Bob

Once upon a time . . .

Bob worked in the corporate world until Pink Slip Day interrupted his routine. He packed up the contents of his desk into a little cardboard box and was escorted by a friendly security officer to the front door. 

Standing on the sidewalk with his little Cardboard Box he wondered what he would do. He grabbed hold of his Bootstraps and marched himself back home where he dropped his Cardboard Box on the kitchen table next to the Honey Do List.

"Well, I might as well get started on this list while I figure out what's next." He fixed the squeak in the front door. He fixed the squeak in the bathroom door. He fixed the squeak in the bedroom door. 

At the end of the day he was smiling and said, "What a good day. I like fixing squeaks." His neighbor heard him through the open window and called out. "Hey, Bob! My door squeaks. Can you help?"

"Sure!" he called back. "I like fixing squeaks."

Word spread and the next thing Bob knew his phone was ringing. People wanted their doors fixed all over town. 

He printed up business cards. "If you know someone with a squeaky door, tell them Bob can help."

He had a sign painted on his car. "Squeak No More Doors, LLC. Call today for a FREE estimate."

He had his daughter make a website. "SqueakNoMore.com" 

He asked his wife to help with bookkeeping. 

Life was good again. 

"I like being my own boss. I like fixing squeaks."

Until the Rainy Day came. 

Bob bent over to pull on his Bootstraps like he had for the past few years. Only he couldn't get back up. "I'm stuck."

Bob wondered how he could conduct business if he was stuck. Who would take care of the squeaks in his Business? If squeaks are ignored, they just squeak louder and louder. He was the Master Squeak Fixer. But lately there were more and more squeaks and less time to focus on them.

He grew tired of trying to pull on his Bootstraps. "If I could just let go of my Bootstraps. But how?" 

Friends and neighbors thought Bob looked Kind of Funny fixing the squeaks in their doors while bending over trying to pull on his Bootstraps. People noticed that it was not as much fun doing business with Bob. His daughter said, "Whatever." His wife said, "We need more." His customers called in more often demanding to speak with Bob because their doors were still squeaking. 

Bob did not like the Phone.

Bob got a headache. "This isn't what I thought it would be. I wanted more freedom but I work more than ever. I wanted to earn more money but my sales are suffering. I wanted to have fun doing what I enjoy but fixing squeaks isn't fun any more."

Then he realized that he did not own his Business. His Business owned him. And it wasn't letting go. 

*******

Many talented individuals have caught the entrepreneurial bug and bought, inherited or started a business related to their technical skills. That very expertise, unfortunately, has a strong tendency to suck you into the nooks and crannies of the business.  The technical day-to-day guts of the business are addictive and tough to escape. Sadly, a technician’s mindset and mode of operation are insufficient for running a business. These technical assets can be real liabilities and traps for an owner.  

Business ownership is all about strategic leadership, not technical doer-ship. It is all too easy to mistake a technician’s orientation for that of an entrepreneur’s.  

• They mistake busy-being-busy activity for accomplishment.  
• They confuse hard work for intelligent work.  
• They have a technician’s addiction to detail work.  
• They work and think like employees instead of owners.  
• They do the wrong type of work.  
• They fail to grasp that running a business is strategic, entrepreneurial, visionary, and requires strong leadership. 

******

For business to change, the first thing that has to change is how you think about owning a business.

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Objectivity and Earbuds

The car window was down and I was enjoying four things at once: sunshine, a gentle summer breeze, a cup of joe and the daily news. In the middle of an article about new efforts to solve a 25 year old crime the voice of someone shouting interrupted my solitude.

"What's that?" I wondered and folded down the paper to see where the shouting originated. To the left was an oil change guy waving a placard at passersby. To the right was an empty parking lot, the oil change place with some cars waiting, and, of course, the Golden Arches where I had purchased my McCafe. The voice sounded far away but I did not see anything noteworthy.

Back to my article.

The shouting started up again and I tried to ignore it.

The voice sounded more urgent. Something's going on right outside my car window somewhere. It was not a conversation - there was only one voice. Someone was yelling to get attention. I re-examined what was in front of me.

To the left was Mr. Placard Waving Guy dancing to himself with his iPod and bouncing the $10 special for all to see. Pan over to the right and the Oil Change Place had about 6 cars lined up for service. Advertising works if you can find the right way to advertise. I momentarily wondered if I could get some guy to stand on the street and wave a placard at passersby, "The Growth Coach offers FREE Consult!" Nah, probably not.

Standing on the edge of an overgrown field of weeds stood another Oil Change Guy. He was yelling.

Ohhhhh. Now it makes sense. He was yelling to Mr. Placard Waving Guy with the earbuds. He was needed back at the shop to help handle the increase in customers. Got it. But Mr. Placard Waving Guy could not hear because he was too busy dancing in his own little world while doing his job of advertising.

Time to go. I folded up my paper, drank the last bit of coffee, started my car and backed up. Very slowly I drove up to Mr. Placard Waving Guy and stopped. "Hey, they're trying to get your attention!" He leaned down, took the earbuds out and said, "What?"

"They're calling for you!"

Turning to look, he heard the shop calling. "Oh."

*******
Not too long ago I was listening to a business owner tell me about his current situation. It became clear as he talked that he was like Mr. Placard Waving Guy. He was so engrossed in doing what he thought he should be doing that he completely could not hear a screaming need in another area of his business.

