We are living in a fast paced world. Technology is changing the way we lead our lives and do business. Who had thought of Twitter or You Tube five years back? Yahoo chat is almost passé. Face book and Twitter are in. Prior to the 1990s pagers were used to send quick messages. Now SMS on the mobile phones is the way to go. If talking on the mobile phone is not enough you can have video conversations on a smart phone. There is no need to fly thousands of miles to attend a conference with business associates. Cisco’s video conferencing has facilitated real time conferencing right from your office with associates or clients in far flung places in the country and abroad. The basics still remain the same. We still want to talk about a new car or a movie with a friend and business with associates. But the way we do it has been transformed. The question is how much have you changed in these changing times as a person and as a sales professional? Do you use the latest sales techniques to leverage your business? Just check out how current is your sales skills? Don’t despair if you are lagging behind. With a little effort you can catch up. Are Your Cold Calls Hot Enough? Do you check out a company’s website before making cold calls? Do you check out a senior executive’s profile on the Internet and social networking sites, if possible, before making the call? Do you try to access the direct mobile phones of key persons in addition to the company landline phones? Do you send information about your product and company to the key persons via email before or after making calls? How do you make sure that your emails do not end up in their spam boxes? Do you wait hours for the office receptionist or telephone operator to put your call through to the senior executive or do you call the concerned executive after trying once with the office operator? You can do so and save time. You can offer an apology for calling directly making their “extremely” busy office telephone your excuse for doing so. How Do You Qualify Prospects? Ok, so you use Excel sheets to store your list of prospects. Smart enough! But, is your data of prospects stored on your laptop and can you access them via your mobile phone just in case the need arises? Or may be your sales assistant has emailed a hot list of prospects, can you check that email with your mobile phone? The Use of the Internet and Social Networking As a sales professional of the 21st century you should be actively involved in networking with clients, customers, prospects, suppliers, and anybody that can improve your sales. The best place to network in today’s world is the Internet – the social net working sites such as Face book, My Space, and Twitter. There are hundreds of networking websites related to specific activities or hobbies of its members. You should be in some of them depending on the nature of your business and the likelihood of finding your customers there. Briefing the Customer While meeting the customer and briefing about the product a sales person has to be specific and short. This is an age of information glut. Newspapers, magazines, books, TV channels, the Internet, mobile phones, office communications, and advertisement hoardings they are all keen on keeping us well informed. Your customer is being bombarded with information from all corners. An excess of information about the product will not register in the client’s mind. Be selective and pass on the most pertinent info about the product. If the person you are talking to is not technically very savvy do not over present technological details. It is better to repeat selected info many times in the meeting or demo. Stress on Customer Service A few decades ago all salesman had to do was sell the product and calculate his commission amount. There was no or very little thought about customer service. This is an era where purchase decisions hang on the quality of customer service that a vendor offers. When other factors such as quality of the competing products, looks, and designs remain at the same level, customer service becomes the deciding factor. Talk about your customer service to new clients and follow up with your customer service department in case an existing customer has any complaints. Make sure that the customer gets impeccable customer service. Our sales skills must change along with the changing times and focus on the latest trends. Dinosaurs became extinct for a reason – for not evolving. If you are not following these latest sales techniques your sales skills run the risk of getting extinct. To avoid that, your sales skills need to evolve now and stay in tune with the times. About the Author: Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client. He is available to speak on these topics For more information visit www.salescoach.us or call 847-359-6969 Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or place on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided. Copyright 2009 The Sales Coaching Institute and Doug Dvorak
Archive for February, 2011
Dinosaur Selling – Are Your Sales Skills Extinct or Evolving?
