Cooking with gas!

 

                                                                                       Edition 403 Monday 30/10/17

 

Hi,its official we are now members of two Community organisations responsible for saving lives.Fletcher is our latest volunteer following in his Mums impressive footsteps by joining the Muriwai Surf Live Saving Club as a ‘nipper’ (see attached pic).So the obvious question has to be asked about the missing link….yours truly….well as you know behind every life saver there has to be an equally effective back up crew…..look no further…go team Muriwai!

Fletcher reckons he didnt mean to tell the class his father was a piece of garbage when asked what his Dad did for a job?...he meant to say he was a Waste Industry Professional!

Something funny about the Mother and Father reveal re occupations/vocations was that the class was told his Mother owned a Hotel in the City!!So what if the truth gets in the way of an embellished story at least imagination and fiction is alive and well at Primary School!

It has been at least 2 years since I had to negotiate Airport carparks, check in and the like.I have heard a lot about Uber this and Uber that but no idea really so opted for the good old taxi on a last minute trip to Christchurch last week. It was a rather stressful precursor to a North Island hop skip and a jump this coming week.I think I have it sussed but don’t miss those days when the domestic terminal was my second home.I don’t envy those for whom every or every other week domestic travel is part and parcel of the routine….Im over it !!

Have a great week, look out for Halloween and Guy Fawkes in your hood!…Cheers Jonesey.

 

Kate Henderson reckons the Uber app is a must for a switched on ‘with it’ Exec!!

 

 

“Either you run the day or the day runs you”.Jim Rohn

 

Selling is simple….if you want it to be.

How simple?...so a lead or referral is received and you act on it immediately..job done!

If it is that simple why are we not all amazingly successful and wealthy?

Simple (that word again)….because many of us don’t act immediately and we lose out.

I had a couple of situations last week where we missed out because we hesitated.

Then there were a couple of others where we won the business because we responded immediately to the new enquiry.

Then there was the request we got for assistance by one customer who was so impressed they referred us to the customer they were doing work for……double whammy!

Yes there is a cruel truth in the saying”He(they)who hesitates misses out” and“the early bird gets the worm”or maybe “never put off till tomorrow something that can be done today”.

I know…bla bla….but it is so true, selling is about building positive momentum!

Seems simple but it isnt……why?...because we get caught up doing easy stuff rather than putting in the the hard yards needed to keep making new sales and contacts.

I recently had 3 pairs of shoes resoled because I had worn them out walking the streets banging on doors….yes because that is where the hard yards are done.

Buy good shoes with leather uppers and keep resoling them as the doors keep opening!

It doesn’t have to be that hard…nothing does,it just needs focus and discipline.

I have spoken often in this segment about allocating time for new business hunting daily.

10 new business prospecting phone calls before 10am is still something I strive to achieve!

That’s 50 new business phone calls per week with a hit rate of 1 in 10 = 5 new sales.

Add to that some new face to face meetings per week and you are cooking with gas.

So keep it simple,don’t settle for second best and you will be “selling the sizzle”. Good luck!

 

“Timid Sales People have skinny kids”. Zig Ziglar

Right place, right time!

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 402 Tuesday 24/10/17

 

Hi,I eased myself into the sleek glistening frame and was immediately enveloped by the smell and tight form fitting leather.The motor roared into life and evened out quickly to a gentle big cat purrrrr in anticipation of the command to spring.The winding roads of Monaco or some other exotic testing ground beckoned as the belts tightened and we were launched into another world!Then I woke up and realised I was still only in my mates garage checking out his new 2017 Maserati whose hand built Ferrari motor had a mere 886km on the clock!

Crikey so that’s what $185k of motor vehicle feels and sounds like….dreams are free CJ!!

Fletcher reckons the Maserati Grande Tourismo looked and sounded ok but he would rather have the gold as a deposit towards his first home thanks!!!

Something funny is the rise to fame of Poppas $10 BMX transfer station special that has now taken the place of its far more expensive designer model number in Fletchers fleet!  Proving again that simple inexpensive fun trumps designer brands and expense all day long!

