Why not?

In her commencement address thirteen years ago this season Majora Carter (an American urban revitalization strategist and public radio host from New York City) said to the graduating class of Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois: 

You guys will rock! 

It was an interesting dichotomy… An urban revitalization strategist rocking in farm country.  You can’t get much more rural than Galesburg.  Unless you take into account the “greater Galesburg metropolitan area” that includes, East Galesburg; Wataga; Altona; Galva; and the like. 

Galesburg, home to many famous people and a few less-than-remembered events is where I graduated from the college of “hard Knox”.  In those days, I loved the feel of being out in the country.  Growing up in a Chicago suburb, I knew the odds were high that I would live the majority of my adult life in or near a city.  You too? 

Knox College, surrounded by corn fields, was one location of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates – a series of debates that literally shaped the future of our country.  Here’s one excerpt of that event: 

Both men arrived at the Knox College campus by carriage and walked into the college’s impressive new building that later came to be called Old Main.  The debate was held on the east side of the building.  As the two men, along with other dignitaries, stepped through a window on to the stage it is reported that Lincoln said, “Well, at last I have gone through college.”

                                  Owen Muelder

This spring will again witness a friend or relative’s high school or graduation ceremony for many of us.  Do you remember any of those past commencement speeches?  Maybe this year we should pay closer attention. 

I always enjoy the unbridled hope and enthusiasm that comes from these events.  It reminds me of the proclamations made back in the day, “We can accomplish anything!”; “We will rock!”  Today, how well are we maintaining the spirit of those commitments?  Sometimes growing up dampens our enthusiasm, yes?  Susan Jeffers put it this way: 

Life is what happens when we’ve made other plans.

I understand.  When we work for a living the idealism from high school and college can collide with the demands of Corporate America.  So many people today are trying to “Rock”… as an employee; a parent; a friend; a family member; a community contributor; and so many other responsibilities that it’s easy to forget those happier, simpler, “rural” days. 

It’s not too late.  Before we continue spiraling down the black hole of trepidation, political strife, over-commitments, or despair, let’s refocus on Mason Cooley’s perspective: 

            "Why not?” is a slogan for an interesting life.

I think we’re up to the task.  Why not recommit to hope; enthusiasm; positivity; a better night’s sleep?  Why not strive to simplify our over-energized, over-stressed, “over-urbanized” life styles? 

Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is?

Frank Scully 

If we take a moment and think about it, I believe we already have the ability of adding fruit to our daily routine.  Why not follow Charles L. Bromley’s guidance: 

Why not make the best of things?  Any fool can make the worst of them. 

If you’re like me, our college experience was a bit different from Abraham Lincoln’s.  But if he was here today and looking at our possibilities for a better world as compared to the challenges he faced during his presidency, he might offer us these words of wisdom – Why not? 

GAP 

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

Income taxes - Yuck!

Let’s take a break from our calculators, files, and receipts; aka IRS Form 1040; aka Income Tax Day; aka Yuck!  Next Monday is the deadline.  Are you ready?

Does it seem to you that no matter how we complete our income tax return; no matter how much expert advice we pay for; no matter what plans we put in place to lessen our tax impact for the next year, we still seem to be funding everything?  

On the one hand, I hate the immense level of government spending taking place at the federal, state, county, city and even homeowners’ master association level.  The media reminds us of the tremendous waste that seems to occur every day; every where.  And during an election year?  Well… talk about a “deduction”.  Yuck! 

On the other hand, when there is a natural disaster; a scientific breakthrough funded by a government grant; wider highways; or when we simply have a friend or family member in need and they receive support from a social services program, we are happy we live in America, true? 

Income tax time is one point during the year when we add it all up.  (Talk about “March Madness”. HaHa!)  Sometimes we like the results; other times?  Not so much.  It brings to mind that “new math”: 

The Income Tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has. 

Will Rogers 

Question:  If I work from home and my dog barks when the FedEx driver arrives; does she qualify as my receptionist – and can I write-off the cost of her dog food?  No? 

