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As I drive between appointments I often get a chance to listen to radio. Personally I like the programming on NPR. Recently I was listening to Terry Gross on the Fresh Air program interview the actors in the FX Series Justified.

A comment by one actor Timothy Olyphant really caught my ear. He was answering the question about how does he interact with others in the scene, how does he direct himself. His comment was,

“…it’s all about the other. If when they call cut, I am aware of what I did that’s not good (too much in my head). If I remember clearly what they did, I know I did well.”

How does that apply to the sales process; or the management or leadership process? I think very well.

As a sales professional, I walk into every meeting with an agenda. I want to determine if the buyer can use my services and if so I want them to determine that I am the right kind of guy to do business with. So I have a list of questions, and responses lined up. I plan every call. And then like they say of battle once the first shot is fired all the plans are outdated.

What I observe is that when I pull myself back from the need to make a sale (and I do need to I have a quota after all) and when I focus on the buyer, what is their situation, what are they concerned about when I focus on them, I normally walk away with a desire on both parties part to learn more and to see if we can build a business relationship.

It is a little like the advice we got about remembering people we meet. Look into their eyes and remember their eye color. If you can remember their eye color, you made good eye contact. I believe like Olyphant believes; that if I can remember clearly what the buyer was talking about and thinking, I have made a good sales call.

We are more successful when we listen, when we deliver attention and when the focus is on them vs. us. We can all identify our colleagues who are smart and credible and who know their stuff. And yet we wouldn’t buy from them because it’s all about them.

Can you remember the details of your last meeting? What are you remembering what you did and said or what your audience did and said?
 

I continue to be pleasantly in awe of the perennial teachings that some say go back to Hermes.

Hermes	“As above so below.”
James Allen	“Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but ...

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I am reading the book, the Social Animal by David Brooks. His character Erica is a lower middle class girl, who is raised by a single mom in essence who appeared to suffer from manic depression. When she is ready for eighth grade she reaches a decision; she wants to change the trajectory of her life.

“She somehow ...

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I recently celebrated a birthday. And in my email on my specific birthday I received an email from Marriott promoting a birthday gift. When I opened it they had credited me with a night towards my “Elite” status. Not a big thing, I like staying at Marriott’s and it wasn’t expensive for them. But what it showed was that they valued me as a customer; to the point where they were willing to send me something of value for my birthday.

Do you think I will look to Marriott for my next travel? ... << MORE >>

Recently my Toastmaster friend Jim gave a speech on Reticence and asked us the question, “what happened to it?” He did a great job of showing how it has apparently disappeared as he shared the story of the flight where the lady (a stranger) next to him told the story of her urinary tract infection. Yuck. Or the other gentleman who asked him about the military’s “Don’t ask don’t tell” policy, and then proceeded to regale Jim with the ... << MORE >>

I was recently reading in Health Leaders Magazine about Kadlec Medical Center, a community hospital in the Northwest. What struck me about the story was the counterintuitive approach the CEO took in turning the hospital around. As the story went, in the 1990’s the hospital experienced significant financial challenges. Initially, they struggled and reacted in the usual ways by cutting expenses and staff.

Eventually, they found they could no longer staff the number of beds that they were licensed to fill. ... << MORE >>

We are trained to eliminate the phrase. “I don’t know from a very early age.” In school when they called on you, you needed to know the answer. When you are working through your career, the boss doesn’t like hearing I don’t know. And yet, when we eliminate that phrase from our vocabulary and hence our thinking we can no longer know. It is a bit of a paradox.

Think about this, If ... << MORE >>

I was having a conversation with a colleague the other day. He was telling me about how they had switched suppliers of outsourced customer service. And then he shared the frustration.

With his old supplier, when he received a customer complaint they would play a recording of the call. In some cases the call would be fine. In others my friend would suggest that the rep get some re-training. When completed they supplier would call to say the rep is coming back ...

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When making a sales call or presentation, how do you respond when people ask you, how you do what you do, or how you help others”? Do you say something like:

We outperform the industry average, OR we average a 16.94% recovery rate and that out performs the industry    average as reported by the ACA by almost 70%.

Which response leaves you wanting to know more?

I am ... << MORE >>

I am reading the book, War Fighting, published by the United States Marine Corp, in 1989. I was struck by the following phrase, “Leaders should develop unit cohesion and esprit and the self-confidence of individuals within the unit. In this environment, a Marine’s unwillingness to violate the respect and trust of peers can overcome personal fear.”

This speaks to the value of Culture in an organization. When there is a strong culture, ... << MORE >>