Greg's Right FIT Newsletter #110

Techniques for FIT

• A key principle in FIT is that we're more effective when we're allowed to apply our self-identified values/virtues/strenghts  to our work versus identifying work that's a perfect for our self-identified values/virtues/strengths.  

• One of the reasons it works so well from a management perspective is that it's easier to ask someone, "How will you use your strengths to get this task done?" instead of finding the rare person who loves to do that task. 

• The challenge is most of our managers know how to get things done by using their self-identified values/virtues/strengths. "If it worked for me, it should work for you," is basically what I assumed parenting was before raising kids and is very similar to how I see managers act. 

• Next week, identify one area of your company where you have an uncompromising approach to "how" the work is done. Take a moment and consider how it would look if you gave up on how it's done, and were uncompromising on "what" the outcome is instead. 

Being Human - Bleep, blurp, please hold

"The key to artificial intelligence has always been the representation.” —Jeff Hawkins (PalmPilot)

I have been playing with some loosely labeled AI technologies for sales and marketing that I'm going to wholeheartedly recommend to clients, but not for the reason I originally expected. At first I thought I'd recommend them because they increase sales, but now I'm going to recommend it because it may reduce turnover. My epiphany came while listening to three young, sophisticated, tech savvy young men describing business to business (B2B) sales on a webinar.

B2B sales is something I know well enough to write books about and consult on every day, so I'm happy to hear new ideas. On this day, these young men are extolling the virtues of their technologies and "how the best B2B sales teams automating their funnels and booking more meetings than reps can even keep up with."[sic] As I listen, I'm being critcal because it's late, the tech I'm testing doesn't deliver, and they make me feel old, when one of them says, "because, as everyone knows, a 10% close rate is just depressing. That's like, 90% wasted time. Reps hate that." 

It's the second time in a week that I heard this sentiment. The first was a lawyer who wants to make partner, "Greg, it's depressing to have so many fruitless conversations looking for clients. I don't know if I can do it." My standard retort is to focus on the outcome, making partner, not the activity. Right? You focus on the healthy, vibrant you kicking it in your best outfit when you go to the gym. If you focus on how much you hate the thin, rough towels, you're making good health harder to achieve. 

Back to the young men making robots. That comment about the 90% of wasted activity being depressing is right, but it's the wrong thing to focus on. The best B2B reps learn to live with it, just like their predecessors did, and their ancestors, and so on. Keep your eyes on the prize. It's a right of passage.

However, if I employ an AI chat-bot that takes my company's new opportunity close rate from 10% down to 3%, but brings my human's "close rate" up to 40%, what am I hurting? I may have to spend more on marketing for a time, but that 40% close rate can reduce first year turnover, produce happier sales people, and cause one or two of them to discover on their own what happens if they enter earlier in the sales cycle (and take their close rates down to 10%). With time, I gain a savvy rep, bring my blended close rate back up, and hit my targets. 

I have a test set up. I'll send you results when I get them. Turnover reduction takes a while to show. . .but in the between time, start testing robots. 

Random Stuff

"Too bad it doesn't have a better cover."

I'm getting some nice comments about "The Human Being's Guide to Business Growth." I'm told that it's funny, it's thought provoking, and sections are being passed around the office. 

I was also told that it's too bad the cover doesn't reflect any of those things. 

Alas, some things are simply not in my control, so I'll have to hold on to funny.

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