I received this little bag of goodness from one of my customers who knows what I am passionate about. Do you know what YOUR customers are passionate about? When is the last time you surpised THEM with a token of appreciation?
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What's Your Why? 07/25/2011
 
People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.  The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have; the goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe. A company like Apple and even people like the Wright Brothers and Martin Luther King are great examples of this. Check out this great video that challenges you to ask yourself “What’s your why?”

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From a distance Doctors and Salespeople may look like they are at opposite ends of the career spectrum but up close they are more closely related than you may think.  Their customer base may be different but if they are doing their respective jobs right, they are delivering the same thing, solutions.  If you’ve ever had a bad experience with a salesperson or a Doctor, it quickly becomes apparent they have an specific agenda or are trying to push a product on you regardless of whether it’s what you really need.  For example the salesperson will give you all the features and benefits (bells & whistles) of his or her product and the Doctor will tell you all about the medicine that will take whatever ails you away.  However, what’s missing here are not the what, but the why and the how. Why will the product, procedure, or medicine work? How will this product, procedure, or medicine impact my life? Will it save me time or money or make me feel better again?

I was sitting in my 11 year old daughters Pediatrician’s office yesterday listening to him talk to my wife and daughter when I suddenly realized that he is a great Salesman. He was referred to us by many people so we knew he was a great Doctor but didn’t quite realize yet what made him different from the rest.  He has a very good bedside manner but it is much more than that.  As I was watching him interact with us I thought of the following traits that a good Doctor and a good Salesperson share:

1.       He takes his time with his patients. He doesn’t rush to get to the treatment (or the sale) 
           quickly. (this is the 2nd straight time he has spent an hour with my daughter during her
           appointment)

2.       He asks thought provoking, penetrating questions to uncover more information to be able to
           diagnose what the proper solution is.  

3.       He gets the parents involved in the appointment so that it is not just him talking. He helps
           makes the customers(sales) take ownership of the solution

4.       He is passionate about his calling and it shows in his work. It is more than just a job to him.

5.       He enjoys his patients (customers) and genuinely cares about them and their well being.

A Salesperson would do well to take a page out of a good Doctors book by remembering to focus on the Solution rather than the features and benefits of their product.  By focusing on how your solution will impact your customers business, you will not only stand out against your competitors but even more importantly will gain the customer’s trust which eventually will lead to the Holy Grail of Sales; A customer referral.

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If you are like most people today you don’t have many gaps in your daily, weekly or monthly calendar. The challenge so many people struggle with today is how to stuff more activities and projects into our already overflowing lives?  There is however one crucial problem with many people’s calendars and it has nothing to do with what specific calendar system you use or whether your calendar is automated or not.  Nor is the problem the fact that you are scheduling meetings or appointments at the wrong time of day or with the wrong person or department.  The missing ingredient here is the fact that so few people schedule regular time on their calendars for themselves.  Time for what you may ask?  An appointment for yourself where you can think, brainstorm, strategize, set goals or do something that motivates you or brings you happiness.   The common excuse is I am just too busy for one more appointment.  Unfortunately, we can get so wrapped up in “busyness” in the form of tasks that we can quickly forget where we trying to get to, in the first place.

Appointments and meetings come in all sorts and sizes. We have both internal and external meetings.  Internal meeting consist of those with our own department, other departments and co-workers.  External meetings can be with customers, vendor, suppliers, etc.  We often are quick to accept appointments or block out time for others without giving ourselves the same respect.   True, there are some and maybe many meetings that we have no choice but to accept and attend. However, sometimes we can mistakenly view busyness as progress or even success.  Busyness can be good when we are focused on the right things or have a clear path for what we are trying to achieve. It however, can also keep us perpetually sidetracked and focused on the wrong things. 

Here are three types of appointments that are most likely missing from your calendar. My challenge to you today is this:  Take one or more of these and schedule some time on your calendar. You might be surprised at the result!

1.  Appointment to spend some time thinking- Spend some time focused on your goals for both your business and personal life. What do you want to accomplish or where do you want to be in “x” amount of time? This can be difficult at first because you may think you are wasting your time or not be productive. Stick with it….Don’t give up.

2.  Appointment for spend some time with family and friends- This may seem like too obvious a statement but if you don’t carve out time for those closest to you, you will inevitably look back and wish you had more time to spend with those you love. Besides, what is the point of being successful if you don’t have someone to share it with?

3.  Appointment for yourself-  Is there something you have always wanted to do, but were afraid to try?  What are you waiting for?

As Morgan Freeman so pointedly stated in the movie The Shawshank Redemption:  “Get busy living or get busy dying.”

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I am constantly amazed how often I hear the phrase "I don't have time to read, write, blog, etc" yet the average adult watches close to 3 hours of television every day. What are you doing every day to be more successful in your career?  Author and Salesman Jeffrey Gitomer gives us a peek behind the curtain as to what has made him so succesful.  It could be the most important six minutes of your day today!
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If someone were to ask you what you’re passionate about, would your answer include your job or career? My guess is that for many, the answer would be an emphatic no! Is it even possible then to find passion in a job that is not necessarily your dream job?  The topic of passion or lack thereof in the workplace came to me on Saturday night as I was sitting amongst thousands of fans in an Amphitheatre, enjoying my own passion in life.  For me, it comes in the form of the rock band Rush.  There is so much joy in being surrounded by a group of people who share the same passion. I wondered what the impact would be if this same type of passion was shared in most workplaces. Passions can be hard to describe to others who don’t share the same passion.  They often seem to center around things we get to do or enjoy rather than things we have to do. This may be one reason why passion seems to be missing in the workplace. Whether you are in your chosen field or not cannot be the one determining factor. Sure, some jobs are more enjoyable than others but the question that remains is whether there is something in the workplace, preventing you from having this missing ingredient?

It is not hard to tell who possesses this ingredient in your job. It is clearly evident in their actions and how they interact with their co-workers and customers. They don’t have to tell us about their passion because their actions tell the whole story. They are not concerned with title, status or power. Instead, they find joy in the little things that most people miss. Having someone who is passionate about what he or she does is the best marketing strategy that a company can have.  Unfortunately, the opposite of this is also true. As a consumer, we can all think about a time that we have interacted with someone or a group of people whose passion was clearly not in their job.  However, it may not always be so easy to spot. I have a close friend who feels stuck in his current profession. He is very good at what he does but feels that his work is so often just shuffling papers around and filling his time with activities that will be deemed meaningless in the future. He has mentioned many times that he finds no passion in what he does. One could ask why not quit and find a job in an industry that you are passionate about? In many cases it is easier said than done, especially if one has responsibilities and a family to provide for.  What then can one do to find passion in their current job?

Here are some ideas that may help you find this missing ingredient:

1.       Volunteer- Volunteering at something you enjoy can provide you with an alternative source of passion, which you may not find in your current job.
2.       Choose To Be Happy- Sounds simple but simplicity is often difficult to put into action.
3.       Do Something You Love Every Single Day- If you can find something you enjoy doing every day, your job won’t seem so bad after all.
4.       Take Charge of Your Own Professional and Personal Development- Don’t wait for your employer to provide this.
5.       Ask For Feedback- Don’t wait to hear from your boss or your co-workers. If you are not getting the feedback you need, why not ask for it?
6.       Avoid Negativity- This includes negative conversations, gossip and unhappy people as much as possible.
7.       Make Friends- Building friendships at work can provide a much happier work environment.
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