Many sales people, especially in industries such as insurance, bitch and moan about the difficulty of getting an appointment with people in December when the holidays are approaching.  It can be a discouraging time for those who rely on getting in front of people to make a living.

Most of us don’t want to think about insurance, investments or estate planning at Christmas time. It is perfectly understandable to want to shut out all potentially unpleasant stuff and insulate oneself with cookies, gifts and cheer. The common response to a call is,“Try me back next month”. If they are feeling particularly stressed, it may even be, “in the spring”.

Since it is unlikely you will get in their door until after the holidays, here’s my advice. Don’t fight it; go with the emotion of the season.

Call your clients anyway. Use the down time to build rapport.  We know the stats are something like %80 of your business comes from clients you already have. So, do not prospect right now. Instead, call your existing clients, all of them, and simply say Merry Christmas. (Adjust for religion as appropriate).  Do not even attempt to talk business. Don’t ask for a sit down or a check in. Just wish him or her and their spouse/partner a happy holiday season, solely and sincerely. Say Happy New Year and say goodbye.

Here’s the script people. (read more…)

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Sometimes you just have to go with your gut about what feels right despite what others may be saying.  Okay, that sounds like I’m talking about resisting peer pressure to do drugs or something. No. I’m talking about when someone tells you you don’t have to do something but you know it’s the right thing. Sometimes we don’t want to inconvenience others so we say, “no, you don’t have to, it’s alright, I’ll be fine”, etc. 

The father of a  close friend passed away last month. (read more…)

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As I tweeted yesterday, “We see and often judge others by their behavior while we know nothing about the motivation behind that behavior”.

When you go about your business without communicating with the people around you, whether it’s your boss, co-workers or family, what are some of the assumptions they might make about you? (read more…)

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No means no. Least last time I checked. It sure as hell means no when I say it. It is a very powerful word. Respect what it can do.

Say no when you have good reason to and feel strongly about the wisdom of doing so. If you decide to say no, be emphatic about it and be prepared to stand behind it. If you’re not entirely sure you can, or will, give it some more thought. Your credibility is at stake.

Once you have answered no, (read more…)

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Okay. I’m a pretty hip mom I think. Young people confide in me. Even the friends of my teenage daughter trust me with their problems. Typically, I don’t judge and I don’t tell. Besides, I should, by all rights, be dead or in jail considering the s*#t I pulled as a teenager. I really get where they ’re coming from.  That said, this surprisingly common practice of letting your teenage son or daughter’s girlfriend or boyfriend sleep over at your house  seems (read more…)

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Do you hate to clean your house? Me too. I am a champion procrastinator and can ALWAYS find more desirable ways to spend my time. I don’t have a messy house mind you as I can’t tolerate clutter but clean? Not usually.

I have heard tell of “spring cleaning” but don’t remember my mother ever engaging in such an activity when I was growing up which I now appreciate as I have no compunction to do any such thing myself. I have however, known others who take spring (or fall) cleaning so seriously they even (read more…)

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I saw a great cartoon by Mike Smith in Newsweek magazine the other day. The caption read              “AIG EXECUTIVE: THE EARLY YEARS” . The cartoon above depicted a young boy in his very messy bedroom. The floor was littered with clothes, sports equipment, books, and empty food containers. Dresser drawers were hanging open, the bed was unmade, the lamp tipped over on the table. His mom was standing there staring at her son with her arms folded. The boy says to his mom, “I cleaned my room. May I have my allowance now?”

What do you think the odds are that mom will fork over the allowance? My guess is pretty good. (read more…)

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