Caliek France’s Post

Last month (September) I finished number 1 in the ENTIRE company only 90 days in!! This is me coming into a new role I have ZERO experience in after having a very successful run in my previous role I spent my first month learning what works and what doesn't, what habits I wanted to learn and which habits I knew I had to get rid of. The first month I finished 3rd in the company and I was LIVID! The second month came and I finished 2nd.. I knew what I had to do; put my thinking cap on and thrive where others told me "Nobody ever beats those guys in X store." Well they clearly never seen anyone like me run the scene!! Not only did I finish first in the company, I broke a record for most sold in a single month at my store and was the ONLY one in the company to break 225,000 in sales by myself in the month of September. 90% of it being self taught. I absolutely SMOKED the competition. They don't realize that I'm just getting warmed up!! Morale of the story; don't let anyone tell you that being #1 is out of reach or that your location or your role isn't cut out for that type of competition. Im at that point where in my last 3 roles; I took locations they said were doomed for failure and made them great, I made them the best and that's because I know I can adapt and overcome ANY obstacle in my way. Being confident is what makes you go from good to great. "Knowing what you must sacrifice to get from where you are to where you want to be is the first step to greatness." Stay confident and keep on grinding to your goals! Dont be the one making excuses for why you're not number 1. If I can do it, anyone can! Happy Selling!! Always remember; COMPETITION BREEDS EXCELLENCE. #Sales #Automotive #ServiceAdvisor #Number1

20 years ago I met this man early in my career at P&G. If life achievements are measured by those you influence for the better, then Crawford Love had a remarkable career. No single person has had a greater impact on my professional career, and for three years I was mentored, trained, and guided by this sales master. Even today my selling style mimics his mannerisms, his preparation, and his solution-focused thinking. The successes I have been able to realize across multiple channels, companies, and customers can be directly tied to the basic fundamentals of selling that Crawford taught me. For those of you who have a similiar mentor in your life, call them up, grab some lunch, and reminisce about the good times. And most importantly, let them know what a difference they made in your life.

I get it, change is hard for salespeople but I always found this super funny when I launched a new commission plan. Despite going through all the right motions of transparency and details and the "why" behind the new commission plan several sales people would 🥊 Resist the new plan and fight to keep the old plan. 🤣 But these same reps were also the ones who also previously fought against the commission plan that they now want to keep. Sales leaders need to remember that there's always going to be a group of salespeople that will resist your new commission plan merely because change is tough. That's cool. Your job as a sales leader in this situation is to: 👂 Listen 🤔 Determine if there's any validity to their concerns 📈 Make changes if really needed 👍 Then stick to the new plan. Over the last 25+ years of my sales leadership career, I've had to learn this the hard way and make a bunch of mistakes along the way. If you'd like to see 10 more of my mistakes and learning lessons, check out a free sample of my book here: https://buff.ly/3rwjiDV

💼 **Sales Commissions = Continuous Hard Work + Never-Give-Up Attitude + I Am a Winner Mindset** 💼 Every great achievement is built on a foundation of persistence and resilience, and sales is no different. Your commissions aren’t just numbers; they are the result of **consistent hard work**, an **unwavering attitude**, and the belief that you are a **winner**. Let me share a famous story—**Walt Disney**. Early in his career, Disney was told he lacked creativity, was fired from a newspaper job, and faced bankruptcy multiple times. But he didn’t give up. He believed in his vision and continued to work tirelessly. His persistence turned him into the legend we know today. In sales, it’s the same mentality: **you keep pushing forward**. Rejections will come, obstacles will appear, but your success will be the product of staying the course. That’s how sales commissions are earned—by embracing hard work, never quitting, and knowing you are capable of winning. Are you ready to adopt this mindset? 🏆 #SalesSuccess #WinningMindset #NeverGiveUp #SalesCommissions #HardWork #Persistence

