Incurably Creative

E-Bullet #155 The power of Teamwork

lonestarjr — Wed, 30 May 2018 12:38:38 +0000

E-BULLET #155
THE POWER OF TEAM WORK
All of us have read books on team work and the power it generates. How the total is greater than the sum of its parts. A team is any group of people who are pursuing a common goal. It can three or four folks or as many as twenty or thirty. Larger groups should be broken into smaller segments so they can get to know their team members on a one to one basis.
Where ever you can, create a friendly competition between the teams especially if you want to boost your results. It also creates a reason to all pull in the same direction. Each Team should have a captain/leader/”bell-cow” that can challenge his or her Team and challenge the other captains if there are several teams. Working with a captain will help you eliminate the personality rivalry within a team that can arise. Each team member should have a specific job or part to play but everything goes through the captain. Recognition is pure fuel.
Keep the team energy level high. Look for good things that are going on within the team(s). Put out e-mails to the captains and copy all the team members by touting the team or team member’s successes. Recognize those who are thinking outside the box and coming up with clever ideas. Creativity should be championed as that’s the stuff that will create quantum leaps in your desired results. Recognition whether it’s a team or an individual accomplishment will rev up the team moral and burn off some of that fuel that’s just sitting there.
Here’s what I mean. This year the Kansas City Home Builders Assoc. teamed up with Harvester’s to help create meals for low income children during the summer months when school is out and good meals are scarce. They had three teams representing all corners of Greater KC. The goal was $21,000 (63000 meals) to be raised during the Spring Parade of Homes. Non-perishable food donations (one pound represented one dollar) and one dollar represented 3 meals. They also created a silent auction and an app that created a virtual real time auction at their Parade Awards night. This event would act as a booster just in case their goals weren’t being met. The captains took hold of the teams and the competition became intense. “Smack” was the rule of the day from the opening day kickoff luncheon to the finale luncheon 8 weeks later.
These three teams (11 on each team) out did themselves. The captains and their lieutenants kept the energy level off the charts. All of the members exceeded their goal of $7,000 per team. The actual totals were 195,480 ($65,160) meals generated. Harvester’s goal for all 639 agencies for the entire summer was 150,000 meals. It was a truly incredible performance by the three HBA teams. They caught the fever and never looked back.
There were folks not on the teams themselves that gave all they had including sponsors and HBA Staff. Team efforts become tangible results not just clichés and tag lines.
The really cool part was that there were relationships and friendships formed between team members during that challenge that will last for years. Those friendships can never be taken away from them. It’s really all about getting to know people on a different level other than just day to day encounters. The camaraderie that was gained was made even more special by the results each Team generated. What a hoot.
“Success has a thousand Fathers and failure is an orphan”
This event created a lot of Fathers.
All the best.

E-Bullet #153 All Is Not lost

lonestarjr — Mon, 07 May 2018 22:02:06 +0000

E-Bullet #153
All Is Not Lost
It’s hard some time to not get depressed about the next generation and their seemly lack of passion about their role in business. All we hear about is they want it all now without having to pay their dues. They want a new house with all the housing tricks their folks have or they’ll just stay in their folk’s basement and play video games. Higher education isn’t what it once was with respect to getting ahead in this world. As a matter of fact it has lost its glitter. People jobs are being replaced with virtual employees. Something like Maxx Headroom in the 80’s. Somewhere along the way kids were being told that if you didn’t go to college and get at least a Masters Degree you’d be sucking pond water the rest of your life. You know working in a dead end job with zero chanced to live the American Dream.
Well Ladies and Germs that’s not exactly what happened. While it’s true that millions of kids did as they were told and marched off to the ivy covered walls of higher education the real world continued to need craftsman of all different stripes and sizes. While no one was paying any attention a whole lot of folks that grew up on dirt floors stepped in and took dirty jobs and are now replacing the white middle class with middle class Asians, Hispanics and Eastern Europeans. Those jobs that the teachers said were beneath the privileged that would be looked down on are now averaging $60K to $80K a year with many of them making $100K +. Not a bad living if I say so myself. Do you have to show up on time and maybe have to stay late a time or two? You bet your Gluteus Maximus you will. But so what, we did too. These first timers to the U.S. are now starting their own businesses.
All is not lost…there are some out there who see the value in starting at the bottom and learning how to run a business. One young man (Greg Clancy no relation to Tom Clancy) I ran into last fall is doing just that. No he’s not starting from scratch but he is starting at the back end of the store. When I met him he was cutting some carpet that was going to be installed the next day. He‘s also the delivery and pickup guy and whatever else needs to be done around the store. The Store you ask? It’s flooring store in Warrensburg Mo and when this transition takes place in a few years it will be the third owner that I know about in the last 40 years. John Collins the current owner, is training his son-in-law to take over ownership when John decides it’s time to hand the till and rudder over to the next generation. I see the energy in Greg it will take to put in 50 to 60 hours a week to make this a successful transition. I see a willingness to do what it takes to learn the value of a dollar and realization that the Free Enterprise system has success “and” failure built into it. None of us knows what economic cards we’ll be dealt along the way but my sense is that Greg will have what it takes to keep all horses pulling in the same direction. None of it is rocket science really. The trick is to develop a strong customer base by doing the right thing. Treating folks the way you’d like to be treated on a daily basis. Learn how to ladle on the “Come Back Sauce”* at the end of the sale. Develop a win-win attitude with suppliers, customers and most of all your employees. Nothing’s terrible tricky about any of that.
I’m betting on Greg.
All the best
• From the book “Lunchmeat and Life Lessons” Sharing A Butcher’s Wisdom by Mary Bichelmeyer Lucas

