Three Word Podcast

Episode 136, The easiest way to make Habits a part of your life!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 35 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

What helps you establish a good habit? These three words: Behavior, Time, and Location.

 

Hello, Three Word Podcasters! If this is your first time, welcome. I am your host Lisa Thal, and I share my thoughts on three-word topics to help engage and inspire you and those you lead.

 

I am sharing insights from James Clear's book Atomic Habits to help define whom you want to be and create a habit to help you exceed your goals this year.

 

In episode 134, we set the foundation. It centered around step one, which is getting clear on your Identity, whom you want to become, and the steps to supporting that Identity you wish to create for yourself.

 

In episode 135, we focused on building systems and processes to help you achieve your goals. You want to focus on building a system and developing a process rather than achieving a goal or an outcome.

 

One of my favorite James Clear quotes is; You don't rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.

 

We then touched on how to get started creating better habits, beginning with The Two-Minute Rule, "When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do."

 

So how do we fit our Habits into our Life? 

 

I know we all have the best intentions when we start with our vision of success. But what keeps some of us from achieving our goals and others following short?   

 

James Clear says One effective way to insert a new habit into your life is with an "implementation intention." An implementation intention is a plan you make beforehand about when and where to act. That is, how you intend to implement your habit. It's all about finding the right time and place for your habit.

 

The simple way to apply his strategy to your habits is to fill out this sentence using Three Words - you know I love this.

 

I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].

 

Let me give you a few examples of what this looks like for me.

 

• I will drink 16 ounces of water before I get out of bed.
• I will read Atomic Habits at 4 am in my kitchen while drinking my coffee.
• I will run my dogs at 5 am outside every day.  

 

The crucial step here is finding the right time and location to insert the new habit into your daily routine. You are looking for the decisive moment where your new habit should live.

 

Make sure your implementation intention is specific and clear. Here are a few examples for your business: I will use workspace as a location because many of you are working remotely.

 

• I will ask for one referral from a Happy Customer at 10 am each day from my workspace.
• I will call one new client at 4 pm from my workspace.
• I will set my priorities at 5 pm for the next day at my workspace.

 

It's important to note that when and where you choose to insert a habit into your daily routine can make a big difference. If you're trying to add meditation into your morning routine, but mornings are chaotic, and your kids keep running into the room, then that may be the wrong place and time. Consider when you are most likely to be successful. Don't ask yourself to make a habit when you're likely to be occupied with something else.

 

The more tightly bound your new habit is to a specific time and location, the better the odds are that you will notice when the time comes to act.

 

We will wrap up the series from Atomic Habits on Building better habits in 4 Simple Steps. So pick a time and location where you can join me. And let's remember these Three Words.

I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].  

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about Simplifying Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

To learn more about Atomic Habits: http://jamesclear.com

 

Episode 135, Doing this for two minutes a day can change your life!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 35 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 135, We apply the Two-Minute Rule to help you create long-lasting habits.

 

Did you ever hear that your life can change in an instant? By the end of this podcast, you will be on your way to creating better habits in minutes.

 

In last week's episode 134, we set the foundation for helping you achieve your goals for the new year. It centered around step one, which is getting clear on your Identity, whom you want to become, and the steps to supporting that Identity you wish to create for yourself.

 

The question is, are you becoming the type of person you want to become? Again the first step is Who you want to become, not the what or how. Keep in mind, the habits you create help you become the type of person you wish to be.

 

Once you have established who you want to become, we focus on building systems and processes.

 

I want to share a quote from the book Atomic Habits, "Goals are about the results you want to achieve, systems are about the processes that lead to those results." "The purpose of setting goals is to accomplish the goal and win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. Ultimately it's your commitment to the process that will determine your progress."

 

You want to focus on building a system and developing a process rather than achieving a goal or an outcome. One of my favorite James Clear quotes is; You don't rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.

 

Your goal is your desired outcome; what is your System for achieving it? 

 

I started to think about how I applied this System and process to achieve a goal. A big goal I set for myself. I decided to write the Three Word Meeting book. My outcome was to publish an easy-to-read book that could inspire the reader and engage their team during their sales meetings using Three Word Topics.

