Way More Than Plastics

Politics and Sales?...by Chris Buch

I know.  Politics is one of the two topics you never talk about in polite company... 

But, regardless of your political views, you had to appreciate the sales-like approach Speaker Gingrich took to win over the South Carolina conservative voting base.  Looking at the scoreboard a week prior to the primary; the breaks were definitely not going his way - (1) Romney was well ahead in projections (2) well-liked SC governor Nikki Haley had thrown her endorsement behind Romney along with numerous local and state political figures (3) in the New Hampshire primary on January 10th, Gingrich was relegated to "also ran" status while Romney gained more votes than his next two closest competitors combined (4) money was running very tight.  South Carolina was looking like the end-of-the-line for the Gingrich campaign.

How in the world does one rally from that kind of deficit?  Gingrich showed us by using one of the most basic sales techniques out there - know your audience.  At the opening of the debate on Friday prior to the Saturday primary, Gingrich blasted media outlets for highlighting unflattering claims by his ex-wife more than the national issues at hand.  A seemingly unscripted, raw, emotional outburst that immediately endeared him to South Carolinians.  Remember, this is the state that was the first to secede in 1860 and has always been in the thick of political battles - especially those involving state's rights.  They have never been a group that likes to be pushed around by a larger entity.  Many there view the media as one of those entities that shapes the minds of Americans with a "liberal" slant.  Think Speaker Gingrich knew that?  I would bet good money that he did.  I would bet that the seemingly unscripted remarks were very much scripted, planned, and very well presented.  Ultimately, I think they won the day.  

Salesmanship?  Yep.  Effective communication?  Absolutely.  Leadership?  I'll leave that questions for the voters.

I don't want to cause a panic, but rest assured that any elected official is, before anything else, a sales professional that tailors their message to their audience regardles of what they are up against.  Selling 101.

People Do Business With People...by Jeff Kaczperski

No matter what business you are in, be sure that people remain center stage.  The perfectly designed process doesn’t matter if the people aren’t following it.  Your proven strategy is lost if no one trusts you.  Your data and spreadsheet will build a case, but it won’t get the deal or idea moving unless it is delivered in a way that resonates with the client. 

Along with reason, customers & colleagues have emotions… which are powerful.  This is easily confirmed by watching how a good story teller influences a listener.  Critical thinking is surely needed, but it is not a solo act; it must always be accompanied by an understanding and care for people.  Remember, people do business with people.

Thankful...by Chris Buch

If you woke up this morning with everything you were thankful for yesterday, what would you have?  

So asked a friend of mine the other day.  The honest answer wasn't too pretty.  There are plenty of things on a daily basis that can elicit a negative response.  Far more importantly, there are plenty of things on a daily basis that should elicit a positive response.  Gratitude for the vast blessings that I enjoy is important but, all too often, missing.  It's a good time of year to be reminded.    

 

Anger: A Luxury In Leadership...by Jeff Kaczperski

My teenage son recently told me he may have locked my keys in the car. Of course, this was only minutes after my parting words to him were "be sure to bring the keys back".  My first reaction was an internal surge of anger around my inconvenience and his irresponsibility; that surge pushed hard  to transform itself into words that I could “share” with him.  I restrained from saying anything as he ran off to the car to look for the keys.  Fortunately, the keys were not locked in, he apologized sincerely, and there was no inconvenience to our day (let's skip the responsibility part for right now!).  The incident reminded me of some valuable business advice given to me: "You don't have the luxury of losing you cool". 

 Wait a minute...did you say a luxury?  Luxury implies choice or preference.  But anger is hard-wired, unstoppable, inevitable.  Got it...you will get angry...no choice.  But you can choose how to deal with it when it arrives.  This is an important choice in leadership.   Anger hides ideas, narrows perspectives, and limits options.  The idea of leading and serving others goes out the window because anger is, almost exclusively, about you.  And why would I follow you if you are not thinking about me?  People will give you a break for that rare outburst, but if you make that choice too often your influence is greatly reduced.  So the question is whether you really believe that you can make a choice on how to deal with anger (and reap the benefits of that) or whether you want to go down the road of “I’m just wired up that way”.  Your choice.  I know what choice I’m going to make…even when my son goes from lost keys to dented fenders.

Sold! (Just Not Very Well)...by Chris Buch

I got "sold" this weekend.  It happened while I was furniture shopping with my wife - more accurately, furniture buying with my wife.  We entered the store knowing the sofa, loveseat, and chair that we were going to buy.  All that remained was coffee/end tables.  Upon entering, we were immediately hooked up with a salesman - not a surprise as we'd been through this drill a few times before.  We explained to him what we were doing, what we had already decided on, and what we were trying to decide on.  We made it clear that our goal was to leave the store with furniture purchased and delivery arranged.  Pretty easy, right?  This is when the "selling" began in earnest (note the tongue firmly planted in cheek)...   