E-Bullet #152 Reading is Mandatory

lonestarjr — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 22:17:46 +0000

E-BULLET #152
READING IS MANDITORY IF ONLY….
I hope this reaches some folks who don’t read much, if ever. Reading is the window to knowledge that will open so many ports for you it’s hard to explain. I’ll try by using myself as an example. Those close to me know this story but for those who don’t here goes. All of us have strengths and weaknesses. Those who were taught by the wrong people got a never ending stream of harping on your weaknesses. You know, trying to make you better at what you were terrible at. My weakness was reading. I couldn’t comprehend anything and to make matters worse I was a very slow reader. It was embarrassing especially if I had to get up and read to the class. I would stutter and mispronounce words. I just couldn’t read. Well fast forward all the way through school and into my 30’s. To that point I had read two books that I can remember, one in grade school and one in high school. That was it sports fans. I read what I had to in business to get by. You knew sales bulletins and a few pieces of literature on new products. It was pathetic what I didn’t know. I couldn’t carry any kind of conversation about history, politics, current events, science nothing, unless it was TV. At age 36 (for my birthday) my wife gave me a book called, “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney”. It was a compilation of Andy’s five minute snippets at the end of 60 Minutes. I knew Andy because I watched a number of his epistles and really enjoyed his take on things even though I thought he was off base on his politics, he was funny. Reading this was like listening to him sitting across the table just talking to me. I have been reading now continuously for the last 35 years. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have a book or two on the night stand. I’m still a slow reader with poor comprehension where I have to read a page twice to get the jest of what’s been written but I will get it and move on. What has 35 years reading gotten me? The ability to carry on a conversation on just about anything; religion, politics, science, business, government, sales, business coaching, mentoring and last but certainly not least American History. I have read every biography of every Founding Father even Aaron Burr, every major player north and south during the Civil War, every President up to Woodrow Wilson. Every major player involved in WWII including some of the European leaders. I’ve read a number of books (30 or so) on American history (including the Federalist Papers). Science is fascinating so I read several books by and on Stephan Hawking. I knew nothing about Economics so I read several books by the Economist Thomas Sowell.
What all this done has given me a vocabulary and background to stay up intellectually with almost anyone. I have ability to walk into any conversation and be able to contribute something meaningful and if not I’m able to understand what being discussed. I guess the real advantage is that I not at the mercy of someone spouting off something hoping that those listening won’t know they are they’re talking about. I never want to have to believe what someone is saying because I have no idea what’s being discussed.
The moral is that it doesn’t make any difference if you are a slow reader or what your reasons for not reading are, you can do wonders for yourself if you’ll just start reading.
Maybe the real reason for all the knowledge gained through reading is that I’m curious about a lot of things. Reading blows the fog away.
Stay curious my friends. It’s amazing what’s behind the cover of that next…or first book.
All the best.

