Lessons from my Rock Star Advisor

Making your dreams come true is a very difficult undertaking. In fact it can feel darn near impossible at times.

Achieving the success we’ve always dreamed about seems to look easy when we look at all the successful business people, actors, athletes, and entrepreneurs we know of. However, last time I checked, there wasn’t a “How to ACTUALLY become successful in business” course in college or an MBA program. There isn’t a cultural rule to follow, no civic understanding, and my generation seems to be stuck between entitlement and laziness. How do those of us who have a desire for success in life, a dream to change our corner of the world, a passion for greatness, and a belief in serving others for success actually get on the road to thriving rather and clawing everyday just to survive?

The struggle I have is this; as I build content to sell and deliver I grow a bank of sellable goods and tangible things to be sold.  Maybe yours are clothing, technology, ideas, beauty products, books, music, or maybe even films. Once I have the building done I seem to move quickly into the selling phase. From the selling comes the delivery of the product which, when done right, usually leads to more sales which tends to take away from the building phase. This is great except when we run out of sales and delivery and go back to building, the momentum gained seems to be lost and we can struggle to regain that bounce we had just a few short months ago.

In discussions with my closest advisor yesterday I uncovered 3 main areas where we, as Chet Holmes would call us, One Person Army’s, can focus to regain the momentum we lose and my advisor and I uncovered a way to actually guide ourselves to the success we so clearly see. Let’s be clear this is not an exhaustive guide rather a beginning to the process. A place to start. The launch co-ordinates for stratospherical success as my friend Bob Burg would call it.

Vision, Strategy, Tactical Implementation: There are 3 different ways to look at where we are going as sales people, business people, and entrepreneurs. All three are important and have varying roles in achieving success. Vision of the end result sets in motion all other facets of the plan. What is the vision of the end result? Do you want to change the world of fashion? Develop the newest medical technology? Create a new way of communicating, or start the longest running talk show ever? Whatever the dream is think it, ink it, and write it down. Next we want to strategize as to the long term plan which will get us there. This strategy is flexible but often will not change with time. Thirdly we establish the tactical implementation of the the strategy. These are timed, short term actions taken to complete the strategy which will create the vision.

Develop a rock star schedule: Our time is the only thing which cannot be adjusted. I have heard people say “successful people buy time” or “you have to make time”. These people also say it’s not about the money when they show you the wad of $100 bills in their pocket. Look - there are 168 hours in a week and typically we spend 56 sleeping and 60 doing other things. What we do with the 52 we devote to our businesses are vital. Here’s what I have learned to do thanks to my most trusted advisor; block out a building day, a selling day, and 2 delivery days a week. This leaves an entire day for other things that pop up or to focus on the area of your business which needs the most attention this week. Maybe you need to build more? Maybe sell more? Maybe travel? Whatever it is it fits when we schedule ourselves like professionals. Try it - it’s powerful. 

Take action now: When I get into a phase where I feel that loss of momentum OR have so much going on my head is spinning I begin to stop acting and start reacting to things. This is dangerous. Taking control and being proactive allows me to constantly remain on top of things, keep my momentum, and sharpen the edge I ride on. This allows me to do all I need to do for success and then some. Take action. You’ll love it.

Success achievement is not taught in school. It’s not handed out in “Success for Dummies” books, and you can’t find it on the internet. Success comes with a vision, strategy, and tactical plan. It comes with proper timing and rock star scheduling. Success is achieved through tremendous levels of action. But most importantly it comes from an extraordinary belief in your idea and a burning passion to see it come to life. That and the faith to know it will. 

Fuel for the Fire

It isn’t a matter of if we will suffer loss, but when.

Loss is a fact of life. We all lose something. Whether we lose a business, friendship, lover, career, spouse, parent, child, or fortune we all lose at some point. Sometimes in the deepest, scariest, darkest places of loss we feel as though we cannot go on. We think we cannot live without that something or someone we feel was so vital to us. Maybe we feel that something or someone defined our existence, our joy, our reason for being. The pain and anguish of loss can be and is devastating. I mean really, there aren’t 7 stages of grief (shock, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance) for no reason, right? It’s a real thing and far too often I meet people who move from their loss to denial and begin internalizing the balance until they are unable to envision success let alone function at a high level.

