A Picture of the Future of Selling

When you offer a game-changing sales program, what graphic do you create to explain it? I've tried pictures of the ocean, the moon, office buildings and shaking hands. None of them worked. 

Eureka! I found it!

How to get organized, sell more and save time.

Here are each of the three components:

• Storytelling is needed because "the best storyteller wins." The best storytelling salesperson will capture the greatest number of hearts and minds of the buyers.
• Selling Skills are needed to effectively attract buyers, learn their needs, present the right solution, lead them to commitment, and follow up. 
• Project Management gives you the power to make your sales year happen, not just let it happen.

All three components enhance each other. If you remove just one component, your results will go down by at least 50 percent.

Welcome to the future of sales!

Click Here for the home page.

Video: The Future of Selling

No more chaos. No more strategies of "Just do more of whatever you did last year." 

Here's the future of selling:

Click Here for the Home page..

Video: Sales Training Done Right

$20 billion is spent on sales training each year. However, within a few months, everything returns to normal. It's as if the sales training had never occurred.

I've found the solution to this problem, and I want to share it with you. It's on the "Sales Training" page of the Goss Consulting website.

Click Here for the Sales Training page.

Video: To Sell More, Become a Better Storyteller

"The best storyteller wins." In sales, the best storyteller closes more sales at higher margins. Shouldn't that be you?

Click Here for the Storytelling page.

Video: How to Increase Sales, Increase Profits and Get Organized

When you apply project management principles to achieving your sales goal, here is your outcome:

1. You'll achieve greater sales.
2. You'll achieve greater profits.
3. You'll get organized.

Here's a new video that explains Sales Project Management.

Click Here for the Sales Project Management page.

Learn About Storytelling at The World's Largest Toastmasters Meeting

On August 30th at 12:30 PM, I am privileged to present a storytelling speech at The World's Largest Toastmasters Meeting. It will be held at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Oregon. Drop by. Admission is free.  Click Here for Details.

A Birthday Story: His Life of Significance Is an Example to Us

When some people pass through our lives, they leave a permanent impression. Bob was one of those people. Today is his birthday. Allow me to celebrate his life by sharing some of his story with you.

Bob was born on August 13, 1925. He grew up in Ames, Oregon. When he was 17, he dropped out of high school and ran away from home. He lied about his age and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He fought for America in the South Pacific during World War 2. He was promoted to Gunnery Sergeant in the field, when his own sergeant was killed. 

When Bob returned home from the war, jobs were scarce. He needed to make a living for he and his wife. Bob was an excellent mechanic. He couldn't find employment, so he started his own automotive repair shop. He didn't think of himself as an entrepreneur. He just knew he needed money to take care of he and his wife, and people would pay him to fix their cars and trucks.

A few years later, Bob accepted a job as a mechanic with the U.S. Postal Service in Tacoma, Washington. One day, he and another mechanic were using a portable hoist to lift an engine out of a mail truck. When the engine was high enough, the other mechanic climbed under the engine to disconnect the oil and fuel lines. The hoist made a loud, cracking sound and began to shake. The engine began to fall onto the other mechanic. He couldn't get out of the engine compartment. 

Instantly, Bob climbed onto the fender of the truck. With super-human strength, he lifted the engine, rolled it over the other fender and let it go. The building shook as the engine and the hoist collapsed into a pile of rubble. 

Bob saved a man's life that day. God was watching.

Bob's co-worker was scared but unharmed. Bob couldn't walk. He had excruciating back pain. He was rushed to the hospital. 

X-rays revealed three crushed vertebrae. The Post Office terminated his employment, saying he couldn't perform his assigned job any more. Several surgeries later, Bob could perform light work with the assistance of a back brace.

Bob took jobs where he could find them. He moved his family to Pendleton, Oregon. He worked in the wheat fields, and as a mechanic. Because of the quality of his work, he developed a reputation as a leader, a teacher and a master mechanic. 

He became the service manager for Comrie Oldsmobile Cadillac in Pendleton. One day, he was called to the shop floor. A mechanic had severely cut himself. He was bleeding out. People were standing around, staring, not knowing what to do. Bob raced in and pushed them out of the way. The mechanic pleaded with him. "Bob, I'm dying. Please save me." 

