Harvey MacKay's Blog, page 10

Communication is a vital management skill

A construction worker walked up to the reception desk at a doctor’s office and was asked why he was there.

“I have shingles,” he replied.

She asked for his name, address and insurance information and told him to have a seat.

Ten minutes later, a nurse called his name, took him back to the examining room and asked him again why he came to the office.  Again, he answered, “I have shingles.”  She asked him some medical questions and told him to stay there until he could be seen.

Another fifteen minutes passed, and a different nurse entered the room, took his blood pressure and temperature, and asked him to change into a gown.  She assured him the doctor would see him shortly.

Thirty minutes later, the doctor finally appeared.  He said, “I understand you have shingles.  Where are they?”

The construction worker replied, “Outside in my truck.  Where do you want them?  And can I get dressed now?”

Talk about a breakdown in communication!

It’s been said that a message sent is only as good as the receiver’s perception of it.

Verbal communications tend to create confusion and misunderstanding for a very simple reason: the 500 most commonly used words in the English language have more than 14,000 definitions.

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To make communication really work, we have to make sure the people we’re talking with understand what we are saying as well as we do.  Communication requires both effective sending and receiving.  To avoid a breakdown in communications, break down your message so that everyone can understand it.

The most basic yet crucial leadership skill is communication.  From time to time, re-evaluate your performance in these fundamental areas:  speaking, listening, writing, leading meetings and resolving conflict.  Let’s examine those one at a time.

Good verbal skills are essential.  You have to be able to explain your requests and instructions, your ideas, and your strategies to people inside and outside your organization.  Look for opportunities to hone your speaking skills at conferences, in meetings, and among friends.

Pay attention to the people around you.  Repeat and paraphrase what they say to make sure you understand – and to show that you take their opinions seriously.

The paper trail you leave tells people a lot about how clearly you think and express yourself.  Don’t send even the simplest email without rereading it critically to be sure it says exactly what you want.

Sharpen your ability to keep meetings on track and elicit productive comments.  You should encourage other people to share their ideas without letting discussions meander aimlessly.  Remember that every meeting should begin with a solid agenda and conclude with a commitment for action.  And it is helpful to circulate a written recap so that no details are overlooked and everyone has the same information.

Conflict can be subtle, but you still must defuse it if you want things to get done.  You’ll use a lot of the skills already discussed to encourage people to open up and clear the air about their disagreements.  Maintaining good communication is most important when conflicting ideas arise.  Don’t shy away from the disagreements:  often a combination of ideas can result in a great outcome.

Finally, never underestimate the value of not saying something.  Silence can be a very effective form of communication, and can prevent problems.  Even carefully chosen words can be turned against you.  As the Greek philosopher Publius said, “I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.”

Consider the challenge facing Thomas Edison.  The Western Union Company wanted to buy his newly invented ticker.  But Edison had no idea how much he should ask for it, so he requested a few days to think about the price.

Edison and his wife discussed the offer.  He was stunned when his wife suggested he ask for $20,000, a huge price tag in those times.  But he agreed to float that figure.

When he met with the Western Union representatives, he intended to ask for $20,000.  But he just couldn’t get the number out, and remained silent.  After an uncomfortable silence, the Western Union rep finally said, “How about $100,000?”  For the second time in a few days, Edison was stunned.  His silence said much more than his words.

 

Mackay’s Moral:  Talk is cheap, but misunderstandings can be costly.

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I’ll never forget what’s-his-name

A man had gone to a circus as a small boy and decided to return years later.  He was sitting in a cheap seat when an elephant came along, reached up into the stands, wrapped his trunk gently about the man and carried him over to the best seat.

The man turned to his neighbor and said, “That elephant remembered the last time I was here years ago.  I fed him peanuts.”  Just then the elephant came back, lifted his trunk, pointed it straight at the man and blew a stream of water in his face.  “I forgot I gave them to him still in the bag,” the man added.