My hope is to be part of the solution.

Whenever I suffer a loss at a level that shakes me to my core, spoken or unspoken, I mourn the loss for what it was. If I begin with the end in mind and accept the loss as a loss I am more quickly able to move to my next step - reflection. I take some time and reflect on what was lost and envision it as my most beloved childhood tree - fallen and laying shattered on the ground. I see it as the tree I had in my backyard growing up where I loved spending endless hours laughing, playing, and dreaming. I remember all of the great things about what I lost and why it is so significant and why I feel the vacancy of its presence which allows me to move to action. All of the positive energy generated from those memories and all of the warmth and comfort created through visualizing that beloved tree are then used as fuel to burn my fire for where I am going and what I am doing.  Hotter and brighter than ever before. That loss is now the fuel for my next step. For me, I am drawn to the heat and power of a fire and I want mine, the one I exude, to be as strong and as bright as a Phoenix rising. When I use my losses as fuel for my next step, having mourned and accepted them, I become unstoppable.

There is no greater remedy for the depths of loss than the heights of success.  

The ingredients of WOW

Most people don’t buy based on price unless we force them to.

The supreme buyer and the average buyer will absolutely buy on price when forced to and the timid buyer will probably just not buy.  However it doesn’t have to be this way.  When we engage excellence in the sale, inspire our buyers, move them to action, and set the expectation of result we create the environment for a great sales experience.  When we use the 3 phases of the WOW Sales Cycle to build the bond with the buyer, regardless if they’re a supreme, average, or timid buyer we magnify by infinite amounts the likelihood the buyer finds what they are looking for with us.

When I begin the sales process with what I believe or the inspiration as to why I am doing what I am doing I find the buyer begins to believe as well.  They often align with me and why I am in business.  It builds a bond which is strong and deep.  This creates a mutual “like” between us and that like goes miles to building the kind of relationship with the buyer which builds advocacy for me and my brand.  It will do the same for you.  We must get our buyers to like us in order to move them to action beyond simply best price.

Once the buyer likes us the next move is to share with them how we will solve their problem.  Whatever the problem is, the bigger the better, they must believe that we are the ones to help them solve it.  The bigger the problem the bigger the solution the bigger the payoff for both the buyer and for us.  If we have the buyer connect with us through the inspiration we provide it becomes natural for the buyer to believe in us and our ability to take action to provide a solution to their situation.  Once they believe us it becomes exponentially easier for them to place their trust in us for results.

The WOW Sales Cycle ends where the conventional sales process begins.  With the result.  When we have a buyer like us it allows them more comfort to believe in us.  Once they believe we will provide the right solution for them they will more willingly place their trust in the result we say we will provide.  We set the expectation of outcome (result) and then over deliver on the result thus exceeding expectations.  We all talk about exceeding expectations and then complain the buyer is never satisfied.  Yet we fail to set the expectation through the expert execution of the sales process and then wonder why our buyers feel let down or less than thrilled.  This could also be why they so often revert back to the one expectation they can always control - price.  When they trust we will over deliver on our promises of results because they believe us and like us we set the table for an on going advocacy level relationship with the buyer which provides us with rock solid stability and massive sales growth in a shaky and contracting economy.  Master this now and imagine how much further ahead we will be when things come back.

The WOW Sales Cycle is about inspiration, action, and results.  The successful execution of WOW is the differentiator in the new economy.  When buyers like us, believe us, and trust us they buy more willingly and more often.  It’s not about price.      

What's the difference?

Recently I was asked by a friend and colleague “what’s the difference between you and all the other ‘trainers’ I have wasted my money on in the past?”  I thought the question, while directed rather harshly, was a great question.  Frankly speaking it is not a question I haven’t heard before.  The training industry is filled with well intentioned men and woman who are trying to help and add to their clients repertoire.  Men and women who desire to see the business world a better place.  The issue is the business world has changed.  The marketplace is not looking for the same thing they have heard before.  They are looking for something different.  They are not looking for what worked 5 years ago they are looking for what works now.  They are looking for inspiration.

