{"title":"<ul><li><a href=\"\/If-The-Axe-Is-Dull\">If The Axe Is Dull<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/The-Sales-Process\">The Sales Process<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/IPA's\">IPA's<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/Success-Cannot-Be-Forced-Or-Willed-Into-Reality\r\n\">Success Cannot Be Forced Or Willed Into Reality\r\n<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/Words-Matter\">Words Matter<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/Flow-of-Activity\">Flow of Activity<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/Telephone-Flashcards\">Telephone Flashcards<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/Scoring-Words\">Scoring Words<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/Why-Are-We-Here?\">Why Are We Here?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/Shoot,-call-me-canned!\">Shoot, call me canned!<\/a><\/li><\/ul>","page_content":{"5":"<p>Once upon a time there was a young lumberjack who wanted to be known as the \ngreatest lumberjack who ever lived. To obtain this title, he would need to challenge and \nbeat the greatest lumberjack of all times; Paul Bunyan. So one day, the young \nlumberjack marched up to Paul Bunyan and said, &quot;I challenge you to a logging \ncompetition! Whomever can felled the most trees in one day will be considered the \ngreatest lumberjack that ever lived!&quot; Paul accepted, and the competition began at \ndaybreak the following day. To the surprise of the young lumberjack he noticed that \nafter each tree Paul felled that he would sit down and take a break. This \nexcited the young lumberjack, who in turn worked harder and at a more fierce pace with \nthe anticipation of becoming the greatest lumberjack that ever lived! At the end of the \nday and when the count was in the winner was obvious. Paul Bunyan had won. In fact, \nhe had accomplished exactly double the work of the young lumberjack. In disbelief, the young lumberjack asked, &quot;How could you have felled more trees when \n  after each tree you sat down to take a break, while I kept right on cutting?&quot; \n  &quot;What you apparently didn't see,&quot; Paul replied, &quot;was that while I was sitting down and \n  taking my break,  I was also sharpening my axe.&quot; &quot;Why didn't you stop to sharpen \n  your axe?&quot; Paul asked. &quot;I didn't have time,&quot; said the young lumberjack. &quot;I was too busy \n  cutting.&quot;  <\/p>\n<p>The moral of this story can be summed up in this one principle:  <\/p>\n<p><strong>If the axe is dull and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>My goal isn't to give you one more thing to do. To tell you that you need to work or try harder. My goal is to provide with a system for sales success. A system that will increase your knowledge, how-to, and understanding of sales process activity. Ultimately, my goal is to help you reach your desired level of income, maintain or exceed that income, all while learning to work less and make more. However, if sales  success is not a goal of yours, then our time spent together will have little if any meaning. As a result, I need to ask:<\/p>\n\n<div id=\"content_enroll\" style=\"width:690px;>\n<form action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n\n<table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n  <tr>\n    <td colspan=\"2\">Is sales success important to you?<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td width=\"9%\"><label><input type=\"radio\" name=\"great_success\" value=\"yes\"  \/>\n    Yes<\/label><\/td>\n    <td width=\"91%\"><label><input type=\"radio\" name=\"great_success\" value=\"not_really\"  \/>\n    Not really<\/label><\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>&nbsp;<\/td>\n    <td>&nbsp;<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td colspan=\"2\">What would you be most hopeful of by increasing your sales success?<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td colspan=\"2\"><textarea name=\"what_is_success\" cols=\"60\" rows=\"3\"><\/textarea><\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>&nbsp;<\/td>\n    <td>&nbsp;<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td colspan=\"2\"> If I can help you reach your desired level of income, maintain or exceed that income, all while learning to work less and make more , would you be open to change? <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td width=\"9%\"><label><input type=\"radio\" name=\"open_to_change\" value=\"yes\"  \/>\n    Yes<\/label><\/td>\n    <td width=\"91%\"><label><input type=\"radio\" name=\"open_to_change\" value=\"probably_not\"  \/>\n    Probably not<\/label><\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td>&nbsp;<\/td>\n    <td>&nbsp;<\/td>\n  <\/tr>\n<\/table>\n\n<\/form>\n<\/div>","6":"<img src=\"\/2015\/images\/training\/sales_process.gif\" alt=\"The Sales Process\" style=\"margin-top:25px; margin-bottom:10px;\">\n<h3 style=\"text-align:center; margin-bottom:25px;\">The Sales Process<\/h3>\n<p>The most important thing to understand about sales success is that there is a \n  process. This process is universal and applies to all sales professionals. As a result, \n  any one that learns it, understands it, and masters it, will experience success. Let me \n  explain. <\/p>\n<ul>\n  <li>Many of the goals people have, such as earning more money, meeting quotas, career \n    satisfaction, are all heavily dependent on production.    <\/li>\n  <li>Production is the byproduct of closing activity, which means in order to get the \n    production, you must first close. <\/li>\n  <li>Before you can  Close, you must first Present.<\/li>\n  <li>To know what to Present and why it needs presented, requires that you first Fact \n    Find.<\/li>\n  <li>To get the facts, that allow you to effectively Present, from which you get your \n    Closes, that produce your production, and success. You must first make Contact.    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Each of these steps are income-producing and come together to form the Sales \n  Process<\/p>","7":"<p>The second most important thing to know about sales success is that we DO NOT get paid for anything but Sales Process activity. For many, this is a tough concept to accept. I know early in my career I believed that if I worked hard, was knowledgeable, and had big goals that I would be successful. While these are all great things, I learned the hard way that without sales process activity they basically become meaningless. Again, I know this may be a tough concept for many to accept. If so, I'm hopeful that the graphic below proves there is a connection between activity and success. <\/p>\n<p>Notice that as my Contact's (step one in the Sales Process) climb, so do my sales. As you learn to MASTER and MANAGE Sales Process activity with the System For IPA's will you will see through charts like this, that sales always mirrors activity. As a result, when your activity goes up, your sales will go up. When activity dies or flat lines, sales will also die or flat line. The reason for this is because in sales, we DO NOT get paid for anything but Sales Process activity. This is what makes them ALL income-producing activities (IPA's).<\/p>\n<img src=\"\/2015\/images\/training\/contacts_sales.gif\" width=\"690\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Contacts and Sales\" style=\"margin-top:25px; margin-bottom:25px;\">\n","8":"<form action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n<p>The fourth most important thing to know about sales success is that success cannot be forced or willed into reality. It is the gift, reward, or prize for a job well done. <\/p>\n<p>This is where things can start to become a bit difficult to explain. So I will do my best to stay on point and keep things as simple as possible. To start, I would like to ask, when presenting your product to someone, can you make them buy? What about when fact-finding. Can you make them answer your questions or give you the information you need? What about when making contact. Can you make them say yes or okay? Heck, from my experience, we can't even make people answer their phone.<\/p>\n<p>If we can't make somebody do something and our success is 100% dependent upon moving someone through the sales process. How then might one force or will their success into reality? The truth is, we CAN'T. This is why success is the gift, reward, or prize for a job well done. <\/p>\n<p>In your opinion:<\/p>\n<ol>\n  <li>What gives you the best odds of your Sales Process Activity moving forward?<\/li>\n  <li>What gives you the best odds of your customer seeing their need? <\/li>\n  <li>What gives you the best odds of achieving success for your customer? <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Next to ACTIVITY itself. The answer to these questions is the most important thing to your sales success. <\/p>\n<p>Do you know what it is? \n  <label for=\"textfield\"><\/label>\n  <input type=\"text\" name=\"what_brings_success\"  \/>\n\n<\/form>\n","9":"<p>The answer is <strong>WORDS!<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>Words are what most determine if your sales process activity moves forward or exits the sales process. For example, when attempting to schedule reviews with your customers, one might say: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n  <p>&quot;I'd like to do a review.&quot;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> The other might say: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n  <p>&quot;We need to do a review.&quot;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> In this example, the only difference is between the words I'd and We and like and need. In your opinion, can this make a difference  if your sales process activity moves forward or exits?  As mentioned earlier, this is where things can become difficult. Why this happens, I'm not sure. However, I'm thinking it's because of the vast differences in opinion. If you're thinking or believing one thing, and I'm thinking or believing something completely different, we're going to miscommunicate. If this happens, experience has revealed to me that our time together will  yield little if any results. If this is true, then I suppose the question becomes, &quot;How might we align ourselves in our opinions, thoughts, and understanding?