Author: Tim Martin

Tim has spent the last 22 years in the VB sales world. During that time he has recruited and trained over 2,000 agents to get people to do what they should, but wouldn't do if we didn't come along. In addition to his leadership rolls at the two largest VB carriers on the planet, Tim has worked with outside organizations through consulting and sales coaching. His energetic and humorous key note addresses have also inspired and electrified audiences throughout the United States. Currently Tim is also working on his first book "Success Is Voluntary." Tim and the lovely Dizzy D reside in Peoria, Arizona. They have been married for 30 years and are the proud parent of two gorgeous grown young women, Brittny 29 and Victoria 26.

Bill Cates – The Referral Coach – SIV #037 Shownotes

Don't keep me a secret!

A good friend of mine, Eric Silverman recently introduced me to Bill Cates. I had read Bill’s book Don’t Keep Me A Secret several years ago so I was thrilled when Bill agreed to come on the podcast.

Bill has revolutionized the way sales professionals acquire ideal clients by adopting a proven process to generate personal introductions and communicate a more compelling value proposition. Bill is the author of three best-selling books: Get More Referrals Now, Don’t Keep Me a Secret, and Beyond Referrals. His newest book, Radical Relevance, is scheduled for release in late May or early June.

Bill is also somewhat of an adventurer. He has trekked through the Himalayas of Nepal and the Andes of Peru. He has lived on a houseboat in Kashmir, India, climbed Machu Pichu, reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, camped on the Arctic Circle… and he has toured the country as the drummer in a rock and roll band.

Things Bill And I Talked About

Bill’s first experience in sales was selling furnace filters for Cub Scouts. He learned the importance of:
- Getting referrals
- Effective sales contests
- Visualization
Bill’s belief in listening to audio programs
Why people don’t ask for referrals
- They have never been shown
- Sales manager was never taught so they don’t know how to teach it
- It is easier to keep doing what they are doing
- Psychologically people are afraid due to mistaken assumptions and self-limiting beliefs
Becoming referrable through outstanding service
Rory Vaden’s quote, “It’s hard to be nervous when your heart is in service.”
Many people disguise their no’s as a maybe
The difference between an introduction and a referral
- “Call Frank and tell him I gave you his name,” is no longer an effective method
- Electronic handshake is much stronger (usually done by email)
- Getting everyone together is stronger still
How soon can you ask for a referral? When value has been delivered and when value has been recognized
The importance of paying attention to people in your client’s sphere
You must have confidence when asking for introductions
Bring a list of possible clients to referral meeting
Have fun with it. “Who on this list would you avoid if you were me?”
How to separate yourself from the competition
- Go vertical
- Avoid shotgun approach to marketing
- Learn about your prospect before reaching out to them
- Bring innovative strategies to your clients and their business
- Use education to take your prospect off the market
Two Anthony Iannarino quotes:
- “Most customers are more comfortable with their problem than with your solution.”
- “It’s no longer good enough to have sales acumen. You must now also have business acumen.
Why he hires coaches and why you should too. It takes humility to get better!

Books We Talked About

Spoiler Alert: There are just a few… As always, just click on the book cover to discover more!!!

How To Reach Bill

Bill is very accessible. You can find out what he is doing and check out his great resources at http://www.referralcoach.com/resources

Thank You For Listening

I really appreciate you listening to the podcast and would love it if you would be so kind as to rate the podcast on iTunes. To do that, all you have to do is go to https://successisvoluntary.com/iTunes and follow the instructions. It will take you less than 30 seconds and would be a huge help to me as it will keep the podcast towards the top of the business charts in iTunes which will help new people discover it.

I look forward to seeing you back here next week, in the meantime, don’t forget that everything you do in this business is voluntary. Including success!!!

Pick A Lane

"Man who chases two rabbits catches none." - Chinese Proverb

I recently met a friend of mine for coffee. Sally (not her real name) wanted to pick my brain as to some ideas for her business. Sally gave me the following rundown of her many endeavors as she explained her situation.

The Situation

Sally runs a very satisfying small business that fortunately breaks even most months, even after pulling out a small salary.
Sally is involved in a network marketing company that she earns o.k. money from every month. She hasn’t started to recruit other reps but she does believe passionately in the product and has several loyal retail customers.
Sally helps some friends of hers by working with their customers via the internet. The amount of money from this “job” is fairly negligible and it takes her 10 hours a week to accomplish.

Her Motivations

Sally has a background in education and has always cared deeply about people. Her focus since leaving education has been on helping others through working with non-profits and her current business. This work has been extremely gratifying to her but she is now ready to make what she called “serious money.”

The Dilemma

Sally is tired. As I mentioned above, she is finally taking some money out of the business but every month is tight. She isn’t sure she can build the business much beyond where it is now.

The network marketing gig is exciting, shiny and seems limitless. Unfortunately, Sally has zero experience with recruiting and knows she must get out of her comfort zone to build her business. She is very aware that her success in this opportunity is less than guaranteed.

