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FYI #144: Why You Must Ping Often

Monday, February 16th, 2009

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME you pinged? How did it make you feel?

I bet it brightened up your day, put a smile on your face and made the person you pinged happy too.

Pinging is fun and it’s good for your heart.

I love pinging and getting pinged. I do it as many times a day as I can. It makes me feel younger, keeps me sharp and energizes me every time I do it.

And those are just some of the psychological and physiological benefits of pinging.

But, if you ping often, there can also be a financial benefit.

Some people are natural pingers. It’s just what they love to do, so they do it often and they do it well.

I think women are better pingers than men. It must be in the way they are wired or something, it just seems to come to them more naturally. They’re not afraid to ping often. And sometimes they ping for no apparent reason at all other than to reach out and touch someone and make a human connection.

Making a personal human connection, is truly the most sincere and altruistic reason to ping and ping often.

The first time I heard it called pinging was when I read Keith Ferrazzi’s book Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time.

“What a cool, catchy phrase,” I thought to myself. I immediately started to talk about the importance of pinging often in my seminars and I personally started pinging more than ever.

And now it’s become a habit.

I’ve got five kids and a wife, so I don’t ping other people during Family Time. I like to ping during Drive Time or even Lunch Time. I may ping during Pay Time, but only early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Sometimes I ping other people on weekends depending on how well I know the other person and if my business relationship with them has reached a level that’s more personal and intimate.

Typically, I will only ping someone on weekends if it’s their birthday or if I know they have an important event coming up on Monday and they would appreciate a quick and friendly good-luck ping on Saturday or Sunday.

I never ping strangers, it’s too dangerous these days, especially in Jersey.

The cool thing about pinging is that you can do it anywhere in the world and technology has made it easy and more fun to ping often.

Here are the TOP TEN reasons…

” Why You Must Ping Often”

1. It makes the other person feel good.
2. It shows you care.
3. Frequent pinging deepens your relationship with a person.
4. Most people don’t get pinged often by anyone else.
5. It differentiates you and keeps you “top of mind” for the pingee.
6. It takes awareness and effort to ping often and people recognize this.
7. It’s more fun to ping than get pinged (believe it or not).
8. People need more high-touch in the 21st Century due to technology.
9. You’re only as good as your last ping.
10. Because your best customer is your competitor’s best prospect.

 

FYI Takeaway: Of course, you’re aware that when I talk about “pinging often” I’m referring to reaching out and communicating with clients. However, I hope it’s obvious that it’s equally important to ping friends and family often too.

Want to be a successful pinger? Follow this lead.

FYI ACTION IDEA: Nurture your network and build stronger relationships with them. Employ the Law of Reciprocity and give first without the expectation of getting. FYI and TGIM are great examples of pinging. Connect with others. And build meaningful relationships. Don’t get so caught up in yourself that you forget others and wait to reach out only when you need something.

You’ve been pinged!

Make It Your Best Year Ever!

Eric Taylor is the Chief Inspiration Officer of SelfGrowth.com and founder of New Jersey based Empowerment Group International. He delivers more than 100 energized and interactive keynotes, workshops and seminars each year to corporations, associations and tradeshows. He is the author of the Energy Passport, Co-creator of the Best Year Ever! Success System and Co-author of The Complete Sales Training Encyclopedia. Eric can be reached at 732.617.1030 x114 or email Eric@SelfGrowth.com or Eric@EmpowermentGroup.com

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The DNA of a Sales Superstar

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Dear High Achiever:

DO YOU HAVE THE DNA? Do you have the right stuff to be a sales superstar?

Over the past ten years I’ve made a habit of showing up a couple hours early to my corporate and tradeshow talks so I can hear other people speak. Being a life-long student of learning, I love the “nuggets of knowledge” that people inside a particular industry share. I always learn something new … confirm something I believe to be true … or at least get a great idea for my newsletters.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be the keynote speaker forAflac to help them kick off 2009 and get ready to have their Best Year Ever!

I love public speaking. And I love inspiring others to transform their life. I’m passionate about my message and I’m privileged to give a lot of seminars throughout the year, and I have a great time doing it. Not a bad gig, right?

