Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category

Make It Personal!

Friday, February 26th, 2010

If you are in sales, you don’t really have to be the best.  You just have to be memorable! 

I remember as a boy watching the Ginsu Knife commercials.  Those first few seconds depicted a hand karate chopping some boards, accompanied by a voice that said

“In Japan, the hand can be used like a knife!  (pause for karate chop of boards)  But this method doesn’t work with a tomato!  (karate chop of a tomato)”

That introduction sure got alot of attention.  That company sold over a million sets of knives with that commercial back in a day when the internet was not really heard of, when giving your credit card number over the phone was a new concept, and when the main delivery method (UPS) was on strike!  People had to go get a pen and paper and write down the address of the company and mail a check to purchase the product.  Trust me when I say that is NOT an easy way to sell products.

These days, you still need to get people’s attention, but you also need to earn their trust.  The key to any sale is to earn trust and gain your customer’s loyalty.  At that point, they are no longer a customer, but a client.  They are loyal to you because you are good at what you do, but you have also showed that you care about them as a person, not just as a sale. 

What kind of car salesman would you rather buy from?  One who calls you by name, knows your spouse’s name, your kids’ name?  One who makes personal recommendations based on what they know about your needs and the needs of your family, and then mails you a thank-you card after the sale?  One who mails you a birthday card, a card during the Christmas season, mails your kids a birthday card?

Or someone who just happens to be working their shift and gets up from their desk to see “if you have any questions.”

Try this idea….You are a realtor and you have a couple who just made an offer on a house.  You get out your digital camera and take a picture of them standing on the porch of that house.  Then you go home and create a “Welcome to your NEW  HOME!” card with that picture on the front of it, and mail it to them.  Do you think they will back out of that offer on that house once they show all of their friends that picture card?

No way!

You NEED to make it personal to get people’s attention, and to KEEP their attention.  People have short memories, and to earn their trust and loyalty takes time and effort.  You need to keep yourself in front of your clients regularly.  And like the car salesman or the realtor, you need to make it personal!

What would you think if I told you that there IS a way to keep people’s attention, AND to make it personal?  What if I told you that it really won’t take very much of your time each month, but the rewards would be lasting?

I have found a way to do this that is easy, affordable, and personal!  And I’d like to tell you about it.  Better yet, I’d like to SHOW it to you, so you can experience it.  I realize that there is a HUGE difference between “head knowledge” and “experiential knowledge”.  You can “know” something by reading about it or hearing about it, but to really “know” something, you need to experience it.

I should know.  I have been in the sales profession for almost 9 years now.  Not only that, but I was a top salesperson in 2 of the companies I was with.  I grossed over $500,000 in sales as a travelling salesman for a direct marketing cutlery company over the course of 18 months.  I was also recently named to Verizon Wireless’ President’s Cabinet for 2009, which is awarded to the top 1% of the sales force of a Fortune 20 company (They were listed #17 last year…go ahead, look it up….we’ll wait).  I know what it takes to turn customers into clients! 

In life, you are selling all the time.  Any time you are face to face, eyeball to eyeball, toe to toe, kneecap to kneecap, you are selling.  I know the importance of making things personal in the selling process.

So let me help you experience what I am talking about.  If you want to see what I am talking about, send me an email to this address:

personal@tim-jensen.com

But there is a catch!  I am putting my money into this, so I am only doing this for the first 25 people who email me at that address.  When I have 25 people, I will close this offer.  If you are one of the first 25 people to respond to this by sending me an email, I will reply to you personally by asking you a few questions.

This is not for everyone.  It is only for those people who want to make themselves and their lives better.  And it is only for people who are fast decision makers.  I am offering this only to my twitter and facebook friends.  Because I have over  77,000 twitter followers, I expect this offer to close within 24 hours.  Don’t delay!

One more thing.  This offer is only for people based in the USA.  You must have a USA mailing address to take advantage of this offer, as I will be sending you something in the mail.

Thanks for reading,

Tim

PS – remember, only 25 people will be selected, and they must have a USA mailing address.  Because I have over 77,000 twitter followers, I expect this offer to be closed within 24 hours or less!  Act Now!

Word Count: 976

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Perspective

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

At the end of this past July, my wife, Carrie, and I took a 4 day trip to Niagara Falls, NY.  We called it our Honeymoon, as we didn’t really have one after we got married on New Year’s Eve.