This month's Employee Owner Spotlight features Jay - the Store Leader of our Madison, WI location. ____________________________________________________________________ I have been an Employee Owner at Kesslers for 22 years. I love spearing fish with my two sons Jordan and Nolan while snorkeling off the coast of Sicily. Q. What's one fun memory at Kesslers that you will always remember? A. I will never forget the day Brett Sime buttoned himself on accident to our refrigerator in a way that he had to call for help to be released. Q. Why do you love working for Kesslers? A. I love meeting people, hearing their "How they met" and helping them find the diamond that will symbolize their relationship for the rest of their life. Q. What do you feel is the biggest benefit of working for an employee owned company? A. I think the biggest benefit of working for an employee-owned company is the sense of ownership and alignment of interests it fosters among all of us. Q. Do you have a favorite client story? A. I have hundreds of favorites... and as I sit here and think, I cannot pick just one to say it was my favorite. As I begin writing one, then another comes to mind... Q. How has this job helped you grow professionally? A. Well...Working in this role has been instrumental in my professional growth in several ways. Skill Development: I've honed my skills in sales, which has not only made me more proficient but also more versatile in handling various aspects of diamond jewelry sales. Problem-Solving: Dealing with tough clients has sharpened my ability to analyze situations and come up with effective solutions all while finding a win/win for everyone. Communication: I've greatly improved my communication skills by regularly interacting with clients and team members. This includes presenting ideas, negotiating, and resolving conflicts, but more importantly learning why seeking first to understand before being understood is so vitally important. Leadership: In my life at Kesslers, I've had the opportunity to take on a leadership role, where I've learned to motivate my team and achieve collective goals. I continue to learn in this role and find so much pleasure watching and learning how the business grows. Adaptability: Jewelry/Diamond sales can be challenging at times, requiring me to stay updated with fashion trends and new up and coming products for example Lab grown diamonds or worldwide viruses. This has taught me to adapt quickly to changes and embrace new challenges. Overall, this job has provided me with a robust platform to learn, grow, and contribute effectively within Kesslers, preparing me for future challenges and opportunities in my career. __________________________________ Thank you, Jay, for sharing for the Kesslers #EmployeeOwnerSpotlight! Are you interested in becoming an Employee Owner at Kesslers Diamonds? We have openings! Apply today at https://lnkd.in/gEUdNxbn

“In life, you join the dots backwards" - Steve Jobs. Norfolk Director Magazine recently interviewed me, it was a trip down memory lane… Aged 21 (pic left) living my best life, DJing to rooms full of people. Age 23, first attempt at self-employment, personal fitness training, that failed. Aged 25, 2nd attempt, invested into a pyramid-selling scheme, water-filters, that failed too. Aged 28, landed my first ‘real’ sales job and over the next 16 years went from Account Exec to European Sales Director. That one didn’t fail. Aged 44, quit the corporate life, 3rd attempt at self-employment and the business I run today, Salescadence. I teach salespeople how to get better results for their clients and employers by learning how to avoid doing the easy things that make selling difficult. Definitely some truth in the Steve Jobs quote. A better one is “you’re right where you want to be otherwise you’d change it” Failing isn’t failure, it’s feedback.

My daughter said something a week ago I will never forget. "Hey, Dad, I was dry all day." I took a second to process what she said, then said, "Yes, you were," and gave her a huge high five and a hug. One successful day of potty training that I wasn't sure would ever happen. We tried many different things, but the two things that helped the most: 1. Having her be able to put stickers on a board to track success 2. Her teacher told me to send her to school in underwear Imagine that- tracking little things all day that lead to success and having someone believe in you because they know you can do it. We often overcomplicate it when sales reps struggle. The biggest issue I see? Too many sales leaders focus only on and track the end result. When people miss, everyone ends up frustrated and unsure of what the issue is. Change this to focus on tracking things along the way, and I guarantee the results will improve. Everyone focuses on what the leader focuses on. When reps know they are doing something right, they gain momentum, which leads to confidence in their ability to do it. Adding your support that you know they can do it makes it a deadly combination. Focus on the simple little things to get better results! Small wins=Big wins- Even in Potty Traning!

