Bridge To Networking

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Bridge To Networking

We build too many walls and not enough bridges.
- Isaac Newton


One of the challenges in networking is everybody thinks it’s making cold calls to strangers. Actually, it’s the people who already have a strong trust relationships with you, who know you’re dedicated, smart, a team player, who can help you. -  Reid Hoffman

Who hasn't ever “burned a bridge” and later regretted it ? No matter how big or sophisticated a business is, true success is all about people and relationships. If we leave a company and  figuratively ( or literally) slam the door on our way out, we have just burned a bridge that we may need to cross again . This is never a healthy thing- for our consciences or future opportunities. Whether we are the CEO of a prominent architectural firm or a junior sales rep starting in a brand new market, relationships Rule ! What we know is vitally important, but WHO we know could determine our survival and success .

From my own experience, I have witnessed the power of relationships over the years, as I have transitioned into various sales positions with several great companies . I have made the effort to maintain a friendly channel of communication with every company I have served. Some of the managers and former teammates in sales have become my closest friends and allies . They have been my endorsers, counselors, and fellow soldiers in the sales fight. Many have given me strong customer leads, fed me project information, and personally walked me into client meetings with warm introductions. If we choose to be kind and forgiving, then kindness and grace comes back to us; but if we elect to be spiteful and vindictive, guess what eventually boomerangs back to us ?

Along this vein, years ago, when I stepped into a new sales role that expanded into a market where I virtually knew no one; I reached out to a vendor contact who was the spouse of a former colleague. He was entrenched in this market, and knew all of the people that I wanted to know. Buying breakfast for him was a small price to pay, compared to the education that he gave me on this market. I took fastidious notes, as he not only provided me with the names of companies, but specific contacts within those companies along with emails and phone numbers. It would’ve taken me months to ferret out the information that I was able to garner over one Cracker Barrel meal.  I was even permitted to use my friend’s name as a reference when calling on these new contacts, which made my introduction much warmer. If I had burned that bridge with my former company, I would've missed out on this meeting, which set my business on a fasttrack like Hans Solo moving into hyperspace !

Who do you know ? Some researchers state that all humans on earth are connected by only six degrees of separation. ( see https://www.sciencealert.com/are-we-all-really-connected-by-just-six-degrees-of-separation) If that is the case, then someone you know, is already connected to someone you want to know ; and you know people that other people want to know. The only thing missing is an Outlook reminder for a meeting with a friend, and a cup of coffee or chai tea. We have to make sure that networking is a healthy win/win proposition. If we are proactive in sharing quality information with other business professionals that we trust, then a harvest of opportunity will show up on our doorsteps. I can attest to that. Keep those bridges open for business!

Networking is an essential part of building wealth. - Armstrong Williams

Get Real - Part 2

Sales Man Up

Get Real - Part 2

That walk around the block, that fresh air, is going to help you work more quickly and effectively when you get back.   - Daniel Levitin

A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.  - Steve Martin



Choosing what is Real , continuation of a blog by John Eldredge…

I love March Madness. I can watch hours of it in a stretch. But I feel like crap afterwards. Just compare how you feel after binge-watching hours of screen anything—TV, video games, YouTube—with how you feel when you come off a mountain bike ride or a swim in the ocean. Living in an artificial world is like spending your life wrapped in plastic wrap. You wonder why you feel tired and numb and a little depressed, when the simple answer is you have a vitamin D deficiency; there is no sunlight in your life, literally or figuratively. Our body, soul, and spirit atrophy because we were made to inhabit a real world, to draw life and joy and strength from it. To be shaped by it, to relish in it.

The world we inhabit substitutes real community with artificial community through social media. Now, I do understand the benefits. But having a “friend” on Facebook is nothing like having beers with an actual human being, and eons from taking a road trip together. They’re not even in the same universe. No text, no post, no update can ever replace engaging a person in person. But we have come to prefer the quick text, even quicker emoji reply. Because of the convenience. Our ability to relate is atrophying by the hour.

The world tries to make up for its artificial hollowness through spectacle and hype, trying to make small stories seem like big stories. Watch any pro sports—the media surrounding it, the graphics, the pounding music, the “drama”—all trying to make it seem important, when the truth is, it’s inconsequential. Who cares who won the Superbowl last year? Thus we accept artificial meaning over a real life.

The artificial world lies and cheats. It seduces us with the worst of all lessons: that life is easy, and comfort is the goal. Thus it kills initiation at every turn. It cheats us of nourishment and strength and the very training we need. The answer is not only online filters. The answer is to choose a life where you prefer the Real over the artificial everywhere you possibly can. Reality was meant to shape us. The artificial is built almost entirely around our comfort and ease. Take back your soul. Re-engage the process of your initiation by choosing the Real everywhere you can.

Get outside, every day. If you work out in a gym, take it outside with a run, bike, swim, hike. Encounter the weather whenever you can. Walk around outside your office building every day. Turn off the A/C and roll down the windows in your car. Turn off your screens and do something with real things. Change a tire; change your own oil. Learn to sharpen a knife. Plant some vegetables. Eat real food. Cooking is a surprising access point to the real—an encounter with textures, with heat and cold and spices—and it shapes you. Brew your own beer. ( or kombucha…)


Have a look around your world; notice how much is artificial. Begin to choose against the comfort and ease of the fake for the bracing trueness of the Real. You will love it!


How can our kids really understand the moral complexities of being alive if they are not allowed to engage in those complexities outdoors? - Richard Louv

Get Real

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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

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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

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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

Sense of Wonder

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Sense of Wonder

You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.
Nate Berkus

What inspires you ? Which places or situations Impart to your heart a sense of wonder ? I was asked this question recently at a sales training session in Atlanta . For me, the attached photo describes one of the things that stirs my soul . The sun peeking  it’s bright orb over the Atlantic Ocean, a cup of dark roast coffee in my hand, and hanging out with my best friend -These are the occasions when time literally stops for me. During those moments, I feel the steady infusion of energy and inspiration that floods every fiber of my being.