Leading up to the trip, both Carrie and I were talking with our coworkers and friends about the trip.  They all had suggestions about what to see and do.  Many recommended that we take the boat tour.  Most asked if we were going to the Canadian side of the Falls.  Some suggested that we watch the movie of the history of the Falls.

Our trip was a relatively short one.  We left from work on Thursday night, July 30th and were back on Monday night, August 3rd.  We decided to drive, because we wanted the time together in the car, and we wanted control of where to go and when to go there.

We arrived at Niagara Falls, NY on Friday night around midnight.  We were hoping to see the fireworks that they were putting on that night, but we missed it by a couple of hours.  So we settled in to our hotel room and got ready for the big day on Saturday.

Don’t worry, this post is not a travelogue.  I just wanted to give you the setting for the next part.

The American Falls

The American Falls

The next morning, we got up and ready to go.  When we got to the park, the first place we wanted to go to was on the boat tour.  We paused briefly in the park and listened to the sound of the Falls.  We really got excited about seeing this Mighty Wonder.  After all, we had not ever seen the Falls before.  After listening to the sound of the Falls for a minute, we went to the ticket booth, gave them our tickets, and went to the observatory.  Up the steps we went, listening to the Falls get louder and louder.  It was an awesome feeling anticipating what we were about to see.  We got our cameras ready and climbed the stairs.

We got to the top of the stairs and looked out over the fenced-in observatory.  The first thing we saw was the American Falls.  I just stood in amazement for a minute and gazed at it.  Imagine hearing and seeing over 675,000 gallons of water per second pouring over a waterfall.  It was truly awe-inspiring.  I looked over the fence and saw all the people down below. 

Me with Nut The Squirrel on the Boat Tour

Me with Nut The Squirrel on the Boat Tour

We took some pictures and then took the elevator down to the boat tour.  Carrie had purchased some water-resistant cameras for us to take pictures with, so that our own cameras would not get ruined from the water.  We put on our water ponchos that the staff there supplied to us and got in line to get on the boat.

When we went out on the boat, we got to see the American Falls close-up, followed by the Bridal Veil Falls, and finally the Horseshoe Falls.  The close-up perspective was truly amazing.  Being at the bottom of the various falls, we got to almost “feel” the power of these mighty waterfalls.  I tried to imagine what that would actually feel like if I were under it.  I am sure it would be crushing.  As it was, we got pretty wet from all the mist, so the ponchos were great to have.

Carrie on the Boat Tour. The American Falls are in the background.

Carrie on the Boat Tour. The American Falls are in the background.

Once we got back on shore, we dried off a little and rested and watched the American Falls again.  Then we went to the theater to see the movie of the history of the Falls.  It was a dramatization of several historical people and their experiences with the Falls.  We learned about Blondin, the tightrope walker, Annie Taylor, who went over the Falls in a barrel, and a few other people who were trying to get into the history books.

Carrie and I riding the boat on the Erie Canal.

Carrie and I riding the boat on the Erie Canal.

After the movie, we took a side trip to Lockport, NY to ride a boat on the Erie Canal.  On our way there, we discussed the possibility of taking a helicopter ride over the Falls.  Carrie figured I wouldn’t go for it because it was rather expensive.  But I figured that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so why not?  So after the Erie Canal trip, we headed back to Niagara Falls and went on the helicopter tour.

The view from the helicopter was nothing short of amazing.  This was the first helicopter ride for both of us, so we were also exhilarated from our first helicopter ride.  We were taken up high to get a “big picture” perspective, and then we came in closer for several close-up views of the 3 different falls as well.  The pilot really did a good job of giving us so many perspectives of the falls.

Carrie and I right after the helicopter ride.

Carrie and I right after the helicopter ride.

After the helicopter ride, we went to supper at the Top of the Falls Restaurant, where we had dinner on their deck.  Overlooking the deck was a great view of the Horseshoe Falls.  It was a fantastic setting to a very romantic dinner.  After dinner, we went down to the Horseshoe Falls to see them up close at night.  There are several lights that are shown on the falls at night from the Canadian side, which are powered by generators that are powered by the rapids. 

The next day, we went to a few places we hadn’t seen yet.  We went to the spot between the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls and were able to look over the edge.  We saw the small Bridal Veil Falls pouring it’s water on people down below who had on the familiar blue ponchos.  Then we walked over to the Horseshoe Falls for one last look, this time in the daylight.  Shortly after, we headed for home.

