How Marketing & Sales Teaches You Life Lessons!

When I applied for my first sales & marketing job, I had no idea it would teach me to be a better person, leader, coach, girlfriend, mother etc...  But here are 10 ways it did!

1.  Communication - Effective communication is the staple to success in any relationship, business or otherwise.  Sales & Marketing results give you a brutally honest look at how well you communicate, and demand you improve if you want better results.

2.  Conversation - If sales is just the result of having an intelligent conversation, then everyone is in the sales business.  You are selling an idea, yourself, a plan for the weekend, a vacation to your loved one, a raise to your boss etc.. And the only way to get great sales results is to be able to have an effective converstaion.  This really comes in handy in personal realationships and with children as well!

3.  Listening - Your customers will tell you what they can be sold on.  This teaches you to become a great listener.  We have 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason.  Who doesn't like being around a great listener?!

4.  Leading - If you are not excited about being a leader, you probably won't be in sales for long.  It's competitive, exciting, and in most cases your results are based on YOU and your effort.  Leaders (well, respected ones, anyway...) can't make excuses.  Sales and Marketing teach you to eliminate excuses and get results, which, in turn, typically will propel you past the people who still make excuses.  Afterall, a leader without followers is just a person who is walking.

5.  Self-Belief - Tebow said it best - BELIEVE.  In Sales & Marketing, people tell you no.  Maybe people even tell you to "get a real job" or do something easier.  If you believe in what you are doing, then you constantly have to re-commit to it while others may try to discourage you.  Just because someone else can't do something doesn't mean YOU can't.  You must believe in yourself to make sales a career.

6.  Helping Others - As soon as you stop worrying about your numbers and your bank account, the sales just start pouring in.  Money is just the applause for taking a genuine interest in helping others.  It could be helping them with the product you are selling or helping them learn.  Either way, sales teaches you to be SELFLESS if you want to succeed long term.

7.  Reasoning - You have to be able to make things make sense to other people.  If you can't get your point accross effectively, no deal.  Everyone wants to know, "What's in it for me?"  Reasoning skills help you to communicate why what you are selling is a good idea for the buyer.

8.  Competition - Healthy competition keeps us from dying inside.  We want to be the best mother, friend, daughter, closer, coach or whatever.  Sales teaches you to look at yourself, your stats, your communication skills, your attitude toward life, and get better!

9.  Hearing NO - Let's face it.  No one likes hearing no.  But we've been told no our entire lives!  No more candy, no staying up past your bedtime, no you can't play outside, no you can't get into this college.  The more we hear no, the more immune to it we become.  And if you study ANY successful person, they were told no much more often than yes in their early business years.  The difference between them and the next guy was they just kept at it.  "No" can't ruin you.  It should only encourage you to improve your strategy!

10. Integrity/Honesty - I've said this in my blogs before, but it is my MISSION to prove that you can operate a clean, honest, upfront business and still be incredibly successful.  Omission is the same as lying according to my mother.  We are dead a lot longer than we're alive, and I'd much rather make my living with clean money than have to look over my shoulder all the time.  A lot of my sales I have made because I was upfront.  The buyer was testing me to see if I would be honest with them in the eyes of temptation.  Each time I made a sale becasue I was honest, I was more motivated to prove it could be done!

Clothing / Food Drive was a success!

Thanks so much to everyone who donated men's, women's, and children's clothing to our drive to benefit both Sox Place and Safe House Denver.  We have so much to be thankful for, not only in our careers, but in one another - and giving to these organizations feels great! 

We have our entire kitchen FULL of boxes and bags of warm winter clothes, business suits, kids clothing, dipaers, toys and blankets.  Not to mention all the food our employees so generously brought in.

I am thankful to work with people who are so selfless and who care so much about this community.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Courage to Change

I have this calendar on my desk where you rip off a page each day, and it has a saying on it.  Well, I'm not the best at following through on this.  But today I did, and here's what was waiting for me to share with you.

"Sometimes, when we don't have the courage to change, everything changes around us to direct us to a new path.  You cannot stop yourself from growing - evolution requires it."

This is especially moving to me because I was thinking back on the times my life has had a big shift, and it was usually not my doing...but it was absolutely for the better!

So - when life tells you you are getting stagnant, appreciate rather than fight it.  It's only for the better!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Part of the solution...

I was thinking about how blessed I am to have the ability to create jobs, especially in what some feel is a tough economic time. 

I was thinking how when we open our two new locations early 2012 I will be able to create 60 MORE jobs. 

