Greg's Right FIT #436

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

In this issue: 

- Thoughts on Importance
- Being Human
- Random Stuff

Thoughts on Importance

• Ask about the importance of an issue before jumping to a solution. Some problems aren't worth solving. 
• To get a feel for importance, use comparisons. If you don't know what to compare it to, ask your prospect to provide comparisons and examples to help you orient yourself. 
• Once a prospect is focused on a solution, it's tough to get them to consider alternatives. They lose patience when we try to revisit the problem they want to solve. The good news is, if their chosen solution is wrong, they'll admit it. Just kidding! You'll take the blame. Double-check the problem. 
• When a prospect is going down the wrong road, be patient. "How you sell is a free sample of how you solve," says the wise man. Not all prospects will appreciate it, but your future best clients will. Walk away from a bad fit, but stay in touch. 

Being Human - The point

"What is the point of life?"
"Life. Life is the point of life."

The last few weeks, I've been out and about talking to some old contacts and meeting new ones. It used to be part of my weekly activity. In the last few years, however,  I have defaulted to the phone and the computer for contact, all but eliminating face-to-face, knee-to-knee interactions. We used to put this graphic up on the whiteboard when talking to our reps, and ask them what they saw:

I won't keep you guessing. It's two belly buttons. Belly-to-belly. Nothing starts without a conversation. Sure, marketing can do a lot of work up front, but someone needs to talk to someone for the big stuff to happen. 

Technology has changed the math on a lot of these interactions, but belly-to-belly is still a thing. More for higher value, more complex transactions than simple, low margin transactions. 

As you might imagine, during a 45-50 minute visit with strangers, opportunities pop up. Some opportunities are immediate, "we are looking for X," some have unknown timelines, "we should stay in touch," but every meeting is compelling. It's fascinating how people keep themselves and others busy.

It reminds me of what has become a mantra of sorts. One that I need to remind myself of, a lot. Be curious. Life moves fast. 

Good stuff.

Random Stuff

"The universe isn't trying to tell you anything. Stop it."
– the rational part of my brain

Apophenia is a fancy word for our human tendency to see patterns in things. Deep down, I know the universe isn't trying to tell me things, but I still get excited when a pattern emerges from unrelated sources. My latest one involves author Raymond Chandler. I heard music producer Rick Rubin say if something was recommended to him by three different people, he considered it a sign, and consumes it. 

This same thing happens to me. It's why I have a retractable hose in the backyard, why I spent too much on my last car, and even why I started this weekly missive. If a few people tell me about a thing, my curiosity gets the best of me. 

In the case of Chandler, his work was referenced a few times, by random people, and though I know of Sam Spade, I've never read his work. Must consume. A quick search on Amazon brought up a used copy of his early stories and novels. 13 short stories and 3 novels. It seemed like a lot, but whatever. I put it in my cart, moved it to "save for later", and forgot about it. 

Then, a few weeks ago, I had a fit of curiosity about the story behind "The Big Lebowski." I read one of the Cohen brothers say, "We wanted to do a Chandler kind of story – how it moves episodically, and deals with the characters trying to unravel a mystery. As well as having a hopelessly complex plot that’s ultimately unimportant." 

That was the sign. It was time to act. Ignoring the stack of unread books on my desk, I clicked 'buy' and kind of forgot about it.

Last week the book showed up. A lovely hardbound edition that came with a box, like a collectors' copy. It even has a little ribbon attached to keep track of where I am in this great big book with teeny-tiny print. So many stories. 

My report so far: this is the definition of pulp fiction. The first stories take place in Los Angeles. Nightclubs, crooked cops, guns, getting hit by blackjacks, a little casual racism, detailed descriptions of femme fatales, misogyny, and lots of people calling each other, "baby." The "hopelessly complex plot that's ultimately unimportant" holds up so far. Only 1100 pages more.

I'll let you know how it goes. Baby.