Pedal to the Metal

I have often wondered if, in the course of an intense sales challenge, there is something to be said for just backing off and riding the wave for awhile, if only to catch your breath.  Even if you have achieved your sales goals, I can think of three acceptable times to slack off and forget all about work, and their exception.

1. It's your day off
1. Exception:  you have a hard and fast rule about working on days off, which includes but is not limited to not working after 5, in which case you may need to rethink your sales career
2. It's your vacation
1. Exception:  you have knowingly left a mess for others to handle while you're away, in which case you really need to get your act together
3. You're dead
1. Exception:  They revive you, in which case we'll be needing you back at your desk on Monday.  We miss you.

Breaking the Rules

I guess the only other time I got accused of cheating in sales was when I sold cars.  As a rookie I was trained and authorized to sell new cars only.  Used car sales require an enhanced skill set of negotiation, product knowledge, tenacity and closer attention to the bottom line.  They also pay WAY more in commissions, so the experienced guys were reluctant to share the lot with newbies.

On the day in question I saw a young man wander into the showroom, and I met him at the door and began the qualifying process. I learned he was interested in looking at a used red Pontiac Firebird like the one in the picture, out there on the lot.  He had been into the Pontiac showroom next door (I worked for Saturn on the same lot) and no one had acknowledged him, let alone paid any attention to him.

To put it charitably, he didn't look like a millionaire.  I have no idea if he is or was, but I did know a thing or two about customer service from many years in the hospitality industry.  I broke all the dealership rules, and hunted down the keys to the Firebird in the Pontiac show room next door while the sales people gawked at my audacity, and went with the customer on a test drive.  He drove straight to his bank and went in for awhile.

Long story short, the young man had withdrawn cash.  He didn't want to negotiate the price, he wanted the car.  Back at the dealership I grabbed my manager for a little assistance, and a short while later later this guy drove off the lot in his dream car.

From that day forward I was authorized to sell any car on the lot from either dealership, and as you've surmised, it didn't have a lot to do with my limited sales skills.  It had everything to do with my customer service skills.

I took a lot of heat from the Pontiac sales guys about how I had cheated, broken the rules, didn't deserve the commission, etc.  All I know is I'd actually paid attention to a guy they'd viewed as a waste of their time.

The whiniest people I know are sore losers.

Read my Lips: No More Rats

In 2003 I unsuccessfully ran for city council.  I came in fourth out of four - dead last place, having had my ass handed to me by the two incumbents and the one other candidate.  I was the first candidate to register for the municipal elections in all of Ontario, as soon as the doors to City Hall opened on January 2nd.  It was a long and grueling, and rewarding 10 months until a disappointing election day.

One of the reasons I lost was my platform.  While most of the other 25+ candidates across 5 wards campaigned on a "no new taxes" mantra, I never promised not to raise taxes.  If I was to run again I wouldn't promise zero tax increases, and I would probably face defeat again.

I have no issue with raising taxes for the right reason.  I have no issue paying increased taxes for the right reasons.

If I ran, it would be on a campaign of  "no more rats".  NO rats.  Total eradication of the disgusting creatures in the city of Windsor.  This isn't the only issue, but it's one of the biggest issues threatening our city.

Our city is infested and has been for decades, and yet no politician will speak of it.  It's a quality of life issue.  It's a health and safety issue.  It's preventable by enforcing property standards, and regulating garbage pick up and back alley food sources, just for a start. 

If the city could rid your neighbourhood of rats by increasing your property taxes by just $5 a month, would you go for it or stick to the "no tax increases" party line?  What if it was $5 a year?

That's the problem with focusing on taxes only. 

• It places value on taxpayers, not citizens.  Not all citizens are municipal taxpayers.  Children, for example, are not taxpayers.  The next politician who says (s)he is working for the taxpayer should be made to go and spend some quality time with a homeless person (also not a taxpayer but no less a citizen).
• It doesn't speak to quality of life.  
• It isn't even a vision for the future.  It's short sighted, and unfortunately while we will be "enjoying" the sixth straight year of zero tax increases in 2014, we will also be "enjoying" another year of rats, homelessness in the downtown core, abandoned houses, decreased services and a declining quality of life.

The Elephant in the Room

In our weekly sales meetings we always finish with a safari hunt.  It's kind of our humorous way of learning what are the elephants in the room.  You know the phrase.  These are the thoughts, gossip and hard feelings unspoken. 

Usually nothing comes up but occasionally something will.  I'm glad to be a part of a team that clears the air regularly. If someone is uncomfortable speaking in front of the group they are welcome to meet privately.  That includes me, as the team leader.