&quot; <\/p>\n<p> I propose that we adhere to a set of simple rules that we can all agree to. For example, instead of having an opinion as to if the two set of words above can make a difference in the volume of people that move forward or exits. What if we agreed to track the number of times each technique is used, and then measure these numbers to the number of reviews set or held? In your opinion, would this be an acceptable process in which we might determine if words can make a difference in our results? <\/p>\n<p>If you disagree with this suggestion for how we can measure the effectiveness of words, this training and system is not for you. If you do agree, let's continue!<\/p>","20":"<img src=\"\/2015\/images\/training\/sales_process_words.gif\" alt=\"The Sales Process\" style=\"margin-bottom:25px\">\n<p>The third most important thing to know about sales success is that activity moves in only two directions: Forward or it exits. Activity exits the sales process when the customer declines to continue or underwriting declines to issue an application. If activity exits, any chance of that activity becoming production ends. Equally, the more activity that moves forward, the more success you will experience. <\/p>\n<p>As you progress through this School For IPA's, you will be learn how the System For IPA's provides you with proven processes that work to keep more of your activity moving forward. However, my objective today is to provide a basic overview of exactly what you will be learning, why you need to learn it, and what learning it will mean to your sales success. <\/p>\n<ul>\n  <li><strong>School For IPA's<\/strong> - an eight week course for learning, understanding, and working sales process activity.\n    \n  <\/li>\n  <li><strong>System For IPA's<\/strong> - a workable system for mastering sales process activity.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Student For IPA's<\/strong> - a person who seeks to achieve great sales success through the study of sales process activity and uses a System For IPA's.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","21":"<p>By answering we have set a foundation from which we can align our opinions, thoughts, and understanding. I truly believe that if we adhere to a set of simple rules, test ideas by experiment and observation, build on ideas that pass the test, reject the one's that fail, follow the evidence where ever it leads, and question everything, that together we can eliminate false notions, gain higher and higher levels of understanding, build successful\/repeatable processes, and not only have goals and dreams, but realize those goals and dreams time and time again.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>System For IPA's<\/strong> is a system for both MASTERING and MANAGING sales process activity. Each can be used separately without the other. For example, if you have a activity management system you do not need to use the management portion of this system and can just use the portion for mastering sales process activities. As you learn this system you can decide for yourself which features work best for you.<\/p>\n<p>The heart of the system is the <strong>Telephone Flashcards<\/strong>. <strong>Telephone Flashcards<\/strong> provide the ability to turn your ideas into workable\/repeatable processes, find success processes, and  score the performance of words. Below is an example.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"\/2015\/images\/training\/reason_step.gif\" alt=\"Telephone Flashcard\" style=\"margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:10px;\">\n<\/p>\n<p>In the top right hand corner you will see that it says, &quot;Reason&quot;. This is the name of this step within the <strong>Commercial X-Date<\/strong> process (in red title bar). In this flashcard is the technique, <\/p>\n<p><strong>The reason I'm calling is because I'm an insurance professional with Dynamic Production. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>(pause long enough to allow a response)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And I was wondering if I could ask you a couple quick questions about your insurance?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These are the words that will be scored in this step to determine if the activity is going in the direction you want or need it to go. Below these words are buttons that can be clicked to take you the next steps within your process. It's the click of these buttons that will allow us to score the words in this step. <\/p>\n<p>Below the buttons are universal links, which allow you to go to that step within your process at in step within the process. Buttons on the other hand are specific to the step you are in. Below the universal links is a database field. This is part of the &quot;management&quot; part of the system is DOES NOT need to be used to use the <strong>Telephone Flashcards<\/strong>, which is the &quot;mastering&quot; part of the system.