Alan Altmann - Sales Training

The Happy “Sell More” Achiever Is Always Improving—Part 2

2008-05-12T15:00:00Z

As a sales trainer and speaker, I am employed only because companies know the value of improvement within their companies. So far this week, I’ve read the morning papers from London and the USA, read the key articles in Psychology Today, Flying Magazine, Golf Digest, Boating Magazine, Newsweek and Wall Street Journal.

I’ve also just finished reading the book, Life is Tremendous by Charlie “Tremendous” Jones. What a great book! I highly recommend it! It’s so good in fact that I’ve asked my kids to read it and then give me a written report on it! Steer clear of negative articles and the wealth of negative stuff out there. There’s so much negative.

]]> Now I’m learning to use new word processing software for a new computer. All of these things make me a better and wiser person. I am improving by continuing to learn. That makes for greater personal happiness and empowerment. “Sell More” people are always learning and improving! Always.

The future is bright for those who embrace change and make friends with it. Improvement is a big part of change. Look for positive changes in the lives of those around you, and in your own! Be one to point out something good in your neighbor or co-worker.

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

The Happy “Sell More” Achiever Appreciates Recognition—Part 1

2008-05-09T15:00:00Z

Every good leader and sales trainer knows the value of appropriate recognition. It can be a great tool to help people move forward and make a positive change.

What recognition do you get where you work? Some of you might say, “I never get any. I’ve never heard a word of praise from the boss. I haven’t gotten any awards.”

Maybe not, but where do you go Friday after work? A lot of us go to the bank. To do what? To cash our paycheck. That’s recognition.

This is not to negate praise and awards, but it is to say that too often we overlook this simple expression of recognition. The paycheck is recognition that we have a job; that we have done the job, and that management is pleased with our performance or they wouldn’t pay us.

]]> However, if you have the opportunity to be supportive to others who work for or under you, I hope you’ll give some special recognition to them. Write a note of encouragement and hope to someone who really worked hard and DID NOT get the sale.

Make a phone call to your boss and thank him or her for their confidence in you. Award a gift certificate to a fun place like a pizza place or an amusement park. Give a pat on the back, present an award that can be framed and hung on the wall. Spend some money. These are all characteristics of the “Sell More” Achiever and empowered manager or business person.

As professional leaders, why do we want these things in your business?

Because they can encourage your people, and help them to be happy, and we know that happy people sell more, and give better service.

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

Are You a Thermostat? The Choice is Yours

2008-05-07T15:00:00Z

For much of my life, I lived as a thermometer; reacting to everything that came along. Then I tried living as a thermostat, What a positive difference that made not only in my life, but also in my business.

A thermostat sets the temperature and everything has to rise to its level. Personal happiness is connected to a person’s decision to be happy, and whether to react, or raise the level around you. This is a focal point in our “Sell More” seminars, and it’s a characteristic of people who consistently win!

A 102-year-old man was asked on his birthday how he was able to stay positive and happy most of the time. He said, “Each morning I have two choices; I can be mad or I can be happy. I’ve decided to be happy.”

The choice is ours too. Go for it. Be happy!

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

Thermostat Thinking Vs. Thermometer Thinking

2008-05-05T15:00:00Z

After training literally millions of people over my life time, I believe that people can respond to most any situation that comes along, and we do have a choice in how we react. We can react with anger, with depression, or sadness. That’s what a thermoometer does, it reacts.

When you put a thermometer in your mouth to check your temperature, it simply reacts to whatever the inside temperature of your mouth happens to be, and records it. It reacts. People do that too, and all too often, the result is negative and unhappy.

In the alternative, we can respond with a “Tarzan” battle cry as we tackle the problems of life. We can talk ourselves “out” of anger. We can decide to make the “best” of a bad situation. This is what a Thermometer does!

We can be happy and personally empowered. That’s exactly what a thermometer does. It “sets” the temperature and everyone else needs to “rise” up to that new level!

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

The “H” In The PH Factor Stands For Happy: The PH Factor Part 2

2008-05-02T15:00:00Z

For 28 years now, I have been speaking at conventions and sales meetings and I strongly believe that we’ll be most successful, and “Sell More,” when we are most happy as individuals.

Let’s examine this idea more closely.

#1) The “Sell More” Achiever Decides To Be Happy (And Organized)

That is a quote from Abraham Lincoln. He was right.

Why do people complain? Most likely it is because they have decided to—because they have lost hope.

Why are people pessimists? Probably because they have decided to be.

Why are people unhappy? Because they have decided to be.

Why are people disorganized and sloppy? Because they choose to be that way!