Long weekends rock although the All Blacks spoiled my party a tad on Saturday night, never mind you cant win them all and you cant complain about a 90% win rate in any sport!!

I hope like us you had a good one catching up with family and friends…Cheers Jonesey.

 

Kate Henderson reckons slipping her morsels from the table is a ladies right!

 

 

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”. Thomas Edison

 

Selling is definitely about being in the ‘right place at the right time’.

I was reminded of this yet again recently when whilst visiting one customer I happened to glance next door and notice another opportunity.

I followed up on this immediately and signed a new customer from this timely observation.

Yes,in the ‘right place at the right time’but the key to this was acting on it immediately.

As many of you know I like the ancient Chinese proverb that sagely states a ‘person will wait a long time with their mouth open for a roast duck to fly in’ !!!

Too many salespeople will position themselves perfectly,see opportunities yet hesitate or fail to follow through on these with urgency.

The reality is that we all crave roast duck but those who hesitate or wait will go hungry.

In another example I shared recently you will remember I noticed a ‘leased’ sign on a commercial building and whilst hesitating momentarily(why?) I then acted immediately.

I am pleased to report that this ‘cold call’ has resulted in our signing a new customer.

Yes!!!(fist pump)……but why did I momentarily hesitate when in the right spot, right time?

If you are like me you will recognise this conditiuon as ‘call reluctance’(CR)and it is normal.

In my view there is a thin line between cold calling with confidence and experiencing CR.

The way I overcome this is by ensuring I spend time getting consciously  ‘in the zone’.

This means being ‘upbeat’ and confident about what I am selling and why.

It means seeing myself as an expert who is needed to provide advice and guidance to prospective customers on their current and future requirements.

It means accepting there is no tomorrow when it comes to opportunities and leads they are today or gone forever chances that need immediate attention.

The reason you have probably heard sayings like ‘he who hesitates has lost’ and “strike while the iron is hot” is because they are true……so make the most and do it NOW !!!!

 

“Success isnt owned.Its rented,and the rent is due every day”.James Pollard

Such Fun

 

                                                                                       Edition 401 Monday 16/10/17

 

Hi,I have had ‘such fun’ over the last two weeks on heaps of missions with my son as we have adventured,explored,improvised and experimented whilst having some good old fashioned simple fun!Each day has been a blank canvas that we have painted in our own time with rich vibrant exciting colour and plenty of fancy free swishes and swirls!!

Fletcher reckons we have set the school holiday bar high but he is sure the next ten weeks of term four will be ample time for his Mum and Dad to plan for the next ones!

Something funny about Op Shopping is ‘timing is everything’ and when you see something you like ‘buy it’!Last week as I approached a St Vincent De Paul outlet I noticed a guy pushing an ‘old school’ mower up the road?So naturally I skillfully discovered he was about to donate it to the store.I swiftly intercepted it, did the deal in the street and both St Vincent De Paul and I were lauging all the way to the bank (see scooby doo picture!!)!

I couldn’t wait to get home to have a play with my new planet saving no emission toy!!

For months I have been promising myself a visit to a rejuvenated KRd so last week I threw caution to the wind and ‘just did it’.Crikey what a buzz hunting through all the ‘pop up’ vintage stores and checking out the vast variety of eateries and cross section of other businesses that have combined to make this part of town so fabulous and funky!

I picked up a rare woollen Adidas garment that looked a lot better on the rack in a dim vintage store basement than it does on me (something my wife has reminded me about all weekend!!)but I had ‘such fun’ and after all isnt that what life is all about?!!Cheers Jonesey.

 

Kate Henderson reckons she is looking forward to having 48 all back to herself!

 

 

“Live in the sunshine,swim in the sea,drink the wild air”.

Emerson

Continuing with the ‘such fun’ theme what I noticed in the last two weeks was that I was a lot more relaxed about work as well which made a noticeable change for me.

The interesting thing about that was others noticed as well including my wife and my customers?!!

