How to Increase Sales : Advice My Mother Gave Me

I come from a long line of sales people. Our family reunions remind me of a "Glengarry Glen Ross" movie with a room full of Type-A personalities and my grandfather halting coffee service like Alec Baldwin. I have been raised in a loud environment where you have to be aggressive, somewhat funny, and quick witted to get a word in. And let's not even get started with the competitiveness around a family board game table. You can always find a boastful winner, an overturned coffee table and someone (usually me) crying in a corner because grandma cheated again. Yes, it seem chaotic, but to me, it is all I know. So it is no wonder I thrive in my sales environment, work is just a mirror of my home.

Now, what most of you DON'T know, is I get most of my ability to work and sell from my mother, Carla. My mother decided to end her sales career to stay at home with me and my two older brothers when we were very young. My father will say his big regret is letting her do that because if she was still working, we would be living in a beach front mansion  in Newport Beach, CA. She was always working, though. Because wasn't busy enough with three kids, she was constantly developing  profitable side projects, In the past 5 years, she has created a successful business, all while being the day time caregiver for my two young sons.  

My mom is a rock star. If you get the privilege to get to know to know her, you will find she is sharp, funny, confident and completely unorthodox in her thinking. She's a spit fire and a blast to banter with. This is what has set her apart and made her who she is today. Lucky for me, she LOVES to share her sales advice with me. And today, my friends, I am going to share some of her advice with you.

1. They won't buy anything from you if they don't give you anything.
 This advice was very helpful for me to understand the effectiveness of my cold calls. My mom told me if they don't give you anything (a business card, a layout of  their facility) they won't buy anything. I kept practicing this, even asking for "pre-sale" gifts, and noting where I was successful and where I wasn't. This advice stood true. 

2. Always say "YES" when offered water/cookie/item from a client.
One of my favorites and goes along a bit with the first word of advice. Often times, before a meeting starts, the client will ask "do you want any water?" And almost always, our answer is "no." We do this because we don't want to feel like we are making our prospect go out of the way for us. But Carla suggests always saying, "Yes." First, it makes you different from the four other sales people that have walked in. Second, it goes along with the first bit of advice, and that is "They wont buy anything from you if they don't give you anything." She explains, "Its your first transaction, make it easy for them."

3. Only bring issues up internally if your ability to sell is being affected.
Internal politics and issues can be the death of a salesperson. Bosses being unfair, promotions seem undeserved, a fellow employee is being a bit obnoxious... we have heard them all. Well, Carla thinks if it isn't directly affecting your ability to sell, then you need to forget about it and move on. She explain that my job is to go out, connect with clients, and create a book of business. If I am doing that correctly, very little outside influence should affect my ability. I was not hired to improve processes. And shes right. So when issues arise, I work hard to channel that energy into a productive work flow. 

4. Don't go to lunch with anyone who can't buy anything from you. 
This one is hard for me, but really it makes sense. We all love to go to lunch with co-workers. We enjoy debriefing on the morning and talking about how our families are doing. An hour or more with co-workers can be spent with a client, reading about the latest technology impacting your business, with a vendor who can help you further your business relationships, or just in your own silence. Use that time wisely.

5. Bring your own water to the office.
"Water-cooler" talk drives Carla nuts. She's not much for small talk in the first place, but when it comes to work, she absolutely despises extended time when getting up for a quick break. She explains that if I have time to sit and talk to friends, I can do one of two things:
1. Go Prospecting 
2. Go home and take care of your kids
We all say we are busy, and I know most of us are. But if we can take some of the small talk that we dabble through the day, we may have extra time for completing tasks or to balance work and life.

