Your Personal Growth Opportunity in the Time of Coronavirus

As I sit here at home, and in speaking with many people during this period, it seems that the fear about protecting oneself financially, emotionally, socially, etc., is creeping into the ability to stay motivated, connected, creative and optimistic. We really don’t know when life will return to a semblance of normalcy and when we will be safe being out in the world again.

Fear can block all the good that the mind has to offer. Although there’s no perfect answer that fits everyone, one way that is helping me, as I sit home like most of you, is to view this situation as an opportunity for personal growth.

To ask oneself, “How can I move myself forward in the stillness of this time?” Is really a profound question that can yield some really surprising answers. It might be the time to explore the business idea you have for the company you really want to launch. It might be getting closer to your loved ones. It might be to finally begin writing that book you’ve been pondering for years. It might be changing your eating habits or having the difficult conversations with your partner to remove barriers to your relationship. It might be overcoming fear of technology. It might be the opportunity to look at the fear of stillness itself (as so many of us can’t keep still).

I firmly believe that there’s something good in all of us to emerge; an awareness, an awakening, an initiative — and that is in our control, when so much isn’t. Resilience comes from the acknowledgment that we have an opportunity before us. What does that look like? Self-reflection is a powerful way to move forward in the face of forced stillness. Once we are beyond this time, our insights and mindset shifts, ideas and changes will have transformed us permanently, and will lead us down new paths that might not have otherwise emerged without the benefits of this opportunity.

I recommend a personal growth “to do” list. Here’s an example:

1. What things have I been meaning to do because I’ve been too busy?
2. What have I been avoiding that I know would only yield good if I focused on healing it?
3. Who have I meant to reach out to?
4. With whom do I have old issues that we need to resolve?
5. What does this time mean to me – how can I move myself forward?
6. Why must I always be running around? Why can’t I sit still?
7. What innovation in my industry (or another industry) do I wish to explore?
8. What have I always wanted to write about? To learn?

The brain doesn’t like a void and is always searching for a problem to solve. So to both nurture the brain’s need, give it something hearty and positive to chew on. And, if you can, see this time as an opportunity to discover what is accessible in you, yet to be known by you.

Moving forward,

Jackie

Copyright, PointMaker Communications, Inc., 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jackie Kellso and PointMaker Communications, Inc., with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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The Worst, Most Offensive Way to Sell Your Services on LinkedIn

For those of you who were saw Alec Baldwin’s performance on “Glengarry Glen Ross,” you were mortified by his threats associated with the edict, “Always Be Closing.” But ABC as a sales mentality really means there are mini-closures in the steps it takes towards the final close of a deal, and that usually includes relationship building, discovering client goals, presenting solutions, proving value, overcoming objections, and finally negotiating mutually rewarding outcomes.

Unlike these steps, I’ve discovered that many sellers who use LinkedIn forget the genuine relationship-building steps and jump into how fast they can move to close a deal. Here are some examples:

Sender: “You spend a lot of time and money during your hiring process, and you know the wrong hire can really set you back. With XXX, you’ll be able to quickly identify the perfect candidate for any job you’re looking to fill.”

My thoughts: I’m not hiring, but thanks for the mass sponsored message!

Sender: “I’d love to connect with you! I’ve shown people how to pick up another $5,000 in monthly revenue in just four weeks using our methodology to harness the power of Linked IN.”

My thoughts: I don’t know you; you have no credibility with me, and no, I won’t accept your invitation. Oh and by the way, where did you learn that this was the way to sell your services using social media?

How many of you readers are receiving these types of invites and messages? Probably a lot of you. And I sincerely hope the people who are using LinkedIn in similar ways are reading this too!

Just because this is a social media and rather impersonal platform, does not mean we forego the principles of humanizing our communications; working to learn about an individual’s needs (by showing interest and asking questions). We want to discover what prospects care about and value.

Sellers have to first ensure there’s a potential match for their offerings before diving into a pitch.

When I was a young sales person at New York Magazine, my boss advised me that, “You will always get the sale as long as what you have to offer meets the goals of your prospect. It may take time to build that relationship, but in the long-term you will get the order.” I always found this to be true throughout my 23 year tenure in media sales.

Assessing prospects doesn’t come out of reading a profile – it’s looking to create a bridge through common ground. You can’t build rapport or credibility if all you’re going to do is try to sell your services and provide some facts to back up your pitch.