[image error]This is a classic story about memory, or what I call that thing I forget with.  But memory is no laughing matter.  It’s serious stuff and can help you a great deal in business and in life.

If you read this column on a regular basis, you are familiar with one of my important lessons – “Pale ink is better than the most retentive memory.”  In other words, write things down.

I have many coaches, including a memory coach.  His name is Benjamin Levy.  He’s been profiled in “Fortune Magazine” and many other media outlets.  He’s one of the best memory experts around.  He’s even performed at the White House for President Obama and friends.

I’ve seen Benjamin meet more than 100 people at a dinner party and be able to say goodbye to each person by name.  How does he do it?  He says we just need to “wake up our brain,” tell it to pay attention and not just let new information slide past.  Here are a few of his techniques:

First is by the power of association.  For me, if I meet someone named Neil, I immediately think of all the Neils I can recall – Neil Armstrong, Neil Diamond, Neil Young, Neil Patrick Harris and so on.

In Benjamin’s case, he uses the acronym “A NOVEL” to enhance the mental images he makes that help him remember names and other things.  “A” stands for active pictures or an action movie.  For example, if you meet a woman named Fern, he would imagine throwing ferns at her or her throwing a fern.  Things are more memorable with action.

“N” is for new.  You want a new image, one you haven’t seen before.  You need something exceptional.  “O” is for obscene.  “The big dirty secret of memory training is a tremendous percentage of it is having obscene and sexual thoughts in your head,” Benjamin said.  “The more you make images interesting and memorable, the better you’ll remember them.”

“V” is for violent.  The more stuff you have going on the better – a broken window, bleeding and so on.  “E” is for emotional.  “When you make your visual pictures, if people are having emotions or feeling emotions, your images are more memorable,” Benjamin said.

Finally “L” is for ludicrous.  Try to make it really ludicrous or funny in some way.  Benjamin explains:  “So for instance, if I meet a woman named Karen, for me Karen is always carrots.  Will I somehow connect a carrot to the woman named Karen?  No, I will visualize a giant carrot connected to Karen, or I will picture hundreds or thousands of carrots connected to her.  More ludicrous.”

Benjamin adds one other ingredient – color.  Make your images as colorful as you can.

He also uses a lot of metaphors.  “Memory work is about transformation, transforming one thing into another, to create the most powerful and memorable mental image possible,” Benjamin said.  For example, when Benjamin spoke to our group, there were three Bills in the audience.  If you transform Bill into something you can see, he turns Bill into ball or bowling ball, which makes for a solid memory.

In memory training you are constantly associating or linking or connecting one thought with another.  This quadruples your retention.  As Benjamin says, “You have to give the brain the material the way it wants it.”

If you remember one thing from this column, it should be the title of Benjamin’s book, “Remember Every Name Every Time.”  I’ve only scratched the surface of his valuable advice.  He shares a variety of practical techniques that have worked for me, such as rhythm and repetition.

We may not all be blessed with Benjamin’s gifts, but he’s given us a remarkable present:  memory techniques that we can all use.

Mackay’s Moral:   Don’t just make memories – make your memory work for you!

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Slow and steady wins the day

You might have heard the saying:  If you are persistent you will get it.  If you are consistent you will keep it.

This statement describes professional golfer Jordan Spieth to a tee.  Spieth was the defending champion of the Master’s Golf Tournament.  He led this year’s tournament for the first three rounds and had a five-stroke lead going into the final nine holes. Then things began to fall apart.  He proceeded to bogey two straight holes and then had a disastrous quadruple bogey on the 12th hole from which he never recovered, losing the tournament to Danny Willett.

Spieth was anything but consistent.  For the tournament he made 22 birdies, but he also had 10 bogeys, three double bogeys and the infamous quadruple bogey.  Willett was less volatile with his scores.  He made only 15 birdies and eight bogeys during the tournament.  But more important, five of his birdies came during the final round and no bogeys.  In short, Willett was more consistent, which is why he won the tournament.