6. Give them something to buy
After a sales meeting, I stopped by my moms house and told her about a sales person that didn't sell anything for that one. He put up a goose egg. A big fat zero. I said, "Its easy to point, but how can I ensure that never happens to me?" She advised, "Always give them something to buy." This seems silly, but I have given this advice to our young business development reps. Whenever you cold call for months and no one has bought anything from you, you have to think, "Did I quote anything?" I tell them to give quotes even if the client doesn't ask for quotes. The client probably wont buy what you quoted, but they always have something else for your efforts. My mom expressed, if you have to put a pallet jack in the back of a pick up truck and go door to door, then that is what you are going to do. That may not get your salesman of the month, but you sure as hell wont have a goose egg by your name!

My mom has provided years of valuable advice. Most of it is sound, lots of it is delightfully crazy and some of it is not appropriate to publish on a professional blog post.

 So get out there, say yes to the water offered and get your clients to buy something!

Women in Warehousing Spotlight: Frieda

 
I have heard many incredible stories and met a lot of neat people in my career as a material handling specialist. Recently, I had the pleasure of hearing the story about my newly found role model, Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan. Frieda is a true inspiration to a young working mother such as myself. Her fearless and entrepreneurial mindset helped her break gender role stereotypes, start a successful business, raise two strong daughters and set a precedent for the rest of us to follow. 

 

I found out about Frieda through a cold call to her company’s warehouse in Los Alamitos. The facilities manager told me about the start of Frieda’s Specialty Produce and how the company is still family owned and operated by women. Eager to know more, I got in contact with Frieda's youngest daughter, Jackie Caplan Wiggins, who is the COO of the company. Jackie agreed to an interview to tell me about Frieda and as it turns out, I am not the only one who is amazed by her. The full length documentary film, "Fear No Fruit" outlines Frieda's inspirational career and really digs into the huge impact she has had to the produce community.

Frieda got her start in the produce business in the mid-fifties. She was looking for a part-time job because she just had a baby and she was breastfeeding. Now, think back to your text books, or even back to an I Love Lucy episode, and most women in the 1950's were typically homemakers. But not Frieda. She made her mark by selling fresh mushrooms, an uncommon good that competed with the canned version. Eventually, she took out a loan and opened up her own spot in the LA Produce Market. Because Frieda wasn't afraid to handle uncommon goods, she quickly gained her reputation for handling "the weird stuff."

A broker from CH Robinson approached Frieda to see if she would sell "Chinese Gooseberries," to which she bravely agreed. Frieda, with the help of outside influence, decided that an ugly, brown, fuzzy fruit called a Chinese Gooseberry would never sell. She changed the name to "kiwifruit" after the New Zealand national bird. After convincing the growers to rename the fruit, Frieda began to market and sell the kiwifruit in America.  Though the kiwifruit is what she is most famously known for, she also introduced other "weird" fruits and vegetables such as the habanero pepper, alfalfa sprouts, spaghetti squash, jicama, shallots, mangos, and Donut® peaches to name just a few.  

Frieda tells a great story in "Fear No Fruit" that shows her dedication to her clients. When she was first starting her career, she made a large mushroom sale, but was unable to fill due to lack of inventory. So she bundled up her young baby, drove out to a growers and stayed there until they gave her mushrooms to fill her customer's order. Her desire to make sure a customer is completely satisfied is something to admire. To this day, the company still guarantees 100% consumer satisfaction with every purchase. Frieda was the first woman to own and operate a wholesale produce company in the United States. She was the first to package a produce item and print a recipe on the label. And yes, at the prime age of 95, she still works 2-3 days a week. I asked Jackie what made Frieda so successful. She told me, "Frieda doesn't see obstacles. Growers came to Frieda because she  had an open mind. Frieda is involved in her community, she is politically active and she is a great listener. She is a positive thinker and trusts her employees."

Frieda's career success completely has me awestruck, but the fact she also raised a family while working overtime makes me look up to her even more. While Frieda began and ran her business, she would leave the house at 1:00 AM, always kissing her daughters goodbye, and would be home around 5:00 PM. She worked in a male dominated world, all while wearing a dress and heels. Frieda's husband aided in her success because he ran his business out of their home, which allowed him to do a majority of the caregiving. This allowed Frieda to work the hours she did. Frieda's daughters, Karen and Jackie, now own and run the business and have taken it to new heights. They followed their mother's example and took the lead to heighten the success of the family business. Karen's daughters Alex and Sophia have also joined the company. 

