Debra Kasowski, Author at Debra Kasowski

EPISODE 146 – Selling the Right Way

January 23, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“The love of what you do, combined with your belief in what you do, will not determine your success. It will determine how hard you will work and how dedicated you will be to achieving it. Success just shows up from there.” – Jeffrey Gitomer

Sales is one of the areas of your business that you should be spending most of your time in. Yet, many people are consumed with administrative tasks and operations of their businesses. We need to be spending the majority of our time where we get the greatest return on our investment – ROI! You may have heard the phrase, “No one likes to get sold to.” Many people I have spoken to shy away from the sales call for the fear of rejection or coming across salesy. I had the same fear at one time. I learned that I am holding back on someone else’s success if I do not share what I do with others that could benefit them.

I want to help shift your mindset through the power of questions and how you can eliminate the Hollywood movie “greased back” hair sales persona. Being in sales is a noble profession and an acquired skill set. Sales is NOT about manipulating a person into buying your product or service. It is about providing a person with a solution to a problem or a way to enhance their life or business in some way. I think sales has got a bad rap because of the approach that some salespeople take. They slap a business card in the person’s hand as they are shaking it without introducing themselves and say, “Have I got a deal for you!” Yuck!

Attitude

The biggest contributor to your sales success is your attitude. You must commit to having a positive attitude and believe in yourself. If you do not believe in yourself, your product or service, how can you expect others to? You are a work in progress so commit to maintaining a positive attitude daily. Practice having a positive attitude and positive thinking and watch for your results.

Rapport and Trust

Sales conversations are about building rapport and trust and understanding that a person may not buy from you until they have heard about your product or service at least 5-12 times. They want to get to know you, like, and trust that you will be providing them with the best product or service. They want to know that you care about their situation before they care how much you know. They want to feel confident in making the RIGHT choice. Let that choice be YOU.

When you meet people whether it be at a networking event or the grocery store, you want to be introducing yourself and starting up some small talk. It could be about the weather, complimenting them on what they are wearing, or even what they are about to purchase. Take a genuine interest in people. Make it about the person first. Ask questions and listen. Allow your customer or prospect to speak and ask open end questions as the conversation unfolds. Be curious and delve into learning more about them as a person, the needs, wants, and obstacles.

Questions you can ask:

What do you do for fun? (Yes fun! It is exciting to talk about what interests us)

What are your plans for the day?

What is exciting in your business? What would make it even better?

Wants/Needs/True Needs

“If you want to achieve your goals, help others achieve theirs.” Zig Ziglar

When talking with people, you can learn what their wants and needs are by asking thought-provoking questions. Qualify your prospects/customers, as much as you may want to believe it not everyone is your customer. Don’t waste your time on people who cannot make decisions.

Focus on benefits and facts NOT features. People don’t care about how flashy a product is (some may but most don’t). They want to know how a product or service will help them get ahead, solve an issue they have been struggling with, or how it will make them feel. Deliver value and provide win-win opportunities.

Questions you can ask:

What made you reach out to me today?

What is holding you back from achieving your goals?

What’s not working in your business right now?

If you could change one thing in your business right now, what would it be?

Impact and Outcomes

Imagine how your customer will feel if you can help them achieve their objectives by providing the solution to their greatest challenge. They will be your biggest champion (by the way – a great time to grab a testimonial about your product or service).

Questions you can ask:

If you were to overcome your biggest challenge, what would it do for your bottom line?

If you made the change you stated would make the biggest difference, what would the impact be?

Problem Solved – New Normal

Tap into what it will feel after the customer or prospect work with you. People make buying decisions based on how they feel. Emotions sell. As you ask questions and listen and ask more questions and share what you have to offer as a solution. Your product or service should sell itself. What will the new normal look like?

Questions you can ask:

What does success look like to you?

If we were to work together, what would be different for you in your business?

You are taking people from where they are to where they want to be. You are helping them get to where they want to go.

Ask for the Sale

Ask your closing question and stop talking. One of the biggest sales mistakes is not knowing when to STOP talking. If they say NO, set a time you can follow up. Don’t take it personally if you don’t make the sale – they are not rejecting you as a person. They are rejecting the way you offered the product or service. Follow up!

Be an Experience

Every time you meet with or speak with someone, make it memorable in the way you make people feel. Do you leave every conversation having others feel better because they have connected with you? Are you energetic and enthusiastic? What do you want people to say about you when you leave the conversation?

Selling is not about manipulating! It is about building long-lasting powerful relationships through education, providing advice, or delivering value. Create win-win opportunities! You are helping others get what they want! You, too, will reap rewards.

