Are You Staying Curious?

adapted from my "Sales and Marketing Minute" column for the quarterly TIVA newsletter.

Somehow there exists the stereotypical notion that gregarious, extroverted people make for the best salespeople.

Mind you, there is nothing wrong with being gregarious or extroverted, but I would argue that success as a salesperson is determined more by another trait, that of being curious.

I am talking about a mindset where one is excited to learn new things, which includes a genuine (appropriate of course) interest about other people.

In our interactions with others, we can usually sense whether someone is pretending to be interested in what we do or not.  It’s hard to fake it.  We might call such people self-centered, pompous, egotistical, insincere or elitist . . . not good adjectives for a salesperson.

Conversely, when someone shows genuine interest in what we do, we can pick up on that as well.  And we tend to think positively about such people.  We might say there are friendly, unassuming, understanding or appreciative.

We also might say that person is a good listener. 

Bingo.  I think that’s one of the best compliments anyone can receive.  You can’t be genuinely curious without also being a good listener.

It’s relatively easy to show interest within our inner circle of family, friends and co-workers, but successful marketers and salespersons need to have that same level of genuine interest when meeting people they have never met before.

One of my marketing & sales “gurus,” Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing, (www.actionplan.com) has a phrase he uses when talking about sales attitude.  His mantra is, “It’s not about me, it’s about you.”

And I add to that, “Everyone, yes, everyone has an interesting story to tell.”

(And let’s be honest here. This isn’t really something new.  The essence of what Robert and I are talking about was first made popular by Dale Carnegie in his 1936 book, “How to Win Friends & Influence People.”  We’ve both just added our own modern-day experiences to that formula.)

Here’s a practical example of how I apply my “stay curious” philosophy:

Do you like to attend networking events?  When I ask this at seminars or panels, there usually are not a lot of hands that get raised.  Most people don’t like networking events because 1) they fear having to interact with a whole bunch of strangers and 2) they dread that they’ll have to “perform” and recite their elevator speech with false excitement, ad nauseum.

I approach networking events totally differently.

Instead of thinking of it as being like a dreaded fraternity or sorority rush party where one is judged, I consider such events more like going to the library and having to choose between a whole table full of new interesting titles to read.

And with that attitude, what does being gregarious or outgoing have to do with choosing an exciting book?

In fact, I posit that introverted folks may actually do better at networking events, because they might be best suited to let others do most of the talking.  The important thing is to be genuinely curious while listening. 

Don’t worry, the opportunity will arise soon enough where you can talk about what you do.  And by that time in the conversation, you can probably talk about yourself in a more relaxed manner than having to spout out a canned elevator speech.  The end result is that when you hand out your card while ending the conversation, people will likely ascribe to you the positive, not negative, adjectives I mentioned above. The result will be one more positive addition to your growing network.

Feel free to comment below or write me at dryan@chesa.com.

When the Sun Got Stuck: A Fable for Leaders and Their Teams

My good friend Richard Russey has just released a 28-page book that can serve as an excellent starting point for any group discussion about leadership styles.

The title of the book is, "When the Sun Got Stuck - A Fable for Leaders and Their Teams," and I highly recommend you check it out.

It's available on Amazon (both Kindle and print - the Kindle version is $6.99 and allows you to preview the book).

I had the pleasure of working with Richard for a period of over six years when he was a client of mine starting back around 2000.

He was the leader of a team managing a wide range of services for the Head Start Bureau, and I was the point person for a company that supported Richard's efforts by producing informational videos and live training videoconferences.

We all have a tendency to categorize clients in some fashion. A popular taxonomy is labeling a client "A", "B", or "C."

Throughout our professional relationship, I considered Richard an "A" client because:

• He knew what he wanted,
• But he was always open to suggestions.
• Yet when the time came, he wasn't afraid to make decisions.
• And finally, while watchful of budget, he knew the difference between the lowest price and the best value.

And I assure you, while it may not be as tough as combat, live television to thousands of downlinks around the country, transmitting concurrently in both English and Spanish, has a way of testing leadership skills. Throughout it all, Richard was a true gentleman and professional, and he earned my utmost respect.

By coincidence, I have been reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, and while there is a tendency to idolize the latter's accomplishments, I can't help thinking that the life-changing effects he brought about didn't have to leave so much antipathy and "carnage." In other words, you don't have to be a jerk to be a successful leader.

Again, Richard's book is not a lengthy tome dissecting leadership. There are plenty of college textbooks, military training manuals and best-selling self-help books that do that. Richard's fable instead might best be seen as good required reading before a half-day seminar or retreat - or before he speaks at your next event. (Yes, Richard is a veteran speaker about leadership styles to a wide range of groups).

Readers will see that Richard kindly acknowledges my influence on his writing, along with others, at the beginning of his book by thanking me "for wisely suggesting I write a blog as a means of helping to productively fill the hours, days, and months during a time of painful unemployment." Again, a sign of a good leader - to my second point above, one who is always open to suggestions. Good leaders are not afraid to take stock and reinvent themselves, and this book by Richard is a testament to his ability to do that.

 

Is Your Elevator Speech "About Me"?

from my Sales & Marketing Minute column for the TIVA newsletter 

We all know what an elevator speech is, right?

It's based on the premise that you have a brief time (the length of an elevator ride) to tell someone about yourself and what you do, in an impactful way.

But if you have been following my marketing musings over the years, you know that seems to fly right into the face of my main credo, "It's not about me, it's about you."

So, am I against elevator speeches? 

Certainly not, because there is a way to make an elevator speech (and in fact, one that's more effective) that follows my guiding tenet.

Compare the two following answers to the question, "So, I hear you are from Washington, DC. What do you do?"

A: "I am a video producer with over 20 years experience creating award-winning high-end programs for broadcast, corporate, government and association clients."

B: "We work with a diverse range of clients, and we help get them unstuck when they are frustrated in trying to get complex messages out to the public. We specialize in doing that through video, with results ranging from a 50% to 100% increase in website traffic."

Which one do you think will elicit the question, "Hmm, that sounds interesting, tell me more?" At first read, there seems nothing wrong with "A", right? Might actually sound likes what's on your resume. But alas, look at it again . . . It's a dud. It's screams, "about ME!"

"B" is much better because: 1) it deflects the attention from "me" (Oh, and notice I used the royal "we" to emphasize that further) 2) it clearly states a problem that is solved, and 3) it states results. Who wouldn't be interested in hearing more about increasing traffic to their website by 50% - 100%?

Still a bit unclear? Ok, Here's another approach I have found to be successful in helping folks develop an effective elevator speech:

Get yourself into an almost meditative state, and concentrate on the following terms: "pain relief" and "disaster avoidance." Keep asking yourself, "What do I do that addresses either one or both of those two phrases for my clients?"

(Hint: Think of home cleaning services. Their "pain relief" is obvious. 24-hour plumbers? Again, "pain relief." People who sell business security systems? "Disaster avoidance." Tax preparers? Both "pain relief" and "disaster avoidance" providers. OK, you get the picture.)

Now, while your services in the media field may not be as "critical" as a plumber's during a sewage back-up, you still want to find a way to phrase your elevator speech in those terms. Again, what "pain relief" or "disaster avoidance" services do you provide?

In conclusion, sure, creating an effective elevator speech is not easy. We are most comfortable talking about ourselves, and so it's counter-intuitive not to do so when asked, "What do you do?" But I assure you, if you keep honing a message that:

* takes the emphasis away from "me" and concentrates on the type of client you work with

* clarifies what pain you relieve and/or disaster you prevent

* and states measurable results you can deliver

you will start to view the elevator speech, and marketing in general, in a whole new light.