Posts Tagged ‘leadership’
1 Minute Helpful Videos Anyone?
I’m experimenting with a new media but with the same goal of giving you something to help. I’m a little addicted to it I admit this week while traveling. So two for you today.
3 Powerful Words and How to Avoid Sales Pain in the Shower. How can you resist?
If they help you grow your business even a little bit, that would be (as we say where I’m from), wicked awesome! Have a great day!
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
-10 Under Par!
-10 Under Par!
I took great joy in beating the two 16 year olds Saturday. Crushed their souls I did.
But I took greater joy in beating up the golf course. 10 under par was my score – that had to be some kind of record!
At least for me it was. I am framing that pictured scorecard and it is going right downstairs in the Man Room on the wall where it belongs.
10 under! Some team of golf course architects sat in some design laboratory in Florida years ago when they designed this course figuring out that the hole called “Cliffhanger” was a par 3 and that so was “High Anxiety” and so was that monster hole “Bear Cave”. Heck, the Masters has names for their golf holes like “Magnolia” and “Golden Bell” and that is one tough course.
But these golf course gurus did not expect my 5 holes in one Saturday (including 4 in a row!) and nor did my son and his friend. “Go build your fragile self esteem and confidence somewhere else” I said, (like I literally did say that). I was on fire!
I knew my concentration and skill were better than the two teenagers and that I would win, but the best part was I was way better than the “standard” of good golf – by shooting a 34 on a par 44 mini-golf course. Expert mini golfer in the house! I’m a darn near pro! I will always have good feelings about Max’s Mini Golf.
Now when you think about it, par 44 is probably a bit liberal assessment of the course difficulty. And probably on purpose by said architects in my vision. But it made my day. Quenched my competitive spirit it did. It really did. Silly I know. But not really. There’s something about it that’s good. And smart.
I wonder if that “better than standard” thing has some value in the workplace and in business. – Actually, I know it does:
- It’s the crux of the silver, gold and platinum airline classes as well as the credit cards. Everyone knows “most people” aren’t or don’t perform at these levels so already that kind of “achievement” and expertise ( think all the “professional traveler” commercials you see of late) taps into the emotional competitive attachment of individuals and to that of the company.
- Gamification is huge in the world of learning today. In some businesses you log into “game portals” – play games (and learn), earn points, badges and medals advancing through levels and certifications of expertise. You know all the way along how you compare to “standards” and your peers ( where you rank) in oodles of categories. On purpose.
- Pizza joints love the “Beat the Pizza-mageddon” where in the space of an hour two people must eat a pizza the size of a man-hole cover and win prizes and publicity in the local paper. “Nobody’s done it yet” the sign says. That’ll drive more than just 2 adults to dare- they’ll bring all their friends too and order up! Bring your competitive spirit and your emotional attachment to the joint like, forever.
So fun is good. Winning is good. Earning stuff is good. But having the chance to walk around town as the perceived professional mini golfer, the professional traveler, or even the pro eater is well, good for business too.
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
Punctuation Free (For a Reason)
Punctuation Free ( For a Reason)
When you look closely, there is no comma, slash, semi-colon, parenthesis or period between the title words “Sales Representative.” And that’s on purpose. You have to do both at the same time.
You have to sell but you have to represent the company simultaneously. It’s not one or the other. You can’t sell for selling sake and set unreal expectations or pound out fishy phone calls or phishy emails because then you are not “representing” the company well. Conversely, you can’t be all Kumbaya and go harvesting customers with super friendly experiences and never broach filling the unmet needs of the customer.
There is no comma, slash, semi-colon, parenthesis or period between the title “Service Representative” either.
You have to give great service but you have to represent the company simultaneously time. It’s not one or the other. If you don’t take ownership (“I don’t know why they did that in shipping..”) or apologize for real (“sorry that happened to you…what’s your account number?” ) you are leaving an awful impression as a Rep of the company. Conversely, your reliance on policy or procedure or terms and conditions do little to evoke the “service” part of a service call.
There is also no comma, slash, semi-colon, parenthesis or period between the titles of “Sales Manager” or “Service Manager” so you best know sales and service at an expert level and likewise need to know how to expertly support your people at the same time.
Punctuation between words has its place – a means often to stop, pause, reposition and separate. But if it ain’t there it ain’t there – that means when the words go together; they belong together.
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
7 Things Your Prospect Won’t Tell You
7 Things Your Prospect Won’t Tell You
Whether I, your prized business prospect, is calling you or picking up your phone call, there are things I just won’t tell you.
1) I used to be in sales too. You’d be surprised how many of us decision makers started out, or are still in, sales. And I can still smell a trial close, a rotating yes and min/max close from 50 feet away. Don’t use tricky closes on me.
2) Don’t make me feel stupid even for a second. I know my world very well – not your world and if you make me feel like I’m an idiot presuming I know or like your acronyms, buzzwords and fast talking pitches- I’m gone; I’ll just go to your competitors website and read and email- – that way no one has to talk to me.
