Sales tips for the aspiring rock star!

 The Wedding Crashers Guide To Sales Success!

written by the great Paul Castain

A wise man (and an awesome guitar instructor) once told me to find inspiration in everything around me. While I’d like to think of that lesson taking on the form of some Kung Fu flashback, the truth is I remember thinking he must of become “one with a joint” before our lesson. I mean, how does one learn from EVERYTHING around them?

It really did’t take me long to realize he was spot on. In fact, to this day, I try to learn from everyone, everything and try to have some laughs along the way.

I was thinking we were long overdue for a “fun” post and thought I would present for your approval . . .

The Wedding Crashers Guide To Sales Success!

 “Always have an updated family tree!”

Lesson: This represents Pre-Call Planning and continually updating our information. The big mistake many sales people make comes in the form of Googling (the individual and company) before the initial meeting and then ending the process. It needs to be an ongoing process (perhaps in the form of a Google Alert). The updated family tree also means taking the time to keep up to date on who the existing as well as the up and coming players are.

Jeremy Grey: (quarterbacking a touch football game) John! Red seven!


John Beckwith: I don't know what red seven means.


Jeremy Grey: Hot route!


John Beckwith: I don't... What is hot route?


Jeremy Grey: Will you just go stand on the other side please?

Lesson: Say what you mean and lose the “jargon”. If you have a need to use jargon, use the client’s; after all people like people like themselves. Right?

“Don’t take a trip to negative town”

Lesson: Aside from the importance of being positive, people avoid negative people like the plague. Who needs a downer? I know people that even when someone mentions their name to me, I immediately associate them with complaining, negativity etc. Taking a look in the mirror, I know I too have taken a trip to “negative town”. The problem with that trip is that some poor soul inadvertently comes along for the ride.

Another lesson to consider: You’ll feel better when you stay away from “negative town” and quite frankly, its so much easier to feel like conquering the world when you are positive.

You may even have to give your attitude an enema by clicking here http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/09/when-your-attitude-needs-enema.html

Motor Boating isn’t just a cool water sport . . . who knew?

Yelling: “Mom Meatloaf!” doesn’t get you fed!

Lesson: Needless to say, we need to get out and hunt if we want to eat. Yelling, complaining and yes, even over talking what “we are gonna due” is useless until action is added to the equation.

“I almost Nun chucked you. You don’t even realize!”

Lesson: None that I can think of but I think we should say it to 3 people today in the spirit of being totally random!

John Beckwith: Don't waste your time on girls with hats. They tend to be very proper.


Jeremy Grey: Yeah? Well, the proper girl in the hat just eye-f**ked the s**t out of me.

Lesson: Careful how you qualify. Better yet, rethink all those companies you thought were too big, too small or, dare I say, too likely to reject us!

Jeremy Grey: Tattoo on the lower back? Might as well be a bull’s eye.

Lesson: Preconceived notions of any type can be disastrous. One of my favorite examples comes in the form of the rep looking around the prospect’s office for conversation starters. You know, if you see pictures of kids, they must be into family. Golf thing a ma jigs then clearly they are golfers . . . or they borrowed someone else’s office and they can’t stand those things.

I’ve also seen this in the form of prejudging the disposition of someone by title. Example: All CEO’s must be outgoing, I want to conquer the world types. All financial type people are bean counters and introverted. No one has preconceived notions regarding us sales folk, right?

The other side of this lesson is for us to be mindful of getting pigeon holed by our customers. I see this all the time in the printing industry where clients label one printer as their high end 4 color printer, another one as a short run, quick copy type of vendor etc. The long and the short of it is . . . don’t let others define you or your company. Take control and manage their perceptions!

 “No excuses. Play like a champion”

Lesson #1: When you screw up, don’t make it worse by inventing some BS excuse. Come clean!

Lesson #2: Times are tough right now, no doubt . . . time for us all to kick it up a notch or three and play our best game ever!

