Tough times?

I understand.  Your team missed their number; your company did too.  As a manager, you had to "lay off" a sales rep; maybe two; maybe more.  Now what? 

It's the new fiscal year; quotas are bigger; territories are smaller; and compensation plans were changed... your people have to sell more just to make the same.  You too.  Now what? 

Companies want employees to return to the office (at least a few days each week). Employees have become accustomed to working from home aka remote, aka online, aka virtually, aka in their PJs. Your sales people are resisting.  They think it’s a waste of time to show up just to show their face.  Now what? 

Are we working, managing, and living in tough times?  Yes.  Managing people remotely is tough. Maintaining a sense of camaraderie and culture is tough. Staying up beat in the face of adversity is tough. And people are realizing that "working from home" has morphed into "living at work".  Now what???

Well, if you are leading a team, "now what" is why you were selected to lead a team: 

Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition, such as lifting weights, we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity. 

Stephen R. Covey 

Recently, enjoyably, I’ve chatted with several sales people, sales managers, and sales VPs on the topic of leading during tough times.  Each of them responded to the question, “Now what?” by phoning a friend.  IMHO, that was an excellent, first step.  Why?  Because sales is a team sport.  More on that in a minute…  Back to your today.  Difficult day?  Yes: 

Life is difficult.  This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths.  It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it.  Once we know that life is difficult – then life is no longer difficult.  Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters. 

M. Scott Peck  

OK Captain Obvious… easy to pontificate but what do we do about it?  Here are a few ideas I shared in my recent conversations.  I thought you might find value in them, too. 

As I stated first and foremost, sales is a team sport.  Foster your team; conduct team meetings… but… don’t focus on the “usual” stuff aka forecasts; month end deadlines; tough times; misery!  Instead:

• Invite a client to address your team and share their experiences with your company’s products/services.
• Read a business book and discuss how to apply tips & tricks to your team’s daily routine.  (I recommend Inside the Magic Kingdom by Tom Connellan.)
• Watch a Ted Talk or a LinkedIn Learning module and have a team discussion about ways to apply lessons learned to their routine. 

Why that book and why the daily routine?  Well, successful selling (and the “secret” to Disney) is executing all of those little things each day with excellence: 

Focus on having a good day; every day; and the year will take care of itself. 

Gary Givan 

The third piece of advice I offered in our conversations was the importance of maintaining a positive, can-do, mental attitude.  James Reston put it best this way: 

Stick with the optimists.  It’s going to be tough enough even if they’re right. 

If today’s tough times are getting you down, don’t try to go it alone.  Phone a friend.  Not sure who to call?  Give me a call.  I’ll fly with ya. 

GAP 

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

Techno-speaking…

OMG! What do you get when you combine Artificial Intelligence (AI) with artificial English (AKA made-up, social media-driven, acronyms)?  Is today’s techno-speak creating communications confusion?  I mean the English language is complicated enough.  Add in BAM, BOOM, and God knows what else, and at the EOD are we SOL? 

IRL I can’t tell if it’s FOMO or the machines that are driving us towards some new language.  Perhaps it’s just the IOT that we, our children, and our door bells are acclimating to.  It’s not new:

Maybe we’re saving our thumb muscles while operating those tiny little keyboards on our phones that’s behind the emergence of a short-hand slang.  I mean banging on our devices throughout the day (especially while driving our cars) can be strenuous, yes?  Maybe we’re witnessing (i.e. creating) a new “Modern English” for Google: 

Modern English is widely considered to be the lingua franca of the world and is the standard language in a wide variety of fields, including computer coding, international business, and higher education. 

“Lingua franca”, indeed.  Should I say, “LF”?  I see a whole lot of creativity these days with our technology-driven approach to communication.  BTW - who exactly is (or are) the SoMeIn that’s coming up with this stuff?  I wonder if such creativity is essentially costing clarity?  The Digital Transformation Playbook © by David L. Rogers written way back in 2016 offered: 

As technology journalist Alexis Madrigal has observed, “It turns out that our creativity is good but our judgement is lousy.” 

Lousy judgement – that’s not new.  David S. Pottruck told us even longer ago; 

E-mail and voice-mail have, of course, exacerbated the problem in the last ten years.  Unfortunately, for all their convenience, these innovations have made it much easier to believe we are communicating when we are merely informing; if I have e-mailed you, you know it. This presumption frequently escalates from knowledge to understanding, then to consent, and finally to the delusion of wisdom. 