 

Keep in mind that I did not see myself as an author. I had to create a system or process to write a book. So what I did, I do. I developed a system in where I wrote one chapter each weekend. So I would block out two hours on a Saturday and Sunday morning to write one chapter. I knew If I started small with a process to capture my thoughts, I would have fifty-two weeks of content to share with you over the next year—the content for the entire book. Each week I wrote a Chapter I supported with evidence of the Identity I wanted to create - Becoming an Author.

 

The goal is not the thing that makes the difference in your performance; it's the Systems you follow, the way you prepare for each day, the habits you create.

 

Making one small change can make a significant impact, for example. In sales, the person who makes one new business call a day or asks for one referral from a happy client creates a better long-term process or habit than someone making thirty calls in one day.

 

That is why the one person who gets one more task done each day has a tremendous advantage over the other co-workers. It's the cumulative portion of days, weeks, and months and years over their career that make the difference. 

 

You want to focus on building a system and developing a process rather than achieving a goal or an outcome. 

 

What is your System? Many of you listening are in sales. You understand that creating new relationships and customers are critical to your success. Therefore, you have to do something every day to find those new customers. You can't just pick one day a month to focus on growing your business and hope for success.  

 

You don't rise to the level of your goals, and you fall to the level of your systems; habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.

 

So you may be saying, sign me up. But how do I get started, Lisa? The key is when building a new habit and process, try not to start too big. I know the phrase we all have used, " Go Big or Go Home." I am suggesting you start small to grow big!   

 

Everyone's heard things like: start small, baby steps. Crawl before you run. But even when you know you should start small, it's still easy to start too big. So begin by choosing a habit as easy as possible to perform.

 

Remember earlier in the podcast; I said your life could change instantly or in minutes, building lasting habits. The Two-Minute Rule states, "When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do."

 

Take that habit and scale it down into a two-minutes.

 

For example:

• "Become a seller who exceeds budgets each month" becomes "Calling one new client each day."
• "Become the person that creates more new business" becomes "the person who asks for one referral a day."
• "Become a published author" becomes "Writing for two minutes a day."
• "Become a healthy person" becomes " Take the steps versus the elevator."

 

Let's recap, and let's start to build on what we have learned. The goal is to start small! Create a habit that you can build upon to create lasting results for you. Create a two-minute routine each day that supports Who you want to become. 

 

I would love to hear from you. Private message me Whom you have chosen to become and the two-minute habit you're going to do daily.

 

In next week's episode, we will build off Whom we want to become - our Identity and the habits we are building for ourselves.

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about Simplifying Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

To learn more about Atomic Habits: http://jamesclear.com

Episode 134, If you do this, you will achieve your goals!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 35 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 134, If you do this, you will achieve your goals!

 

So the new year is here. Many of you over-achievers likely already started months ago. Have you thought about what you want to achieve this year? Better Health, Financial Security, More Meaningful relationships, Become a Better Leader, possibly a new career. 

 

Well, it's this time of year that we reset our intentions and what we want to accomplish. You also hear and see many companies market how they can help us achieve those goals—for example, the 21-day challenge to stop smoking and lose weight. 

 

The question is, how long do you think it takes to achieve that goal you set, 21 days, 30 days, or 90 days?  

 

The answer is Forever! Yes, See, the reason is if you stop doing it, then it's no longer a habit.

 

It's consistently doing some action every day vs. the immersion in 21 days. Don't get me wrong; you may need to initially create a new mindset and focus. But to achieve what you want in life, it has to become a habit.

 

The best news is that you have done this without knowing it. We all have created habits that have become a way of life. For example, we brush our teeth, shower, make our beds, make coffee, drive to work. We do it without even thinking.

 

And if you're trying to do something that becomes part of your lifestyle, you start to see a little bit more clearly the value of making a small change or doing something more reasonable or sustainable.

 

In thinking of the best way to achieve my vision in 2022, I was reminded of the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. I highly recommend it. I thought it could be helpful to share his views and systems for achieving success over the next several weeks.

 

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear describes shifts in how you view your habits. Step one is creating identity-based habits that encourage you to start with the type of person you want to become versus thinking about the result you want or the outcome you're trying to achieve.

 

This is worth repeating: It starts with whom you want to become!

