by Kirby Hasseman
One of my favorite quotes is, “The greatest distance in the world is the distance between “I know” and “I do.”
It’s a quote I use all of the time. Why? Because most of the problems or challenges in our lives have simple answers.
They are simple…not easy.
We know that if we want to lose weight we need to eat less and work out more. Simple. We know if we want to write a book we need to write one page a day. We know if we want to make more sales, we need to make more sales calls. Yep…still simple We “know” the answer to all of these. We just don’t “do” them.
On the other hand, most long-term changes in our lives don’t come from sweeping, huge, wholesale changes. Often, they come from making small changes that we are able to maintain. I see people all of the time make huge dietary changes in their life. They might even successfully lose a bunch of weight in a short period of time. It’s exciting and it’s impressive. It takes a huge amount of energy and discipline. Then they stop. The choices become too big. They become too hard. So make one “slip up” and they slide back into old habits. They gain the weight back and are incredibly frustrated with themselves that they could not keep up the “diet.”
That’s why I often advocate for small changes. You don’t have to start training for a marathon. Start by taking a daily walk. Create a routine that you can maintain and maybe (God forbid) enjoy! You can create a foundation of success that you are excited to build upon.
The same is true in sales and business. So often we think we need to make sweeping changes to improve. They are great…but can you maintain them? What if you just: Made one more sales call per day? Answered the phone one ring faster? Sent out one thank you per week? Wrote one helpful blog post?
Create small changes in your business and they can make a big difference down the road. Then you can decrease the distance between “I know” and “I do” just a little bit each day.
Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, many people look up from their turkey filled haze and realize that we have officially entered “the last minute” for Corporate Gifts! You want to say “thank you” to your best clients and employees (to fix the appreciation gap), but you know you have to hurry! We get it. We do the same thing! So here is a quick list of “last minute” gift ideas that will leave a lasting impression!
Presidio Backpack: If you want a gift that is stylish and functional, this might be right fit for you and your team. The Presidio Backpack is vintage inspired with modern day features and it comes in denim or black. Very cool. To learn more go here.
42 Can Coleman Cooler: I love this cooler so much I wrote an entire blog about it! You can check that out here. But the fact is, this will be the only cooler you need! It’s a good size to hold all you need…and it will keep ice 36 hours. Learn more here.
12 x 18 Year At A Glance Calendar: This is simple. Functional. And we print this in house! If you want to get your contact information up all year long on your best customer’s wall…and provide them value…this might be the answer! Oh…and we also have a new 12 x 18 Calendar product that is nearly indestructible. It’s water proof and so tough to tear. This is THE product you want to have on construction sites, manufacturing, food, healthcare and more. Let us know if you need more information!
Pyramid Copper Vacuum Insulated Tumbler: This piece has a cool design, a great quality and a quick turn around time! It’s all you need in a gift for the holidays. Check out colors and details here.
Urban Peak Drinkware Gift Set: This has plenty of “wow” factor because of the great packaging and the different styles of drinkware. Oh…and did we mention you can do a really cool imprint on it? Learn more here.
So those are 5 quick ideas. Need more? We can help! But time is of the essence. Please email us here and we can help move you in the right direction! Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up to be on our VIP list here!
by Kirby Hasseman
How does your day start? What are the first things you think about? What are the first things you do?
If you are like most people, you start your day thinking about the yesterday. You might be stressed about the work you did not get done…or the bills you did not pay. You might be mad about a conversation with a co-worker or a spouse. Or you might be worried about things coming up today or tomorrow. You are thinking about all you have to get done. You worry about the meeting you will have or the project that is nearing it’s deadline. You are stressed that there will simply not be enough hours in the day to get it all done.
Either way a few things are true;
1. You are not living “in the now.”
2. You have started your day in stress mode.
Dr. Joe Dispenza talks about this phenomenon in his book Becoming Supernatural. It’s no wonder, he says, that we feel like we are living the same day over and over again. We start each day in the past! By the way, I totally get it. I struggle with this a ton too. My natural state is “go, go, go.” That means when I wake up, my brain is ahead of me. I struggle to not start my day “on the wrong foot.” It’s a daily struggle. So what do I do? Each morning, especially on those days where I can feel my stress taking over from the start, I do three quick things.
1. I Take a Deep Breath: The whole goal here is to slow my heart rate down. There is no sense in starting the day in stress mode. I know that intellectually. But this simple exercise helps me take control of my physiology.
2. I Make a Quick List of Things I am Grateful For: I talked about the power of this yesterday. The fact is, you can’t be upset or negative when you are grateful. So by re-setting my mindset to gratitude, it helps me to get back on track, mentally.
3. I Get Up and Start Taking Action: For me, a ton of the anxiety I feel comes for worrying about the problem…whatever that problem is. Once I get up and start working on the project, I feel better. For me, nothing cures worry like taking action on the problem. So on this week of Thanksgiving…gratitude wins again. Let me know if this helps you…or share with me your “go to” morning strategy!
Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here! Or you can make sure you check back each day here to our blog page. We update this all of the time!
by Kirby Hasseman
If you read this blog at all, you know I read quite a bit. But rather than just giving you a list like “Hey, here are some books I read,” I wanted to break them down into audience. For example, if you are in sales, I wrote a list of books that you might want to read. In addition, if you just want to grow personally, here is a foundational list of books I want my daughters to read. Today I wanted to focus on 10 books that I recommend for entrepreneurs.
