Analysis: Barack Obama's many faces, all useful

By TED ANTHONY, AP National Writer Ted Anthony, Ap National Writer – Wed Jan 21, 12:45 pm ET

WASHINGTON – The biracial American kid with a Kenyan father who went from place to place, who struggled to put down roots and figure out where he fit in? He's Barack Obama.

The street-savvy, distinctly African-American hoops player who talks a smooth game and plays a smoother one? He's Barack Obama. The Harvard law grad, community organizer and besuited Chicago pol with workaday roots in middle America? He's Barack Obama, too.

Now we, the people can add another Barack Obama to the mix: the presidential one who is quickly making the 21st-century bully pulpit his own and is able, through his diverse life experiences, to deploy carefully curated cross-sections of his own history as a potent consensus-building tool.

"I contain multitudes," wrote Walt Whitman, whose poetry played no small role in defining how Americans see themselves. The same could be said for the new president, who's doing a little shaping of the national psyche himself these days.

Even as he took office, Obama carved out versions of himself in defined relief, harnessing them to hammer home key points and showing he is unafraid to use the qualities associated with being, as he has often put it, a "mutt."

"We know," he said in his inaugural address, "that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness." And while he was talking about the nation, he might well have been describing himself.

In the address, he was "a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant." In the oath itself, he was "Barack Hussein Obama," multicultural icon. In his biography on the new White House Web site, he is someone with "values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing in a strong family, hard work and education as the means of getting ahead."

None of these contradicts the others. Nor is any of them inaccurate. Yet together, they suggest a nimble approach designed to frame Obama for maximum appeal across multiple demographics — a packaging strategy based on a unique, melting-pot reality unlike any previous president.

After all, how many other chief executives have felt, simultaneously, the sting of American racism, the pride of a Harvard law degree and the firsthand memory of growing up in a poor and developing Asian nation?

"He's Kenya, he's Kansas. He's Harvard, he's Chicago. He's black, he's white," said Republican consultant Alex Castellanos, a CNN political analyst.

This approach helped Obama broaden his appeal during the campaign, when he consciously tried to harness his various roots and branches. At one point, visiting Kansas, where his mother's grandparents lived, he told a British newspaper that he wanted to "talk about the roots of my life that directly connect to the broader story of the country."

But that was the campaign. Will the same approach help him govern? And can it ultimately be pushed too far? Politicians who try to be everything to everyone can eventually face accusations that, behind it all, they're really no one at all.

"This is a man who has experienced a lot of different pieces of America," says Leila Brammer, an expert on inaugural addresses who teaches communications at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota.

"Cynics might think it wears thin, but it is indeed who he is," she says. "And he is able to weave these different experiences together into a really clear vision. If he stays on this same track, I don't see anybody being able to say, `Who is the real Barack Obama?'"

The ability to connect with the American public, a visual-age talent that has only grown more pronounced with the dawn of the 24-hour news cycle, has played out in the personality traits of recent presidents and how they're framed. Bill Clinton forged a connection with millions of constituents who were children of divorce and grew up poor. George W. Bush found understanding among Americans who had struggled with addiction.

But Obama notches that up big-time; he is a self-contained buffet of potential entry points for constituent connection. Anne Heineman Batory, an expert in behavioral marketing, predicts that Obama's authenticity credentials — the fact that these are his actual experiences, not political poses — will help the president maintain what is effectively the strength of his brand.

"When you think about the people he goes to church with versus the people he practices law with, it's so broad. So it's natural for him to adjust to the audience," says Batory, a professor at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania.

"There's a part you can relate to no matter where you come from," she says. "You can look at his life and experiences and say, `There's a piece of that that relates to me. Maybe he can understand where I'm coming from.'"

Since Obama's election, many Americans have expressed hope that an Obama administration might create a post-racial nation where we can finally get past some of the pain created by our ancestors. Those folks can look to the president's life experiences as evidence that such things are possible. We all contain multitudes; that's part of the American experience.

