As a sales trainer, I work with people from all walks of life who share a common goalthey want to learn how to emulate the success enjoyed by the top-ten percent of sales professionals in organizations both large and small.
People have many reasons to be motivated to attain that kind of success and in my experience entrepreneurs are especially driven. Here’s why. For them, it’s not just a job that’s on the line, it’s everything. Their livelihood is at stake! And the consequences of being anything other than in that top-ten percentile might be the difference between success and failure for their startup business. And in my opinion ALL sales people are entrepreneurs.
Scott Shane, the author of “The Illusions of Entrepreneurship, made it clear in a recent interview inBusinessWeek just how high those stakes are for most business owners. “The myth is that somehow if you manage to hit the average or hit the median, you’re going to be fine. The reality is that the distribution is so skewed you have to hit the top for it to matter, and in fact, you have to hit the top 10% to have income as an entrepreneur better than what you would have gotten working for other people.”
Sales skills make it all possible
No business can survive for long unless its owner thinks a lot about salesin particular, about what can be done to sell more in less time to more people. That fact is not lost on entrepreneurs, which is why I encounter so many at my sales training workshops and webinars. When I first meet them, they often tell me that they didn’t start their businesses to become a professional sales people. Rather, it’s because they love what they do, because they thrive on risk taking and take pride in being a sought-after practitioner of a service, or maker of a particular product.That’s why I tell them this: success at being an entrepreneur and business owner can only happen if they invest time to build and improve their selling skills.
Fortunately most entrepreneurs are already hardwired for that kind of challenge. Whether it’s a service they provide or a product they make (or envision to make), these enterprising risk-takers are already great at what they do. They also tend to have a knack for relying on themselves to do what needs to be done to make their businesses thrive-even if that means having to learn to do something new to reach their goals.
Passion as a driver for sales success
In my experience, entrepreneurs put passion into everything. It’s a magnetic quality that doesn’t just motivate them to get to work, it persuadesand even inspires-others to want to work with them. As a sales trainer, I teach business owners how to channel that passion and encourage them to make the time to read the right books and participate in sales training seminars and teleclasses.
Entrepreneurs launch their startups confident that there is a market for their product or service. Selling skills give them new insight into why customers in a market behave the way they do, it helps them better understand what kind of customers they should be looking for, and gives those business owners the tools they need so they can better meet the needs of those customers.
Important sales advice for new startups
When building a new business, it’s crucial for the owner to be the one making those sales calls initially. That’s why I advise entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of a startup to avoid outsourcing or handing over that task to sales staffthe time will come soon enough when the business will be ready for that next step. No one can sell the benefits of a company with the same passion as the person who owns that business. Once an owner has had success in landing new customersand has done so by making full use of the field-tested selling tips and successful business habits that we teach at Engage Selling Solutionsthat’s when it will be time to hire sales staff and teach them how to sell to customersthe right way!
Playwright Neil Simon once quipped: “If no one ever took risks, Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor.” Entrepreneurs are the risk takers who can make amazing things possible in this world. But it’s worth remembering that ideas, services and products all find their market not just by being great. It’s also because the successful owners of the businesses behind those products, services and ideas know how to channel their passion. They’ve learned how to bring out the sales professional within. And so can you!
CEO Will Gruver was chosen by an independent panel of judges to represent USP&E as a finalist in the southwest area north region of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Program. Gruver says he felt a surge of emotion and gratitude when he learned of the news.
“To be connected in any way to a firm as world renowned as Ernst & Young is a tremendous honor,” says Gruver who received the phone call while with clients and staff in West Africa.
Award recipients were formally announced in June at a special gala held at the Hyatt Regency Dallas Hotel. A finalist reception was held on May 17th.
Regional award winners are eligible to be considered for the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year Program. The Entrepreneur of the Year Overall Award winner along with award winners in other national categories will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California in November. The awards ceremony will culminate the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum. The overall national US winner will compete for the World Entrepreneur of the Year Program in Monaco.
Ernst & Young received more than 1,700 entries from entrepreneurs across the country. The program is the world’s most prestigious award for entrepreneurs. Award winners are those entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in areas such as: innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their business and communities. There are 26 regional programs in the US and 50 countries in the global program. The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored in the United States by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Gruver will represent his company in the energy sector of the competition.
“It’s a special company represented by the highest caliber of people that I have ever known–and it’s only because of this incredible team that I am even considered for this distinction,” says Gruver.
The Entrepreneur of the Year celebrates those individuals building and leading successful growing and dynamic businesses. Ernst & Young recognizes these companies through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 140 cities and in more than 50 nations. Entrepreneur of the Year candidates are both transitional and transformational. Nominees can be CEOs of public or privately held companies, multi-generational family business leaders or divisional CEOs.
Ernst & Young has been recognizing entrepreneurs for more than 25 years.
“We were advised that we’ve been selected as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Program,” said Dean Castillo, Chief Strategy Officer. “This program is considered the top program of its type in the United States. This selection represents a significant milestone in our company’s growth and visibility.”
Today, candles have found wide spread acceptance for a host of occasions. Their application extends beyond the power-scarce homes. Whether it is birthday party, aromatherapy or candlelight dinner, candles are being used by all and sundry. Some yoga gurus also advocate the use of candles during Yoga.
It is in such a scenario that selling candles has become a lucrative business option for many enterprises and individuals alike. People are increasingly flocking the industry, to cash in on the boom. Many such enterprises, offering a plethora of options to prospective clients, are doing robust business in the current market situation.
