Get Real

Sales Man Up

Get Real- Part 1

We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality.   - Iris Murdoch


From “Choosing what is Real”, Ransomed Heart blog, by John Eldredge :

My awakening began with two simple experiences. The first came through touching wet granite.

I am a writer by trade. Add to this occupation the average person’s basic online consumption, and the result is, I find myself in front of screens for long periods of my day. While finishing a recent book project, I kept wandering outside, simply to touch real things—stone, pinecones, the juniper bush. This wasn’t a cognitive decision; it was a compelling, something I felt I had to do in order to come out from a weird ether-space, come back to myself. Laying my hand on a wet boulder, feeling the cold, examining the granite crystals, I realized, I need reality.

The second, far more startling, moment came when I stepped into a small, local bakery.

Normally when we need a loaf, I do what nearly everyone else in the West does—I go to the store and choose something from the racks. There is no smell of bread; there is no oven nearby; you see only factory-made products neatly packed in colorful plastics. It is an entirely detached experience, and often what comes in that plastic bag is barely even a food product. That was my normal, and so stepping into an actual artisan bakery was a thunderbolt, like suddenly finding myself on the open ocean. Soon as I walked through the door, I was engulfed with the aromas of dough, baking bread, and burnt crust. I felt the hot ovens. Instead of plastic rectangles, I beheld racks of naked loaves in ordered disarray: baguettes, boules, ciabattas. It was so real, so sensual. I wanted to grab several loaves and a jug of wine, find a meadow, and take a two-hour lunch. I wanted to dive in a river and run through the forest and never, ever go back to my office. My soul was awakened by an encounter with the Real, and I found myself wondering, If this is how the human race dealt with something as basic as bread for thousands of years, what have I gotten used to?

What have we gotten used to?

The average person now spends 93 percent of their life indoors (this includes your transportation time in car, bus, metro). Ninety-three percent—such a staggering piece of information that we should pause for a moment and let the tragedy sink in.

We live nearly all our life in a fake world.

Artificial lighting instead of the warmth of sunlight, the cool of moonlight, the darkness of night itself. Artificial climate created by the thermostat replaces the wild beauty of real weather; our world is always 68 degrees. All the surfaces we touch are things like plastic and faux leather instead of meadow, wood, and stream. The atmosphere we inhabit is now asphyxiated with artificial smells—mostly chemicals and “air fresheners”—instead of cut grass and wood smoke and salt air (is anyone weeping yet?). In place of the cry of the hawk, the thunder of waterfall, and the comfort of crickets, our world spews out artificial sounds—all the clicks and beeps and whir of technology, the hum of the HVAC. My God—even the plants in our little bubble are fake. They give no oxygen; instead, the plastic off-gases toxins, and if that is not a statement, I don’t know what is.

But the worst part of it all is this: We have come to prefer it that way. Like laboratory rats or the slaves still tied into The Matrix.

We live a bodily existence. The physical life, with all the glories of senses and appetites and passions—this is the life God meant for us. It is through our senses we learn most every important lesson.

The implications for young people are critical. Thus the quote—variously attributed to Churchill, Will Rogers, and Reagan—that “The best thing for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse.” Because when the young person encounters the horse, they are thrust into a constant, dynamic encounter with the Real. It calls things out of them, not only fears, anger, and impatience to be overcome, but intuition and presence and a sort of firm kindness no Xbox game can ever replicate. There is no switch you can flip; you must engage. Reality shapes you.


…..To be continued

Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live! - Bob Marley

Enthusiasm

Sales Man Up

Enthusiasm

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
- Winston Churchill

Enthusiasm is contagious, isn't it ? People who are passionate about what they do attract others to listen to their message. As sales professionals, when we deeply believe in our company, our products or our services; then our prospects will believe as well.

Years ago , while working for a large commercial textile company, I was privileged to train with a senior sales rep who was the embodiment of enthusiasm. Gene had originally pioneered the entire state of Florida for this manufacturer, and you did not have to be around him very long, before he started talking about his high-performance Flooring and the benefits of “ closed cell vinyl cushion”. Gene was so passionate about his product, he was affectionately nicknamed “Mr. Cushion” by those closest to him. His zeal for his Flooring was on par with Elon Musk’s belief in SpaceX; and like Elon, he was a man of action, not merely of words.