Bob grabbed a rag and applied pressure to stop the bleeding...just like he had taught his Boy Scout troop. The bleeding stopped. The ambulance arrived. The mechanic had lost a lot of blood, but he survived.

Bob saved another man's life that day. God was watching.

The Pendleton Vocational-Technical School called Bob one day and offered him a teaching position. The director said, "We want you to teach our students the skills you have developed over the years." He accepted the job. The school evolved into Blue Mountain Community College. Bob was a popular instructor in the Automotive Division. 

During a routine records check, the college discovered that one of their most popular teachers was in fact a high-school dropout. Oops. Bob had earned his G.E.D. on a Navy ship, on the way to the South Pacific. However, that ship was sunk by an enemy torpedo on its way home. Bob's records were at the bottom of the ocean.

Bob was the oldest student in the G.E.D. class at Pendleton High School. He passed. How, he was officially a high school graduate. A new surprise was waiting for him. By then, the state of Oregon required that Bob possess a teaching degree. 

Each summer, Bob rented a tiny apartment in Corvallis and attended summer school at Oregon State University. It was hard leaving his family in Pendleton for three months each year, but it was necessary. After he completed his Junior year, the college gave Bob paid leave so he could attend his entire Senior year at once. 

In his late fifties, Robert Goss, high school dropout, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Trade and Industrial Education from Oregon State University. He's my hero.

My dad died in 1980, but I will never forget him. I keep his memory alive by sharing stories about him with my children, my grandchildren, and now you. Happy, Birthday, Dad!

Today, in some small way, "be like Bob."

New Video: How to Make Sales Training Work

Sales training is a $20 Billion industry. It's too bad the R.O.I. is so low. Withing a few months, sales are back where they were before. It's as if the sales training event never happened.

I found the solution. I put it into a video that I completed today.

Trial by Fire, a Storyselling Project

I found this article, and I thought it would inspire you. Enjoy...

My First Storyselling Project - A True Story

by Mike Goss, PMP

My Storyselling Projects system didn't happen overnight. I have used each of system's three components for many years. In 2014, I formally combined them and gave them a name.

It all started in 1976. I was the new Portland branch manager for U.S. Elevator Corporation. My territory was Oregon, Idaho and southwest Washington. I sold elevators, repair jobs and maintenance contracts. I was looking forward to many happy years there.

If only I had performed my due diligence, I would have learned that U.S. Elevator was the most hated elevator contractor in my local market. It seems that the previous branch manager was a liar and a crook. He burned every architect and contractor, and then he left the state. He left no forwarding address. I was his replacement. Lucky me.

Trial by Fire

My routine was the same each day:

1. Call a developer, contractor or architect.
2. Introduce myself.
3. Explain that I'm with U.S. Elevator, and take a deep breath.
4. Listen to the cursing and the insults.
5. Ask for a face-to-face meeting.
6. Meet in their conference room. They wanted witnesses. (So did I.)
7. Sit through five minutes of insults and cursing.
8. Remind myself that it isn't personal.
9. Prepare for a speedy exit in case firearms are exposed. (That only happened once.)

I understood their anger. They had suffered financial losses and damages to their reputations because of delays and other problems related to the elevator installation...all caused by the company I represented.

After the shouting subsided, I asked two questions:

1. Did it feel good to get that out of your system?
2. Can we agree that although my company did these things to you, I am personally innocent?

At this point, they felt a tiny bit of remorse for all the things they said to me. Then, I asked the magic questions: 

• "Will you give me a chance to redeem myself and my company?"
• "Will you privately negotiate your next small project with me? I'll give you a price that we both know is competitive. I'll complete the installation on time, with no surprises."

The response was almost always the same: "We'll give you one chance. If you screw this up, we'll bury you in the foundation."

The regional construction manager for U.S. Elevator was my new best friend. I wined and dined him whenever he came to town. He made sure I had the materials and labor crews on the job sites when I needed them.

Without formally defining them, I was already using the three components of my Storyselling Projects system:

Storytelling

When the developers, contractors and architects were finished yelling at me, I began offering them word pictures of "what could be." I told them short stories of elevator customers I had served in my previous position with Otis Elevator Company. The customers were the heroes of the stories. The stories had happy endings. I invited my new customers to be the heroes of a new wave of success stories by choosing my proposal. 