]]> When I was in management for many years, I had to hire and train salespeople.

One of my “tests” for new hires, was to catch them off guard and ask to see the trunk of their car. You can imagine the reactions I got from those who were disorganized and sloppy. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they keep their car, trunk, home, lawn and clothing.

If you think that behavior doesn’t carry over to the office, you’re dead wrong! Clean trunk means a clean desk. Sloppy trunk means a disorganized mess! That’s how it usually seems to stack up!

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

Chopping Wood...The PH Factor Part 1

2008-04-30T15:00:00Z

As a seasoned motivational speaker, I am always looking for good stories to tell.

Dale Carnegie told the story of two men who were out chopping wood. One fellow worked hard all day, took no breaks, and only stopped briefly for lunch. The other chopper took several breaks during the day and the woodsman who had taken no breaks was quite disturbed to see that the other fellow had cut more wood than he had.

“I don’t understand,” he said. “Every time I looked around you were sitting down—yet you cut more wood than I did.” “Did you also notice that while I was sitting down, I was sharpening my ax?” his companion asked.

Knowing when to stop, when to take a break, when you’ve had enough sleep, and enjoying the vacation . . . are all like sharpening our axes. We’ll be more productive, empowered and “Sell More,” if we know when to stop working and tend to some other essentials of life.

]]> The P in the PH Factor is for “productiveness.” It is a fact that we’ll be the most successful when we are the most productive.

However, we’re talking about the PH Factor and we must now look at the “H” These next few weeks, I will be sharing 10 more messages about being Happy while being Productive.

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

“Sell More” Strategies—Part 10

2008-04-28T15:00:00Z

Even though I love my work, and want to work all the time, I know it’s not healthy to do so. My Dad used to tell me that we can’t work all the time and we were not expected to. Seasoned sales trainers and leaders know that we need to be encouraged to take time for our families and for ourselves. We need time to relax, to be renewed, and to enjoy recreation of some kind.

We cannot be fully empowered if we are out of energy and our stamina is at its lowest point. On a flight home from Dubai recently, I read a motivation magazine. One article dealt with a definition of success. After polling over 2,000 top executives, the results were as follows:

]]> 1. Prioritize your physical and emotional health

2. Quality time with your family

3. Be challenged and enjoy excellent rewards

That reminds me of what the late, great coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi, used to say. He said that three things were important in life, and in this order: God, family, and our work. Our day can be divided into thirds. Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, and eight hours of discretionary time to be used for our families or ourselves.

We know what would happen if we tried to stay awake around the clock day after day. Wisdom also says that we cannot work endlessly. There comes a time to close the office, leave the briefcase at work, and refuse to talk or read work-related things. We need to know when to stop.

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

“Sell More” Strategies—Part 9

2008-04-05T15:00:00Z

Every good manager, leader and sales person knows that giving more and going the extra mile is what winners do! In other words, give more than is required. Let’s suppose it costs you $6.00 to have your car washed. Suppose you told the manager of the carwash that you wanted to pay him $8.00 for the wash job.

What do you think he’d do extra for you? I suppose that the windows would be cleaner, the chrome more shiny, and the whitewalls whiter because you paid him to go the extra mile.

I remember the time the lawn care company came to my house to give me a price on spraying my lawn for weeds. After he had taken some measurements, he told me the job would cost me $175. I asked him if that was his best price. He said he might be able to shave a little bit off the price. I said, “No. Don’t knock any off. I want to pay you more! I’ll give you $200, but I want you to do the job as if it were your yard.” Earlier in the conversation, he had mentioned that he would be done at about 1:00 pm. However, he was still there at 4:30.

]]> Here’s what I discovered. Seasoned leaders, sales trainers and motivational speakers know that when you give people more, you get more in return. That’s empowerment at its best.

Are you the last one to punch in and the first to punch out? Do you ever take anything home to read so you can do your job better? Do you ever “network” with others in jobs similar to yours? Will you take a night class that could help you do your job more effectively and move up the management ladder?

The productive and empowered “Sell More” Achiever is one who is willing to do good quality work for the sake of the company, for the sake of others, or for his own personal gain.

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

“Sell More” Strategies—Part 8

2008-04-03T15:00:00Z

Good sales people and managers know that this is the advantage we have over robots. We’re able to collect information, sort it, analyze it, and make decisions. We think, and we can think big!

On the job, that means that we’ll think as we do our work. We keep our head in the game and that minimizes mistakes. Also, as we do our work, we think. We think about whether or not there is a better, faster way of doing it.