Gene and I were riding together one day, making calls in Northern Central Florida. An established architectural firm had reached out to our company, asking for some specification assistance and product recommendations on a church project. I had already been in sales for a few years, but watching Gene in action was like a sales version of “ Dancing with the Stars”. He was fluid, on time, and well prepared. He knew his routine, and he always carried in his sales bag which consisted of several small samples of his product (  AKA The Cushion ) , and of course, his three ring binder depicting oodles of successful installations. After sitting down with the principal, Gene opened up like a leading scene from an Epic movie, expounding with accuracy and exactness concerning the features and benefits of his flooring. With passion he reached for the photo binder and began to expositorily pontificate on each project with such fervor. It was a beautiful thing. Both the architect and myself respected Gene’s enthusiasm . He was unstoppable.

How about you ? What are you passionate about ? Webster states the root meaning of enthusiasm is “ to infuse a divine spirit, to be inspired….”  We both know that inspiration is just the beginning of the story. It must be combined with perspiration in order to arrive at success. Without enthusiasm though, our life is listless, our presentations are boring, and our jobs mundane. My mentor Gene is no longer with us on this side of eternity, but his spirit lives on in every sales person that reaches for their  IPad, laptop, and sample bag; and steps into a conference room to give a presentation. Whatever you do, do it with zeal, passion, and enthusiasm !


The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm. - Aldous Huxley

Under Promise Over Deliver

Sales Man Up

Under Promise, Over Deliver

Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep. - Denis Waitley

It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises-but only performance is reality. -
Harold S. Geneen


It is an easy thing to make promises along the pathway to closing a sale, isn’t it ?
Some sales people will say just about anything to land the business and seal the deal. I think this is where the term originated “ smooth talking salesman”. I have learned from experience that this method of sales can come back to bite you. Like an old R&B song stated, “ Don't let your mouth write a check that your body can’t cash”.

We all know that life happens, don’t we ? Containers fall off of ships enroute from Europe, materials are delayed, products are damaged, manufacturing takes longer than expected, things show up in the wrong color or finish. What do we do about our promises then ? Tell the truth . Even though they won't like it, our clients can usually handle the truth. What they cannot tolerate are stories, excuses and lies. If something is beyond our control, then it is what it is. If we are doing everything within our power to rectify a bad situation and make it better, and be a problem solver ; then our clients will see our behavior and trust is built. Most people don’t expect perfection, unless we have over promised.

Which comes to our next point regarding managing expectations. For a number of years, I officiated a number of wedding ceremonies, and when I met with the couples-to-be on several occasions before the wedding day, I made it clear they would not “ live happily ever after. “  Just leave that mindset in Hollywood and fairy tales ! One of the first assignments I would give, would be to discover their significant other’s Love Language, and work at speaking it on a daily basis . Marriage is work, and if you see a good relationship; it is because good people have invested a lot of time and energy to make it so. A well groomed landscaped yard doesn’t happen by accident, but the fruitfulness of hard work brings the owners great delight, as well as those that behold it. In the same way, we have to temper our promises to our customers, being realistic in how we portray our products & services, making sure that we preemptively handle expectations before a crisis takes place. It is our job not only to make the sale, but to  act as tour guides for our clients, walking them through the sales process, and ensuring that they feel our constant presence and support. I believe this is an acquired skill, but the best salespeople that I know and respect manage their client relationships in this manner.

My wife and I love the staff at the Longhorn Restaurant located in the Villages., FL. Where else can you go and feel like a celebrity ?  If we are calling ahead, we are greeted with warmth and excitement. Many times the hostess will welcome us with a hug at the front door, and we are treated more like family and less like customers. We know many of the staff by first name, and are familiar with their life stories. This restaurant  consistently exceeds our expectations, so guess what? We keep coming back !  Yes, the food is good, but we can buy food from a lot of restaurants . What keeps us coming back to Longhorn are the relationships and the fact that we truly feel appreciated by the staff and management. Don’t you think that mindset crosses over into any professional relationship ? I do. Under promise, and deliver with such positive abundance that your clients won’t want to go anywhere else !  Our performance IS reality. Bon appetit !


Over Deliver on promises and deadlines. Show up early, deliver your product early, and deliver more than you promised. Overdeliver now, and in the future, you will be overpaid. - Clay Clark