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com

EPISODE 145 – Beliefs Open the Door to Excellence

January 9, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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EPISODE 143 – Productivity Over Procrastination

December 12, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can’t buy more hours. Scientists can’t invent new minutes. And you can’t save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow.”
― Denis Waitley

Procrastination is one of the ways in which you could be delaying or avoiding your success. You may think of yourself as a procrastinator, and you are not alone. Everyone has procrastinated at one time or another, however, it does not mean you are a procrastinator. It means you are delaying or avoiding a task because it is not as pleasurable as something else you choose to do. Procrastination is a choice although it may seem unconscious at times.

There is a gap between the intention of what you say you want to accomplish and what actions you take. You may know some of these people, they talk but do not walk their talk. Take a look at your intentions and examine your WHY for doing things. Your WHY needs to be greater than your fear.

Why Do People Procrastinate?

There are many reasons that people choose procrastination over productivity.

“I am not in the mood.” OR “I don’t feel like it.”

Your thoughts and feelings, emotions, are drivers of the actions you will take. If you don’t feel like doing something or you are waiting for the right mood to hit, you could be waiting for awhile. You may need an attitude checkup. What is influencing how you feel right now? You may not feel like it now. Once you get started, you will change how you feel and your motivation will increase. You have probably heard of people who did not feel like going to the gym to workout but once they did they felt great and were inspired to continue. Sometimes you need to do things even if you don’t feel like it at the time especially when you know they will get you closer to achieving your goals.

“I do not know how.”

I have heard this way too many times. People stall success with this. This is where I tell people to turn their questions into their quest by finding the answers. We literally have a lot of the HOWs at our fingertips by doing an internet search and speaking with others. Some people refer to procrastination as laziness. It isn’t – it can mean that the task is not as important as they say it is or it is a form of avoidance due to a fear.

“I do not think I can do it.” OR “I am not good enough…(so why bother?)”

People avoid doing something they believe they cannot do for the fear of being seen as less than perfect or being embarrassed. Who cares? Isn’t better to learn and grow and get farther ahead? You do not know if something will work or not unless you make some efforts. You may even surprise yourself. Done is better than perfect. Aim for productivity over procrastination.

“It’s boring.” OR “I do not find it interesting.”

You may not find brushing your teeth interesting yet most people do it for their oral health. Every task is life may not be interesting but it leads us to where we want to go. Start putting your most important tasks at the start of the day…even when you find them boring. They can be the one thing that propels you forward to where you want to be.

“I will need to do it better next time…I do not think I can do it.”

Once people have had some level of achievement they can back off on the momentum they created because they have suddenly raised the bar of expectations. They think to themselves, “What if I cannot deliver the same quality again or exceed it?” This goes back to the fear of not enough. We can be our own worst critics and forget that we have control over the situation.

“I will not be forced to do something I do not want to do.”

We all have choices. This phrase reminds me of those who are getting in the way of their own success. They are determined to do things their way even though they have not been getting the results they want. They need to be open to exploring a different way of doing things. Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.” Are you truly being forced or are you resisting what could be getting you further ahead?

At the end of the day, you can choose productivity over procrastination because DONE is better than perfect. It gives you an opportunity to ask questions, make new decisions, and chart and adjust your course of action. Be the person who walks their talk. Set a timer. Eliminate the distractions preventing you from getting things done – turn off electronics, schedule breaks to check email and social media, and do your work where you are not distracted by other things to do. People often fill their day with low priority tasks which fill time. You get done whatever you allot your time to. When you are tempted to deliberately look for distractions to avoid a task, remember you WHY! What will be doing this activity do for me? Step toward your success!

What do you do to avoid procrastination?

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone”
― Pablo Picasso

Episode 144 – Build Your Momentum Celebrate Your Wins

December 11, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“Enthusiasm is the energy and force that builds literal momentum of the human soul and mind.” ― Bryant McGill

People lose motivation because they are no longer excited about the pursuit of the goal due to rejection, failure, and not seeing the results they want. They lose sight of the small things that have made the biggest difference. They end up quitting when they are so close to achieving success. In order to win, you must build momentum through intentional action. Momentum happens when you acknowledge a series of successes as it inspires more action!

Acknowledge Your Small Wins

Do a Success Audit! What are all the things you have done to that have led to your current successes? You may have completed a course, reviewing your finances, decluttered your office, made the phone call you have been delaying, or sent the email you were afraid to because the person is high up in an organization. Emails and phone calls seem like small things but they are a big deal to you. Once you accomplish them, they feel great and will add to the momentum of your day. Take some time to see all the successes and wins that have gotten you to where you are now.

Action the Present

Do not spend time focused on your current circumstance. Focus on where you want to go and what you need to do to get there. Otherwise, excuses and self-limiting beliefs will pull you back into old patterns that do not serve you. Create winning habits that keep your mindset in the game. Ask yourself, “What can I do now?” What action can I take to get closer to my goal? Who do I need to contact or connect with? Who would know the information I need to know? Who has done what I want to do? Start small – make the phone call, follow up with the referral, send the email, and speak in front of others. What seems small can be significant. We tend to complicate things.

