Saturday, January 23, 2010

Conan O'Brien Can Sell For Me Anytime

I probably have never sat through an entire Conan O'Brien hour. I may have never sat through a whole Leno or Letterman show either, but I sure remember watching Carson most nights.

During the last couple of weeks, I've been tuning in to the beginnings of as many Leno at ten and O'Brien at 11:30 shows as I could because it was fun seeing how far they would go against the "suits," having been one for most of my life. They sure were fearless in telling us all how they felt. Friday night was Conan's last show and I caught his "good-bye." He was reassuring his fans that he was "OK." I would think so; A $32+ Million contract settlement and a likely gig at Fox or FX in September. Life is good for Conan O'Brien. And he, without mentioning the money, of course, had the grace to tell his audience in studio and at home that he knew that and was grateful to all that were responsible, especially NBC.

And then, toward the very end of his parting he said, "I have a message for you out there." (I may be paraphasing, but if so, only a tad). "If you work very hard and are kind, amazing things can happen."

Out of the mouths of comedians. Substitute "serve others before self," for "be kind," ... and "love your work and work tirelessly," for "work very hard,"... and you're on the way to identifying some qualities that separate great from average sellers.

O'Brien said, he's loved every minute of his work life.

O'Brien implied he's worked very hard (doesn't feel so hard when you love what you do).

It took him only a couple of weeks to negotiate a $32 million package for himself and a $13 million package for his staff, so he can collapse time.

And negotiating on behalf of his staff indicates to me that he's a pretty good team player.

He'd make a great seller.

Great Selling!
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Serve, Don't Sell
Collapse Time
Teamwork

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Everyone Can and Does Sell, But Few Very Well

You are rarely in a conversation, certainly a professional conversation, where at least one of the participants isn't selling. You can be with the same person, or persons, in subsequent conversations, when the one who is doing the selling changes, but someone will be. The very life force of survival instinct, implies a measure of control, and in business, if not in all human interaction, either force, leverage or salesmanship are at play to ensure survival.


The next time you are with your boss, pay attention to who's doing the selling, you or your boss. Either you will be selling him on your efforts, desire to improve or results, or he will be selling you on the esteem in which he holds you, or what you'll need to do to earn it, or why you should be supportive of him (maybe even to vocalize that support)--or perhaps, even what you'll need to do to keep your job. In virtually all business conversations, at least one of the parties will have an overt agenda and the other, at the least, a covert one.


The very uncommon, and therefore exceptional person (boss or employee, buyer or seller) is much less focused on his own survival than he is on the quality of his time spent. These rare birds tend to look for seed to feed others and trust there will be enough left over for them. They enjoy a special sense of personal value and fulfillment in seeing those with whom they spend time be better off for the contact. If you've worked for someone skilled, and who behaved like that, there was little you didn't try to do to justify his interest in your growth and well being. You were better off and better at the job, for the contact. If you've ever spent time with a "seller" who knew what he was talking about and subjugated his interests to the success of your endeavor, you prayed that he didn't retire before you.


If so many of our professional relationships are connected by complementing or differing agendas, and we each try to make the most of those relationships by furthering our own agendas, shouldn't we do what we can to get better and better at it? Shouldn't we get better at selling?


Rhetoric aside, the first step toward that end, I would assert, is a worthwhile agenda that speaks volumes about your mission and character. Who are you and what do you stand for? What do you value? Why would I want to spent time---or money---with you?


Great Selling!


Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Serve, Don't Sell
Collapse Time
Teamwork

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

NO SLEEP FOR YOU!

Most adults try to get a good eight hours of sleep. Great salesmen and their great managers rarely fantasize about that long a stretch. Here's the problem: You've heard forever that sales is a numbers game. It's true, but I think of the "numbers" differently than some others.

The conventional wisdom is that the more people who you see, no matter what your closing ratio, the more you will sell. I believe that the more people who you see, because you've correctly targeted them through research and have something meaningful to talk with them about, the more people to whom you can credibly offer your help, and who will buy what you represent. And those great sellers who have mastered that art, a) don't believe that they've yet mastered it and so keep practicing and b) have much reading, thinking and calling to do, and never enough time.

Here: invite every salesman and manager with whom you are familiar to your online IM contact list. Get a great night's sleep, let's say on a Monday night. On Tuesday, set your alarm for 12 midnight and after it goes off, re-set it for 1:15 A.M. and then again for 2:15 A.M. Each time it goes off, stumble over to your computer and here's what you'll find. The small number of people online will decrease at each interval as will their reputation for greatness. At 2:15, only the superstars will be on. But not all of them. The superstars that have signed off will be fighting the flu, or have passed out from exhaustion.