To many Americans, the kind of many-faceted human being that Barack Obama represents is less an "other" than any time in our history. How Obama handles his self-contained multiplicity — shrewd and calculating or inclusive and productive — will set a tone that dictates how entrenched this attitude becomes. But now more than ever, one thing seems clear: We have met the president, and he is us.

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Ted Anthony covers politics and culture for The Associated Press. Comments about Measure of a Nation can be sent to measure(at)ap.org.

Obama's whirlwind first day: economy, war and more

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent David Espo, Ap Special Correspondent – 2 hrs 46 mins ago

WASHINGTON – In a first-day whirlwind, President Barack Obama showcased efforts to revive the economy on Wednesday, summoned top military officials to the White House to chart a new course in Iraq and eased into the daunting thicket of Middle East diplomacy.

"What an opportunity we have to change this country," said the 47-year-old chief executive, who also issued new ethics rules for his administration, hosted a reception at the presidential mansion for 200 inauguration volunteers and guests selected by an Internet lottery and even took the oath of office again after it was flubbed Tuesday.

After dancing at inaugural balls with first lady Michelle Obama past midnight, Obama entered the Oval Office for the first time as president in early morning. He read a good luck note left behind by President George W. Bush, then began breaking cleanly with his predecessor's policies.

Aides circulated a draft of an executive order that would close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within a year and halt all war crimes trials in the meantime.

Closing the site "would further the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and the interests of justice," read the draft prepared for the new president's signature. A copy was obtained by The Associated Press, and an aide said privately that Obama would sign a formal order on Thursday.

Some of the 245 detainees currently held at Guantanamo would be released, while others would be transferred elsewhere and later put on trial under terms to be determined.

Obama's Cabinet was moving closer to completion.

At the Capitol, the Senate confirmed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state after a one-day delay forced by Republicans. The vote was 94-2, and spectators seated in the galleries erupted in applause when it was announced.

Treasury-designate Timothy Geithner emerged unscathed from his confirmation hearing, apologizing for having failed to pay $34,000 in taxes earlier in the decade.

To the evident anger of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republicans on the panel invoked long-standing rules to postpone a vote on Eric Holder's appointment as attorney general.

Counting Clinton, seven Cabinet members have been confirmed so far, as have the two top officials at the Office of Management and Budget.

Obama's schedule for the day included separate sessions on the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The new president has pledged to take bold steps to revive the economy, which is struggling through the worst recession since the Great Depression. Last week, he won approval to use $350 billion in leftover financial industry bailout funds.

He presided over the White House meeting on the economy as the House Appropriations Committee moved toward approval of $358 billion in new spending, part of the economic stimulus package making its way to his desk.

The new commander in chief held his first meeting in the Situation Room, where he, Vice President Joe Biden and senior military and foreign policy officials discussed war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama campaigned on a pledge to withdraw U.S. combat forces from Iraq within 16 months, and to beef up the commitment in Afghanistan. Obama asked the Pentagon to do whatever additional planning necessary to "execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq."

The new White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said Obama's phone calls to leaders in the Middle East were meant to convey his "commitment to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace from the beginning of his term."

Gibbs also that in conversations with Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders, the president emphasized he would work to consolidate the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Obama intends to name former Senate Majority leader George Mitchell as a special envoy to the region.

Not everything was new at the White House.

In the Oval Office, Obama worked at a desk built from the timbers of a British naval vessel, the HMS Resolute, and used off-and-on by presidents since the 1870s, including Bush. It also appeared that the carpet that Bush used in his second term, a yellow sunbeam design, was still in place.

If some of the furnishings remained in place, there was no doubt that the new president meant to fulfill his campaign promise of change.

"As of today, lobbyists will be subject to stricter limits than under any ... other administration in history," Obama told reporters as he signed the new rules. The restrictions included a ban on gifts by lobbyists to anyone serving in the administration.

He also imposed a pay freeze for about 100 White House aides who earn $100,000 or more. Its implementation was unclear, since none of them was on the payroll before Tuesday's noontime inauguration.

On Tuesday, within hours of Obama's inauguration, his administration froze last-minute Bush administration regulations before they could take effect.