The work she does online for her friends is very easy. She “only” spends 10 hours a week on it. She knows that she should probably jettison it asap but hasn’t done so yet.

My Advice?

Pick a lane: The reality is that Sally is running around trying to “have it all.” Maybe there are some people reading this that think they can handle multiple endeavors at the same time. There have been many times in my life where I thought I could. Unfortunately, that has never ended well for me. I should have known better. About 2,000 years ago some dude named Matthew wrote, “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.”
Know your value: When I asked Sally what her value per hour was, she had no idea how to answer me at first. I continued to probe and asked her what she made per hour when she was doing her most profitable work. Sally’s answer was $35/hour. I explained that since her most profitable time is worth $35/hour she needs to believe she is worth $35 /hour at all times. (Goodbye the 10 hours she works online for $10/hour.)
Increase your value: It was great to have Sally realize her CURRENT worth was $35/hour. It would be tragic if that was still her answer 90 days from now.
Stop working in your business: Yes, as a small business owner there are a million things that demand your attention. Some of them are even critical. Unfortunately, most business owners get so caught up in the day-to-day grind that they don’t stop to plan, create systems, or build their client base. To really flourish a small business owner must spend more time working on their business than in it. There is no doubt that Sally has the skill set to manage a business. The only question left is can she be good business owners. There is a world of difference between the two.
Hobbies are rarely profitable: Businesses must be. Sally believes that her network marketing opportunity has massive upside and I can’t argue with her. The problem is that as long as she is spending 50+ hours doing other things, she has no shot of building her downline or her retail customer base. Sally must completely sell out to the opportunity to be successful. She is going to have to learn to recruit, onboard, train, and babysit the reps she recruits. This will all be new territory and to give up the small business she owns is a massive leap of faith. A leap that I am confident could pay off eventually.

The Conclusion

Sally will have to decide what to do next. Even not deciding will be a decision to continue the frantic, unfocused merry-go-round she finds herself on. At best I helped her gain some clarity as to where to start.

I can hardly figure out my own life, let alone tell someone else what they should do with theirs. In fact, I wrote this article for me as much as I did for you. I too find myself at an interesting place in life. Since leaving “Corporate America,” I have been presented with several opportunities. I am struggling with my own decision as to what my next chapter will look like. I don’t have a crystal ball and none of these opportunities are “sure things.” I sense myself wanting to try to take on at least 2 or 3 of them. I have even thought about how I could make them all mesh together. The reality is that I can’t.

Sally isn’t alone. I too must pick a lane.

Paul Freed – The Art of Recruiting – SIV #036 Shownotes

Did I ever mention that Success Is Voluntary?

I am very excited to introduce you to my friend Paul Freed. I meet Paul 5 years ago at a Michael Hyatt conference titled Launch. We had a lot in common and decided to start a Mastermind group with a couple of other guys we had met. The time we spent working together helped me to clarify exactly what I wanted my podcast and blog to look like. Paul’s insight and passion dramatically impacted my thinking and my business.

Paul is a named partner in Seattle’s premier executive search firm. In other words, he helps companies attract top-level candidates for companies like Starbucks, REI, Zillow, and T-Mobile. He travels all over the world speaking about job search, recruiting and employee attraction. He is the only person I know personally who has given a TED talk. To say Paul is a power player is a major understatement. On top of all that, he is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.

What We Talked About

Most people fall backwards into their career
The cyclical nature of business
Mixing your identity with your job title
How to not allow your job to define you
You have value, meaning, and worth regardless of how things are going
How his firm went from no revenue for two months and came roaring back to be the largest executive search firm is the Pacific Northwest.
The two questions you must nail on your job interview
How to benchmark your competition
Why most company’s job descriptions suck
What to do about it
Recruiting is a sales and marketing function
Putting your best recruiting pitch into a 2-3 paragraph narrative and including it in the job description
Looking for candidates that are working and happy vs. job seekers
Organizations hire based on competency and fire based on culture
The importance of reading your job description out loud
Why video emails are so critical and can be your unfair competitive advantage
And other duties as assigned

The Four Books We Talked About

As always, just click on the covers below to learn more.

Connect With Paul

Paul would love to connect with you and help any way he can. To find out more go to his website:

http://theartofrecruiting.com/

Thank You For Listening

I really appreciate you listening to the podcast and would love it if you would be so kind as to rate the podcast on iTunes. To do that, all you have to do is go to https://successisvoluntary.com/iTunes and follow the instructions. It will take you less than 30 seconds and would be a huge help to me as it will keep the podcast towards the top of the business charts in iTunes which will help new people discover it.

I look forward to seeing you back here next week, in the meantime, don’t forget that everything you do in this business is voluntary. Including success!!!

Tame The Beast

Who's smarter, your phone or you?