I arrived about two hours before I was scheduled to be introduced on stage and I had the opportunity to sit in on a thirty-minute breakout session that was given by a successful Aflac agent. I’m going to respect her privacy and not mention her name, (I’ll call her Wendy – it’s a Bruce Springsteen thing – if you get that, I’m impressed) but I will let you know she was relatively new in the business. And, if I remember correctly, she was in Aflac less than three years and was already earning well over $250,000 a year.

If you are not in sales, I’ll let you in on something. 

Selling is one of the highest paying careers one can have. But not all salespeople are earning $250,000 a year. But, the ones with the right DNA are making buckets of money and having fun all the way to the bank.

Wendy is a Sales Superstar and has the right DNA!

“ What’s the DNA,” you ask? It will be revealed in a minute.

Another one of my habits when attending a seminar or when I’m in a meeting is taking notes, lots of notes. I’ve become fairly competent at remembering people’s names but I can’t remember everything a speaker says in a thirty or sixty minute seminar. Note taking is a good success strategy. (Hint, hint).

So I took a lot of notes. And now I’ll share them with you.

One thing I immediately notice when I listen to salespeople that have the DNA is their passion about their business and selling in general. They have a hungry-yet-sincere look in their eyes that is very engaging, and for me, it’s an Attractor Factor. I love talking about sales and I love talking to salespeople.

Wendy obviously has the DNA and I noticed it the second she started her talk.

The first thing I noticed was her enthusiasm and her passion about representing Aflac and being able to help people with the products and services Aflac offers.

It was like she drank the Aflac Kool-Aid or maybe a better illustration is, she was soaring with the Aflac Duck!

Are you soaring with your company and its brand?

Here is one of my favorite Wendy quotes from that day:

“ I think the employer (the prospect) is lucky that I’m calling on them.”

Whoa! What an awesome mindset to have when you are picking up the phone or making a cold-call in person. When I heard that I almost jumped out of my seat to run up and give her a high-five.

Then she said:

“ Frustration is my biggest motivator!”

Whoa again! Now I was really fired-up! No wonder she is making over $250,000 a year. She can’t be stopped by rejection. The more she hears “NO” the more persistent she becomes… Cool!

But wait, there’s more…

Next, she says:

“ I am my own boss!”

Wow! She takes responsibility for her own actions, success and her income. She knows she is accountable to herself. She is in charge. Aflacprovides the vehicle for her to earn as much money as she wants and she takes the initiative to go out and make it happen.

Next she begins to tell a story about meeting a lifeguard at the pool in her community. (It’s not what you think). She started talking to the lifeguard — a young woman, previously a stranger — and found out that the lifeguard’s father owned a huge company. Wendy then asked the lifeguard for permission to meet her Dad. She meets him and ends up writing a very large insurance policy for his company.

Hint: Talk to strangers!

Wendy’s takeaways continue: She says that only 50% of the people she calls return her phone call. It’s a numbers game and she doesn’t take it personally. She is not on clock time, she is on Goal Time. She has a goal and she makes as many calls as it takes to reach her goal. She doesn’t care if it’s a Sunday, a holiday or a rainy day. Every day is a sales day.

Then she says the line that separates the Sales Superstars from the Willy Lowmans of the selling world:

“ No Follow up – No Sale!”

Wendy knows the statistics: Sometimes it takes at least seven touches, contacts, approaches to get an appointment or close a deal. She doesn’t stop at one call when she knows an opportunity exists.

She closes her talk by summarizing her 3 keys to success:

1. Sincerity
2. Persistence
3. Follow Up

Last point for today: You think Wendy is the exception? You think Wendy was born to sell.

How wrong you’d be: In her previous corporate life (about three years ago, remember?) Wendy was a Human Resource Director. If you don’t know the profile of a HR Director – call one. Most people get into HR to avoid sales.

In his song Lose Yourself, Eminem, a performer with an interesting history of having transformed himself, sings “You can do anything you set your mind to.”

FYI Challenge: Self-Evaluate – Do you have the DNA of a sales superstar?

FYI Takeaway: Great salespeople are not born, they are self-made.