Sure it won't save the American economy, but it will save 60 amazing people from having to worry about their career path or what they will do next, or if they will be valued each day when they walk through my doors.  It will mean 60 additional people will have a new sense of self-worth, clear and attainable goals, and they will become better at business than they knew they could be.

I just have a small operation in comparison to some companies, but my operation is HUGE in my world.  It means everything to me.

It means I get to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.  And that's big stuff.

Validation

Everyone needs a little validation sometimes...and you never know when it will come back to you! Do good even if it is for the reason that it feels good!  You never know the battle a stranger may be fighting.
Validation Video

Skyline Marketing, Inc. Update: Google+ vs. Facebook

Skyline Marketing, Inc. Update: Google+ vs. Facebook: I just stumbled upon an article about Google+ vs. Facebook - and I must say curiosity got the best of me. I signed up for it, and it is str...

Google+ vs. Facebook

I just stumbled upon an article about Google+ vs. Facebook - and I must say curiosity got the best of me.  I signed up for it, and it is strikingly similar to the new layout I saw on FB this morning.  Is anyone out there supremely educated on the differences between the two?  Or what the benefits of using one vs. the other would be?  I'm curious, and nosey!  I don't want to miss out on all the buzz!

Welcome Catlin to Management!

We are excited to announce the promotion of the newest member of our management team at Skyline Marketing, Inc., Catlin Lee-Covert!  You can read Catlin's bio on our website http://www.skylinemarketingdenver.com/ to learn more about her background. 

Catlin has been at Skyline Marketing, Inc. for several months now and her pure dedication, care for others, and infectious enthusiasm are only a few reasons we have chosen her for the position.  Catlin began as an Entry Level Account Executive and has proven her skills in that, as well as a leadership and promoting leadership position.  She brings to the table an understanding of all of these positions as well as a genuine commitment to helping our organization grow.

We are honored to further her career development and continue to watch her grow!

Congrats & Cheers, girl!~

Best Friends - An unlikely match?

I was getting my nails done the other day with my mom, and my mom's nail lady said something funny.  She said that little kids are often best friends with older people.  She said, 5 years old have a lot of questions, and 75 years old have a lot of answers...so it's a good match!

That's awesome!

What's Really Important

I had a great visit from my mom/dad/godmom/uncle and 89 year old grandma.  It is always nice to spend time with family - it helps to keep me grounded and remind me what is truly important to me in life.  That's family. 

I have a rule - I won't hire someone unless I'm willing to introduce them to my parents.  This week, for the first time in my career, my parents go to come to my office and see what I do!  It made me proud to show them the company I have built, and the people who work with me.  They, too, are my family.

Both of my families were introduced to one another, and it's nice to know my parents are proud of me, who I am, and what I do for others. 

It's easy to get caught up in day to day tasks, thoughts, goals and problem solving.  But every now and again it's good to remember what's really important!

Accountabilibuddy

We all have goals.  We all want to achieve things.  Wanting and doing are 2 separate animals!

I have recently contracted an "Accountabilibuddy" (unofficial name...) to hold me accountable for following through with actions that will help me achieve personal and professional goals.

He's similar to a personal trainer you'd get at the gym.

Once a week we review my goals and my action plan to get there.  Each week he goes down a checklist and asks me if I followed through with xyz...

I have found that just knowing I have to answer to him pushes me to take the right steps, and do the proper actions to move in a direction of success even if at the moment I don't feel like it.  My pride won't let me give him excuses and it motivates me to know I'm constantly improving and becoming a better mom, coach, person, business owner and friend!

I can't remember where I heard this but it made an impact - It's easier to do the right thing than make excuses why you didn't.

Human nature is to procrastinate, make excuses, take the easy way.  So - sometimes we need to motivate ourselves with rewards and/or consequences for taking the right steps to accomplish our goals!  I highly recommend finding an accountabilibuddy to push you to the next level!

Ordinary Days

Yesterday I was in a part of Denver that has a lot of less fortunate people.  I noticed a lot of grown people walking the streets in tattered clothing with sad looks on their faces.  Some had visible disabilities while others looked unkept, maybe even homeless.  At that moment I was so filled with gratitude for the blessings I have in my life.  Most of these blessings are a product of the choices I made early on in my career - on ordinary days.

I chose to work hard in my 20's when my friends went out to party.  I chose to study even when I was tired.  I chose to set goals and prepare my week on Sunday instead of dreading Monday.  I chose the road less traveled and took the criticism from my "friends" and family that came with it.

The choices I made on ordinary days compounded, and have produced the life I live today.

I am POSITIVE the people I saw walking the streets yesterday did not expect to be in dire straights in their 40s.  I am sure they never thought they'd be struggling.  No one expects to be jobless or homeless when they "grow up" but the fact is the life you have when you grow up is a product of the choices you make on ordinary days.  Days like today.