The other "time eater" is the inherent conflict between the necessity for a tenacious adherence to a well strategized plan for growth, and the need to be remarkably nimble, and thus open to tweaking the plan. Just like our clients, if we don't innovate it is too easy for our competitors to successfully create game changers that work against us. Moreover, our clients need to keep up with and on top of the ever changing landscape they live in, and the more we do that for and with them, the more valuable we are. And the creative process? Well it goes on and on and on. Ask Jerry Della Femina. No Sleep for you!

So what about living a good balanced life you ask? If you love your work, and are making extraordinary contributions to all who are affected by your efforts, I think the balanced life takes care of itself. Would your kid(s) rather have three hours a day with your well rested miserably unhappy self or 1/2 hour with the best of you? Would you rather be fatigued but pleasantly satisfied after a productive day/night at the office, or well rested after 8 undisturbed hours of sleep and walking around all day wondering what happened to your dreams?

Great Selling!

Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Serve, Don't Sell
Collapse Time
Teamwork

Friday, January 8, 2010

Just Who Are You?

"I'd like to introduce you to Barack, he's the President of the United States and one of the most______I know." So pretend the President was your friend and you were making that introduction. Further, let's suppose that what you know about the President as his friend, is, well, what you know about the President. Fill in the blank.

I believe that a common phenomena among many of our citizenry these days is more confusion about what this man is really about; what he really values, than they had just before he was elected president. Right wing bombastic radio aside, I certainly can understand those that wish the actions and communications emanating from his office better mirrored the seemingly clearer picture he led us to envision before January 20, 2008. For those that find getting a fix on what this man is really about is more troubling than before, the trust they have in his words and for his deeds are diminished.

Now if I'm right about the above, let's bring the conversation to the world of commerce. Buying and selling. Buyer and seller. Just who the heck are you Mr. Seller, and what the heck do you stand for? "Who wants to know?", you ask.

Every new person you call on that is broad minded enough to give you the benefit of the doubt until your actions confirm that you are just another seller out to pick his pocket, is asking. That's who.

So. What's the answer? Chances are you are someone who knows all the features and benefits of the product or service you represent. You're likely to be friendly, engaging and have a good work ethic. You know what a choice close is and know somewhere between 11 and 37 cliches about selling as for example, "Close and then shut up, first one who talks, loses," or "Answer the objection and trial close," or "ABC-Always Be Closing." If I'm right and you know and do all that, you are probably just as good as everyone else out there. Everyone that is, except the Heaven Bound.

Uncommon and remarkable sellers, the great ones who go to heaven, are easily recognized because their words and deeds always travel a highway bounded on each side by a personal set of core values that all but shout out, "I can be trusted. I am here for you. I can, and want to help you grow your business. I will sit by your side and together we will make good things happen."

And then they do it.

Great companies always have common attributes. They have a mission that defines their goal. Everyone in the company understands the mission. And most important, they have cultures that grow out of a set of core values that all employees adhere to or keep trying to do so. And they have more than their fair share of great sellers who tenaciously adhere to the mission and practice the values.

For what they are worth--here are mine:


Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Serve, Don't Sell (Heaven's Gateway)
Collapse Time
Teamwork

Great Selling!

P.S. I believe, I really do, that our President will before long make himself very clear and recognizable engendering overwhelming belief and trust, once again. (No-I'm not auditioning for the Huffington-Post).

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Time Shares and Used Cars

What comes to mind? In my case, salesman I don't want to talk to. I've been co-opted. I buy the common negative perception that these fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, veterans and friends must suffer. Why would that be?

Time Shares: The only time share processes I'm familiar with start with either a phone call, mailing or email offering me a free four day vacation with my family (kids only $100 each), usually in some warm and exotic paradise. "But Sir, why are you giving me a free vacation?" I might have asked way back then. "Well, we want you to be among the first to see our wonderful new resort because having heavily researched you Mr. Sharwood, we are sure you will really appreciate it," he might answer. "The name is Sherman, by the way, but in any event no strings attached?" "No, of course not. We would only ask that you attend a brief group meeting of invited guests so that we can explain the amenities of the resort."

Let's see, fly the wife and kids to Ft. Lauderdale where I will commit seppeku midway through a forced four hour hard sell presentation, or just hang up on this guy.