 

He shared an example about weight loss and the principle that applies to any goal you focus on achieving. In weight loss, all kinds of people will say, "I want to lose weight," okay, so they start with a result, they say, "I want to lose 20 pounds," and that's the outcome. That's the goal. "And so if I want to lose 20 pounds, then I need to come up with a plan. I'm going to go to the gym four days a week, I'm going to eat this food," and then the assumption is, "If I do that, then I'll be the kind of person I want to be, that if I'm able to achieve that, then maybe I'll be happy." And so, who is the type of person that can do what you want to do? 

 

And James says, let's invert that process and start by saying, "Okay, who is the type of person that can lose 20 pounds?" And maybe it's the type of person who doesn't miss workouts. And so, that's fine, let's put the goal on the shelf then, forget about the weight, forget about the number, forget about the judgment and the guilt and all this other stuff, and let's focus on being the kind of person who doesn't miss workouts, focus on fostering that Identity.

 

So essential to focus on you and your Identity. Who is the type of leader that I want to be? Maybe it's someone who leads by example. They are in the trenches with their teams. You're focused on that kind of person, not necessarily on the quantifiable metric at work.

 

And so, the first step to achieving long-term, habit-building success is to ask ourselves who's the type of person we want to be, what's the kind of Identity we want to reinforce? And then next, let's ask ourselves, What is the system that I can design that carries me inevitably toward that Identity that strengthens the kind of person I wish to become? 

 

In Atomic Habits, it is all about standardization before optimization. Define whom you want to be, make it the standard in your life, and then worry about doing it better.

 

Strategies like this work because you reinforce the Identity you want to build. If you show up at the gym five days in a row—even if it's just for ten minutes— you are making and supporting your new Identity. You're casting votes for the type of person who doesn't miss workouts. You're taking the small actions that confirm the kind of person you want to be. 

 

Once you are clear on the Identity you want, we can build the habits necessary to support that life. So I ask you to take some time to think about the person you want to be.

 

Next week's episode will discuss applying the small changes of creating habits for significant results.

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about Simplifying Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

To learn more about Atomic Habits: http://jamesclear.com

Episode 133, Words of advice into the New Year from Working Moms!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 133, Words of advice into the New Year from Working Moms!

 

It is hard to believe that this is the last week of the year. When I think about the year, I think about all the hardworking, Get it Done, Moms.

 

When I think about those working mothers, the three words that come to mind are "Doing It All." I have witnessed how the moms I work with show up every day ( even when tired) and give it they're all. They build deep, trusting relationships with their customers while balancing the needs of their children and family. They "Do It All!"

 

I thought it would be fun to hear from these Get It Done Leaders. We share a conversation on their favorite three words and the three words they would offer their kids. Plus, in the end, you hear Mom Thal's three favorite words and the three words of advice for her children!

 

Special thank you to Debbie Perkins, Julie Drummey, Emily Martin, Lynda Heidorn, Katie Richardson, and Mom Thal for taking the time to share their thoughts and wisdom on the Three Word Podcast!

 

I would love to hear your favorite three words and the three words you would offer your children. Comment or send to me in a private message.

 

To all those hardworking, Do it all, Mom's, Life is better because of you!

 

Learn more about Simplifying Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com.

 

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, Marketing, Sales, and Business Coach. Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. Loves Golf and Dog Mom!

 

If I can help you with your Sales, Marketing, or Sales meetings, call me at 513-478-1757 or Lisathal12@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Episode 132, Father‘s advice for the Holiday and into 2022!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 132,  Father's advice for the Holiday and into 2022!

 

In this week's episode, I share my conversation with some of the hardest working Fathers I have the pleasure of working alongside. They share the Three Words they live their lives by and advice for their children.

 

The one theme all these Fathers have in common is Work-Life Balance! Spending time with their families and their kids is a priority.  

 

Special thanks to the Hardest Working Fathers at Hubbard Cincinnati!

 

Nick Collins: Do It Together and Three words of advice for his kids, Always Be Yourself!

Terry Moore- Preparation, Persistence, and Patience. His Three Words of advice for his kids and grandkids, Faith, Family, and Finance.

Ken Marmer- No Practice Life and Three Words of advice for his kids, Try Each Day.

Kelby Dreisbach- Speak The Truth and his Three Words of advice for his daughters, Believe In Yourself!

 

Think about the Three Words you live by or what Three Words of advice you have for your children!

