Soloing like The Who

I'm a huge fan of The Who - and I'm unashamed! I've read most of the books written about them. I own Pete Townshend's recent biography.

I have watched a bunch of documentaries. Listening to their music is a guttural experience. You can feel it in your gut. It elicits pleasure.

About a year ago I watch An Ox's Tale: The John Entwhistle Story. It is a must watch if your love bass guitar, The Who, and John Entwhistle. It is a tragic story. Yet, it inspires.

The books and documentaries all make a similar claim - and I paraphrase... "The Who were four solo instrumentalists with a chemistry like no other band in history"

When Pete Townshend, John Entwhistle, Keith Moon, and Roger Daltry execute their parts, listen to each other, and trust each other; magic erupts.

As I often seem to do, I naturally want to connect the dots to the career of selling.

As salespeople we love to fly solo. Autonomy is one of our best friends. Some might claim that they do their best work "flying solo". Some might even be so bold as to say, "Leave me the hell alone!"

I get that. I truly do

However, let me toss this out: Have you ever experienced the true synergy of playing in a band, a band that has chemistry? I have. I play my part (guitar). The drummer plays his. The bass player is in the groove. The singer leads. When there is chemistry, there is magic.

It seems to me, we as salespeople would relish the opportunity to find that kind of chemistry. The job would get easier. The mistakes, fewer. The energy, symbiotic. We would actually sell more stuff by working as a band, a team!

We could be soloing, just like The Who!

In the Groove

My wife and I, along with Cal and Jane, close friends of ours, took a couple days off for a long weekend in Traverse City MI to cross country ski, wine taste, shop, eat, and enjoy conversation.

On Friday morning, Cal and I started at the Vasa Pathway trail head, consulted the map, charted our course, and embarked on a 8 mile trek. The Vasa Pathway's trails are very well groomed - for both traditional cross country skiing and skate skiing. Since we don't skate ski, (Although Cal might tell you that I've attempted it a few times, unsuccessfully. He'll also tell you that I successfully looked the part of a dork. Hmmm.... I think I do that well most days), we settled ourselves in the two grooves for traditional skiing.

Saturday morning we opted for a 6-mile loop at the Muncie Lake Pathway - a favorite. (There's a downhill that I've yet to conquer. It's fast and it has a horseshoe turn to the right. The fast doesn't get me. It's the dang turning! It just keeps on going and going... I always fall. I fell again. Twice. Pisses me off) However, I digress...

The hypnotic rhythm of cross country skiing allows for plenty of time to talk. However, Cal and I have skied together for many years. When we're on the trail we settle in like an old married couple. Words aren't necessary to communicate. I do find the quiet of the woods and the swooshing of the ski's gliding so effortlessly in the grooves comforting. During the 8-mile trek, I was able to relax and do some thinking - or as I like to put it, pondering!

What struck me during our two hours on the Vasa was a simple revelation, really. When I'm in the groove(s), skiing is easy. When I use correct form, I glide effortlessly. When I have a system, it's easy. The more I ski, the better I get

At work we've been spending a fair amount of time on refining and simplifying the sales process. Connecting the dots between the ease of skiing and the ease of selling isn't difficult.

When use correct form, I make better connections with prospects and customers.

When I have a system, the entire process, from suspect/prospect to close of sale, improves.

The more I use correct sales form and the more I use a sales system, the better I get at it.

Simple. Yet, we choose to complicate it.

Stop complicating it.

Stop being a perpetual sales "firefighter".

Work on your form (planning/organization/strategy/selling skills) and use a sales system. As one of my reps says, "Having a system lets me sleep at night".

Get in the groove!

Be Present

Sarah is a writer. Sarah is a blogger. Sarah is a photographer. Sarah is my wife.

To become a better writer you need to write - daily. One tool writer's use is called: Writing Prompts. Simply Google "writing prompts" and your search results will provide a myriad of prompt lists to choose from.

Sarah works from a prompt list every day. When I'm home, she'll invite me to join her. (Truth be told, I should join her on these prompts exercises more often). The rules she follows are simple: Write for 10 minutes using the prompt of the day(yes, a timer is important). I believe I forgot to mention that you are not to know what the prompt of the day is ahead of time. It should not be a word that you have pondered over all day. Other than that, there are no "writing rules" to follow. Simply write. Open your mind. Let the words flow out of your head onto paper. Punctuation? If you don't feel like it, don't use it. Capitalization? Your choice. Correct grammar? Ain't could be a word.

One thing we do though is (drum roll please)... we share our writing with each out by reading it out loud. Awkward? Yes. Cause for belly laughs? Most definitely. Vulnerable? Oh yeah. Encouraging? Most definitely!

On November 2, 2014, the prompt of the day was: Be Present. Here's what I wrote: (Yes, I'm being vulnerable...)

   The famous Seattle Fish Market and Pikes Place Fish created a business film a number of years ago called FISH. It was highly entertaining. Go ahead, You Tube it (or, if you're reading this in the far future, consult whatever technological device that has been implanted in your brain).

 

   In the video, they throw fish around. A lot of fish - and they have fun! (The first F in FISH)

 

  Asked about the secret of good customer service, one of the fun-loving "fish" guys made the memorable comment of "You simply have to be present, man"

 

   A truer statement could not have been made. Great customer service is casting (note the fish pun) all of your focus and attention onto the customer, making them feel like they are the most important person in the world to you, in that moment.

 

   However, being present goes beyond customer service. It's a lesson for all of us with loved ones; spouses, children, parents, grandparents, and friends. How many marriages, friendships, and families have been  lost by the lack of presence? It could be the root cause of all our failures.

 

   How hard is it, really, to be present? It's simply an effort to provide your undivided attention to the other person, in the moment!

The 10 minute timer sounded. Exercise over.

There you have it. As written. Unedited. Yet, underneath it all there is a truth.

Be Present

FISH Philosophy

Research: To the Detriment of Getting Started

Ever been caught in the "over-analyze" trap? C'mon, you know you have. I know I have! My brain starts screaming at me, "Glen, you're not ready to make that first prospecting call. You MUST invest more time in researching the prospective company. Have you googled the contact yet? Man, you haven't even searched for white papers, news releases, or their latest Annual Report. Don't pick up that phone! If you do, you'll be sorry"

Sounds like a bunch of excuses to me.

Let's get honest here: I've already done enough research to make the first call. I know the industry. I have searched for the contact on LinkedIn. I did google the company, read the "About Us" section on their web, and searched for latest news releases. I have done my homework. Yet, my brain still tells me that I need to do more.

Why do we fear getting started? Why is it so hard to make that first phone call - take that first action?

Dale Carnegie said it best, "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy"

But Dale,  you say, "Isn't research an action?"

"Sure it is", he might say, "as long as you do something with it. Get out and get busy!"

 

Getting busy means making that first call... and the second, the third, the fourth ... and the twentieth call.

 

As you make the calls you will discover something about yourself. You WILL be more confident. You WILL be more courageous. You WILL overcome your fear of getting started. Along the way your words will flow much smoother. Your smile will be genuine instead of forced. Your nerves will have relaxed and the much needed humor-factor will have crept into your conversations. As sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer says, "If you can make them laugh, you can make them buy."

Stop making excuses. Be a person of action.