Dennis O'Neil - Speaker & Author on Internet Sales, Marketing, and Social Media » For Salespeople

A Classic Moment at the International Builder Show

dennisoneil — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:49:34 +0000

If you were unable to make it to the Super Sales Rally at the International Builders Show, you missed an instantly classic performance by new home sales trainer Jeff Shore of Shore Forrest Sales Strategies and Jim Suth of D.R. Horton.

I captured all but the first few seconds using my cell phone. The audio/video doesn’t line-up perfect, but this video is well worth the watch nonetheless. Have fun, and thanks to Jeff and Jim for the laughs.

Can’t see the video? Click Here.

Yes. A Camp for Us.

dennisoneil — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:30:42 +0000

BarCamp, RE BarCamp, PodCamp, WordCamp… any of these ring a bell? What about Ignite events, or TED talks? The last few years have brought on sweeping changes in how people gather to support a topic, idea, or purpose. Instead of days of grueling lectures and courses defined by the ‘hours’ for which they qualify, “Camps” are something completely different. Something much, much better.

While the rules vary a little for each event, a few consistent things remain:

Interaction and conversation is key. This is not an event where attendees go to spoken to, but rather to be spoken with.
Presentations are brief, but impactful. Sometimes as long as 45 minutes, but many as short as 10. Good news for the A.D.D. crowd.
Presentations are designed for inspiration. While a 6 hour course may also be inspiring, these short presentations dive right into the heart of a topic and are designed to ignite new ideas in attendees.
The attendees come voluntarily because of their passion for the foundation of the event. They are there to connect with like minded people.
They’re generally awesome.

I am fourtunate enough to be a part of the Sales & Marketing Council (SMC) of the Home Builders Association of Maryland. The council has organized a spectacular event in the spirit of the new conference trend, and has aptly chosen the name of SMC SalesCamp. I am also privileged to be speaking at this first SMC SalesCamp, and while yes, I may be a bit biased, I must say that the event is truly one worth attending. The speakers lined up by the board include the current President of the Maryland Association of Realtors, the head of home builder relationships for Trulia.com, two power-brokers, and many more. If you’re anywhere near the Baltimore area, you really need to be there. Its March 9th at the Sheraton BWI, 8:30a – Noon.

Did I mention its free?

Yep, thanks to awesome sponsors like MetLife Home Loans, Cindy Plackmeyer Marketing, and Forty West Builders (with more coming), the event costs absolutely zero to attend. However, space is limited (no joking here), so registration is required. Head over to SMC SalesCamp for more details.

Hopefully I get to see you there.

What NOT to Say When Being Interviewed for a Sales Job

dennisoneil — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:51:23 +0000

Until recently, I had not been a part of a salesperson job interview for some time. I always enjoyed interviewing salespeople, and I jumped at the opportunity when a client asked me to sit in on his meeting with a prospective employee. He was seeking my opinion of the interviewee and even asked me to offer up a few questions of my own.

A favorite question of mine, one a colleague used to ask a lot, was “What books have you read lately?” I always found that knowing what books a person reads can tell you a good bit about that person. Reading takes time, and most people will not spend that time reading a book on a topic they don’t care much about. Knowing what some reads helps me understand, at least a little, about what’s important to them.

So we’re five minutes into the interview, and I’ve heard a lot about the prospective employee’s experience. I’ve heard a lot about where he’s worked, who he has worked for, and how much he has sold in his 30 years in real estate. Feeling I was getting a bit of a history lesson as opposed to a current capabilities report, I asked a slight variation of my favorite question. I asked “What was the last sales book you read?”

“Uh. Well to be honest, I don’t remember.”

I appreciated the honesty, but really? You don’t remember? I asked a few follow-up questions to be sure that the interviewee wasn’t just a little nervous and giving me his answer too hastily. But alas, he really couldn’t name the last sales book he read, or any sales book he read for that matter. I asked him if there was a sales trainer he looked to for guidance, and I got nothing. That indicated to me that there was no other shorter form sources, like a blog, he turned to either. It may sound like I’m beating up on this guy a little bit, but I’m trying to make an important point.

Depending on your location within the country, most people would tell you we’ve been in a tough market for about three years or more. What I was really being told by the applicant was not only could he not remember the last sales book he read, but in the last three years of a challenging market, he wasn’t doing anything to get better. The market, by most standards, had gotten phenomenally worse, but he hadn’t gotten one percent better. I wondered at what point in his career had he decided that he knew enough.

I do believe that if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. Professional athletes do not stop improving and practicing after they get the job. Attorneys do not stop keeping up with the law after they graduate. Professionals are students of their craft and recognize the need for continued study to maintain their value and relevance to both their employer and their client.

If you don’t have the attention span or the time for books, get your inspiration where you can – blogs, tweets, e-books, YouTube, wherever. Just. Keep. Getting. Better.