I’m guessing you have a smartphone. In fact, you are probably reading this article on said smartphone. Isn’t the technology that you hold in your hand nearly miraculous? In the last three years, the lovely Dizzy D and I have traveled to Europe twice. We went to countries we had never traveled to and where we didn’t speak the local language. Because of my iPhone (I’m not an Android infidel) the trips were almost flawless. We visited Italy for 22 days and spent 10 days in Portugal and Spain. I used my iPhone to Yelp restaurants, get directions, and communicate with my two daughters: one in Orlando and one in Phoenix.

Dirty Little Secret: Your Convenience

Your smartphone is for your convenience.

Not your customers
Not your employees
Not your spouse’s — Well maybe, if you are like me, your spouse expects you to answer their call.

The First Step Is Admitting You Have A Problem

You are addicted you your phone. Deny it if you wish but the average American checks their smartphone between 35 and 74 times per day… And because you are in sales, I’m guessing you are above the norm. The very device we are counting on to help us, is killing our productivity.

Increase Your Productivity – Avoid Interruptions

If you’re serious about increasing your productivity you must get control over your smartphone interruptions for the following 3 reasons:

Allowing interruptions is a time and productivity killer.
- Top time-and-motion scientists tout that any time you are interrupted from a project, you waste approximately 20 minutes. – Does that seem a little extreme to you? You’re probably thinking, Tim, are you telling me that just by responding to a text or email, taking a call, or updating my FB page, I am wasting 20 minutes? I’m not saying it. The University of Michigan has led some of the most in-depth time and motion studies and these are their findings. Findings they use by the way to help the Detroit automakers become more efficient.
Allowing interruptions leads to a waste of time. Most situations can be resolved without your immediate involvement.
- If you are a heart surgeon, firefighter, or EMT, you should probably stay VERY connected and available. As for the rest of us, no one’s life is typically hanging in the balance of us answering our phone.
- I’ve been leading sales teams for 21 years. I’ve found that if I give my people a few hours before responding, they have almost always figured out how to handle the very situation they were calling me about.
Allowing interruptions disempowers the teams you lead and your customers.
- Is your goal dependent customers and team members or would you prefer them to be self-sufficient?
  - I think most of us would agree that we want to work with self-sufficient customers and team members.
  - By answering every text, email, and phone call immediately, it is actually disempowering. You become their sole source of information.
  - In my 21 years of leadership, I have been witness to countless managers who stifle their team’s growth by being too accessible.

Get Ahold Of Yourself Man!

If you don’t get control over the very device that is nearly miraculous, your smartphone, and remember it is there for YOUR convenience, it will destroy your productivity. So how do you change the way you interact with your phone? Each of will take a different approach. My personal solution is that I only respond to texts, email, and voice mails twice per day. Once at 10 am and again at 4:00 pm. Unless it’s from my wife, and then I answer immediately. Hey, I want to be productive, but I also want to stay married!

What are you going to do to tame the beast that our smartphones have turned into? Is it even reasonable to limit your instantaneous availability to calls, texts, and emails? Leave a comment below. If you are reading this in your email inbox CLICK HERE to leave a comment.

Tim Martin – Personal Coaching – SIV #035 Shownotes

If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always got.

I can’t tell you how overwhelming and humbling the response to the re-launch of the Success Is Voluntary blog and podcast has been! Your emails, phone calls, and comments on the website and Facebook have meant more to me than you will ever know.

One of the crazy, unintended, but gratifying side effects of the re-launch has been that several people have asked if I was available for personal coaching. The answer is yes I am, but only for the right person. Before we get into who I accept into my coaching program I want to tell you a story.

My Story

The year was 2011 and I was stuck. If you are a movie buff I would assume you have seen the classic movie “Groundhog Day.” I was so stuck in my career development that every day seemed like I was Bill Murray’s character, Phil. I was doing the exact same things over and over and over and over again. I was desperately stuck. I was making great money and should have been in a very comfortable place in my career. But the simple fact was that I wasn’t getting better. Worse yet, I was (and it’s hard to say this humbly) the absolutely highest performing sales manager in my organization. I really had nothing to learn from my peers or my bosses.

The Turning Point

I decided to do something radical. I decide to hire a personal coach after a very successful sales career of just over 14 years. Hiring this personal coach saved my career, and also quite frankly my sanity. I had to do something different or I was going to burn out. I made the very hard decision to seek professional help. This decision completely changed my career arc and opened doors to opportunities I could never have imagined. And best of all, just like good old Phil, I was able to once again move on with my life.

My Belief

Because of my incredibly positive experience, it is my belief that every salesperson and sales manager needs to hire a coach. They owe it to themselves, and the people that are counting on them.