Watchmen: a Deconstructed Graphic Novel
Watchmen was published in an era when the comic book genre was dominated by superheroes and antiheroes with black and white views about good and evil. It is a parody of the overman in dystopia. A combination of dark, pulp, and deconstructed comic book style, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon offered something that caters to both comic book aficionados and common readers. Watchmen is not your typical graphic novel. It defies all other conventions in the comic book genre and deviates from the usual larger-than-life comic book characters we have come to know. Instead of an alien from Krypton or a dark knight in a bat mobile, Watchmen offers a different set of superheroes with insecurities, imperfections, and emotional disturbances. The graphic novel is somewhat an oxymoron. On one hand, this is slated to a wider range of audience, but this doesn’t make the graphic novel an easy read. It is designed to be read more than once. Watchmen brings the readers into a dynamic state, into a questioning mode of thinking. Every encounter with this comic book elicits a different response from readers. As said by Moore and Gibbon in an interview, they intended the graphic novel to hold different meanings to different people. The art and structure of the graphic novel are equally fascinating and original as its content. Watchmen showcases unseen features of the comics medium and puts its strong points to the fore. In an interview, Moore said, “What I’d like to explore is the areas that comics succeed in where no other media is capable of operating”. The graphic novel became ultimately different from the movies. What’s more unique about the art is that it exploits the use of panels. The creators really intended its panels to be distinct from other comic books. The use of symbolisms is also superb giving reference to the story’s theme. This is why reading the graphic novel once betrays the purpose of the act of reading Watchmen. As the plot thickens, the readers are drawn into an intellectual challenge of piecing the puzzles together to fully grasp the depth of the novel. It is important to note that the novel might not be aimed at people who are not familiar with the comic book genre. Appreciating the profundity of this comic book necessitates knowledge about genre and exposure to other graphic novels. Since Watchmen is a hard read, it is easy for someone unfamiliar wit the world of comic books to be lost in the ebbs of symbolisms and themes. Watchmen is a great alternative to comic fans tired of the usual goody-two-shoe and perfect hero stories. Although this is a difficult to decode for beginners, for comic book enthusiasts, this is a knockout.
How to Write Your First Western Novel Part 1
A Western Novel is unique in many ways. When reading, there are certain elements that you know are going to be in the Western before you ever open the book. Horses, guns, romance, action and of course the villains, are all elements of the perfect Western novel. When you are trying to write your first Western novel, putting these elements into a story that captivates the reader can be a daunting challenge. When I wrote Radersburg Gold, my first Western novel, I wasn’t, to say the least; too sure I could get it done. Everyone talks about how they are going to write a book someday. It sounds so cool to say it. Especially when you’ve just been through a wild ride caused by some outside force, like a plastic bag blowing through the air and wrapping across your horses face, hanging up in the headstall of your bridle and making that rapid fluttering sound in his ear. As you are picking yourself up off the dirt and your riding partner is about to fall off their horse into the dirt, from laughing so hard, it sounds cool to say, that could only happen to me. I’m going to write a book someday. It’s a whole different story when that day shows up and you start to write. So, what does a rookie writer need to get started and give themselves the best chance to finish with a good book to show for their effort? Practical experience or knowledge is good. I don’t mean you have to have gone on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana in order to be able to write effectively. Although, it wouldn’t hurt to have at least moved cattle from one pasture to another or attended a few brandings as a participating member of the crew. Doctoring cattle, just you and your horse, in a five hundred acre pasture can give a person quite a bit of practical experience in a short time. Having a rope burn through your hand while you’re trying to get your dally or seeing your colt’s ears disappear out of sight as he bogs his head to go to bucking these can be, no pun intended, crash courses in practical knowledge. Making the ride or not making the ride, shooting a forty five Colt or a Winchester rifle, these are all good pieces of experience to help qualify a writer to tackle his first Western. Too many times in my life have I looked forward to reading a new Western I’d just bought and had it ruined by a writer who didn’t know what he was talking about. I know one writer who is a walking history book about the Old West but couldn’t saddle a horse with three people just like him helping him. It’s not a requirement to know what you’re talking about when you’re a writer, but I believe it helps. Due to