E-Bullet #151 The passion to Succeed

lonestarjr — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 22:58:39 +0000

E-BULLET #151
The Passion To Succeed
I can’t tell you that I’m a student of passion but I do spend a lot time looking for it, especially in new ventures. Several weeks ago I was sitting in on an investors meeting (Winnvestors) looking for potential clients to partner with. My business is relationship development. I just happen to be in the flooring business. Flooring’s the tangible side of what I do.
The Principle presenter for this event was Jenny Hille, with Biz Boost Consulting and she had a panel of her Virtual Assistants with her to talk about the benefits of working with VA’s. We all know that enthusiasm is contagious and Jenny was on her game. What she has created is a business of connecting talented Virtual Assistant Contractors with businesses who need help. What intrigued me is that Biz Boost Consulting has no employees. All of the arms of her business are outside contractors that own their own businesses and specialize in a multitude of administrative support roles that can help just about any type of company. Some of those areas are: ie: I.T., marketing, advertising, sales training, blog writing, phone answering, calendar management and so on. She had four of her virtual specialists up with her answering questions that came from the audience. They were on their game too. Listening to her was inspiring in that she could mix humor with the serious side. Using humor in a business setting is an art. It keeps the audience on their toes and that’s exactly what she did. She was never at a loss to toss a question out where I was sitting when things got a little quiet.
Most of the people who attend this event are small business owners. They are landlords, real estate professionals, flippers and property wholesalers that don’t have the capitol or the desire to add a bunch of full time overhead to their budget. Biz Boost Consulting is perfect for folks like this. It is “pay as you go” whether it’s by the hour or the month. Her company is a buffet style in that you pick the areas that you feel need the most attention. She had a couple of her customers there that day that got up gave her the endorsement she was looking for. They were investors just like the rest of this group so it was their peers speaking about how they were helped. That’s just smart presenting.
So many people get up and have no vehicle to gather cards in a fun way. Jenny was giving away “A party in a bag”; two bottles of 8 year old Crown Royal, cups, soda, balloons, streamers and candy. All the attendees had to do was throw a card in the hat. I was hoping she would draw my name and I don’t even drink. She achieved the desired affect and was to get cards from everyone that had a card to give. Jenny said that if you’d like more information about how she could help out just put a star on the back of their card. That way she knew who had an interest in a further conversation. She and her VA’s made it fun and kept the presentation moving along. She had a mix of power point and personal examples. It’s always better to have personal examples when explaining a particular point. Audiences love to hear about personal experiences. It grounds the conversation to real life experience and in some cases the audience knows the person the presenter is talking about. That never hurts the cause.
Jenny knocked it out of the part that morning. If you can get my tail wagging you’re pretty good. I thought I would share that morning with you all. Wanna know more? Just Google Biz Boost Consulting in Kansas City and you’ll be able to read more about Jenny and her very cool virtual team of experts.
It’s not what you know or who you know but “WHO KNOWS YOU”!
All the best

E-Bullet- Bullet #150 The Power We Have I’m sure you’ve heard the term “Just act like you’re supposed to be here and no one will notice you”. There isn’t a single soul who will know everyone in the room regardless which room you walk into. It’s also unusual if you walk into a function that is related to your industry where you won’t know anyone. The saying, “It’s not what you know or who you know but who knows you” is probably the most accurate networking statement I’ve ever read. I wish I could remember who said it. If you can, attend your functions with a non-competing friend. Someone who pursues the same customer you do. Attending with a friend doubles the power you have in getting to know folks who are on your list of possible customers. Some events will be for the other person you’re with to get all the attention. It’s ok to sit at the same table for lunch of whatever you’re attending. The plan is to recommend your friend if you are introducing one another around the table. Hopefully your friend will do the same for you when it’s their turn to say something. Live recommendations are the best ones to get. Remember they are free. The power that comes from those few words about your friend are priceless as well. Most of us don’t know the power we possess when it comes to referring someone. You are putting your name on the line for your friend and they are doing the same for you. There are three types of referrals: A “C” referral is one where you have personally heard that your friend is the best at what they do. A “B” referral is one that you’ve seen their work or the results of their work and it’s as good as it gets. An “A” referral is where you have used your friend’s product or service and couldn’t be happier with their work. The most powerful referral you can get is that “A” referral. That’s the one that gets put on U-Tube, your Facebook page, LinkedIn and anywhere else you can think of. That is pure power and it’s contagious. Do all you can to gain referrals like that. Show excitement when they come your way. You should be without words in thanking your friend. There are a lot of companies that beg for referrals. Be careful about who your recommendations go to. You are putting your name on the line when you do. Those who hand them out like candy at Halloween are pushing the envelope containing their reputation. When things jump off the rails they’re the one that gets the call asking why they recommended the foul ball that didn’t show up when promised. It’s your reputation so guard it. Don’t squander your name, it’s the only one you have. Power is fleeting. The sense of power comes and goes. It’s like golf when you can’t hit a bad shot one day and the next you can’t hit a bull in the butt with a base fiddle. Power can be harnessed but it’s not anything that needs to be corralled. When you have it use it, if not it’ll fade away. Power presents an opportunity to make great strides in your work. You’ll know when it’s present. Your natural skills will project the power that’s inside you. It takes a little while to perfect you using your natural talents and the power that’s around you. You are unstoppable when they work together. All the best. et #150 The Power we Have

