Deals…

I had coffee with a friend of mine recently.  He’s moving away from the corporate world and into the entrepreneurial world.  Going out on his own in today’s marketplace?  Well, I admire his intestinal fortitude! 

Even in the best of circumstances it’s hard to launch a successful venture.  I remember talking with a winery owner years ago.  He had made a killing in the technology/corporate world and decided to move his family to the western slope of Colorado and open a winery.  The value of his stock options was more than enough to make a total career, “right turn”.  He told me after being “out on his own” for a few years he learned: 

How do you make $1 Million in the wine business?  Start with $10 Million. 

Those nagging little things called expenses can dampen an entrepreneur’s enthusiasm (and ruin the wine).  I understand the attraction of working for yourself; being the boss; captain of your ship.  But… careful what we ask for: 

If your business depends on you, you don't own a business - you have a job.  And it's the worst job in the world because you're working for a lunatic! 

Michael E. Gerber 

To be clear, my friend is certainly not a lunatic.  He has great experience, is an expert in his field, and has the full support of his wife and family.  He’s ready for the test: 

Business is a place where everything we know how to do is tested by what we don't know how to do, and the conflict between the two is what creates growth. 

Michael E. Gerber 

In my personal, entrepreneurial days I slipped out-of-balance between the delivery/fulfillment side of the equation while simultaneously prospecting for new business.  As a sales professional,  I knew the research had been consistent over the years (still is).  The key to being successful when in business on your own?  It’s the revenue!  Or, as I liked to quip when asked how I was doing, “Nothing a deal or two wouldn’t solve”. 

Ah yes.  The deals!  I think Mark Cuban agrees with his Rule #4:

Today, one can have the slickest, AI-driven marketing presence.  The easiest and most user-friendly commerce site.  Great reviews; excellent back-office operations; a well thought out business plan; even nice shoes.  But without deals, all that goes for naught.  Unless you have a boat load of money from your (previous) corporate job and stock options. 

My friend tried out his sales “pitch” on me.  I liked it.  I liked his web site, too.  All in all, everything looked good.  When I asked how many deals he’s closed he replied, “Well, I have an appointment with a prospect next Monday.  They sound very interested.  And, I’m doing networking events.” 

Uh-Oh.  An appointment; prospects; sounds interested; networking.  I didn’t have to say it.  He knows, I know, and you know, those aren’t the same thing as deals.  Our conversation reminded me that throughout my sales career (and brief stint as a consultant), when faced with problems, pressures, and expenses my daily mantra became, “Nothing a deal or two wouldn’t solve.” 

I suggested he try it out. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Amazing…

World Cup visitors from other nations are amazed with their experiences visiting our country.  The source of their amazement?  Our luxury cars?  Our mansions?  Our National Parks and man-made Monuments?  No. 

It’s been reported that they are amazed by all of the little things we perhaps take for granted every day.  The abundance found in our grocery stores.  How easy it is to get around.  Our convenience stores, conveniently open 24 hours.  And most impressively, how kind and friendly Americans are.  Yes, kind and friendly.  Amazing! 

Visitors are sharing some of their amazing things with us, too.  Like the Norwegians and their Viking Row:

World Cup fans also demonstrate their great passion.  It’s amazing isn’t it?  Soccer has the highest participation of all youth sports in America.  Yet, when it comes to competing in the World Cup, we struggle.  Could it be another one of those “little things” – like their passion? 

One with passion is better than forty who are merely interested. 

Tom Connellan 

There’s no doubting other countries and their passion for soccer.  Yes, yes, they call it football.  Do you believe we are as passionate about our college and pro football?  Or does our passion lie with NIL, fantasy sports, or gambling? 

Well, it’s been amazing to see the enthusiasm our visitors have shown toward visiting our amazing country.  And it’s their enthusiasm we should carry with us long after the Cup is won: 

Enthusiasm is not a random mood; it’s a daily choice. 

Joe Takash 

So, thank you World Cup visitors!  You’re really showing us where to look - and how to feel - to appreciate our amazing country! 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

To Dads…

Happy Father’s Day this coming Sunday!  If you’re lucky enough to have living fathers and grandfathers, give them a big hug Sunday.  If they have passed on, I hope you cherish their memory. 

I remember many things about my Dad.  First and foremost, he smiled a lot.  He laughed easily.  He had a zest for life!  We should all be so lucky.  His memory brings a proud smile to my face (and my heart!). 

The older I get the more I appreciate the love and devotion he gave me and my brother.  He wanted his sons to make a difference.  Plus, he wanted to pass along his family’s traditions.  He also wanted us to be patient with his quirks. 

I remember after my Mom died, my Dad ate dinner at the hospital cafeteria two blocks from his house.  It might have been for the convenience; maybe for the memory of the last place he saw his beloved wife alive. 

Eating dinner at the hospital every evening for over twenty years, the employees eventually thought Al Pokorn actually worked there.  One summer, he was even invited to the company picnic.  I didn’t mind this innocent charade, but when he won a TV in the employee raffle, I told him he had to give it back! 

We’re all a little quirky, I suppose.  Today, when my children use one of my quirky sayings, or demonstrate a family tradition that has been passed down from father to son, it brings a proud smile to my face (and my heart)! 

