Brainstorming: You’re Doing It Wrong [Video]

Source

43 Questions to Create a Sense of Urgency

 Create a Sense of Urgency in Sales

If you don’t want your deals to stall -- or end up in nothing -- make sure to establish urgency. Urgency gives your prospects a reason to move forward and overcome inertia. Help them understand why every day, week, or month without your product hurts their business so they’re compelled to act as soon as possible.

Your product could be a great fit for your prospect. It's within their budget, you've offered them the perfect discount -- it should be a slam dunk. But unless they feel a sense of urgency, your prospect won't buy.

So, you should create some. Right?

Wrong. Sales strategist David Weinhaus, who works with HubSpot partner agencies, has a strong view on “creating” urgency.

Instead of manufacturing a cause to act -- which isn’t helpful to your prospect and will ultimately backfire -- either uncover an existing reason they’re not aware of or back off.

Ask the right questions -- like the ones below -- and get your prospect to realize they’re unhappy or dissatisfied. And if your questions don’t lead them to those conclusions, accept they’re still in education mode and let your marketing department nurture them until the time is right.

How to Create Urgency in Sales

Ask about their business

1) "How big is the company today in terms of annual revenue, approximate customer number, and employee headcount?"

This question helps you qualify them and start a discussion about how big they’d like to be in the future (and what’s currently standing in the way).

2) "Is the business struggling, in a steady state, or in growth mode? Is [company] growing faster than the industry average?"

Remind the buyer of their overarching business goals. This is a good tie-in to how your product would play into their strategy.

3) "Many of the people in your role I talk to don’t know [ a surprising fact]. Did you?"

I like the Challenger Sale method of teaching your prospect something new -- not only will your credibility and authority go up, but you’ll naturally uncover urgency. The buyer will want to act on this information ASAP.

Ask about their pain points

4) "What is the problem you’re looking to solve?"

The buyer might be focused on a different pain point than you. Use this question to figure out if they’re on the right track. Sometimes, prospects try to address the symptoms rather than the cause by mistake.

5) "Why is now the right time to solve it?"

Asking why now is the right to solve this issue gives you an early glimpse into how much urgency your prospect already has. If it's not yet an urgent problem, you might lead them to realizing it is.

6) "Who or what is this problem affecting most?"

It might be their boss, themselves, or the company, but asking this question allows them to consider the human or business costs of not addressing this issue quickly. 

7) "Is the problem clearly defined?"

Learn how much time they’ve spent investigating the issue. Hint: The more clearly they’ve isolated it, the more invested they probably are in fixing it.

8) "Have you had this problem before?"

Figure out just how persistent your prospect’s pain point is.

9) "Is the problem easy or hard to address?"

Chances are, the prospect will say it’s the latter. If it was easy to solve, they would have tackled it by now.

10) "How does this problem affect the revenue, profitability, culture, or product cycle of the business?"

This question highlights the larger implications of what’s going wrong.

11) "Does this problem affect a lot of people?"

Get your prospect thinking about how widespread the effects are.

12) "Are you tasked with solving this problem as part of your regular job, or is this a special assignment?"

If your prospect says, “It’s part of my job,” then make sure you tie their overall performance to fixing this issue. If they say, “It’s a special assignment,” then there’s already genuine urgency: They need to identify an answer before a certain date.

Ask about the consequences of not buying

13) "What happens if you address the problem? What happens if you don’t?"

This naturally leads the buyer to compare life with your product and life without. The second is usually much less appealing.

14) "When do you need to start seeing the results of implementing the solution?"

The prospect would probably love to see results right away. Their answer will help them realize why time is of the essence.

15) "What is the one thing that, if we could help solve it quickly, would have the most meaningful impact on the company?"

Once you’ve pinpointed a major opportunity to help, urgency will spring up naturally.

16) "How would solving this problem affect you personally?"

Knowing the buyer’s individual motivators can make or break the deal.

17) "How does this affect your boss?"

When the prospect’s boss is happy, they’re happy. Connect the dots between your solution and their supervisor.

18) "What happens if you keep doing what you are doing?"

It’s far easier to stick with the status quo than make a change, even if the long-term ramifications could sink the prospect’s business. With this question, you’ll get them to come to terms with the dangers of ignoring the issue.

Ask about how the problem affects them 

19) "How can we make you look like a star?"

This question turns you into the prospect’s partner, instead of just their rep. It also helps you pinpoint how your product can help them look great at the office.

20) "What do you need to do/what objectives must you reach to get a promotion?"

Along similar lines as #17, this question reveals why the buyer is personally invested in finding a solution.

21) "How does this problem affect you on a day-to-day basis?"

Most professionals put up with annoying or deleterious pain points. As soon as you show the prospect there’s a better, easier way, they’ll be more eager to buy.

22) "How does this problem affect [department]?"

Get them to zoom out and visualize the impact on the wider team.

23) "If you weren’t experiencing this pain anymore, which projects/priorities could you focus on?"

This question makes the buyer envision a world where they have time, energy, and resources for the tasks or initiatives they’re interested in.

24) "What’s the most frustrating aspect of this problem?"

Once you learn what’s driving your prospect up the wall, you can position your product accordingly.

25) "What [projects, campaigns, initiatives] are you currently working on? How does [challenge] impact your plans?"

This is another way of learning how the pain point is interfering with or obstructing their day-to-day work.

26) "What problems come up most frequently at executive meetings?"

If the CEO cares about an issue, your prospect will too.

27) "Which problems keep you at the office late?"

Figure out which issues the buyer doesn’t have an easy answer to.

28) "Which themes are coming up again and again on [Slack, Hipchat, your knowledge base/wiki]?"

While not every company uses internal knowledge base or a wiki, asking those who do about the most common themes can help you pinpoint the most exciting, visible, or challenging things they’re facing.

Ask about the competition

29) "Is your industry getting more competitive?"

Most industries are. Capitalize on your prospect’s awareness that they need to act to maintain their edge -- or gain one in the first place.

30) "Are you worried about [specific competitor]?"

Figure out who’s nipping at your prospect’s heels, then show them how your solution will widen the gap in their favor.

31) "Do you ever get the sense that [people in prospect’s department] are wasting [time, effort, leads, budget]?"

Mitigating (or even eliminating) the inefficiencies in the buyer’s department would be a huge win. Open their eyes to the possibility of a fix.

32) "Have you ever lost a major customer unexpectedly?"

Whether the answer is yes or no, this question works. If your prospect has, they’ll be eager to take precautions so it doesn’t happen again. If your prospect hasn’t, the wheels will start turning: Wow, it would be really bad if 20% of our business vanished in one stroke.

33) "How [did, would] losing that customer affect the business?"

Get the buyer to vocalize the negative effects, which will drive their desire to avoid the catastrophe even higher.

34) "How do you avoid getting caught in a pricing war?"

Chances are, your prospect would love to find a differentiator that would save them from race-to-the-bottom pricing. You just need to explain why your product is that differentiator.

35) "Are your customers asking for [feature/service] you don't have?"

If their customers are asking for something your prospect's business can't currently offer, that's asking for a competitor to fill a gap. If you can get your prospect thinking about what they don't have and how you can help them get it -- that's a good way to inspire urgency.

Ask about next steps

36) "Would you be interested in talking to [Customer], who saw a [X%] return on our [solution, service]?"

Hearing from someone who got fantastic results will spur your prospect to the finish line.

37) "Maybe it would be helpful for you to talk to someone who’s [made this journey recently, faced X similar challenge, resolved the same issue]. What do you think?"

If it’s too early in the sales process for references, suggest a knowledge-sharing conversation instead. You’re still connecting the buyer with a satisfied customer -- but their shared experiences are the focus, not your product.

The nice thing about this technique? Not only is it helpful for the prospect and your customer, but at some point during the conversation they’re bound to bring up your solution.

38) "If we supply all the information you need in the next 24 hours, will you have time to review it and get started by [date in the near future]?"

Test your prospect’s commitment to act with this question. If they say they’re not ready, don’t be pushy -- instead, ask what else they’d need to make a decision.

39) "If I send over the contract when we hang up, can you return it to me in [six days from the current date]?"

Sales consultant Jeff Hoffman encourages reps to close this way. Normally, the buyer says they’ll need more time -- at which point you say, “Okay, can you do [preliminary step] by that date?” They’ll say yes, and now you’ve gotten a concrete agreement to make progress on the deal within the week. Boom.

(Adjust the date based on your sales cycle. If it usually lasts two weeks, ask if they can sign the proposal that day. If it lasts 10 to 12 months, ask if they can sign the proposal in three weeks.)

40) "Define your timeline for solving the problem and getting the right results."

Make sure your prospect’s expectations align with reality. You may need to accelerate the sales process to meet their timeline.

41) "When must this problem be solved to avoid negative impact on the business?"

Get a firm deadline for the purchase. Explain to the prospect you should shoot for a few weeks or months before this deadline to protect against delays.

42) "Is there seasonality in your business? Do you have a busy or slow season? Do you need to address this problem before the busy or slow season hits?"

For prospects affected by seasonality (like education, tourism, and entertainment), it can be critical to get a solution in place while business is relatively quieter.

43) "If we can work out a solution sooner, how does that help you?"

Fixing a problem earlier rather than later is almost always a good thing. The best part about this question is that the buyer puts those benefits in their own words.

Source

Starting With A Side Hustle Is The Best Way To Build A Business You Love

Can you really have it all?

Is it possible to do what you love while providing for your family? Can you steadily grow into the career of your dreams without compromising your standard of living?

Most people think you have to quit your full-time job to make that happen. The road most travelled is one of hardship, sacrifice, and surrendering to an unknown future. It’s leaving the security of a consistent paycheck to free up your time and energy for a fledgeling business. It’s feeling stuck in a job that won’t cater to your growing interests. It’s burning out on the creative endeavors you once couldn’t wait to sit down to.

But that doesn’t have to be the case. People like Dave Stuart, a high school teacher who moonlights as a writer and speaker, have mastered a way to follow their dreams by hanging on to their day jobs while creating the space to build a business they love on the side.

“I don't really think of myself as an entrepreneur today. I think of myself as a writer. I guess maybe I do I think of myself as an entrepreneur. I just think of myself as a teacher who gets this awesome opportunity to also be a writer and a speaker and all the while live a pretty normal life. That's really how I think about myself.”– DAVE STUART

People like Dave know that you don’t have to burn all of your bridges, put your family at risk, and bet it all on a business idea. In fact, build a side gig might be the best way to have it all as an entrepreneur.

It’s all in the side gig.

It’s not always possible nor is it necessarily a good idea to drop one thing and move on to the next. When you have more than one interest or you’re constantly trying to broaden your horizons, you still need a safety net. Keeping your day job and adding a side gig is a way to finance your pursuits and your life while still running after those big dreams that have been circling your brain.

In Dave’s case, he spends his days teaching history and English to high school students. But when he's not teaching his students or spending time with his family, Dave is working on his side gig– helping other teachers reach their full potential.

There's a lot of people out there trying to equip teachers. There's not enough giving robust, rigorous encouragement. Like, “Here's why you should keep doing what you're doing. Here's why this is actually a really great job. Here's why this is a job where we can experience autonomy, and mastery, and purpose despite whatever policy measures are currently, you know, beating down on us.” That, I think, is really my spot.– DAVE STUART

Through speaking engagements, his blog, and online courses, Dave is able to teach and encourage other teachers in the skills they need to help their students flourish and find success in their studies. The best part? Dave’s side gig has grown to the point that it produces two times as much income for his family as his teaching job.

Dave is just one example of the many entrepreneurs who choose to take an alternative path to growing their income and creating a better life. In the process he’s been able to raise his family’s standard of living while keeping a job that he loves as a teacher and turning his passion for the teaching profession into a profitable business on the side.

Have you thought about starting a side gig?

There are many reasons to build your own business on top of keeping your full-time job. Whether you’re building your skillset, adding new revenue streams to your income, networking, inspiring others, or just getting your passion projects out in the public, your side gig is the way to have the best of both worlds.

Job stability is not what it used to be.

Remember those days of yore when a person stayed in the same career for 30 to 40 years? No? Me neither. But apparently, that’s how it used to be.

You’d graduated from college, land a job, work your way up the company ladder and eventually retire from the corner office after a lifetime of singularly dedicated work. That dedicated loyalty to your company was equally matched by your company’s loyalty to you.

But that reality is no more. Layoffs happen nearly every day somewhere across the economy and new college grads will have at least 10 job changes over the course of their long careers.

I think you’d be hard pressed to find many people with life-long job stability these days. The economy is constantly changing, technology is driving us toward more and more automation, and our personal preference of what makes a “good” job is nothing like what it was 50 years ago.

And when you find yourself on the wrong side of those changes and shifts, a side gig gives you something to fall back on. Here’s Dave again on being motivated to start his business as a side gig and how he hoped that would change his family’s financial security:

“Before the business started I'd been teaching for five years. We had been through some pretty tight financial times not very long prior. When we moved to Michigan, I was a long-term substitute. So, making like $75 a day. We were on some government assistance. It was incredibly tight. Tighter than it had ever been for Crystal and I.

And that was only a year and a half or so before I started the business. About the time I started the business I was earning a salary. I was a full-time teacher, but every penny was incredibly important to keep track of. We were very thankful that there hadn't been any emergencies because there was no emergency fund. So part of the motivation to start the business was to try to create something different in terms of just provision for my family.”– DAVE STUART

Having that extra income from your side hustle can provide you with the safety net you need when hard times hit. Instead of rushing into a new job that might decrease your quality of life just for a paycheck, you can have a little breathing room to find your next full-time job that is the right fit for you.

Side gigs have the potential to lead to a career change.

A side gig can be a stepping stone for a career change in many ways. Not only can you make connections and network with potential new clients and partners, a side gig also presents the opportunity to learn and improve on skills you need to advance your career.

There aren’t many careers out there that require zero experience. Any interviewer you meet will ask you what qualifying skills you have for the job. If you’re wanting to move into a new career, you need to be building those necessary skills to get that job today.

If you don’t have the opportunity to grow in those skills at your current job, you can find a side gig that caters to what you’re wanting to learn. Seeking a part-time, flexible job is the best way to get an inside look at the new career you’re interested in. You can find out if you really want to continue spending your free time developing those skills or you might even learn that you’re actually looking for something different.

And if you’re looking to be your own boss, starting small with a side gig is the perfect way to prep yourself for success. You can learn all the big lessons of running a business while you still have that safety net of your salaried job. It’s that sense of security and “can’t lose” attitude that gives many entrepreneurs the courage and perseverance to make it over the hump to a great side income that can cover their entire monthly budget at home.

Whether you’re looking to up your skills to advance your full-time job or to transition into running your own company, the skills you develop in your side gig will be both a great learning experience and beneficial for your future.

That means no more getting passed over for the promotion or waiting for opportunities to fall into your lap. A side gig puts you in the driver’s seat to take the initiative and get the training and experience you need to grow in your career.

Do what you love as your side gig.

Does your day job leave you unfulfilled? Or maybe it’s not completely unfulfilling, but you know there’s still something missing because you’re not working on projects that really matter to you. But you’re also worried that if you make what you love your full-time job, you’ll stop loving it as much as you do now.

There’s a creative itch that needs to be scratched, but what’s a blogger to do?

Having a side gig is the way to have the best of both worlds.

While you’re earning your living at your day job, you can still live out whatever your real passion is on the side. No need to compromise your earning ability, quality of life, or love of the hustle.

And when you have the freedom to decide whether or not to keep your hustle on the side, you can take a step back and make thoughtful decisions about your future. Your decisions don’t have to come from insufficiency and necessity anymore. You can really find out what you want for your life.

I can't really conceive of life that comes from not being in this classroom every day and having the mundane. That one kid stopping by at the same time every day saying the same thing. The funny jokes that the kids say and the not funny jokes that kids say. The camaraderie of being amongst teachers and doing the less glamorous parts of the job. All of those are really a big part of me. And if I would have to leave the classroom, I think, no matter how much money I could make, I would just be poor. I would be much poorer.– DAVE STUART

For Dave, teaching actually breathes life and meaning into his side gig as a writer and speaker. At the same time, his writing and speaking make him a better teacher because there’s not so much pressure on his family. It’s a beautiful marriage between the mundane day-to-day of being part of the education system and the thrill of being on stage teaching what he knows. There really couldn’t be one without the other for Dave.

That’s the value of a side gig. It can give you everything your day job doesn’t while your day job gives you everything you might risk if you simply mailed it in to go full-time on a business idea.

Are you ready to start your side gig?

There's a certain beauty in starting small with a side gig. There's less risk, still the potential for big rewards, and you have the ability to adapt as your goals and circumstances change. You can validate (or invalidate) your ideas, build a client roster, hone your skills, or save up so you can eventually quit your day job if that’s what you want.

As long as a side gig enables you to chase your dreams and find a fulfilling lifestyle, you can’t go wrong.

Have you thought about starting a side gig or do you already have one running? Let’s talk about it in the comments. I’d love to hear what you have going on or how we can help you get your business up and running.

Source

5 Life-Changing Decisions Successful Entrepreneurs Make Early On

 Becoming a successful entrepreneur is first and foremost a mental battle.

Countless factors go into determining how successful you'll be in the world of business. 

Having an unwavering determination, strong willingness to sacrifice, a high level of commitment, and of course the quality of your business ideas. All of these are going to have a very real effect on if (and how) you'll achieve greatness as an entrepreneur.

For instance, Tim Ferriss shared with me over on CreativeLive, that even something as seemingly insignificant as choosing the right friends has made a huge impact on his trajectory as an entrepreneur, investor, and bestselling author.

However, all of these aspects pale in comparison to the most basic requirement that so many would-be entrepreneurs fail to excel at: having the right mindset.

From my interviews with accomplished entrepreneurs and through my own personal experience, here are the 5 most influential mindset changes that successful entrepreneurs make early on.

1. Every Failure is an Opportunity. 

Setbacks are inevitable along your journey to the top. You need to decide very early on that any failures you encounter, no matter how large or painful, won't be crippling to your mental fortitude - they're merely learning opportunities. Nearly all successful entrepreneurs have had tremendous failures. It's their determination to learn from those experiences and continue progressing in their fields, that truly set them apart.

2. Complaining Gets You Nowhere.

When you do (you will) experience difficulties, hardships, and failures, you need to make a very conscious decision to never waste time complaining.

Collect yourself, take adequate time to fully understand why you failed, and pick apart how you're going to avoid the same mistakes in the future. After that, it's time to move on and tackle your next set of goals, otherwise you'll allow your mistakes to define you.

3. Discomfort is Essential to Success.

If you're not regularly pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, you're not growing as an entrepreneur. You're not learning. You're not discovering new and exciting tactics that could help you significantly grow your business.

Even when times are good, it can feel like the smart decision is to keep moving forward with what's been working in the past. However, that's not how you're going to achieve exponential growth. What's more, is that whether you know it or not, you have competitors out there who are willing to push themselves to their limits and they'll uncover faster growth levers than you will, by playing it safe.

4. Take Risks Often.

It almost goes without saying that entrepreneurial success is defined by taking risks--calculated risks, that is. Choose to be curious. Investigate why things are the way they are. Hypothesize how you can make them better. If you're afraid to challenge the status quo, or you're not interested in questioning why inefficiencies exist in your industry, you're not going to forge a path toward meaningful innovations that'll shape our future.

5. Believe in Yourself.

In the end, your success as an entrepreneur will be defined--more than anything else--by how much you believe in yourself and your ability to prevail over all obstacles you'll inevitably face. Don't allow the excuses of lacking an Ivy League education, having inadequate financial resources, and repeated initial failures go on to define who you are. Know deep down that you're going to be successful, commit yourself to making it happen, and nothing can stop you.

Source

Secret to Home Business Success

The truth is, there is no “secret” to building a successful home business. What it takes is:

Belief

Depending on your level of confidence, it might be better to suggest you have faith over belief. For many home based entrepreneurs who struggle or fail, the thing that gets in their way of success is themselves. Because they don’t believe they can achieve success, they don’t do the tasks that need to be done or if they do, they don’t do them with the right attitude and amount of oomph.
Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” The truth is, when you don’t believe, you don’t have the muscle to work and overcome. Instead, challenges and set-backs are used as proof that you can’t do it. On the other hand, people who have belief keep striving regardless of the obstacles and eventually reach success. Belief is fuel that will help you stay the course.

Have a Vision

Vision serves two-fold. First, it gives you a mark to strive for. It’s difficult to reach a goal if you don’t know what it is.

Squash Fear

Fear may be the biggest dream killer of them all.

Take Action

Success doesn’t happen without action. Winning the lottery might make you rich, but it doesn’t make you a success. And when you consider that most lottery winners blow their money and end up poor again, easy riches don’t build the skills and character needed to retain it. Action not only moves you toward your goal, but through it you learn what works and what doesn’t, you develop tenacity and persistence, and you build character.

Surround Yourself with Quality People

Just because you’re building a home business, doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Starting and growing a business is hard work, and sometimes an encouraging word goes a long way to keeping you motivated. Coaches and mentors can be very helpful in giving you the skills and support you need. Mastermind groups can also provide emotional support, as well as feedback and tips to help you build your business.

Focus

Having a vision for your business is a great way to develop focus. The trick is to not get distracted by shiny object syndrome. Shiny objects appear to be helpful initially. They’re the brand new marketing system or get-rich-fast program. Ultimately, they take away your focus, and waste time and money. When you develop your vision, you also create a path to achieving it. Stay focused on your plan and don’t let yourself get sidetracked by shiny objects.

Get Back Up

More than anything, success in home business, or any goal, is the ability to keep striving for success in the face of set-backs and failure. It doesn’t matter what business you decide to start, you’ll experience problems and challenges. Many people bump into an obstacle or don’t achieve the results they want fast enough and view these challenges as stop signs. But successful people view them as problems that need to be learned from and overcome. Study any successful person you admire and you’ll discover he or she endured obstacles and failures. Instead of giving up, they got back up, dusted themselves off, and got working again. 

Source