Surely you have heard Oprah talk and write about "being your best self," "living your best life," and "living in the moment."  Once I had my kids, I found that these messages meant so much more because I found myself constantly being swallowed by the chaos of balancing work and family, and I was not appreciating each moment as it was occurring.  Like many working parents, I continue to struggle with my balance and worrying about where I am falling short rather than focusing on what I am excelling at and what I did to the "best" of my ability that day.  Now how do these messages of being our "best self" in our "best life" while being fully present in the moment apply to how you do business and work each day?  I firmly believe that how you show up at work directly reflects who you are and how you live, so Oprah's lessons are extremely important for your professional life and in your business.

Markita Andrews, at the young age of 13, learned her selling "rules of thumb" when she became a Girl Scouts cookie selling dynamo.  She sold more than $80,000 worth of cookies during her Girl Scouts career!  What motivated Markita to become the greatest "salesgirl"?  DESIRE.  Markita learned that the Scout who sold the most cookies would win an all-expense-paid trip for two around the world.  She desperately wanted to win this trip. 

It is a very competitive and fast paced consumer world. For your business to thrive, you must take the time to learn (and know) your product, competition, market trends, economic factors, and current events. Customer relationships have to be built and accounts must be qualified.

How can you qualify and build customer relationships?  First, inquiring about the customer’s key needs and objectives are questions that must be asked during the sales process. Then, by understanding the needs of the customer, your sales process and pitch can be custom designed to match his/her key needs.  What's better?  Your customer will know that his/her needs are being met when you take the time to uncover his/her wants.  This will lead to loyalty and ongoing sales, which also results in a strong relationship. 

Did you know that 1 out of every 4 working adults in the U.S. is a salesperson (The Simple Truths of Selling, by Todd Duncan)?  That certainly means there's a lot of competition in this profession, and success can't come easy. How do you separate yourself from the crowd and get noticed? What makes a successful salesperson today and in this economy?  This would be a great time for me to introduce a new ground breaking sales technique that is a sure thing. To tell you the truth, there isn't one.  The business section of any book store is filled with resources on learning how to sell, how to be a better sales person, improving sales techniques…etc.  However, the truth of the matter is that successful selling comes from the basics, not from new methodologies that seem to distract from the authentic sales exchange.