Our buyers are looking for inspiration as well.  Buyers rarely buy features.  They rarely buy what something does.  If buyers are forced to buy on feature alone they look for the cheapest way to obtain the feature and without the proper training we chase after their price concessions in the hopes of the deal rather than the lasting loyal relationship.  Buyers often don’t buy benefits alone either.  How many of us have the greatest product in the world with the greatest benefits ever and buyers still only concern themselves with price?  

Here’s the thing - in the new economy buyers don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it.  They buy inspiration.

Science proves what we know to be true through our own experiences.  The part of our brain which is responsible for reason and logic also controls speech.  A sales process focused solely on feature and price completely misses the point and costs us deals and dollars.  If we only engage the neocortex we miss the entire limbic brain which controls decision making and emotion and has no capacity for language.  We call it our gut.  It has nothing to do with our stomachs.  We have all paid more for something because of a great experience, a loyal relationship, and gone out of our way - even inconvenienced ourselves to buy a certain thing at a certain place.  WHY?  Because is just felt right.  We were inspired.  As buyers we will happily pay more for inspiration or at the very least we will no longer be focused on the price because the price no longer matters.  We align ourselves with the product or service deep in places in our brains for which there is no language and therefore rationalize or justify the purchase with the parts of our brain which can.

In this new economy I choose to start with inspiration rather than the result I will create.  I start with why I believe what I do about excellence and why excellence is the differentiator in the marketplace rather than what you should do to do to sell an item.  What’s the difference?  Inspiration.

Strike THAT off the list!

I don’t believe in the power of hoping.  I believe in the power of doing.  Don’t get me wrong I believe in hope.  However I believe in hope as an inspiration (I have hope for...) rather than a wish (let’s hope this happens).  What I do believe in is the power of goal setting and the focus setting goals embeds in our subconscious.

Every morning I write down my goals.  The key word is write.  I write them down.  There is a power which comes from the commitment of writing something down.  It is a marker.  It becomes furnished proof of where you were, where you are going, and how far you have come.  There are also 3 very specific ways I write my goals.

1. Present tense as though the goal has already been accomplished. Example: “I am in the best physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual heath I have ever been in.”  The reality is this goal of mine is yet to be accomplished however I write it as though I have already accomplished it and embed the goal in my mind in a way my conscious brain will not allow me to fail.
2. When I set my goals, I set them just outside of what conventional wisdom would deem possible in order for the goal or target to receive my full commitment and dedication.  What good is a wimpy little baby goal or a goal for which no effort is required?  In order for me to be in the best condition holistically in my life it will take more than my garden variety “eating well” to accomplish the target.  It will take a full on lifestyle change to accomplish this goal.  I can get behind something THAT big.
3. Align all massive, out of reach goals to the higher purposes of your life.  There will always be self serving reasons to make millions or have massive success.  The power of strong goal setting is in the good which can be done for others and for society as a whole when we achieve our massive dreams.  Make it just about you and  it becomes more difficult to achieve.  Make it about the benefit of others and you will see a supercharged goal achievement pace.

An amazing thing happens when we commit to writing down our goals daily and when write them down in a present tense accomplished fashion - they become reality.  Often we get so internally and subconsciously committed to the accomplishment of our goals (our brains will not allow us to fail at something we have already accomplished) we don’t even realize we have already accomplished what we have set out to do.  There have been 3 times in the past 3 months this phenomena has occurred in my life.  It wasn’t until  I reviewed my goals I realized I had already accomplished 3 items on my daily goal log.  The complete joy of crossing them off and adding bigger goals had the power of gasoline on a fire.  Amazing the power achievement has.

When I desire something in my life I write it down and keep at it until I achieve my goal.  The power of goal setting is real and clear to me and there is nothing I cannot accomplish.  I get to strike that of my list too.  Learning how to accomplish goals was once a goal of mine.

