by Art Waskey | Jan 22, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
The challenge
Life offers us ideas and opportunities in random ways which makes the ability to follow our passions challenging. Acting on them, however, is key to success and happiness. Here is the tale of three brothers who all set out in one direction, but followed their passions and ended up in new and rewarding locations.
The farmer
My youngest brother chose to follow his two older brothers and earn a degree in engineering. He enjoyed a successful career in that field but along the way he discovered other passions. While in his mid-forties, his company transferred him to Virginia where he found he could afford to buy acreage east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There he built a large country house and started raising livestock, chickens, ducks, and other feedstock. Now in his early 70s, he and his wife, a retiring schoolteacher, have a successful farmstead. He even operates his own small slaughterhouse. Today, my brother and his wife feel they are finally focusing on their true passion — growing their farmstead business and teaching agricultural skills to others.
The communicator
I am the middle brother, and I followed my older brother into engineering. Early in my career, I discovered my talents went beyond math and engineering and centered on communicating. I was a natural salesman. I frequently attended programs where others were speaking. Interestingly, I often felt I should be the one speaking. In my 40s, I acted on that instinct, joined Toastmasters International, and earned a Distinguished Toastmaster Certification. In my 60s I earned a Master of Ministry degree in Evangelical Christianity. Today, I am a writer, public speaker, consultant, and pastor. When you act on your passions they bring you peace, enjoyment, and success.
The foodie
My older brother, the one who led us into engineering, enjoyed a lucrative career in that field. In his 50s, however, he gave it up to pursue his passion. He purchased a delicatessen and became an accomplished chef.
Act on your passions Life is short but the journey is long. Pay attention to what brings you joy along the way. Set achievement goals and act on your passions to find true success.
by Art Waskey | Jan 14, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
When you can follow your passions, success is never far behind. Yet acting on your passions is often a bit of a balancing act as life offers us ideas and opportunities in random ways.
Five considerations
Here are five things to consider when acting on your passions.
- Observe what stimulates you – As part of my job, I frequently attended programs where others spoke. Interestingly, I often experienced an anxious rush at these events and felt I should be the one speaking. Eventually, I acted on that instinct. I joined Toastmasters International and earned a Distinguished Toastmasters Certification. Pay attention to what stimulates you.
- Seek feedback and insight from others – Acting on your passions often generates compliments from associates and friends. Pay attention to what others appreciate about you and build on it.
- Consider where you spend your time – When you are not at work, pay attention to the activities that pique your interest. Consider what stimulates you when you are away from your 9 to 5 career.
- Take risks – I am working with a young client who is successful in sales but found greater satisfaction when he was working in a hands-on position. He thought his career progression into sales would bring him greater fulfillment. It did not. Today he is exploring another position in the company where he can use his natural skill set in technical support.
- Set goals and strive for them – As I progressed through a 50-plus-year career in sales management, I learned to recognize different outlets that were attractive to me. Acting on each of these required setting achievement goals. In addition to my Toastmasters certification, I also earned a Master of Ministry degree in Evangelical Christianity. Today, I am a writer, public speaker, consultant, and pastor. When you act on your passions they bring you peace, enjoyment, and success.
Act on your passions
Life is short and time is valuable. Now is always the right time to think about what brings you joy. Set goals, act on your passions, and find success.
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by Art Waskey | Dec 9, 2024 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Personalization
Personalization is important to successful sales and customer service. Today, technology is rapidly transforming how personalization can enhance and cultivate customer relationships.
Altering how we deliver service.
Medicine is a case in point. The last time I needed urgent care was 8 years ago when I slid on ice while shoveling snow. I called my doctor’s office, spoke to the receptionist, and got an appointment right away with a doctor. An X-ray revealed no broken bones, just a sprain. Then, I was sent home with a prescription to heal.
Recently, I discovered that accessing healthcare now involves significantly more technology. When I called my doctor’s office to schedule an urgent care appointment, they told me to log into my medical portal and describe my symptoms. That same day, I received an appointment with a Physician Assistant (PA). Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI), she diagnosed my issue as bronchitis. My experience illustrates the numerous ways in which technology is actively transforming healthcare delivery.
The move toward more technology
This move toward more technology in all business sectors was confirmed in an article I recently read entitled, “The AI Search Revolution: Perplexity AI vs Google Gemini vs ChatGPT”, It explained: “AI search is evolving rapidly with Google, ChatGPT and Perplexity leading the way, offering more personalized and human-like interactions. Moreover, Google actively incorporates shopping ads into its AI Overviews, while Perplexity plans to sponsor related questions. Marketers advise their brands’ to increase social and digital activity to leverage AI’s content density preference.”
Understanding the value drivers
In today’s sales landscape, building meaningful customer relationships starts with understanding what truly drives value for decision-makers. Sales reps must speak their customers’ language to identify and align with those priorities effectively. Just as digital tools have transformed industries like healthcare, they are also reshaping how salespeople approach value selling. These tools provide deeper insights into customer needs and preferences, enabling reps to view value from the customer’s perspective.
Enterprise Selling, in particular, leverages technology to enhance this understanding. Also, by providing data-driven insights, these tools help salespeople sharpen both their tactical and collaborative negotiation skills, ultimately driving higher profits and greater productivity. Nevertheless, as technology continues to advance, the key to successful selling will lie in combining these digital insights with genuine, customer-focused strategies.
Use technology to personalize
In conclusion, does your organization use technology to personalize your customer relationships? Specific skills are needed to stay competitive in today’s omnichannel approach to sales, marketing, and client support. Your customers are looking for a seamless and unified brand experience. Lastly, be sure your employees know how to use technology to personalize and build successful customer relationships.
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by Art Waskey | Nov 13, 2024 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Reducing dead inventory is essential for distribution companies to stay competitive. As a senior executive, I once faced a period when our obsolete stock hit 5% of annual sales. To tackle this, I initiated weekly meetings with outside sales reps to review slow-moving items. Moreover, our solution at the time—around 10 years ago—was simple but effective: we loaded overstock onto salespeople’s trucks and encouraged them to offer discounts. The results were impressive. Sales reps were motivated by incentives and bragging rights, and our motto became, “Don’t come back until the truck is empty.” Today, however, technology has changed the game.
Modern Inventory Management Tools
Today’s digital ecosystem links customers, distributors, and manufacturers, offering advanced systems that automatically adjust stock levels based on real-time demand. With the help of AI-powered tools, companies can analyze data, optimize inventory, and achieve efficiencies like never before. Here are some essential tools for effective inventory management:
- Predictive Forecasting: Advanced ERP, eCommerce, and CRM systems now offer predictive forecasting that minimizes excess inventory. This technology optimizes stock levels and improves customer service by ensuring quicker response times.
- Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI): VMI systems, placed directly at the end-user’s facility, allow distributors and manufacturers to maintain optimal stock levels while lowering distribution costs and increasing order size.
- Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS): AS/RS optimizes inventory control within distribution centers, managing storage, preparation, and dispatch. By reducing order errors, AS/RS can greatly improve customer satisfaction and retention.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is transforming all of these systems, increasing margins and reducing labor costs through automation along the supply chain.
Take Action Now
Now is the perfect time to start adopting inventory management tools if you haven’t already. Competitors are already utilizing these methods, and implementation has become affordable, even for smaller businesses. Additionally, make dead inventory a thing of the past by investing in modern inventory management today.
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by Art Waskey | Nov 1, 2024 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Look to your managers
Managers are the link to employee retention. The management consulting firm Gallup specializes in the science of employee engagement. Also, their surveys have found that people don’t leave companies, they leave managers.
If you have a turnover problem, look first to your managers. In their book “First, Break All the Rules,” authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman pose questions that help managers understand what their reports consider when evaluating how long they will stay working for their current employer.
Timing is important
I am currently working with a manager who is struggling to get a promotion for one of his sales reps. The rep has repeatedly asked for the opportunity to advance. Moreover, we looked at his record and determined he had the talent and skills required for a higher position. This analysis made his eligibility apparent, but we wanted to make sure the time was right to give him the opportunity.
Ask the right questions
I asked the manager to put himself in the rep’s position. Did he know what was expected of him and did he have the tools to accomplish what was asked of him? Was the rep’s work recognized and praised? Did he feel cared for by the team and what incentives did he have to stay? After reviewing his answers, the manager realized that if he wanted to ensure the rep stayed, it was time to offer him an advanced position.
Be ready to make changes
Lastly, make sure your company’s managers are in tune with their charges. They need to ask the right questions and be ready to make the changes necessary to retain employees.
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