Go Out and Make This Your Best Year Ever!

Eric Taylor is the Chief Inspiration Officer of SelfGrowth.com and founder of New Jersey based Empowerment Group International. He delivers more than 100 energized and interactive keynotes, workshops and seminars each year to corporations, associations and tradeshows. He is the author of the Energy Passport, Co-creator of the Best Year Ever! Personal Empowerment Program and Co-author of The Complete Sales Training Encyclopedia. Eric can be reached at 732.761.9930 ext.114 or email Eric@SelfGrowth.comor Eric@EmpowermentGroup.com

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Business, It's Personal

Monday, December 15th, 2008

Dear High Achiever:

ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, friends prefer to do business with friends. Period.

Sound familiar? It should, if you read last week’s FYI #134: Are You S.W.I.F.T.?

If you didn’t have a chance to read it yet, no worries, I’ve got a lot warm holiday relationship-building stuff I’m going to share with you this week. You can go back and read last week’s later. I don’t want you to miss the holiday dish I’m about to serve up.

I’ve had an interesting experience almost every time I went to my mailbox over the past two weeks. I’ve been receiving a ton of Holiday Cards from people thanking me for being their client and wishing me a Joyous Holiday Season and a Healthy & Prosperous New Year! Further more, they’re looking forward to continuing our relationship in the New Year.

How nice is that? I think it’s wonderful. But … and guess what, as always, it’s a BIG BUT … it would be even more wonderful if it were true.

As my friend John McEnroe used to say, “You can’t be serious!” (Usually, shouted and directed toward a line judge after a bad call during a championship tennis match).

Look, it’s nice to get a holiday card. But at least check your database and make sure I’m really a client! (For those wonderful folks who have the good fortune of having me as a client, thanks for thinking of me now, but it would be doubly wonderful to hear from you more than once a year.)

I love it when I hear someone say, “Nothing personal; it’s just business.” What a line of B.S. Business and Personal are two words that are inextricably intertwined, forever.

It’s ALL Personal and its ALL Business. Here’s how you and I know this to be true. If you are “out there” Networking or Netweaving in your local market, you’re probably going to all of the Chambers, Rotary, networking groups, trade association and good clients’ holiday parties and/or throwing a festive bash yourself.

Why?

‘Tis the season. It’s a festive, feel-good, emotional time of the year (especially considering our current economic climate) and people want to connect with people they know in the marketplace. Besides, everyone will be spending plenty of time with family over the next two weeks.

Here’s a big Holiday A-Ha: When you go to the Holiday networking functions, notice how little you talk about the routine give-and-take of “doing business” and more about seasonal, current events. I would bet that you’re probably having more conversations about family, ski and beach vacations or where you will be spending the holidays and other things more…well, personal.

Of course, you may talk about your New Year’s business goals and you will probably tell the person you’re speaking with that you “really need to get together more, after the holidays.” And there’s your Christmastime clue and –

Your FYI challenge: Connect more in the New Year! Don’t just say you need to connect more in the New Year! Make a plan. Set a goal. And make it a high-touch New Year with the people who are most important to your business and your life.

Why? Because…

Business, It’s Personal

That’s why you need to come up with an all-year-long strategy and commitment to get belly to belly more often and also keep in touch when you can’t be there in person.

I’ve got two recommendations to add to your New Years Resolution. They are both easy to implement, but will take effort and action on your part. And, its not one-time action. I call it TOMA Action – Top Of MindAwareness Action. You need to think about it.

My first recommendation is a strategy and a habit I’ve been recommending to my clients, in workshops, training programs and in seminars for years.

Go to Harvey Mackay’s website and download Mackay’s 66. What are Mackay’s 66? It’s the 66 personal and business pieces of information Harvey recommends you find out about everyone in your database … everyone you meet … and even people in your family. (You’d be surprised what you don’t know about those relatives.) Here is the link:www.harveymackay.com

When you get to the website, go to “Tools” and you will see the drop-down link for “Mackay 66.” Note: Harvey’s had so many people ask for this that now you have to provide him with your email address to download the document. There is no risk; Harvey will not share your email address with anyone, ever. You will probably get his email newsletter and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You can easily opt-out if you choose. 