All in all, last year was a very good year for me and mine. How about you and yours?  I suppose it depends on how we measure “good”.  Filing income taxes forces us to look at our W-2; 401k; bank statements; along with our mortgage interest; real estate taxes; and all of those numbers the IRS wants us to report.  That’s one way to measure “good” (or some years, not so good). 

When we look in the mirror, often much of our financial pains are self-inflicted: 

More and more these days I find myself pondering on how to reconcile my net income with my gross habits. 

John Kirk Nelson 

We heard growing up that money isn’t everything.  Do we have the same perspective as adults?  Hopefully so.  Our income, even when reduced by taxes, can still be more than enough for folks that are easily contented.  Unfortunately, the itch of discontent sometimes influences us to spend more than our means, yes? 

During these times of computations (and consumption), it’s not what we make that counts; it’s what’s left over.  Years ago we called it “net worth”.  Today, “line of credit” seems to have replaced the importance of net worth.  Like our federal government, line of credit means “debt”; and debt is not the same as net worth.  Are we worried?  Maybe we should think like rich people think: 

If you owe the bank $100, that's your problem.  If you owe the bank $100 Million, that's the bank's problem. 

John Paul Getty 

We are looking forward to this year – it will be our best year ever!  We can control how we define “best” by following the guidance of the renowned author and poet, Robert Lewis Stevenson: 

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.                                 

Oh, and no – the seeds are not deductible. 

GAP 

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

Obligations…

I was enjoying coffee with my friend Steadman, recently.  I’ve known Steve since grade school.  In addition to coffee we share many common opinions about work, family, and life.  At our recent gathering I shared the zig-zagging path I’ve been on since “retiring” in February 2022.  I may not work fulltime anymore, yet I seem to be busier than ever. 

Truth be told, when one of my former clients or colleagues asks how my retirement is going I cringe. It sounds like I should be sleeping late, golfing, reading the paper; none of which are even close to my daily routine. 

It’s my own fault.  I’m “playing with fire”.  On the one hand, I’m trying to stay connected with the sales profession and today’s business world.  On the other hand, I don’t want to work every day.  And I certainly don’t want to “report to a manager”.  (Besides my wife, of course. HaHa!)  I told Steve I’m literally losing sleep over these mutually exclusive preferences. 

That’s when my friend offered his great wisdom.  “Gary, I know you well enough to say if you put your name on it, then it becomes an obligation.”  That’s it!  That’s exactly what’s been happening. 

Once Steve helped me clarify what was going on in my mind, I immediately realized how I’m getting myself into these situations.  You see, I made a living by following a couple of basic principles.  First, I liked to declare that I was in the business of saying, “Yes”.  That behavior is now engrained.  I’m reluctant to say, “No”; to opt out of things; especially when others around me won’t jump in.  However, saying “Yes” means that it becomes an obligation. 

My second, basic principle is always striving to give my best in competitive situations.  That attitude predates my business pursuits.  For instance, when I was growing up and playing basketball I had the same approach.  I really like Tom Connellan’s explanation for this trait: 

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

We have all interacted with those who are “merely interested”, yes?  That’s not the personal branding I want to be associated with, do you?  Beware though - there’s a price to pay.  Passion  creates obligations. 

The word obligation reminds me of secret #1 from our favorite Unknown Sage and all those “obligated” bull riders: 

Cowboy secrets to life’s success: 

1. Don’t let your head strap your hand to anything your butt can’t ride.

2. Never corner anything meaner than you.

Earlier in my career, I attended training sessions on how to avoid obligations; how to say, “No”.  I had teammates who were concerned about becoming over-extended.  At that time, I could not have disagreed more.  Today, I’m wondering if I should have taken the teaching points more seriously.  Interestingly, another friend of mine (also named Steve) took just such a training class at his company a short time ago.  The crux was how to say politely, professionally, yet uncompromisingly, “No”:  

Not all projects should proceed… sometimes it’s better to be seen as stubborn rather than ineffective. 