[image error]Everyone wants consistency, whether it refers to running a business, investing, supervising employees, dieting, exercising or parenting.  Consistency develops routines and builds momentum.  It forms habits that become almost second nature to you.

For example, think about one of your goals.  It requires consistent effort to push toward that goal.  If you are not consistently focused on achieving it, you will likely fall back into old habits or lose interest.  Being consistent is the difference between failure and success, as evidenced by these three motivational superstars:

The late Jim Rohn, entrepreneur and author, said:  “Success is neither magical nor mysterious.  Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”

Leadership guru John Maxwell said:  “Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.”

Consistency wins.  Look no further than the fable about the hare and the tortoise.  The rabbit shot out to a huge lead and then laid down for a nap while the turtle kept a slow, consistent pace and won the race.

Consistency is especially important in business.  Restaurants, for example, must be consistent because customers come in expecting the same good food all the time.  If they slip up even one day, they lose customers.  Consistency establishes reputations.

In any business, customers expect the same standards.  The last thing people want is to be surprised.  They want predictability.  Let’s face it; we live in an unpredictable world.  When people get what they want, they are happy and will return.

Consistency in the workplace is also extremely important.  Managers and leaders must be consistent in their behavior and attitude.  This sets a good example for employees and eases concerns.  If bosses are inconsistent it can waste valuable time for both employees and customers.  That’s why trust is built upon the foundation of consistency.

Even the most committed employees become bored doing routine work.  It’s hard for a leader to inspire people to do these tasks well; it’s even harder to create a sense that this drudgery is important to the organization’s larger goals.  This is true even in exciting vocations like firefighting.  Battalion Chief John Salka of the Fire Department of New York City suggests some interesting solutions in his book “First In, Last Out.”

One of the dull parts of a firefighter’s life is inspecting buildings for fire code violations. Most firefighters join the department for the high-risk activity of fighting fires; however, inspections and paperwork seem miles from where their enthusiasm lies.

Salka accompanies his crews on their inspections to encourage them to take this low-risk activity very seriously.  Throughout the inspection, Salka pulls his crew aside and asks them how they would approach the building if it were on fire right then, with questions like “How would you react if this door – see the broken hinge – jammed, blocking the exit?  How would that fuel oil spill on the basement floor affect your actions?”

Soon the firefighters are taking the inspection as seriously as if it were a real fire.  After all, the problems they miss in an inspection may come back to “burn” them if a fire starts.  The people you lead do better in real-life situations when you show them the significance of even dull tasks.

 

Mackay’s Moral:   Don’t be resistant to being consistent.

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Volunteerism: You often receive more than you give

Years ago, my father sat me down and gave me what was some of the best advice I have ever received.  It had nothing to do with making money but everything to do with getting ahead in the world.  It was self-help advice that really focused on helping others.

He told me I would never have any trouble finding opportunities.  And he told me that 20-25 percent of my time should be devoted to this pursuit.

“Volunteer,” he said.  Not exactly music to the ears of a broke, fresh out of college, aspiring millionaire.  But as I have come to appreciate, he was dead-on right – AGAIN.

Volunteering has made my life so much better, and I suspect that anyone who has become passionate about a cause will tell you the same thing.

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People who do volunteer work and help others on a regular basis have a healthier outlook on life.  They are inclined to be go-getters and consistently report being happier and more contented.

It doesn’t matter whether you are young or old, student or professional, working your way up or at the top of your game.  Needs abound wherever you are.

I love Mother Teresa’s quote which says it all:  “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

Let me give you a few examples.  Bridget is a full-time college student.  She works part-time too.  She was feeling like she had a full plate until a professor asked for a few volunteers to help tutor elementary school students who were struggling.  She figured she could spare two hours a week, and guess what?  The former “undecided” major is finishing an education degree and preparing to student teach.  Volunteering helped her discover her passion, while she was helping little kids discover their abilities.