My second recommendation is one I made last week. A lot of people took me up on my offer, so I’m keeping it alive for FYI readers.

Feel free to use my system for staying in touch with clients, prospects, family and friends all year long.

As a holiday gift to you, I’m offering you an opportunity to use my Send Out Cards account complimentary, you can send up to 5 customized greeting, thank-you or holiday cards to business associates, clients, friends, family and even prospects.  

Use it at my expense. That means F.R.E.E. Simply click on this link: 
www.TaylortownSoc.com.

It’s a Can’t-Miss Holiday Gift. You can easily create a personalized holiday, greeting or Thank-you card or any type of card for that matter. I will pick up the stuffing, stamping and mailing expense for you.

Start a new tradition this holiday season. And then make a commitment to keep the “holiday warm fuzzies” going all year long because –

Business is personal. And people only care to know, when they know you care. Get personal with your clients, business associates and prospects. All things being not so equal, people still prefer to do business with their friends.

Cheers!

Go Out and Make This Your Best Year Ever!

Eric Taylor is the Chief Inspiration Officer of SelfGrowth.com and founder of New Jersey based Empowerment Group International. He delivers more than 100 energized and interactive keynotes, workshops and seminars each year to corporations, associations and tradeshows. He is the author of the Energy Passport, Co-creator of the Best Year Ever! Personal Empowerment Program and Co-author of The Complete Sales Training Encyclopedia. Eric can be reached at 732.761.9930 ext.114 or email Eric@SelfGrowth.comor Eric@EmpowermentGroup.com

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Are You S.W.I.F.T.?

Monday, December 8th, 2008

Dear High Achiever:

ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, friends prefer to do business with friends. Period. That’s an indisputable fact. And, even when all things are notequal, friends still prefer to do business with friends.

The best business is almost always based on relationship. Throughout my twenty-five plus years in business, I prefer to do business with people I like, I trust and that I’ve developed a friendship with.

There’s no Relationship Mystery – In my live Sales Training programs I use a Power Phrase to help attendees “anchor-in” in the importance of developing strong business relationships.

Here it is…

Get Beyond Business 
To Do More Business

There is a tag line that accompanies this Power Phrase.

Here it is …

… as quickly, naturally 
and comfortably possible

The first step: Gaining rapport, likeability (I like you, you like me) and a solid reason to do business together (I’ve got a product/service, you’ve got a need/problem and money to fix it).

Once that criterion is met, I move quickly to growing the relationship. And that’s when the tag line in my strategy “… as quickly, naturally and comfortably possible,” becomes –

Most important. Like anything, if it’s forced friendship, it won’t work. If you’ve seen the The Raincoats episode on Seinfeld with a character called “Aaron, The Close Talker” you know exactly what I mean. (If you haven’t seen the episode, Google it ‘cause it’s funny as heck and is a great example of how to make someone feel extremely uncomfortable.)

FYI Takeaway #1: When I’m communicating with someone in person, I need to be cognizant and respectful of their personal space. (So don’t be a Close Talker). But I also can’t stand ten feet away. I need to stand where it is mutually comfortable for both of us.

FYI Takeaway #2: Same thing in growing the relationship. I need to grow the relationship at a pace that is natural and comfortable for both parties.

However: When there is an opportunity to do a significant amount of business, I move the process of growing the relationship faster. The quality, frequency and the speed with which I develop the relationship and “Get beyond business to do more business” is critical. I want to get to “personal,” and I have a four-step strategy I use to accomplish this.

I also have an acronym that helps me remember that I need to moveswiftly. Here is the acronym and the strategy:

S. W. I. F. T.
Speed With Increasing Frequency of Touches

1. Pleasure-Meeting-You/Thank-You card.
2. Give high-level referral or a personal introduction to a CIO (Center of Influence).
3. Share an idea to grow their Business or Self.
4. Invite to a breakfast, lunch, dinner or event (sporting, seminar, concert, etc.)

First impressions are critical to the success of growing any relationship. But I need to tell you, the second impression is equally, if not more, important.