The goal is not to find shortcuts to doing mediocre work; that is not a part of the empowerment technology. But the goal is to find ways of improving the product or service, while at the same time being cost and labor conscious.

The point here is not to try to reinvent the wheel, but to make a better one. This is how companies grow, and mid-level managers get promoted to high-level managers. It’s how CEOs turn companies that are losing money, into companies that are making money.

It’s about thinking more, and thinking bigger. As a motivational speaker and sales trainer, I’ve been sharing this message across the globe for years now, and finally, I think it’s catching on!

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

Do the Little Things Well

2008-03-04T15:00:00Z

I love Disney Land. My kids love Disney Land. My credit card loves Disney Land. How can you not fall in love with a place that sells $12 hot dogs? Ha! And yet Disney Land is a place that every leader, motivational speaker and sales trainer can learn from. Why? Because they do the little things well!

Disney Land Does the Little Things Well

When I visited Disneyland in California and in Florida, I was impressed by its cleanliness. There were maintenance people liberally sprinkled around Disneyland who carried a broom and a dustpan. Constantly they were sweeping up cigarette butts, popcorn and scraps of paper. They did the little things well.

]]> At this special amusement park, at midnight, 350 people report for work. They clean the place thoroughly, paint the shooting gallery, and polish the brass. By morning the place is spotless as a new group of people arrive to enjoy the wonders of Disney. And this is what accounts for much of their success—they do the little things well.

As a sales trainer and motivational speaker, my goal is to help my audience and training clients see the value in taking time to do things right, to finish the whole job, to do the things they’d rather not do and to pay attention to detail. If you do the same, you’ll do well!

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

Show Me a Person Who Does a Good Job...

2008-03-01T15:00:00Z

The first time I heard a really good motivational speaker, he shared the story about the old proverb that says… “Show me a person who does a good job, and I will show you a person who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings.” Oh baby I like people who think like that! As a motivational speaker, I need the same motivation as the sales man or the manager or the mom or whomever, and this is a great story.

Excellent sales trainers will testify that this means we do a good job even with the things we’d rather not do that are part of our job, like doing the paperwork after the sale, or filing or reading job-related memos. We do the ”rather-nots” of our job because the company wants us to, or it will benefit the customer, or it will pay off for us as individuals.

The productive employee finds reasons to do the “rather-nots” instead of offering excuses not to do them. Also we can do our best if we will learn to do the little things well. Go to the new car showroom and sit in a new model of your choice. As you sit behind the wheel, what are you looking for? You’re looking at the little things. Are the moldings on straight? Do all the pieces fit? Does the carpeting fit around the doors? Do the doors close correctly? Are there any missing buttons and knobs? We do notice the little things, don’t we?

]]> As a motivational speaker and sales trainer, I’ve spent most of my life asking people to consider a change of heart, or a change of attitude. This means that we not only do the things we’d rather not do, but also to make friends with that which we’d rather not do!

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

"SELL MORE" Strategies — Part 7

2008-02-28T15:00:00Z

Asking for help is a key ingredient in the success of many of today’s greatest success stories! Every sales trainer and motivational speaker knows the great value in getting people to ask for help!

7) The Productive “Sell More” Achiever Asks For Help

Many a manager has asked, “Why in the world didn’t you call me sooner?” Well, we thought we could work it out. Or we didn’t want anyone to know that we lacked some knowledge. But time is money. And the empowered manager knows that all the time you were trying to figure something out, it was costing him money for your non-productiveness. And when he comes to bail you out, the problem is most likely worse, than had you called for help right away. That’s costly. Remember that knowledge is power, but applied knowledge is even more powerful.

]]> A principle for the productive person is that he or she seeks help early. We can’t do the job well unless we know how to do it. If we don’t know how, it is smarter, cheaper, and more productive to ask for help—NOW. Empowered people know when to ask for help.

Don’t wait. As your personal motivational speaker and sales trainer, I’m telling you now,,,, don’t wait. If you need some help, ask. As your boss, your friends, your Pastor…ask me! But ask!

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

"SELL MORE" Strategies — Part 6

2008-02-26T15:00:00Z

For years, sales trainers and sales managers have given great encouragement to their people. Helping to lift the spirits of those under their careful watch is, at best, a never ending job. Today we’ll take a quick look at helping people to do their best!

6. The Productive “Sell More” Achiever Does Their Best

I am talking today about pride of workmanship. Most sales trainers have little time for the person who says, “That’s good enough.” That statement implies that if we took more time and paid more attention, we could have done better. Sales trainers and strong leaders know that “good enough” is clearly not!