Among them was an Interior Department proposal to remove gray wolves from Endangered Species protections in much of the northern Rocky Mountains, and a Labor Department recommendation that would allow companies that manage employee retirement plans to market investment products to plan participants.

On Wednesday night, Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath to Obama at the White House — a rare do-over. The surprise moment came in response to Tuesday's stumble, when Roberts got the words of the oath a little off, which prompted Obama to do so, too.

The White House reassured that Obama has still been president since noon on Inauguration Day. But Obama and Roberts went through the drill again out of what White House counsel Greg Craig called "an abundance of caution."

Obama also dropped by a party for his staff at a packed DC Armory, telling his supporters that they deserve credit for his historic election victory, in part because they didn't know any better. He said they simply didn't know that a guy like him shouldn't win, that their fundraising model wasn't typical and that the odds were stacked against them.

Obama and his wife began their day at a prayer service that is traditional for the first business day of a new administration. They were joined in front-pew seats by Biden and his wife, Jill, as well as former President Bill Clinton and his wife, hours away from confirmation as the nation's top diplomat.

"Grant to Barack Obama, president of the United States, and to all in authority your grace and good will. Bless them with your heavenly gifts, give them wisdom and strength to know and to do your will," prayed the Rev. Andy Stanley, one of numerous clerics from several religions to speak.

Obama and his wife also played host and hostess for a select 200 at an open house.

"Enjoy yourself, roam around," a smiling Obama told one guest.

"Don't break anything."

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Associated Press writers Jennifer Loven, Darlene Superville, Philip Elliott, Ben Feller and Lara Jakes contributed to this story.

Obama freezes salaries of some White House aides

By JENNIFER LOVEN, AP White House Correspondent Jennifer Loven, Ap White House Correspondent – Wed Jan 21

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's first public act in office Wednesday was to institute new limits on lobbyists in his White House and to freeze the salaries of high-paid aides, in a nod to the country's economic turmoil.

Announcing the moves while attending a ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to swear in his staff, Obama said the steps "represent a clean break from business as usual."

The pay freeze, first reported by The Associated Press, would hold salaries at their current levels for the roughly 100 White House employees who make over $100,000 a year. "Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington," said the new president, taking office amid startlingly bad economic times that many fear will grow worse.

Those affected by the freeze include the high-profile jobs of White House chief of staff, national security adviser and press secretary. Other aides who work in relative anonymity also would fit into that cap if Obama follows a structure similar to the one George W. Bush set up.

Obama's new lobbying rules will not only ban aides from trying to influence the administration when they leave his staff. Those already hired will be banned from working on matters they have previously lobbied on, or to approach agencies that they once targeted.

The rules also ban lobbyists from giving gifts of any size to any member of his administration. It wasn't immediately clear whether the ban would include the traditional "previous relationships" clause, allowing gifts from friends or associates with which an employee comes in with strong ties.

The new rules also require that anyone who leaves his administration is not allowed to try to influence former friends and colleagues for at least two years. Obama is requiring all staff to attend to an ethics briefing like one he said he attended last week.

Obama called the rules tighter "than under any other administration in history." They followed pledges during his campaign to be strict about the influence of lobbyist in his White House.

"The new rules on lobbying alone, no matter how tough, are not enough to fix a broken system in Washington," he said. "That's why I'm also setting rules that govern not just lobbyists but all those who have been selected to serve in my administration."

In an attempt to deliver on pledges of a transparent government, Obama said he would change the way the federal government interprets the Freedom of Information Act. He said he was directing agencies that vet requests for information to err on the side of making information public — not to look for reasons to legally withhold it — an alteration to the traditional standard of evaluation.

Just because a government agency has the legal power to keep information private does not mean that it should, Obama said. Reporters and public-interest groups often make use of the law to explore how and why government decisions were made; they are often stymied as agencies claim legal exemptions to the law.

"For a long time now, there's been too much secrecy in this city," Obama said.

He said the orders he was issuing Wednesday will not "make government as honest and transparent as it needs to be" nor go as far as he would like.

"But these historic measures do mark the beginning of a new era of openness in our country," Obama said. "And I will, I hope, do something to make government trustworthy in the eyes of the American people, in the days and weeks, months and years to come."

8 Strategies For Effective Business Communication

by Teresa Morrow

When in business, one of the main goals is to achieve reoccurring sales and referrals. In order for this goal to be achieved, the business owner needs to ensure the customer is happy with the service or product being offered. A customer’s happiness can be from effective communication on the part of the business owners and associates. At least 65 percent of each and every day, humans spend communicating, either verbally or in writing. When you really think about that statistic, the importance of how we communicate with each other becomes obvious.

Here are eight strategies to help significantly increase effective communication within your business and with the customers. 1. Hit Replay before you speak- Be sure to have a clear picture of the message and then form an outline in your mind before the words are spoken. Know exactly how you want to convey that message to your customer or business associate. 2. Ensure Active Participation - A good in person conversation entails eye contact which deems it necessary to be looking at each other during communication. When you and your customer are not looking at each other, it doesn't allow for “active listening”. Wait until there is an open, clear line of communication before you speak. By speaking while in another room or with your back turned, it may appear the customer may feel unimportant, which can lead to frustration between you and your customer. 3. Patience really is a virtue - Don’t let your impatience get the best of you when trying to communicate. The true meaning of your message may get misunderstood if you decide you need to tell your customer something too quickly. This could lead to a misperception of your message and then you will need to spend more time trying to explain what the message was you were trying to convey. 4. Remember to listen - Listen to the customer and answer questions fully. By listening, it displays your commitment to the customer’s needs and wants. As a business owner, listening should be done first and then speaking with the customer.

5. Know your audience – Successful communicators understand their audience because they connect with an aspect of our lives, whether it is personal or professional. When you are in tune with your customer’s lives, the business relationship develops on a more personable level. This can be a factor when deciding to go with a company for business. 6. Get the Facts- Effective communicating is driven by having the facts to go along with your message. No small detail is insignificant. For example, when writing down a phone message, be sure to ask for all the correct contact information, the caller's first and last name, and their message. 7. Ask Questions – Ask your customer if they have any questions about your message, whether it be a phone call or presentation. If they do, be sure to answer them honestly. 8. Watch your Tone – The use of the tone in your voice when communicating can mean the difference between getting the correct message across and creating an argument. Be uplifting and encouraging with your tone.

Home Tutoring Business Offers Entrepreneurs Financial Success and Financial Freedom

Newbury Park, California (February, 2007) Laurie Hurley, founder and CEO of Bright Apple Tutoring, Inc. a tutoring referral business, and Home Tutoring Business, has enjoyed financial success and financial freedom since opening her business in 2002. And, each year as the educational industry continued to grow and more and more parents realized the benefits of one–on-one tutoring, Hurley’s business continued to excel. In 2005, Hurley began making this same opportunity available to others through her Home Tutoring Business Packages and since then, has seen dozens succeed in their own tutoring referral business.

Hurley states, “When I started out I made some mistakes, learned from them, and developed a distinct style of marketing myself and my business. At times I learned the hard way what didn’t work. It often cost me money, but I used every opportunity to improve upon my service and expand my home-based business. In the Home Tutoring Business Manual© I share my successes and failures and give the buyer the knowledge and business ideas to build a successful company. One of the hardest aspects of starting a new business is feeling like you are doing it alone. With HTB, our business packages provide on-going support and advice, which is like having a personalized business coach and mentor to help you grow your business.” Home Tutoring Business Packages can assist anyone have the personal accomplishments and financial freedom of being a business owner with its easy step-by step format. You don’t have to be a tutor or have any background in education. HTB gives you the entrepreneurial edge to create a lucrative tutoring services; matching qualified educators with students for private in-home tutoring.