 

 

If you would like to see the full story on Frieda, I would highly recommend renting "Fear No Fruit" www.fearnofruit.com  I hope you are as motivated by Frieda’s story as much as I am.

 

My Mom Never Mentioned I Was a Girl

No one ever told me I was a girl.  No one ever told me I couldn't do something. 

I have been known for many things, but being graceful, poised, timid, submissive, were never the adjectives to describe me. I have been called assertive, aggressive, a bitch, a bad ass, and other adjectives that sometimes, I wish I could suppress. No matter how much I tried, I could never quite be the sweet little princess I always wanted to be. But one day, I woke up, and realized all of my strengths, made me strong. And I realized being strong is something many women, and men, worked to achieve every day. And this, my friends, was a wonderful awakening.

As you know, I sell forklifts and other material handling systems for a living. This is an older male dominated world that women like me can kick ass in. Women in this industry are pushed hard to know their product, but when we do, we earn the respect of our clients and earn life long business relationships. I have had few before me and I hope many come behind me. My goal for the future is to have this business 50/50, if not women dominated.

 Today, I was the only woman in a room full of 8 executives, and hopefully the pride I had beamed toward my audience. I presented the biggest forklift deal of my career, fearlessly, eagerly and powerfully. I looked back on my experience today, and I wondered how I got here. I wondered how I could stand up in front of a group of men without self doubt that other professionals may have. I wonder how I stood in a skirt, unaware of the pant-filled conference room in front of me. And I realized, I was able to do this because when growing up, no one ever told me I was a girl.

I have two older brothers who I followed around baseball parks for 5 years before I decided I wanted to play t-ball when I was old enough. My parents enrolled me on an all boys team, and did the same the next year. I played with these boys, probably not very well, but played, none-the-less, for 2 years. I grew up on a street with all boys, rollerskating, sliding down mud hills, playing hockey, riding dirt bikes, and just enjoying my childhood. Sure, I liked dolls, stuffed animals, make up and jewelry, but I really liked my time with my friends. My mother, father, brothers, neighbors and close friends never mentioned that I couldn't do anything because I was a girl. They took me as I was, and I lived life not knowing societal limitations.

These gender limitations, that I had never been exposed to, slightly showed themselves when I moved to Arkansas for college. My sorority tried to tell me, "girls don't do that." My sweet southern family tried to emphasize, "a true southern woman would never..." Well meaning colleagues would mention, "When you become a mother you may want to quit work." So when my career started moving upward, my husband and I agreed to move back to Southern California where we could both work without any demeaning opinions. My husband never mentioned that I was a woman and I shouldn't be pursuing a career. And I excelled. I excelled because my husband supported me, humbled himself, and let me succeed. 

Looking back, it is incredible I survived the south with my desire to work, succeed, and provide for my family. I believe because of the forward thinking groups I involved myself in such as Junior League of NwA, I was able to stay strong in my idea that women can be successful, too. I joined groups of strong women that could surround and enable me. But, it's sad I had to go out of my way to avoid "gender norms." In California, stereotypes still stand true, however they aren't pushed like other places I have been. I am so happy my mother allowed me to do what I wanted, be friends with whomever I wanted, and create my own opinions on "what was for boys, and what was for girls." She never told me that what I was interested in was "for boys." Maybe it was because it was easier to let me enjoy my brother's hand-me-down toys then buy me new ones, but regardless, she let me explore, learn and excel in my own way.

The idea that girls need to be "princesses" and "boys will be boys" has to go. And this idea starts with the parents. I hope to raise my son to know that women and men are equal, and girls can do everything boys can do, and vice versa. If he wants to pick up a pink giraffe when I tell him I will buy him a toy, then he will get the pink giraffe. I won't point him to the blue one, fearful of gender stereotypes. Those are colors, and small changes we can make to avoid gender differentiation issues. I am so happy my mother never mentioned I was a girl when I wanted to do something. Now, I can stand in a conference room of 8 men and present with pride. Pride In my product, in my preparation, in my hard work, and pride that I'm a freaking bad ass... especially because I'm a girl. 