Jeremy Grey: [speaking to the priest] This girl's fit for a strait-jacket. I mean she's f**ked three ways to the weekend. But you know what, Father? I dig it!

Lesson: Step outside your comfort zone. By the way, a year ago Thanksgiving weekend, I stepped outside my comfort zone in starting this blog and jumping head first into Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook. It was scary and quite foreign for the first few months and now I’m stronger for it. Facing fears and stepping outside comfort zones can and will make us stronger! Does lots for one's confidence too!

Action: Define one sales activity that makes you uncomfortable and face it head on!

OK, good talk, now let’s all get out there and in the words of the immortal Jeremy Gray get some “strange ass” (new customers)

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Is The American Dream Dead?

The American Dream Is What People Have Both Died For And Live For.

One Mans Dream Comes True

After the gym this morning I made a stop at my local gas station to buy a pack of gum. Looking up above the register, I saw a Georgia State Lottery Ticket Hanging. It was a Jumbo Bucks scratch off ticket for $500,000. I asked the attendant who won it and she told me that an unemployed hispanic man did.

I live in North Georgia and the Illegal Immigrant population is out of control. At 5am, the hispanic workers line the road waiting for someone to pick them up to earn a days pay. Well this man that one the ticket, got his money and went back to Mexico. I said to the attendant, "That is The American Dream."

"Or is it?"

I think that a lot of Americans have a lottery mentality. It's also called entitlement mentality. The fact is, no one owes you anything. You have to work for everything you have in this country. Most of us know this all too well. The chances of winning the lottery are as good as you getting struck by lightening, twice , in the same spot. Do you waste your money on lottery tickets?

Shattered Dreams

The American Dream means different things to different folks. For some, it's having the ability to own a second home in a vacation location. To others it's having the ability to do what they want, when they want and for however long they want.

For most in today's day and time, the American Dream is slipping farther and farther away. Why? Quite frankly it has to do with putting all of your eggs in one basket.

The days of working for a company for 25-30 years is a long lost fable. Americans are being right sized, downsized and leftsized.

For those who are unemployed or hanging on to their jobs by a thin thread not knowing what the coming weeks have in store, I almost feel sorry, but not really.

You see, we all have choices. Some of us chose to create our identity's and tie them to our jobs. Isn't it strange that when people ask each other what they do, they usually respond with their occupation?

When someone asks me that question, I reply with, " I like to surf, travel, skydive, workout and spend time with my family." You see, I have never been a title or degree based person. Yes I have had big titles and yes I have a degree from a prominent University, but that all means squat.

To some reading this, it may make you mad. Well it should. You have been used and abused, never being paid what your actually worth. Am I right? You are being paid what the job pays. Why is it then, that people get so comfortable living like this.

Take Control Of Your Dream

When you don't have control of your income, you don't have control of your life. When someone else signs your paycheck, your a slave to them. I don't know about you, but I never liked that feeling. It is en-slavery any way you look at it.

Why is it that some rise above this? It comes down to drive.

The American Dream is very alive in my household and it should be in yours too. Take your life and your finances into your own hands. Stop relying on others to depict how your life will be and take charge.

I know it takes hard work, guts and risk to step outside of the norm. I think if people would detach themselves from Title mentality and really dig down deep within themselves, they would discover that they are capable of much more.

Living The Dream, 
Joshua K. Boxer

PS. If Your Ready To Take Charge Of Your Life, Your Finances and Your Dream and Your Sick And Tired Of Being Sick And Tired, Visit http://www.InternetWealthPros.com .

Thank you Paul Castain... It's not what we get....It's who we become!

It's not what we get . . . It's who we become!


By Paul Castain – Sales Playbook http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/


with a few further edits by Pam Wasserman:

I was pondering a quote by the great Jim Rohn who once said “It’s not what we get, it’s who we become in the process” and couldn’t help but wonder if that person we become also loses something in the process?