All 3 Falls. My view from the front seat of the helicopter.

All 3 Falls. My view from the front seat of the helicopter.

I’ve thought alot about our short time at Niagara Falls, and how it compares to life.  We all have our own unique perspective in life.  There are alot of things that can influence how we view situations in life.  For instance, if we saw a car accident, we may feel sorry for the people involved.  But if we discover that one of our own friends was involved in the accident, we have a much different perspective about that particular accident.  If we are at a store and the person in front of us in line is slowing down the line because of a “price check”, we will have a different perspective than if WE are the one holding up the line for a “price check,” right?

When we are dealing with other people, we need to do a better job of seeing situations from the other people’s perspective if we are to come to a win-win situation.  People don’t want the same things, do they?  If you are in a dispute with someone, be sure to see the situation from the other person’s perspective, because they almost never want the same thing that you want.  When some of my friends suggested that we see the Falls from the Canadian side, were we seeing the same Niagara Falls?  When we were in the boat, were we seeing the same Niagara Falls as we were seeing from the Helicopter?  Of course we were!  But the feeling from the helicopter was a different feeling than that of getting wet in the boat, where we were at the bottom of the falls.  It was a different type of exhilaration.  And it was a different feeling than it was while we were having dinner, too.  We were viewing the same falls, but our perspective was different.

So remember that the next time you are dealing with other people.  We don’t all have the same perspective at the same time.  Learn to see situations from the other person’s perspective as well as your own.  It will go well with you if you do.

More another time,

Tim

Word Count: 1421

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Your #1 Key To Success…

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

My daughter, Elizabeth, has been visiting colleges lately to help her decide where she should go for her degree.  I don’t always get much time to spend with her, as she does not live with me.  I am divorced and remarried, and she lives with her mother.  So when we talk, a lot of times it is in a car travelling to and fro. 

Elizabeth has some very clear ideas on how her life will go once she gets her bachelor’s degree.  I won’t detail that here, as it is not relevant to my topic.  But suffice to say, she is very idealistic.  She wants to make the very BEST decision in choosing the right college/university for herself.  I support her in that endeavor.  Earlier today, I took her to one of the local universities for a visit.  Next week, I will be taking her to another university.  Sometimes, though, as her father, I feel the need to give her some advice regarding the future.  What she does with it is up to her, but I feel that it is my responsibility to at least tell her my thoughts.

On one of our trips in the car, I was listening to her ideas about what she wants to do for a living.  I was once a school band teacher, and she also wants to pursue music.  She seemed concerned about all of the details of her plans working out, and was hopeful that she could get her ideal job right out of college.  I commented during the conversation. 

“Elizabeth, let me tell you something that I’ve learned in life.  Your success in life will largely be determined by 1 thing.  Yes, there will be many areas that need to come into place, but this one thing will LARGELY determine your success in life.  And that thing is…”

What would you tell her?

“….your ability to manage people.”

You see, whatever you do in life, whether you are a mechanic, a teacher, a salesperson, a construction worker, a truck driver, whether you stock shelves or pick up trash or work in government or WHATEVER you do, your success in life is LARGELY determined by your ability to influence and manage people.

Think about it.  Everything you want in life is presently owned or controlled by someone else.  Doesn’t it make sense to spend some time figuring out how to get it?  If you will take the time to learn, as Dale Carnegie put it, how to win friends and influence people, you will have mastered the #1 key to success in life. 

Yes, you need to be skilled in your chosen line of work.  Yes, you may need training, or a college degree, or even a Ph.D. to be able to “do” your chosen profession.  But if you are not good with people, your success in life will be limited.  The most successful people in the world tend to be those who manage people well.   

I know my daughter reads my blog.  I remember one time she came to me and said something like, “Dad.  I read your blog.  Wow!  I didn’t know you were so….intellectual!”  Spoken as a true teenager.  So, Elizabeth, just remember:  People are more important than things.  Yes, learn your profession well.  Get your degree.  But make sure you take some time to learn how to win friends and influence people, and you will go far.

More next time,

Tim

Word Count: 580

Posted in Influence and Persuasion, Personal | No Comments »

Communication

Friday, December 5th, 2008

As I write this, I am sitting in a hospital room, using my Blackberry as my modem, watching and listening while my daughter recovers from surgery.