So let's raise bad asses, let's raise emotional humans, let's raise the children who were given to us, and not try to steer their gender stereotypes,  but rather their interests, desires and strengths. Let's raise a generation who can create a united world.

Five Lessons in Material Handling that Apply to The Real World

I have been in the material handling business for almost three years now, and can't get enough of it. Every day is a thrill to me, every product excites me and every new client becomes close to my heart. Material handling is my passion, and probably will be for the rest of my life. While rocking my toddler to sleep, I realized just how much this business has entwined with my life. Here are five ways material handling practices can apply to the real world:

1. Utilize the Space You Own:
MH World: At least once a week, I am advising clients that have enough space within their current warehouse to add more pallet positions, sometimes as many as double. This saves them on moving expenses, high lease rates, permitting, and a laundry list of expenses that come along with changing warehouses. We can arrange current rack,  narrow the aisles, stack taller, or all of the above.
Real World:  Living in a place with comparatively high cost of living, your buck doesn't go too far in the housing market. There are probably times you have felt you and your family have out grown your space. Look around, be sure all of your furniture is usable. Coffee tables that double as storage, beds that have drawers and shelves in them, you don't necessarily need that antique end of the bed lounge, and isn't there a better place to store china than those gigantic china cabinets? We had to reassess our own living quarters once or twice, and the room we found was remarkable.

2. Keeping it Lean
MH World: In a lean warehouse, the company is not trying to hold as much inventory as possible. This is a more efficient way of running a warehouse. It is easier to find goods, store them, and replenish when necessary. Not to mention, less product requires less space, which we all know is more cost effective.
Real World: Buying in bulk seems like a good idea to most people because of the cost savings. But for a smaller family, this can be the complete opposite. Things such as toilet paper, tooth paste and vitamins make sense, since they aren't perishable and you won't use more just because you have restock. However, keep your fridges and pantries stocked with items for just this week. It's been my experience that I eat healthier, more at home, save money, and have much less food waste keeping my food supply "lean." This can also apply to your closet. Capsule wardrobes are the new thing. You have about 15 pieces of clothing that you cycle throughout the season. When the next season comes, grab new pieces and wear the hell out of them. You will get a much better use of your clothes, lower your prep time and only need to go shopping 4 times a year!

3. You Get What you Pay For
MH World: I like to warn my clients on the first sales call that I will most likely not be the cheapest bid. And there is a reason for that. I am going to do my homework, get you a superior product at the biggest discount possible, and this product will out last most with a smaller price tag. With cheaper rack and forklifts hitting our industry, clients are naturally going to want to buy a cheaper product. You get what you pay for. The cost of ownership after 10 years due to service, replacing parts, down time and damage can far exceed that of the original price of better equipment and material.
Real World: This is one I struggle with. I love bargain shopping and getting the best deal. However, this theory needs to be applied to big investments (Cars) as well as  smaller(vacuums), but still important, purchases. Bargain hunting and buying the cheapest item isn't always a bad thing, but know where to spend your money for the products you need to last.



4. Reduce Your Time on the Inbound Line
MH World:  You can reduce time on inbound line by setting an expectation with your vendors. Have them understands that damaged goods/products/boxes are not acceptable. Between breaking down pallets, sending back damaged goods, and repackaging, time and energy is wasted. Which is just money wasted. Communicate that your time and resources will not be spent with damaged or improperly packaged goods up front to avoid these issues. The less time material can be spent inbound, the more efficient your warehouse will be.
Real World: I like to use this one in my personal relationships. My husband and I thrive off expectations and avoiding issues on the "inbound line." "Have a great day, I can see you home before 6, correct?" "I'm looking forward to date night, are we taking an Uber or are you driving?"  "Can't wait to have you home, can I expect the dog to be taken out or do I need to take him?" It's Relationships 101, really. Clear communication and clear expectations reduces down time and you enjoy each other much more.