The 3 Reasons You Need To Hire A Coach

You are stuck in your excuses.
- Your coach is going to ask you the hard questions. Oftentimes this is somewhat akin to therapy (don’t ask me how I know that.) What I mean is that often the person being coached already knows the answers to the hard questions. They just need someone to call them out on it. One of the excuses I told my coach was that the market was saturated. He simply asked me how many millions of dollars in sales had been made, by my company, in my market the previous year. When I told him the answer, he asked me what percentage of those sales my team had made….. When I answered less than 10%, my excuse evaporated like light fog in bright sunlight.
You are stuck in your bad habits.
- Many veteran salespeople fall into bad habits over time. Perhaps their skill level helps them to overcome some of these bad habits, but by removing their bad habits the veteran salesperson will see their sales skyrocket. A perfect example is that every sales organization, since the beginning of time, has taught their salespeople to get referrals. In fact, most sales organizations require their new salespeople to ask for referrals when they are training. So then why is it, according to the SalesBoard.com, that 85% of veteran salespeople don’t ask for referrals. Especially since the Sales Board also claims that the closing ratio of referral business is in excess of 70% better than cold calling. Clearly the veteran salespeople need this and many other bad habits culled out.
You are stuck with your self-limiting mindset.
- Zig Ziglar stated that the biggest obstacle to sales was the 6 inches between your ears. I have now professionally coached salespeople for just over 21 years and I couldn’t agree with Zig more! One of the mindsets a personal coach will teach you is how to reframe the word rejection. If you are in sales there are series of simple of equations that lead to the sales person’s closing ratios. Many new and veteran salespeople see getting a no as being personally rejected. A personal coach will help you to change that mindset to see it as simply a metric result. In other words in the B2B sales world, if we call on 100 small businesses in person 25% of the time the Decision Maker will come to the counter. 60% of the time they come to the counter they will give us an appointment to present our solution. Once we present to the Decision Maker, the closing ratio of business owners who agree to our value proposition typically is around 50%. If you do the math, 50% of 60% of 25% is about a 7% success ratio. 7% doesn’t FEEL very good. It is easy to FEEL like we were abject failures 93% of the time. But if you look at it as a metric result, you quickly understand that if you want 7 accounts all you have to do is simply walk through 100 doors! Can you see the difference in mindset that creates?

Let’s Be Honest

My guess is that if you are really honest with yourself, you would admit that to some degree you are stuck in your excuses, stuck in your bad habits, or stuck in your self-limiting mindset. In fact if you are like most people I work with, you are probably stuck in all three areas.

Maybe you are comfortable continuing on the way you are, but I believe that personal coaching will take you to the level of success you dreamed of when you started your sales journey. If you are ready to join the top 10% of the producers in your company, you must get unstuck!

You Deserve It

You and the people in your life deserve your very best effort. The future of your clients and/or the people you lead hangs in the balance. Will you free yourself from excuses, bad habits, and self-limiting beliefs?

Let’s Do This Thing

The next move is up to you! You were made for greatness! Don’t allow yourself to stay stuck. Listen, I’m not the right coach for everyone. Quite frankly, not everyone is a good client for me.

Who I Work With

I want to work with people who are committed to making their career, and their life, the absolute best that it can be. I’m looking for people that won’t settle for less. I only work with people who are ready for change and are willing to do the work. If that sounds like you, contact me by email at tim@successisvoluntary.com or CLICK HERE to find out if we are a good fit for each other. If we don’t make that “love connection,” I can’t encourage you strongly enough you to find someone else.

Exponential Growth Is Within Your Grasp

Your growth as a true professional salesperson can be exponential. I would highly encourage you to take the plunge and hire a personal coach today! I promise you that you will thank yourself for it and so will your family.

As Always… It’s Voluntary

You don’t have to get coaching. You don’t have to raise your hand and say you might need help. You don’t have to continue to grow. All of these things are voluntary, but so is success!

Again, If you are interested in starting a discussion about coaching CLICK HERE

Tom Hopkins – A Lifetime of Excellence – SIV #034 Shownotes

I love talking to my heros!

When I relaunched the Success Is Voluntary blog and podcast this January, one of the first congratulatory emails I got was from Tom Hopkins. Tom had been a guest on the podcast 4 years ago and his episode still holds the record for the number of downloads of an SIV podcast (just over 4,500.) In his email, he asked me if I would like to have him come back on the podcast. I was stunned and incredibly humbled that A) Tom is a subscriber to SIV, B) That he actually reads my emails, and C) That he contacted me with his very generous offer.

If you listened to his first appearance you know what a huge influence Tom has had on my sales career and quite frankly my life. I could not be more thrilled to get to glean more wisdom from Tom during this interview. The thing I love about the SIV podcast is that I get to ask questions and learn from every guest we have on. The way I look at it is that I get at least 1% better from each and every guest. I thank you for coming along with me on this incredible journey.

In the interest of time, so that you can get to listening to the podcast asap, I have again bullet-pointed the things we talked about on today’s episode.