Flawless Consulting 

Good point, true?  Going forward I’m going to pay closer attention to what “I put my name on”.  I won’t compromise the passion part. Once my “hand straps my butt” to an obligation, I will pursue that commitment with as much passion and professionalism I have. 

I guess I am stubborn.  But I never want anyone to think I’m “merely interested”. 

                                                            GAP 

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

Value is vague and varies…

Earlier this month I wrote about prospects pressuring us to compete on price in order to win their business.  Price-based negotiation was also a question posted on LinkedIn.  “Subject Matter Experts” were invited to weigh in.  (Other Schmoes like me, too. HaHa!) 

In my recent post, I told the story about how my Dad delt with Christmas tree sellers “back in the day”.  In that piece I mentioned the difficulty those tree sellers faced.  They wanted to sell my Dad the value of their best trees.  The problem was, he was shopping on price – even worse, the price he was shopping for was “free”! 

Selling value vs. competing on price comes with many challenges.  Three I cited were: 

• Value is vague
• Value varies by person
• Value is very hard to legitimately quantify 

My comments stimulated several opinions and questions (about negotiation not Christmas trees).  Permit me to address a few of those questions today. 

First, let’s establish a little context.  (BTW - You’ve heard me say before that in the modern marketplace, context is a killer application; especially when it comes to negotiations and selling value vs. price.  The first salesperson to clarify the prospect’s context almost always wins the business.  But I digress…) 

Let’s start with context about our prospects’ money:

You see, I believe we have all been taught since childhood that whatever something “costs” it’s in our best interests to seek a lower cost.  As we saw in Victor Antonio's video, it’s easy for salespeople to be trapped by the gravitational pull of cost becoming the main context of negotiating.  It’s understandable.  I think you might agree that the #1 question, every prospect has at the very beginning of their buying cycle (aka our sales process) is, “How much does something like this cost?”  We ask that question ourselves when we shop, true? 

Now on the other side of the same coin is value.  I believe we have all been taught since adulthood that when we invest in something and that something meets or exceeds our expected return …  we invest more!  Unfortunately, gaining agreement from our prospects on value and return is just not as simple as Victor Antonio’s “Value Equation”.  

That’s because of my second point - value varies by person.  SellXL put it this way a few years ago:

Consequently, the term “value” may sound singular, but it’s really plural.  Each person on our prospect’s buying committee has their own version of value.  In the book The Challenger Customer © (a companion to the book The Challenger Sale ©) this reality and our selling path were expressed this way: 

What's the best strategy for selling to increasingly diverse buying groups?  Track them all down and win them all over. 

Brent Adamson 

Yep, “track them all down”; clarify the context of their value as it relates to our proposal; and then “win them all over”.  Not so simple, agreed? 

The final contextual concept for today is this.  It’s not our prospects’ first rodeo when receiving our value “pitch”.  My colleague Cameron Newell put it more bluntly: Prospects are “burn victims”.  No, not from fire; but from being exposed to years of hyped up sales and marketing messaging that looks something like this:

Have you used these sound bites?  Me too.  However, we need to stop because if we don’t our prospects will “fight fire with fire”.  Smell that?  That’s our deal burning.  Pass the aloe, please.  

                                                            GAP 

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

March Madness and pretending

March Madness – a time for greatness on the college basketball court!  One of my favorite times of the year.  Where does greatness originate from anyway?  Can we leverage lessons learned from March Madness for our own success?  To take a closer look I always like to start at the beginning. 

How many people do you know who have achieved greatness and didn’t actually believe they were capable of being great?  I’m not talking about their outward-facing image (ranging from quiet modesty to over-the-top arrogance).  I’m talking about how they think of themselves inwardly.  Those that don’t have any self-doubt, reservations, or fear. 

Can we achieve greatness without believing - or at least pretending to believe – that we can and should be great?  Pretending to believe – there’s an idea.  Take this James S. Hewett basketball story: 

Former NBA center and coach Johnny Kerr said his biggest test as a coach came when he coached the then-expansion team the Chicago Bulls and his biggest player was 6'8" Erwin Mueller.