3) Tell me what everyone else is doing. I hate to admit this sometimes even to myself but I do want to know what my competitors or even my industry is doing lately and haven’t had any time to dig in. But I’m not about to go ask you — yet I wouldn’t mind hearing it if you wanted to just shout it out. Am I missing out on something or some trend?
4) I know more way more about you than you think. I’ve been to your website; I’ve Googled your reviews. Heck I’ve Googled you and saw you on LinkedIn and Twitter (or didn’t- and what does that mean?) I may have seen a few opinions about your company on Twitter already. So don’t waste my time with the basics about yourself – I got it. I called you because I want something more than the internet can give me.
5) I don’t expect much from you. I just never know if you really work for this company I am calling or am getting called from. Are you a contractor, an outsourced support, brand new employee, who knows? I don’t have high hopes but if you can assure me quickly you know what the heck you are doing then maybe I’ll listen.
6) I’d rather do nothing. Seriously, I hate change. I wish everything I do today would just work better. Change is costly, risky, takes forever it seems and I am busy enough already. I won’t tell you that of course. I’d rather just flat our say no or compare you to someone else or put you off but honestly; doing what I do today is just easier. If you can’t make me do something “different” and get me to get off the dime and essentially hate what I am doing today- then don’t bother.
7) You’re 7th on the list. I respect you dear supplier but my family, my boss, my colleagues, my customers, my pastor and my pets all come before you my trusted partner. Nothing personal- you can be very valuable to me but everyone else here is getting something for Christmas next year just so’s ya know.
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
No Fear in 2013
No Fear in 2013
This is the year to quit being afraid. Let’s start with these 7.
- Don’t fear having to memorize all your product specs and prices. What matters is you remember how the darn thing helps them do what they really want to do.
- Don’t fear social media. Embrace it. More people, customers and employees talking to each other is way better than silence.
- Don’t fear the so called demise of the offline marketing world. I don’t know any business that is moving totally away from it. Blend is always the key. In fact, that integrated offline/online mix might get a little more attention than it used to these days.
- Don’t fear the board game. It’s OK to make eye contact with your kids now and then.
- Don’t Fear the Reaper. Classic tune. Have a Listen. I heard they played at my High School way back in the early 70’s. Yup they did.
- Don’t fear going back to school. In fact, everybody should be in school. If you are not dedicating to learning something new at least an hour a day at least (and I don’t mean watching or reading “news”, timelines or posts) you are behind your competitors tomorrow.
- Don’t fear Neuroscience and Neuromarketing. Get into it. How you think, why you think the way you do. Why your clients and team react to things the way they do is important to know . As someone once said… “Just because it is your brain, doesn’t mean you know what it is doing”.
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
No Wins, Not Quite
No Wins, Not Quite
This High School football team didn’t win a single game this year. Not one.
But you’d never know it looking at the faces of the kids and everyone else I saw at the season-ending banquet on Saturday.
I didn’t get to see many Varsity games this year with the kickoff times being mostly held at 4pm on Friday nights. But I know that what had to be tough games to watch, would likely carry over into a somewhat depressed pall cast over the season ending banquet. How could there not be, having gone this year without a single win and having just one win last year.
But what I saw was a room full of cheering parents, proud young men and a half a dozen coaches who spoke of their players as if they were their very own kids.
I saw a Head Coach who talked glowingly and positively about every player from Freshman to Senior as they were introduced. It wasn’t what you think; time flew. He found something unique and great to say about each. He found affirmative things to say about their work ethic, their progress, their spirit, their unselfish willingness to help each other and refreshingly for many, their outstanding grades.
My son didn’t play a down this year having suffered a pre –season injury requiring surgery but he had his name called and was acknowledged for his commitment to supporting the team throughout the year. He wore not only a tie (that was as required for all players) but a broad smile shaking the hands of coaches and teammates as he walked onto the floor.
There was continued talk of overcoming more injuries and obstacles, of learning new positions and new offenses, of learning a new culture and of responsibility and accountability. There was talk about the honorable values and the unique contributions of team captions, assistant coaches and supporters all around.
There was talk of shunning the individual accomplishment and focusing on bonding as a team, in a concerted effort with a common focus. There was talk about reaching out to each other and encouraging each other to work together not just during football season but all year round. And finally, there was talk that in the end of all this important stuff, one of many great results, (but not nearly the only one), will be some games to be won.
It’s trite of course, but these games are not the lead story – at least for the gatherings of these young men who yearn to push a ball across a goal line just a bit more than their competitor. My guess is that if there were two seasons of winning records already under his belt, this Head Coach would have talked about the same things.
I sat there thinking how wonderful these presentations and speeches were and asked myself how different are they than what the gatherings of families, groups or even companies in good times or in bad should be hearing? These messages are the ones that we and not just our sons benefit from. These messages are at the root of what is valuable, at the root of what drives achievement across a wide swath of life.
Thanks for the pep talk Coach. Thanks for the shot in the arm of prioritization and principles. Better luck next year in that win / loss thing but regardless, there’s no doubt you’ll truly win.