possible slander charges being brought against me, I won’t mention any names of the books or the authors I’m using here but I will give you a few examples so you can understand what I’m talking about. Not so long ago, as far as the time table of the world is concerned, a novel came out that dealt with the world of training horses. It was very popular and it made it’s way to the silver screen. I didn’t watch the movie version for several years because I had made the mistake of reading the novel first. It was, I must say, one of those cases where the movie was better than the book, mainly because the movie got rid of most of the mistakes found in the book. Mistakes made due to ignorance are still mistakes, at least that’s what I think. Now, don’t get me wrong this book was best seller. It made a lot of money. Yes, I may be a little jealous but I’m jealous about a lot of books I wish I’d written for the sake of how much money they made. I still liked those other books… Harry Potter comes to my mind right off. But, back to what was wrong with this particular novel. So much so that it ruined, what was otherwise a good book, for me. First off, when the horse was injured and traumatized the author had two boys cutting a V shaped notch out of the stall door and catching the horse’s head in it to doctor him. This told me right off the bat this guy didn’t know a cow stanchion from a lead rope. I have no problem with taking poetic license in order to jazz up a story but it needs, at least in this type of a story, to at least be possible. You could doctor a cow this way, maybe sheep and goats as well (I’ve never been a sheep herder so I really can’t say for sure) but trying to doctor a horse like this is something I hope none of you ever try to do. For those who don’t know, when you pull down on a horse’s head it’s their natural tendency to pull back. To make a long explanation short it, if you slammed an already traumatized horses head, or any horses head for that matter, into a solid chute gate like this, he would probably never quit fighting until after he had broken his neck or torn the stall door apart. It’s likely he would have injured the boys trying to doctor him if not killed them out right as well. If you’ve never seen the strength of a twelve hundred pound horse, that is scared, let me tell you, it’s an intimidating sight you’d probably never believe unless you did see it. So, let’s say we go ahead and swallow this first lump of coal and we try to get past it and enjoy the rest of the story. This was a pattern that repeated itself all the way through the book. [...]
Once upon a Crime: Historical Mysteries from Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
Product DescriptionThe editor of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine collects the best in historical mystery stories, covering periods from ancient Rome to Prohibition, by such authors as Steven Saylor, Theodore Dreiser, and Florence Mayberry…. More >> Once upon a Crime: Historical Mysteries from Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
A Book Review of Lighting the Dark Side – Six Modern Tales by William R Potter
If you aren’t already a fan of short stories, this book will change your opinion. In Lighting the Dark Side – Six Modern Tales, William Potter has written three novellas and three short stories that, as he says, “features leading characters that live their lives as normally as possible and then suddenly find themselves in extraordinary situations.” These six stories cover almost genre from thriller and suspense to mystery, detective and even romance. The character development in each story is amazing. All of the main characters are written superbly. The dialog never comes off as stilted or phony. Mr. Potter may well find himself in some extraordinary company with some of the best authors sooner than he ever expected. The first story, Bent, Not Broken introduces us to Dwayne Johnson, a character who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a disorder which obviously makes him very socially backward. As Dwayne drives by a certain bus stop every morning on his way to work he looks for someone very special. Someone he has named “Black-Coat Girl”. The unexpected happens and Dwayne’s life takes a dramatic turn when he finally gets to meet her face to face. The next story, In the Gray is a very short tale where the reader gets to peek into the life of Michael Conner. Most of the story is a phone conversation with his mother, but from that one phone call we are able to learn everything we need to know about Michael, his family and his past. It is amazing how much information the author can squeeze into less than a dozen pages. Prominent Couple Slain is a great old-fashioned detective/murder mystery. In this story, we are introduced to Detective Jack Staal, a burnt-out homicide detective who has just transferred from the stress of the big city only to be faced with a horrendous murder of his new small town’s most prominent couple. The premise of the next story is that May 18, 2010 will be the very last day of civilization. The comet, Ivan is on a collision course to destroy everything and it will be here soon, but all Trevor wants to do is get home to be with his girl, Kelly-Anne. For some reason it isn’t the comet, Ivan that worries Trevor, but something else. He feels that he’s already lived through