MICHELA QUILICI – Marketing strategist and Ghost CEO adviser, Q. Consulting

Re-posted from Business in Vancouver – January 20, 2015

“The quickest way to business success is to be a big fish in a small pond, not a small fish in a big pond.” This is the Ghost CEO mantra. If you solve a niche problem really well, it’s almost inevitable that you will grow. Once you have a proven model for success, then you can increase the size of your pond and leverage what you’ve mastered for one vertical and open up new markets. If you trace back some of the most successful businesses to their early days, you will find that the majority that are in a mass market today first made their money targeting niche markets with a specific offering.

PAULINE O’MALLEY – Business development strategist, RevTurbo Selling System

The secret to successful selling is connection. Does your product or service connect with the audience that you are communicating with?

I have found over the years that matching “likes” to “likes” is paramount when building a winning business development campaign and closing deals. You probably have heard the expression, “Birds of a feather flock together.” People have a tendency to say “yes” more often to people they trust. People generally trust people who have things in common with them.

I had a client in manufacturing under second-generation leadership. After analyzing their product mix and their areas of expertise and carefully considering their available resources, we encouraged them to cut 172 products from their production line and focus 100% on one area. A bold move? Yes, and for the past seven years they have surpassed their annual revenues by 20% or more each year. It wasn’t a light decision, and there was lots of discourse, but in the end, the team effort to focus on one thing continues to pay off.

It’s a big world out there. Companies have limited resources. Sales representatives have limited time. Match who you are, and the values you express, to the people in specific market sectors.

If you have an interest in mechanics or building things, then you could narrow your focus to people in the manufacturing, industrial or engineering fields. If you like numbers, financial analytics and wearing suits, then you could find success in the banking, financial or insurance sectors.

When you connect with your sales audience, you increase the potential to shorten sales cycles and close more deals. You may also have more fun.

Read the entire article here.

Here is a list of a few things to consider:

1. We are connected.

In the age of LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube, we know a lot of people. According to one survey, 69% of Canadians visited at least one social networking site in the past year and 87% of households are connected to the internet. Take the time to tell someone that you love them, especially if they don’t expect it.

2. We are rich.

In 2013, The median family income in Canada was $76,000. The median household income in the United States was $52,250. The median annual household income worldwide was $9,733. Could some of us use more money? Yes. However, if you feel you have a little left over, donate.

3. We have lots to eat.

Too much actually. In a 2013 United Nations report 1.3 billion tonnes of food, about a third of the world’s supply, are wasted annually, costing global economies $750-billion (U.S.) and negatively impacting the environment – at a time when 1.2 billion people are living in extreme poverty. Moving food from those who have it, to those who do not, is a logistical challenge. Individually, we can contribute to the solution by donating cash and non-perishable food items to www.FoodbanksCanada.ca and http://www.feedingamerica.org/ on a regular basis.

4. We are healthy.

We live in a country with what it perceives to be the highest standard of health care in the world. However, the Commonwealth Fund recently released a comparative scorecard of 11 health-care systems in advanced industrial economies. The United States ranked 11th. Canada ranked 10th, its worst standing in the comparison since it began in 2004.

There are people in our neighbourhoods that need assistance in the healthcare system. It could be as simple as driving someone to the doctor or ensuring that someone is registered with the universal healthcare system. You may be surprised how inaccessible healthcare is in North America.

5. We are lucky.

You probably have heard the expression “luck is what you make it.” Is there a correlation between a positive attitude and good fortune? Check out Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut: Unbroken based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand. Its hardcover format spent an unbelievable 180 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. (Only 3 books have held that position.) The story of Louis Zamperini’s perseverance and courage inspires.

From all of us, Happy Holidays and all the Best of the New Year and Beyond.

Pauline, Megan, Carol, Natasha, John, Karen, and Jayne

www.RevTurbo.com and www.BestPeopleWin.com

As the journey unfolded, I began to realize that I was learning something. How we influence, and are affected by, other people directly impacts our lives. Indeed I’d go so far as to say that selling is a huge part of life, whether you choose to have the word ‘sales’ in your job title or not.

Over the next few blogs I’ll share with you what I learned on my summer sea voyage.

#1 – Don’t Be Afraid

Have you ever found yourself saying “No!” over and over again, when someone suggests that you try something new? “Try the cheese. You will love it!” You don’t like the look. You certainly don’t like the smell. But one day, you are watching your friends scoff down this aged milk product while making sounds of delight while their eyes are closed, and guess what? They love it! So you finally decide to try it. And, go figure, you love it!

Well, it was the same for me with respect to this 14 day boating trip on the sea. I was absolutely terrified. I told all of my friends that I didn’t want to go. I was trying to find excuses to not go. I was hoping that the weather would turn and the trip would be cancelled.

I was wrong. I was wrong on so many fronts. I loved the experience! I had a ball. It was an absolutely flawless trip. I had nothing to fear. I had the best sleep I have ever had 14 nights in a row. I saw spectacular scenery. I met wonderful people who were so helpful and giving. I found peace and quite. I was content, happy, and felt like a child.

Sales and business development are much the same way each and every day. Professional sales people must “go where no one has ever gone before”, in order to succeed, despite any fears they may have. It’s what we do. We talk to strangers. We have no idea what the outcome will be. We are explorers. And those of us who get over ourselves and push through the fear, end up realizing that 9 times out of 10, they had nothing to fear at all!