Want more information on what a home tutoring business is? Here are a few facts:

- A home tutoring business fulfills a niche in the educational services market that, until quite recently, was overlooked

- The owner serves as a broker between professional teachers and tutors and students in need of one-on-one, private in-home tutoring

- In-home tutoring affords the parent a convenient, more personal approach to tutoring

- Tutors are matched with students based on academic need, personality and learning style

- The owner conducts an in-depth interview with all tutors, AND meets every student and their parent(s) in order to make the perfect match

- In order to manage and administer a successful company, teaching and tutoring experience is not required

Entrepreneurs prefer to work hard for themselves rather than pay a large franchise fee and monthly royalties, which ultimately does not provide financial independence. Hurley’s package allows just that.

For more information on a Home Tutoring Business or to purchase a business package, please visit http://www.hometutoringbusiness.com or call 1-888-847-0033

Marketing Lowdown: Make the Most of Media

By Robert Grede

It's bad enough when your salesman walks into a meeting with new prospect and says, "Hi, I'm Joe Dokes," and the buyer says, "Joe who?" But it's worse when he says, "You know, Joe Dokes from the Time Tested Tombstone Company," and the prospect comes back with, "Time Tested what?"

Your salesman is in trouble. And it's your fault. Your prospect didn't recognize your company's name because you don't advertise. Sure, you may have sent him a mailing or two, or even introduced him to your firm at a trade show. But that was last year, or last month, or even last week. If you don't keep your name around constantly, it's forgotten as quickly as last year's Miss America.

Media advertising makes your company name recognizable and remembered. It gives credibility to your products, and paves the way for your sales force or your direct mailings. Magazines can be effective for targeting your audience efficiently. There are magazines covering virtually every market you can think of. Consumer magazines for gourmets, ice skaters and doll house collectors. Trade magazines for every industry and farm magazines for every crop.

But newspapers and magazines are passive media. Advertising in them assumes their readers have an inherent interest in your product. Their readers will frequently pass by an ad if they don't know they need the product. You may need more intrusive media: radio or television. Radio offers a multitude of opportunities for the creative mind. It can also be targeted at specific audiences. Each radio station appeals to a very select group of listeners. And ratings companies monitor exactly who is listening when. But radio has its limitations, too. Most people don't "listen" to radio; they simply "hear" it. It serves as background noise while they work, or while they drive. So unless your radio spot is extremely unique, and can grab the "hearers" and make them "listeners," use radio cautiously. If you sell to consumers, TV offers the best opportunity to create awareness for your product or service. Video allows you to compare, demonstrate, inform and entertain. And don’t forget to include the TV spot on your Web site. All media works on the basis of "reach" and "frequency." Reach is the number of new people that see (or hear) your advertisement. Frequency is the number of times they see it. Generally speaking, reach creates awareness. Frequency sells. The effect of seeing an advertisement repeatedly creates credibility. Repetition attaches your company to an industry or a product in your customers' minds. So, just because you're tired of seeing the same ads for your products doesn't mean your customers are. They haven't seen them as often as you have. Don't be afraid to run your ads over and over again. And then, when you get so tired of them you could scream, run them again. Consistency is important in all your marketing efforts. Use the same theme in your media advertising, your mailings, at trade shows, perhaps even on your company letterhead. Such repetition helps your prospects remember. If you place a big ad in a newspaper or magazine, get reprints. Mail them to all your customers and potential customers. Enlarge them and display them in your booth at trade shows. Feature them in your direct mailings. Make them available on your Web site. The more often your customers see your ads, the better the ads sell. And then, when your salesman calls on new prospects, the prospects may not remember his name, but they'll remember yours. Excerpt from "How to Be Your Own Advertising Agency (For the Small Business Owner)," an eBook by Robert Grede, consultant, speaker, S&MM online columnist and author of the best-selling "Naked Marketing: The Bare Essentials" (Marquette University Press). Buy his books online at TheGredeCompany.com.