My pal George was looking toward retirement, knowing he couldn’t play golf seven days a week.  He had built a great company, overcoming plenty of obstacles along the way.  He was a trusted mentor to dozens of young entrepreneurs.  He had been very active in his community and cared about the people there.  He got involved in the development of the local history center, and even agreed to be the volunteer director.  He’s busier now than ever before.  I have to schedule our golf games at least a month in advance!  The community is benefitting tremendously from his leadership, but he says he’s really the one reaping the rewards.

If you still think you are too busy to share some time, ask yourself these questions:

Are you looking for an opportunity to help?  Sharing your talents doesn’t diminish them, it often enhances them.


Are you interested in learning a new skill?  Every organization has a job or two that no one really wants to do – so take on that chore!  You will learn something new, but more importantly, you will discover that you can do all kinds of things you never thought you could.  What job is usually the hardest to fill?  Fundraising.  You’ll hone your sales skills while you help a worthy cause.


Do you like to meet new people?  Volunteering offers the chance to make some new contacts and develop some great friendships.


Do you need to sharpen your skills?  You can learn how to run a meeting, prepare reports, serve on committees, supervise others, and a thousand other skills that you may not be able to learn in your occupation.


Are you in a rut, in need of a fresh perspective?  You will see a whole new view of the world when you step into an organization that is struggling to help those who need it most.


Are you ready to have some fun?  No one said helping others had to be drudgery.  Helping clean up a park, planning a community celebration or calling bingo at the senior center can be a great change of pace from a desk job.


Do you want to make a difference?  Volunteer at a place that is desperate for help.  You could be the one person who really can make all the difference.

And please remember, volunteering is a privilege.  If you think doing good deeds will make you look like a hero, think again.  Approach volunteer work as a chance to be useful, and be grateful that someone thinks you are up to that task.

 

Mackay’s Moral:   Don’t just make a living, make a life worth living.

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Life lessons from the baseball diamond

Ah, the joys of spring:  longer daylight, budding flowers, farm babies, and, of course, opening day of our national pastime, baseball.  What a thrill to go to the game and “root, root, root for the home team.”

I’ve found a day at the ballpark can also be very educational.  In the game of life, baseball teaches us a lot of lessons.  Here are a few classics:

Know what business you’re in.  Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew once recalled playing in the yard with his father and brother.  While the three were roughhousing, Mrs. Killebrew rushed toward them exclaiming, “You’re tearing up the grass!”

“We’re not raising grass,” Mr. Killebrew replied. “We’re raising boys!”

Don’t assume it’s as easy as 1-2-3.  A brand-new Little League baseball coach called a friend for advice.  The friend, who had coached everything from soccer to track with his kids, told him, “I always started by numbering the bases.”

The new coach was surprised.  “What do you mean?”

The friend explained that the first year he coached Little League, he laid out the bases and had the kids line up.  “To warm up, let’s have everybody jog around the bases,” he said.  And the first four kids took off toward third.

“Ever since,” he said, “I’ve numbered the bases and explained that you have to run them in order.  You’d be amazed at the number of kids who go from first to third by cutting across the pitcher’s mound.”

Never assume people know what’s obvious to you.  Explain what they need to know.

[image error]Reputation is precious – character is priceless.  The great Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams was nearing the end of his career when he had a bad season due to a pinched nerve in his neck.  He said he could hardly turn his head to look at the pitcher.  For the first time in his career, Williams batted under .300.  At the time he was the highest salaried player in sports, making $125,000.  The next year the Red Sox offered him a new contract for the same salary.

When he received the contract, Williams sent it back with a note saying that he would not sign it until they gave him the full pay cut allowed.  Williams said:  “I was always treated fairly by the Red Sox … Now they were offering me a contract I didn’t deserve.  And I only wanted what I deserved.”

Williams cut his own salary by 25 percent, raised his batting average by 62 points and closed out a brilliant career by hitting a home run in his final at bat.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  Mickey Mantle, the great New York Yankee outfielder, once said:  “During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times.  I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,900 times.  You figure a ball player will average about 500 at bats a season.  That means I played the equivalent of seven years without ever hitting the ball.”