We had lost seven in a row and I decided to give a psychological pep talk before a game with the Celtics, Kerr said.  I told Bob Boozer to go out and pretend he was the best scorer in basketball.  I told Jerry Sloan to pretend he was the best defensive guard.  I told Guy Rodgers to pretend he could run an offense better than any other guard, and I told Erwin Mueller to pretend he was the best rebounding, shot-blocking, scoring center in the game.  We lost the game by 17. 

I was pacing around the locker room afterward trying to figure out what to say when Mueller walked up, put his arm around me, and said, “Don't worry about it Coach.  Just pretend we won."

James S. Hewett           

Jerry Sloan, one of the “Original Bulls”.  He may not have been “the best defensive guard” in the NBA.  But he ultimately achieved Hall of Fame greatness even if it took a career to do so. 

Jerry’s fame comes mostly from his coaching success with the Utah Jazz.  Consistency; team-play; fundamentals; toughness; his teams had these admirable qualities.  Oh, he had a few great players too, but they never had the best talent in the league.  Still he led his players to believe they could be great. 

Coaching in the sports world and leading in the business world have many parallels.  What makes great coaches and great business leaders?  Well, I may not be able to articulate a specific list of skills, characteristics, and attributes, but I know a great coach and a great-coached team when I see one.  And whether they are truly great, or just pretending to believe they are truly great, the leader makes a big difference on the ultimate outcome. 

Bum Phillips had coaching success with the then Houston Oilers of the NFL, even though his teams were never thought of as having the best talent in the league.  I have cited this ultimate tribute to Bum’s coaching greatness often: 

He can take his and beat yours; and then he can take yours and beat his.                            

Unknown Sage 

Today, the March Madness teams are hearing their coaches tell them to believe; that they have the magic; that theirs can beat yours in this year’s tournament.  I’m going to believe my 2024 will be a great year, too!  Even if I have to pretend to help me get started.  How about you? 

GAP 

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

My rock…

Next Tuesday is a big day on the Pokorn Ranch…

March 19th will mark our 51st wedding anniversary.  A significant number of days to be with one’s significant other, true?  In reality I’ve been with my high school sweetheart since 1970.  That makes it 54 years and continuing!  (Even more, we’ve actually known each other since the 7th grade.)  Do you believe in destiny?  It takes more than destiny:

We are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny.  But what we put into it is ours.

Dag Hammarskjold

I know many of you are enjoying long-lasting relationships, too.  I think you’d agree that the number of years isn’t what’s important.   Mignon McLaughlin shares this secret:

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

I write about my wife frequently.  Her impact on my life is significant.  Like any couple, we have our good days and… well… those others.  Like many couples, we’ve had a few relationship-testing; foundation-rattling; we’re-not-going-to-make-it; kind of days. 

Over the years we can testify that “for better or worse” really does mean for better or for “worse”.  We’re reminded:

When you’re riding through hell… keep riding.

James P. Owen

Any meaningful journey is like that.  Even one of America’s most famous sweethearts offered her guidance on life’s journey:

Pain nourishes courage.  You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.

Mary Tyler Moore

After 51 years we have learned to enjoy life’s little moments.  “Date night” these days looks nothing like it once did.  Still, we enjoy our quiet time together and our life’s wonderful blessings; all driven by love.  In fact, 51 years ago this month the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 was “Love Train” by the O’Jays.  According to Wikipedia:  

The word 'train' comes from the Old French trahiner, from the Latin trahere meaning pull, or draw.

I have been a passenger on the love train that my wife has been pulling for 51 years!  I’ve tried to contribute a few little things each day to lighten her load a bit; you know; clear the tracks.  Rob Gilbert made a list:

How to have a Winning Day:

You have to listen 

more than you talk…

You have to smile 

more than you frown…

You have to be fascinated 

more than you're frustrated…

You have to believe in yourself 

more than you doubt yourself.

