It Doesn't Matter

If it's the right person, it doesn't matter what you say.

If it's the wrong person, it doesn't matter what you say.

So why do I guide the bowling ball after I let it go?

Thanks, Heather! 

I'd love comments about how this changes your behavior! 

Our Next Events -

Meaning of Life - A Better Way of Looking at Our New World.
Monday, March 7, 2011 9:30AM
40 Plus - Washington, DC N.W. More Info:
http://www.40plus-dc.org/40plus-Monday-Speaker-2011

Rainmaker #3 - Process to Purchase
How To Sell Your Skills
300 seconds, March 8, 2011, 6 pm
Capital Technology Management Hub
RSVP at http://knowledgeassets.eventbrite.com/
The Sales Lab Rainmaker Series are
five minute tactical selling presentations
starting the CTMH Monthly Meetings 
 

How To Turn Prospects Into Clients
Monday, March 21, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Alexandria, VA
YES!Circle       Details and Reservations

Join us!

Newslettering

For a number of years now I have sent out a newsletter to a few hundred folks, most of them people that had bought or used a service of mine over the years. It doesn’t always carry anything of great consequence, sometimes a really good offer, but most often just a reminder that I’m still here and some words about what I have available. Sometimes even a tidbit of industry or company news.

So why do I do it?

Glad I asked!

I’ve had people tell me that they wanted to place an order with me, but they couldn’t find my contact information, but they knew I would send something out and they could order it then. I guess I could have lost a sale if they had been in a hurry, but it sure is nice that they felt that knew they would have my information and that they waited.

People may like me as their contact, but they can still forget me, or not find getting in touch with me as convenient as ordering from the next person that comes to their door (or phone, or email, or… oh you get it). However since they get regular contact from me in the form of my newsletter and occasional emails, there is a connection and I’m their guy, not the stranger who they just met.

One reason I don’t lose my relationships with people is this simple page that I send out. I also like to list people that I know as people to do business with. I don’t know if anyone has ever gotten business from being listed, but I know that it doesn’t hurt me to put them on and that people appreciate a recommendation from any source.

The main point here is that sending a newsletter perpetuates my relationships with many people, some of whom I may only have contact with every couple of years, but that we stay connected. I have many friendships over the course of time with people that I have done business with and of which the newsletter is a big part.

What are you doing like this?

Rainmaker #3 - Process to Purchase
How To Sell Your Skills
300 seconds, March 8, 2011, 6 pm
Capital Technology Management Hub
RSVP at http://knowledgeassets.eventbrite.com/
The Sales Lab Rainmaker Series are five minute tactical selling presentations starting the CTMH Monthly Meetings

Reasons

“There are reasons and results” comes from the personal growth movement. It means there are infinite reasons for not getting your results and they are all equally invalid. Reasons need to be overcome to achieve your goal. In this context, reasons are not good.

“You buy on emotion and justify with reasons” is an observation from sales. Buyers use reasons to justify their action. The right reason often catalyzes the desired action.

Reasons are a prominent tool in the persuasion toolbox.

Make a reason to comment on this post.

Better weather brings new events. Here are our next two:

Rainmaker #3 - Process to Purchase
How To Sell Your Skills
300 seconds, March 8, 2011, 6 pm
Capital Technology Management Hub
RSVP at http://knowledgeassets.eventbrite.com/
The Sales Lab Rainmaker Series are five minute tactical selling presentations starting the CTMH Monthly Meetings

How To Turn Prospects Into Clients
Monday, March 21, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Alexandria, VA
Host: YES!Circle Details and Reservations

Please join us!

Your Accomplishments + Stories = Credibility

How do you establish your credibility? How does someone know the 'real you'? On a professional basis, how can you demonstrate you have experience, get results, are competent?

Traditionally this knowledge comes from the individual knowing you over time and seeing how well what you say and what you do match up – from working shoulder to shoulder with you or observing the outcome of your efforts.

A surrogate for personal knowledge is to have someone stand up for you – to recommend you – and if the inquiring person is willing to accept the recommendation, you may enjoy some level of credibility.

But how can any of this apply when you first meet a person – at a networking activity or on a job interview? Is there a way that you can show who you are about without an implied 'trust me' at the end of the description of your skills & abilities?

Yes – tell a story from your experience which highlights your skills & abilities.

You are an accomplished individual – or you would not have made it to the level you have. You need a catalog of these accomplishments and may need to dig deep to get them – people often feel that what they have achieved is 'no big deal – others have done it too' – usually that's not true. Spend some time recalling your accomplishments to have handy when you develop the stories.

The stories are NOT major productions – they are intended to showcase your achievements. The best and most effective stories are made up of three elements: a simple statement of the problem (with specifics about who, when, where, what, and how to add reality), a short rendition of your solution (again with specifics to make clear you were involved, not merely taking notes), and the result – from the viewpoint of the client or person who benefited – be concise when telling about the result but quantify where possible – saved dollars, reduced labor, increased speed, greater efficiency, or whatever.

As you talk about yourself as an effective manager, a innovative leader, or a creative programmer, include stories taken from your accomplishments and experience which show in vivid detail your contribution when addressing the problem and getting results.

By doing the work to recall the accomplishments and creating the stories (write them down!) based on these accomplishments, you can go a far distance in establishing your credibility with the person you just met or are with during the interview.

How do you see this working for you – please share your stories so others can benefit.