Ah yes, “… if I have e-mailed you… you consent ...”  How many times have we had that delusion of wisdom? 

IMHO, electronic, one-directional, techno-speak-based messaging frequently leads to erroneous assumptions.  For instance, I assumed BAM was a word.  You know like, “I was driving to work and bam I realized today is our wedding anniversary and I haven’t bought a card or a present for my wife yet.”  But nooo; as it turns out, BAM stands for Business Activity Management. 

Then there’s BOOM, which again, I thought was a word.  As in, “When my wife realized I bought her anniversary gift at the 7-11 on my way home from work that night, boom, there went any chance for a romantic evening.”  LOL!  Silly me; BOOM stands for Business Opportunity Optimization Management. (Who knew?) 

Call me kooky, but BAM sounds a lot like what my manager wanted to talk to me about during those sales forecast reviews (which seemed to be the only time he actually wanted to talk to me).  And I think I witnessed BOOM the other day when I was ordering a pizza and being up-sold extra toppings and side dishes by the restaurant’s AI chat-bot! 

I guess we all have to adapt to the evolution of today’s “New English Language”.  We’ll need to pay attention though… what we assume was written by the writer may not actually be what the writer assumed we would understand he wrote. 

Wait… WHAT??? 

GAP (oops – my bad!  I meant GAP) 

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

Prospects and horses …

A while back I wrote, “Prospects are a lot like horses.”   I promised to circle back and explain.  Today’s the big day, LOL! 

Throughout my sales career several managers left “a very certain impression” on me.  I bet you have had those very certain impressions left on you, as well. 

Mine started this way; “Gary, you need to sell more.” Or, “Gary, you need to schedule more appointments.” Or, “Gary, you need to close more deals.”  Sometimes embellishments for emphasis and urgency were added like, “Gary, I sense a turnover.”  

See the trend?  These statements focus on the “what”.  Telling someone what they need to do is almost always ineffective.  You and I know “what” we need to do, right?  It’s the “how” to do it that matters for most people – most horses, too: 

You can tell a gelding; you can ask a stallion; but you must discuss it with a mare. 

Unknown Sage 

Horses teach us to simplify how to do things.  Being around horses requires us to pay attention to them while setting all the other clutter, stress, and B.S. of our day on the side; even if just briefly: 

Love the horses God gave to you because he will want them back someday. 

Unknown Sage 

When I coach sales people I like to simplify how to leverage sales tools, tactics, and techniques.  Too many salespeople over-complicate things.  OK, but horses and prospects are alike?  There are more parallels than you think.

When you’re around horses you learn quickly that they behave in a very certain way.  If you’re standing in their space, they will step on your foot.  If you make a sudden move, they will spook.  If you’re shy or afraid, they will attempt to establish dominance by nudging or rubbing on you.  When they put their ears back, watch out!  They’re getting ready to kick or bite. 

How do you learn to predict these equine behaviors?  Well, you only have to get stepped on or kicked once.  It gets your attention!  That’s how it works with prospects, too.  If we pay attention, prospects’ behaviors (like horses’) are observable and predictable. 

For instance, when the prospect asks, “How much does your product/service cost?” and we give them that traditional, non-answer, answer; “ Oh, we would need to do a much more thorough analysis of your needs before we could possibly address that question”… watch out!  They won’t put their ears back but they will almost always tune us out.  Behaviorally, prospects hate the non-answer, answer to the “Money Question”.  (BTW – We do too when we’re the prospect, don’t you agree?) 

When selling to prospects, we need to pay attention to the questions they ask; the objections they pose; what they say when brushing us off.  We can literally create a short list of their predictable behaviors.  Once we have it we can do the things that generate positive reactions and avoid saying those things that generate negative outcomes. 

Now you might say, “Gary, it’s not that simple.”  Well… OK… back to horses.  Success in working with horses is to keep things simple and consistent.  I believe successfully selling transactions is to consistently simplify the process for the prospect.  Complexity leads to confusion.  Confused prospects won’t kick us - they won’t transact either. 

Starting to feel this connection between horses and prospects has merit?  Want to learn how to think like a horse?  Grant Golliher thinks you’re not alone. 

GAP 

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

C'est la vie! and Deja vu

I hope you enjoyed a happy and safe July 4^th holiday!  Here’s to our forefathers who freed this country from the British.  There were three things that helped them do it:  Leadership, Free Speech, and the French. 

Two of these three remain part of our everyday lives.  (I’m not as sure about the French).  I know a lot of families with ancestors that immigrated to America.  I don’t know very many from France though, do you?  C'est la vie! (Which, of course, is French for: Such is life - their bad!) 

