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“I don’t get it…we had a rip-roaring time right before Memorial Day, but the buyer’s been a ghost since then.”

Yeah…it happens.

Sometimes, you catch one at the right time, share a few yucks, and you put it in the “connected” column. Other times, pffft… evaporation.

Here are a few relationship-building truths:
1. Nobody owes you anything in exchange for a few drinks or a game.

2. Having the same dog breed as a KDM buys you something, but not a lot.

3. Always bring the value…even when you’re in social selling mode. “Connecting” plus “value” is hard to beat.

Honor yourself first during this time of the year.

Don’t let stress dictate the terms. You can control the stress with a bit of extra thought and planning.

Every seller on the planet is exhausted this time of the year…you’re no different. You left it out on the field (as “they” say).

So factor in Me Time and slow it down.

On this day in 1975, the movie Jaws was released in movie theaters. (Cue the haunting music.) For many, Jaws is still in their minds when they dip into the open waters.

Forget the beach a sec…you ready for some numbers?
1. The original movie won 3 Oscars.

2. It took $7 million to make and grossed $478 million (nice!).

3. 695,539 IMDB folks give it an 8.1 rating out of 10 (super solid).

So why is that big, bad, fictional shark important to you, you revenue beast?

Not sure! …it’s Friday in the summer. You deserve a mini break from the skills and habit reminders.

Do you think ALL of the companies that received money from your clients in Q2 nailed it?

Of course not.

Many of them botched something or another with your target accounts. In fact, right this second, one of your buyers is ticked off at one of their vendors…YOUR competitor.

It’d be a shame if you didn’t try to capitalize on that opportunity.

Whether you do formal QBRs with your key clients or not, use the end of Q2 to survey them and uncover the truth about who is performing strongly and who has mud all over their faces.

Can you turn a “no” into a “yes”?

Can you dig through a brick wall with a plastic spoon and find an order?

Can you move a buyer’s mind just enough through collaboration on a work-around?

No seller on the planet has mastered objection handling (OH), but the good news is you don’t have to master it. You merely have to understand and use a few basic techniques that shrink the buyer’s objection.

You look forward to your weekly sales meeting because you’re happy to see your peers and learn about anything that might help you sell better. Heck, you might even get inspired along the way.

…and then, the meeting starts, and so does the daydreaming. Pffft….all good intentions are out the window.

The good news is you have successfully diagnosed the problem: you just don’t care to listen to other sellers engage with your manager about their deals.

YAY, it’s account review season!

If you’re preparing for your upcoming Q2 review with your manager, ensure you’re tight on each account’s Objections and Obstacles. (Moving forward toward Q3 greatness will be harder without that knowledge.)

And if the review has already taken place and you’re executing against your plan, forge your strategic path based on known O&Os.

Keeping the Two Os top of mind as you work your accounts means you’ll qualify business and find buyers more efficiently than sellers who don’t embrace deal-breaker issues.

The week is over. Forget it. Let it go.

There’s nothing you can do to change that bastard buyer who jerked your chain or that dork in your XYZ department who messed up a renewal proposal for a client.

Weekends are about breathing, and being happy for being able to do just that.

As Mom Terry says in today’s quote, just be happy.

You’re cruising along in a big pitch meeting when your manager hijacks the meeting and starts rambling down No Value Highway.

Yikes. What do you do?

Try this: Seize an opening and say, “Thanks for that…you bring up some good points; do we want to stay on that track or get back to #2 on our agenda?” (Thank goodness you use agendas in pitch meetings!)

Managers add tremendous value, but sometimes they, too, get overexcited in meetings. That’s ok, they’re human.

There’s not much you can do about what happened in the past, but you can control the future.

How’s Q3 looking? …for both your revenue quota and your skills goals?

As you prepare for another 90-day combat term, remember the classic sales mantra: manage your performance, not your results.

“Results” is represented by your quota goal. Your performance relates to your activity goals…and that’s where you focus on your skills.

By now your manager has dropped your Q3 revenue quota on your head, but today and this week should be spent solidifying your Q3 skills goals.