Here is a list of my most frequently asked sales, business and overall life questions.  The answers are distilled from years of failure, years of success, and also come from some of the most successful people on the planet.  Enjoy!

Question:  How early should I get up?
Answer:  At least an 1 1/2 before everyone else you're competing against.  You need that time to prepare mentally, emotionally and physically.

Question:  How come I always get the same objections?
Answer:  You're presenting the same way every time, delivering no value, making undue assumptions, not asking thought provoking and insightful questions and you're not prepared.

Question:  What's the best way to plan my day?
Answer:  Pick a system, one system only, and focus all your efforts on making it work for you.  Don't use two or three different methods.  There are dozens of great systems out there including just a pen and paper.  They all work if you use them.  Pick one and stick with it.

Question:  Is eating well and exercising that important?
Answer:  Let me put it to you this way - if there's no fuel, or the wrong type of fuel, in your car's tank you're not going anywhere.  Your goals, dreams and aspirations require fuel.

Question:  I can't get passed the gatekeeper, what should I do?
Answer:  Much has been written on this area.  Keep it simple.  The simplest way, connect with them through social media and build a relationship.  Earn the right to approach them.  Next easiest approach, find a salesperson at the company and have them introduce you around.  Salespeople love to talk and give you information.


Question:  What can I do to get my voice mails returned?
Answer:  Be creative, add tons of value, earn the right to receive a return call, and when all else fails - hang up in the middle of your message.  Curiosity will cause most of your messages to get returned.

Question:  What are the best places to network?
Answer:  Chambers of Commerce, local business mixers(Business Journal event, breakfasts, seminars), networking clubs(only if they make sense for your business model), health clubs, Toastmasters, civic organizations, the airport, social media, anywhere there are potential clients.

Question:  How do you stay in such a great, upbeat mood all the time?
Answer:  This isn't a Greg trait, but rather a trait of all high performers.  We take care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and mentally.  We read something inspirational throughout the day, we review our goals daily, we exercise on a regular basis(usually 5 days + per week), we fuel our bodies with high quality nourishment, we have a positive outlook on life and tell ourselves such, and we look for the good in every situation no matter how dire it may be.

Question:  What's the best method you've found to close someone?
Answer:  First, this isn't the 1960's.  Build a relationship and become friends with your prospect, build more value than anyone else, create a winning environment, act selflessly, and let them buy - don't sell.

There are dozens more questions, and these listed are condensed into what I get asked most frequently. Now, how can you apply them to your own life?

How do you stand out in the crowd?  Let’s face it there’s a million other people offering the relatively same product or service as you if not the identical product or service.

The famed sales trainer, Jeffery Gitomer says, “differentiate with value, or die with price.”  He’s exactly right.  But what is value?  In terms of your business, it’s anything you do above and beyond the normal course of business that differentiates you in your prospect or clients eyes.  Let’s keep it short and sweet this week.  Here are 10 strategies that you can you use to differentiate yourself with value over your competition:

1. Stop cold calling please.  It doesn't work.  find out who you want to do business with and, connect with them on LinkedIn, follow them and their company on twitter, friend them on facebook and fan their page, and/or get introduced to them through a mutual connection.  Take your time and build a relationship, or you are guaranteed to come off just as shallow and selfish as your commodity providing competitor.  It takes time and hard, but fun, work.  Do it.
2. When you call on a prospect give them something of value.  Buy them lunch, bring them a gift they can use, or better yet, bring them or refer them business.  Nothing in business says I love you more to someone, then stuffing their wallet.
3. Help your prospects and clients with their problems.  We’re all in business and all face similar challenges.  The scope and size may vary, but if you look to your network you certainly can find some solutions to help them out.  Oh yeah, do it selflessly.
4. Be the go to lady or gentleman in your business that others look to for advice and guidance.  The absolute fastest way to get recognized this way is to speak free to every group that you can get in front of.  You will be perceived as an expert by default.
5. And to go with #4, be an expert in your industry.  Make your business an art form.  Learn everything you can about it, your business climate, what’s in it for your customer, and how you can deliver it more efficiently than anyone else.
6. Teach, don’t preach.  People inherently like to learn.  So don’t show up and throw up.  Explain yourself likes its sliced bread.  Customers and prospects will learn more from you and do more business with you as a result.
7. Under-promise and way over-deliver, not the other way around.
8. Do not pester them with silly follow calls that provide no value.  In other words, don’t call and ask if they’ve made a decision.  Call them and offer another value added solution, suggestion, or referral.  They know why you’re calling.
9. Be genuine and nice.  This goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway.
10. Be grateful and show your gratitude.  Every grateful person I know is far wealthier, both spiritually and financially, than pretty much everyone else.

Delivering more value and differentiating yourself from your competitors is not hard.  It just takes work, and if you love your work this should be a labor of love.  Get creative, be goofy, and have fun being different.  Who knows, you may just end up fattening your clients wallet, your wallet and your spiritual wallet.