this disaster many times before. Can he change the future? Who hasn’t dreamed of winning a multi-million dollar lottery? Lighting the Dark Side’s fifth story, Blessing or Curse? deals with that exact topic. The main character, Brad Stewart has won 11 million dollars? Imagine all of the things that he can do with that money. Imagine what he’ll buy. Imagine how much his life will change. Brad imagined all of this, but what he didn’t plan for was that as a lottery winner he would become the target of an extortionist who has kidnapped his son! The last story, Surviving the Fall is an exciting thriller that takes place a week or so before Christmas. In it, James Goodal witnesses a young woman being thrown out of a moving vehicle and takes her home to care for her. Unfortunately, Ashley has a very dangerous past that catches up to her and James. This story is fast-paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Each and every one of the stories contains two of the most important elements in good story writing and that is believable characters and interesting situations. This book delivers much more than expected. I look forward to more of William Potter’s works in the future. Now Pay Close Attention – Using your Facebook Fan Page to increase your business exposure and revenue is simpler than you’ve been told. Everyone with a facebook fan page faces the same two problems: [Problem #1] How To Find Interested Facebook Users [Problem #2] How To Bring Them To Become Your Fans Facebook Fan Supply has been solving these two problems for hundreds of satisfied customers. The Facebook Fan Supply has been tried and tested and known to produce excellent results. First: Click Here To Visit Facebook Fan SupplyFacebook Fan Supply always supplies REAL FANS targeted to your specific: Age Group, Keyword and Location. Second: Order Your Facebook Fan Supply Package of 1,000; 2,000 or 5,000 Guaranteed Facebook FansYour new fans will arrive in 3 – 4 weeks and all fans are REAL FANS guaranteed to stick to your fanpage. Buy Facebook Fans today and boost your businesses online presence overnight.
Timber Beasts: A Sage Adair Historical Mystery
Product DescriptionJUST ANNOUNCED! Winner of the 2010 Indie Book Award for Best Mystery……………….The U.S. economy is in shambles. The ordinary citizen is slipping in his battle for family survival. The incoming president denounces the financial shenanigans of speculators and vows to regulate the greed of those who have precipitated the disaster. Vast acres of national forest and a plethora of small businesses are in a life and death struggle against corporate powerhouses skil… More >> Timber Beasts: A Sage Adair Historical Mystery
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Tags: Adair, Beasts, Historical, Mystery, Sage, Timber 
Comments OffBook Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
The souls believe the process of implantation on the planet earth has almost reached the last stage and that every sign of existence of humans will be completely erased from the earth. The souls would now be free to enjoy the peace of the earth. Some humans are still there on earth, and once any rebel is discovered, the seekers promptly capture them and implant a soul within the body. The soul looks like a centipede creature which is placed within the human body once a cut has been affected on the base of the skull. The soul connects with the body right away and starts receiving the host’s memories. Wanderer’s Case Is Different Gradually the control of the host over his or her own body reduces and the soul continues to live its life unhindered. The case of Wanderer (a soul), however, is different since the body it was placed in didn’t allow her to control the mind. Interesting Science Fiction Elements This is an extremely creative story from Stephenie Meyer which is sure to gladden the hearts of her large fan base. The characters of the book are engaging and the science fiction elements introduced are very interesting. Some chapters do contain way too much description but overall flow of the story is smooth and engaging. Stephenie Meyer has a vivid language which allows the readers to clearly understand the setting of the story and identify with the characters at the same time. The Host Is a Complicated Story Especially the love triangle in which only two bodies are visible, is the more complex part. The Host beautifully captures the element of violence in our society. The world created by the souls has been described in such a way by the author that the readers often tend to believe that world is superior to the world they live in. All the 600+ pages in the novel leave the readers on a hopeful note and they enjoy the emotional roller coaster throughout the way right till the end. The Soul Can’t Take Control Melanie Stryder is the person who has refused to allow Wanderer to take control of her mind. The feelings of the host (Melanie Stryder) now take over the thoughts of Wanderer and a time comes when both of them fall in love with the same man. In the search that ensues, they come across the humans who are still surviving. Now that seekers are also after them, Wanderer faces the dilemma whether she’ll be able to convince the humans that Melanie Stryder is alive in the brain of her body? The Host is likely to appeal to the readers even outside the regular fan base of Stephenie Meyer.
