"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
Gandhi
Community service allows those who participate to reflect on the difference they're making in society. Volunteering within the community teaches people of all ages and backgrounds compassion and understanding. People tend to gain the most from their community service projects when they volunteer their time to help people they've never connected with before. This interaction allows them to see life from a different perspective; reevaluating their opinions of others.
The art of the help, isn't this is the core essence of sales?
It's helping our clients do better business? It's helping those around us become better human beings. It's helping our friends, our family and our network by lending a helping hand.
What does community service mean to you? For some, community service means helping inside a four-block radius of where they live. For others, community service means becoming active within their entire neighborhood, city, or town. Regardless of how you define community service, you can play an active role in building and helping it to grow.
Intangible benefits such as personal pride, self-satisfaction and accomplishment; are worthwhile reasons to serve. When you give back your time and talents you:
- Solve community problems
- Strengthen communities
- Improve the lives of others
- Connect to others
- Transform your own life
SALES BUZZWORDS
Acronyms are a part of everyday sales communication.
- ABC - Always be Closing
- CTA - Call to Action
- ABP - Always be Prospecting
- AFTO - Ask for the Order
- FUD - Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt
Let ABH (Always be Helping) become one acronym you commit to doing weekly. This single act of kindness will propel your sales success and resuscitate your sales funnel, guaranteed!
There are opportunities within your community or your marketplace to get involved. Making a difference is about taking a series of small steps. The first step is quite simple... Just raise your hand and say, "Yes I will!"
One of the best 'feel good' things you can do is to just give back. The reward is more valuable than you may think. I get it, we all work hard and lead busy lives but if you’re willing to carve out a few hours of your time each week to help within your community, you’ll wind up making a huge impact.
A FEW IDEAS TO HELP KICK START THE PROCESS
- Tutor underprivileged students
- Sign up to deliver hot meals to the elderly
- Help serve food at a homeless shelter
- Participate in school cleanup projects
- Join a not for profit board as a director
GET INVOLVED
I can't think of a more rewarding experience than lending a helping hand. Get involved and become active. By giving back, I've personally gained so much in return.
My motto...
"Offer to help without expecting anything in return"
My personal commitment to helping has led me to become active with my local Elks Lodge, Kiwanis Group and Senior Concerns; where I deliver food to home-bound seniors. My commitment to service led me to being awarded "Kiwanian of the Year, 2015" within my local community. This passion for service has led me to become president of my Kiwanis Group, 2017-2018.
Attention to all those in sales... Lead with your heart, not your wallet! Check out... 3 Ways A Servant Mindset Drives Sales Revenue
'ALWAYS BE HELPING' - THIS MINDSET GROWS SALES
CREATES A PERSONAL BOND AROUND A COMMON CAUSE
Rapport building during the buyer's journey is critical. Take your LinkedIn profile as an example, you can share and promote your volunteer experience and the organizations you support. What a great way to kick start a meaningful conversation, as the buyer may share the same philanthropic characteristics as you.
A great example, check out what my dear friend Scott MacGregor of SomethingNew is doing through SomethingGood. It's their belief that good business starts with doing good things. They enthusiastically promote and financially support three wonderful organizations, Keep on Playing, Stand Beside Them and Elevate New York. In addition, their entire company devotes a full day every April during National Volunteer Week giving back to worthy causes.
Now isn't this something to rally around?
CORPORATIONS SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY
Philanthropic efforts in supporting the community through 'giving back' sits within the core and mission of most corporations. Corporations embrace and make it their responsibility to be a leading corporate citizen. They look for diverse perspectives to inform the community, strive to strengthen through financial contributions and to become proactive in caring; all for the betterment of the community.
Here's a tip when it comes to prospecting, look at your target list of accounts and start conducting research. Look for the charities they support, the schools they support or even the local events inside the community they volunteer within.
Get involved and volunteer as you may never know who you will run into. These events will lead into meeting new people, starting new relationships but more importantly, you're starting new conversations.
EXECUTIVES SIT ON NOT FOR PROFIT BOARDS
Quite often corporate executives, key decision-makers or even influencers as part of their civic duty will lend their insight by joining not for profit boards.
Join a not for profit board to elevate your status within the community. Find an opportunity within your community to lend a hand and give back. What a great way to offer your insight as well as your knowledge. You never know who may be sitting next to you during a board meeting.
Add not for profit organizations to your prospecting efforts. If you don't get involved then think of all the board of directors you have the opportunity to get to know if these organizations become your clients.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
My community service experiences have led to many great personal and business friendships.
A great way to connect with business executives is through a commitment to Philanthropy.
Whether you invest your money, your energy, or your time; the sooner you get involved, the better you’ll feel about your community.
The first step is the hardest. Accept the challenge and offer to lend a helping hand. You do make a difference and every person counts!
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way!
In 2016, I was recognized by ENX Magazine as, “The Difference Maker,” as someone who is making a difference inside the B2B office technology sector. I am passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image.
You can find more advanced training material inside the Social Sales Academy website.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
Comments (0)