Just ask any woman. There’s a saying I once heard and I’m sure some of the women reading this FYI can relate:

“It never gets better than the first date.” Guys have a tendency to step it up on the first date, the way they dress … their manners … how much money they spend. After the first date, the real guy appears, and it’s football, pizza and beer. Which may not be entirely bad. I mean some ladies appreciate… Uh, oh…I’ll quit while I’m ahead. You get the point.

Back to S.W.I.F.T. I can count on one hand and one foot how many times I’ve received a “personal Thank-You or Nice Meeting You card” from someone in my twenty-five years of business.

Now, since the advent of ubiquitous email, I’ve received hundreds of email Thank-You messages. But they certainly don’t make the same positive impression that someone taking the time to send a card makes.

Not even close. As they’re keyboarding newly acquired business card info into their contact manager, anyone can burp out an email and “Thank” someone. Even more technically impersonal, you and I can send an email from our phone as soon as we get in the car after a meeting. Cool, but not very difficult, personal or impressive.

With the world we live in today, I can appreciate high-tech; it certainly makes high-touch and the frequency of communicating happen in nanoseconds. However, nothing is as powerful at building a long lasting, mutually beneficial relationship, as a face-to-face or as I like to say in sales, belly-to-belly.

By implementing the four-step S.W.I.F.T. strategy I can take a relationship “Beyond business to do more business” in less than one month, often even faster.

With the holiday season upon us: NOW is the time for you to getS.W.I.F.T. with your friends, family, clients and prospects.

You see, S.W.I.F.T. doesn’t only apply to business as a relationship development strategy. It applies to any relationship you are trying to begin, grow and maintain more sincerely, intimately and quickly.

I have a system I use to quickly implement Step #1 (the most critical step) in the S.W.I.F.T. strategy.

As a holiday gift to you, I’d like to offer you an opportunity to try this system by using my account at Send Out Cards to send 5 customized greeting or holiday cards.

Use it at my expense. That means F.R.E.E. Simply click on this link:http://www.sendoutcards.com/empowermentgroup

FYI: The link has audio, so turn up or down depending on your location.

It’s a Can’t-Miss deal. You easily create a personalized card. I will pick up the stuffing, stamping and mailing expense for you.

Test drive the S.W.I.F.T. System and see how quickly and easily you can move a business relationship to a personal friendship. Business is a lot more fun when you are doing it with friends.

The Second Achievement Breakfast Club Meeting

Everyone is excited after attending the first ABC meeting. If you would like to join us this Wednesday, December 10th and get around friendly, positive, out-going and success-oriented people, click on this link and get the details – www.selfgrowth.com/abc

Go Out and Make This Your Best Year Ever!

Eric Taylor is the Chief Inspiration Officer of SelfGrowth.com and founder of New Jersey based Empowerment Group International. He delivers more than 100 energized and interactive keynotes, workshops and seminars each year to corporations, associations and tradeshows. He is the author of the Energy Passport, Co-creator of the Best Year Ever! Personal Empowerment Program and Co-author of The Complete Sales Training Encyclopedia. Eric can be reached at 732.761.9930 ext.114 or email Eric@SelfGrowth.comor Eric@EmpowermentGroup.com

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If Not You, Who?

Monday, October 27th, 2008

Dear High Achiever:

I’M CERTAIN you’ve heard this quote before, especially if you are in sales or have ever been to a motivational seminar. Ironically, I’ve never asked the audience at one of my seminars these two questions …so here they are for you in writing.

If not you, who?

If not now, when?

These are two good questions to ask yourself if you are a person who desires to make the most or your life … experience all it has to offer … and want to contribute in helping others make the most of theirs.

I’ll let you in on a secret…

You are not like most people!

How do I know that? Because you are reading this FYI/TGIM. And I would guess that you subscribe to other personal or professional development newsletters and are a student of personal growth.

• You are in a unique and special category of people. You represent one tenth of one percent of the population that cares about self improvement and personal growth.
• You’ve taken personal responsibility in accessing information that can help you become more as a human being.

But information is only potential power. It’s what you do with the information that becomes real power.

