The Salesby5 Blog

How many companies really use technology to save money or make money or build teams? Salesby5 has a very high standard for hiring, mostly based on individual strengths and capabilities. We look for people who believe in our core values and can represent our brand extremely well. After interviewing here, I (Sarah) felt honored to be chosen. I believe that every member of our team feels proud to be a part of such a special group.

About two months ago, some things in my life changed, and I decided to move away from San Antonio. Rather than fearing for my job, I went straight to Erik and told him about my situation. We chose to put our state of the art technology to the test! With the use of our BlackBerry devices, Dell laptops equipped with shared calendars and contacts by Microsoft Outlook, google talk, a Sprint Air Card during the move, and Foonz conference call service, I have managed to stay an important part of the team. What we do and how well we do it have not changed. Among other responsibilities, Erik and Nan rely on me for all of their scheduling from nearly 1,000 miles away. Great technology is one thing that our team could not afford to sacrifice. This is the future of the work environment. Are you investing in great technology? And if so, are you using it to better your team?

A couple of weeks ago, I (Sarah) was shopping at La Cantera, a local mall in San Antonio. As I walked through various levels of retail, I realized that in this industry, you absolutely get what you pay for. At BCBG, I was offered wine as I walked through the door, and had multiple people approach me to offer their help. The store was perfectly organized and all of the employees were well dressed and professional. Then, at Forever 21, I fumbled through people and clothes just to get through the doorway. I couldn’t tell who was working there and who was shopping. There was a line to get into the dressing rooms, and seemingly no one to help get the line moving. I walked out with a headache and then realized that in shopping there, I was getting what I would be paying for; next to nothing.

This mall experience reminded me of a blog I had read by Seth Godin. He was relaying this “get what you pay for” message through hotel and restaurant service examples. Seth made the point that it might cost these industries more to offer better or kinder service, but in the business world, it barely costs us anything to treat our customers well. I learned that you get what you pay for in the retail world too, and we have the choice to sacrifice quality customer service or cash. Since it doesn’t cost us (in businesses) anything to treat our clients and vendors well, why don’t we always go above and beyond? One of Salesby5’s core values is to deliver more than what is promised. What can you do today to impress your customers?

Last week, while speaking at NAWBO, I met a lady who wanted help getting more sales by 5 pm. I asked what she was currently doing and she said she was sending letters, cold calling, and emailing everyone. I asked what worked best and she said a little bit of all of that.  She wrote and spoke of what they had to offer.  I advised her to try some different things and gave her examples.  I also asked her to stop telling people what she has to offer and find out how she can help them. She said the gate keeper would never let her though. Ah yes, the beloved gate keeper.  Well, the following has been true for many years but has just gotten more important since September 11th.

The gate keeper is either your best friend or they are your competitor’s best friend. If this person does not give you the time of day, you give it to them. If they are power hungry, and many are, give them power!  How? Ask them to set up your meeting!  Yes, it works over 80% of the time in an internal study done at SalesBy5.  Again, if they want or exude power, give them something to do that is powerful and then give them a reward. Think about having a small backpack of smart weapons. If the gate keeper is having a bad day, what would make them feel better? If they look like they are hungry or thirsty, what would make them feel better?  Many are even told not to go to take a break for the restroom or a call unless they have found a replacement for themselves for that 5 or 10 minutes. Many must eat lunch at their desk. Find out the key to the gate keeper and you just got in the gate.

A wonderful old story from Southwest Air lines executive offices noted that the higher end applicants for Southwest Airlines had to pass the test with the gatekeeper first, before they could be offered the job.  If they upset the gate keeper, they still got an interview but it was cut short depending upon how they treated the gate keeper. In our office, if you make Sarah unhappy, you have made the whole office unhappy, and we do not take kindly to that.

If you try this and have success, please share your story. If you try this and have no success, again, share your story.

Sell everyone!  Decision makers are not who they used to be!

photo by anniebee

Trey completed his week-long internship at SalesBy5 this past Friday.  Here is the story in his words.

Two weeks ago, my parents would ask me about my plans for the future, concerning college and possible professions, and I would not be able to generate any sort of legitimate response. I was not aware of or concerned with anything besides my present situation. College seemed to me to be a cliché and a pain, which I was considering avoiding… until I had the opportunity to have an inspiring conversation with my uncle, Erik. I’ve always had a relationship with him, due to our family interactions, but never really sat down to talk with him. Within minutes of discussing my life with Erik, he recognized the struggle I was having with taking my life seriously. He then presented me with the opportunity of a lifetime; to come and intern at SalesBy5 for a week. At first, I was concerned I would be wasting a week of my summer to go work for free but after a little debate, I decided I needed the practice.

Immediately after walking into the SalesBy5 office, I was greeted from all directions by Erik and his amazing co-workers, Nan and Kya. Their personalities alone delivered a comfort level cool enough to relax someone going through hell. I was put to work instantly, doing productive things for the company that was surprisingly not mindless busy work (for instance, I was revising and editing client proposals). For the first time in my life, I felt genuinely accepted into an adult environment and I loved every minute of it. Not to mention that Nan hooked me up with an awesome BlackBerry, which I did not want to return when the time came. The SalesBy5 team welcomed me with open arms when I was in a frightening new environment. They introduced me to the concept of following your strengths and how to apply that to my life. Nan, who basically is the coolest computer whiz I have ever met, and his advice—not only on sales and marketing, but also life itself—were an essential part of my learning experience. And Kya was a huge part of the reason I was able to wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work; something the majority of adults would kill to feel. I never saw Kya without a bright smile on her face and something intelligent to say. Sarah rocks too and was very helpful. I didn’t get a ton of time with Sarah, or Q, as they refer to her, but she was equally as appealing as the rest of the crew and a great person to talk to. The SalesBy5 team has the ultimate mix of abilities and personalities that all truly successful businesses should be modeling after.

Come back tomorrow for the rest of his adventures and his wrap up of the week.

Trey and his cousin, Dylan

 I recently discovered the value of outside the office team building experiences after the Final Four.  The Salesby5 team spent hours together on Saturday, working until the game started, and then playing until late in the night.  After volunteering, we all changed into comfortable clothes.  For the first time, we spent time together as people, not colleagues.  We got to see each other’s humor, intelligence, and overall personality.  When we came to work on Monday, we all had a better idea of what kind of people we all are.  We had shared an experience as a team that gave us closeness and trust.

Team building experiences bond employees together in a way that makes work more fun.  When we look forward to coming to work, our attitude is remarkably different.  When we are comfortable around our co-workers, we don’t shy from communication.  We then have the room to play to our strengths, share our weaknesses, and work together.

By the way, I am Sarah, the newest member of the Salesby5 team!