What I Learned From Tom Hopkins Today

Tom began his real estate career at 19 and he didn’t even own a car.
His manager tricked him into cold calling.
Tom remembers the exact number of cold calls he made (64) to get his first appointment.
The incredible response to his last book When Buyers Say No.
The need to be a true professional salesperson has only gotten greater over the years due to the internet.
A professional salesperson must be sharper than ever before.
The very best salespeople are “Master Askers.”
You must get the prospect emotionally involved.
All customers make their decision based upon emotion and then justify that decision with logic.
Salespeople are in the emotion business.
The importance of not using sales or industry jargon with prospects.
Negative words lead to negative emotions, which lead to negative results. Conversely, positive words lead to positive emotions, which lead to positive results.
Tom’s “secret sauce” is that he continues to work harder on himself than on his job skills.
Why Tom believes we should learn one more people skill every day.
Why being a servant leads to long-term success.
How little things like thank you cards separate the pros from the hacks.
How reading has changed his life.
The two books that had the most impact on him:
1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
2. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
What keeps him motivated
His generous offer of 70% off his training CD’s for Success Is Voluntary subscribers.
His upcoming Sales Academy in Los Angeles.
The fact he wants to make “The Tom and Tim Show” an annual event!

That is an impressive list for an interview that lasted just over 30 minutes! Below you will find links to the books we talked about, to his webpage to take advantage of his offer of 70% off, and more information about his upcoming Sales Academy.

Today’s Links

Thank You For Listening

I really appreciate you listening to the podcast and would love it if you would be so kind as to rate the podcast on iTunes. To do that, all you have to do is go to https://successisvoluntary.com/iTunes and follow the instructions. It will take you less than 30 seconds and would be a huge help to me as it will keep the podcast towards the top of the business charts in iTunes which will help new people discover it.

I look forward to seeing you back here next week, in the meantime, don’t forget that everything you do in this business is voluntary. Including success!!!

David Mead – Start With Why – SIV #033 Shownotes

What is YOUR why?

I don’t know about you, but I have had a handful of epiphanies in my life that dramatically impacted my thinking, my business success, and my life.

Early in 2010, someone introduced me to a TED talk given by Simon Sinek that absolutely changed the way I looked at my life. I have always had a strong vision of why I was doing what I was doing, but I didn’t understand the importance of sharing my why with the people I was leading, including my own family.

The TED talk is titled How Great Leaders Inspire Action. It is the 3^rd most-watched video in the history of TED.com with over 37 million views. Shortly after the video was released, Simon released his first book titled Start With Why which expanded on the concepts he had laid out in the video. It was a runaway bestseller.

I contacted Simon’s organization and they were gracious enough to offer to bring David Mead, one of their top trainers, onto the Success Is Voluntary podcast. David has been with The Start With Why Movement since almost the beginning. In fact he was working with Simon before the TED talk. David travels extensively all over the world speaking and helping organizations instill a Start With Why culture.

The 13 WHYS David And I Talked About

WHY working on higher calling will lead to higher profits
WHY as a species we search for meaning, purpose, and belonging
WHY the Golden Circle is critical for people and organizations to understand
WHY your perspective can change the way you look at obstacles
WHY the message of starting with why has resonated so deeply with so many people
WHY no one grows up hoping they will hate their job
WHY we must use our gifts to make a positive difference in the lives of others
WHY most people don’t have or can’t articulate their why.
WHY people lose their why
WHY customers can tell is someone or the organization isn’t connected to their why
WHY companies don’t align their actions with their stated why
WHY people don’t buy your product, they buy you
WHY more companies are embracing a why based culture

Books David and I Talked About

Click on the pictures below to be taken to Amazon.com to learn more

David can be reached at djmead@twitter.com

Make sure you check out the Start With Why website by CLICKING HERE

Thank You For Listening

I really appreciate you listening to the podcast and would love it if you would be so kind as to rate the podcast on iTunes. To do that, all you have to do is go to https://successisvoluntary.com/iTunes and follow the instructions. It will take you less than 30 seconds and would be a huge help to me as it will keep the podcast towards the top of the business charts in iTunes which will help new people discover it.

I look forward to seeing you back here next week, in the meantime, don’t forget that everything you do in this business is voluntary. Including success!!!

You Are A Leader

Like it or not

I have heard dozens of people try to define leadership. Most of the time they were doing it in the context of what makes a great leader, well, great. It is my contention that great leaders believe in their people and help them grow personally and professionally. Great leaders often see the potential of their people before they do.

The idea of leadership isn’t that complex. The sign of a good leader is that the people on the team are actually headed in the same, positive direction. Leadership expert, Dr. John Maxwell often paraphrases the accent Chinese proverb, “If a leader doesn’t have anyone following him, he is simply taking a walk.” To lead, you must have people that are following!!!

The reality is that you and I have worked for good leaders and those that couldn’t lead a starving man to a steak. As you move through your career, the thing that separates those that thrive in their organization, versus those that languish, is they have learned how to lead. Sometimes they have the position and authority to lead. More often they have the moral right to lead, based upon their contributions. Contributions to their customers…. Contributions to their company…. Contributions to their boss…. And most importantly….Contributions to their peers.