Which leads me to my third question…

What Personal Accountability Strategies Do You Have In Place?

My guess would be zero.

On a scale of 1 to 10: Where would you rate YOU for personal accountability? You know what I mean, the kind of accountability when no one is watching. I’m referring to the kind of accountability that you share with the people closest to you. Not the stuff you share with your acquaintances and people at work that you embellish on to make you look good.

What’s your real number? And what area or areas of your life do you have to take it up a notch or three?

For example: Think about when you see someone in life doing exceptionally well. (I know this is relative; we all have our own opinion of “exceptional” and “well.”)

So, let’s say when you see someone who seemingly has it all together mentally, spiritually, physically, financially, in their marriage and family, their life just seems to have balance and harmony. What do you think of this person?

I think they have a high level of personal accountability, accompanied by personal responsibility. They most likely take consistent action to improve their life and take personal responsibility in finding the information they need to achieve their desired outcome. They’ve answered the core questions: the “who?” … the “when?” … and their personal accountability rating is a 10.

But here’s another not-so-little insight: I’m around some super achievers and nobody has it all together. I can count on one hand people I know that have answered and mastered all three questions and every area of their life.

So not everyone has it all together. That’s why professional athletes, business executives and soccer moms have trainers, mentors and coaches.

Yes – You are the one who is responsible for your life. And you are the one who has to do it now because the clock is always ticking. And you are the one who has to hold yourself accountable for your actions. But the good news is…

You don’t have to go it alone. You don’t have to take the journey toward Self Growth by yourself.

In fact, you shouldn’t. I always emphasized and agreed with the philosophy that “personal development is an inside job.” But that doesn’t mean you can’t utilize all the resources that are available to you.

FYI Takeaway: Since you are already an active student of self improvement, you probably realize you have unlimited outside resources to get the inside work done.

FYI ACTION IDEA: Use them!

FYI IDEA IN ACTION: One of the key motivators for me initiating the upcoming Achievement Breakfast Club event is to create a forum for like-minded personal development enthusiast to meet, learn and become more by sharing energy, experiences and ideas for Self Growth. When one or more gather with similar intentions there is energy, enthusiasm and a synergy that is very powerful.

I have a name for it: I call it Energy Transference. At my seminars, I have the privilege of being on stage and I see it happen right in front of me. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Enthusiasm takes energy, and when two or more people combine their energy and enthusiasm, amazing things happen.

I want to recommend two Action Items for you to consider if you know you need to take your personal accountability up a notch.

Action Item #1: Do everything in your power to make it to theAchievement Breakfast Club get together on November 12th. Details and registration information will be emailed to you in just a few days.

Action Item #2: If you are interested and willing to make an investment of time and resources to make 2009 Your Best Year Ever! — let’s set up a time to talk.

Shameless commercial (sort of). I say “sort of” because you know these no-charge “FREE” FYIs and TGIMs are, and will continue, to be here to Inform and Inspire you throughout the days and years ahead. And at the Empowerment Group we’re actively fine-tuning the Best Year Everprogram in its many forms and variations to make its guidance affordable and available to you.

But if the challenges of today’s FYI have Informed and Inspired you at a higher level–

Maybe it’s time for you to go the distance. Contact me about becoming your Personal Success and Accountability Coach. I only have room for a few clients and if you are compelled to take your life and career to the next level we should schedule a complimentary Discovery Call.

Take Action: Don’t settle for less than you deserve in this life. YOU are the person and NOW is the time to make this Your Best Year Ever!

I hope to see you on November 12th at the Achievement Breakfast Club or speak to you in person to see how we can work together.

Go Out and Make This Your Best Year Ever!

Eric Taylor is the Chief Inspiration Officer of SelfGrowth.com and founder of New Jersey based Empowerment Group International. He delivers more than 100 energized and interactive keynotes, workshops and seminars each year to corporations, associations and tradeshows. He is the author of the Energy Passport, Co-creator of the Best Year Ever! Personal Empowerment Program and Co-author of The Complete Sales Training Encyclopedia. Eric can be reached at 732.761.9930 ext.114 or email Eric@SelfGrowth.comor Eric@EmpowermentGroup.com

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