Quick notes to help you find new business in less time with less effort. . . sometime next week.
In this issue:
- Thoughts on Shortcuts
- Being Human
- Random Stuff
- Back In The Day
Thoughts on Shortcuts
- Every day something happens that reminds me of just how hard communication is. A shortcut is to focus on defining terms. Easy to say, tough to do. Next week test this: “To make sure we’re on the same page, when you say X, how do you define it?”
- There's some wiring in our brains which makes shortcuts irresistible. e.g. 10 minute abs. 4 hour workweeks. #1 draft choices. Psilocybin cure-alls. If you want more, just check my bookshelf. I'm a sucker for this stuff.
- As much as I love a good shortcut, I've learned that for it to work, I need to be in love with my process first. When a process works well and I commit to repeating it, short-cuts appear. It's rarely the other way around.
- For managers, time with your people is a precious commodity. This goes double in sales. Here's a shortcut for when your salesperson wants to tell you stories about their latest prospect. Say, "before you tell me all that, what does the prospect need 'more of' or 'less of?'" If the answer isn't clear, tell them to go get clarification. Over time they'll only come to you when they can answer that question and you'll have some fun conversations about how to help them.
Being Human – Read the book
“'Classic’. . .a book which people praise and don’t read.” – Mark Twain
I'm helping interview some salespeople right now. Hiring is its own world. I should probably write a booklet about my experiences building an effective sales team someday, but for now I'm taking notes. Refining my tactics and testing theories while trying to find a good fit for this organization.
During one of these interviews, the candidate excitedly tells me he did his homework on me. Doing prep work is a best practice, but like most things, the devil's in the details. What was he looking for? What will he do with the information? Since I'm an outside consultant with the company, I'm not relevant to the job description and that's what we're focused on, this candidate and I. I resist asking what he learned, we move through my questions. and I listen to his selling stories.
At the end of the interview, he asks about how the company is using AI tools. I have to defer on those questions because I know they're using them, but I don't know details. I ask how he uses these tools in sales. "A lot for research," he said. He's getting confident and wants to impress me. "Like you, for instance. I had Claude read your books and your website to prepare for the interview."
"No kidding," I said. "What did it tell you? Is it helping?"
He hems and haws, not answering the question. Soon he is back to talking about the tools and how he uses them, or plans to use them, for sales. It sounds like I caught him in a lie, but it's more likely Claud's research didn't stick.
I felt bad. It reminds me of being in school, not having read the book, and trying to write the report only using Cliffs Notes. Those poor teachers. Forced to sort through my nonsense probably thinking, "with this much BS, this guy is destined for a career in sales. I'll let him slide."
As a guideline, it's a best practice to no talk too much about the book unless we actually read the book.
Random Stuff
“Choose the great adventure of being brave and afraid at the exact same time”
– Brené Brown
Springtime is full of surprises. From the plants that didn't make it through the winter, to the gutter that finally had it's fill, spring weather keeps me guessing.
This spring I'm happy to report the two new trees we planted are coming into bloom. Behind one of them is a climbing hydrangea. We planted it, I don't know, like seven years ago, hoping the vine would not only hide a utility pole, but give us some flowers. It's never flowered. Just refuses. I fertilize, nothing. I stop watering it, nothing. I trim, I play with the soil ph, zip. This week I look at it and, what do you know! A bloom!
On further inspection, this may have happened on the backside of the plant last year, but I kind of stopped looking. This one is front and center. . .if it survives.
Another surprise is when old man Wilson the ABC brings us a treat. He limps around so much I sometimes forget to check if he's carrying anything when he comes in, assuming he can't chase anything. Yesterday it was an adolescent bunny. Not tiny, not huge. Like the size of my hand. Too dumb to hop away when the old man came to check on him. Wilson came inside and set little bunny down by me. I said, "oh no! Wilson brought a gift." My lovely bride, sitting on the couch said, "what is it?" in a panicky voice. I was about to say bunny when the thing sprung to life! "It's alive!"
Surprise!
I scrambled to keep track of it while getting a plastic bag. I didn't want to pick it up after Wilson slobbered all over it. It took off straight for the couch my wife was on, like a sailor to a siren. By the time I got to it, my bride was standing up on the couch like the lady in those Tom and Jerry cartoons.
I secured the little guy and set him free in the neighbor's yard. Surprise removed.
I saw a fox there a few weeks ago. Maybe they'll make friends.
Back in the Day
What I was thinking about last year, five years ago, and ten years ago.
- Last Year: Right FIT #488 – Big law firms marketing and business development. A market I haven't dug into, but know there's work to be done!
- Five Years Ago: Right FIT #279 – Binging Gardener's World. Good memories from a weird time.
- Ten Years Ago: Right FIT #17 – Self talk. This one got a lot of responses from the crowd. Mostly about the situation, not the advice I gave the client. Interesting.