Since Mantle is regarded as one of the greatest hitters of all time, his statistics provide some perspective about the failures and mistakes that life hands us from time to time.

Don’t be too quick to offer unsolicited advice.  Sometimes it’s better to wait for people to ask for help or to be judicious in doling out wisdom.

One afternoon when American League baseball umpire Bill Guthrie was working behind the plate, the catcher of the visiting team repeatedly protested his calls.  Guthrie endured this for three innings.  But in the fourth inning when the catcher started to complain again, Guthrie stopped him.

“Son,” he said gently, “you’ve been a big help to me calling balls and strikes, and I appreciate it.  But I think I’ve got the hang of it now.  So I’m going to ask you to go to the clubhouse and show them how to take a shower.”

Always remain optimistic.  Not long ago I stopped by a local playground to watch a Little League baseball game.  I asked one of the youngsters what the score was.

“We’re behind 16 to nothing,” he answered.

“I must say, you don’t seem discouraged,” I said.  “Why is that?”

“Discouraged?” said the boy, “why should we be discouraged?   We haven’t even been up to bat yet.”

Mackay’s Moral:   If you want to swing for the fences, you have to learn the rules of the game.

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A sense of humor is no joke

There is an Apache legend that the creator gave human beings the ability to talk and to run, and to look at things.  But in addition, the legend says he was not satisfied until he also gave them the ability to laugh.  After giving humans the ability to laugh, the creator said, “Now you are fit to live.”

A good sense of humor helps to overlook the unbecoming, understand the unconventional, tolerate the unpleasant, overcome the unexpected and outlast the unbearable.

“A sense of humor is the one thing no one will admit not having,” said none other than Mark Twain.

Life is too short to be serious all the time.  How dull our existence would be without the potential to see the lighter side of situations.  And how hopeless, too!  Humor often represents hope, that the worst is behind us and better things are coming.

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True, not all things are funny.  Knowing how and when to apply a filter is critical.  And it’s usually better when the joke is on you, so your obvious amusement signals permission to see the humor in a situation.

“If I were given the opportunity to present a gift to the next generation, it would be the ability for each individual to learn to laugh at himself,” said Charles Schulz, creator of the long-running “Peanuts” comic strip.

April is National Humor Month.  I would propose that we celebrate humor every single month, all year long.  I can’t imagine a day without humor.

I value a sense of humor very highly when I am hiring people, especially for sales and customer service jobs.  My employees know I love a good laugh.  For years I started every sales meeting with a funny story or joke and asked other managers to do the same.  I wasn’t looking for the next Tina Fey or Jimmy Fallon.  I just wanted to loosen up the group and put them in a good mood.

The same attitude is important for anyone who comes into contact with customers.  If you’ve ever flown on a Southwest Airlines flight, you might have heard the safety instructions delivered in a variety of amusing ways.  The message is quite serious, but their approach serves a number of purposes:  encouraging people to actually listen to what’s being said, putting passengers in a more relaxed mood after the stress of airport hassles, and letting folks know that the flight attendants are enjoying their work and want you to enjoy your trip.

Did you watch the Super Bowl?  Or more specifically, did you watch the commercials?  At a cool $5 million for a 30-second spot, the price tag is enough to make a business cry.  But year in and year out, the ads command almost as much attention as the game itself – because they make people laugh.  And then talk about them the next day.  And buy those products.  Beer isn’t inherently funny, nor are tortilla chips or car insurance, but somehow humor makes those items more memorable.

Some of the funniest people I know are also among the quietest.  You have to listen closely to what they say, because the quips sneak out when you least expect them.  For example, a woman approached President Calvin Coolidge, aptly nicknamed “Silent Cal,” at a dinner and said, “Mr. President, I have a bet with my friend that I can get you to say more than two words.”  Coolidge replied, “You lose!”