 

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Engage your team during a sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

Episode 131, Learn the 3 Strategies to Increase Your Leads with LinkedIn!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 131, Learn the 3 Strategies to Increase Your Leads with LinkedIn!

 

New Year and New Leads! Jennifer shares the three strategies to increase your leads using LinkedIn!

 

Podcast Guest: Jennifer Darling

LinkedIn is exploding right now with opportunities for you to build significant influence. 

 

This podcast has strategic and tactical ideas on how to upgrade your LinkedIn profile to enhance your professional brand, create expert status among your target market, showcase your skills, and connect with prospects to grow your business. 

 

You’ll learn why LinkedIn is different (and better for your business) than other social media platforms and why having the right words in your profile. You’ll receive tips on how to measure your Social Selling Index to ensure you’re maximizing your social power and measuring your presence. You’ll also discover how to take advantage of LinkedIn’s publishing tool, which is phenomenal for increasing your searchability on Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

 

Other vital discussions are how to find more prospects using LinkedIn. You can do the three most important things today to become more successful using this platform.

 

 

Jennifer’s Bio:

Jennifer Darling is a revenue-generating machine! She brings over 25 years of experience in advertising sales and sales management. She runs her own business to show salespeople (and non-salespeople) how to market themselves to get more sales. 

 

She went from being the corporate sales manager at Comcast, NBC, and FOX to building her own successful business as a professional speaker, trainer, consultant, and coach. Jennifers LinkedIn success includes 10,000 views of her LinkedIn articles, including one article that generated over 6,000 views worldwide, 1,000s of views of her LinkedIn videos, and generated above 10,000 views of shared updates, all with the power of the free version of LinkedIn. She’s generated leads that resulted in $10k, $100k, and 1 million dollar proposals for herself and her clients.

 

She was named one of SweetFish Media’s Top 50 Female Sales Speakers and Voted 2020 Best In Show by the Professional Convention Management Association, Convening Leaders. Jennifer is a professional member of the National Speakers Association.

 

Contact Info:

Jennifer Darling

916-204-3923

jennifer@jenniferdarlingspeaks.com

www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdarlingspeaks.com

 

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, do me a favor, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how you can Simplify Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http:/www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

Episode 130, Life is About to Change!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 130, is about how you respond to change!

 

Change; you either love it or hate it. We all have experienced Change. Significantly, the past few years of Covid have created Change.  

 

Time changes in Spring and Fall. I prefer the extra hour of sunlight, and we are about to start a New Year in a few weeks!

 

Our life circumstances Change—new relationships, marriage, divorce, kids, fur kids, and grandkids. 

 

How about changes at work:

Change in decision-makers.

In compensation programs.

Change in products offered and no longer offered.

New hires for your company or reduction in workforce.

Change in your career.

The ability to work remotely.

New leadership.

 

Change is all around us.

 

I want to share a story about a change for one of my team members.

 

I was in a coaching session where we focused on his key accounts and the strategy behind renewing them. And then we got to one account that was in jeopardy of not continuing into the new year. 

 

Let me give you a little background on this account.

 

He started calling on this account over seven years ago. He was helping them with their - Sales and Marketing plan to advertise that they were accepting new patients. This particular account specialized in working with kids. Over the past seven years, he strategically helped them build their new customer acquisitions, client referral program and also helped them expand into multi-locations. Their business was thriving, so I was surprised by the possibility of them not renewing. He had developed a deep friendship in addition to helping them with their marketing.

 

I asked what had changed?

He shared that another company was interested in buying her practice because it was doing well. Well, that was something I did not expect to hear. But, it was exciting news for the owner who built this unique company that was helping so many kids.

 

I went on to say, Well, good for them! Can you say Financial Freedom! 

 

What an opportunity she had created for her and her family. And then I went on to say; I know this is tough for you. This situation could impact your income, and you have invested seven years in helping shape this opportunity for her.  

 

I then shared these three words: Life's About Change!

Followed by how you respond to Change is everything!

 

 Let's face it; there are things out of control, like clients selling their company. We are in sales, and clients cancel or go to other vendors. The only thing we can count on is Change.

 

One of his largest accounts went away. Yes, it isn't very reassuring. But if we stay focused on that one account, that one situation, then we cannot focus on all the positive things happening with your business. Focusing on what went wrong shifts your focus on the worst things in your life versus the best. The solid relationships you have with your other 30 accounts, the impact you are making on these companies, and the problems you are solving for them.