There are a ton of great books out there that can help you grow as an business person…but here are a few that have inspired me!
E-Myth by Michael Gerber: This, my friends, is THE entrepreneur book. It starts here for me. I have read this book 10 times, and every time I read it, I am in a different place in my entrepreneurial journey. It’s an easy read and it’s powerful.
Profit First by Mike Michaelowicz: For me, this book was a game changer. I listened to this book the first time, and I was honestly wondering if Mike was following me around! We changed the way we did accounting in my business because of this book…and we are glad we did!
Finish by Jon Acuff: If you are like most entrepreneurs I know, you don’t have a problem starting new things. But do you finish? Jon Acuff gives tips and tactics for moving things to the “done pile.”
Content Inc by Joe Pulizzi: Yes…this is a marketing book. But I think this book has great meaning to entrepreneurs trying to tell their story in the world today. How can you become a “media company?” Start by reading this.
SCRUM by Jeff Sutherland: This book helps to answer the question, “how can my team and I get more done?” The SCRUM methodology is incredibly interesting and allows you to think about project management in a totally different way.
The Automatic Customer by John Warrillow: This one got me thinking about how you can make ANY business a subscription model. I love books that make me think! This one had me running new ideas in my mind for weeks.
4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney and Sean Covey: If you have ever gone to an event and come back inspired, then watched your ideas get lost “in the whirlwind” of business, this is the book for you. It greats down the 4 steps to implement “wildly important goals.”
The Go Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann: We always here that you need to be a “go getter” to be successful. I love this take on giving first.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*$k by Mark Manson: I loved Mark’s take on life. And once you get through the f-bombs, it’s pretty zen. My favorite concept had to do with the idea of “what are you willing to suffer through?” I love that.
Hustle by Jesse Warren Tevelow: This is not the deepest book…but I really dug it. The concept is he wrote the whole book in a week. It inspired me to think of what I could do if I just got out of my own way.
Hopefully these inspire you as much as they have me! Oh, and I am always looking for new books to read. Feel free to let me know your favorites!
Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
“Busy” is the most over-used word in our culture today. It’s become the default answer for many people about how anything in their life is going.
How are you doing? Busy.
How is the family? Busy.
How is work? Busy.
Because of that, “busy” has lost it’s meaning. What does busy even mean?
I don’t want to be busy. I want to be productive.
This may sound strange if you read this blog a lot, because I spend a lot of time talking about “activity.” The idea in this blog from yesterday, is that you need to focus on the pro-active activities that lead you toward your goals. If you focus on those, every day, you will make steps toward success.
You might be thinking, “But won’t doing that make you busy?”
I can speak from experience when I say “yes.” But more importantly it will make you productive. I was reminded of this when I went on sales calls recently with another seasoned sales pro. We visited several customers. We dropped off samples. We had great conversations. We talked about new sales offerings. It was great! After the group of meetings I asked what we needed to do to follow up with these customers. After some thoughtful consideration, the answer was “nothing.”
I wasn’t sure why at the time, but that answer made me uneasy.
Then I figured it out. There was no next step. There was no call to action. We had some great conversations and engagements, but there was nothing we had decided to do to move the conversation forward. If that’s the case, then those calls were just “busy work.”
Action is important. But action for the sake of action is not the goal. The idea is to create action that moves to an outcome. Now don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting we had to sell something right then. I just wanted to know what was next. It might have been:
*Sending a presentation with ideas.
*Calling to set up another appointment
*Writing an order
*Sending a sample
*Or even sending a note for taking the time time meet.
There needs to be a specific next step. And here’s the thing, your customers and prospects want that too! They have just taken time out of their day to engage with you. They have plenty of other things to do! So if they have given you the thing they can’t get back (time), what was the point of it?
So the next time you create a list of prospects and customers to call on, make sure to determine what you hope to make happen. What is the goal? What is the next step? Especially if you are going to call on me. If not, I will probably be “too busy” to see you.
Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here. We send out one email per week to catch you up on all of the content!
by Kirby Hasseman
I stopped in the office of a friend the other day to talk to him about the latest and greatest offerings we have.
It was a sales call…and it was unannounced. I had hoped to “pop in” and chat with him quickly before moving on with the rest of my day.
But when I walked in I could tell his energy was pretty low. His eyes looked tired. So I asked him what was going on. He proceeded to talk to me about some tough things that were going on in his personal life. The more I listened, the more I realized that he did not need for me to solve anything. I just needed to listen. So we just talked. During the half hour conversation, I tried to offer some words of encouragement, but mostly I just was a person to talk to. Then we discussed getting together later for a coffee or a beer. I left without trying to sell him anything.
Sometimes as a salesperson or an entrepreneur, we can get caught up in chasing our goals and trying to create the life of our dreams. It’s a noble pursuit. But sometimes the best thing we can do to create the life you want is to just “be human.” Take a moment. Take a breath. Listen. Be a friend.
Sometimes that’s the best sales strategy of all.
Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here. Our goal is to provide you value each week, so we put all of the content we create in one email. Get on the list here.
