Happy New Year!!!  Is there anyone saying that sincerely in the face of what many are anticipating this year.  The answer is Yes! Absolutely! No doubt! So are these people eternally optimistic, crazy, or otherwise deranged?  Some of them are perhaps a bit unstable but there is also a large contingency of people jumping in with both feet and are ready to hit the ground running.

Why in the world would I choose to throw this topic into a blog about CRM?  Well, my main constituency are sales people. Whether naturally graced with the skill of selling or groomed and mentored like many of the best sales people I have known, the true sales person is embracing this year like any other. And those who are supported with the right tools they will actually pummel their competition.

If you want a real reality show then just do a ride along with a person charged with bringing in a quota this year.  Sure, business may slow and in some industries negative growth will be the norm.  So there is business out there and it is just a matter of who will bring it home for their firms.

Whether or not you have the best CRM system in the world there are some things that we must embrace in order to succeed in less than certain times.

EVERYONE SELLS

I will be the first person in the world to tell you that the world "Sales" has a negative connotation.  Everyone likes to buy but no one likes to be sold is the adage that is prevalent in the business world.  That is not to say that there is nothing wrong with be an evangelist with your customers.  If everyone on your team that comes in contact with customers understands this it is amazing to see what a real "team" can produce rather than putting production on the shoulders of just individuals.

TECHNOLOGY IS AN ENABLER

So I have a blog... Woohoo!  I am on social networking sites...Woohoo!  I have a fantastic CRM system...well, you get the point.  If you are charged with bringing in numbers then you have to have a ditch digging mentality regarding the effort that it takes to get the job done.  No matter the technology that you use it is important that you have a plan and stick to it.  If you use social networking it is a means to an end.  Blogging, social networks, and CRM tools are intended to connect you to the right people so that you can practice your craft.  

I want to end this post with a couple of passages from my deceased grandfather.  As I entered the business world after I graduated from college he said two things. "Tell me who you hang around with and I will tell you who you are." And, "If you don't know where you are going you will probably end up somewhere else."  Loosely translated I took this to mean that my associations and there attitudes will either have a net positive or net negative effect on me and my efforts.  And, if I don't wake up with a plan every day then that day is essentially lost.

Good luck to all this year and I hope that you reach your goals and dreams and exceed every expectation that you had for yourself this year.