Recently I posted a blog item, and a blog, by it's very definition is amateur and opinion-based (at least mine is), but it stirred a sleeping elephant that had gone unspoken.  The topic of the post involved something I hadn't had the courage to confront at the time.

My exposed feelings were quickly responded to, and while I didn't like it, it did reveal the real problem facing any team.  Gossip.

Some elephants are harder to take down than others.

Brown Bagging It

I enjoy sitting down and enjoying lunch with the team.  I'm amazed at the number of people on our team who do.

I think it's the reason we're successful.

• No one is left behind.  We wouldn't dream of not welcoming any member of the team to the table.
• Most of us are forward thinkers.  We take the time to prepare a lunch, and sometimes bring a little extra to share (like Matt's wife's cookies...delicious)
• There's teasing and laughter and no consideration for title or status, at least until lunch is over.
• It's hard to hold a grudge when the person is sitting down at the table beside you.  I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but not very often and not for long.

In these days when so many families have lost the practice of sitting down together for a meal, the work family I belong to hasn't. 

Stoicism and a Stiff Upper Lip

I took the opportunity to participate in an English university study on stoicism these last few weeks.  Read about the study here:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/10472469/Study-questions-whether-Stoicism-can-improve-our-lives.html

It's not quite what modern usage of the word had lead me to believe, which was all about stiff upper lips and emotionless detachment.  That said, these negative qualities would certainly come in handy if one was committed to the stoic way of life; such important qualities as not carrying what others think of you, not caring about the outcome by simply focusing on the intention, and other uncomfortable ways of detaching from the world.  Click here for a Wikipedia definition:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism

If at First you Don't Succeed...
As part of the study I published a blog post without regard to how it might be received.  I was deliberately provocative, truthful and somewhat unambiguous without naming names.  At the same time it was cathartic, and a painful moment in an otherwise pretty good working relationship was addressed, and immediately denounced.  (People actually read this crap?)

It takes a tremendous amount of stoicism, more than I have, to soldier on knowing your reputation with at least one person is that of a thief and a liar.  Stoicism suggests that your reputation is beyond your control.  I have come to learn there is truth to that, particularly in this age of anonymity.

Moving on...The Exercise
Simply, and early into the one week exercise, it became reminiscent of the eighties style "little engine that could" self-motivation that was all the rage at the time.  "If you can believe it, you can achieve it..." and other horseshit of that nature.  In this case the daily meditations enocuraged a detachment from the world, a shrug of one's shoulders at circumstance past, a resigned sigh when bad things happen, and an eschewing of pleasure simply for the sake of pleasure.  I kind of half agree with that until it was suggested that one should enjoy food simply because it brings nourishment, and for no other reason.  It isn't such a leap to imagine a Stoic might feel the same about wine, or sex.  There goes my Friday night.

Where is God in All of This?
Stoics may argue they don't need it, but what I felt was missing more than anything was a sense of the other.  An acknowledgement of forces greater than ourselves, of controlling mind in the Universe, of a higher purpose beyond self-mastery; of God.

Well into the thrice daily meditative exercises and readings there had still been no mention of love, in fact it took until day five of seven.  One can't get very far into a Christian prayer without stumbling all over the concept.  It is central to Christianity.  Daily meditations of the stoic "screw you" type are anathema to my daily prayer for my friends and enemies alike.  The stoic pretends he has no enemies.  The Christian acknowledges, prays for and forgives even those whose very skin crawls when he walks into the room.

The Result
Stoicism lacks the element of surrender, of risking it all emotionally, of confession and of forgiveness.  It lacks the risk of rejection, and the pain that goes along with it.  It preempts disappointment with an anticipatory worst-case outcome. 

In walking the straight and narrow line between the highs and lows of emotion, in avoiding personal pain, the Stoic by avoiding sadness is missing joy. He'll never know gratitude.

Worst of all, he'll never know peace.

Top Gun

A few years ago when I was a member of a small team I won a sales contest.  That didn't go over well with my team mates and when my name was announced the silence around the boardroom table was humiliating.  No applause.  I felt bad for my Director of Sales; I know she expected better from her team.  I will never know why it bothered anyone that I won not only the first leg, but the overall contest.

I have often wondered if it was because they believed they should have a chance at winning the contest without changing the 9-5 behaviour that was generating the lacklustre results that necessitated a contest in the first place.

