Travel…

I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I miss traveling for business.  After too many “Road Warrior” years, I was happy to be home; lose all my gold and platinum frequent traveler statuses; see my wife and family every day. 

After COVID-19?  OK, I’ve seen my wife and family… a lot, LoL! 

Now don’t get me wrong, I love being around my wife and family.  It’s just that after taking social distancing seriously and conducting 100% of my business meetings from home via Zoom; I’d like to board an airplane and zoom somewhere on a company trip.  My wife would second the motion. 

Which is surprising based on the way I used to travel. 

During one, 3-year period in 1986 alone I flew from Chicago to Pittsburg and back every Monday-Tuesday and flew to Omaha or Des Moines and back every Wednesday-Thursday.  My company was based in northern California, which I traveled to monthly for sales meetings and prospects headquarter visits. 

Being pre-9/11, we boarded planes without security screening; changed flights on a whim; and almost always were upgraded to first class.  I took my wife and in-laws to Hawaii on four separate vacations; first class; all on points. 

Over 25 years of heavy travel took a toll on just about everything in my life.  Everything but my sense of humor: 

After every flight, pilots fill out a form called a gripe sheet, which conveys to the mechanics problems encountered with the aircraft during the flight that need repair or correction.  The mechanics read and correct the problem, and then respond in writing on the lower half of the form what remedial action was taken, and the pilot reviews the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews and engineers lack a sense of humor.  Here are some actual logged maintenance complaints and problems as submitted by pilots and the solution recorded by maintenance engineers. 

(By the way, this airline is the only major airline that has never had an accident.) 

P = The problem logged by the pilot.

S = The solution and action taken by the engineers.    

P:  Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.   

S:  Almost replaced the inside main tire. 

P:  Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough. 

S:  Auto-land not installed on this aircraft. 

P:  Something loose in cockpit.   

S:  Something tightened in cockpit. 

P:  Dead bugs on windshield. 

S:  Live bugs on backorder. 

P:  Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.

S:  Cannot reproduce problem on ground. 

P:  Evidence of leak on right main landing gear. 

S:  Evidence removed. 

P:  DME volume unbelievably loud. 

S:  DME volume set to more believable level. 

P:  Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.    

S:  That's what they're there for. 

P:  IFF inoperative.    

S:  IFF always inoperative in OFF mode. 

P:  Suspected crack in windshield.

S:  Suspect you're right.

P:  Number 3 engine missing. 

S:  Engine found on right wing after brief search. 

P:  Aircraft handles funny.  

S:  Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious. 

P:  Target radar hums.  

S:  Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics. 

P:  Mouse in cockpit.   

S:  Cat installed. 

P:  Noise coming from under instrument panel.  Sounds like an elf pounding on something with a hammer.  

S:  Took hammer away from elf. 

Unknown Sage 

Here’s to the Road Warriors when normal travel returns.  Speaking from experience I know - not everyone can do that for a living. 

GAP 

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

Getting bloodied...

I met with a client of mine recently for 1-to-1 sales coaching.  He's new to his company and hasn't actually sold a product like ours before.  He does have 4 years of experience selling other technology products. 

He mentioned he's not getting much coaching from his manager.  He's been told to just go after a deal or two to get acclimated with the product and his firm's process.  It reminded me of what my first sales manager told me 42 years ago. 

"Gary", Joe Breslin said, "Just go out there and get bloodied." That was it.  If I accomplished this first assignment, then he would invest time to coach me; to teach me; to help me understand what "a day in my sales life" was supposed to look like. 

You see, I was an “out-of-profile” hire back then; my manager and others weren’t sure I could do the job.  They only hired me because of my persistence.  Since the job was draw vs. commission, they had no downside.  If I washed out it cost them very little.  

I on the other hand, had a lot at stake.  My wife was a full time Mom for our 3-year-old son.  Three mouths to feed plus a mortgage – I was motivated! 

Joe Breslin simply told me to go get bloodied first; he didn’t want to waste his time if I was going to fail.  I was determined to prove them all wrong.  I succeeded. 

Now 42 years later my client is telling me his manager has sent him out to get bloodied.  I could relate LoL! 