You have to work 

more than you whine.

You have to do 

more than you don't.

I have paid attention to my role and my boundaries, too:

Men ordering custom colors must first bring in a note from their wife. 

Guiry Paint Store

It’s OK; she writes the notes; I run the errands; we make a great team.  And on those occasional occasions where disagreement looms, I heed Harlan Miller’s advice:

Often the difference between a successful marriage and a mediocre one consists of leaving three or four things a day unsaid.

51 years and our love train is rolling strong.  No matter our future course; no matter the challenges we will face; the trials that will test us; our love train will continue.  We will be pulled along by my magnificent, significant other.  Regardless of whether the wind is at our back or blowing hard in our face, Etheridge Knight’s words guide us:

Love is a rock against the wind. 

Happy 51st Anniversary Dear!  You’re my rock and I love you.

GAP

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

Cost vs. value…

What do Christmas trees, the memory of my Dad, and selling value vs. cost have in common?  (Really Gary?  Slow day?) 

Well, let’s pretend you’re the salesperson and I’m your prospect.  If you were selling me the value of your product/service, what value statements would you make?  Go ahead - take a moment - jot a few down.  We’ll come back to them. 

One of my favorite, childhood memories was my Dad taking me to “shop” for a Christmas tree.  His definition of “shopping” was to stop at Christmas tree vendors until he found one willing to give him one for free.  It would be a tree with broken limbs; cast aside; unsellable.  He’d also ask for miscellaneous branches laying about.  The vendors never asked why he wanted one for free.  Perhaps they were just happy to get rid of the scraps.  No value.  (My Mom would have been embarrassed!) 

Back home, using a drill and green string, my Dad would “rebuild” those broken, unsellable tree-parts into a work of beauty.  Ornaments and tinsel would hide the strings holding the whole thing together.  (My Mom was always uneasy when visitors got too close to our tree.) 

My Dad was a “Depression-Era Baby”; very cost-conscious.  No matter how hard the salesman tried to sell him the value of another, beautiful tree, my Dad would hold out.  The fact-of-the-matter was my Dad could afford a full-price tree.  His value lied elsewhere.   He searched by price because (A) he enjoyed the “hunt”; (B) he wanted to introduce me to business transactions; and (C) he took pride in the challenge of assembling a beautiful tree from various, discarded components. 

Fast-forward.  Today, I enjoy working with salespeople who face the selling challenge of cost vs value.  There are many reasons for this challenge.  Generally, I believe value is vague; varies by person; and very hard to quantify.  Consequently, prospects gravitate towards cost.  Cost is specific; objective; and doesn’t vary by person (without negotiating a big discount, of course). 

Salespeople inadvertently reinforce this gravitational pull.  Tools like “TCO” (Total Cost of Ownership) or “ROI” (Return on Investment) calculators make the situation worse.  Guess what these vendor-developed calculators draw the prospect’s attention to?  Two minutes from Victor Antonio:

Victor’s “The Value Equation” almost looks too good to be true, true?  And that’s the problem… this isn’t the prospect’s first rodeo.  The prospect knows exactly how to make the ROI look even better – reduce the denominator! 

Nowadays, we live in an era of affluence.  Nonetheless, no one wants to pay high prices – perhaps that’s why prospects pit salespeople against one another to earn their business.  Do you compete on price?  Your prospects hopes so: 

The Law of the Marketplace: 

If only one price can be obtained for any quotation, the price will be unreasonable. 

Unknown Sage 

Still, who doesn’t enjoy getting a deal? 

            It's not the cheaper things

that we want to possess

But expensive things

that cost a little less.                       

Rolf B. White 

Every time I see a prospect wanting an expensive thing for “a little less”, I smile.  I remember my Dad and our Christmas trees.  (I also know why my Mom never joined us.  She would have valued the full-price tree.) 

OK then, those value statements I asked you to jot down above...  it was actually a trick question.  In the real world, only your prospects can define their value.  The key question is, are you asking them? 

GAP 

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