SalesSquawk

The Sun Shines, The Birds Sing, Life is Fine

Every once in a while the antithesis of the "Perfect Storm" transpires to bring about a wonderful, wonderful day.  Today is the day.

Some 6 years ago, I had a crazy notion to follow in the footsteps of a technology leader here in Phoenix and create a group specifically for sales professionals.  The group has been known as AzSalesPros and has grown to Arizona's largest professional sales association.  Now in the midst of transition from an Arizona based group to a Global group, I have received a letter from one of the newer members.  This alone has brought joy to my life.  Here is the letter.

"To: AZ Sales Pros

I wanted to thank this group in helping me search for the ideal sales job!

Some 6 weeks ago- I networked through 6 people - outside of AZ PROS who led me to Michael Goodman. Michael spent time with me on the phone, and then introduced me to AZ PROS and the Yahoo groups board. After posting my message on the board- (May 15th)- I received 11 emails the next day from people wanting to help me.

After working with these people, I obtained 5 job interviews as well as 2 more face to face interviews with local recruiters. The net results: I successfully received 2 great job offers in the past 2 weeks- one with a fortune 200 and the other with a promising start up company!

Prior to AZ PROS- I had spent countless hours on the internet- with little luck, and very few interviews! Networking works, and the more you do-the more rewards you receive! AZ PROS is a tremendous way to meet people in the community and to better oneself in the business world.

I look forward to meeting you all at the next AZ PROS meeting!

THANK YOU"

What it means is that the intent to create a safe and valuable place for the sales community has come to fruition.  All of the missteps and obstacles, frustrations and furies disappear in a sunny day when just one person steps up and says the group has value.

Thanks Andrew for your note.  It means far more than you will ever know.

This morning I spoke to my friend Steve, the President of Second Life Sales Pros who pointed out just how nice the day is and tomorrow, I get to meet with the Subject Matter Leaders of our group.  It will be a dinner where a number of the sales leaders will get together and support each other. 

Thursday, a cigar with another good friend and powerful leader in our group, Mike Leeds.  Mike is the President of the Flagship Chapter of AzSalesPros and if my luck holds, will continue in this position for a long, long time.

One of the values of a free enterprise life is that we are always free to choose how we want to live.  It may not always be easy, but it is very much worthwhile.  The members of AzSalesPros, the Leadership Team and the Subject Matter Leaders all bring me to a place where a dream is now a reality and it brings me nothing but joy.

Thanks!

Happily submitted,

Michael Goodman

Sales Pros 2.0

It is a quiet movement that many in the real world haven't glommed onto yet.  The fact you are reading this however, is proof you are at the very least beginning to see the light.  This is a blog or weblog of various thoughts on sales I have and care to share publicly.  The blogosphere is fast becoming known for it's capacity to build relationships with one's circle and spread one's thought further and wider than ever before thought possible. 

A very elegant and high class marketing professional friend of mine recently attended a marketing session on this whole web2.0 thing and discovered that it was not just she who didn't realize the quiet revolution in sales and marketing.  Fully 20% of the attendee's, all senior marketing executives, hadn't heard of any of the web 2.0 elements and most of them had only heard a few.  AzSalesPros, Arizona's largest association for professional sales people does not have that problem.

Sometime ago, my friend Dave Barnhart began talking about the whole business of blogging.  He was so passionate about it, he began a business called business blogging pros. His passion has encouraged me to begin blogging and voila, salessquawk came to be.  Today, a number of the leading content providers in AzSalesPros have blogs that Dave has assisted with.  Going forward, there will be embedded in the AzSalesPros website, an aggregated page for our members all the blogs we find are good for print.  Most of them parented in one form or another by Dave.

Another important movement, is the transition of AzSalesPros from a simple club to an International Association.  Woohoo.  We have dubbed the movement AzSalesPros 2.0.  The prime differentiator of the before and after is that the newer version will take advantage of the web and its capacity to deliver content and connections to an International Audience.  With that comes the expansion into multiple territories internationally.  In fact today I am off to San Diego to begin the process of building a chapter there.  With the new version also comes inquiries from across the country to build chapters nationally from places like Tennessee, Florida, Colorado and Michigan.  Can't even begin to tell you how exciting that is because I remember the evening in my home office I thought it might be kind of fun to start a sales club.  As another friend, George Gillas says, "we have lift-off."

However, the single most exciting transition is taking place way below the radar and almost no one knows.  (Till right now)  AzSalesPros is starting a chapter in a world that only exists in the minds of man (and the servers of Linden Labs.)  Steven Groves, Phoenix's own Guru of SecondLife, a virtual environment reaching everyone with access to the Internet, has just been named President of Second Life Sales Pros.  One of the biggest challenges to building an International Association is to reach people Internationally.  Especially when the Real World demands so much of ones time.  Now in the virtual environment of SecondLife, all of the charter of AzSalesPros can be filled globally.  When you see how Steve got him self into the Washinton Post, you will understand why he is the guy for the job.

AzSalesPros, now the International Sales Pros Association, has always had a charter to support the eduction, motivation and community of sales professionals in Arizona.  With the SecondLife chapter opening up, we can now provide those values globally within SecondLife.  Education is supported not only with all the standard webinar functions but even more in virtual live conferences with functioning powerpoint presentations. Motivation through peer support and coaching is very doable with one on one (though distant) sales coaching as well as leading presenters having a theater to talk to members of the global chapter.  The community charter is easily fulfilled by live (virtual) meetings where all the members can gather in one location and network and share their experiences.

In Arizona the impact has been huge.  On a global level, I can only imagine the possibilities.  I am happy to report that an island has been sponsored by Francine Hardaway, and a clubhouse with theater and club rooms is currently under construction.  If you know Francine, you know she is a bleeding edge, technology proponent and sees this as a real estate investment.  When you understand SecondLife, you will understand why that makes sense. If you know Francine, you will understand why she makes sense to be our landlord.

At the end of the day, my enthusiasm comes from dreams being realized with some spectacular people it is my pleasure to know.  Sales People are the people who wake up every day knowing they will work to change the world.  Sales Pros gives me a chance to support that change.  Thanks to everyone for participating.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Goodman