Greg's Right FIT #379

Quick notes to help you grow your business in less time with less effort. . . sometime next week. 

In this issue: 

- Thoughts on Selling
- Being Human
- Random Stuff

Thoughts on Selling

• What has happened, will happen. If you get stuck on a particular question, you'll get stuck again. Brainstorm and write out multiple responses for better responses next time.  
• In strategy work, the most fun is brainstorming preventative and contingent actions. You can use this exercise to cement a sale too. "Engagements are never perfect. I bet if we put our heads together we could come up with common issues and how we'll handle them right now, before we get started."
• Idea sharing is the easiest way to be proactive with a client or prospect. Non-salesy ideas on topics that interest them. It's been said ideas are currency. Make it rain.
• Involve your prospects in solutions with open ended questions. "Is there a way to do X but still make sure Y is addressed?  What ideas do you have?" Ask, then be open-minded about what comes next. It takes time for them to design their own solutions. Be a good guide. 

Being Human - Ea

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic."
– Arthur C. Clarke

In my first real startup business we designed a product that we thought would be a hit from the get-go. It wasn't. We could comb the website logs (the days before analytic tools) and see visitors coming to the site, but no one bought. In an effort to get something from these mysterious visitors, we re-sold a product from another website. It was (and probably still is) called "Instant Sales Letters." A collection of pre-written sales letters written for just about any situation. Introducing a new product, following up with a non-responsive client, suggesting a joint-venture. It was all there with spots for you to fill the product in. Unfortunately we sold more of his product than we did of our own for a time! 

I've been thinking about that product as I play around with ChatGPT. The beauty of that old ISL collection of letters is when you sit to write something, the toughest part is starting. For my purposes, a tool like this can keep me from getting stuck. For my youngest (who recently had his position at a music company in NYC eliminated) I can see an instant application: cover letters. A laborious but necessary part of the job search process. 

I plug in a job description, add in his last job's description, and out pops a cover letter. Having read thousands of cover letters I can say with a straight face, the ChatGPT output is in the top 30% of what I've read. What used to take time digesting, considering, mapping, outputting, and making HR-screening-software-friendly can now be done in minutes. 

With any shift in technology there is a shoulder period. Early adopters play with a tool and late adopters don't notice the change that's underway. It's happening. And worth investigating. 

Some tech thinkers, thinking. . . a good place to start.

https://steveblank.com/2023/04/04/playing-with-fire-chatgpt/

https://creativegood.com/blog/23/chatgpt-dangers.html

(side note, if you know anyone who knows someone in the music biz in NYC, let me know!) 

Random Stuff

“Goodbye always makes my throat hurt.” – Charlie Brown

 (what are you talking about?) 

"What do you want to do?" 

The question hangs in the air while my brain runs through scenarios. The first things that come to mind are all the good times we've had. The way he makes me laugh. The feeling I get taking him out and about. His trustworthy ways. What is a few thousand dollars to keep those feelings going for a while longer? 

I open my mouth but nothing happens. I'm at a loss for words.

Am I a bad owner if I say no to spending more money? Am I doing this for myself? What does he think? If only there were a way for him to tell me what's going on. I've heard about this guilty feeling before. At this point in my life I'm not going to be without a reliable  companion on long journeys. I'm not sure if I'm ready for a replacement. All things come to an end, I know this. 

"Can I have a day to think about it?" I ask. 

When in doubt, stall. It's worked for me before. If I were my own prospect I'd ask, what do you think will be different tomorrow? I don't know, I'd say. I hope something changes. I know it won't. 

This decision rattles around in my brain the entire evening. I'm distracted. Irritable. 

This is when I hear a horrible noise coming from the furnace room. I investigate and find water coming out from inside the HVAC unit. This can't be good, I think.

I'm right. It's not good. The equipment is 20 years old, so I guess I'm getting a new one. As bad as this news is, it makes my other decision easier. 

"Go ahead and do the repairs," I say. "Let's keep old man Big Blue going for another year. He's a good truck." 

And that is why I decided to keep my beat up old truck for another year instead of getting a new one.

Why? What did you think I was talking about?