Greg's Right FIT #420

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

In this issue: 

- Thoughts on Strangers
- Being Human
- Random Stuff

Thoughts on Strangers

• Why are some people luckier than others? Studies suggest it may be because some people are more open to visiting with strangers. If the idea makes you nervous, ask yourself: What’s the worst that could happen? 
• Some years ago I read the book "Improv Wisdom," by Patricia Ryan Madson. Looking at my notes I wrote “Say Yes,” and “Start Anywhere." Seems like good actions to apply to visiting with strangers. 
• An episode of 30 Rock involved Tina Fey's character wandering around NYC with her idol, ending up in a dingy, dangerous apartment. When she gets back her boss says, "Never go with a hippie to a second location." So, I'm open to the idea that saying "yes" might not always end well. 
• What would you give up to help a stranger? Would you take a bullet? Watch Derren Brown's "Sacrifice." Fascinating. 

Being Human - Momentum to find value

Without return (R), there is only the investment (I), making it a cost. And the rule for buyers is, the price is always too high.

I'm talking to an agency and we're reviewing their latest proposal. I flip through it and something jumps out.

"The only number in your proposal is the cost," I said. "For your buyer and whoever else is reviewing this proposal, calculating ROI needs two numbers. The investment and the return on that investment. You have one in here. Do you know the other?"

It's something we've talked about before. We look through the last five proposals and, while attractive and impressive, they all come up short when it comes to defining the value of the solution. 

"Greg," he said, "I know what you're saying, but it's not that simple. What we help people with is hard to measure. . ." I've heard most of these reasons before. They don't know the measure, or the buyer won't give the information, or any number of challenges. I agree with him, but we can get better at asking. 

"Anyway," he said, "we're winning some of these, so it's not all bad." 

I'm not one to argue with success, but it doesn't stop me from pulling out this 2x2 grid and reviewing the ways we can help buyers describe the value they expect from our solutions. 

Some value is personal. Some is for the business. Some is easy to measure. Some is hard to measure. What we want to do is ask about all of it, because we want our proposals to show a return on the investment, not just an investment. An investment by itself is a cost, and you know the old buyer saying when they see cost, right? The price is too high. Getting better at understanding their R, their Return on the cost, let's us engage in real talk about the price being too high, too low, or just right. 

And why go through this? This is what the research says: 

• One, it improves close rates. 
• Two, it improves customer satisfaction. 
• Three, it reduces churn. 
• Four, the buyer is going to do the calculation and use it to judge the transaction with or without you. You might as well get an idea of how they'll judge you up front. 

The hard part is asking for the information. If the goal is to never send a proposal without an estimate of the ROI, getting there is a challenge. This is where "The Sales Momentum Mindset" comes in. To start, we don't need to do this every time on every proposal, right now. However, we do need to think about it on every proposal right now.  

"The last five proposals have no R," I said, "on your next five, let's start by following up on each proposal with a question. I will ask 'did you ask the buyer how they would measure success or where success is going to show up in their business?' each time for five proposals. We're making progress if you can answer yes each time, even if we don't get the info. Will you commit to asking?" 

We will eventually reach the goal, but the important thing is to build momentum right now. The way we'll build momentum is with questions, or really, a question, and reacting to the answer. Over and over again. 

Make the effort to find where your buyer will look for evidence of success. It will help all areas of your business. I swear. 

Good stuff. 

Random Stuff

“We're all the same in the darkness."  — Janet Jackson

Last weekend a bunch of college friends came to Omaha. The group was about twenty, so they rented a hospitality suite at the hotel to use for a home base. We meet, visit, go to dinner and when we come back a random guy is sitting on the couch. He's dressed to the nines. Hat, full length fur coat. His head is down on his phone, and he's keeping to himself.

After a few minutes I sit by him and said, “We haven’t met. You are…?” 

Mike Rozier, he said. 

I know enough about our local college football team (the Nebraska Cornhuskers) to recognize the name, but I can't tell one old football player from another. Especially from 30+ years ago. “Really?” I said, "the Mike Rozier?"

He shows me some big rings, but I’m dubious. I grab my brother-in-law, a super-Husker fan, and when I introduce Mr. Rozier, he gets excited, so I figure it must be true. A few people scramble to get the Heisman Trophy winner a drink. (Rozier was voted the nation's best college football player in 1983) 

We start taking pics and keep him busy. Things eventually calm down. 

“What are you doing here?” I said. Here for the party, he said. 

"This party?" I said.

After surveying the room for a second, he grabs his phone and said, is this room 314? 

I shook my head, “no Mike, I’m sorry. It’s 318.” 

He shook his head. Man, he said, you all look alike, and went next door. 

Turns out, he was supposed to be at Dave Rimington's pre-award party next door. (another famous Husker) We went with him.

Rimington is on the left, my friend Luke is in the middle, and my brother-in-law is on the right. Rimington's party is filled with a couple dozen fifty or sixty-year-old men in logo'd quarter zip sweatshirts. Just like our party.

Rozier was on to something. We did all look alike.