True Leaders Often Don’t Have The Title

Ask yourself this, have you ever been in a meeting where one of your colleagues drove the conversation even though they weren’t the “boss?” Of course you have. We have all been in that meeting. Why do you suppose that happens? I have an idea… You don’t have to be the “boss” (or named leader) to lead.

In fact, if you wait until you have the title, you will never be the leader. In my career, I have had the privilege to promote over 200 people to leadership positions. Guess what I based EVERY SINGLE ONE of those decisions on? That person’s CURRENT influence. Sure, performance and work ethic had an influence in the decision. But overwhelmingly I have looked to promote people that others were already following. Call me lazy, but I have always wanted to run with those that were already running.

Tim’s Six Leadership Tips

So how do you gain influence with your boss and your peers? I have six, sure-fire ways to gain influence and join the leadership ranks of your company.

Do your job – In order to get noticed, you must do your own job with excellence! Henry Ford said, “A man can’t build his reputation on what he is going to do.” I remember when I was a young leader with Domino’s Pizza and was looking to get promoted, my supervisor told me that in order to reach the next level I needed to show that I could hit my numbers consistently for a sustained period of time.
Develop yourself – “All growth begins with personal growth.” – Les Heinsen. Les taught me that if I wanted to become a better leader (or father, or husband, or community/church member, etc.) that I had to get better as a person. If you are going to lead people, by definition you must be ahead of them. YOU must be learning. YOU must be growing. YOU must be reading. YOU must be the expert on your product or service. I’ll say it again. YOU must be getting better as a person. Do you have a personal growth plan for 2018?
Develop people – “To have success, there must be a successor.” In 2009 I was up for a major promotion. I felt that I deserved it. For 3 years I had been at the top of my company’s leader board in almost every conceivable category. Honestly, there wasn’t anyone close. When the person who was making the decision asked me who would replace me if I was promoted, I didn’t have a good answer. In fact, I wouldn’t have promoted anyone on my team to my current position. In order for me to really move up, I realized that I had to have someone in position to take my spot.
Make your leader’s job easier – not harder. There is nothing more refreshing (or rare) than to have someone you lead ask, “What can I do to help YOU get to YOUR goals?” Most days leaders are constantly interrupted by their people asking for help. And that’s the way it should be. That’s what the leader signed up for when they became the leader. But if you can take some of your leader’s burden, you will be seen as someone who is truly a team player.
Promote others – This is very counterintuitive but very real. By championing your co-workers and their achievement to upper-leadership, your stock also rises. It rises with the leadership team, but it really rises with the person you championed. You are building all kinds of influence by building people up. How much more win-win can you get? Unfortunately, some people think that if they can make others look less attractive, they will stand out at promotion time. Not you though. You’re a builder of people!
Serve – The best way to learn how to lead is to practice leading. If you are serious about building your leadership skills, but your organization hasn’t given you the role you want yet, then I have great news for you! Every non-profit organization, church, club, service fraternity, etc. is starving for people to help lead. You probably won’t start as the president, but I’m sure that if you raise your hand, you will get plenty of chances to lead. It might be coordinating the parking lot greeters at your church, or leading the volunteer janitorial crew. Don’t discount these opportunities. Leading volunteers will develop your skills more than you can ever imagine.

Conclusion

Remember, Leadership is influence; nothing more and nothing less. I promise that if you adopt the six tips above your influence will grow exponentially.

The Hard Question

What are you doing to develop as a leader? Leave your answer in the comments below!

Big Ask

Could you please forward this article to everyone you know. It might help them get 1% better and get the word out about the SIV website.

Remember to volunteer for success this week!

Jackie Kohorst-Payne – Grit + Professionalism = Always Wins – SIV #032 Shownotes

People say "stubborn" like it's a bad thing.

Have you ever meet someone that you instantly knew was a true professional and that you were really going to enjoy collaborating with? Someone you knew was going to make you better? I first meet Jackie in early 2016. Her story of grit, determination, and triumph inspired me then, and it continues to inspire me today!

Not only is Jackie inspiring, but she is also a world-class professional and leader. In today’s episode, Jackie breaks down where the VB industry started, how it got to where it is now, and where it is headed. I know I have never heard anyone outline the ever-changing world of VB with the detail and insight that Jackie gives us in this interview.