I met frequently with U.S. Elevator's regional construction superintendent. He knew of the terrible reputation of the Portland branch. I told him stories of how things would change, and how he would be the hero of the resurrection of the Portland branch. He was my success partner for the next two years. He personally made sure I never had a job-site delay for labor or materials. I made sure everyone knew he was the hero for on-time, under-budget installations.

Personalized Sales Training

U.S. Elevator had no sales training program. They assumed that if you were a branch manager or field sales rep, you already knew how to sell.

I'm a lifelong learner. I made my own sales training program, personalized to my needs.

I built my own sales call planner. After each call, I listed the top three things I should repeat on the next call, and the top three things I should never do again. The completed call planner forms became my personal sales improvement tracker. I still use versions of that planner in my sales, teaching and coaching activities.

I read every sales book I could find. I subscribed to sales magazines. I took notes of skills I wanted to adopt.

I bought cassette tape programs from nationally-recognized sales trainers. I spent a lot of time in my car. I turned my car into Mike's Sales University. I absorbed nearly two hours of audio training on the road each day.

Storytelling had not yet gained attention as a tool for business. I casually introduced storytelling into my sales conversations. I used short stories in prospecting, qualifying, need-finding, presentations, handling objections, closing and following up. Each time I used stories, the sale seemed to go smoother and faster.

Stories also helped me build value. While my competitors focused on their price, I focused on stories of my customers completing their projects sooner and making more money.

Sales Project Management

For most contractors, their price on bid day was their primary selling tool. I thought there had to be a better way to win sales than by merely being the lowest bidder. I was determined to bypass the bid process and negotiate projects whenever I could. I wanted to make my year happen, not just let it happen.

Based on my knowledge of the market, I made a promotional plan for the next twelve months. It had two parts:

1. For the projects already in planning, approach the architects with advice and approach the contractors to seek opportunities for privately negotiating the elevator installation.
2. For new projects, contact the architect before they began their work, to offer free plans and specifications for their elevators.

My storytelling, self-training and project management system paid off. In my second year, I increased my branch sales by 480 percent!

Live Your Own Success Story

You can be the hero of your own sales success story. All it takes is an integrated system of storytelling, sales training and project management...my Storyselling Project system.

Why People Buy, and Why It Matters

You sell the best products and services. As soon as your prospects see them, they should get out their pen and their checkbook. Right? 

That may happen on the planet Zargon, but it doesn't happen here, Earthling. This article will show you how to get ahead of your competitors by addressing why people buy.

Why People Buy

We all buy for selfish reasons, usually to relieve some kind of pain. We can't help ourselves. It's in our DNA. Here are three types of pain:

1. Physical pain. They buy products and services to make their pain go away. They purchase aspirin, bandages and doctor visits for this reason.
2. Emotional pain. They buy gifts to say, "I'm sorry." How many husbands have purchased flowers, candy or other gifts for this reason?
3. Intellectual pain. They are looking for something better. People buy books and CDs. They buy tickets to conferences. They buy the newest machines and tools. They make these purchases to "get ahead."

Why It Matters

openclipart.org

For the buyer's pain, your product is the bandage. When you know why a buyer is considering a purchase, then you'll know how to present your product as the best solution. Let's use the previous examples:

1. Relieving the Physical Pain: "Our new pain medication dulls the pain almost instantly, while keeping you alert at all times."
2. Relieving the Emotional Pain: "Our special chocolate gift packs deliver the feeling that words can't describe."
3. Relieving the Intellectual Pain: "Here is the future of ______, customized just for you."  

How to Get Started

The seller who understands and addresses "why people buy" will always be busy. Here's how you can be that seller:

Step 1: Write down all the reasons why your customers buy;

• Physical pains
• Emotional pains
• Intellectual pains

Step 2: Beside each type of buyer pain, describe how your products and services make those pains go away.

Step 3: Write your solutions into your ads, flyers, email blasts and presentation plans.

Be the "doctor of pain removal." Offer the tools that make the pain go away, and close the sale.

Happy doctoring!