Often I let the pressure of having to make sales and budgeted monthly numbers get to me which lifts my intensity ,something that is clearly not lost on people I communicate with?!

Fascinatingly a more relaxed me turns out to be a more appealing and successful me!

So last week in a more laid back mode I did less call and quote follow up than normal and unbelieveably a number of people I had been calling reigiously pressing for decisions actually called me without my prompting and made decisions !!

Most were positive however a number chose not to go ahead which was ok too….OK…yes ok because al least I knew their decision….which is all I ever wanted really (and it was OK).

So what does all this mean?....a number of things in my view (and probably plenty more);

1)Don’t take yourself or your job too seriously, you can only do your best.

2)Back off the intensity, if people like you they will buy from you.

3)Always put spending time with family first and the rest of your life will take care of itself.

4)Tomorrow is another day and pretty much everything can wait till then.

5)A more relaxed you will always be a more appealing and successful you!

I could add more to this list however my final word has to be in the form of an apology to all those whom my intensity, grumpiness and obsession with work has upset in the past !!

 

“Don’t take life too seriously,no one gets out alive anyway”. Robin Williams

400 not out!!

 

                                                                                       Edition 400 Monday 09/10/17

 

Hi,crikey the BIG 400!!WOW,I had no idea over 8 years ago I would still be going strong with this weekly blog!

A BIG THANKYOU to you all for your feedback and support ,I really appreciate it.

I get a big buzz out of sharing the good the bad and the ugly from my previous week.I know from your feedback that you have similar experiences which is cool to hear.

The key motivational factor that drives me is celebrating success and learning from failure!

Fletcher reckons its tough meeting the deadlines and demands of the Editor and Chief but he’s enjoyed contributing each week and especially sharing his photos!

Something funny about the school holidays is the fun you can have from random simple stuff.Last week Fletcher and I spent a lot of quality time together walking and talking while we hunted for golf balls at the local course. The result was a cool fun time and 50 balls in the bank!($$ in the bank once we sell them back to the local members!!)….see pic!

Its all quiet on the Pohutakawa front at 48 as the pro and anti factions await the outcome our respective protestations have had on our neighbours who hold all the power!!!

Speaking of holding the power what on earth is Winnie going to do on 12/10??

Speaking of holding power #2 what about those mighty AB’s in Cape Town !!

I hope you have a great 2nd school holiday week ahead (think of me)……….Cheers Jonesey.

 

Kate Henderson reckons Harry and the Hendersons regular weekly contribution was the CATalyst J for increasing readership and taking ‘UPBE4T’ to new heights!!

 

 

"You know what they say, 'You don't sell the steak, you sell the sizzle.” Kramer

 

As ‘UPBE4T turns 400 I cant help reflecting positively on the weekly sales Sizzle!!.

I meet a lot of new people every week and this along with conversations and meetings with colleagues and customers creates heaps of opportunities and experiences.

By sharing some of these that stand out for me I have learned and revealed a lot about myself and others to you (more than I would normally as a rule).

I have learned that no matter how good I think I am there is always things I can learn.

I know there are things I am not so good at and by sharing those with you I have benefitted from opening up, admitting I suck at stuff and then planning to be better.

I hope the ‘Sizzle’ like ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ has shared things that have resonated with you and assisted to provide you with ideas and the motivation to also be better!

I hope it has also helped you to look inward and to reflect on your strengths and your own weaknesses so you can take ownership and responsibility for your future.

It is this weekly reflection that has assisted me to learn and grow as a Sales person, a Manager and more importantly as a Husband and a Father.

I hope that from reading about my journey you too have taken the chance to do the same.

I think one of the most important things I get out of the Sizzle each week is the sheer fun I have recounting my previous weeks highs and lows.

I cant help but have a permanent smile on my face as I write savouring the memories and laughing off the embarrassing moments that occur regularly in a working week!!

You see like life, being ‘Upbeat’ itself is a journey not a destination and we all have to work hard to get there are stay there and that my friends will always be a ‘work in progress’!!!

 

“The only source of knowledge is experience.” Albert Einstein