The Buffy Angle
What to watch now, if you used to be a Buffy fan? Ever asked yourself that question? I have! Buffy, Angel and Charmed were THE TV shows of my teen years. After that there was a gaping hole – no monsters, no vampires, no witches. Dang! Luckily the TV bosses seem to have realized that they need to feed an entire generation of Buffy fans- before they go off and litter the internet with fanfic and slash vids. Nowadays there are several options available. First of all WB’s answer to fangirls’ (and boys’) prayers: Supernatural! I have to say that I only started watching the show very recently- for a simple reason: Jared Padalecki (who portraits one of the two kick-ass main characters) was such a jerk on „Gilmore Girls”. Well, he has grown up, just like the Buffy fans have grown up and out of their teen years. While Buffy offered a strong female lead to identify with (or obsess over, if you were a guy) Supernatural has two male leads who are different in character and style, so everyone would find something to obsess over or identify with (if you are a guy). Where Buffy had girls, stakes and puppy love. Supernatural has guys, guns and gore – lots of it! It is a grown-up version that doesn’t shy away from crossing the line. It’s bloody and sexy and is just what Buffy fans were brought up to want and expect. It’s basically a whole new horror movie every week. Sam and Dean Winchester are two guys brought up to be ghost hunters. And throughout the first season that’s mainly what they do: hunt ghosts, kick ass and favour us with loads of movie, TV and book references. YAY for all the nerds and geeks out there! Season two starts introducing several more sinister enemies for the Winchester brothers: witches, weres, shapeshifters, demons… you name it, they kill it! The episodes are action packed, full of unexpected twists and overall just absolutely hilarious. You’d find yourself laughing out loud while watching some serious demon slaying. Oh, and before I forget to mention it: You like cool cars and classic rock music? It’s a must-see for you, too! Then there is True Blood, based on Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries (the latest novel „Dead in the Family” has just been published). It has a sexy blond chick who falls for a vampire and gets in trouble with her friends and family because of it. Sounds familiar? It’s basically like the porn version of Buffy- very much rated R for sex and violence. True Blood features the same love triangle that proved to be award-winning on Buffy: blond chick between two vampires- one good and one bad guy. Although I have to say that Charlaine Harris is due some serious kudos for the best invention in vampire fiction ever: a viking vampire! If you were a fan of Anne Rice and are just as bummed as I am about her turn towards religion and away from vampires and witches, you should watch True Blood, too! It features the swamps and southern prejudices of Louisiana plus some very steamy sex scenes. It’s all about Sookie Stackhouse, a bar maid from a small town in Louisiana who happens to be a mindreader. She is stressed out by all the unwanted babble around her and is overjoyed when she meets a vampire whose thoughts she cannot read. Wait… a vampire? Charlaine Harris is a very clever woman who played out the whole „What if vampires came out of the coffin and lived among us?” scenario. In the True Blood universe the invention of synthetic blood (called „True Blood”) makes vampires seem less of a threat and more of just another race to be integrated into society. Sookie finds herself standing between the lines and gets in lots of trouble over it. Unlike on BTVS, True Blood features one enemy per season (season three is about to start on American TV in mid-june) and sees several supernatural species team up to fight them. A third tv show that features vampires is Vampire Diaries, although that bears more resemblance to The Twilight Saga than to Buffy. You might want to check it out, if you like Bella and Edward, though. The show is based on L.J. Smith’s series of novels. Speaking of which: Buffy fans who enjoy to read and don’t feel too old for some „vampires in high school” action should take a look at „House of Night” (by P.C. and Kristin Cast) and „Vampire Academy” by Richelle Mead. That’s all from me for now – I’m off to watch some more Supernatural… Season 5 just ended in the US and I have some major catching up to do! If you’re up for a mexican stand-off with angels and demons, come join the fun!