Don't Sell the Pieces - Sell the System

How I Confused the Buyer

When I began selling Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 ERP software, one of my first prospects was Bill. I was excited about the power of each module. I thought Bill should know and appreciate that power. For example, the General Ledger module was the first one to be endorsed by the American Institute of CPAs. Because if its audit trails, it was the first off-the-shelf G/L software to meet their Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP).

Then, I would move to the Accounts Receivable module. To Bill, it was a separate conversation. One by one, I would move to the Sales Order, Inventory, Accounts Payable and Purchase Order modules.

It was very educational...if only I could help Bill stay awake. He was expressionless. Any moment now, he was going to fall completely asleep and go face-down into his coffee cup.

The Turning Point

I cleared my throat. In a loud voice, I asked, "Bill, can I refill your coffee?"

Bill shook himself back to life. He said, "Mike, this MAS 90 stuff sounds really powerful, but it seems way too complicated. I just remembered that I have an appointment. I have to leave now. I think I'll look for something that's easier to understand and buy."

I responded this way: "Bill, I apologize for not telling you earlier that they come out of the box ready to plug in and go to work for you. Think of all the modules working together as one system, to solve the problem you said was most pressing: getting sales, purchasing and inventory control to play nice together.  Shall we dispense with the separate modules and discuss a single, integrated system?

Bill replied, "Of course. I thought you knew that."

Ten minutes later, I closed the sale. 

Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 had 22 modules at that time. I never discussed them individually again. I only offered systems, as solutions to business problems. Sage was learning the same lesson. They began offering the Distribution Solution, the Manufacturing Solution, the Financial Reporting Solution, and others.

The Lesson We Can All Learn

IBM was fond of saying, "The System is the Solution." Even if you offer a massive catalog of products and services, don't sell them individually. Combine your products and services, and sell the system. That's the solution the buyer wants to hear about.

Has this happened to you? Feel free to comment and share this post with your peers.

Are You Letting It Happen, or Making It Happen?

A Lofty Goal

Mary has a goal for her new consulting business. She works from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM each day, to grow her business. She figures that if she will just throw enough hours at it, her success will be guaranteed.

Poor Results

Three months have passed. Mary has achieved less than one-tenth of the revenue she needs. At this rate, she will never hit her goal. If this goes on much longer, She will be forced to close down and seek a job elsewhere.

What's the Problem?

Mary delivers great consulting services. All of her (three) clients are raving fans. The problem is that Mary is letting her revenue happen. She should be making it happen. 

Make It Happen with a Project

Mary's mentor showed her how to turn her sales goal into the goal of a project. She followed the principles of project management:

1. Mary wrote down her goals. Each goal had a deliverable, a due date and an accountable person.
2. She assessed her risks. How many ways could the project go wrong? She wrote the steps necessary to prevent each risk factor. Then, in case prevention didn't work, she wrote the steps necessary to mitigate the risk if it happened.
3. Mary wrote the milestone events that would occur throughout the year. For each milestone, she wrote the deliverable, the due date and the accountable person.
4. She wrote the steps necessary to achieve each milestone. Each step had its own deliverable, due date and accountable person.

Mary focused on achieving each step on time. When she completed each step on time, she guaranteed that she would complete each milestone on time. When she completed each milestone on time, she guaranteed the project would be completed on time.

For the first time in her career, Mary was making her revenue happen. She was no longer letting it happen. Mary had a system for success.

Results

Mary achieved her sales goal. It was much easier than she expected. She said it was almost like turning a crank and generating sales.

Your Challenge

Regardless of the nature of your goal, doesn't it need a little more structure? Turn your goal into the goal of a project. Plan and execute your uncommon success.

Is Fear Holding You Back? Here's How to Conquer It

Fear Can Stop You in Your Tracks

I was working on a worthwhile project, prospecting for new clients. One day, I realized I was no longer moving forward. I got out a yellow note pad. I wrote my goal at the top. Then, I wrote a short list of reasons why I wasn't succeeding. 

Declare Your Fear, so You Can Conquer It

I looked at my list. To my amazement, none of the reasons were tangible. They all boiled down to one glaring word:  FEAR. When I looked at the list again, I had to admit to myself that I was afraid to take the one action that could open the floodgates and get my prospecting back on track. I had to write a letter to a former client, describing something I had done wrong. I had to describe what I've learned, and ask for another chance.