Elizabeth was born with a cleft lip and palate.  She has had multiple surgeries over the course of her lifetime to repair the cleft, with the first one being when she was 2 months old.

This past Tuesday, she started the final round of surgery.  At the moment, she has her lips sewn shut.  They will fix this part of it later this month.

Obviously, if you think about it, this creates some challenges for her for the next 3 weeks.  The sides of her mouth are open for breathing and feeding.  She breathes through straws in the sides of her mouth and also breathes through her nose.  She has to have all of her food liquified.  She uses a syringe and feeding tube to eat, as she cannot suck the food through a straw or tube yet.  She has to keep track of how many cc’s she gets down, so that her nutritional needs are met.

And…she can’t talk.

Elizabeth is quite a social creature, so being able to communicate is important to her.  She is also a musician, so she loves to sing, play the piano, and play the trumpet.

At the moment, she can’t do any of that.

As her Dad, obviously my first concern is her recovery.  Because she does not live with me, but lives with her mother, most of that time will not be spent with me.  She will spend a day with me after she gets out of the hospital, since I live in the same town as the hospital, and her mother lives 60 minutes away from the hospital.  This is just a precaution in case she needs to go back in.

The more I got to thinking about other aspects of her recovery time, I realized what a precious gift we have with our ability to communicate.  Elizabeth can KIND OF talk through the two openings on the side of her mouth, but mostly, she has to either write what she wants to say on a white board that she carries around, or she can send a text message from her phone, or email or instant message someone.  She can update her friends and family on her blog.  And she can update her Facebook account.

We have LOTS of different mediums to communicate.  I can see the frustration in her eyes when she is trying to tell me or someone else something and the other person doesn’t understand her.  She can use some sign language, gestures, or just write on her white board.  Or hope that someone ELSE in the room understands what she is saying and repeats it for her.  Writing on her white board is slow, and I can tell that she would rather not have to use it.

My main point of this post is more personal in nature.  I have learned a valuable lesson from watching her.  Well, several actually, but one in particular.  We have so many avenues available to us for communication.  We as humans are very social creatures.  We don’t always appreciate the things that we DO have.  We take them for granted.  Like the ability to speak to each other with our mouth.  And when we lose it, we want it back NOW!  And we are FRUSTRATED when we lose it and can’t get it back.

I said in a previous post that I believe that people are more important than things.  Don’t take your family and friends for granted, because some day, you may lose the ability to talk with them.  And that will really frustrate you.

Trust me on this one.  I see it in my daughter and am frustrated FOR her.

More another time,

Tim

Word Count: 646

Posted in Personal | 2 Comments »

Attention Shoppers…

Tuesday, August 28th, 2007

Last night, I finished my first draft of my manuscript for “Attention Shoppers”, which is the ebook that I had mentioned below.  I have found several things in writing this manuscript.

  1. I have earned a tremendous amount of respect for people who are writers.  It is a tough job!  This manuscript is only 42 pages, but it has taken me over a month to get this far.  Actually, I am not sure how long it has taken me to get this far, because my hard drive was wiped out on June 3rd and I did not get it back for about 3 weeks.  I lost all kinds of data and software in the crash.  I think that I started the manuscript at the end of June or the beginning of July, but I may have not even started until the middle or end of July.
  2. It can be difficult to get started writing, as I have ADD and I get easily distracted when I get home from work.  I have found that having someone to encourage you to keep working to get it done was a big help.  My thanks to Kris Mainieri for being this person.  I probably would still be sitting here with a half-written manuscript if it wasn’t for his encouragement.  Thanks, Kris!
  3. Once I get started writing, I find that it just flows out.  The thing that I have noticed is that I get on my idea, and when I do, I can go from point to point pretty easily.  I suppose that it matters that the subject that I am writing about is very interisting to me.  After all, I LIVED this for a long time, so it was easy to write about it.
  4. Once I got to the end of my story, I got to thinking that there was so much more to my experiences.  So I decided last night that I would have to write a “sequel” to this ebook.  I am not sure if I will merge the two together or just keep them separate and call them part 1 and part 2, or what I will do…

I still have to go back through and proofread the manuscript.  I am also planning on having a few other people proofread it, too.  I am hoping to have it in final form soon.  I guess time will tell.

More another time,

Tim

Word Count: 396

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