Things I Learned From Jackie

Why she sought out a full-commission sales position.
How advertising sales set her up for success in VB.
The biggest changes she has seen in the industry in the last 15 years.
- The interest in the marketplace for VB
- Technology
How changes in compensation structures have driven brokers and carriers into the VB space.
The landscape is more competitive than ever before, and why that is a GOOD thing.
Why technology changes are scary for traditional VB carriers.
Why online enrollment is attractive to even small groups and why we MUST adapt now.
Why technology isn’t enough.
Why one-on-one enrollment will never stop being important.
Why millennials are more interested in one-on-one enrollments than their older peers.
HR professionals often don’t understand their benefits packages.
The lessons she learned from being absent from her business for 6+ months.
Where she needs to spend her day-to-day energy to best drive her business forward.
What needed to happen to re-boot the business.
Why brokers think what the VB agent does looks easy.
How hard it is for a broker to go in-house with VB.
What a blessing it is to get to reinvent yourself.
The excitement of knowing that you can rebuild and use the lessons you have learned along the way.
How Angela Duckworth’s book Grit crystalized many of Jackie’s life lessons.
The lesson of having to work hard to stay competitive.
How natural aptitude can get in the way of success.
No matter how difficult, she never says it can’t be done.
Why does there have to be a box to think outside of?
Believing there is always a way to be successful if you put your heart and soul into it.
Hard work and passion have contributed to her success much more than ability or aptitude.
Why David Maister’s book Managing The Professional Service Team was foundational to her success in advertising and VB
Why clients choose the professional service firm they do.
Why firms keep their professional services firm.
There is more than one way to give customer service.
How does the client want you to deliver customer service?

Books We Talked About

Click on either book to find out more

What Keeps Her Motivated

She loves solving problems
She likes that the marketplace is constantly changing
She is excited that product and rates don’t win the business

Jackie’s Advice To New Agents

Read
Talk to successful people
Ask people smarter than yourself
Look for the wider path
The worst plan, beautifully executed, will provide success.
Why answering emails is a path to disaster…
Managing customer expectations

Thank You For Listening

I look forward to seeing you back here next week, in the meantime, don’t forget that everything you do in this business is voluntary. Including success!!!

Doing The Work SUCKS!

It's supposed to suck

Most people who begin a career in sales are a little pollyannaish over the trajectory of their career. When I began my VB career in 1998, I thought insurance salesman took clients golfing, out to lunch and then were done with their day at 3:00 pm. Perhaps I’m exaggerating a little but I never expected to have to work as hard as I did. (My natural state is lazy. Not kidding.) I am incredibly glad that I chose to volunteer for success and do the hard work necessary to succeed in the great adventure of professional sales.

As I have watched literally thousands of new, straight commission salespeople begin their career,

I have noticed the following pattern:

They are incredibly excited about being their own boss and not having any limits on their income. (They should be.)
They expect to have staggering early success. (They are hopeful.)
They think that success will be much easier than it actually is. (It isn’t.)
They believe that every day will be rosy and they will love the work. (They are delusional.)
They become discouraged by their lack of early success. Specifically, they are discouraged by the rejection they get while prospecting. (They lose confidence.)
They look for the “Magic Bullet.” They even buy books that espouse that cold calling is dead. (It’s not.)
They think there must be an easier, softer way. (There isn’t.)
Many give up. (They shouldn’t.)
Some embrace the SUCK and find eventual and phenomenal success whatever that means to them. (They win.)

How Do I Skip Step 8 (Giving Up?)

So here is the question you have to ask yourself if you want to be a “success in this industry”: Can you make yourself do things you really DON’T want to do, to get the results that you DO really want? I believe that this one attribute is the key determiner in the success or failure or your business.

It doesn’t matter what business you are in, or career you have, the reality is that there are tasks and responsibilities that SUCK! If all of your work was puppies, unicorns and rainbows, you wouldn’t be necessary.

Are you willing to lean into the hard work? The work that is sweaty? The work that is incredibly tedious? The work that doesn’t bring immediate results? The work that drains you? The work where you face unceasing rejection? (Am I making this work seem sexy or what?)

The reality is that a great deal of what makes successful people successful is that they are willing to make themselves do things they really DON’T want to do, to get the results that they DO really want.

I wish I had some magic fairy dust to sprinkle over you that would suddenly cause you to be excited about doing the work. The only person that can motivate you is you. The challenge, of course, is that if you wait until you are motivated, there aren’t going to be many days that you get out of bed let alone embrace the SUCK.

Staying Motivated

The only way I have found to stay excited, motivated, and willing to push through is to keep my WHY in front of me. Author Simon Sinek even wrote a book that every salesperson should read: Start With Why. What is your WHY? Is it worth embracing the SUCK for?

Many parts of building a business are exciting, enjoyable and greatly rewarding. You just can’t get to them if you are unwilling to put in the work. Resolve today to skip step 8 (giving up) and embrace the SUCK. I promise there will come a day that you are glad you did.

Your Turn

What’s the one thing you have to do on a regular, consistent basis that really SUCKS? Leave a comment below.

Ron Jones – Let’s Go Fishing – SIV #030 Shownotes

Why we must fish (and hunt.)

I actually meet Ron on a fly fishing trip in New Mexico. The trip was an award for a contest we had won from our carrier at the time. We would soon become fast friends and peer mentors.

This is also one of the “lost SIV episodes” that I recorded but was unable to release during my hiatus from SIV.