5. Use a Consultant
MH World: While doing a big project such as conveyor, racking, new WMS and pick strategy, unless you are proficient in the trade, get a consultant that you trust. They are (or should be) skilled in what they do, they have a fresh eye on your operation, and can spot bad bids and products that will cost you in the long run. I have worked with many and acted as the consultant in plenty of deals, each time leaving a happy client.
Real World: Again, unless the trade IS your profession, leave it to the professionals. Searching for a house should include an agent. New flooring is something you can do on your own, but I wouldn't suggest it. Leave electricity up to the electricians. Reasons going along with the "You get what you pay for" segment. If it isn't your expertise, don't do it.

There you have it, how the material handling world translates to the real world, through my experiences. Utilizing your space, keeping your inventory lean, you get what you pay for, reducing the time on the inbound line and using a consultant will all help with time savings, money managements and efficiencies in not only your warehouse, but in your every day life.

Running Out of Room? No Problem.

A common problem in my North Orange County territory is space. Companies are growing, running out of room, and need more building space. The problem is, North Orange County is currently 97% occupied. The other problem is, it is EXPENSIVE to move. Signing a new lease in this expensive market, moving all your product to a new facility, paying for new racks, dock and door equipment, business cards, and all the other pains of moving are just not something a lot of companies have budgeted for, nor something they want to handle.

Last year, I finally came across a project that gave me a great understanding of what Raymond Handling Solutions can do for their clients. For their privacy sake, we will call them Company S. Company S actually owns 4 buildings right in a row. They were running out of room in their warehouse. They manufacture their product, and their other properties had big expensive machines in them that they just couldn't justify moving. So, I, along with their consultant, had to put together a plan to increase their pallet positions in their current warehouse.

At first look, the change was easy. They were using sit-down propane lifts which require wide aisles (around 12-14 ft) and they had rack scattered throughout their facility. We often run into this issue because racking is not always the first thing companies plan. In order to create an efficient space with maximized pallet positions, it takes planning. You could tell Company S put in racking as needed, and in turn only utilized half of the warehouse's space.

The other issue was their picking process. They primarily piece picked, which means they just need a box or two, not a full pallet to fill orders. So they were taking a lift, bringing the whole pallet down, taking a box off the top, and putting the whole pallet back up. They were handing the pallet 2x-3x as much as they had to because they did not have the right equipment.

 Pallets in the middle of aisles

 Huge Aisle Size and Horizontal and Vertical Racking

 

 

So, we needed to narrow the aisles and get them new, more efficient equipment. With a swing reach and order picker, we were able to reduce their aisles to 72". We increased their pallet positions from 1200 to 2800 in their existing facility. I added wire guidance to their floors so their operators were able to comfortably maneuver in such narrow aisles. Now, when they put pallets away, they use P&D (Pick and Delivery) Locations, where a sit-down forklift stages the pallet and the swing reach can be dedicated to putting pallets away in the aisles.

 

Learning the new equipment was a challenge to the operators. Company S purchased 1 swing reach and 3 order pickers. They operators were not believers in the new system, insisting they needed more than once piece of equipment to put pallets away with. They did not realize the amount of unnecessary handling they were doing. Once they saw that an order picker could help them pick orders faster, they understood why only one piece of equipment was needed for pallet handling.  I go in every now and then to see them, and it is amazing how comfortable they are with the equipment compared to when they started.

 

It was amazing to watch this project grow into the warehouse it is today. The consultant they had working for them had a great vision and really helped me understand the business I was in. Not only did Company S not have to move, but now they have a gorgeous warehouse that they can bring clients to and show off their efficiencies.

 

 

Much Cleaner look

 

Narrow Aisles with Wire Guidance

 

Still putting away pallets, with plenty of room to spare!



