  Whether you like it or not we’re a society of first impressions.  That means that what you wear does matter.  You don’t need to break the bank for a good look.  Guys, you don’t need a dozen suits in your closet.  You can alter the look of one suit with ties.  One black, or blue suit, has endless possibilities by changing your tie.  Ladies, same thing for you with the exception of accessories.  Pins, necklaces, blouses can quickly change the look of a single suit.  If you’re working in a more casual environment dress “crisply”.  Pressed shirts, nice jeans or kakis, etc. Remember, work is still work, not a party, not a social gathering.
  5. Accessories – Everything from glasses, watches, briefcases, portfolios, pens, earrings, jewelry (not too much), pocket squares, cuff links, and shoes.  This is another area where investing in just one or two accessories can make a big difference.

Stop Hiding, It’s Time to be Remarkable.

On By Joe DeRosaIn LeadershipLeave a comment

dog

Long hair, short hair.  Clean shaven, beard.  New York accent, southern drawl.  Short, tall.  Heavy, slim.  Most people think of physical attributes when considering how remarkable they are.  Sure, David Beckham or Kate Beckinsale certainly turn heads but what truly makes you remarkable?  The answer?  It’s what you do and how you do it.

All of us have encountered remarkable people in our lives.  These are the people we remember.  The ones that made a difference.  They are the people that cared enough, shared enough, and gave enough to us that we walked away feeling beyond satisfied, feeling completely fulfilled.

The great author, Seth Godin, was one of the first to raise the concept of remarkable in his book Purple Cow.  Everyone can be remarkable. Few do, but all can. It’s a choice.  The fact is you’re already remarkable, you just need to show it.  We were all born with talent.  Your first job is to be self-aware enough to identify what your talent is and then live it.  Your second job is to understand your current circumstances and determine what actions you can take that will result in someone seeing you as remarkable.

Maybe you don’t want to be cold calling all day but that’s your current circumstance.  Your choice to gear up, toughen up and lighten up will come through your interactions as remarkable instead of choosing to be beaten up.  As inspirational writer John Maxwell says, “Your attitude determines your altitude.”  Not only is he right, but your attitude also determines just how remarkable you are, and can become.

Remarkability is not just about being different, or memorable.  If it were we’d have to include people like Hilter, Hussein, and Nero.  Being remembered is not being remarkable.  Being remarkable is having a positive impact in someones day, week, or life.  While others may define remarkable differently I would simply say that it’s about making others smile, happy, or feel fulfilled.  Perhaps that’s why nurses, pharmacists and fireman always top the list of most trusted professions, because in life’s most critical moments those are the remarkable ones we turn to.

Making the choice to be, act, and do remarkable things is all yours.  The world is waiting…needs you…to be just that – to be remarkable.

 

 

Salespeople BEWARE: You’re About to be Sensored

On By Joe DeRosaIn SalesLeave a comment

ScaredSalesPerson

So you’ve chosen a career in Sales.  You’re excited by the thrill of the hunt, the change of scenery everyday and the opportunity to make as much money as you want. But could Sales be changing in a way that makes all this a distant memory?  You may be at risk of being replaced by a sensor…big data.

In a recent Fortune magazine article on Formula 1 racing authored by Stacey Higginbotham, she writes about how big data has changed the racing sport.  In “less than 300 milliseconds” data can travel from the farthest track in Australia to the UK where it can be analyzed and strategy adjustments can be provided back to the crew at the racetrack.   According to Alan Peasland, head of technical partnerships at Infiniti Red Bull Racing, “Gut-feel decisions just aren’t made.”

Imagine big data eliminating gut-feel decisions in your sales process.  With CRM platforms, marketing automation systems, and a variety of sales enablement tools there is more data than ever providing insight into each sales encounter.  When contact was made, what was discussed, who was present, what the outcome or next step is, or what went wrong.  Crunching all this data and putting it into a useable format might just make the salesperson a thing of the past.

As baby-boomers are overtaken by millennials buying habits are changing quickly.  Millennials rely on mobile devices and testimonials much more than boomers do.  In fact, according to Business Insider, 62% of millennials respond to mobile offers versus 39% of boomers.  Additionally, 82% of millennials favor word-of-mouth from friends and family versus 52% of boomers.  That means marketers must adjust their branding, advertising and sales processes.

Is it possible that in the future the role of the salesperson simply goes away?  What if a company like Amazon was able to aggregate all of your purchases and with great accuracy recommend and predict future consumption…both product type and quantity?  Wait a minute…aren’t they already headed that way?  The Dollar Shave Club is already doing this with great success. Maybe this isn’t as far-fetched as you’d like to think it is.

Sales professionals need to recognize this tectonic shift.  Your ability to survive being replaced by a sensor collecting and analyzing data will only be as good as your capability to adapt and add value.  Reading, researching, and having your own teachable point of view are critical requirements of your survival.  In the absence of any or all of these requirements your sales role today will become a fossil for tomorrow.  Get curious and keep thirsty for new knowledge.