The Cobra-book review
I was keenly anticipating this book from Frederick Forsyth after having read The Afghan sometime back, needless to say The Cobra did not disappoint. Of course being a prolific reader of books and specially fiction stories, I have developed a habit of becoming a new reader every time I read a book of an author with known ways of writing and I would advise the same to others too. Forsyth revisits his favorite haunt the CIA for yet another ex-CIA operative adventure, this time to combat a much larger menace – the drug empires of South America, the largest “exporters” (read smugglers) of cocaine worldwide. This time the President of the US (not surprising as many such orders come from the Oval office it seems) the reclusive Cobra an ex CIA operative) is brought in to know whether the drug cartel can be destroyed. Well, according to him, yes…only that he demanded a crack team of men, some of the best war machines and of course money – a lot of money !! The Cobra now brings in his best skills to prepare for a covert war against the global Cartel leader Don Diego Esteban, who very vehemently proclaims his reach and ready global customer base of 500 tonnes of cocaine! So not only does the Cobra have to fight the actual producers of this drug and the drug lords of multiple countries, but also has to get hold or eliminate the resistance from among corrupt government officials in the various countries where Esteban’s cartel operates. The flow of the story follows in preparatory trail in the initial half of the book, so you have the tendency to hurry through advisably… don’t unless you miss out small nuances of the covert game. The later half though gets pacier and takes the typical twists and turns a-la- Forsyth. One more thing to remember – there are many characters in the book, but then there is also a reference list of all those characters at one end of the book, just in case you may forget who that person is. The many sub plots in the story may lead to thought congestion, and that is why this list helps a lot to those who may not have a good memory! The overdose of killing may get on to you specially when Diego Esteban starts an operation to kill all his henchmen and the gang wars to control all the cocaine that is left. For the ethically bound, killing of cocaine smugglers may seem okay – they deserve it – one may say. However, that is not how the story ends! The end is unexpected and very practical going by the global scenarios and the thought process of political setups! However, that is not what I will reveal…order The Cobra book at Online bookstore and get a sample of Forsyth’s magic!
Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope
I’ve told my kids for years that God doesn’t make mistakes,” writes Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Grammy award winning recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. “Would I believe it now, when my whole world as I knew it came to an end?” Covering her courtship and marriage to Steven Curtis Chapman, struggles for emotional balance, and living with grief, Mary Beth’s story is our story–wondering where God is when the worst happens.In Choosing to SEE, she shows how she wrestles with God even as …Sale at book sale I pre-ordered this book since I grew up listening to Steven Curtis Chapman’s music, and my husband & I have an interest in adoption. Honestly, I am an avid reader, and have read LOTS of Christian books, both fiction & non-fiction, and, honestly, after a while they kind of all seem to sound the same. I found this book to be very refreshing and honest. Humbly and frankly addressing topics that are often ‘taboo’ in Christian circles, such as depression, not ‘having it all together’, doubts, anxiety, etc. was a change, for one. While reading the book, I felt like I was meeting someone like me, almost like talking to a friend, instead of someone leading a perfect life trying to tell me how to make mine perfect as well, following their method. I would highly recommend reading this book. Reading this book with a box of tissue near by was a good idea. This book spoke to me not only as a mother but also as a Christian woman that at times has doubts. Mary Beth shares in a very raw way how she is living each day after her daughter’s tragic death. Although this book shares her burden of grief she also is so very good at making it perfectly clear that she believes and loves the God who chose to have her walk this path. Thank you Mary Beth for sharing, in doing so God has truly received the glory. May your family continue to heal and may you continue to SEE. Your still in my prayers. Choosing to SEE is written with the kind of honesty and transparency that kept me engaged in this chapter of Mary Beth Chapman’s life. Mary Beth Chapman (along with Ellen Vaughn) tells a story of the Chapman family behind the stage and beyond the music award shows – a family that exudes and truly lives the faith that they profess. Throughout the course of the book, the lyrics of some of Steve Curtis Chapman’s songs begin each chapter. It’s obvious that they were carefully selected and not merely used as space fillers. I must admit that although Chapman’s work has never been in my personal music collection, he’s gained a new fan simply because of the purity of his lyrics. Three days after I finished Choosing To SEE, a family friend died suddenly. The unexpected loss left us shocked for days. Many of the things Mary Beth shared in the book came to the forefront of my mind. Our friend’s death left behind a talented wife and three young children. I know that when the time is right, I will present his wife with a copy of Choosing To SEE. Mary Beth Chapman may not be a songstress, but she’s shared a story that tucks itself away in your heart like the lyrics of your favorite song.