You are reading The X Factor Coaching And Selling by Jason Forrest
In 2009, I graduated from a yearlong coaching program to help me develop as a world-class speaker. Every week, I had to turn in one three-minute story (via video recording) plus a script. I then spent three hours on the phone getting critiqued on how to make it better.
While I was in the program, I called my coach, Steve Siebold, and said, "I need a break. I have a one-year-old at home. Our second baby was just born prematurely, and I'm trying to get 40 Day Sales Dare completed. Not only that, but I need to focus on getting more business."
His response? "Okay, Jason. That's fine if you want to quit, but let me ask you — Is it impossible to do all of that or just impossible for you? If Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps or Oprah Winfrey were in your situation, would they do it?"

Sales managers have no shortage of challenges. I always hated having to explain why sales are down. I can remember numerous times I faced challenges when sales were off. One year in February sales we were already behind budget. I knew I had to do something. So I quickly thought up a 3 point plan and marched down to my boss’s office.
I stated that I was concerned about sales and I decide that I was going to do the following:

The power of Facebook has impressed many of its users, giving them the ability to speak to family and friends and share their lives virtually together no matter the distance. It has also become a fantastic hub for businesses to express personality, share promotions and gain customer loyalty and trust.

However, Facebook has done much more, it has made a customer service comeback for businesses. Allowing Facebook users to speak with companies directly and quickly; expressing their concerns and exciting their praises.

In fact 1/3 of consumers are using social media to engage with their vendor of choice. Facebook has become the most valued tool as a social media lead generator, its platform for Business to Consumers (B2C) with 77% stating that they have received a customer from their Facebook page interactions.

Engaging with customers through social media can help your business gain advocates for your brand, advocates voice their joy of how you have treated them, sharing this information with their family and friends and therefore amplifying your reach on Facebook. You also need to keep in mind that the average B2C advocate has roughly 200-400 people within their Facebook community alone. Let’s not forget the power of peer-to-peer influence since studies show that 61% of consumers will buy from a brand that is recommended by another customer or more so from a family or friend.

Facebook is where your company’s customers are with 1 in 4 users checking the site up to 5 times daily; therefore your presence is a necessity if you want to earn your brand’s credibility online.  More importantly making connections with people based on an emotional distinction with your brand can increase a new customer and providing availability to consumers through social media is direct customer service that can keep a current customer happy.

Learn more about the statistics of Facebook for B2C and How Businesses Are Making Friends on Facebook in the following infographic created by Ambassador http://www.soldlab.com/news/2012/11/21/the-customer-service-comeback-on-facebook-infographic

Business intelligence is expected to rapidly grow over the next few years, but just what exactly is the limit for this market? Gartner found the market grew 16.4 percent Y/Y in 2011, and IDC projects that business intelligence will reach just under $34 billion this year.

While these are high numbers, is there a chance that they’re actually a little low, and the opportunity for business intelligence and analytics applications is actually understated?

Over on my blog on Software Advice, I recently took a look at the market from a consumer perspective. I isolated three trends that I think will lead to an even greater-than-expected opportunity for BI applications:

#1 Accessibility Means New Small Business Users - The most recent estimate from the U.S. Census found over 27 million small businesses in the U.S., many of which use little (if any) analytical applications other than the common exception of website analytics. As vendors continue to develop lightweight BI applications, small businesses will introduce business intelligence to their operations from the get-go. And when these organizations grow to mid-sized companies or large corporations, they’ll be willing to invest heavily in more functional (read:expensive) systems.

#2 Emphasized Visualizations and Dashboards for Managers - Measurement, spreadsheet and database tools are pervasive within businesses of all sizes today, but many frontline managers lack the ability to pull data and make use of it in a reasonable amount of time. Take a look at new services such as Chartio, an analytics platform that takes data from the Cloud to create dashboards and visualizations. Managers without BI experience will be able to use these applications to drastically improve their team.

AJ Square Inc is a reputed software development company offering various IT services like custom software development, web development, web design services and ITES services like quality management , SEO, Online marketing, Testing services. They announced that 2012 will be the year of best deals and offers for AJ Square customers. For the last two months they announced two best offers for their software products consecutively like 25% offer, 50% offer with design services and so on.

SOLD Magazine Recommends: Successful Negotiation: Communication, Not Confrontation by Julie Thomas
How many times have we as sales professionals gone into a negotiation believing someone – the procurement officer, perhaps –

Positive Sales Behaviors: JASON FORREST shares how you can change your behaviors to change your sales results

“If you are able to read, but choose not to, you may as well be illiterate.” Just the same, if you’ve been trained in all the best sales techniques and behaviors and choose not to implement them, you may as well be untrained. I like to think of our sales knowledge as residing in three buckets — the first bucket contains what we know and do regularly; the second contains what we know but only do sometimes; and the third contains what we don’t know, and therefore don’t do. The more we can move positive behaviors into the first bucket, the better off we are.

What's inside November 2012:

You are reading The X Factor Coaching And Selling by Jason Forrest

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” –Henry David Thoreau

The way you see yourself, the possibilities, and your role as a sales professional has a major effect on your career, job satisfaction, and income. And that’s what this column is all about. Previously, we covered an athlete for the Paralympics who says, “the only disability is a bad attitude.” And that’s a classic example for today’s X Factor belief — it’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

Harvard research shows that, regardless of their college experience, within seven years, most people will find a career that achieves a similar lifestyle to what they grew up in or they will marry into it. Because it’s what they believe they’re capable of, people will strive to get to that point. That means that what you believe and how you see yourself is just as important as what you do. 
Sales professionals: How do you think of yourself? What do you think of when you hear the word “salesperson?” If you’re one who cringes at the word, you will come off as practically apologizing for your role.
On the other hand, if you’re like me and see selling as a vehicle for fulfilling someone’s wants, dreams, hopes and desires; then you will have the confidence to lead the process and guide your customers toward a solution. I believe that my job is to give my prospects the confidence to follow through with the solution that will improve their lives. Great salespeople are crusaders who believe they have something valuable to offer.
Sales coaches (managers): Look at your team members and evaluate each individual’s value system.
Understand that your team members’ values, upbringing, and programming is crucial to their performance. Take time to figure out the value systems and religious beliefs that your sales professionals are conditioned with. Make sure you provide sales training and development that pushes them not to use previous limits as an excuse for not performing.