Our salesman began to negotiate price with us.  Why he did this, I'm not entirely sure.  He disappeared for a few moments and came back with a price for our furniture.  Bear in mind, we still hadn't picked out our tables yet.  He had "helpfully" chosen some tables for us and added them into the price.  "Why those tables?" we asked.  No really good answer given.  He then asked if he could go ahead and get the order going for us and schedule a delivery date.  "We haven't picked out tables yet", we said.  We assured him that once we picked out the tables we liked, we'd get the order going and schedule a delivery date. 

He again disappeared for a few moments and came back with a new price for our furniture.  The only trouble was, it was for a different sofa, loveseat, and chair.  "Why?", we asked.  We were told that they matched the tables (that he picked out) better plus they were cheaper.  "But that's not what we want", we said.  He thought that the price was too high, so that's why we were hesitant on the tables (that he picked out). 

He then disappeared again for a few moments and came back and offered me a 2% discount on the price he quoted.  At that point, we stopped shopping and fled the store.  Later that evening, we made our purchases online with no "help" from a "salesman".

For all sales professionals out there:  if we want to continue to have a livelihood, we'd better start asking the right questions, actively listening to the answers, and using that information to add a ton of value to the buying experience.  A few well-placed questions along with a very small amount of value-add service would have netted a far different result for my furniture sales guy. 

Get By With a Little Help From My Friends...by Jeff Kaczperski

I know of this person who is going through a difficult situation yet he does nothing to reach out for help. Pride, independence,...whatever...is not on his side. We all need help to be successful in life's activities.  There is not one successful person who "did it on their own".  Success is always connected to others...the customer who gave you a try, the partner that covers your weakness, or maybe the encouragement from a friend.  Humble and thankful should be our attitude if we are seeing things clearly.  So don't let those internal voices stop you from reaching out, asking for help, opening up, learning.  History has revealed to us that success involves others.

The Information Gap...by Jeff Kaczperski

In the absence of information, people will fill in the gaps on their own.  Decisions are made and actions taken based on bias, perception, and “gut feel” even when there is a void of understanding.    Like a soccer mom who, knowing little about the rules of the game, complains loudly how awful the referee is; she draws primarily from her emotions to conclude and vocalize that the call on young Johnny was horrible.  The same can be said of the coworker asked to implement part of a business improvement but knows nothing of the “why” or the “how” of that improvement….do not be surprised if you get little more than a tepid interest.  If you are a leader, be persistent in your effort to inform people.  If you are not a leader, take responsibility and ask questions to get that understanding.  People who know what is going on will begin thinking…and then acting…in ways that are helpful or productive.  We underestimate the power of The Information Gap…it destroys any hope of excelling. 

Do You Know My Time is Valuable?...by Jeff Kaczperski

As business people, we need to be improving our ability to help clients meet their schedules…which are tighter and shorter.  Whether you are in accounting, real estate, manufacturing, or whatever, the precious commodity of time continues to rise in value.   As your customer, help me get there smoother and more efficiently.  I’m overworked and under-resourced.  Make it convenient for me.  Please don’t make me wait in this line or repeat information or listen to your average canned sales pitch.  I’m nice and I understand, but I’m ready to buy from someone else the minute they offer a way for me to save time. And if you can't do that, your only opportunity with me is to create a positive memorable experience.  Not easy but reality.

 

Attitude Matters...by Jeff Kaczperski

I have heard for years, and believe, that a person’s attitude directly impacts their satisfaction and success in life.  There are endless books, seminars, and speeches on the subject.  But the importance of attitude was best stated by Gordon Smith, a SERE Instructor.  SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) is a U.S. military training program teaching survival skills and how to evade capture.  Most of its students are aircrew and Special Forces…soldiers that could see serious trouble if things go bad.  Gordon stated, “If you have a guy with all the survival training in the world who has a negative attitude and a guy who doesn’t have a clue but has a positive attitude, I guarantee you that the one with the positive attitude is coming out of the woods alive”.   A pretty powerful statement coming from a guy teaching others about life and death situations.    The same applies to you, your team, and your business.

The Depths of Leadership...by Chris Buch

Often leadership, in any setting, is looked upon to recognize challenges, confront realities however harsh, and strategically move the organzation forward.  Even if all internal functions are humming in harmonious rhythm (not typically the case), there are always external realities threatening to disrupt. It's a constant monitoring process. 

Knowing this, it's easy to get myopic in our perspectives as leaders.  The constant drive to position, strategize, alter, plan, set standards, and improve can lead to an unhealthy view of our own organizations.  "Change" or "improvement" always means that there is something that isn't quite cutting it.  No matter how we spin it to the positive, there's a negative flip side.  Being immersed in this modus operandi on a daily basis is one of the great challenges of leadership and, I would venture to say, leads to burnout faster than anything else. 

As Sales Director, I get the frequent opportunity to go out and talk about the value that my organization brings.  I get to see the positive reactions from prospective clients.  I get the pats on the back from current clients.  I get to surface from the depths of the "leadership-drive-to-improvement" and bask in the goodness of right now.  Is leadership getting a little wearisome?  Come to the surface now and then.  Take a minute and remind yourself what's great about your organization  - it'll do you good.