Closing a Sale is a Natural Action!

Sales is the natural conclusion to a normal conversation between people. Period. When we are selling ourselves, our products, our services...we are most successful having normal (natural) conversations with other people who have a need fulfilled by our: self, product, service, etc.

Sales done improperly results in an unnatural conclusion (this is what some would call a "closing technique") due to an abnormal conversation (you could think of this as a lopsided conversation) between people. And an unnatural conclusion is usually a "NO."

Selling can be easy if you a) be yourself, b) think about the customer instead of yourself, and c) don't lose sight of a&b as they are critical to your sales.

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kevinmhuff

Change the Game in Corporate Training

I want to change the game in training.

Over the past decade I have trained literally thousands of different people (approaching 10,000) and what I consistently hear shocks me. To the core. I've received hundreds and hundreds of comments just like these:

"I have never paid attention to a training class like I did yours - you made it so interesting."

"You are the best trainer I have ever had!"

"Truly amazing, I have no feedback for how you can improve."

"Normally, training class is something we all dread but we all were coming in early and staying after asking questions in your class."

"You are the Tiger Woods of Training!"

Forget the comments -- did you catch what I said prior? I said it shocks me to the core to hear comments like those. You'd think it would make me feel special, but I'm not that special...I'm just in an industry that as a whole needs a radical change.

It seems the general approach to training is apathy, not a good approach when the United States of America has fallen WAY behind in the workplace. Why do so many companies -- myriads of companies -- accept mediocrity from employees? I'm confident we can right the ship but it will take a complete do-over. It is time for instructors and learners alike to get on board with a new plan for corporate training.

Our first step: Stop rushing. Start over.

Forget everything we thought we knew and focus on only one thing -- the learner. It's not about the trainer. It's not even about the company! It is about the learner.

It's time we change the game in training -- we need to do it for the salesperson, the customer service rep, the managers and other leaders, in other words...the learner.

I plan to change the game by:
1 - focusing on Training 2.0 as a supplementary means of learning, in addition to and outside the traditional handcuffs of a classroom, a computer, 3-ring binders...
2 - making training REAL, abandoning simulations
3 - training in parallel with Sales efforts -- ALL YEAR LONG, EVERY YEAR
4 - sharing what I know about training and learning with Sales Managers, equipping THEM to drive the success of training
5 - showing ridiculous passion in my blog, podcasts, tweets ... and all other realms where I can impact Corporate Training.

It is time to Change the Game in Corporate Training! I'm starting my efforts on Twitter and this blog. Please join me in the conversation, then join me in the transformation!

http://www.twitter.com/kevinmhuff
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmhuff
http://blogs.kevinmhuff.com

2009: No Resolutions, only Resolve!

This year, I dropped the habit of writing New Year's Resolutions. Instead, I'm trading that habit for a new experience. This year, no more resolutions! Only...Resolve.

A resolution, as defined by Princeton, is a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner.

Resolve on the other hand, is determination, will power, single-mindedness.

Let me define resolve this way: A determined focus.

A determined focus to achieve all I can in 2009.
A determined focus to grow and experience growing pains in 2009.
A determined focus to try again when I fail.

Make 2009 a year of Resolve, not just resolutions.

http://www.twitter.com/kevinmhuff
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmhuff