Welcome to Imperial Press Direct's

"Food For Thought"

IPD values your relationship and is happy to provide the following "Food For Thought" as a way to motivate, and offer insight. Please enjoy.

Your IPD team:  

I recently did an "off the cuff" audience participation sales meeting, which are my favorite kind to do. Armed only with a subject thought I set out to not just give the listening sales team the tools necessary to succeed, but rather create a scenario that would allow them to discover the tools on their own. The result was an environment that fostered retention. I gave five pre-determined key sales processes including definitions and assigned each topic to a different rep to take home and come back the next morning ready to lead a brief discussion in the morning sales meeting.

I didn't realize at first (off the cuff remember) how interlocked these five processes were, but quickly after we began the meeting it became obvious that synergy was created once these processes were further defined and explained. I have included a small segment of this below. I hope it helps you as it has me.

Let me begin by giving you the five processes: We have Passion, Ignite, React, Produce, and Results. It is obvious that as [sales "type A" people] that we tend to focus a lot on results. However results are not bias...they are results whether good or bad. So let me rephrase...we tend to focus on achieving positive results...but that doesn't just occur. Have you ever heard "your input determines your outcome"? Well let me add..."it determines your income as well". We need to realize that "what we get is a direct   result of what we give" and that "results" are in many ways "UP TO US"!

Now that we've started at the end with "results" let's trace success back through the process to the beginning looking closely at where it is that we could get off course. Everything begins with "passion". I talk a lot about passion...you can say that I am passionate about passion.  

Passion is when you put more energy into something than is required to do it. It is more than just enthusiasm or excitement, passion is ambition that is materialized into action to put as much heart, mind, body, and soul into something as is possible. Passion fuels vision and vision is the focus of the power of passion. WOW! I don't know about you but that puts it into perspective for me.

Passion you can say is the fuel needed to get you where you're going. But you must have a "fire" to get off the ground. So the next step in the process is to "Ignite". Ignite means to set on fire...to glow...to light up...to start something...to arouse or instigate something or someone. This is where we set our passion on FIRE! Once you get clear on what you want and where you're going, the how almost never takes care of itself! Without igniting passion it just sits in your tank and does no good.

The next part of the process is   to "react". This is important in many different ways. Let's look at this at having our pivot foot grounded while trying to decide whether going left or right is correct path. We have to be "unencumbered by the   facts"...ready to "react" on the fly no matter what is thrown at us. A lot of the time "results" are decided by how we   "react" to things whether good or bad. I am reminded of an old story about a farmer and his mule.

A farmer owned an old mule which fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule braying. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. He called his neighbours together and told them what had happened and enlisted their help haul dirt to   bury the old mule in the well and put it out of its misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical. But as the farmer and his neighbours continued shovelling and the dirt hit its back, it suddenly dawned on the mule that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on its back it should shake it off and step up. This it did, blow after blow.

"Shake it off and step up, shake it off and step up, shake it off and step up" it repeated to encourage itself. No matter how painful the blows or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up.

You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of the well. What seemed like it would bury the mule, actually blessed it, all because of the manner in which it handled its adversity.

That's life. If we are faced with problems, and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity, the adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the potential to benefit and bless us.

Once we commit to the direction we are taking (react) the next step is to "produce". To bring into existence; give rise to; cause by creative ability: to make or manufacture: to bring forth; give birth to; provide, furnish, or provide. You are already talented and have ability...and you'll find this one comes natural if you follow the previous steps.  

Lastly, we have the "results". I would add that if we handle the other steps well and follow them we can expect "positive results". A "result"   is simply put...a consequence, effect, or outcome. A positive outcome follows the above five sales processes.

When we put all of these together we have the perfect recipe for sales success. Now it up to us to mix properly, serve up, and enjoy.

David Villa, CEO