What revitalizes you ? A fishing pole or golf club in your hand ? A deep tissue or hot stone massage ? A hike in the wilderness or walk in a local park ? Maybe a glowing sunset or vibrant starry night ? Every person has different reset buttons, but we all need to experience wonder because it forces us outside of ourselves. It challenges us to reflect on beauty. Children come by this very naturally, but we can easily digress into a mindset like Peter Panning in the Movie “Hook” ,and forget how to imagine, how to crow , and how to fly ! We grow up and become all serious, and everything is staunch and starched; and laughter and simple wonder get pushed out of our lives and replaced by quotas, forecasts, and making money. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with Zig Ziglar, that money is somewhere in rank close to oxygen; but I don’t want to lose my soul in the process of pursuing financial gain; or forget to enjoy the journey along the way. Sometimes when I am working in the yard, and I see one of our heirloom roses blooming, I am compelled to stop what I am doing, walk over to the rose bush, and inhale deeply on this creation of beauty. I am never sorry that did.

While traveling back to Orlando from business trips, inevitably there are one or two or myriads of families with small children en route to Disney. You can feel and hear the excitement bubbling from the children like a summer monsoon. The poor parents are hard pressed to contain them and even harness them into their seat belts as the little ones overflow with their anticipation of visiting the Magic Kingdom. Don’t they realize there are bills to pay ? Can’t they see that someone had to fork out cash for the plane ticket , make the hotel reservations, book the car, and make plans on feeding them every time they are hungry ? Nope , and they don’t care either, because it is not their time for responsibility as much as it is to learn and experience LIFE. This is their season of wonder. Their time to imagine and dream. College debt will come soon enough !

I believe it is up to each of us to become intentional about keeping our sense of wonder in life. I am not advocating some Pollyanna - ish type of head-in-the-sand existence ; but neither do I want to subsist within an endless drudgery of business dealings without finding happiness along the way. I challenge you to stop, pause, and reflect on the things that bring you wonder, and as you do, you will become a  wonder-full person. Find the wonder and the joy in the journey.

Wisdom begins in wonder. - Socrates


There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder. - Ronald Reagan

Peaks and Valleys

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Peaks And Valleys

You Cannot Always Control External Events, But You Can Control Your Personal Peaks And Valleys By What You Believe And What You Do.

It Is Natural For Everyone Everywhere To Have Peaks And Valleys At Work And In life. 

― Spencer Johnson, “Peaks and Valleys: Making Good And Bad Times Work For You--At Work and in Life”

Who on earth doesn't experience ups and downs? We cannot separate the good from the bad, the bitter from the sweet, the banner months from the building months; because that is the law of the universe . Every rising market eventually experiences a correction. The other morning I was reminded of this fact while watching my lawn sprinklers watering my St. Augustine grass. I became acutely aware that my weeds were being watered along with the grass. Sometimes my weeds seem to grow better than the grass. I wish I could program my sprinkler system to only hydrate the good plants and omit the bad ones, but I cannot. Life doesn't work that way, does it ? I have to choose to deal with the weeds as they grow up and manifest themselves in my yard. The only thing I can change is my reaction.

Markets change, don’t they ? What is up today might be down tomorrow. An effective sales tactic or blockbuster product that filled the barn yesterday might not work today. Speaking of “ blockbuster”, just look at the change in personal entertainment -from videos and dvds to streaming. Who would’ve imagined wireless technology transforming the way we communicate over the last few years ? Video stores are on life support, while Netflix rules the airwaves.

So how does this all relate to sales and business ? There are peaks and valleys within our markets and our territories also. Spencer Johnson tells us in his story-telling manner, that all mountains and valleys are connected. How we accept and move through both of these positions determines how long we stay in each. In other words, we can deceive ourselves in thinking that we will always live on the peak, that our product or service will always sell like hot cakes, and that those key customers or clients will always love us and sing our praises. During the prosperous times, it is easy to get sloppy and over confident. We can even become prideful or arrogant about our high position, thinking that we are entitled to this level of success. Our standard of service and attentiveness to our clients can begin to slip. How fast we can fall from hero to zero !  I have experienced this in my own sales career, and it is extremely humbling to watch a third of your sales vaporize in an instant, due to external circumstances you have no control over. But what can we control?

We can take ownership of our reactions and responses. We are the master of our attitudes, mindset, and daily disciplines that are client-centered, and ensure our current and future success. Spencer exhorts us that while we are enjoying the success of the peak, it is wise to recognize and prepare for the valley that is eventually coming. By doing so, we can minimize the time that we will have to spend in that valley. You know it is coming, so why not prepare ?  Not everything about the valley is bad though, unless we allow ourselves to digress into a “ valley” mindset. In that valley, we are afforded a chance to pause for self reflection and honest lucid assessment of both our shortcomings and our strengths . When things were moving at a breakneck pace in the heat of the peak, it was easy to take those times for granted - easy to go out to dinner whenever we wanted or take that extended vacation out of the country. Lean times are educational sessions that teach us appreciation and thankfulness. Lean times also tap into our creativity and beckon us back to the most important things in life- relationships, our health, and peace of mind. 

Where are you today - in a peak or in a valley ? Both locations are part of the cycle of life and business . Jim Rohn so rightfully stated : “ Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” Wherever we go, there we are. We can choose to live in a state of happiness regardless of the landscape of life - whether on a peak or in a valley. The choice is ours. Peace be with you. 

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of. - Jim Rohn