Happy summer everyone!
Today is the last day of June! 6 very long months down! 6 more to go! Cheers to the rest of the year. I’m hoping things get smoother!
No worries, I won’t be talking about the global pandemic. Or protests either.
A few years ago, my wife visited her parents and came back with a bottle of red wine. I am not a red wine drinker so I was very indifferent. She kept raving about how wonderful this “Middle Jane” red wine was but she couldn’t find it anywhere.
So as a surprise for her, I scoured the Internet and local liquor stores looking for it. No local store in Kansas City carried it but I finally found out the source.
Scout & Cellar is a direct sales company that sells clean crafted wine directly to consumers. They use reps similar to other MLM companies out there BUT I like this firm because they sell a product that people use frequently and need to reorder. Especially with the recent pandemic.
I spoke with a gal I knew was a rep, signed up under her, and have been giving bottles of wine to friends and family AND sending bottles of wine and gift sets to current clients.
No worries, I email my clients beforehand and ask a very simple question: “Red, White, or Blush?”
This also helps to make sure I don’t offend anyone who isn’t a wine drinker without any awkwardness.
With clients, prospects, friends, and family going unchartered territory the past few months, here’s a not expensive way to make yourself memorable and stand out.
John Rulin wrote THE book on corporate gifting titled ” Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention” and I encourage you to read it.
He didn’t give me the idea of sending wine to clients but his book triggered the idea.
Happy early 4th of July everyone!
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000.
(Photo by Justin Aikin)
Continual Training and Professional Development
/in General /by Ray RueckerHappy Friday everyone!
A few weeks ago, my firm finally joined the correct century and moved from IMAP email to Google Workspace.
Christy Rogers of Training Umbrella did some remote training with my team and was excellent! Continual education and professional learning are musts in this current remote age of working. I highly recommend her training and company.
(Not all of the staff are pictured here.)
When your team is working remotely, they may feel isolated and disengaged!
Have some friendly lunch and learn sessions and let them expense their meals to the company.
If you don’t have any topics to come up with, have your staff go around, share interesting facts and stories about themselves that others may not know about, and it’s a wonderful way to teambuild.
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000.
Podcast Interview with Real Media
/in General, Sales /by Ray RueckerHappy March everyone!
February was very frigid here in Kansas City and I believe we had 7 to 10 straight days of the temperature no warming up past 10 degrees.
Don’t get me wrong! It gets very cold here but I don’t recall it that many consecutive days. Such is life.
I was recently interviewed by Brad Burrow of Real Media here in the metro of a book I published last fall titled, “How to Score From First Base! (In Sales!).
You can listen to the podcast here and welcome to purchase the book if you wish.
Happy listening!
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000.
(Photo courtesy of Jukka Aalho.)
Greetings From Nashville, Tennessee!
/in Uncategorized /by Ray RueckerHappy belated 2021 everyone!
I noticed it’s been since mid-December when I last blogged something.
Unfortunately, I don’t have anything earth-shattering to say.
For the first time since September 2019, I hopped on a plane and flew to Nashville. So almost 1.5 years of no travel.
It was surreal to be on a plane with everyone masked up.
I attended a conference as a guest of one of my clients and visited with a few other current ones as well.
Nice to get out of town, meet and greet with clients and have good old fashioned face to face time.
Attached are a few pics from my 2 days there.
Yes, my face was cut off a few times but I wanted the focus to be on the clients, not me.
Here’s to optimism that things will improve for the better in 2021!
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000!
Happy Holidays!
/in General /by Ray RueckerHappy mid-December everyone!
Seems like yesterday was the beginning of the pandemic in mid-March and now 2021 is right around the corner.
Where did the past 9 months go? Please tell me!
It’s been quite a year for almost all of us.
Thanksgiving came and went. Now, Christmas is almost upon us.
Cheers and blessings to you and your loved ones!
Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000
PS: Thank you, Greg Rohm, for the new logo design! Thank you Chuttersnap for the holiday pic!
Podcast Interview with AVANT Technologies
/in Lead Generation, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerHappy early Halloween everyone!
Adam Stein, an old client and colleague introduced me to Ken Presti, Research Vice President, Analyst & Producer/Host of “AVANT Technology Insights with Ken Presti” podcast.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently wrote a book, self-published it on Amazon, and was interviewed about the book.
The interview was 27 minutes long. If you need help falling asleep, turn it on and doze off gently! Here’s the link:
https://goavant.libsyn.com/ray-ruecker-how-to-score-from-1st-base-in-sales
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000. Happy listening!
It’s Official: My Book Is Finished and Published!
/in Cold Calls, General, Lead Generation, Uncategorized /by Ray RueckerHey everyone!
My 2-year-old “baby” was finally born on October 8, 2020, a few weeks ago.
How to Score from First Base! (In Sales): A Step-by-Step Guide to Shorten Sales Cycles and Multiply Revenue is now available via paperback or Kindle.
Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735638307
If you’re a sales, marketing, or lead generation leader or executive, I highly recommend this book if you have outbound sales challenges or need improvement with your current system.
Here’s the book summary:
Do You Struggle to Get On First Base with Targeted Companies?
If long-term growth is your goal, this is your playbook. Because in today’s business climate, connecting with key decision-makers and securing meetings is a challenge. Executives rarely pick up the phone, typically ignore emails, and if you do happen to make a live connection, you have seconds to gain their attention. But even with these challenges, you can be successful at connecting with targeted companies by generating qualified sales meetings.