lonestarjr — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 22:56:40 +0000

E-Bullet #149 Strength in Numbers

lonestarjr — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 22:53:03 +0000

E-BULLET # 149
Strength in Numbers
Over the last year or so I have been involved with a number of investor groups. They are everywhere and growing. The folks that make up the core are those who got tired of watching their investments going nowhere and wanting a better return on their money. Most money managers don’t manage anything they just stick your money into whatever they make the best commissions on and prey that something positive happens.
But I digress. A lot of these folks go to one or more seminars designed to lift a few bucks out of their wallet/purse, but a few books on how to get high returns on your money and then get booted into the neighborhood just full of opportunities to make money. They teach you how to swim with all the right strokes and techniques but never throw you in the water to actually try out what you’ve learned. The investor groups mentioned earlier are like islands in the middle of the lake. There are lots of folks there who are terrified to make that first investment. The reality is that joining one of these groups was just about the smartest thing they could have done. Here they will find seasoned vets in the investment world who will be more than helpful with that first purchase. Some will even suggest that they pool their funds with one or two others to create a larger amount to buy a house or small apartment. I have watched several people over the last six months join coalitions and even LLC’s to spread the risk around. At least until they have the experience and courage to go out on their own. There’s always strength (and security) in numbers.
It’s the same with networking. 90% of the people who attend networking events haven’t a clue about mine the group for that one card that will make the difference in going home empty handed or with a real lead. There are several proven ways to work evens like this. The easiest way is to be one of the sponsors. Normally you have three to five minutes to get up in front of the group and tell your story about why you and or your company are unique. Another way is get your hands on the “who’s coming list” and figure out who your targets for the day will be. Part two of this method is look for those you know who will be there and get with them beforehand either on the phone or a cup of coffee to see if they know the folks on your list. If they know them they’ll usually have a contact number or two. That’s always a plus to have as a fallback. You may not get a chance to introduce yourself to that person/persons during the event so you can contact them afterwards saying you wanted to say hi as you have heard a lot of good things about that person(s). The other way is to meet up with your friend at the event and move around the room as a team. Remember there is strength in numbers regardless of the situation unless it’s your wedding night, then not so much. One person can be seen as a stalker. Two people can be a welcoming committee. Three people can be seen as flattering especially if you’re the person they want to chat with.
Most people fail to utilize this method of working a crowd. If this isn’t used you usually wind up hanging around one of your buddies and not meeting anyone worthwhile. That’s not only sad but a waste of company money. You’ll have to try this. It’s a hell of lot more fun going to an event with a plan about who you’re going to meet and a lot less stressful if you’re armed (with a friend) to help break the ice. I have five different groups (made up of non-co competing friends) that I meet with on a monthly basis. There are five because I’m involved with five different areas of business that I pursue.
It’s Ok to play the Lone Ranger but it’s more fun if you have Tonto with you.
All the best.