The Dirty on Dock and Doors

In a warehouse, there is a special place where shipments come in and shipments go out. Precious cargo rolls over this place time and time again - Operators, forklifts, merchandise, finished goods, and so much more. This place gets beat up, stomped on, slammed down, and all the while, sometimes rarely serviced. This is one of the most overlooked piece of warehouse I have seen: The Loading Docks.

Of course, before being in the material handling business, I could understand how this piece of equipment gets overlooked. It doesn't bring in any money, it isn't a machine (most of the time) and if you can put a shim here, or file it down there, the dock board/leveler still works. But as with all things that wear, a small problem usually becomes a big problem and it can cost the company a lot of money. There are plenty of important parts of socks and doors and sometimes your best investment comes in small packages and maintenance.

The bumpers alone are such a crucial part of the dock leveling systems. When a bumper is missing or worn, a truck has the high potential of hitting the dock opening and causing many problems. The truck restraints won't engage, the levelers can get damaged and the walls could get worn as well. I just went to see a client who wanted some dock levelers. Because of damaged and missing bumpers, we have to do so many repairs account for almost half of the cost of the bumper and leveler replacement! Not to mention the repairs we don't do, like the damage the trucks have done to their tin walls, allowing rodents to come in. All for a couple hundred dollars in bumpers!

Another thing I see companies over look is simple maintenance. We look for a lot when doing SMs on dock levelers is the overall condition of the unit. We want to be sure it is safe to operate, make sure there aren't any broken hinges, stress cracks, things of that nature. Then we will operate the dock to make sure its in balance. Mechanical dock levelers have a lot of moving parts - under the dock there are 4-8 springs that raise the docks, counter balance assembly and other springs to kick the lip out. You don't want the dock lifting too fast or two slow ( which has to do with spring tensions). This is for the safety of your operators. We will also sweep out pit. What is does to ensure there are not any harboring points. This is especially crucial for food or controlled environment. who are trying to avoid a spot for rodents to feast on pallet pieces or food.  We also check bumpers, which I explained the importance of those a little earlier!

When clients don't do routine checks on their docks, they miss potential issues when they are small, and then they become large problems. An example is stress cracks. These can be identified and it is a simple weld if caught early. If left, a year or two later, these stress cracks can be structural failures and now I see my clients replacing docks, and that could have been avoided.  We want to replace bumpers before they are a potential issue. Bumpers should be replaced a pair here, a pair there, but we see whole bumpers replacing at once because of not doing SMs. Its like going to the dentist. If you go every 6 months, they can catch a potential decay or cavity early. If you wait 5-10 years, the next thing you know you have 3 root canals, 7 cavities and a bridge, causing a lot of pain and a whole bunch of money.

The safety of your employees, the cleanliness of your facility, and the forever need to fulfill your wallet can drive you to manager your docks. You want properly working levelers or dock boards for your employees safety. You want to keep the rodents out for the cleanliness of your facility, and scheduled maintenance will catch potential issues before they become huge problems. Thus, saving you money in the long run. If you only take two things away from this blog, please remember this: Take care of your docks, and go to the dentist.

When You are Losing Deals...

Hello Followers,

It has been a while since I have posted; 16 months to be exact! To say I have been busy would be an understatement. Since my last post, last October, I have completed Raymond's D.A.R.T. program, got pregnant, had a baby, took 5 weeks off work to care for said baby, had a record year for my territory, celebrated that record year, and now, I am experiencing what most every sales person experiences at some point, a slow slump in sales.

The beginning of the year is always terrifying. I feel that is even more true after having a great year prior. Come mid-January, still high on my achievements, I took a look around and thought, "The score board is back to zero and I have nothing in the cue." Well, I did have some in the cue, but I lost three deals right in a row, which really, REALLY, hurt my ego.