Miller Musings: Judging Others On Appearance <Only> Run a business? Sell stuff for a living? Interact with other humans? Read on! A quick story and lesson for us all — or at least for me 😊: A longtime friend of the Miller family, in his 70s, walked into an Audi dealer on a Saturday afternoon wearing jeans, a $5 T-shirt, and a well-worn jacket. The odds are good he had not trimmed his white beard that day, either. The sales manager looked him over and said, "We're about to have a team meeting. Maybe you should come back on Monday." Big mistake. 👎 This man is worth 10 million bucks and could've bought the dealer's entire inventory. In the '90s, I sold a bunch of management training in the Twin Cities to Marigold Foods, Kemps Ice Cream for you locals. I'll never forget when I called on their sales manager, who eventually drove the company's investment in our training. He officed in a run-down, beat-up 1960s strip mall. AKA — a dump. Thankfully, I got past my first impression, walked in the door, and made a lot of sales. This post is not just for salespeople. How much do you judge people by appearance only? Too much? Not enough? Share your thoughts ....... 😎 Kristin E. Lindeen #QBQ #QBQbook #Selling #Sales #Accountability

How I navigated from a challenging childhood to leading sales in a competitive packaging industry. The pivotal moments over three decades that defined my journey: Here’s how: Step 1: Establish Resilience Raised by grandparents and moving frequently, I learned early the value of adaptability and resilience. My childhood jobs, from newspaper delivery to umpiring, taught me the importance of independence and hard work. Step 2: Leverage Education Despite teenage rebellion and dropping out of college, I was determined to excel through self-education and practical experience. My early graduation from high school two years ahead was a testament to this mindset. Step 3: Embrace Opportunities From working at McDonald's to launching a successful furniture business, I seized every opportunity to grow. Even after my first venture collapsed during the recession, I never stopped learning from my failures. Step 4: Share Your Journey I’ve always believed in sharing the hard-earned lessons from my journey, from flipping cars to navigating corporate advancements. It’s through these stories that I connect with and inspire others. Step 5: Be Authentic Authenticity has been key. From sharing tales of restarting a business post-divorce to marrying my strengths in sales with my passion for sustainable packaging, my story is uniquely mine. Step 6: Analyze and Adapt Constantly evaluating my career and business strategies has allowed me to adapt swiftly to market changes, leading me into the packaging industry where I now thrive. Step 7: Build Relationships Throughout my journey, building genuine relationships has been crucial. From couch-surfing days to leading teams nationwide, it’s the connections with people that have propelled my success. Summary: From a rollerblading newspaper boy to a top sales executive in the packaging industry, my journey is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the power of authentic relationships. Now, it’s your turn to carve your own path. PS: This photo was taken outside P.F. Chang's celebrating my dad's birthday😀

My Father was an early role model to me when I chose a career in sales, but not for the reasons you might think. He was my role model because he hated everything about salespeople. Every negative stereotype about the profession, he experienced and it made him very jaded. I knew that to succeed in sales and eventually in sales leadership, I pretty much had to do everything the opposite of his experiences. With that in mind, I created a "rules of life", that has served as my guidepost throughout my career. Nothing terribly original in any single item, but together they make up a big part of who I am as a leader: 1. Be on time. Do not make people wait. 2. Treat everyone professionally and with respect. 3. Make eye contact when talking AND listening. 4. Do not look at your screen/phone when speaking with someone in the same room. 5. Do not promise if you cannot deliver. 6. Do not lie. 7. Honor your commitments. 8. You are not better than anyone else 9. A sale is not a "win" unless all parties benefit. 10. Do the right thing, even if not the best option for you . 11. The best idea to solve a problem does not have to be yours. 12. It is ok not to know the answer to a question. 13. It is not ok to "fake it 'till you make it"