Perhaps I was afraid my letter would be perceived as a sign of weakness. Perhaps the recipient would pass my letter around and publicly ridicule it.

Perhaps it's silly, but my reluctance to write that letter was slowing down all of my prospecting efforts. I asked around, and I learned that I wasn't alone. I suspect that you've had similar roadblocks.

Dad's Wise Advice on Conquering Fear

Now that I had declared my fear, I could take steps to conquer it. I remembered something my dad told me years ago:  "Deal with fear the same way you deal with shaking hands with someone. Offer to shake the other person's hand. If they shake your hand, you win. If they spit on your hand or ridicule you, you still win. The reason you win is that you did everything within your control. You can't control the other person's response. You'd better make sure you are proud of your own actions, because that's all you can control."

Taking Action Against Fear

I wrote the letter and mailed it. I did not receive a reply. Maybe my letter was received and filed away. Maybe it was shown around the office. It no longer matters. I did everything I could control, so it's OK.  

3 Steps to Conquering Your Fears

When you realize that fear has stopped you, take these three steps to get going again:

1. Declare the fear that's stopping you.
2. List the reasons for your fear, and the steps you must take to conquer it.
3. Take the action you can control, the action you can be proud of.

Your outcome: no more fear. You'll be amazed at how quickly and easily the fear dissolves and you begin moving forward again.

How about you? What fears have you conquered?

Are You Exhibiting Products or Solving Problems?

The Story of Mary and Sam

Mary and Sam are sales reps for Digi-King Displays. Digi-King manufactures large-scale digital displays for airport terminals and other large venues. Digi-Kind displays are the top-rated displays on the market.

Mary is proud of her company and its products. She can rattle off the specs of a Digi-King display like nobody's business. The majority of her sales presentations are devoted to proving the quality of her displays.

Mary's sales are average.

Sam doesn't understand the technical aspects of Digi-King displays. All he knows is that they solve problems that other displays cannot solve. Sam's presentations begin with documenting the needs of his prospects. Only then does he choose the right Digi-King products and present them.

Sam is the top-selling rep at Digi-King.

The Difference: Solve Customer Problems

Mary asked Sam for the secret of his success. He replied, "I found that buyers don't care about the technical specs as much as they care about solving a problem. If they have an odd-shaped room, our displays are the only ones that give a bright display to every seat in the house. The buyer doesn't care how we do it, just that we can do it. That's what I sell: solutions to customer problems."

It was difficult for her, but Mary began each of her buyer conversations by asking questions. Her product knowledge helped greatly, but only to find the right solution to the buyer's problem.

Now, Mary and Sam take turns winning the "Best Sales Rep" trophy each year.

What About You?

The next time you prepare to show off your product knowledge, stop. Make the conversation about the buyer's needs. Ask more questions. Learn the buyer's pain. Make the pain go away by applying your product. Then watch your sales skyrocket!

Update: 3 Keys to Increasing Your Sales and Profits

Problem

Conventional sales training has let you down.

Solution

Combine these three keys, and you'll be unstoppable:

1. Storytelling, to enchant prospects and customers, and shorten your selling process.
2. Personalized sales training, to sharpen your skill set.
3. Sales project management, adding structure to your activities, for greater success.

Free White Paper Tells All

Click Here to subscribe to the "3 Keys" newsletter. Your white paper will be on its way.

Have You Hit a Wall? Here's How to Break Through

The Wall Keeps You From Succeeding

As you work towards a goal, you will eventually hit a wall. You'll know you've hit it when you can no longer move forward towards your goal. Sometimes the stop is sudden. Sometimes the stop is gradual. 

What Causes the Wall?

Walls can be tangible, such as physical walls, fences or borders. Some walls are intangible, such as laws or attitudes.

Ninety percent of the walls we face are made of fear.

A Simple Choice

We deal with the walls in our lives by making a choice:

1. Give up. Decide that what you have in life is good enough. Don't exert yourself. It's too difficult. It's too risky. You might fail. If you fail, it might be embarrassing. 
2. Find a way to break through your wall, and claim the treasures on the other side.

If you chose Option 1, please leave this page. I have nothing here for you.

If you chose Option 2, get ready to enrich your life, and the lives of those around you.