So, I am sitting back, with my tail between my legs, and asking myself what made me successful last year and why did I lose all of those deals to competitors? My excuses are pretty weak, but they make sense when I dig in. I was "greener" last year, much more pregnant, and not as busy. Being green in the business, I think I worked harder to ensure all my ducks were in a row, details were beat to a pulp and every question was asked and answers were prepared prior to my meetings. Being so pregnant, I made sure to have my upper management at every meeting so my new clients knew that I wasn't going to bail when I had my baby. This also brought experienced ideas to the table and answered questions more thoroughly than I was able. I worked from my home office more, because it was hot and I was massive, so I was on my computer, getting out quotes quicker than any competitor could. And as far as not being as busy, I was able to put all my time, energy and effort into the tasks in front of me. I was able to go to any location at anytime because nothing else consumed me. No task was too small because I was hungry, had another mouth to feed on the way, and wanting to sweep up anything that came in front of me.

And as a lot of successful salespeople seem to do, I got cocky.

I had three big deals in front of me, I thought "oh, these are no problem." I didn't include upper management, I was missing important details, and my quotes were taking longer than normal. I was skipping out on the little things clients were requesting, and obviously that was noted. I never want a sales person to fail, but sometimes it is good for them to lose deals. It was good for me for a few reasons. I was able to take a step back and look at who brought me to my success last year. Half of my income was from small things like battery orders, watering systems and shelving. It was the meticulous work I did and the way I treated every deal like it was my life's work. I started from the bottom, and I think I moved up so quickly, I forgot where I came from! I got knocked down, and gracefully, I am going to stand myself back up, brush myself off, and start from the bottom again.

When you are losing deals, here are a few of my tips to get back on track:

1. What Previously Helped You Succeed?
This may be at your current job, or maybe a past job. When I was struggling in the material handling business early last year, I thought about what made me successful in car sales. We had Monday morning meetings and daily group huddles that really got me pumped. I personally went to my boss at Raymond, MADE him sit down with me every Tuesday, until I started getting on a roll. We would discuss projects, my goals, he success stories.. and slowly the meetings became less necessary as that time slot started filling up with client appointments. Recreate what made you successful in the first place.

2. Sales Training
Some of the old (I say that lightly) sales people hate this because they are stuck in their ways and no way will you teach an old dog new tricks. To them, I salute. However, to young pups like myself, I have to go back to Sandler Sales training every Thursday to get new tips, ideas and polish my sales techniques. Coaches and trainers can really help get you back on track.

3. Don't Forget About the Small Stuff
Remember when you used to care about all of the deals? Even it was a $15 commission check? Get back to those. We have heard it and said it 1000 times, small deals can lead to big deals. Companies grow. You may show up to a tiny little warehouse and think "I don't have time for this," but you never know where they will lead you in your sales future. Even if they don't, small deals add up. If I can do five extra $100 commission deals a month, that's $6000/year. I could use an extra $6,000 in my pocket, couldn't you?

4. Goals
Never forget to write down you goals and have them in a visible spot every day. It sounds stupid, but I put my goals, as well as my husbands, typed out and typed on our bathroom mirror. Everyday it is a small reminder as to why I am waking up and what I am working toward. There is so much power in the subconscious and just having your goals written out will get you one step closer than the guy who doesn't know what he wants to do this year.

5. Be Green Again, and Ask for Help
This may be easier for a newer person to do, but don't be afraid to ask your management for help. They already recognized you are slipping, but now they don't have to confront you when it is too late. I approached my boss and told him I wasn't doing as well as I wanted to be and I could see a sigh of relief from him. He said, "I'm happy you brought this up..." As many who have gone through AA have heard, Admitting your problems is the first step to recovery. Your management is there for a reason and that is to make you succeed. If you succeed, they succeed. Hopefully they can give you tips, guidelines or guidance on how to improve. My boss won't micromanage, so it takes my desire to improve to get him to push me to the next step.

That is just scratching the surface on how to get back on track, but hey, it will get you started. I wish you all the best this year and look forward to posting more about material handling in 2016!

And just for good measure, here is a picture of my greatest accomplishment last year:

This is Thomas Allen Harper at 4 Weeks Old - He's about double this size now!