 

Have you found yourself doing this? Our brain goes straight to tragedy.

What other accounts are going to leave me?

How will I ever replace them?

Worst, How much income did I lose?

 

See, we again focused on what went wrong or could go wrong. Our brains highjacked us into what we lost, and it will challenge you to be successful if you focus on what went wrong vs. what can go right.

 

In this example, what went right was that he was a part of this success. I am confident the owner will share the differences he made in her company. There is an opportunity to continue working with them under the new leadership team. Or perhaps he can use this success to help create vertical sales in other markets by sharing his successful blueprint.

 

We are here to fight another day, especially those challenging days. Real growth shapes us through those uncertain times. 

 

Change, how does it make you feel?  

 

Does it bring about fear, trepidation, angst, uneasiness? 

Or does it bring forth excitement, anticipation, readiness, willingness?

 

What about " Keep up with Change," staying relevant, redefining, reimagining, radical transformation, adaptation, alterations, shifting landscapes, emerging issues, external forces, internal pressures, evolution, revolution, and the list goes on.

 

So how do we get better with Change? Lean into Change, embrace it.

 

Become more "adaptive" and decide to view all changes, whether welcomed or unwelcomed, as an expected part of life.  

 

I believe it means that our mindset is how we can improve our chances to remain resilient and relevant in the face of significant and constant Change. We have the power to choose how we will respond to situations when they arise and whether we will see them as unfortunate occurrences or opportunities for growth.

 

I will choose to see an opportunity for growth. I hope that you are willing to do the same.

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, do me a favor, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how you can Simplify Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http:/www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

 

Episode 129, What to do when you hit a brick wall with a client!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 129, What to do when you hit a brick wall with a client!

 

This week is about taking action when you face a situation that seems impossible. 

 

Let me ask you a question? Have you ever felt like you hit a brick wall with a prospect or client?

 

Or worse, What about when the brick wall gets knocked down, and you have to rebuild it! The brick in my example represents your business!   

 

The new year is coming and, at times, can feel overwhelming and impossible. Right? Many of you are thinking, how will I bill more than I did this year? Others are thinking about clients going away and not renewing for many reasons. It takes so much emotional energy when you start a new year. A lot is up in the air. 

 

Will my client continue?  

Will they renew with a lift in spending?  

How many clients will go away, and will I need to replace them with a new business?   

 

I want to share a simple strategy you can apply that I learned from Will.

 

I listened to Will Smith's new book – "Will" - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I had many takeaways and lessons to help my life and business.

 

One lesson that I thought I would share with you today.

 

Will shares that One of those life lessons that impacted him is a story he tells from his childhood growing up in West Philadelphia about building a brick wall. Yes, an actual brick wall. He was 11 years old, and his father needed a new wall constructed in front of his shop: a 12-foot-high, 20-foot long wall to replace an old one that was crumbling. His father—assigned the job to Will and his brother, Harry. First, His Father demolished the old wall, leaving this giant gaping hole. Then, it was up to Will and his brother Harry to build a new one, brick-by-brick.

 

Will describes that task. He says it seemed overwhelming and endless. And their father didn't care if it was rainy or cold or if his sons didn't feel like working that day. They worked to rebuild that wall week after week, yet they didn't feel they were ever making any progress. Don't you feel like that at times? They worked on holidays, during their vacations, and on weekends for over a year.

 

They mixed concrete and toted what seemed to them like millions of bricks, back and forth. If they were in bad moods, or sick, or had tests to take the next day—Father didn't care. The wall had to be built. On a day they were in a terrible mood, as Will describes it, they protested to their father that the job was impossible. It was impossible that these two little boys were asked to build this wall and it would never get done.

 

Tired of hearing his son complain, Will's father threw down his tools, walked over to the wall-to-be, and said: "Stop thinking about the wall! There is no wall. There are only bricks. And your job is to lay this brick perfectly. Then move on to the next brick. Then lay that brick perfectly. Then the next one. Don't worry about the wall. Your only concern is one brick."

 

Will described, "When he focused on the wall, the job felt impossible. Never-ending. But when he focused on one brick, everything got easier. As the weeks passed, the bricks mounted, and the hole got just a little bit smaller. I started to see that the difference between a task that felt impossible and a doable task is merely a matter of perspective. 