What's it Worth to You?

For most of my life I hated the word potential.

The word potential was used in reference to me in a negative way as I saw it.  It was always about how much potential I had and how much I wasn’t living up to it.  That pissed me off.  For more than 30 years of my life not living up to my potential was the feedback I would receive and it bothered me to no end.  Not enough to do anything about it but it bothered me all the same.

Growing up I was one of these people who never had to do much to succeed.  There were two reasons for that.  The first was I had natural ability.  We all know these types of people and they do well at what they do.  The second was in support of the first - if I wasn’t going to do well at it I didn’t do it.  So there I was going through life succeeding at the things I did with little or no effort expelled.  A funny thing began to happen as my career took off.  I was faced with the question, “what’s it worth to you?”  What was it worth to me to finally work my tail off in the pursuit of success, joy, and happiness?  What was it worth to me to finally give it everything I had?  What was it worth to me to stop being upset about how people suggested I didn’t live up to my potential and actually see what happened when I did?  It was the scariest thing I had ever faced for this reason.  For me to truly engage my full potential I had to risk the fact that there wasn’t the potential everyone saw and I didn’t have the reserves of greatness I thought I had.  I had to risk failing.  And I was petrified.

In order to achieve the success and life I wanted I had to engage everything I had.  It wasn’t easy to begin with and it still isn’t now.  When I first began this excellence movement I fell flat on my face.  I learned I must not measure success, or my perceived lack thereof, by the number of failures I experienced but the rather by the number of powerful lessons I learned and applied as a result of those stumbles.  We all have an enormous wealth of potential however how many of us go through life not engaging the full beauty of that potential or worse yet quit when the effort it takes to realize our potential becomes a little overwhelming?  Our ability to live to our fullest potential increases our joy, our happiness, and empowers us to greatness.     

Living up to my potential is my opus.  A body of work which will take a lifetime to write.  It is constantly something I am working to surpass.  To live beyond my potential.  The funny thing I have discovered is the harder I push my potential the larger it gets.  It seems to be like a muscle or grey matter.  Overcoming the fear of engaging my potential and seeing the power which comes as a result has allowed me to see what could be possible and achieve things which were unachievable without effort and commitment.  I now know the answer to the question, “what’s it worth to you?”  Everything. 

Motivation or Manipulation?

People cannot be motivated.

There is a case to be made for the powerful use of manipulation, both short and long term however it is my belief people cannot be externally motivated.  We use the word “motivation” in all kinds of ways which I find miss the mark.  It is not possible to motivate someone who does not already have the desire to do something.  We may be able to manipulate a result from them - we’re all familiar with the carrot and stick method of manipulation.  This method is used so often we mistake it for motivation.  Manipulation is highly effective - no doubt.  However it’s not motivation.  To me motivation is an inside job.  It is the bi-product of a deep rooted internal need or desire which as a result furnishes proof that one cannot be motivated by outside influence alone.  If this were true children would listen to their parents, students to their teachers, and salespeople would all be driven to deliver high levels of service and excellence at all times.  Motivation in an inside job.

People can and must be inspired.

Inspiration is my job.  It’s your job.  It’s our job.  Collectively as a marketplace we must see inspiration as the means to moving our staff and clients to action.  Inspiration provides the long term sustainability the carrot and stick manipulations cannot.  When we seek to inspire those around us to action we don’t have to discount, we don’t have to buy CSI scores, and we don’t have to come up with the next flashy gimmick.  Inspiration allows buyers to buy with the head, heart, and emotion.  A rather profitable proposal if you ask me.  More importantly when inspired our staff becomes aligned, committed, and dedicated to go the extra mile because they feel part of something bigger.  You only need to look at Facebook or Twitter to see how badly we simply want to belong.

People come to you motivated.  Whatever internal driver brought them to you was motivation enough regardless of if they are clients or staff.  The long term viability of our operations and the success or failure of our current and future markets will be based on one decision - manipulation or inspiration?

Ask Lehman Brothers if manipulation is a strong long term strategy.