And no, I don’t mean loss of something that could be easily justified by endless mantras of “no pain no gain” I’m talking about the things in this world that we precious valuable most. For some it’s their faith, others it’s family and friends, “me time”, “paying it forward, “money”, “status” etc. Guess I’ve just given you a long winded explanation of something commonly known as “precious precious valuables”

Let’s put that thought to the side for a moment because I thought it would be cool if we took a class trip today to a really exclusive resort located just outside the rain forest. When you get finished packing, I’d like for you to pack 5 more things:

The Top 5 Things You Precious valuable Most In Your Life Written On 5 Separate Pieces of Paper

Please take a moment to think about them, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s important we know what we consider precious and valuable in life and besides, I’m not letting you go without these items identified and packed.

So hopefully you didn’t “wuss out” and you’ve packed your top 5 precious precious valuables.

So off we go!

I’ve taken the liberty of chartering a private helicopter for us so we can see the rain forest on the way. We’re off to a great start, some people are enjoying some Champagne, and my side of the helicopter is getting loud from the tequila shots Uncle Paul is serving up. Life is good. Until . . .

The helicopter starts swaying left to right, making a crazy noise and we begin losing altitude pretty fast. Suddenly it becomes obvious that we are going down as we brace ourselves for the worst. Then it happens, we crash into the tops of some giant trees and miraculously we are all OK and only have some minor injuries. Note: You didn’t think I was going to kill us off, did you? Anyhow, there we are, most probably without the tequila at this point, but alive when along comes a local tribe that yells up to us asking if we would like help getting down. After a sarcastic response (from me) of “Ya think?” they inform us they would be happy to but . . . it will cost us each, one of those precious precious valuables we packed. Not having much of a choice in the matter we reluctantly agree.

Please decide which precious valuable you will sacrifice and place it to the side.

Alright, so they get us down from the tree and now that the shock has worn off a bit, we realize that our injuries, although minor, need some attention. Luckily, their medicine man is present and is happy to patch us up but . . . the dude wants one of those handy dandy precious precious valuables we packed. After pretending to cough and blurting out “Rip off!” we agree.

Please decide which precious valuable you will sacrifice and place it to the side.

Okey dokey, we’ve gotten down from the tree, we are patched up but just as the high fives begin to settle, a nasty storm is quickly approaching (it’s a rain forest remember) They offer to take us to their pimped out village (I took some literary license on the pimped out. Honestly, I can’t back that up) We agree and they give us the old Uno Momento stop sign and inform us that it will cost us one of those quickly dwindling precious precious valuables. Truth be told, we’re OK with getting drenched, but it’s the whole poisonous snake and evil critter thing that has us crapping da khakis so we fork over the precious valuable.

Please decide which precious valuable you will sacrifice and place it to the side.

Note: Kind of sucks. Doesn’t it? Hang in there!

So we make it back to their village. Several days go by, we are rested, our wounds have fully healed and now we want to make like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, click the heels and vamoose! One problem, we are in the middle of the rain forest and have no idea how to get back to civilization! Guess who does? That tribal leader and the S.O.B. already has his hand out asking us for one more precious valuable. And there’s no negotiating either. I mean, how could we get away with giving him half a precious valuable?

Please decide which precious valuable you will sacrifice and place it to the side.

And so our little class trip ends. Wait, not yet. They all lived happily ever after and became sales rock stars. But your story, is just beginning because you are staring face to face with the one precious valuable that means the world to you. In fact, I bet you struggled at times deciding which precious valuable to give up. The more you gave up, the harder it was to give up another.

Now the really hard part (or not) You must remain true to that precious valuable.

No success, no money, no “President’s Club”, “Rock Star Of The Year” award is worth the one thing that is most dear to you or worse yet, you becoming something in the process that makes you hate that person in the mirror!

So there you have it, actually not yet . . . do something that strengthens and speaks to that precious valuable today.