Toolbox Studios Blog

Toolbox gets smart with Jack Daly

Toolbox recently attended Smart Selling, a sold out sales and business event at Pearl Stable, presented by author and sales maven Jack Daly. Covering everything from customer loyalty to personal motivation, the all day workshop was delivered in two segments: a morning session for business owners and sales managers, and an afternoon session for sales professionals.

Here are some of our key take aways, including recommended books and Web sites:

Tips for owners and sales managers:

1. With the right culture, employees will love to work for you.
2. Empower employees to make independent decisions for the betterment of the company.
3. The CEO shouldn't be the sales manager.
4. The sales manager shouldn’t be the best salesperson.
5. Don’t rush to the urgent at the expense of the important.

Tips for salespersons:

1. Trust always trumps price. Always.
2. Know what sets your company or product apart from the competition. Be able to defend those claims.
3. Prepare responses to common (and uncommon) objections. Objections are opportunities to build value and solve your customer's problem.
4. Don't sell your prospects. Help them to buy.
5. Create a sales plan with weekly accountability.

Books recommended by Jack Daly:

• E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber (Toolbox favorite)
• Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish (Toolbox favorite)
• Nuts! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success by Kevin Freiberg (Author), Jackie Freiberg
• Managing by Storying Around: A New Method of Leadership, by David Armstrong

Toolbox Wii Bowling Tournament of Champions

It was white knuckles and fierce rivalry this week as the Toolboxers transformed the production room into an arena of ten-pin obliteration. However, despite our competitive natures here at Toolbox, we managed to have a great time letting loose and showing off some of our Wii skills. And, in doing so, I think we all learned something new about each other that we might not have known otherwise. For example, Joanne gets very “vocal” when she competes, Mark and Steven are all talk, and our newest addition to the Toolbox team, Jason, has a wicked lefty slice (we’re pretty sure he had been practicing for quite a while). In the end, marketing specialist Alyse annihilated the runner-up (me!) by bowling a turkey in the tenth frame to take home the trophy in the final round of competition (I’m pretty sure the trophy was a warm 40 oz. of Bud Ice). Congratulations, Alyse! (We’re still considering having WADA check her out for athletic legitimacy). Until next time, shine those shoes and throw ‘em straight – the summer tournament is gonna be a battle!

And it goes to the cards… The 2009 San Antonio Regional Golden Gloves is a Hit

As a follow-up to our previous blog post on Toolbox's support of the Boys & Girls Club through Golden Gloves, here’s a first-hand recap of the event.

Ding ding! The word is in: San Antonio just premiered some of the best amateur up-and-coming boxers from South Texas in 15 bouts that would make anyone’s head spin. From Sub Novice to Open Super Heavy 201+, all of the fighters in this year’s San Antonio Regional Golden Gloves Tournament showed incredible athleticism, superb agility and indisputable heart. The open division finals, held at Alzafar Shrine Temple this past Saturday night, let viewers watch young guns like Mark Martinez and Adam Castillo raise their arms in triumph with likes of past local Golden Gloves winners such as Tony Moreno, Danny Rios and Mike Ayala, as well as past national winners such as Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston and Evander Holyfield.

As a ringside spectator, I can attest to the compelling strength and perseverance that lit up the room when these young men and women took the ring. In all, 18 fighters emerged victorious and will go on to Fort Worth (March 4-7) to compete at the state level. Those who have proven victorious at the state level will travel to the national level Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions (May 4-9).

The event was a huge success, raising over $90,000 in proceeds for the Boys and Girls Club of San Antonio. Congratulations to all the winning fighters. And to those who were not so fortunate—train hard… There’s always next year.