We Dads hope we’ve instilled a sense of wisdom and common sense in our children: 

Kid wisdom: 

When your Dad is mad at you and asks you, “Do I look stupid?”  Don't answer him. 

Michael 

Dads sometimes have to employ “tough-love”.  The good news is my children are resilient.  Yours are too, I bet.  If we are tough with them from time-to-time, they know - kids are smart: 

A flustered father, stressed out from his day at work, was unsuccessfully texting his kids to come in for dinner.  Finally, he walks out on his porch and yells for his kids to come in. 

At that point one youngster turns to his brother and asks, “I can’t remember, which one am I - Jesus Christ or God Dammit?” 

Unknown Sage 

Because my sons have their children now, I get to follow the tradition of being the grandfather!   I’m still trying to make a difference: 

Sometimes the only difference we can make is passing our wisdom on to someone else who will make the bigger difference. 

Linda B. Gray 

So, here’s to your Dad, my Dad, and all the Dads out there.  They have strived to help each one of us make a difference - a tradition to be passed down. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

 

Tick, tick, tick…

I helped my college professor set up an Advisory Circle for his Men’s Health program.  He’s passionate about the fate of today’s boys and young men.  Having a 15-year old grandson, I can relate. 

The Advisory Circle’s goals are (1) Increase awareness of the need for men’s health among boys and young men, (2) Increase enrollment in his undergraduate courses, and (3) Increase funding.  It’s that last goal where my background comes into play. 

His cause is noble and we have the type of relationship that I could joke during our working sessions on how the money works “in the sales world”: 

I am a dot-com person, but my friend Steve, who works for a public television station, is a dot-org person.  He believes dot-org persons are more noble than dot-com persons because dot-com persons are in businesses where they try to make money, while his dot-org public television station has a more lofty goal than making money: they would rather beg and whine for it. 

Dan Danborn 

I share that background to say this…  The inaugural gathering of the MSU Men’s Health Advisory Circle had 13 of the 19 invitees show up.  I call that a great result!  Out of those 13 attendees, 9 offered to meet 1-to-1 and discuss ways to work together.  From a sales/marketing “conversion” perspective, another great result, true?  What I feared for my professor was his inexperience with the clock… tick, tick, tick.   

How do you measure your response time?  How do your prospects?

IMHO, the majority of sales development efforts die on the clock.  In the corporate, B2B sales world, while sales and marketing people are debating who sourced the contact to begin with (e.g. leads/cold-calling/inquiries/LinkedIn); how “qualified” it is (e.g. MQL/SQL/BANT); the prospect who once expressed at least some degree of curiosity has moved on.  Tick, tick, tick… 

24 hours.  IMHO that’s the outside shelf life of an inquiry/lead/expression of interest.  24 hours at the most.  Tick, tick, tick…  What is the shorter side of an ideal response time, you might ask?  Real-time.  When your “target contact”, who again may merely be curious and definitely not “qualified” (yet) expresses interest in continuing the conversation, that’s the queue to open calendars. 

Yes, yes, yes, you’re right.  You (and they) may need to “double check” any calendar changes.  Both of you need to “confirm” aka “qualify” there’s actual interest vs. merely curiosity.  But there’s no reason not to at least put a “place marker” date and time to be confirmed vs. the proverbial “I’ll get back to you shortly”, don’t you think?.  Tick, tick, tick…  

How rapidly do you respond when a potential customer/donor/partner expresses interest? 

Today's customers demand operations that are airborne, on-line, and real time.  'Soon' is not the answer they want to hear when they ask, 'When?" 

Michael Tracy 

Looking at it from a different point of view, how rapidly do you prefer your sellers to respond to your expression of interest?  It’s likely something other than “soon”. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Donuts!

National Donut Day is June 5^th, but any day is a good day for donuts, true?  What is it about donuts anyway?  Yes, they’re bad for us.  Yes, they’re loaded with sugar.  Yes, we make it worse by adding toppings.  Still, the temptation just seems irresistible: 

Korman’s Law: 

The trouble with resisting temptation is it may never come your way again. 

Unknown Sage 

While no single person is credited with inventing donuts, a 16-year old sailor, Hansen Gregory, was the first person to cut the middle hole from donut “cakes” way back in 1847.  Leave it to a teenager.  Oh, if we only had their metabolism throughout our adulthood!  Today, it’s estimated that Americans alone eat over 10 Billion donuts a year.  That’s billion, with a “B”.

Back in my sales manager days donuts were part of my “tool box”.  When I had a tough message to deliver to my sales team, like increasing quotas, decreasing territories, or changing commission plans, I’d bring the donuts.  It didn’t change the bad news, buy hey, we’re talking about donuts!  I’d bring donuts to other sales meetings, too.  I didn’t want them to only associate donuts with bad news. 

Truth be told, salespeople know when bad news is coming, with or without the donuts.  It seems to be an irrefutable law in Corporate America: 

Sometimes I get an e-mail that begins, “In keeping with the dictum that bad news should travel faster than good news, here’s a gem.” 

Bill Gates 

When I brought donuts, it was merely a gesture, a gift, a tribute really to the quality of salespeople on my team.  Of course, I partook, too.  Chocolate frosted are my favorite.  I bet you have a favorite.  After all, we’re talking about donuts! 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.