Well, almost…

Last year I asked the Federal Government for $5,000.  Oh, it wasn’t for me. It was a donation request to support a nonprofit’s community festival.  Similar to all our governmental entities, non-profit organizations “run on money”.

I thought… I pay taxes; the government spends taxes; why not ask for a little?  My request of $5,000 was almost nothing within the context of more than $4 Trillion in taxes collected each and every year.  Logically, my request should have had a chance, right?  Well, almost…

I’m a huge Air Force fan.  In the 1940s, my Dad served in the Army Air Corps (which preceded the United States Air Force).  I’m a big fan of the Air Force Academy’s NCAA Division I football team, too.  So when I decided to solicit the Federal Government I focused on the USAF as my “target”. 

One solicitor to another, I sent an email of introduction outlining my request to the local US Armed Forces Recruiting Office; specifically a contact there from the Air Force.  Well, almost…  The contact I had was no longer working out of that local office.  My email was forwarded on a circuitous route until it finally ended up in the in-box of Master Sergeant Anthony Woodall. (Did he lose a bet?)

Seems like our government and the business world have a lot in common when it comes to emails aimlessly wandering along from in-box to in-box until someone (anyone!) eventually responds.  MSgt. Woodall responded.  We agreed to meet at his office.

“I have the money” was Anthony’s greeting.  Before I even introduced myself; before we shook hands; before I sat down; he declared he had the money I was requesting.  Well, almost…

After-all, there is that thing known as red tape:

To the government, cutting red tape often means slicing it into long strips lengthwise.

Norman R. Augustine

MSgt. Woodall had to “run it by his up-line”.  Plus, there was the paperwork.  Anthony said it was straight forward.  Well, almost…  Actually, filling out the government form was indeed straight forward.  It was where that form was routed that tested one’s perseverance.  Literally weeks went by with no word on approval; rejection; more information required; nothing.  I wanted to believe Anthony when he said this was normal, but the delay brought Herodotus to mind:

Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all.

As we approached the event deadline to his credit Master Sergeant Woodall contacted me with the bad news.  My request from our government was rejected.  His consolation was maybe it could happen in 2025 since we already went through their process. But in the back of my mind all I could think of was… Well, almost.

                                                            GAP

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

Child’s play…

Salespeople can learn a lot from children; from Yogi Berra, too:

You can see a lot by observing.

There are two particular words in a child’s vocabulary that are worth observing.  Simple words; straight-forward words; short words.  A three letter word and a two letter word.

The first?

Salespeople should take lessons from their kids.  What does the word 'no' mean to a kid?  Almost nothing.

Mike Weinberg

Sales is a profession of hearing “no”; a lot; yes?  In our profession, no doesn’t always mean no.  More times than not it means not now; or not that one; or not at that price.  Our clients and prospects guide us to their yes by first saying no.

A child combines this “almost nothing” attitude with a 3-letter word.  Salespeople can, as well.  Call me child-like, but this word comes naturally for me. I don’t use it to set me apart from my competitors.  It’s not contrived.  That wasn’t my objective.  I had a hard enough time paying attention to what I was doing to worry about what my competitors were up to.

No, I used this 3-letter word throughout my career genuinely; appropriately; and with all sincerity.  When my clients and prospects could tell how hard I was trying to understand they would say, “Gary, let me help you” and then they’d reveal their yes. This phenomena is known in the business as:

Getting on the same side of the desk with our prospect.

Isn’t it amazing that a simple, every day, childlike, 3-letter word has the power to get us on the inside with our clients and prospects?  One word that guides us directly and more comfortably to their yes vs. overcoming the obstacles of their no.

 Steven Covey put it this way:

     Seek first to understand…

This 3-letter word is even easy to work into a sales conversation.  Every time a client or prospect states “What” they want, we should remember our childhood and ask, “Why?”

We tell our children and grandchildren “no” frequently, true?  And their most common response?  Yep – you guessed it – “Why?”  Using that simple word advances those kids past our “no” to obtaining our yes, yes?  See what I mean?

                                                            GAP

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

Smells like money!

If it’s January; in Denver; it’s the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo!  I love that smell.  I love being around farmers, ranchers, cowboys, and horse people.  I love their values: God, country, family.  I love their work ethic centered around kids, crops, and critters.  I love their commitment!

We can learn a lot from cowboy wisdom; Irish wisdom, too:

Then I remembered the Irishman's remark, that one spur was enough, because if one side of your horse went, the other would be sure to go.

George Pickett

My wife is a horse person; my younger son, his wife, and my granddaughter, too.  Coming from the Chicago suburbs, I live with a whole different “herd” now:

My husband said if I don’t sell my horses, he will leave me.  Some days I miss him.

Unknown Sage

My favorite National Western event is the draft horse competition.  On the surface, you see the power and beauty of the teams and the teamsters.  Their commitment lies below the surface.

In this 2018 picture there are (14), 6-draft-horse teams.  That’s about 84 tons of horse! And, over eight million dollars!

 Here’s my math (in 2018 dollars): 

$105,000 for tack (42 sets of harnesses, hitches, and reins x $2,500 per set; 3 pairs per team - 2 horses are the wheel team; 2 horses are the swing team; and 2 are the lead team)

14 show wagons with trailer @ $25,000 each = $350,000

14 pick-up trucks to haul the show wagon trailers @ $70,000 each = $980,000

14 tractor-trailers to haul the 84 draft horses @ $110,000 each = $1,554,000

84 draft horses @ $60,000 each (average public auction price) = $5,040,000.

All in, that’s $8,029,000!

Those millions don’t cover hay (50 pounds per horse per day x 84 horses x $5 per pound x 365 days = $7,665,000); plus grain (50 pounds of grain per day…); plus shoeing… plus veterinarian … plus fuel for the vehicles… plus, plus, plus.

The $2,500 1^st Place prize money is certainly not the reason these folks compete.

While others watch NFL playoffs on TV, these folks feed; fill water; groom; polish tack and wagons; muck manure.  While caring for their critters, they even eat their meals in the barn.  Commitment!

Western folks are committed to our U S of A, too.  During the National Western at the start of every day, as well as before each rodeo, everyone stands and “removes cover” for the singing of our National Anthem.

Yep – I love the sights, sounds, and smell of the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo!

GAP

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