The French helped Americans gain our independence; gifted the Statue of Liberty to us signifying their friendship; and then said, “bon chance!” (Which, of course, is French for: You’re going to need it!) 

Today, we have our leaders to poke free speech fun at.  Managers and executives at our companies are frequent targets of humor.  It’s OK, they mean well: 

But even top management types are mostly harmless when you get to know them.  Given lots of love, some even make good pets.                                 

Rick Levine 

After a while all good employees settle in and get used to our managers’ idiosyncrasies, don’t we?   When our reporting lines change – frequently – we don’t have to let it bother us.  No matter who our boss may be today, it will likely change soon so we can just focus on getting our jobs done, don’t you think?  Cirque du Soleil!  (Which, of course, is French for: Same circus - Different clowns.) 

At work, our glasses remain half-full. (Wine glasses? Oops – my faux pas!)  In America, our country and our companies remain among the best in the world.  Having received France’s help during the Revolution, today we are blessed to live in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!  Vive La France!  (Which, of course, means “Thank You” to France!) 

As we know, 2024 is our next Presidential election year… Magnifique!  (Which, of course, is French for: Is it over yet?)  If we took all of the money spent on political commercials, including those mud-slinging, character-slamming, negative-messaging, “approved by” blasts from our soon-to-be-elected, leaders, we could all take as much vacation time as the French do.  A la mode!  (Which, of course, is French for: I’ll have my vacation with ice cream, too!) 

Even the positive, political campaigns follow the same old claims and promises.  Lower cost-of-living; more jobs; pothole repairs; blah, blah, blah.  Brings to mind Lawrence J. Peter’s perspective: 

What this country needs is more free speech worth listening to.                             

Freedom of speech is truly one of our greatest freedoms.  A price we must pay for this great freedom is listening to someone’s speech, even when it irritates us, yes?  Sacre bleu!  (Which, of course, is French for: Up yours buddy!) 

We must try to remain patient during the upcoming months of Presidential campaigning – leading this country is not for the faint of heart.  And if the campaign staffs resort to the same, old talk tracks, well:  Deja Moo!  (Which, of course, is French for: That feeling we’ve heard this bull before.) 

So here’s to our leaders; the support we received from the French; and our great freedom of speech in the Land of Opportunity.  Certainly, without this freedom I would not be able to write my little ditties.  And without these, it would be harder for you find something to break the monotony at work.   True Mon ami? 

GAP 

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

Union - upheld…

Tuesday, Americans will celebrate our Independence Day.

It’s Monday July 3^rd however, when Americans should commemorate the event that upheld our country’s union.  This event may have literally prevented the United States from being split into two, separate countries.  And it came with a horrific toll.

On July 3^rd, 1863; the third and final, bloody day; the Battle of Gettysburg ended.  Of all the Americans who have died in all the wars our country has ever fought, almost half - 620,000 - died in the Civil War.  Of all the Civil War battles, the one battle with the highest number of casualties was Gettysburg – 51,000 Americans.

There are many stories related to Gettysburg.  Here’s one from my Integral Systems colleague:

As a graduate of The University of Notre Dame I learned that Father William Corby was the chaplain to the Irish regiments who fought for the Union.  Father Corby is the only non-military person with a statue at Gettysburg Battlefield.  It shows him with his hand raised blessing the soldiers.  Today, there is a replica of that statue at Notre Dame and the students call it “Fair Catch Corby”.  Anyway, that is the reason why Notre Dame, founded by French priests in 1842, are called “The Fighting Irish”.

Frank Dunn

I believe every American should visit the Gettysburg National Military Park and pay tribute to the memory of those Americans that preserved the continuation of our union.  

Thankfully, the Union, and the succinct commemoration by one of our greatest leaders (who also gave his life for his country) prevailed: 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. 

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. 

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 

Abraham Lincoln spoke to unite all Americans, North and South.  July 4^th, as well as July 3^rd, are days for us to remember; to honor; and to celebrate a united, United States of America.  

May God bless you; and may God bless America! 

GAP 

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

The Grid…

Recently, I was pontificating about selling to goals (Link).  I summarized it this way: 

Goals are the dog; Pain is the tail.  Sell to the dog, the tail comes with. 

Of course, I broke one of my cardinal rules by emphasizing “what” to do vs. elaborating on “how” to do it.  OK, today permit me to elaborate on the “how”. 