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","22":"<p>Each step within each process is customizable. This allows you to try different ideas and words and then compare the effects on your flow of activity. For example, in the graphic below this agency tried the default technique within the <strong>System For IPA's Telephone Flashcards<\/strong> and also created two custom techniques for the &quot;reason&quot; step within the <strong>Commercial X-Date<\/strong> process. By the way, there are process for just about any kind of call you need to make. If not, contact me and I will create it for you.<\/p>\n<p>In this graphic there are four columns. ID, Step (with the technique and number of times used), Button Clicked, and Stats.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"\/2015\/images\/training\/activity_flow2.gif\" alt=\"Flow of Activity\" style=\"margin-bottom:25px\"><\/p>\n<p>Reason ID - 1 was used 30 times and 53.3% resulted in the Okay button being clicked. Only 16.7% of the time did people say, &quot;not interested' of the call just ended. <\/p>\n<p>Reason ID - 2 was used 39 times and 41% resulted in the Okay button being clicked. Unfortunately, 53.9% of the time people said, &quot;not interested&quot; or the call just ended.<\/p>\n<p>Reason ID - 3 was used 64 times and 28% resulted in the Okay button being clicked, while 61% of the time people said, &quot;not interested&quot; or the call just ended.<\/p>\n<p>We all have opinions as to what will work and what won't work, and if there's one thing I've learned through my years of coaching, it's that your opinion will always trump my opinion. This is what makes it so hard to help people make the changes that will make them more successful with their sales process activities (IPA's). However, by making activity visible and being able to see the effects are words have on our flow of activity, it because very easy to eliminate differences of opinion, align objectives, and make the changes that will make you more successful.<\/p>","23":"<p>So why are we here? What can you expect to happen over the next couple weeks? Why do you want to make getting on these coaching once a week a priority?\n <\/p>\n<p>My goal is to help you reach your desired level of income, maintain or exceed that income, all while learning to work less and make more. How I intend to accomplish this goal is by providing you with a <strong>System For IPA's<\/strong>. A system that will help you master the activities that bring production, a system that will reveal fundamentals and principles of sales success, a system that will show you mathematically what needs to be done to acheive your desired results, and a system that when used will you to grow and experience your best year to date. Year after year.<\/p>\n<p>There are four steps in the Sales Process:<\/p>\n<img src=\"\/2015\/images\/training\/sales_process.gif\" alt=\"The Sales Process\" style=\"margin-top:25px; margin-bottom:10px;\">\n<h3 style=\"text-align:center; margin-bottom:25px;\">The Sales Process<\/h3>\n<p>Each of these activities are income-producing, making them IPA's! In this week course, our primary focus will be using this system to consistently create the opportunities needed for you to sell.<\/p>","25":"<p>&quot;I don't believe in luck because when the moment of  opportunity arrives, if you weren't prepared nothing would have happened  anyways.&quot; - Oprah<\/p>\n<p> Technique isn't about being canned or scripted. It's about  being prepared. Seeing the sales process in steps allows us to compartmentalize  conversation. When doing so, it becomes easier to consider or anticipate  possible scenarios within that step in great detail. Anticipation affords us  the opportunity to think about what we would consider the best course of action  per possible scenario. It also affords us the opportunity to prepare our  techniques. The time and effort needed to compartmentalize the sales process,  consider possible scenarios, and prepare techniques is not the work of a  &quot;canned person&quot;. It's the work of a professional. Winging it doesn't  require such an effort. Yet those who choose this approach often throw around labels  like &quot;canned&quot; or &quot;scripted&quot;, like it's some sort of plague.  Yet in reality, such labels are the very thing that separate amateurs from  pros. Success from failure. <\/p>\n<p> I remember when speaking at an agency meeting about the things I did  that made me our top producer, and sharing how I developed telephone flashcards.  Many reacted in a way that made me feel as though I was a &quot;lesser  person&quot; because of needing such a tool to be effective. Like I was  incapable. Over and over people stressed how they didn't believe in being  &quot;canned&quot; or &quot;scripted&quot;. What I found interesting was that these same people, who had many more  years of experience in the business, had failed to reach the level of success I  achieved in just my second year. Before developing scripts I earned less than  $20,000 a year. Afterwards, my income increased to over $100,000 a year. As  people stressed their disapproval for scripts I couldn't help but think to  myself, &quot;$20,000 a year? $100,000 a year? $20,000 a year? $100,000? Shoot,  call me canned!&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I don't believe in luck because when the moment of  opportunity arrives, if you weren't prepared nothing would have happened  anyways.&quot; - Oprah<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"}}