Try these approaches instead:

-Whom do you know in common?

-Who in your network will champion you and introduce you to prospects?

-What have you studied about your prospects that demonstrate you really care about their expertise, accomplishments, industry, opportunity, etc…?

The win-win is when you’re invited by your prospect to want to hear more from you. This comes when sellers present themselves as service-oriented, resourceful, caring people, who don’t see social media as an efficient means to achieve KPIs, quotas and bonuses.

Lastly, I’d like to highlight another form of Linked In connecting that doesn’t bode well for building a reputation or credibility – it’s those who initiate connections because of commonality, then don’t follow through.

Sender: “Hi Jackie, I came across your profile and see we have a number of common connections. I would like to join your professional network.”

My thoughts: Yes, accept the invitation. I then received an immediate response —

Sender: “I just wanted to drop you a quick note and say thanks for connecting with me here on Linkedin, and I’m looking forward to keeping in touch and getting to know you better.”

My thoughts: Okay, stay open, see what happens! However, I never heard back from him after that! Perhaps he wanted access to my network but didn’t seek a real connection. Or, maybe he was waiting for me to work on building the connection! I deleted him from my network.

We have to be so choosy about whom we invite into our networks. We have to protect ourselves, and the people who trust us to be a part of their networks — no one likes an overload of invitations from sellers that come across their names from your contacts.

Bottom line is, if you want to successfully generate leads using LinkedIn, then make it your business to learn the old-fashioned art of building real relationships. This way, you gain the status of earning the right to be a consultant and become an invited resource to your clients. That’s how salespeople build great reputations and achieve long-term success, both online and offline.

Happy Connecting,

Jackie

Copyright, PointMaker Communications, Inc., 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jackie Kellso and PointMaker Communications, Inc., with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Experiencing Change? Say Yes to Reality.

When you argue with reality you lose — but only 100% of the time. — Byron Katie

I’ve had talks with CEOs of companies as of late, who are very concerned with the reactions and resistance people are having to the concept of change. With downsizing and realignment, new management, less resources — there is a rise in resistance and a drop in morale.

I’m not suggesting the problem isn’t real — corporate changes are complex and difficult. But, the true problem is that for anyone not opting for the new reality, it brings about feelings of uncertainty. Lack of security. Fear.

Fear shuts down the view that change could lead to opportunity and growth. The brain is wired to react to fear in ways that protect us from perceived threat. It calls upon its usual defenses so we can stew in how bad and wrong and unfair life is. The payoff of the fear is that we get to judge others decisions and decide they are wrong. But at the end of the day, who suffers the most? You do. Arguing with reality is futile.

When we fight organizational change we limit our own freedoms because we aren’t using our executive thinking powers to be creative and resourceful. When we accept and surrender to what is, we have limitless potential to make decisions about how we’re going to respond and what our plan will be through the change.

I know this experience only too well. I remember being let go from a long standing job with absolutely no discussion, no explanation, nothing I would have deemed as being respectful to me. I kept rolling the thoughts around my head: How evil!! How could they treat me this way!! How dare they!!!! Well, after stewing in my anger for a time, and feeling rejected, I saw that my thoughts were blocking me from making the reality work in my favor. The void left me a wide open door for change and opportunity that I could create. I could learn something new. I could make new connections. I could live perfectly well without this job even if it took awhile to get back the income. No company could take away the good that was coming my way as long as I kept my eye on what I could control.

I remember once hearing Reverend Jesse Jackson on Larry King Live say, “Death is the only certainty in life.” So, given that truth, it’s beneficial to give up the illusion of security that things will remain as they are.

If you are facing uncomfortable change in your organization, here’s what you can do:

1. Acknowledge your discomfort, your grievance, your views.
2. Then, decide to go with the flow and stop insisting that the change is wrong.
3. Ask yourself some questions about the new reality: What’s best for me? Should I stay or should I go? Can I learn from this? How will this change benefit me as a person? How do I detach from taking this as a personal threat, and surrender into acceptance? What paths are now open for me to pursue?

As I understand it, there exists a symbol in Chinese that means both “crisis and opportunity.” It’s all in how you perceive it. Reality = opportunity. Go for it.

Realistically speaking,

Jackie

Copyright, PointMaker Communications, Inc., 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jackie Kellso and PointMaker Communications, Inc., with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.