You may think you have to be born funny, but I disagree.  Finding the humor in everyday life is easy if you just look for it.  People who take themselves too seriously are a constant source of amusement for me.  Take this young job-seeker, for example:

At the end of a job interview, the human resources person asked a young engineer fresh out of a top university, “And what starting salary were you looking for?”

The engineer said optimistically, “In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.”

The interviewer said, “Well, what would you say to a package of five-weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50 percent of salary, and a company car leased every two years, say, a red Corvette?”

The engineer sat up straight and said, “Wow!  Are you kidding?”

And the interviewer replied, “Yeah, but you started it.”

 

Mackay’s Moral:   Life isn’t always funny, but a sense of humor always helps.

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The awesome dividend of self discipline

Denver Bronco quarterback Peyton Manning’s determination to win Super Bowl 50 against the favored Carolina Panthers was riveting.  It reminded me of an earlier quote from him:  “Being there every week for my teammates is really important to me.  It’s about accountability.”

That’s discipline, and it’s rooted in little things.  Isn’t everything?  Little things sow the seeds.  The harvest comes when you can discipline yourself to routinely face down life’s toughest complications and frustrations.  That’s a crystal clear window on the success of the oldest quarterback in Super Bowl history and the only starting one to win with two different teams.

Denver’s discipline shone in both directions.  Wade Phillips, coordinator of the Broncos’ imposing defensive machine, is the son of Bum Phillips – the former head coach of the Houston Oilers and the New Orleans Saints who always wore a cowboy hat.  According to Bum:  “The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline.”

Whenever I eyeball a résumé to staff a management job, I look for evidence of self-discipline:  As candidates have prepared themselves for past jobs, did they identify and master 3-5 key self-disciplines essential to future success?

Did the candidates stick to their routines – even their daily exercise program – after suffering a career setback?  Dedicated self-discipliners invariably bounce back the fastest.

Does a prospective manager grasp that the self-disciplines needed by the people around her or him probably differ from the ones that bosses master themselves?  Managers shore up their strengths with diverse players, not copycats of the head honcho.

Uncommonly strong self-discipline is a hallmark of success in any era.  Elon Musk, who’s worth a comfy $12 billion plus, tops today’s list for innovative business thinkers.  This South African-born Canadian American dynamo turns 45 later this year.  After co-founding PayPal, Musk masterminded the product architecture of Tesla Motors, founded SpaceX and provided the initial concept and financial capital for Solar City.  Tesla Motors’ battery technology has electrified the industry.  SpaceX is redefining space travel with reusable launch components and may one day colonize Mars.

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A nifty Business Insider piece last year described how Musk forced himself to live on a food budget of $30 a month as a 17-year-old.  Often resorting to hot dogs and pasta, his decision was no ticket to nutritional excellence or gourmet refinement.  Still, it proved to Musk that he could do nearly anything . . . and he has.

When Michael Bloomberg was mayor of New York, he regularly took the subway to work.  The routine kept him in tune with the Big Apple’s pulse.  It also let him sniff out Gotham’s problems below the surface as fellow straphangers saw them.

Management guru Peter Drucker once quipped:  “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”  The relevance?  Be careful about those self-disciplines you choose to hammer into habits:

Everyone these days is hot to develop abs of steel.  Fitness training technologies have evolved like every other discipline.  It pays to learn them.  If you spend valuable time working up a sweat, best practices produce the premier payoff.


You may bust your buttons with pride about how regularly you stay in touch with your network.  But are you using the cutting edge of social media to do so?  Or are you still sending pals press clippings when everyone else is routing them links?


I have readers hooked on audio books:  a great habit to make.  If you listen on airplanes, do you also use noise-cancelling headphones?  A number of physicists and ear doctors point out that these more expensive headsets allow lower-volume playback, and that spares precious hearing.  What can beat making all your habits 100 percent user friendly?