Will you choose to prepare for the future, or in the future repair your life because of decisions you made in the past?

More Wisdom from Yehuda Berg

There are two thoughts that a successful person must let go of:
I will never make it.
I am already there.  

Believe in yourself even when you don't have a reason to.  Continue learning even when you think you are a master at your trade.

Babies Don't Know How to Quit

I have a 6mo old little girl - and she's learning to crawl.  She gets frustrated and kicks her legs, as if she's swimming on land.  She wants to go, and looks at me and whines as I cheer her on.  She has completed moving in a full circle.  She hasn't quite figured out how to move forward.

 This makes me think of someone starting a new career.  They can go in circles, but it takes practice and diligence to learn to move forward.

Luckily, babies don't know how to quit.  They don't know it's an option.  And because of that, babies learn to crawl, and then walk, and then run!  Wouldn't it be horrible if they knew quitting was a choice?  You'd have teenagers crawling around because learning to walk or run was just too hard!

Oftentimes the best lessons adults learn are from our children, who haven't been tainted by negative habits.  So - next time you want to give up because something is too frustrating or too hard, imagine all the things you'd have missed out on if you knew quitting was possible when you were a child, and push yourself to complete the task at hand.

What goes around...

I read a quote by Yehuda Berg today - "We don’t have to defeat others to get our way.  Just ourselves, specifically, that part that thinks only of ourselves."

It makes me think of my time as a new college grad, eager - and naive - to the business world.  I found out quickly that some are willing to step on, trample, mow over others to get ahead.  I knew there had to be good people out there who genuinely wanted to see me succeed, like I wanted to see them succeed.

It makes me thankful I kept going.

It makes me thankful that not ALL business people are like that - I'm finding the saying, "It's lonely at the top" only applies to those who had to step on others to get there.  The more people who want to see you succeed, the faster you succeed. 

I know when we're at the top, it will be crowded with others we've helped get there.  Rather than a cold and lonely feeling, it will be a huge celebration of people who defeated their urge to do others dirty.  It will be a moment of joy and pure accomplishment in the most clean sense.  That is something no one can take from you.  We earned it through hard work, honesty, sticking together when times got tough, sacrificing what's immediate and easy for what's long lasting and hard to achieve.

It makes me thankful that you attract who you are and what you think about - and it makes me thankful that I get to have a hand in developing others.  Afterall, a legacy far outlives a leader.

Hard Work Pays Off!

Our President, Lauren Lesho, was chosen as Outstanding VIP of the Year for Who's Who Among Business Executives, Professionals & Entrepreneurs.  Only 5% of Who's Who inductees were chosen on a national and international level out of more than 400,000 candidates.

We're excited about this success - it's another stepping stone and validation that good, honest, hard work really does pay off! 

We're also excited to announce we are expanding 2 more locations this year!

Next stop...the cover of Forbes!

Stay tuned...

New Client - More Opportunity!

We have taken on an additional client at Skyline Marketing, Inc.!  We’re very excited to pilot this program and make it successful.  What this means for us is additional opportunities to expand in the Denver Metro region.  We have started hiring for Entry Level Account Executives, and have promoted 2 new Account Executives to a leadership position!  Congrats to Shawn and Matt - we are all very excited to have you as a part of our Leadership Team.

We are also beginning to train one of our Senior Account Executives, Cole, to take on a Management role.  Cole has been with us for more than a year, and has played a huge role in our expansion efforts and has been a perfect example of what a leader is to the rest of the Skyline team.

We’ve selected a few of our top performers to travel to Nashville with us for a weekend getaway at the Rennaisance Hotel where we’ll do an awards dinner, some advanced leadership learning as well as some R&R time around the pool!

Congrats to everyone who is working so diligently to help us achieve our company goals!

We Finally Did It ...

We are combining the oldschool way of doing business (in person, smile handshake etc...) with the newschool blogging/social media way of life.

We're into building personal relationships with our clients and customers in person. We like to sit down, have coffee, shake hands, make eye contact, and do business.

Luckily, our CEO is a writer by trade, so through the magic of the internet and social media outlets we will have a way to share our exciting news, expansion opportunities, charitible causes and funny/crazy happenings at our company with the entire WORLD.

It's exciting to give in sometimes. We've been resisting to bite the fruit that is social media for fear it would distract us from hitting our goals. (We're kind of obsessed with success and hitting goals...)

But times change - and we've seen the light! So we are now embracing all of these avenues of modern impersonal communication to share our lives and progress and news with you, whomever you may be.

Enjoy!