Learn how to:
• Write an introductory email or sales letter that gets a response.
• Leave voicemails that pique curiosity and result in a returned phone call.
• Quickly find contact information for direct decision-makers.
• Bypass the gatekeeper and connect with executives.
• Communicate your values and capture someone’s attention in 10 seconds or less.
• Ask open-ended questions that uncover a prospect’s pain, problems, and challenges.
Whether you are a new or seasoned sales professional, How to Score From First Base! (In Sales) will breathe new life into your day-to-day sales activity. Using both creativity and purposeful connection, this playbook provides a step-by-step guide to shortening sales cycles and multiplying revenue. Because if home plate is your endgame, first base is where you have to start.
Happy Fall Everyone!
/in General, Lead Generation /by Ray RueckerHey everyone!
Fall, football, and school are back in full swing. (Sorta!)
It’s odd to see empty NFL stadiums nationwide. The KC Chiefs hold 80,000 seats and they only allowed like 17,000 for their first home game.
My kids have done virtual school since September. It’s much better than last spring but they go hybrid next week. Woot woot!
It’s weird to see half-empty college stadiums as well.
One thing that hasn’t changed: Kansas Jayhawks football is STILL terrible, pre and post Covid-19.
What hasn’t changed?
The need to prospect, make outbound calls, and hunt for new clients!
Casting a wide net to strangers never goes out of season, quarantine, or not!
As we enter the 4th quarter for 2020, make it a priority to set meetings with ideal prospects and continually fill your pipeline.
Cheers to a crazy year and the upcoming final quarter!
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000!
Coming Soon: My Soon To Be Published Book!
/in Lead Generation /by Ray RueckerSelf-published via Amazon that is.
Writing a book has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. But like so many other things, it fell into the “someday” category until the Fall of 2018, when I casually mentioned my goal to my long-time friend, Stacy Stephens. With her encouragement and introduction to her friend and editor, Sara, my dream became reality.
Sometime this fall, my book “How to Score from First Base! (In Sales)” will be available in both print and electronic copy on Amazon.
Here’s a short description:
If long-term growth is your goal, this is your playbook. Are you struggling to get to first base with targeted companies? In today’s business climate, connecting with key decision-makers and securing meetings is a challenge. Executives rarely pick up the phone, typically ignore emails, and if you do happen to make a live connection, you have seconds to gain their attention. But even with these challenges, you can be successful at connecting with targeted companies by generating qualified sales meetings.
Learn how to:
• Write an introductory email or sales letter that gets a response.
• Leave voicemails that pique curiosity and result in a returned phone call.
• Quickly find contact information for direct decision-makers.
• Bypass the gatekeeper and connect with executives.
• Communicate your values and capture someone’s attention in 10 seconds or less.
• Ask open-ended questions that uncover a prospect’s pain, problems, and challenges.
Whether you are a new or seasoned sales professional, How to Score From First Base! (In Sales) will breathe new life into your day-to-day sales activity. Using both creativity and purposeful connection, this playbook provides a step-by-step guide to shortening sales cycles and multiplying revenue. Because if home plate is your endgame, first base is where you have to start.
Cheers!
Ray Ruecker
(Photo by John Schnobrich)
And Another Lead Generation / Corporate Gifting Idea
/in Lead Generation, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerHappy summer everyone!
Today is the last day of June! 6 very long months down! 6 more to go! Cheers to the rest of the year. I’m hoping things get smoother!
No worries, I won’t be talking about the global pandemic. Or protests either.
A few years ago, my wife visited her parents and came back with a bottle of red wine. I am not a red wine drinker so I was very indifferent. She kept raving about how wonderful this “Middle Jane” red wine was but she couldn’t find it anywhere.
So as a surprise for her, I scoured the Internet and local liquor stores looking for it. No local store in Kansas City carried it but I finally found out the source.
Scout & Cellar is a direct sales company that sells clean crafted wine directly to consumers. They use reps similar to other MLM companies out there BUT I like this firm because they sell a product that people use frequently and need to reorder. Especially with the recent pandemic.
I spoke with a gal I knew was a rep, signed up under her, and have been giving bottles of wine to friends and family AND sending bottles of wine and gift sets to current clients.
No worries, I email my clients beforehand and ask a very simple question: “Red, White, or Blush?”
This also helps to make sure I don’t offend anyone who isn’t a wine drinker without any awkwardness.
With clients, prospects, friends, and family going unchartered territory the past few months, here’s a not expensive way to make yourself memorable and stand out.
John Rulin wrote THE book on corporate gifting titled ” Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention” and I encourage you to read it.
He didn’t give me the idea of sending wine to clients but his book triggered the idea.
Happy early 4th of July everyone!
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000.
(Photo by Justin Aikin)
Happy Memorial Day 2020!
/in General /by Ray RueckerHey everyone!
Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000.
Seems like 47 years ago we began lockdown/quarantine/shelter-in-place. Yet it was only 2 months ago.
Where I live, the Kansas City metro, things are opening up gradually and we are returning to the “new” normal.
We’ve eaten out a few times and I also got a new haircut after shaving it myself since mid-March.
Again, I hope you all are holding up okay and hope the worst is behind us.
Cheers and a toast to honoring all the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
(Photo by Daniel Foster)