Outside the Box: Don't Give In to the Gloom

By David Chittock We sales folk may as well hang it up for 2010, right? We've all heard that the New Year is going to be scarily slow. Incentive budgets are being cut, reward trips being eliminated and sales staffs are being trimmed. Prospects are refusing meetings, slashing buying budgets and making themselves scarce (or disappearing altogether). It's a challenging time to manage salespeople, a time that many managers and salespeople have never seen. The natural instinct for many in our profession right now is to crawl into the fetal position, hunker down and let the whole thing pass on by. In such an environment, it's easy for salespeople to let a malaise set in…a feeling that no matter what one does, sales aren’t going to grow. When that happens, the typical daily activities that lead to success—planning, researching, prospecting and follow-up calls—fall by the wayside, and the dread of lower sales growth can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Managers must remember that many salespeople are petrified right now; they're not just afraid that it's going to be a slow year, but scared that their jobs are in jeopardy. Certainly, fear breeds paralysis, which only slows many salespeople down even further. Even the top 15% to 20% of sellers will be challenged during this period, so managers need to be particularly aware of motivating everyone during this slowdown. Sales and marketing managers need to think about the following three actions as first steps in dealing with a sales slowdown:

• Be a visible, strong leader. Great leaders shine in tough times. When London was being bombed incessantly, Winston Churchill spoke bravely on the radio every week, letting his countrymen know he was confident in their ability to fight through the Battle of Britain. You, too, must stay in front of your team. Communicate more often than usual. Let them know that you believe in them and that, together, you'll get through this thing. With all the fear out there, your salespeople will take their cues from you and your attitude. If you're scared, they’ll be scared. If they sense that you’re feeling too much pressure, they'll put too much negative pressure on themselves. So first make sure your attitude is positive and you believe, despite all of the doom and gloom, that you and your team can be successful. With available technologies, you can easily use e-mail, v-mail and Flash videos to quickly reach all of your people on a regular basis. Even more importantly, personal calls and visits to your people to offer encouragement and support can have a huge impact this year, right now. Even the most cynical, hardened sales veteran will need pumping-up next year. • Keep and expand incentive programs. The bean counters will be pressuring sales management to cut costs by eliminating or reducing incentive programs, contests, promotions and sales trips. Sales and marketing managers have to be strong and fight the numbers guys to keep or even add incentives. Remember, now is the time when incentives are most needed, because managers have to use every tool possible to keep the troops motivated and selling. Remind the accountants that the beauty of well-structured incentive programs is that they are self-liquidating; if folks don't hit the numbers, then payouts are minimized. If you have the ability to change or add to your incentive offerings, you might think about two twists for 2010. The first would be to reward the near-term actions that lead to long-term success. That would include rewarding for increases in activities such as cold calls, initial contacts, proposals generated and face-to-face sales calls. The second would be to add a short-term spiff during your peak selling season—something like a three month spurt program for year-over-year sales increases. Be sure to focus on incentives with tangible rewards—either merchandise or travel. There are three reasons for this: 1. Numerous studies have shown that tangibles drive performance better than cash, because of the way that tangible rewards are perceived in the brain. 2. Despite the fact that sales income might be down next year and one would think that extra cash would be a good motivator, I believe just the opposite. My gut tells me that salespeople will internalize the need for cash to pay for everyday bills, which is actually demotivational. Guilt-free rewards always motivate. 3. Tangible programs are extremely promotable, while cash is virtually unpromotable. Expand your communication campaign to support your incentive program(s). • Reinforce sales basics. When people get scared, they stop doing the daily tasks that lead to long-term success. Like a basketball player in a slump who must go into a gym for a few weeks and work on shooting and ballhandling fundamentals, salespeople need to rely on selling fundamentals during times of slow business growth. Think of ways to promote a "back-to-basics" approach to selling. Identify the daily, weekly and monthly actions that have been proven critical to sales success in your business, then promote those behaviors. Find ways to communicate the best practices your top salespeople have exhibited and encourage middle-tier sellers to adopt those practices. There are easy ways to promote best practices, including sales tip cards, links on your Intranet site, sellers’ blogs and refresher sales classes. One of General George Patton's favorite sayings was "Audacity, audacity, always audacity." During the next year, if you are going to succeed, you'll need to be audacious and look at this environment as an opportunity to gain market share at competitors' expense. Remember that a good place to start is with the sales managers' fundamentals: leadership, motivation and sales basics. S&MM columnist David Chittock, president of Incentra, focuses on helping leaders achieve their business goals by "increasing the value of the people vital to success" through integrated incentive and recognition solutions. He manages a diverse business that offers strategy creation, Web performance platforms, print and electronic communications, administration, training, program analysis and rewards fulfillment around the globe. He can be reached at dchittock@incentra1.com.