Upcoming presentations which may be of interest:

Rainmaker #3 - Process to Purchase
How To Sell Your Skills
300 seconds, March 8, 2011, 6 pm
Capital Technology Management Hub
RSVP at http://knowledgeassets.eventbrite.com/
The Sales Lab Rainmaker Series are five minute tactical selling presentations starting the CTMH Monthly Meetings

How To Turn Prospects Into Clients
Monday, March 21, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Alexandria, VA
Host: YES!Circle Details and Reservations

The New Normal – Cloud Computing

This week the Capital Technology Management Hub put on a program about cloud computing – a very informative session about a new approach to computing that is no longer just a concept – it is up and running with higher level enhancements coming on line continuously at a steady pace.

Interesting in its own right, but what became clear during the presentation is: cloud computing is another example of the New Normal.

Cloud Computing is shifting control of resources and software tools into the hands of the user, which offers greater self-reliance - a significant element of the New Normal.

Let's step back to view this progression of computing from a user's viewpoint. 'Back in the old days' – about 45 years ago - computers took up entire floors and required significant staff to operate. Only large organizations could afford to own a mainframe computer, but would rent out idle time on a time-sharing basis. A user would submit work and beg for a quick turnaround of a week to ten days to get project output. The user had no direct access to the computer.

As computers got smaller and the cost came down, more organizations could have this resources in-house, but it required support staff to manage and maintain the equipment and resources. Users now had some direct access to established routines and processes, but modifications required engaging the IT staff.

When the PC and server environment became the norm, the computer and its software tools were finally in the hands of the user, but the servers were the domain of the IT staff to manage, maintain, and add capacity. The user worked directly now, but was haunted with incompatible data & software, as well as server space availability. New equipment cost money, took time, and required justification – all of which would take months to achieve.

Introduce the cloud. From the user's view, compatibility issues are being eliminated - software is in the cloud plus there's plenty data management tools to tame unruly data. What is really putting control in the user's hands is the ability to access the cloud for the resources needed – software tools, computing capacity, and output delivery. The user now can order up these resources directly, be up and running in a matter of minutes, and can decommission it all when completed.

In a sense, with the cloud, the user has come full circle from the time-sharing days, but with control now in the user's hands.

The New Normal encompasses greater self-reliance and independence, and cloud computing is another tool which is creating this reality.

How do you see the New Normal changing how we do work?

Masada Game Theory

I was explaining game theory to a persistent optimist. “If you're not going to do business with someone again, take him for all he is worth.”

The optimist replied, “Why would you do that?” A very successful person, couldn't see the point of game theory.

I am seeing a lot of this “game theory” being practiced on employees and customers. After all, it's a bad economy and we're probably not going to work with them again, and yadda yadda yadda...

We create much of our own reality, and if we don't want to continue working with employees and customers, that can be arranged. There's power and control for ya!

But someone else will. And in this internet leveraged reputation aquarium, the new guys will know what you have done before you ever meet them.

The Sicarii were a sect in Israel that didn't much like the Romans or the mainstream Jews. They holed up in the Masada Fortress and when the Romans came, the Sicarii killed themselves before the Romans ever got there. Showed them!

I wonder what happens when I act like I am going to win?

Story Frameworks

The right framework to organize a story can go a long way to improving its value.

Dana Blankenhorn buzzed: Notice the new way of newswriting? Inverted pyramids out. Now news stories read like live blogs Feb 4

Dick Davies - And how is "blog writing" different?Feb 5

Dana Blankenhorn - A single blog entry is more like an opinion column to me, some coherent whole meant to engender a response. Have a take and don't suck, in other words.

A live blog, by contrast, piles minute-by-minute facts together and, while it may contain a summary at the top (after everything is done) there's often no coherence. Feb 6

When I was a journalist, the inverted pyramid (write the most important first)was taught as Who, What, When Where Why, and How Many? That was how the editors and teachers defined it.

The writer (me) saw the inverted pyramid as, “How do I prioritize my facts, most important first and do it quickly?”

The inverted pyramid is a good, if basic, starting framework.

A second framework is a timeline. What happened first, second, third, fourth? I believe our mind's operating system is a timeline. Excess processing power produces queries like, “I wonder what was happening in China in 1066?”

A flashback, buggering the time order of a story, is a conceit (An extravagant, fanciful, and elaborate construction or structure), I guess showing the attitude of the author.

Bill Bryson's At Home, uses a framework of each chapter examining a room in his house, a rectory from the 1700's. He goes from prehistoric times to speculation about the future, cramming a wealth of disparate facts on every page. I can't think of another way he could have built such an entertaining book. A dense and entertaining read!

What is another good framework for organizing stories?

Paint A Vivid Picture

When you speak, you want your message to be memorable for the listener – to have effect... to spur action... to persuade. To be truly successful requires going beyond mere talking to creating an image – a picture which develops in the listener's minds eye.

Jim Valvano was head coach of the NC State Basketball Team and enjoyed success on and off the court in his role – particularly in recruiting top players. Of course, he did the usual things to recruit prospects – home visits with the student & his parents; talks about scholarship opportunities; tour of the campus.

At the end of the campus tour, Coach Jimmy V and the prospective player headed into the basketball fieldhouse, which was dark – only the emergency lighting offering faint ghost-like illumination of the huge structure. As the two walked on to the basketball court, a bright spotlight snapped on.

In this circle of light center floor was a folding chair....on the chair was a basketball jersey draped over its back...visible on the back of the jersey was the name of the player prospect! Message complete – vivid – memorable – effective.

Think about a time when you experienced a compelling picture from words and actions – Please share as a comment to this post.

Don't Just Talk!

“Talk is cheap” and it doesn't require planning or preparation or understanding. No wonder there is so much of it.

Listening is effective for changing someone's thinking, and is often necessary...but not sufficient.

When it's your turn to lead the conversation, what can you do that gives you a better value for your limited time?

Jump, sing, balance a spoon on your nose, give treasure, but don't just talk. Try something that that will be remembered after the conversation moves on.

What is your favorite communication booster?