Breakdown Your Big Goals

Your goals need to be broken down into smaller pieces. The big goal can seem impossible or overwhelming but when broken down into manageable pieces achievable. You will start seeing progress and will be motivated to do more. You will achieve more. Ask yourself the questions from above. Keep asking yourself questions to help get you the answers you need. That is what inspired my book, Let’s Be Curious, it is available on Amazon.

Focus on Your Outcomes

Too many people want to get things just right. Looking for perfect before the execute. Nothing kills momentum more than perfection. Done is better than perfect. You want results, don’t you? Do not cloud your judgment by thinking being busy will get you results or the outcomes you want. You can be busy doing the wrong things or busy doing nothing at all.

Create A Sense of Urgency for Yourself

You know you buy something because it is the “last one” or the “sale ends today”. You need to create the emotional impact for yourself by setting goals that are framed with a deadline of achievement. Your mind will look for ways to achieve it. When you are in the midst of action, there is no time to focus on self-limiting beliefs because you are acting and focused on your outcomes. Stay in action and meet the deadline.

Celebrate the series of successes! These are your life successes – who you are! You are your success!

What do you do to build your momentum? Share so others may learn from you!

“The BIG push means being able to develop and sustain momentum toward your goal; it is the process of actively replacing excuses with winning habits, the ultimate excuses blockers. Moreover, it is being willing to go to the wall for what you want or believe in, to push beyond your previous mental and physical limits, no matter what it takes.”
― Lorii Myers, No Excuses, The Fit Mind-Fit Body Strategy Book

EPISODE 142 – Consistency Wins

December 6, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“When you look at people who are successful, you will find that they aren’t the people who are motivated, but have consistency in their motivation.” Arsene Wenger

One of the greatest lessons in success is the attribute of consistency. It may seem like a simple concept because it is. Small actions taken every day can lead you to your destination. When you are consistent, the rewards are amazing! Being consistent takes intentional focus and action.

Why Be Consistent?

Being consistent in the way you do things set expectations. People know what to expect from you. You are clear on what you expect from yourself. When you are consistent in your parenting, your children know what to expect from you. They do not have you yelling one minute and giving them the silent treatment the next. If you run a business, people have expectations around the quality of product, program, or service you deliver. For example, when you go to a restaurant and order your favourite dish, you expect the same taste and quality you the next time you order the dish. It sets a standard. It establishes a sense of trust and dependability. Consistency sets the stage.

People can get caught up in the “how” of being consistent and beat themselves up when they are not. Consistency is something you need to consciously practice and do. When you mess up, own it, apologize and set things right. Get back on track by going back to a standard that works! If it works, why break it! Consistency needs to exist in thoughts, actions, and purpose.

It does not matter what your goal, being consistent is the way to achieving your goals. You need to start somewhere and you need to take one step at a time to get there.

#1 Define Your Compelling Vision – YOUR WHY?

Know why your goal is important to you. What will it give you or what will it do should you achieve it? When you know your “why”, you will continue to push through any challenges because you have a clear vision of what your outcome will achieve once you get there.

#2 Decide What You Want

Be clear about what it is that you want to achieve. The more clarity you have the more intentional you can be with your actions.

#3 Make A Plan and Make It Manageable

What does it take to achieve your goal? You want to increase the revenue in your business. Great by how much? Start with setting a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely). If you are going to increase your revenue, how much do you ant to increase it by and when? Ask yourself, “Is this goal and time frame achievable and realistic?” If not, adjust the goal so it is attainable but stretches you a bit to grow. Now, break your goal into smaller manageable pieces. Let’s say you want to increase your revenue in the next 6 weeks by $3000. What do you need to do to make $500/week? How many products or services would you need to sell and at what price? Suppose you want to work 5 days giving yourself 2 days off a week. You will want to make $100 a day.

$3000/6 weeks = $500/week

$500/5 days = $100/day

What actions must you take to get there? Apply the actions consistently and you will win! Make the plan, work the plan. Consistency wins!

#4 Accountability Makes a Difference

Find someone a friend or mentor or hire a coach to hold you accountable to follow through on the actions you need to take to get the results. You are less likely to fall off the wagon. If you do fall off, learn from it and get into the habit of being consistent with your actions again. Adjust the course as you go!

#5 Stay Motivated

The key to being consistent has to do with knowing your why and measuring your wins. If you are not acknowledging your successes or wins along the way, you do not recognize the growth of who you have become in the process. The biggest regret would be quitting due to not having a strong enough WHY to keep you going so you can celebrate success.

Consistency can lead to seeing results sooner rather than later. Whether it be consistent with door knocking or social media posts, your consistency will pay off. Out of sight out of mind. It is better to be top of mind so they can contact you or refer you to others.

“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson

What do you do to maintain consistency?

Please share in detail support and inspire others.