E-Bullet #148 Doing the Minimum

lonestarjr — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 22:49:00 +0000

E-BULLET #148
DOING THE MINIMUM
It never ceases to amaze me just how indifferent our society has become. Growing up it was mandatory that if you stepped in front of someone you always said “excuse me”. Today that’s not going to happen with anyone under 40 and there are millions of people in this country who are under 40. Folks who were born in the 60’s and later were raised with that “I’ll do what it takes to get by but that’s it”. Oh sure there are exceptions to that statement but not very often. The hunter gatherer has been bred out of our society and it’s been replaced with “I’ll sit right here and wait for whatever I need”. This is part of the frustration that exists with Baby Boomers and Millennial’s. Fifty-five or sixty years ago we knew it wasn’t being brought to us so we had to figure out how to go get it. I just finished a conversation with a friend who’s 48 and is going through that “who the hell can I talk to that understands my frustration about doing it the right way the first time”. My advice was to surround himself with people my age.
People today are unwilling to accept their responsibility for doing their part, for being the one who strives to produce that wow factor with customers and those they work with. Striving to be exceptional is dying with each generation. Exceptionalism is looked at as being arrogant today with most of the world calling that person out. Statistically folks are more courteous around the holidays when you’ll get the door held for you and a “how ya doing” passed your way. Every time I see a younger person holding the door for folks whom clearly aren’t part of their family, I want to go up and pat them on the back and thank them for being courteous. I usually go up and say something to their parents as well. I want them to know that what they are doing is noticed and appreciated. Kids who get into the habit of doing that will grow looking for ways to help those they don’t know. They will also learn that acting like that is contagious with the other person or persons. Life tells me that they will not learn those habits in school at any age. It will come from us. My friend Mary Bichelmeyer Lucas calls it “come back sauce”. It’s what her father John called it while building a business in the butcher shop. Simply put it’s giving whomever you’re dealing with a little more (service, attention, quality or meat) than they expect…every time. Come back sauce is what it is; that little extra that brings your customer back the next time and the time after that.
My father-in-law Gene Scott never got past the eighth grade but for over ten years was the number one producer of Phillips 66 Petroleum products in Okla. He did it with only two gas pumps and one wash bay. He did it with kindness and courteous attention to detail. He ran a service station not a gas station. Oh and he never posted a price on the street and was 15 cents per gallon higher than the two jerk waters in the Texico gas station cattycorner from him. Show me a service station like that today and I’ll show you a movie clip from the past. Your homework is to find those businesses that excel of their field. I don’t care what they do. What you’ll have is a collection of folks who strive to be the best they can be regardless of their ethnicity, skin color or education.
Remember: doing the minimum will get you the minimum.
More on this next time,
All the best.

E-Bullet #147 Thought Thieves

lonestarjr — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 17:10:13 +0000

E-BULLET #147
THOUGHT THIEVES
Have you ever realized how difficult it is to get your point across to someone who just can’t get enough of the sound of their own voice? Boy talk about frustrating. It’s even worse when it’s your supervisor. These people are also what are called the idea thieves in your life. The person that said “If you’re not concerned about who gets the credit you’ll be successful” have never had their ideas stolen from you. You have a couple of choices. You can just ignore what’s happening or you can figure out what’s important to you and go do it. That’s where I think a lot of people get trapped (in their own mind) and feel like there’s no way out. My father always used to say, “Son when you get to the end of rope, you just tie a knot and hang on.” For every one person out there who won’t give you the credit for your ideas there are five people who will. They will because they don’t have any reason to sit on you. They will because they see your talent for what it is and will promote you whenever the timing is right.
You are gifted with several options. The first is probably the most practical and that’s take your ideas to where they will be used. If your ideas are successful, you and the company you took them to will be rewarded. Don’t take them to your competition as there’s a good chance they will be used against you. Take them to non-competing friends who pursue the same customer. That’s the easiest way to see if your ideas have any traction. Most of the time your friends will tell you if the point you’re making has any merit.
The second is to publish your thoughts in a blog or on Face Book or LinkedIn or something that’s out there. Then you’re throwing your ideas against the wall and doing so you lose all authorship. It’s important to control your ideas and take credit where credit is due. It’s my opinion that you should create a blog site and write something every day or when you get a fresh idea. Before long you’ll have a plethora of material. I have 146 monthly blog posts that are on my business Face Book site. This blog, E-Bullet #147 will get published the end of this month.
Original ideas are so rare that when one comes along the person who comes up with it generally gets a Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts. It’s a lot easier to tweak an existing idea than to wait ad nauseam for that truly unique-one-of-a-kind idea to come floating by the idea window.
Some of us are gifted with the ability to tweak existing thoughts just about as fast as one can think. I believe they are almost savant like in their speed to generate adaptations off other ideas. Jonathon Winters and Robin Williams are two that come to mind when it comes to pure improve at a moment’s notice. I suppose the moral of this Epistle is don’t let someone “borrow” your creative talent. Maybe the other moral is don’t just sit on your talents. It will amaze you that how many people would love your ideas and will pay you for the privilege to use them.
Your knowledge is not power. The use of your knowledge is power.
All the best