Some of the interesting candle types that are fast gaining prominence are:
Pillar Candles
Taper or Dinner Candles
Gel Candles
Floating Candles
Container or Filled Candles
Votive Candles
Tealight Candles
Luminary Candles
Tin candles
Jar candles
To become successful in the candle selling or candle making industry, one must have an astute knowledge of the customer demand. The entrepreneur must also be equipped with a huge array of different shapes, sizes, color, and aroma of the candles. Having good business acumen is a prerequisite to succeed in this business. To start with, the entrepreneur should be well aware of the leading wholesale dealers in the area. It is then, important to identify which wholesale dealer will prove to be the most viable from the business perspective. Keeping a clear profit margin in mind, before buying Wholesale Candles from Candle Suppliers will definitely provide a fillip to your business endeavor.
One should also make sure that the price, at which the entrepreneur is buying the candles, should be relatively cheaper than its contemporaries. This will allow the entrepreneur to provide its services at a much cheaper rate, thereby increasing the profit margin. In a short span of time, the entrepreneur can easily double the companys profit margin. Another relevant thing that should be kept in mind is the customer demand. The entrepreneur must be able to customize the solutions according to the clients wish and upgrade the products regularly.
Do you think you have the capability to become an entrepreneur? There are lots of successful entrepreneurs present in this world today. It is very important to find the right kind of qualities that are required to become successful in this field.
Some people try to begin from the scratch but it is quite difficult to reach the top fast in this way. This is the reason why the young generations of entrepreneurs try to model their behavior on people who have already achieved success in this field.
There are various role models for entrepreneurs. It is very important to choose the right kind of model. When you hear of a role model the first thought that comes to your mind is of people who have reached heights are very popular all over the world.
These people too surely had their own role model who they used to follow. A role model is actually meant for following. Your model can also be a person who belongs to your family or even or your friend circle.
The person might not be well known and popular all over the world but he has made something for himself. You can look for such people in your family. If you have someone very close to you who has already made it to the top then you can even get good suggestion as well as tips from the person.
You must understand the importance of the role models. They will help you learn how to become a successful entrepreneur. The most important thing that entrepreneurs must have is the will to win.
The entrepreneur role models usually help the budding entrepreneur to learn about the various qualities that are necessary to become successful and reach the top. One of the things that you need to find out is the common trait between all the successful owners.
You must always remember that owning and managing a company is not too easy. You need to have enough guts to take proper decisions and also be ready to tae risks. Role models for entrepreneurs might differ from one person to the other but the characteristic traits of these successful people usually remain the same.
You need to follow these traits. People who are successful as entrepreneur are always good leaders. So you must also make sure that you become a good leader and mange your team in the best possible way.
Team work is very important because you alone cannot take your company to the top, you will need help from the employees. This is the reason why you also need to learn how successful entrepreneurs deal with their employees. This is why role models are so much essential.
The benefits of owning a home based business are opportunities that people now more than ever are taking full advantage of. We are now living in very exciting times due to the world economy never being like it once was. Granted, for some it may be challenging with loss of jobs and high unemployment but, for home based entrepreneurs it is an opportunity to solve many more problems (particularly financial) for everyone who is open while generating massive amounts of money. The following are major benefits that all should take advantage of.
1.Liberation/Freedom- This is probably the main reason why most home-based entrepreneurs enjoy their business. It is an opportunity to have full control over your own life. As a home-based business owner, YOU are the boss, thus you can shape your schedule based around your individual lifestyle and ambitions. Time freedom is truly priceless. Just as equally exciting, is the potential financial freedom that it can provide because YOU determine how much you want to earn. This is especially true if youre in a network marketing/direct sales type of business because it gives the business owner the opportunity to earn residual income.
2.Tax Advantages- There is a number of tax advantages when using your home as a place of business. From deductions on home, whether rent or own, to gas mileage, to everything else in between, there is a wealth of deductions for the home-based businessperson. Everything that you use to operate your business is a deduction. Some examples include: phone bill for talking with clients, electricity and internet to power the computer and reach potential clients through e-mail for marketing, gas reimbursement for going to meetings with potential clients, lunch for feeding clients, and this is only the beginning. However, please consult your Certified Public Accountant for a thorough evaluation of which deductions would be considered liable.
3.Empowerment- When you own a home-based business there is a whole new level of power that is yours. Compared to being at a traditional job or a traditional brick and mortar business, the home-based business entrepreneur does not worry about being told when to eat lunch, when to wake up in the morning to arrive by a certain time, deadlines, employee competence and trust, office politics, large overhead costs, or incompetent bosses. Rather, this privileged entrepreneur has full control over every detail of their life including flexibility with personal life. Granted, for some who are use to being in a worker bee mindset all of this control could be scary. Nevertheless, on days when its -4 degrees outside, when a child is sick and need caring for, or when paychecks are cut let alone pay raises, having a home-based business is priceless. More importantly, personal growth and development (the key to success) is greatly enhanced as you learn more about your business, others, and yourself.
These top benefits are only the tip of the iceberg. Although for many freedom and empowerment in every way imaginable is more than enough. As stated earlier, these are very exciting times where more people are choosing to take full responsibility and control over their lives and a large percentage are choosing to do that through being a home-based business entrepreneur. Consider the limitless opportunities that this growing movement can provide and be a dream achiever. Cheers to the home-based business entrepreneurs!