 

Are you paying attention to the wall?

Or are you paying attention to the brick?"

 

So when life feels overwhelming, when a task at hand is daunting, when you look ahead and think, Oh no! It's too much! I can't do it! Think about things brick by brick. I love that lesson! 

 

One brick at a time. One step at a time. Will shares: "Every single day, no matter where you are going or what you're going through, there is always another brick sitting right there in front of you, waiting to get laid. The only question: Are you going to get up and lay it?"

 

So this week, Take things brick by brick. 

 

Whether you're prospecting for a new client or calling clients to start the conversation on how you can help solve their biggest problem, begin laying the foundation to building your brick wall, your business. And before you know it, what felt like a wall you felt was impossible to build, that you thought would be impossible to endure, that achievement you thought was out of your reach—you'll suddenly find that you have created a solid foundation and wall – for your business. You made it through—one brick at a time.

 

Do me a favor and rate this episode if you like it or If you think someone could benefit from this share it.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

 

 

 

 

Episode 128, A gift your client will not return!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 128 is in honor of Thanksgiving, and I will share six tips to show your clients how thankful you are for them.

 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! Time off to spend with family, friends, and of course football. I love the meaning behind the word Thanksgiving. It contains two words: Thanks and Giving!  

 

So what are you thankful for this year?

 

I am thankful for you! I am grateful for my health, Olivia, family, friends. 3 fur pups, work-family, and clients.  

 

Are you looking for a way to say Thank you to your clients?

 

Here are six ideas focused on Thanking and Giving!

 

Send a Handwritten Thank you, Note.

Make an impression and show your customers how much you care with a personalized, handwritten note?

When writing your thank you note, try to be focused and specific.

Rather than just saying, "Thanks for your business," it would be more effective to say something like, "Thank you for being our partner." Working with such a committed company has taught me the importance of staying accountable and communicating proactively throughout the process."

Find a specific way to recognize how this customer has influenced you or include details of your relationships, and your message will be more meaningful. It will remind them why they chose to work with you. 

 

Another option is to send a short video or voicemail through messenger. Let them know you are thinking of them this holiday season and how grateful you are to work with them.

 

Make a Donation or volunteer and Give your time.

Each one of our clients is passionate about something outside of work. It can be centered around helping kids, pets, or other causes that are important to them. Most companies have a charity they are supporting, and to make a donation or volunteer for an event they help shows them, they mean more to you.

 

Give them an audio or hardcover book.

Consider the books that have been most influential to you. Are there any that have guided the direction, values, and vision of your business? Send your customer a copy!

This gesture offers customers insight that shows you are always looking for better ways to support your clients and opens the lines of communication for future discussion.

When you give your customer or client a book, make sure to write a personalized note explaining the value it can add to their personal and professional lives. I could recommend an excellent book that would help them Inspire and Engage their teams - Three Word Meetings! This touch also lets the customer know this is a thank you meant just for them.  

 

Remember and Give to Your out-of-town clients.

If you're like many companies in today's business world, your customers are spread out all over the country. Because of this, opportunities for getting together are usually few and far between, but don't let that stop you from cultivating your long-distance business relationships.

Send them a gift card to their favorite coffee or lunch spot with a personal note saying something like: "Just wanted to say thanks for being a trusted business partner and have lunch (or a coffee) on me!"

You can also send a voicemail or video to them through messenger to their phone.

 

Refer Customers.

While all of the above ways of saying thank you are thoughtful, there may be no better way to thank your customers than by sending more business their way. Look for opportunities to refer your customers to each other. You know their business, goals, and challenges, so you have greater insight into how your clients could benefit from each other.

 

Give them some Social Love.

Yes, always take the opportunity to meet for breakfast, lunch, or happy hour. But one of the best ways you can help your client is to support them Socially.

Follow them on all their social channels, like Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, and You tube channel. Another great thing you can do to show your client your gratitude is to write a google review and recommendation. 

 

I encourage you to review the list of clients you want to thank and put a strategy and timeline to connect to them.  

 

I am grateful to you! I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday.

 

If you have time, I would be grateful if you rated this episode, shared it with someone you think could benefit, or subscribe for Free, where you listen to your favorite podcasts, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com.

