by Kirby Hasseman
As I thought about what I could share in today’s blog, I continually asked myself a simple question. “During this uneasy time, what does everyone need to read? What do we need to hear?” As I sat there thinking about it, I wondered the same for myself. What do I need to hear? Though I don’t have a definitive answer, and I don’t have a magic pill to make us all feel better, three things came to mind. These are the things I long for each day. I want these three things every day…but certainly now.
I want something to motivate me.
I need something to make me laugh.
I long for something to inspire me.
While we certainly try to create content that hits each of these marks sometimes, my goal today is to do all three!
Motivate Me
We find ourselves in a new world where it’s hard to know what to do next. Sure, we can work from home. But are we really creating value? Plus, working in this new normal seems so much harder (for some). But during this strange and uncomfortable time, we have the ability to be pro-active in ways we might not have been able to do at the office. Now is a great time to get after it, when your competitors are not. You can come out of this stronger, if you are willing to get uncomfortable now.
And if that is not enough, how about Rocky Balboa giving a motivational speech? Here you go!
Make Me Laugh
The good news, I think, is there is plenty on the internet that can make you smile. The challenge is to find that content while avoiding the negativity. It can be a daunting challenge to say the least. (Hence this post). Even in trying times we can maintain our sense of humor. As a matter of fact, it’s more important than ever. With that in mind, feel free to watch this fun video of my daughter trying to teach me a basic “jazz combo” she was teaching her dance students online. It’s so silly…and that is the point.
Oh…and more silly is coming soon…so feel free to subscribe to the Youtube channel if you like that one!
Inspire Me
Despite the fact that the Coronavirus has been a crazy time, there has been countless stories that inspire me. The best ones, I think, are the most simple. After the silliness over toilet paper, I hear plenty of stories of neighbors helping neighbors with groceries, or work around their house. Most of us have seen social media posts about young people helping seniors with things that needed done. But the best way to inspire is to act. Please be on the look out for ways to help in your area. If you want to feel inspired, today is a great day to DO SOMETHING inspiring.
That might mean you need to help a neighbor. It might be as simple as sending a note. Or it might be sharing an inspiring story in the comments. Let’s help to spread that inspiration today. We can all use a splash of it!
The goal was to motivate, make you life (or at least smile), and inspire. I hope you found a little of each in this post. More importantly, I hope you ARE a little of each this week.
Make sure you never miss an update! Find all of the latest content on our blog page here. And you can sign up for our VIP weekly newsletter here as well!
by Kirby Hasseman
I had an “aha” moment this morning. Let me explain as I tell on myself a bit here.
Last week I told my team that, since we were in unpredictable times, focusing only on sales was misguided. Sales goals are important, but they are what The 4 Disciplines of Execution calls a “Lag Goal.” They are important. They are great to shoot for. But they are not something that you control completely. That is why it is important to create “Lead Goals.” These are things that, when you do them consistently, LEAD you to your goals. I talk about this here.
That is why I told the team last week that we needed to focus on our activity level…not only our sales. We can control our activity level. We can decide and execute on it. We use a software called Commonsku that allows us to track these sales activities easily. So I told everyone that I would report how we were doing on activity this week. Then, when I logged in this morning to see how I was doing, I noticed something alarming.
According to the activity that I logged, my actual pro-active activity kind of sucked.
How can that be? I have been working hard all week! I have created content. I have been working in my office. I have had contact with clients, right? So, I went back through my calendar. I look back at emails. I racked my brain for calls and activity that was not logged. But this tracking showed me something VERY important. While I felt busy (you know how I feel about that word right?), I was not productive. I was not nearly as awesome as I felt I was.
And that is why it’s important to track your activity. It reveals the truth.
Taking the time to track your real activity is not just busy work. It helps you understand your behavior and it helps to modify it. It’s the reason, when you start a new diet, they often ask you to track what you are eating. First, you start to get a real idea of what you are ingesting. It also makes you think first before putting something in your mouth! “Do I really want to write that down?”
Tracking your activity gives you the real truth and it helps you focus on things you can actually control. Oh, and it gives you information that can help you get back on track. I for one am going to make sure I increase my activity today. I can’t embarrass myself in front of my team! But it’s important to note that I would not have known that I needed to modify my behavior unless I tracked it!
Thanks for reading! Our goal is to help you grow and evolve. If you want more content, please check out our blog page here. We have all kinds of blogs, videos and podcasts in one place. And you can sign up to become a VIP here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I saw a post on Facebook the other day that made me smile. It read “After years of wanting to thoroughly clean my house but lacking the time, now I discovered that wasn’t the reason.” It’s funny because we can all relate. It’s the idea of something we know we should do, but most of us don’t do. We might even want to do it, but don’t have the desire or discipline.
During this strange time, many of us are coming face to face with the “busy” excuse.
I have said for years that we are not “too busy” to do the things we want. For most of us, we simply don’t prioritize what we say we want. We just don’t make the time to execute. Busy is just an excuse. And now, with more time on our hands than we are used to, some of us are finding that out. But instead of taking advantage of the time, we are taking to social media to complain that we are bored.
For the last several years, busy has been the most over-used word in the English language. It was the answer to nearly every question in small talk (How are the kids? Busy!). But more importantly, it became the excuse for not being able to work on yourself, chase your dreams, or do the things you knew you should do.
And now…busy is not your excuse.
How do you make time to create content? I am too busy!
I can’t carve out the time to exercise…too busy.
I wish I had time to meditate, learn a language, or read a book. My life is just too busy.
There is plenty to be anxious about during this new time we are living in. But the good news, if you choose to look at it this way, is that you have gotten your time back. You are not “too busy.” So what will you do with it? Will you binge watch a new series on Netflix? Will you spend even more time on social media mindlessly scrolling your life away?
Or will you take the time to work on something that will give you purpose and growth? It’s your call. You are not “too busy.”
Thanks for reading! I am taking this time to write more and create more content. You can find most of it here on our blog page. And please feel free to sign up for our VIP list. We send out one email each week with all of the content in one place.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for Episode 34 of the He Said/She Said Podcast with Hasseman Marketing! This podcast is designed to give an inside look at being married and being entrepreneurs and the projects we are working on and the challenges we are facing! We talk about business, family, community and more. So listen in and let us know what you think!
On this episode we talk about…
Trending Topic
This week Kirby and Amy talk about the political season that is upon us. We are in the primary season but this whole year will be filled with this. Can we maintain a level of civility? If so, it’s up to us. Listen to Kirby and Amy’s take!
Weekly Whirlwind
This week in the Weekly Whirlwind Kirby talks about an uptick in video activity and the idea of working through a short week. Amy talks about being the “Diva of Drywall” and progress at the 539 Property!
Lesson In Life
This week in the “lesson in life” Kirby and Amy talk the challenge of accepting compliments. We often talk about the idea of giving praise and compliments, but it’s important to accept them gracefully as well. Why is that so hard?
Shout Outs
Each week we want to give a shout out to an organization or an individual doing good work. This week Amy leads the charge on complimenting everyone that is “all in” on a week of kindness. Listen in to hear more!
So that’s a wrap! Thanks for listening to Episode 33 of the He Said She Said Podcast! Any feedback will be welcome as we try to provide you value! If you want to subscribe you can do that where you normally get podcasts…or you can head here to follow on Soundcloud.
Thanks so much for listening! If you have any topics you want Kirby and Amy to cover, please comment and let us know! Oh…and if you like this content, check out this page where you can find all of the content we create!
by Kirby Hasseman
In a world of overnight delivery and immediate gratification, starting a real business can seem painfully slow. We have more tools than ever before to build awareness, and that is a wonderful thing. But I have been reminded lately that a “share” on social media is not the same as a “sale.” When you are working to build a real, long term business, there are not as many shortcuts as we would like to believe. Real brand building takes time. So while you should use all of the new tools in the toolbox, there are 5 timeless rules of selling that still apply.
See The People
Despite the the proliferation of social media, building your sales is not just about having a presence on Instagram. There is still very real value to to getting in front of someone and seeing them face to face when you can. You have the ability to just “be with them.” There is power in that kind of focus. And they get to do the same with you. At it’s very core, we humans trust things that we are more familiar with. So by letting your clients see you, you gain credibility with them. Whether that’s showing up in their office with great branded merchandise, or just being at the events that they frequent, it’s still VERY important to see the people…and let the people see you!
Simply Listen
If this seems cliche, it is. It’s cliche because it’s true. As salespeople and entrepreneurs, we get so excited about what we are selling we forget to learn what our customer needs. It’s so important to ask questions first, then tell our story. We can tell our story SO much better when we understand the audience. For me, listening starts with good questions. Here are some good ones to start with.
Provide Them Value
Once you have listened to the prospect or client, don’t JUST try to sell them something. Of course you want (and need) to make the sale. But it’s so important to make sure you present a solution that actually provides value. If you can’t, walk away. As we talk about at Hasseman Marketing, it’s not about making one sale. It’s about creating 25 year customers. You can’t create that kind of long term relationship if you take advantage of people.
Show Gratitude
If you are blessed enough to make a sale, it’s not time to move onto the next transaction (at least not yet). It’s time to (sincerely) say thank you. The danger of the quick sale mentality is that each sale can become very transactional. You can become so focused on the next customer that you forget to appreciate the one you already have. It’s simple to fix this. Take an extra minute and write a note of thanks. Want to be more “new school?” Record a personal note and thank them on video. Either way, make sure you take the time to bridge the appreciation gap in your business.
Be Consistent
It’s not just about showing up. It’s about showing up every day. So many of us see inconsistency in our sales. It’s often because of inconsistency in our effort. We hustle hard and do the pro-active activities while we are slow (because we have time). This creates sales in our business, so we stop the pro-active hustle while we are tending to the business we created. Then we become slow again…and the cycle starts again. The key to consistent sales is keeping up the hustle while you are busy. It’s simple…just not easy.
These are 5 timeless rules of selling. This is NOT to say you should not embrace all of the new tools of brand building. You should. But don’t forget the foundation, or the whole operation will come tumbling down!
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share with anyone who is in sales or building a business. If you want to check out all of our content, head over to our blog page.