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
Horrid Phrases
Horrid Phrases
Don’t know if any of you fly a lot. I kind of do – at least of late. At the airport, there is one phrase gate agents of a certain airline sometimes say ( actually proclaim over the loudspeaker) that just crushes me. It’s horrid. It makes me instantly hang my head in depression. It ruins my flight, my day and my mood immediately.
“Our flight is completely full today..”
I’m not a small man; (thankfully not ready for the seatbelt extension just yet) but Lordy, when you hear that phrase, thinking about getting into and sitting in those seats and aisles built for middle schoolers, is now horrid on a grand scale.
I think there are some other horrid phrases agents of many industries say these days that can give that same kind of instant feel of dread and depression.
“OK, let’s see what they did here..”. Are you kidding me? As soon as your client with a question hears “they”, the horridness kicks in: Oh my, you are not in charge. Oh my, I’m gonna have to talk to someone else. Oh my, I’m talking to an idiot with no authority. Oh my, this place is so big, I’m never going to get the answer.
“Can I have your phone number in case we are disconnected?“ It’s 2011! The only disconnections are when someone does it on purpose. Your client or prospect is in the horrid zone immediately: Oh please, you want my number to pester me at dinner or in a middle of a meeting to sell me something with your silly outbound program. Oh please, now I’m in your database and all I had was a darn question. Oh great, they have crappy phone systems with disconnect issues, can’t wait to do business with them.
“Mark”, “Mark” , “Mark” Yeah that’s right, my first name. You say my first name more than twice in a conversation on the phone or face to face and a horrid sickness overcomes me and your customers too: Oh I get it, someone trained you to use ” the customer’s first name” often in your calls- that feels genuine! Oh I get it, you are as slick a sale rep as I’ve ever seen – you make me wanna take a shower. Oh I get it, you think using my first name a lot makes us like family or brothers and I will buy your stuff- lol!
The thing about horrid phrases is the emotions they elicit have staying power. They linger. They stick. They can even leave a lasting impression about you or your company as a brand that is as uncomfortable as seat 28B.
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
Bigfoot Anyone?
Bigfoot Anyone?
Preparing for marriage, I hear that very smart couples often schedule time to talk about things like goals, finances, religion and planning for a family.
But what about other important things like whether Bigfoot exists?
Really, shouldn’t we talk about this?
Of course we should. Believe in Bigfoot? Well that’s a darn good sign you have the creativity gene, the adventure gene or the intangible wonderment of someone eternally optimistic that despite seemingly insurmountable odds, something so tall and hairy could indeed survive undetected in the mountains of the Northwest.
Don’t believe in Bigfoot? Well that’s a darn good sign you are have that realist gene, that smart analytical gene or that intangible honest ability to discern, dissect and derive what is or isn’t happening with the follicle King of the forest.
Maybe we need to discuss Bigfoot outside of the marriage thing too – Like when you are trying to hire your next employee or interviewing a potential consultant, interior designer or accountant, why not ask him or her “What are your feelings about Bigfoot ?” Don’t you think the way they answer is important?
I’m just sayin’, but I know Apple believes in the big guy. Every time you type his name in their stuff (like this blog I’m writing), they auto- correct it to one word with starting with a big ol’ capital “B”. (Why am I not surprised?)
So get your night vision goggles ready and that plaster footprint cast liquid stirred up ( or not) and go ahead and sit your significant other down for a talk, or add the question to the interview guide, or even add it to today’s meeting agenda cuz’ Bigfoot is a big deal.
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
Nobody Good
Nobody Good
It sticks with me; a glorious opportunity.
It was on a large conference call. The leader was talking.
“We asked hundreds of small business owners this same question about who they think of when faced with this challenge. And do you know what they said?”
(Long pause)
“Nobody”.
Wow. Nobody! That is wonderful!!
It grows wearisome to enter the market place and find that you are yet just another competitor.
It grows wearisome to plan, to process, to test, to test some more, to test yet one more time and then find out you are pretty much like the other guy.
It grows wearisome to follow the “shiny bright thing”, or to dig up “old tapes” from another company that didn’t get it right or to just chase the “short term gain”.
I don’t want to follow, dig up or chase anymore. I want to invent. I want to lead.
So when you ask an audience and the answer is “Nobody” or “I can’t think of anyone” or “No idea”, realize that that is the sound of glorious opportunity yet to be embraced.
Have at it.
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
P.S. “Nobody” is opportunity on an individual level too. Ask your team, your boss, your colleagues “Who do you look to for __(fill in the blank)__ ?” If the answer is “I don’t know”; that space is yours for the taking!
An Inspired 28 Minutes
An Inspired 28 Minutes
You don’t need to know who Curtis Martin is. You don’t even need to know football.
All you need is 28 minutes to watch his induction speech into the Football Hall of Fame this month.
It’s got nothing to do with football or winning or awards or records.
It has everything to do with a higher and nobler purpose in whatever it is you do.
And I promise you, it is one of the most inspiring, moving and worthwhile 28 minutes you’ll ever spend.
It may even change you.
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