E-Bullet #141 Share the Wealth

lonestarjr — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 16:10:02 +0000

E-BULLET #141
Share the Wealth
There is a natural reluctance to share what you know. It’s also nature to hold back on who you want to share it with. Sharing is a gift of faith. It’s one of those traits that when you share something with someone there’s no guarantee that you’ll get anything back. Some people feel that the more they know and the less you know, the better their chances are of gaining an edge. Consider sharing to be like a sphere. There are no edges or angles to sharing; it elevates everyone it’s shared with. That sphere expands when knowledge is pumped into it. It’s the classic, “rising tides raises all boats”. Unshared information is for the paranoid. Hoarding information greatly retards one’s ability to grow. The takers take and keep their notes and the givers share their information (notes) freely.
The saying “knowledge is power” was coined by someone who believes that it’s far more important to know more than the next person. For me knowledge isn’t power in and of itself, it’s the sharing of my knowledge that generates power. If you are identified as a source of knowledge/information by those you associate with you’ll never have to worry about finding folks to help you when you need it.
Some will say it’s the classic Catch 22, if I don’t have anything to give how can I share and if I can’t share it how does it come. Knowledge is collected two ways; reading and listening, listening being the more important of the two. Whatever your given field of endeavor I’ll bet there are thousands of articles written about what your do. Start by reading what’s out there. Get into bull sessions with your peers and just listen. It will amaze you what you can pick up. I’ve written this about this next part a hundred times. Start or join small groups of non-competing associates who pursue the same client but don’t sell the same product or service. If you’re not attending breakfast or luncheons meeting you’re missing a wonderful opportunity to get to know these non-competing associates. If you do get involved with a group or two be prepared to bring something to the table. You’ll be surprised that what you know can help someone in the group. It could be as simple as knowing who the decisions makers are in your company. There are people out there who see your company as a possible client and would love to have a key name and a phone number. See you’re already a source in good information and you didn’t even know it. In no time at all you’ll be asking for and giving information every day. It’s always a bonus when you know you have helped “moved someone’s mule” a little further down the road by providing a key piece of information for them.
Sharing the wealth always starts with your willingness to “give up your secrets”. This willingness to share will always be matched by someone else’s willingness to share what they know with you. It never fails. It may be a law of physics, I don’t actually know. All I know is that once you start sharing what you know it will come back to you tenfold.
Sharing is like planting a tomato seed. In the end you’ll receive to share what you’ve grown with other folks and that ain’t bad.
All the best

E-Bullet #142 Be A Story Teller

lonestarjr — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 16:08:37 +0000

E-Bullet #142
BE A STORY TELLER
Most of what we know about Abe Lincoln life from the history books. While painted by some as a back woods bumpkin who always looked like a “fresh dug grave”, Old Abe made his points through stories about people in real life. The press had a field day with the way he did almost everything, from mismanaging the war (their words not his) to his views on slavery and the union. Abe grew up in an era when women were supposed to be taking care of the home and the kids while the men folk took care of making sure there was food on the table and fighting wars. He knew that he could make his point(s) through stories. He could have fun at others expense by speaking in the third person. Some of his stories were spicy but those were the times he lived in. They would be tame by today’s standards.
He wasn’t the first truly famous person to be known as a story teller. Over 2,000 years ago they were called parables and none other than the Fisher of Men himself made his points through stories. He was without a doubt the greatest salesman of all times. Don’t think so, well people are still “pitching” his ideas in every corner of the earth today. His ideas never seem to get stale. He sold his ideas to anyone who would listen and it’s the same today. His ideas were/are problem solvers. After all that’s what every salesperson try’s to do today, solve problems. It’s what Steve Jobs did every time he rolled out a new “problem solver”.
Abe didn’t have power point, or flow charts or mountains of statistics; he saw problems and solved them. Show me a successful entrepreneur who beat the odds and I’ll show you a terrific story teller. The great story tellers don’t sell products they sell ideas about how their products will solve problems. Sometimes it’s a s simple as “using my products will double your profits in the first year”. Problem, “you’re not making any money, solution; use my products and watch your profits hit levels you’ve only dreamed about”.
Telling stories are designed to sell not just “to someone” but “through someone”. If selling what you have ends when you write the order then you’re in for a bunch of one shot deals. Your stories shouldn’t concentrate on your client buying what you have, it should be all about what happens to your client’s bottom line when they sell your stuff to their customers. Or use your stuff to manufacturer their stuff quicker and or more efficiently there by creating a better bottom line.
Good ahead and create the best power point presentation man has ever seen but if you’re not telling stories about why you’re in front of these folks, at some point you’ll be Indian Wrestling over price. Not good at telling stories, nonsense, how about the last time you called in sick. That hoarse voice you used to convince someone, anyone you were on death’s door. Or how cool and proud your sig other would feel when the two of you went to dinner and you were wearing that fabulous new dress that you could save 50% on right now while supplies last. Hmmm? You’re a better story teller than you think.
Power Points are OK but they’re only there to re-enforce your ideas about solving your client’s issue(s). Power Points are a rubber crutch that will let you down if that’s all you have.
All the best