Simple is Our Friend

If you want to be paranoid about one thing in business, be on the lookout for complexity.

Complexity is the downfall of many great ideas, companies, and relationships. If something seems too complicated or a relationship too fuzzy or a product is difficult to use, you can count on failure.

If an employee says his job is hard to understand or her responsibilities are not clear, at best they're crying out for help, at worst, they're letting you know they're not engaged. No matter, count on that professional relationship falling short.

Why do we surround ourselves with complexity instead of simplicity? It's scary to deal with simplicity. Simplicity is clear, black and white, and it's naked--nothing is covering it up.

Complexity is out to get us. The answer is simple.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
PB&J Newsletter

Soft Skills can be So Hard

Selling skills or soft skills are the number one need today for the sales channel to thrive. The old-style sales books and cassette tape series were good way back in the days of the wood-burning computers, but they are not enough today.

Today's selling skills have to include technology. In the old days, for example, they taught you to network to grow your book of business. That meant joining associations, getting involved in non-profits, etc. All that would allow you to grow your contacts and hopefully, some of those contacts would walk into your store and buy something.

Today you still need to do that. But you also need to tackle technology. You have to network on LinkedIn and Facebook. You have to engage in Twitter and other social media because people are hanging out there, too.

That means more areas of responsibility and opportunity: You can be "old school" and focus on in-person networking and succeed. You can use technology and spend your time networking via social media. You can do both and you'll be a lethal selling weapon. But if you do none of the above, stick a fork in it, it's over.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
www.labovsaleschannel.com

Back to Basics?

My company, LaBov & Beyond Marketing, Communications and Training, is being deluged with clients that need help educating and motivating their sales channel to sell their products. So what's new?

Today's sales channel has a good knowledge of products and benefits... What they don't have is a strong grasp of selling skills, the so-called soft skills that have been downplayed for the last decade.

You might be surprised as to the blue chip corporations with world-wide brands that are losing out because their dealers and salespeople know the product but don't know how to drum up business, how to overcome objections and how to close a deal. Now, it's time to get back to basics and learn how to sell.

It's not enough to manufacture a great product at a great price. It's not enough to have a great ad campaign that brings consumers into the store. You have to be able to sell.

Who would have thought that soft skills could be so hard to master?

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
PB&J Newsletter