That was then; this is now.  Do you believe younger salespeople accept “tough love” management direction these days (even if it remains excellent advice)?  Do today’s managers even believe in “tough love”?  Like “helicopter parents” how many times do sales managers step in to close a deal; to “rescue” their sales rep? 

In his book Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun © Wess Roberts offers this: 

Huns learn less from success than they do from failure.               

Even if they have the skill and the willingness, the problem for sales managers is there is no guarantee that his or her salespeople are willing to get bloodied anymore.  I believe we should let the sales rep learn from failure, nonetheless. 

Figuring things out for ourselves can establish a strong foundation to build a sales career on.  Honing our mental toughness serves us well throughout our career; throughout our entire life: 

I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed, and the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I can fail and keep on trying.  

Tom Hopkins 

I believe in today’s real world, a sales professional is either winning business or getting bloodied.  The sales manager has their own challenge in that moment of choice.  What’s more important – the deal or the sales rep learning how to overcome adversity? 

The most difficult thing in the world is to know how to do a thing and to watch someone else doing it wrong, without commentary.  

T.H. White 

Happily, I believe this rep who put time on my calendar is capable, eager, and tough enough to get bloodied.  It is my great pleasure to work with sales professionals who possess these qualities.  

The strong will ultimately survive.  It’s the nature of the business.  It’s the nature of life. 

GAP 

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

2021 – A year of Fulfillment?

 What kind of year will 2021 be?  Well, to make it fulfilling I believe it’s always best to start at the beginning…by writing out our Annual Achievement Plan.  

Too busy for planning or goal-setting?  We could take a few baby steps.  Let’s begin our beginning with a point of reference: 

The first and most important thing about goals is having one. 

Geoffrey Albery 

Of course, planning for success is more than just thinking about a few goals.  Unwritten goals without corresponding milestones are merely “hope” and as the business book title suggests, Hope is Not a Strategy©. 

As we write down our goals with corresponding milestones, I believe it’s also wise to leverage the “Principle of Balance”: 

I remember while leading top sales teams, I would occasionally hear one of my Producers say that being family-oriented was more important than sales success.  OK… but one of the best ways to care for my family is to be successful in sales (or whatever career one pursues). 

I do agree that to be balanced it is important to have family goals as part of our Annual Achievement Plan.  It could be taking a family vacation; dedicating time each day with the kids; “unplugging” while at dinner with our spouse; calling Mom and Dad each week.  All those “little things” that make a big difference to our loved ones. 

Go ahead – take a moment to write down your 2021 family goals; we can wait. 

The importance of the Personal Development quadrant in our plan is another key to achievement.  As the business book title suggests, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There©.  Writing goals in this quadrant reinforces the Principle of Balance. 

That leads us to the Fulfillment quadrant.  Fulfillment in life is quite personal.  Our favorite, Unknown Sage puts it this way: 

Life is measured by the number of moments that take our breath away. 

Although I advocate writing an Annual Achievement Plan; with measurable goals; corresponding milestones; striving to make each year my best year yet...  I also believe in the power of imagination; the presence of magic; and the blessings God bestows on us. 

The idea for this quadrant came from a former colleague of mine, Peter Goodwin.  He believed in the annual planning process, but added a unique twist to his that I have since adopted.  Each year I write down a list of fantasies that if I could be so blessed in my lifetime, I may realize. 

Go ahead - add your list of fantasies to your 2021 Plan.  And “DREAM BIG!” In a business context James Collins (writing about companies in his book, Built to Last©) called them: 

Big, Hairy Audacious Goals! 

In our life, dreams and fantasies should be big, hairy, and audacious; such achievements should always “take our breath away”.  After all: 

Who wants a dream that’s near-fetched?  

Howard Schultz 

Then, when we realize the fulfillment of one of our fantasies, don’t cross it off the list.  It should remain on our Annual Achievement Plan every year with the date of the fulfillment.  That will serve as a constant reminder of the power and awe of living our life to the fullest! 

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, Holy sh@#, what a ride! 

Unknown Sage 

So here’s to 2021 – may it be our most fulfilling year yet! 

GAP 

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