How to Break Through

I developed this process in 2003, while I was studying for my Certified Coach credential. Every time I use it, it helps me break through:

Step 1: State Your Goal

Write down your goal. What must you accomplish? By what due date?

Step 2: Define Your Wall

What is standing in your way? What is preventing you from achieving your goal? Study the nature of the wall. Is it tangible? Is it intangible? What is its essence.

Walls are never perfect. When you learn the essence of your wall, you'll discover its weak spots.

Step 3: Make Your Plan

Using what you know about the essence of the wall, write a step-by-step plan to break through. A little project management could go a long way.

Step 4: Execute Your Plan

As you execute your plan, monitor your progress. Your plan will have a hole or two here and there. As you find them, fix them on the way.

Step 5: Celebrate Your Success

Because you took a systematic approach to breaking through your wall, chances are that you broke all the way through. It's time to celebrate! I recommend equal parts of Chili Cheeze Fritos and M&M Peanuts.

Life is richer when you break through your walls. I wish you well on your journey. 

Mike

To show how the five steps work, I wrote a novel titled Breaking Through Walls. I think you'll enjoy it. Click Here to learn more about it.

A Question That Caused a Riot

A Controversial Question

I asked this question during a sales training session: "How do your products help your customers achieve their dreams?"

One-third of the class looked at me as if I had lost my mind. Ed, their self-appointed spokesperson said, "Mike, that's a stupid question. Dreams are for little kids. We sell products for grown-ups. Is this a real sales training class, or what?"

The room was silent for five seconds. Sally, another classmate, stood up. She said, "When I walk into my favorite dress shop, I have dreams. Ed, when you walk into your favorite donut shop, a big smile comes across your face. You obviously have dreams. Your waistline shows it."

The Riot

Ed called Sally a name. Sally's best friend, Judy, called Ed a worse name. Suddenly, everyone was standing up, loudly voicing their opinions. Some opinions were in response to my question. Other opinions were about the parentage of some of the classmates. All this over a simple question: "How do your products help your customers achieve their dreams?"

In the midst of the chaos, I began singing our National Anthem. Everyone stopped shouting. They sang along with me. Some sang the melody, while others sang harmony. We discovered that we made a pretty good chorus. At the end of the anthem, we all clapped and cheered. Apologies were exchanged. Everyone had released some tension. We were all together again as a class of eager lifetime learners.

The Answer

Every classmate had to admit that we all have dreams. We buy products we think will help us achieve those dreams.

My next question was, "What if we ask about the buyer's dreams? What if we position our products as tools to help the buyers achieve their dreams?"

Although no one had done it before, everyone in the class agreed that it was OK to ask the buyer about their dreams. It was equally OK to offer our products as tools for achievement.

Employing that principle became the homework assignment: try asking buyers about their dreams, and then offer our products as ways to achieve those dreams.

The Results

A week later, I met with the class again. I asked how their new sales strategy was working. Here's what we learned:

1. After establishing rapport, the buyer was receptive to questions about their dreams and aspirations.
2. The sales conversations were richer, because the conversations were about topics the buyer cared about.
3. When our products were offered as tools to achieve the buyer's dreams, we closed more sales in a shorter time.

Try It Yourself

Make a list of the different ways your products can help buyers achieve their dreams. Use your list to make questions you'll use in your next meeting with a prospect.

Please leave your comments below. If this post helps, spread the word.

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How to Use Your Story to Increase Profits

Do We Buy Products, or Stories?

Once upon a time, Mary had to purchase wedding invitations. She was faced with three options:

1. Acme Printing sells strictly on price. Their quote is the lowest. 
2. XYZ Printers uses better paper. Their price is slightly higher than Acme.
3. Wedding Memories started by telling Mary the story of how the owners met and fell in love while working at a commercial print shop. The owners married. They founded Wedding Memories to offer so much more than paper and ink. They founded their company to share love and memories through the feel and excitement of printed invitations, guest books and table accessories. Their price was the highest.

Who did Mary choose? You already know the answer. Mary bought the story of Wedding Memories and what it stands for.