 

 

Episode 127, The Proven System to creating new customers!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 127, The Proven System to finding new customers!

 

Last weekend we all turned our clocks back an hour, and many of you are listening, maybe excited about gaining another hour of sleep. ( Sign me up) Others may be saying I am not a fan of the clocks turning back because we lose an hour of sunlight at the end of the day. 

 

Well, we may not be in control of Daylight Savings Time, but we are in control of not letting our business fall back. 

 

There is a mindset to how you approach your day and your customers. It is taking control of your day and not letting others distract you from progressing. It's your approach to how you run your business. We have to pay attention to our daily activities that allow our business to move forward, grow and not fall back because we can't afford to be in that space of compliance.

 

One sure way to assure your business doesn't retract to make sure you are focused on your pipeline of clients. Each one of us will face some level of attrition. The typical percentage thrown around for years has been 20%. The percentage will vary, but it's coming. So what do you do to protect your income and success? Every day, you have to spend time looking for clients with a problem you can solve, have the resources to implement your strategy, and meet with a decision-maker who can say yes!

 

How do you build the pipeline of new customers? It becomes a part of your solution selling DNA. A University College London study reported, "It takes 66 days on average for a person to get accustomed to a new habit." It is the routines you create that keep your business from falling back.

 

Let me ask you a question.  

Is keeping your sales pipeline full become more challenging?

 

I am meeting my budget and having a great year. 

 

Maybe you are focused on closing your current business? But if you don't have any prospects, you can't close any deals.

 

Or are you so busy you can't find the time to prospect?

 

I have been selling and managing for over 35 years, and one thing I can be sure of is that your current client someday will go away! Your one phone call away from someone canceling. Yes, that cancellation has nothing to do with you and your product or services. But it does impact you and your income. So how do you take control back?

 

So I was thinking about what you can do today to assure you have a strong sales pipeline.

 

What is a sales pipeline?

It's a list of new prospects, customers, opportunities that have determined that you can confidently help solve a problem! The secret is that they just have not met you yet. But you will if you take action to meet them.

 

Why Should your Sales Pipeline Always Be Full

Because you want to control your business, having plenty of sales opportunities prevents you from relying on your current customers or the price-sensitive clients, or the clients that consume your time spend very little. A focused sales pipeline allows you to confidently set the price your product deserves, knowing that there are plenty of other opportunities you can fall back on. 

 

Always be prospecting

Spend time every day to look for new leads on LinkedIn, look for buying triggers in the news, and reach out to new prospects. Your prospecting efforts need to be consistent. Please don't fall into the trap that I am busy with my current client's needs. Or my day is slammed, and I will prospect tomorrow. You see, if you let yourself take a day off one time before you know it, you won't have new leads in your pipeline anymore.

 

Hold yourself  accountable to prospect daily—whatever it takes to make it a habit. Try blocking some time on your calendar, set your phone to remind you that it is time to control your destiny! Ask your manager to hold you accountable or challenge another salesperson to join you in building their pipeline.

 

Be More Social.

Social selling is necessary to survive and thrive in today's modern, digital sales environment. The sooner you embrace this, the faster you will meet quotas, grow your pipeline, gain introductions to decision-makers, maximize profitability.

 

Ask for referrals.

Your current customers are the best source of your next customers. They believe in your product or service, and more importantly, they believe in you. Linkedin is a platform full of introductions to you. You have to identify whom you want to meet. Spend time reviewing your top spending clients on Linkedin to see whom they know too that you see an opportunity. You then ask for an introduction or the ability to use their name when calling or emailing for a meeting.

 

Go Vertical! 

You have account categories that are having tremendous success with you. Build off that success? You own that Vertical. You invest more time becoming an expert in that category. Interview your current client and ask them for the top three challenges they are facing today. You may discover a new challenge that you can help them solve. Use those challenges as opportunities to create a dialogue with new prospects. You will build momentum and have the ability to learn something new from each call. Set up google alerts on that category, so you stay on top of all trends and news on that category.

 

You have to be intentional when building your pipeline of clients. Creating and maintaining your sales pipeline takes focused time and energy. It has to happen when your sales or soaring, not just when your sales are sliding.

 

Pipeline prospecting has to become a way of life for you.  

It is the one thing you do have control over!

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, do me a favor, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .