I had lots of work, feeling like there wasn’t enough timeto do it all, loads of visitors expected at any minute and my dog had just decided to throw-up on the carpet.

And in the midst of it all – I dashed outside to check my mailbox. It was stuffed full of fliers, bills… everything pretty ho-hum.

And. then. I. saw. it. Like a beam of sunshine radiating through the clouds (the one that when you’re a kid you think it looks like God):

A package. With handwriting.
And I knew it contained something FUN!

I opened it up and immediately started laughing.

It was a cute little notepad with a cartoon woman and she was saying…

“Put your big girl panties on and deal with it”

Honestly – I laughed so hard I had tears. It was EXACTLY the kind of mail I needed to lighten the load that day.

And yes – the little package came from one of my fabulous subscribers, Frankie Mueller.
(Thanks so much Frankie!!)

Here’s what Frankie wrote on the card:

“Kim,

I thought of you when I saw this notepad. The content in your newsletter is fabulous!

Thanks!

Frankie”
Do You Know The Best Secret To Keeping Your Customers Thrilled?

You do exactly what Frankie did.

If you want to stir the pot, create strong relationships, make an impact and show that you’re not just someone chasing the money…

YOU SEND FUN MAIL TO YOUR CUSTOMERS!

I bet you feel the same way about receiving a nice little handwritten card, envelope or package in the mail.

You feel special. You feel that someone is thinking about you.
And WE REMEMBER those people who make us feel special.

Listen – Your Customers Are Just Like You!

What can you send in the mail?

4 Rules:

1. It has to be ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER
2. You don’t include a bunch of sales material
3. Don’t send anything junky unless you know they’d love it!
4. It must be sent via mail or courier

What can you send? Easy.

• Thank you cards
• Birthday/Congratulations/Any type of card will do!
• An article, website info, cartoon, joke – anything that is tasteful and relevant
• A recipe
• Bubble bath
• Bookmarks
• Chocolate
• Books
• Magazine subscriptions
• Basically anything!

But Before You Start Licking Stamps

Also remember that you should focus your FUN MAIL efforts on customers, potential customers and also connections – who fall into your TOP 20.

Otherwise you’d spend your entire life at the post office – and really – we need you for more than that!

My Diva Dare To You?

Before the end of the week – I want you to send something to 5 of your favorite clients as well as 5 thank you cards to people who have helped you recently.

P.S. You’ll also discover that this is one sales activity you will fall in LOVE with!

So there.

Love From Your Bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

The problem is that her Super-Soaker Gun had a major leak in it.

No matter how quick she was with adding water and hunting down her opponent – she immediately ran out of water!

And she was getting completely
DRENCHED.

One of the things I love about her is that she always knows when to move to PLAN B.

The sprinkler with a 20 foot hose, turned on full throttle became her new BEST FRIEND. (She was already wet so she didn’t care!)

Are Your Sales Getting Soaked Because You’re Running On Empty?

One of the most STUPID SALES MYTHS I’ve ever heard is:

“Every NO leads to a Yes.”

Oh no it doesn’t cupcake.

It leads to more NOs.

Doing the same thing over and over doesn’t mean that it is going to get any better. Especially if you’re doing the SAME WRONG THING over and over.

Egad.
So Where Are You Getting Drenched?

Are You…

• Still trying to do everything yourself?
• Not following up with customers quickly?
• Struggling with selling but not getting help?
• Sticking with what you did 2,3,5 years ago?
• Not connecting with clients regularly?
• Avoiding crunching the real numbers of your sales?
• Procrastinating on marketing yourself?
• In denial that you need to do some new things?

If you’re doing any or all of the above – then you’re walking with a leaky water pistol and you’ll receive a TON of NOs.

To Heck With The Stupid Sales Myth!

I think it’s time for Plan B don’t you?

I want you to go through the list I mentioned above. And I want you to choose 3 things you’ve been running on empty with.

I don’t care what it is.

Choose 3 things. And then do ONE ACTION STEP for each of them TODAY. (Not tomorrow, not next week – I mean right this minute lady)

You have nothing to lose. You’re already soaked – you may as well make it worthwhile!
And my 10-year old niece will be proud of you for finally deciding to move to Plan B.

So there.

Love From Your Bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

Recently an email popped into my mailbox from my friend Alex.

Subject line. “Chocolate cake in 5 minutes!”

Her words – “Yummy!  Just tried it tonight and thought you might like it too.”

And sure enough – there was a recipe for making chocolate cake IN. A. MUG.

Cue heavenly choir singing…..

Miracles do happen every day.

Now I’m a girl that’s online A LOT.  And I love to cook. But I had NEVER run across this before.  Curious? Oh yeah baby.

So first I popped over to Google.  I typed in “Chocolate Cake in 5 minutes” and also “Cake in a mug.”

It came up 3,570,000 times!!  (That’s 3 million, 570 THOUSAND for those of you who hate math)

Why Is The 5 Minute Chocolate Cake Recipe So Virally Successful??

1. Target audience. Women who love cake and chocolate.  50% of the Earth.
2. Creates Curiosity. 5 minutes? No waaaaaaaaaaaaay.
3. Delivers. You don’t get this viral without doing the job.
4. Sense of Urgency. Cake? 5 minutes? I NEED it NOW!
5. Convenience. Hmmm – I want cake.  OK – let’s head to the microwave.
6. Homemade. Honestly – you feel so MARTHA as you stir your coffee mug!
7. Easy to Pass On. Short and sweet. Funny. Possible.

This has to be one of the funniest  and simplest viral recipes EVER.  I laughed out loud and OF COURSE I MADE IT….and she was right.

5 minutes and DAMN GOOD. (but gooey good in a lava-cake way)

I want to plant a seed in YOUR HEAD -

WHAT COULD YOU DO that could be launched VIRALLY for FREE??

Of course you want and NEED the recipe.  So please feel free to pass it on to all of your chocoholic girlfriends.

My one SHAMELESS Sales Diva request? Please forward my ezine with the recipe in it!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE – by the Unknown Baker

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

EAT! (this can serve 2 but really…WHY?)

Don’t ever say I don’t give you anything.

Love from your Bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

P.S. I’m devoted to helping as many women entrepreneurs and women in sales as I can.  If you know of someone who would love to learn HOW TO SELL THE RIGHT WAY, then please encourage them to sign up at www.salesdivas.com and we’ll get them on the track to success!

Wooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooo!

Here’s a look at the magazine – you can read the feature article about “Stand For Your Brand”

http://nsaspeaker.org

“No rules! Just put on the poster all of the things you’d like to see this year -
everything you love!”

It was wild – if you saw clouds of “snow” over my house – it wasn’t snow at all…it was little pieces of paper from my 12 Edward ScissorHands!

I really loved watching the girls – they were yakking up a storm, lots of laughing and I noticed 2 very important things.

Things that apply to you too Lady!

Do You Have Second-Guess Paralysis?

50% of the girls went crazy clipping stuff – honestly they had so many pictures they had to flip the paper and use the backside.

The other 50% had collages that were almost barren.  Just a few random pictures.  And what did I hear them asking?

“Do you guys like this picture? Do you think I should use it? My collage is ugly…”

They were stuck.  They had what I lovingly call Second Guess Paralysis.  They didn’t trust themselves.

Of course I jumped in and told them their collage was off to great start! I  then asked what kind of food, flowers, movies, actors, pets, animals, fashion, places in the world, books, music etc that they liked ….and their 12-year old sparkling eyes LIT UP….and immediately their collages started filling up like crazy too!

(They had no idea they’d just been Diva-dized)

The second thing I noticed?

The girls that were ROCKING right out of the gate – did this:

“Hey everyone – I’ve got a picture of a dog – anyone need it?”

“Hey guys – I need a picture of a cat – do you have one?”

Get the picture?

What Are You Paralyzed About?

Are you currently feeling stuck about …

• How to jump in on social media?
• How to get new customers?
• Your lack-luster sales?
• How and why you should network?
• How you can get media coverage?
• Your website/ezine/blog?
• Fill in the _____________?

Listen cupcake – I know what you’re up to.

You’re trying to be PERFECT.

You don’t want to SCREW-UP.

You don’t want anyone to laugh at your “collage”!

Gotcha – didn’t I?

Guess what? You’ve got the basics down – all you need is to ASK some questions.  Who can you help and WHO can HELP YOU?

Here’s your Sales Diva Dare.  If you want to be more successful then you need

to step out of Second-Guess Paralysis.

Within the next 48 hours I want you to TAKE ACTION on something you’ve been stalling on in your business. (Yeah – THAT THING THAT JUST POPPED INTO YOUR HEAD)

Share how Second-Guess Paralysis is affecting your business and what you’re doing to overcome it, in the comments!

Love from your bossy Sales Diva,

Kim

P.S. I’m devoted to helping as many women entrepreneurs and women in sales as I can.  If you know of someone who would love to learn HOW TO SELL THE RIGHT WAY, then please encourage them to sign up at www.salesdivas.com and we’ll get them on the track to success!

When I was a kid – my mom didn’t buy my sister and me 2 boxes of Smarties.

Oh no.

She’d buy ONE BOX and say…

“Share it.”

(I think it was her sneaky way to improve our counting skills.)

And when little kids sit down at the table to split something like a box of Smarties they say…

“ONE for you.

And ONE for me.”

Are You A Smartie At Negotiating?

I’ve observed something over the years.

Most women SUCK at negotiating.

Whether it’s buying from someone or selling something of your own…negotiating probably makes you feel a little “cheesy.”

You probably fall into one of 2 categories:

1. ALL MINE. You aren’t going to give up ANYTHING to get the deal.  Not one inch. (And P.S…you’ve lost some big opportunities because of it.)
2. TAKE ALL OF MINE. You don’t want to LOSE the deal so you give away everything hoping they’ll choose you.  (The problem lady-is that you’re left with nothing.)

The BEST Negotiating Phrase EVER?

Remember – the number one rule of negotiating is that BOTH parties should feel satisfied.

The SECOND rule of negotiating?  In order to give a little – you have a get a little back.

Are You Ready For The BEST Negotiating Phrase?

It’s simple.

The customer you’d love to have (remember we never negotiate with people we don’t want) asks:

“I want /need____________.”

You say:

“We/I can provide (REPEAT WHAT CUSTOMER ASKED FOR) ,

HOWEVER, this is what we/I would need from you in order to make that happen:

Ie/ Specific number of units sold

Guaranteed contract over x amount of months

If the customer is asking for something too crazy for you to consider – you say:

“I’d love to help you with ________________, HOWEVER we can best help you with __________________.”

Get the picture?

In negotiating you have to split the Smarties.  You can get what you want and so can the customer.

Negotiating requires a plan.

So don’t be too rigid or too easy the next time you need to negotiate.

Remember – SMARTIE sales women know to eat the red ones last.

And make sure to send me a comment and tell of one of your negotiation success stories (or flops)!

Love from Your Sales Diva,

Kim

P.S. I’m devoted to helping as many women entrepreneurs and women in sales as I can.  If you know of someone who would love to learn HOW TO SELL THE RIGHT WAY, then please encourage them to sign up at www.salesdivas.com and we’ll get them on the track to success!

Boys who happen to love the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.

I have to tell you – I can’t stand SpongeBob SquarePants.
(Too much yelling)

However, the power of TV being what it is…as I was visiting with my friend, the other part of my brain was also randomly listening to dear SpongeBob.

And on one of his adventures he blurted out…

“I smell the smelly smell of something that smells smelly!!”

As a writer – I LOVE that line!

And as your bossy Sales Diva – I love it even more.

Do You Smell The Smelly Smell Of Something That Smells Smelly?

I can smell it from here actually.

There’s currently something in your business and sales that is…..

…OFF. Like something in your vegetable crisper that now resembles SOUP.

Maybe you know what it is.

You probably don’t.

But what you do know is that lately you’ve been smelling and feeling that there’s a

“Smelly Smell of Something That Smells Smelly!” in your business.

And lady – you’ve got to dig it out and find out what’s bothering you. You can’t avoid it any longer.

Success in selling isn’t just about attracting customers and selling them stuff.

A huge chunk of selling is STAYING FOCUSED and cleaning out what no longer works for you. (Because it’s starting to rot!)

Perhaps you need to…

• Focus on attracting some NEW clients
• Find a new supplier as your current one is dropping the ball
• Release a client who no longer fits your business (and they’re driving you nuts)
• Drop a product/service line or add a new one.
• Adjust your rates – as in INCREASE THEM
• Freshen your marketing strategy (please don’t say “What marketing strategy?”)
• Open the doors to new networking and promotional opportunities
• Attract some new powerful, strategic alliances
• Send to the garbage dump those OLD BELIEFS about selling

Listen. Something is STALE, SMELLY and STINKY and deep down you probably know what it is.

If you want 2010 to be the KICK BUTT year I know you want it to be, then you need to be willing to KICK OUT what “smells” in your business.

SpongeBob and I want to hear what you KNOW smells in your biz right now – send us a note on my blog!

Love from Your Sales Diva,

Kim

P.S. I’m devoted to helping as many women entrepreneurs and women in sales as I can. If you know of someone who would love to learn HOW TO SELL THE RIGHT WAY, then please encourage them to sign up at www.salesdivas.com and we’ll get them on the track to success!

As in….”I tried something and it didn’t work and I want to hide under a rock for a few years” kind of a FLOP?

One of the myths that people believe about successful salespeople is that they’ve NEVER FLOPPED.

People have actually come up to me and said …

“Well Kim -you ALWAYS know what you’re doing – you always land on your feet.”

Oh my. You can’t believe that lady.

Successful people FLOP A LOT.

In fact, I’ve flopped so many times in my sales career and business that honestly I had to

SCRAPE THE MUD off my face. (Doesn’t THAT sound attractive??)

I’ve lost clients, almost fallen off a stage, been burned by customers, and had huge shipments of product stuck in customs for so long it grew leg hair.

But there’s a method behind the madness.

So why so many flops?

And why didn’t it stop me?

FLOPS if they are managed correctly – have a brilliant way of turning into FABULOUS! (I definitely wouldn’t be the international success I am today if I’d held too tight to my flops.)

Want To Know My 2 Secret Mantras?

Are you ready? Secret Mantra #1:

“Failure isn’t an option.”

Remember – a flop doesn’t necessarily mean it was a failure.

It means it flopped.

One or more conditions that were needed for success….were missing or lined up wrong.

So revise and try, try again.

My Second Secret Mantra?

There is a wonderful Japanese phrase about what success is.

“Fall down 7 times. Get up 8 times.”

So whatever you think you flopped at….or whatever is holding you back from GOING FOR IT (because you’re terrified of flopping) – enough is enough.

Remember – ONLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE actually take a chance on something new, something that scares them or something that challenges them.

Use my 2 secret mantras and you’ll see how you’ll never stay down in the mud again.

So there.

I’d love to hear about how you turned a flop into a fabulous opportunity! Fire me a comment on my blog!

Love from Your Sales Diva,

Kim

P.S. I’m devoted to helping as many women entrepreneurs and women in sales as I can. If you know of someone who would love to learn HOW TO SELL THE RIGHT WAY, then please encourage them to sign up at www.salesdivas.com and we’ll get them on the track to success!

However, my 2 cutie pie nieces recently convinced me to rent and watch his movie called

“Yes Man”.

Honestly – I loved it! Afterward my nieces and I had a chat about what it would be like to “Say YES to every opportunity that crossed your path”

My 14 year old niece said “I’d have to join the cheer leading squad.”

My 11 year old niece said “I’d have to eat liver.”

I said “I’d have to go to kick-boxing with my friend Tina!”

The three of us agreed on 2 things.

The first?

We probably say NO too much.  (Now I know SOME of you struggle with saying NO – however I’m not one of those people!)

The second thing we agreed on?

We all should say YES more.  Not to everything….but definitely to things that stretch us out of our comfort zone.  And sometimes to even things that don’t.

So I thought I’d experiment with this.

It was cold, it was snowing, it was an evening event and every single fiber in my being wanted to STAY HOME.  Networking event?  I could surely pass on this one.

What made me go? 2 things.

• One of my dearest friends was holding the event
• I’d just watched the “Yes Man’ movie by rubber face Jim Carrey

So I got dolled up, jumped into my gorgeous and trusty Land Rover and hit the icy road for an hour drive (one way, at night, in winter – I deserve a medal don’t you think?)

When I got to the event it appeared that many other women had decided to SAY NO and not bother going to the event.

But for me – it turned out pretty spectacular.  Even though there were only a few women there.

I met some cool, new people.  I have a potential fabulous new coaching client who is getting ready to work with me….and I had some of my friend’s home made meatballs.

(I also won a bottle of wine)

I also had some wonderful conversation with a very successful entrepreneur who hired me years ago to speak at her association.  Guess what? She’s a zillionaire and yet she was out in the snow and the cold too.

She said yes.  I said yes.  And we had a blast!

I normally do say YES to really big things….TV opportunities, being interviewed in the media, going to large international seminars, hiring a coach to help grow my business further, writing a new book, launching a new website (stay tuned!)…

…but I admit that sometimes I do say NO to things that initially feel like a pain.

So what’s my Diva Dare this week?

Say YES to the opportunities that cross your path (big and small) and then send me a note on my blog. I want to hear your adventures!!

Love from Your Sales Diva,

Kim

P.S. I’m devoted to helping as many women entrepreneurs and women in sales as I can.  If you know of someone who would love to learn HOW TO SELL THE RIGHT WAY, then please encourage them to sign up at www.salesdivas.com and we’ll get them on the track to success!

He had a HUGE grin on his face on Christmas Eve as he proudly showed me a GOOSE he had brought for dinner the next day.

I smiled, said ” I LOVE it Dad!” but inwardly was thinking…

“I’ve NEVER cooked a goose but what the heck – I can do this!”

Fast forward to early afternoon on Christmas Day.  My sister officially delegated me as the “Goose Chef” as I have double ovens in my kitchen. (Thanks sis!)

I had 3 cookbooks on the island – Nigella Lawson, Julia Child and even one from the Four Seasons Hotel.  I thought “This will be a piece of cake.”

I looked at the goose and said “Let’s get this party started!”

The rest of my story encompasses 3 hours of goose fat being spattered on my stove and inside the oven, burning my arms not once but TWICE, massive, rolling bowling balls of smoke from my oven and yes – I will admit – at one point I even had my ONION GLASSES on as my eyes were burning.  (You can imagine how pretty your Diva was at THAT moment!)

(Honestly – I even stuffed the damn thing with sauerkraut, apples and rosemary)

Finally I thought I had tackled this monster and dragged the roaster to my sister’s house where everyone was waiting for the masterpiece.

My dad put the bird from hell on the platter so he could begin carving it.  Brown and succulent on the outside – I thought I had it made.

By the second cut – we looked at each other and went “UH. OH. The goose isn’t cooked!”

Nope. 3 hours of cooking was definitely not enough and appearances were deceiving.

What happened next? Well thankfully we also had a ham, turkey and cabbage rolls waiting in the wings (what can I say – lots of people!)

So HOW Does My Christmas Goose Apply To You And Sales?

It’s simple really.

There’s probably something BIG you had planned for 2009 but no matter what you did…IT DIDN’T HAPPEN.

Maybe you were planning on increasing your sales, adding more clients, adding another location, more staff…taking more holidays…however, it didn’t PAN OUT.

And you probably didn’t have a PLAN B waiting in the wings either.  And quite frankly – it probably HURT.

Right now everyone is hopefully planning how they want 2010 to look like. (You’d better be too lady!)

I want you to list what your “Christmas Goose” is for next year and I also want you to identify 3 BACK-UP PLANS.

One of the MAJOR MISTAKES made by salespeople and entrepreneurs is putting all their EGGS in one basket.

In business you need diversification of products and services so if one dries up – your GOOSE WON’T BE COOKED!

So there.

Love and Happy New Year from Your Sales Diva,

Kim

P.S. I’m devoted to helping as many women entrepreneurs and women in sales as I can.  If you know of someone who would love to learn HOW TO SELL THE RIGHT WAY, then please encourage them to sign up at www.salesdivas.com and we’ll get them on the track to success!