Used Cars: "The car is in great shape, not a thing wrong with it. You have my word." "In writing?" "Unnecessary, my word is my bond." 'Nuff said.

Suffice to say, how we feel about the credibility of the seller; or call it ethics; or call it integrity; or call it reputation, will have an awful lot to do with how the meeting goes. So whether it be an industry, or a particular representative within an industry, a reputation that will stand up to the test of absolute honesty in communication is serious currency for any seller. And it is one of the core values that separates the great from the average sellers.

My father-in-law over a two decade period, with nine children, bought any number of used cars from Kurt, a salesman in a used car business in an adjacent New Jersey town. Les said that Kurt only sold him great cars. That he never misrepresented a car's condition. That he trusted him completely and would never buy a car from anyone else. I'll bet Kurt made a great living and never lost a night's sleep.

Just today, a manager sent me for approval a "teaser" letter asking for a meeting to forge a "partnership," a FREE partnership in a promotion that could make the client's business grow. In our call I wondered how we were going to profit from this free partnership and the manager explained that the use of the word "free" could be defended, but in the meeting it would be explained to the client that for him to benefit from the relationship at all, there would be "some" cost attached. So my thinking was that at the least, the meeting would have been sown on disingenuous soil, and once in bloom there was going to be, at the least, an "aha there's the catch" to overcome, and at the most a quick "let me show you to the door, and then, please forget my address." Why not get perhaps fewer meetings with the truth. "We have an idea that I believe will prove to be a great return on investment for you and help grow your company. Got ten minutes for a great idea?"

Little is of higher value to a seller than a reputation for complete honesty in communication to all his constituencies...customers, colleagues and employers.

Great Selling!
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Collapse Time
Serve, Don't Sell

Friday, January 1, 2010

Weaknesses? Me? Can't Think of Any

Those of you who believe they are without weaknesses, can stop reading now, because there's little hope for you to be anything more than average. Other than you, the last person who was sure that you were perfect was your NaNa. I know that neither you nor I are without weaknesses and so does every prospective boss. Down deep, maybe not so deep, you know it too. So never tell an interviewer you are weakness-free!

Many years ago, as a rookie sales manager and blessed with as good a mentor as could be found, I learned the following with respect to evaluating sales candidates: "If a person is uncomfortable telling you his weaknesses," Charlie said, "it's because he is really unsure about his strengths." Hundreds of interviews later have proved Charlie right as rain. The candidate insecure about his strengths, likely has good reasons, so a sensible executive takes his word for it, and says, "Thanks for coming in, we'll get back to you."

Conversely, the candidate who might say, "I am disastrously disorganized and always have thirty balls I'm juggling at once, so, how good are the assistants here?", is halfway home to an offer, at least from me. If that concludes his weakness list, he's already set the credibility table for the next conversation which will be about his strengths.

A serious business person, who rationally identifies his weaknesses, will also take the trouble to protect himself and all with whom he deals from the potential effects of them. So for example, Jeanne, the latest in a series of brave executive assistants, emails me every evening the next day's schedule (even after meticulously noting every task and appointment in my online calendar). She follows that with a cell call or IM five minutes before any scheduled event. By 'fessing up to my assistants, and making their protection of me, from me, a requisite part of their job, I've neutered the weakness and can focus on the strengths--juggling for instance.

Now here's the really important news. Every client and prospective client for the rest of your career will also have weaknesses. Because your role is to help them grow their businesses and you are singularly focused on that--you owe it to them to help them both identify their shortfalls that are holding growth back, and partnering to devise ways to corral them, as well as to encourage them to give free rein to their strengths.

The truth is that people with towering strengths may also have towering weaknesses. Rather than kill them off for their weaknesses, great executives assist these folk with creative containment techniques, freeing them to change the world with their towering strengths. Great sellers do the same for their clients.

Your meetings with your clients should always involve discussions meant to identify weaker areas in their business--target market, sales structure, corporate culture, management systems, strategic initiatives, which competitors pose the greatest threats, why---oh yes, marketing and advertising experiences, results and future plans, are all necessary, and fair game. These are discussions great sellers provoke, so as to be indispensable assets to their customers, present and future. How do you get permission to engage like that? By making it clear from the first contact on that you are there for them alone, and believe you can be of real assistance in helping them grow. And then your behavior from that moment on must support that pledge.


Great Selling!

Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Serve, Don't Sell
Collapse Time
Teamwork