When the contest was announced I made it my personal goal to win, for three reasons:

1. In support of the boss.  It was her idea.  If the contest flopped and failed to generate the sales results she hoped for, she'd look bad in front of her boss.  Our job is to make the boss look good, I think. Certainly life is better for everyone when we do. 
2. Because the reward was huge.  In fact, in that first month I won a gift certificate large enough that I planned to take the entire team out for lunch.  In the end I did take one sales manager, the one who shook my hand and congratulated me (albeit surreptitiously).  The grand prize was a Best Buy gift certificate that got me a nice camera, amongst other electronic cool things.  I don' mind admitting I'm motivated by more than altruism and teamism.  Teamishness.  Whatever.
3. I knew that if this contest produced the desired effect we would be in a position to crush the competition, finish the fiscal year in good shape, and the whole team would make bonus.

The reason I won was simple, and my friend and Top Gun Honda salesguy Erin, a man after my own heart, summed it up when he was telling me why he is the #1 sales guy 3 months in a row at his dealership and I suspect along that street of auto dealerships.  Erin said this:

"It is possible to beat me.  You just have to get to work before me, stay later than me, and work harder than I do."

I'll add one thing.  You have to want to.

Quantum Career Leaps

My wife and I used to love watching Scott Bakula leap every week when we watched Quantum Leap together.  I'm not sure it was for the same reason.

I loved how he'd often find himself painted into a corner, and at exactly the right time, be extricated (leap) whole and mostly unscathed.  Deus ex machina!  A time honoured Greek theatre tradition.

My best career leaps have happened because in real life I didn't get to exit at exactly the opportune moment.  Sometimes we have to stick around to clean up our own mess - in fact I highly recommend that to the young manager who knows everything.  Stick around and find out how wrong (and sometimes right) you were.

Looking back over 3 decades of promotions, terminations, lateral moves and taking the odd step backwards; of ego boosting and ego crushing outcomes; of fearlessness and anxiety - I'm kind of glad I'm not Scott Bakula.

My wife, I understand, may occasionally feel otherwise.

Name and Shame

The revelations in the Rob Ford scandal (disgraced Mayor of Toronto) show that there remains still a need for a vibrant newspaper industry in our democracy.  These blogs we write cannot replace professionals.

At best, what bloggers write is opinion.  At worst it is uninformed opinion.  The slide from best to worst begins when we believe that anyone (besides ourselves) really cares about what we think.  Face it folks, this is an online diary, a rant, a huff and a puff.  If we're lucky, very lucky, it is of value to someone.

I was dismayed to see a colleague present her well informed and respected opinion on the sales practices of our peers in a decidedly negative fashion in her blog.  I was  horrified to see that she named the offenders by company and individual.

I've never been a fan of that. 

Look, we all have opinions on how others in our industry could do it better.  Joyfully, albeit rarely, we are thrilled to be in the company of individuals who inspire us by their excellence.  We can learn from the good and bad alike.

All I'm saying is, let's celebrate the superstars, but don't name and shame the underperformers.

I'll Motivate Myself, Thanks (and other tips for professional speakers)

One of my sales tricks is to follow professional speakers on Twitter.  Inevitably they will tweet where they were, are or to where they're going.  They will retweet complimentary tweets from audience members, complete with hashtags.

That's all I need to know who is where, and when.  I'll take the rest from there.

It's a chore hanging in with some of these folks.  These types of speakers are twits:

• They incessantly tweet motivational quotes not their own
• They garner a substantial following based on their profession, then tweet about their personal lives (gimme a break - are everyone's kids on Facebook and Twitter shattering world records in cuteness, athletics and precociousness?)
• They write blogs critical of others without having ever walked their mile, so to speak  (pardon me as I pause for some introspective thought.....and we're done.)

And if I may offer some advice to live "motivational / inspirational keynote speakers?

• I get it.  You make us laugh, then you make us cry, then you bring it home.  Could you be a little less obvious?  Hint - disabled people and slow piano music in the backround is kind of a giveaway.  And surely to God the disabled must take umbrage at being nothing but an object of empathy to you people, to say nothing of the dimwitted pianists!
• PLEASE stop giving keynotes dependant on other people's YouTube videos (which we've all seen before and by the time you give this canned presentation to us again we'll all have seen too much).  
• PLEASE stop being so damned smug because you use Apple products and your presentation can do all sorts of cool things Microsoft's can't.
• Unless you're being roasted, (not toasted), it ain't about you.  EVER.  We don't care about your kid, so don't let the women cooing "awwwwww" fool you.  They don't care about your kid either, but they can't help themselves.  Might be genetic.  Not sure.

Your call.  Govern yourselves accordingly.  And keep tweeting!