The Power of Stories to Increase Sales and Profits

The right story helps you increase sales and profits in three ways:

1. Your story gives meaning to your product. Buyers choose meaning over price, if you'll give them the opportunity.
2. Your story invites more buyers to choose you, sooner. Your sales increase, and it takes less time to close each sale.
3. Your story gives value to your product. Value earns a higher price. That causes your profits to increase. 

Examples

• Computer Products: Apple Computer tells stories about rebelling against the status quo, by offering different and better products. Apple's products cost more than than their PC counterparts. Have you ever visited an Apple retail store? It's usually the busiest store in the neighborhood. Customers gladly pay a premium price to be the heroes of Apple's stories.
• Coffee Shops: Starbucks tells stories of sustainable, fair-traded coffee beans. Pick up a bag of beans and read the unique story of each roast. You'll buy that bag because you believe the story, and you want to be part of it. In-store signage and web pages extend Starbucks' stories.
• Tires: Les Schwab Tire Centers has been called "the most respected independent tire store chain in the United States" by Modern Tire Dealer Magazine. The story of Les Schwab's life is the story of the tire chain. Customer service is legendary. His customers all believe his slogan: "If we can't guarantee it, we won't sell it."

None of these businesses are known for offering the absolute lowest price. All of them generate substantial profits. Their customers "just know" they'll get the right product at the right price.

What's Your Story?

How much could you increase your sales and profits, if only the world knew your story? You can start building your story by answering these questions:

1. What was the status quo before you developed your product?
2. What pain were customers experiencing before your product existed?
3. What was the tipping point, the time and place that you realized you had the solution?
4. What walls did you hit while you were developing your product?  How did you overcome them?
5. What was it like when the first customer used your product?
6. How have you made the world a better place by introducing your product?
7. What does the future hold for your company and your product?

When you have scribbled the answers to these questions on a note pad, you'll be well on your way to increasing your sales and profits. I wish you well on your journey. Tell me how I can help.

Mike

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Toastmasters and the Project Management Institute: A Powerful Combination

To execute a project successfully, each member of the project team must be skilled at communications and project management. 

Better Communication Skills

There is an international organization devoted to helping its members become better communicators and leaders: Toastmasters International. With almost 300,000 members 35,000 chapters across 122 countries, Toastmasters helps people all over the world. I hold the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) credential, the highest one offered by Toastmasters.

Better Project Management Skills

The international Project Management Institute offers training and peer activities to help its members manage their projects better. I hold the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential, certifying my project management knowledge and practices.

When They Come Together, Magic Happens

I am privileged to assist members of the Portland chapter of Project Management International as they form a Toastmasters club for PMI-Portland members. It's probably no surprise that we're making a project out of launching the club.

Click Here for details of the new club, as well as a video I shot on Casual Wednesday.

We will make magic together here in the Silicon Forest.

The 3 Keys to Success Are Yours for the Taking

Here are the three keys to success in any environment:

1. Speaking skills
2. Leadership skills
3. Service to others

The best way to become better with each of these keys is to participate in a Toastmasters club. Here's why:

Speaking Skills

New Toastmasters receive the Competent Communicator manual. It contains ten speaking projects. You'll develop your speaking skills one step at a time.

After you complete your Competent Communicator manual, you will receive the Competent Communicator award. To further develop your speaking skills in an area that interests you, you can choose from a wide assortment of Advanced Speaking manuals. As you complete them, you will receive advanced speaking awards.

Leadership Skills

As a new member, you'll also receive the Competent Leadership manual. It describes and records your leadership activities as you assume various roles during Toastmaster meetings.

After your complete the projects in your Competent Leadership manual, you'll receive the Competent Leader award. You can choose from a wide variety of leadership projects that will earn advanced leadership awards.

Service to Others

A Toastmasters club works because its members participate. They help each other and the community. You will grow professionally because of the help you receive, and the help you offer.

Free Sample

Visit a Toastmasters club near your home or workplace. Feel the warm welcome you'll receive. Watch the speakers, the evaluators and leadership roles filled by willing members.

It's not about being perfect. It's about helping each other grow.

Do your part to make the world a better place, while improving your skill set. Check out Toastmasters today.

Related Links

Toastmasters International

Toastmasters District 7

The Portland chapter of the Project Management Institute is forming its own Toastmasters club. Click Here to email Past President Alan John for more details.