First… and here it comes again… let me establish a little context.  (Because in today’s modern marketplace context is… well … you already know that from my previous post LOL!) 

The marketplace is disproportionately weighted towards small and medium sized businesses.  The vast majority of companies in North America are privately owned vs. publicly traded.  Therefore, at the top of every organization is one individual, or a group of partners, or perhaps a family that are personally vested in the success (or failure) of their company.  Frequently the value of the company is the owner’s single, largest, personal asset.  So when we’re selling to goals it’s not just business – it’s personal.  It’s the “dog”. 

Let’s move on to how business owners prioritize their time.  After all, they can’t be involved in every single decision that goes on at their company.  That is the road to burnout, or worse! 

Make sure you don’t wind up the richest person in the cemetery.  You can’t do business from there. 

Colonel Harlan Sanders 

Successful business owners and executive teams are delegators.  But how do they decide what to delegate?  Well, I believe in sales situations prospective clients are a lot like horses.  I know … I know … WHAT???  Tell you what; I’ll blog about that in a few. 

Suffice it to say for today that we can observe the behavior of business executives, in this case what they delegate, and anticipate their behaviors.  I’ve done just that over the course of my sales career and created the Executive Attention Grid.  When interacting with a prospect the way to sell to their goals is shown on the Grid:

The bottom-left box is the tactical side of our deals.  Now, we need to win this tactical side, too.  It’s just that the Owner/Executives don’t play much of an active role here – they delegate these meetings/presentations to their managers and end users.  That’s why CEOs rarely sit through product demos.  Do you see any of your selling phrases in this box?

Worse - this bottom-left box is problematic because we get delegated to people who have the ability to say, “NO” but don’t have the authority to say, “Yes”.  This box is where our single, biggest competitor lurks.  We know it as NO DECISION! 

The top-right box is the strategic side of our deals.  We need to win this side; otherwise: 

Not to decide is to decide. 

Harvey Cox 

Strategic meetings are when the Owner/Executives not only attend, but actively participate in dissecting the validity of the business case behind our deals.  It’s been my observation (and personal experience) that the sales rep who “connects” their sales proposal to the top-right box wins their deals more times than not. 

Finally, the topics within the top-right box are not all equal.  If we can possibly connect the value of our offering to “Shareholder Value” or “Business Threats” (to shareholder value) we are selling to the shareholder, aka the Owner, on a very personal level.  We are selling directly to the value of their single, largest, personal asset. 

And THAT’s the dog! 

GAP 

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

Happy Father’s Day this coming Sunday!  Fathers and grandfathers are great, don’t you think?  The memory of my father still brings a proud smile to my face… and to my heart!  If you’re lucky enough to have living fathers and grandfathers, give them a big hug Sunday. 

We fathers are so proud of our children.  And we know the value of that love: 

A father carries pictures where his money used to       be.

Unknown Sage 

Dads know how to be supportive as well.  Kara Goldin, successful businesswoman, offers what many of us have experienced ourselves: 

Dad would say, 'you always think that 'no' means 'maybe' and 'maybe' means 'yes'! 

Of course, there are those times when I actually have to say “no”.  The good news is my children and grandchildren are resilient.  Yours are too I bet.  (Perhaps passed down from their grandfathers?)  If we are tough on our children from time-to-time, they understand - kids know: 

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 

Overall, men have our own, unique view of the world.  Take Mike Jaeger’s: 

Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you.  Tell him the plate you're handing him is very hot and he'll have to touch it to believe it.

Dads today take pride in continuing to provide a home for their families too, even as the definition of “home” evolves: 

Home, nowadays, is a place where part of the family waits ‘til the rest of the family brings the car back. 

Earl Wilson 

Because my sons have children in their lives, I get to be the grandfather now!   Being the grandfather has responsibilities: 

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

Linda B. Gray 

The older I get the more appreciative I am of the love and devotion I received from my father.   He wanted his sons to make a difference.  He also wanted us to be patient with his quirks.  I remember after my Mom died (all too young) my Dad continued eating his dinners 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 wife alive. 

He ate dinner there every evening for over twenty years.  Such a long and consistent period of time that the hospital employees all thought Al Pokorn actually worked there.  One summer, he was even invited to their company picnic!  I didn’t mind his innocent charade.  But when he won a TV in the employee raffle, I told him he had to give it back! 

Yes, we are all a little quirky – me too:  

Today when my children use one of my sayings, wear mouse ears, 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! 

So, here’s to my Dad; and your Dad; and everyone’s Dad and their family traditions.  They have helped us all 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.