In this episode Ron talked about one of our favorite subjects…. (no, not fishing) RECRUITING!

The Things We Always Seem To Talk About (Non-Recruiting)

Freedom of time
The law of averages
How numbers are magical
Why it is so important to know your numbers
The impact we make
Our shared love of Jim Rhone

The Things We Always Seem To Talk About (Recruiting)

Recruiting is the lifeblood of our business
The reason we need to recruit
- They leave
- They stay
The 3 right kinds of candidates (in order of preference)
- Nominations/Referrals/Licensed Agents
- Center of influence/Observation
- Internet job boards/Social Media
Quantity vs. Quality
Group vs. Individual interviews
Who am I to say the candidate can’t do it?
What makes you so special?

The Philosophy of Hunting vs Fishing

Hunting you have 2 options:

Stalk your prey
Sit and wait for them to come to you

Fishing you must:

Go to where the fish are biting
Offer the right kind of bait
Present the bait in an attractive manner

(If you listen to the podcast this will all make sense.)

Ron’s Books

Ron has co-authored 2 books. His second book Life-Defining Moments from Bold Thought Leaders will be released February 6th.

His first book is outstanding and is an Amazon bestseller. You can find it on Amazon by clicking on the picture.

Final Thoughts

I started this quick podcast recap with the fact that I met Ron on a company-sponsored awards trip. I can’t for the life of me remember what the qualifications were or what we had done to get there. I just remember:

A) The fishing was outstanding. For the record, I landed more fish those two days than Ron and caught the biggest fish. (but who’s counting?)

and

B) That the friendships forged on trips like that are better than any stack of plaques or trophies.

Thank You For Listening

I look forward to seeing you back here next week, in the meantime, don’t forget that everything you do in this business is voluntary. Including success!!!

Les Heinsen – Optimism Isn’t Enough – SIV #029 Shownotes

"Just because time passes doesn't mean that things are going to get better." - Les Heinsen

Les Heinsen is one of my heroes. I don’t use that term loosely. I won’t take time to explain that statement here. I covered that 4 years ago the last time Les came on the SIV Podcast. During his time with us then, he gave an absolute Masters Class on leadership. Listen to it HERE

One of the things I admire most about Les is his optimism and ability to encourage others. He is someone that believes in his people and helps them to see the future as it could be. As optimistic as Les is, he fully understands that optimism isn’t enough… Not by a long shot.

Lessons I Learned From Les This Week

We can be efficient with things. We must be effective with people. Don’t get them reversed!
Pursue your passions.
We must be intentional with our business.
Don’t just build a business plan, build a blueprint.
Don’t let the day, the week, the quarter, or the year get away from you.
Periodization is the key to staying on track for larger goals.
Optimism is great, but you do have to execute on your plan.
Work is anything you are doing when you’d rather be doing something else.
Don’t allow others to sidetrack you.
Don’t suffer fools.

Les admitted he has been well out of his comfort zone while getting his new winery Element 79 Vineyards up and running. One of his mantras during this time has been, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”

Foundational Book

The one book that has influenced Les’ life and career more than any other is Jim Rhon’s classic 7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness. I wholeheartedly endorse it as well. It has been foundational in helping me think big and execute on those ideas.

Exciting New Journey

Les and Sharon are deservedly proud of their new endeavor Element 79 Vineyards.

I, like many of Les and Sharon’s friends, think that they have the best exit strategy on the planet. They are following their passion and really are enjoying the hard work that taking on this new challenge is bringing them. I would encourage you to check out their website HERE to see if you are lucky enough to live in a state where they can ship their wine. And Yes, that picture is actually their vineyard.

Contest Announcement!

I have an exciting announcement! By popular demand, I am bringing back the contest where you and your whole team can win a copy of my eBook: Disturbing Questions: Making The Decision Maker Uncomfortable. I have received numerous emails and comments on the blog that many of the sales leaders for Aflac, Colonial Life, and other carriers are using this podcast as part of their Monday Morning Meetings. I CAN’T BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW HUMBLING THAT IS TO ME…. So here is what I am going to do. Each week I am going to pick a “Sales Team of the Week” and send them each a copy of my eBook. To enter this contest all you have to do is email me a picture of your sales team huddled around a computer screen showing the Success Is Voluntary website. Please include a list of who is in the photo and their email addresses so I can send them a link to the book! That’s it! Pretty simple right?

My email address is tim@successisvoluntary.com

Thank You For Listening

Hey! I really appreciate you listening to the podcast and would love it if you would be so kind as to rate the podcast on iTunes. To do that, all you have to do is go to https://successisvoluntary.com/iTunes and follow the instructions. It will take you less than 30 seconds and would be a huge help to me as it will keep the podcast towards the top of the business charts in iTunes which will help new people discover it.

I look forward to seeing you back here next week, in the meantime, don’t forget that everything you do in this business is voluntary. Including success!!!