That’s All I’ll Ever Ask

Some years ago, Winston Lloyd who later became one of America’s top foreign policy experts, began his career as an aide to then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Lloyd relates the story of his first encounter with Kissinger. He presented the secretary with a long awaited report on conflicts in South America. Without even glancing at the report, which Lloyd was handing to him, Kissinger asked, “Is this the very best you can do?” Lloyd stammered a bit, and said there were a few informational gaps. “Take it back,” was all that Kissinger said, and dismissed him.

]]> Two weeks later, after working night and day, Lloyd again entered Kissinger’s office and held out the report. “Is this the very best you can do?” asked Kissinger without looking at the document. Lloyd hesitated and admitted that some sections could be more complete. Kissinger angrily ordered him to take it back. Three weeks later, Lloyd asked for another meeting. Kissinger asked, “Is this the very best you can do?” And Lloyd replied, “Mr. Secretary, it’s my best effort.” Kissinger smiled and said, “That’s all I ever ask. I’ll be happy to read your report.”

By example, strong leaders and great sales trainers are about the business of building people and companies by first and foremost teaching to do your very best.

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

"SELL MORE" Strategies — Part 5

2008-02-23T15:00:00Z

Recently while in Dubai on a speaking trip, I had the CEO of a large Middle East company ask me a question, “Big Al,” he said, “How can I get my people to do things right?” That seems to be the question of the day doesn’t it?

5. The Productive, “Sell More” Achiever Does It Right

Strange, isn’t it, that there’s always time to do it over? So why not take the time to do it correctly in the first place? Leaders and sales trainers know that success and empowerment in the work place will come by consistently doing the job right.

Every strong leader will tell you that the key concept in that last sentence is the word “consistently.”

Many of the major car manufacturers have allowed their assembly line workers to move from one section of the line to another to “follow” the product from start to finish. They don’t give extra pay or extra benefits for those moves. By allowing the employees to be involved from beginning to end, the productivity increases and the employees develop pride in the finished product. At the same time, mistakes and sabotage decrease radically.

]]> Good sales trainers and motivational speakers will tell you that employees who have a stake in their work have a greater sense of responsibility. Also, they learn that if anyone screws up anywhere along the line, the final product will be less than it could have been. Pride sets in and quality skyrockets.

Les is a friend of mine who trains young car mechanics, and this is what he tells them. “For the first six months I’ll fix your mistakes even if I have to stay and put in extra hours. But after six months, I expect you to do it right.” There’s a time to learn, and then a time to function correctly. Any sales manager or trainer will want you to do it right. And if you do, you will be well on the way to being a productive, successful and empowered employee.

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann

"SELL MORE" Strategies — Part 4

2008-02-21T15:00:00Z

As every good sales trainer and motivational speaker knows it is a real skill to get people to do something NOW! It’s a skill to get people to act and to do so quickly. Leaders don’t want to have to pull the fire alarm every time they need forward movement! So how do we get people to do it now?

4. The Productive “Sell More” Achiever Does It Now

In other words, don’t procrastinate. A person doesn’t need a fire under his or her butt to get moving! Let there be immediate production—no wasted time—no coming to work late—no extended breaks—no missed days of work. All of these interfere with “DOING IT NOW.” That sounds like my dad yelling at me as a kid. Ha! But now that I’m almost 50 and have realized that I’m not the world’s smartest guy, well, it is good advice!

A sales trainer friend of mine, who is a great believer in efficiency, hung up a sign in his office one day. It read, “Do it now.” Within 24 hours the cashier bolted with the contents of the safe, his stenographer eloped with his eldest son, the office boy threw the ink bottle into the electric fan, and the whole office force took the afternoon off. That’s not what we mean by “DO IT NOW.”

]]> As a parent, think of what you expected when you asked your kids to do something. If you said, “Please take out the garbage,” what did you expect? You expected the person to take the garbage out—NOW. If you cook a delicious dinner for your family, and you call them to come and sit down, what do you expect? You bet. You expect that the chairs around the table will be taken, like NOW.

“I’ll do it when I have time.” “I’ll do it when I get around to it.” “I’ll do it later.” These are all ways to procrastinate and interfere with doing something now and make the empowerment process much more difficult. Salespeople and leaders who are most productive in their jobs are those who look at the day’s work and continue to do it bing, bing, bing, and click, click, click, throughout the day. They do their jobs NOW, in a continual flow of productiveness. Good sales trainers and motivational speakers follow the same set of rules by the way!

Make it a great selling day and remember…

"If you don't sell more, you’re out of business!"

Alan W. Altmann