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stating the obvious

3/26/2015

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   ...And we're really looking forward to partnering with the National Pso...National Sor.....National SO. Uh, never mind. Just please call me back​
​
What you just read was the tail end of the message left to me by a salesperson for a cycling accessories company eager to work with our event. The word he was looking for was psoriasis or suh-rahy-uh-sis as in the National Psoriasis Foundation. He could have easily found the information right on this website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/psoriasis. He also could have heard the word pronounced on any number of YouTube videos on the topic.


Up until his bungled close, I was intrigued and intended to call him back. I didn't. I'm not the most sensitive guy in the world but hey, I wanted to feel a little special. The fact that he probably didn't look at the name of my organization until it was time to tell me how eager he was to partner with us told me I wasn't as special as I thought. It did tell me that I was clearly the 5th, 15th or 50th call in his rotation that day. Let me be clear - I get it. I have my call list every day too. But take the time to look down, see who you're calling and know HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE NAME!


So, in the spirit of turning this negative experience into a positive one, I wanted to share 5 basic suggestions for starting off on the right foot when prospecting for new business relationships. WARNING: Several of these are going to be no-brainers (think Captain Obvious in those clever hotels.com commercials). But as I saw with this recent phone call, the obvious isn't always obvious to everyone.

  1. Establish a criteria for your prospects: What are the bare bones requirements of businesses, organizations or people (a.k.a potential clients/partners) you're looking for? As an example, I'm looking for businesses that could have their employees participate in a charity cycling event in Ringoes, New Jersey. I call on fast growing companies that have at least 10 employees and are within a one hour drive of the Ride site. There are other elements worth looking for but this is my starting point. What's yours? 
  2. Call on prospects that possess your criteria: I warned you that some of these were total no-brainers! I'm not suggesting doing extensive research on every company you're calling. But do enough checking to know that you're not wasting your time or theirs. A key source for me is Inc. Magazine's 5,000 fastest growing companies in NJ and PA (they have all states by the way) and it includes the City and State and number of employees. It doesn't include the direct contact information. My bare bones research includes going to the company's website for the phone number and address. I use google maps to be sure the organization is no more than an hour away by car. 
  3. Know Who You're Asking For (and Why): Who is the person that can help you get your foot in the door? I don't mean who ultimately makes the decision. I mean who can give you the OK to get in there and show your stuff. I always ask for the Person Who Manages the Employee Volunteer Program. I do this because I've found that it's enough of a conversation starter that I get transferred to someone who has their hand in this. I'm not saying this is the only way to do it - find what works for you and stick with it.
  4. Craft A Great Script and A Great Voicemail Message: I wish I could tell you that I get through to the person I want to reach, 40, 50 or 60% of the time. I don't. My success rate of getting through is 25% to 35% and that's on the good days. I'm always working on getting better and delivering a more compelling message that gets me through. In the meantime, I do spend plenty of time leaving voicemail. I'm happy to say that my call back rate is improving all the time. If you're going to take the time to leave a message, make it stand out. Give them a reason to call you back and they will (really....it's true).
  5. Be Able to Pronounce the name of the Company and Person You're Calling On:Did you really think I could leave this out after that dramatic opening story? DO NOT do more calls than the number that allows you to deliver a knowledgable, properly pronounced and respectful call - one that earns you the right to have the conversation you want to have with a prospect.
In my Toastmaster's meeting yesterday, one of the members reminded us of the value of stepping back, taking a breath and considering what you're trying to accomplish before moving forward. That was in reference to extemporaneous speaking. It may be an equally valuable use of your time to do the same with your prospecting and business development approach.
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It's All About the Base

3/17/2015

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No More No Less

Those words may not be the most inspirational way to kick off a (hopefully) motivational note. I'm highlighting them as I've been planting this sentence in my brain when I force myself to head to a gym at least twice a week.


I go there to do my least favorite thing in the whole wide world - strength training. I'll be blunt: I hate it. I would always prefer running, biking or hockey as my workouts of choice. I don't know why I have such an intense dislike for it and I'm not going to try to figure it out. But, having recently turned 50, I've noticed my joints seem to be taking it hard so something has to change. I know from reading and logic that strength training is a good friend - or at least an ally - of folks that love the endurance stuff. I've made a pact with myself to stick with a regimen of getting in at least two workouts for the next three months (as you may know, it's supposed to take 90 days to change a habit).


Why does this matter? Because It's All About The Base. Not the Bass that Meghan Trainor is singing about in her big hit. I'm talking about the Base. Base as in foundation, bottom, support (as a noun) or, used as a verb, to build, construct, form, or ground. It's often said that the toughest part of reaching a big goal is getting started. I would argue that it's equally challenging to make the long-term commitment to putting a base or foundation for success in place.


Whether we're starting a strength training program or beginning a prospecting program of reaching a set number of new donors per month - we need to start somewhere and create that foundation for success.


That's where this idea of No More No Less can be really helpful. I've found - and maybe you have too - that when we start something new like a job, project or exercise program, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement and novelty. This excitement has the potential to create an arc of super highs and deep lows. In my strength training example, there have been a few days where I've been "feeling it" more than usual. The weight lifting, squats, etc. don't seem half as bad as they usually do. Naturally, I'm tempted to do lots more that day. There are other days where the drudgery of doing it seems worse than what I'm imagining for my upcoming visit to the dentist. And of course I just want to bag it for the day.
No More No Less allows you to keep and establish that Base. That's where your growth comes from. So here are some suggestions for Building Your Base - no matter what the sport or activity:

​
  1. Pick An Absurdly Low Number of (fill in your Activity) per Day - Yes, you heard me right. Pick a number of calls, clients you can see, squats you can ace, miles you can run crazy easy. Why? Build up your confidence! You've got time. Feel great out of the gate and you're more likely to stick with your new challenge. 
  2. Pick An Equally Absurd Number of Days Per Week to Do Your Thing - Think you can make your calls five days a week? Dial it back to 3 or 4. You're sure you can do your strength training four days a week (I know I can't) - call it 2 or 3.
  3. Don't - I Repeat - Don't Do More - I get it. You're on a roll and are ready to conquer the earth. Don't. Stop right where you're at. When you add five more of whatever, you give yourself license to skip five the next time. Not the idea. The goal is to establish a baseline of activity you're capable of achieving consistently.
  4. And (Surprise) Don't - I Repeat - Don't Do Less - So you skipped my third suggestion and doubled up on everything last time. Doesn't matter. Still hit your daily magic number.
  5. Celebrate - and Incrementally Add - Pretty straight forward here. Do something really nice for yourself after you've made it a habit. After that, add 5% to 15% and see if you can stick with it.
  6. Repeat Forever!
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    Robert Grabel is the President of Nonprofit Now! You can find his posts here and at www.robertgrabel.com

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