Roy Neuberger, who lived to be 107, made several fortunes, and thereby endowed numerous art museums.  At 94, he paid a personal trainer $45 three times a week to step him through a 45-minute workout.  At a buck a minute, it helped keep Neuberger spry enough to collect his National Medal of the Arts at the White House at age 104.

Be choosy about the number of self-disciplines you adopt.  You don’t want to morph into a robot.  Focus on doing a few well.  And always remember:  The only way up is up to you.

Mackay’s Moral:   Long-haul winners listen to their built-in drill sergeant all the way to the finish line.

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Selling is not all about the product

Over my decades in business, I’ve noticed a baffling trend:  “sales” has become a dirty word.  I’m on a life-long campaign to change that.

In fact, many companies no longer call sales people sales people.  They have account executives or account specialists, business developers, client advisors, relationship consultants, territory managers and numerous other monikers.  I even received an email from a radio station saying that they call their sales people business improvement planners.

I’m not sure why the word “sales” seems to have such a negative connotation.  I still have “Envelope Salesman” on my business cards – and am proud of it.  Companies cannot succeed without sales people bringing the business through the front door.  It’s that simple.

You don’t even have to be writing up orders to be in sales because everyone in the company is selling something – ideas, customer service, reputation.

You already believe in your products – or you should – so that ought to be the least of your challenges.  Sales is really about selling yourself!  You may not have a formal sales quota to fill, or get paid on commission, but a good knowledge of how to sell can be very useful to your success no matter what your career goals are.

Here are some sales tips that apply to any endeavor:

Manage your time wisely.  Keep track of how much time you spend on your sales process.  Identify the activities with the greatest payoff, and maximize those while delegating or cutting down on any that don’t add value.  Remember the 80/20 rule:  In many cases 80 percent of your business comes from 20 percent of your customers.  Focus on the 20 percent first.


Do your research.  Whether you’re selling a book or just trying to get a job, start by learning as much as you can about your industry and the people in it.  The more you know, the better you’ll be able to present your product when the time comes.  And don’t forget that knowing something about your customer is just as important as knowing your product.


Get in front of prospects.  Every sale starts with a prospect:  a potential customer with an interest in what you’ve got to sell.  Identify those who need what you’re offering.  Find out where they are so you can target your sales efforts effectively.


Listen more than you talk.  Don’t think of sales as the art of pressuring a reluctant customer into buying something he or she doesn’t want.  You’ll get better results by asking questions about your prospect’s problems and really listening to his or her needs.  Then it will be easier to position yourself effectively.


Get into the customer’s mind.  You’ve got to tailor your approach to match individual buyers, not take a one-size-fits-all attitude.  Once you’ve targeted specific prospects, spend some time getting to know their personal priorities and professional preferences, and what they’re looking for when they consider products like yours.


Create the demand.  It’s not how much it’s worth, it’s how much people think it’s worth.  Customers often buy products if they can be sure that product will help them solve a problem – and do it quickly and easily.  Show how your product or service will make life easier for the person whose support you need.


Stop selling, and let them buy.  Most people like to buy things, but we really dislike being pushed into a purchase.  Don’t be overly aggressive.  Be ready to answer questions, and present your product as an opportunity.  Never ask a person a Yes or No question when it could be Yes or Yes instead.


Eliminate the risk.  Money-back guarantees and other sales tactics limit the customer’s risk of making a mistake.  You can’t offer a “warranty” on your ideas, but know the risks of your product or service ahead of time, and have solutions ready when you are questioned.


Develop your sense of humor.  You don’t have to memorize a string of stale jokes, but you should learn how to see the humor in every situation.  If you can make a customer smile, your job is halfway complete.


Follow up.  Persistence pays.  Don’t make a pest of yourself, but check in regularly with your customers and prospects to find out what they need.  You don’t want them to forget about you.


Accept rejection gracefully.  Rejection is – and always will be – part of business.  The sooner you move on, the sooner you’ll make another sale.

 

Mackay’s Moral:   Whatever you’re selling, you’re selling yourself first.