Back to Basics: Are You an Order-Taker or a Sales-Maker?

By Kelley Robertson

Charlie the sales guy talks to his first customer of the day. He has been dealing with this account for several years and the conversation goes something like this: "Hi, Alan. Just thought I’d drop by and see if you need anything this week. I notice that the white bell-hoppers haven't been selling well, but you’re low on blue widgets; Do you want me to order some for you? Do you need anything else? Well, if you want to put the white bell-hoppers on sale, I'll talk to my manager about reimbursing you for the discount. I'll get back to you later this week." The process repeats itself with each account and when the sales person returns to his office, he is disappointed with his results. He thinks to himself, "No one seems to buying much anymore. And when they do, they only want the best price. Our products are over-priced compared to our competitors so I don't know how the company expects us to hit our targets. If I just had some new products to show my customers, then things would be different." Would they? If the company introduced a new line of products, Charlie's sales would certainly see a boost, but that increase would only be temporary. It wouldn't take long for his sales to drop to their previous level. The problem is that Charlie has slipped into the role of an order-taker. He has forgotten how to sell and simply goes through the motions. He doesn’t see that he is missing valuable sales opportunities.

Let's look at the same scenario with a different rep, Shirley: "Hi, Alan. I was going through your inventory and noticed that you haven't sold through your last order of white bell-hoppers. I have a couple of ideas that should help you with this. One of my other accounts has bundled them with blue widgets and they have tripled their sales in the last week alone. The best thing about this approach is that it increases your average sale and contributes more profit dollars to your bottom line. I know that you're busy so would it be helpful if I set up a display and signage for that bundle. I can also review the program with your staff so they can answer any questions your customer might have? Would that work for you?" Shirley is a sales-maker, not an order-taker. She takes a proactive approach and positions herself as a problem-solver. She looks for opportunities and ways to help her customers and increases her sales in the process. Unless you sell a highly complex or specialized product, you probably have repeat customers. It is easy to fall into the trap of simply processing orders for these customers. In many cases, it requires very little effort. However, the danger in these situations is that it becomes very easy for a competitor to slip in and steal your business. If you are not adding some form of value to your customer, then you and your products become commodities and price will become the primary factor in your customer's buying process simply through default. Transforming from an order-taker to a sales-maker is not that difficult but it does require a complete shift in your thinking. The key is to focus on helping your customer solve their problems. Here is what you can do to move from order-taker to sales-maker. 1. Establish a clear objective for each sales call. It isn't enough to say that you want to get a sale. Your objective must be more specific than that. Part of this process can be reviewing your customers' sales. What is selling and what is not? Why are certain products not selling? What can you do differently to change this? Your pre-call research will help you determine your approach. 2. Invest more time learning about your customer. Most reps who sell to the same customers think that they know a lot about that person and their business, but in reality, they usually know very little. Ask questions about their business goals, current challenges, their customers and their competition. 3. Look for sales opportunities. This change is the most important—and the most difficult. What other products or services could benefit your existing customers? What problems can you help solve for your customers? The information you gain by asking more questions should help you identify other avenues for sales with existing customers. But your efforts shouldn't stop there. Consider venturing into different markets than where you currently do business. Are there other places, companies or organizations that would benefit from your products or services? This often means that you have to change your approach but if it opens new markets, then it will be worthwhile. The key difference between an order-taker and a sales-maker is the mental outlook. One person waits for the sales to come to him while the other is proactive and makes the sales happen. Which are you? © 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved. S&MM online columnist Kelley Robertson, author of "The Secrets of Power Selling" helps sales professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and profits. Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.