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Make points with persuasion

We are in the thick of the most unusual political seasons I can remember.  Who would have imagined the slate of hopefuls that spans the spectrum?  And what will it take for the candidates to convince voters that they should lead the country?

Qualifications?  Sure.  Campaign promises?  Perhaps.  Appearance?   Doesn’t hurt.  The best opposition research?  Not necessarily.

But the one factor that will always make the difference?   Persuasion – the same sales skill that sets the successful apart from the competition.

Simply said, it doesn’t matter who has the best ideas or the most workable plans or the nicest smile.  It all comes down to persuasion.  Who can get their point across and bring others over to their side?  They could all take a lesson from my favorite president, Abraham Lincoln.

One of Lincoln’s most valuable skills was his ability to persuade others to his point of view, no matter how entrenched their position.  Lincoln described the art of persuasion in a speech to the Springfield Washington Temperance Society:

“When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted.  It is an old and true maxim that a ‘drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.’  So it is with men.  If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.  Therein a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the great high road to his reason, and which, when once granted, you will find but little trouble in convincing his judgment of the justice of your cause, if indeed that cause really be a just one.

“On the contrary, assume to dictate to his judgment, or to command his action, or to mark him as one to be shunned and despised, and he will retreat within himself, close all the avenues to his head and his heart; and tho’ your cause be naked truth itself … you shall no more be able to reach him, than to penetrate the hard shell of a tortoise with a rye straw.

“Such is man, and so must he be understood by those who would lead him, even to his own best interest.”

An eloquent argument, for sure, and it is timeless advice.  You can bully your way into power, but your effectiveness is greatly reduced.  Lincoln understood that you must demonstrate respect for the other party or your efforts will be wasted.

Here are some persuasion techniques that have served me well.

Speak their language.  Listen to how people express themselves.  Some people will see things:  “I don’t see what you mean.”  Others will hear:  “That doesn’t sound like fun.”   Others will feel:  “I don’t feel good about that.”  Acknowledge their concerns and use the same language to respond to them:  “I see your point . . . I hear what you’re saying” to let them know you hear their concerns.  It will help them accept your point more readily.


Use their names.  What’s the sweetest sound in the world?  Your name on someone else’s lips.  Just don’t overdo it.  For a new acquaintance, make sure you’re pronouncing it right, and don’t use it before you’ve established some sort of rapport.


Use action words.  Be direct.  You’ve got to ask for the response you want.  Don’t ask someone to try to do something, or to think about doing it, if you need an immediate response.  But if you are negotiating for the longer term, give them time to think about your request so they don’t feel pressured.


Get your foot in the door.  You don’t have to lead off with your main point.  First get the other person’s attention, and then apply some persuasive techniques – offering an additional benefit, changing your request to what you really want, or letting them turn you down now while leaving the door open to agree with you later.

Two key words will make you more persuasive, according to Jerald M. Jellison in his book “Overcoming Resistance.”  Those words are “if” and “then.”  Whether you are trying to sell a car or an idea, the message that works is:  “If you will take this action then you’ll get this reward.”

Let me phrase that another way:  If you want to be persuasive, then don’t be evasive.

 

Mackay’s Moral:   Persuasion is an art.  The tongue can paint what the eye can’t see.  

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Arrogance: The 7 Deadly Signs

Here is my watch list for the seven deadly signs of salesperson arrogance:

1. “Our product sells itself”

2. “The only people on our sales team who matter to me are my superiors or at least my equals”

3. “Who cares that our competitor’s accounting manager is afraid they’ll be taken over and is out looking for a job?”

4. “I don’t need to walk our plant. Leave that to those grunts in manufacturing.”

5. “You’ll never learn a thing from a competitor weaker than you.”

6. “We can always rely on X for reference. I may not have talked with him for a few months, but he will never forget how we saved his bacon two years ago.”

7. “Customer complaints don’t matter. Those e-mails are just written by oddball cranks.”

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