My trusty pen sketched on the paper in front of him what I was hearing. "It seems to me like you've got a situation over here that needs your attention."

"Oh," he said, "You're right. I better take care of that."

*******
The benefit of objectivity can help a business owner see the bigger picture and address the most important issues. Cut through the clutter and get out of the same old ineffective routines! Start by taking out the earbuds piping in the mental music you are accustomed to and listen to what's really going on in your business.

By the way, the Growth Coach offers a free consult to objectively listen and help you assess what is trying to get your attention.

The Lost Art of Listening

In a scene from M. Night Shyamalan's movie "Signs," young Morgan played by Rory Culkin takes a baby monitor and stands on top of the family car with his arm stretched high in the sky. From the monitor's little speaker come the sounds of clicks and static. Twisting his hand just a little and the static fades and the clicks become clearer.

Here is a transcript of the conversation that takes place:

  It's just static, Morgan, all right.

  Turn it up. 

  See. It's a code.
  Can I see that, please?

  It's noise. 

  It's broken, Morgan. 

  It's just gonna keep doing this. 

  Maybe some new batteries... 

  We might lose the signal. 

  This is exactly what the nerds want. 

  I'm getting out now. 

  Nobody move. 

  Voices. Did you hear that? 

  Not English, though. 

  You heard the voices, right, Uncle Merrill? 

  I heard them, Morgan. Probably picking up another baby monitor. 

  That's right. 

  Let me see it. 

  Stop! See, this is why we're not watching TV. People get obsessed. 

  I'm letting go now. 

  No, Dad! Don't do it! You'll lose the signal. 

  Don't let go. It gets clearer the higher you hold it. 

  I got it. 

  Bo, honey, I don't want you climbing on the car. 

  Come here. 

  Stop! There's two of them talking.

*******
It takes effort to listen. It takes even more effort to understand.

The Growth Coach promotes the READ model when interacting with people in a sales process. The acronym identifies the first part of the sales process as Relate and Establish the Need. In other words, it's about listening. Asking the right questions in the right way and listening to the answers. Simple.

Why is it so hard? That's one question for the philosophers and therapists to answer.

Michael Maslansky, in his book "The Language of Trust: Selling Ideas in a World of Skeptics," offers 3 Rules of Engagement that guide a person to improve listening / understanding:

Rule #1: Understand Their Truth
Make sure you have a clear picture of your audience. Make the effort to think from their perspective. Accept their worldview and then use your understanding to engage in a dialogue.

Rule #2: Find Common Ground
"You must get people to listen to what you're saying before you can have a dialogue. Otherwise, you'll have two monologues," Maslansky says astutely. Raise your hand if you have been to a networking event that illustrates his point. Before we can move to messages that persuade, sell or change attitudes we must seek common ground.

Rule #3: Ask and You Shall Receive

It used to be true to say, "The more you tell, the more you sell." The new rule appears to be, "The more you ask, the more you engage." The questions to ask to engage in a dialogue are:

• The questions you don't know the answers to 
• The questions that allow you to hear what the individual wants (as opposed to what he will buy) 
• The questions that permit the individual to set the agenda 
• The questions that are open-ended 

******
Someone once said, "A stranger is just a friend I haven't met yet." Engaging people as "friends you haven't met yet" starts to build those essential long-term relationships that we want for attaining new levels of success.

Alan Furst
The Growth Coach
A.Furst@theGrowthCoach.com

Four Questions You Must Answer

Author Brian Tracy in his book The Psychology of Selling says, "Businesspeople ask themselves four questions that you must answer clearly and distinctly to gain the sale. The questions are:

• How much do I pay?
• How much do I get back?
• How soon do I get results?
• How sure can I be that I will get the results you promise?"

Price-conscious customers zero in on the cost quickly. While this is a question that has to be addressed, it is imperative that you lead the conversation to identify the prospective client's needs. In a service-based business climate this upperhand can be easily gained simply by saying something like this, "We have a variety of scenarios that can meet your budget concerns, but before we talk price, why don't you tell me what it is you are looking for?" This engages the prospective client to describe to you her wants, needs and desires.

A common tendency of zealous business owners is to put out a laundry list of goods or services they sell. Much more important to the consumer are the benefits of what you are selling. This is the core of question number 2. The customer is evaluating if the exchange of money for your product/service is in his favor. Does he come out ahead? It's a question of ROI. I'd like to suggest that you consider the ROI from the customer's point of view, not yours. You may think sliced bread is the best thing ever: it saves time at breakfast, it makes sandwich making a more pleasurable experience, and jelly spreads so much more easily. But your customer wants to make a bread bowl salad and sliced bread doesn't cut it.

Question #3 points out the urgency of the need and/or the lasting impact of the benefits you offer. How you sell financial services to a young person is not the same as how you approach someone about to retire. Identify a prospective client's sense of urgency and tailor your solution honestly highlighting the benefits of what you offer.

Consumer advocacy groups, buyer beware alerts, and customer burn notices have taught us to be cautious when making purchases. It all comes down to the risk the prospective client is taking when purchasing what you offer. Your objective is to build trust, reduce risk and provide reassurance.

Take the time to carefully consider these four essential questions every buyer asks in one way or another. Address them clearly (value, cost, time, risk) in a way that aligns their needs/wants with your solutions. Result: increased sales.

The Trial Close

Making sales is a process. Depending on what it is you are selling, the process may have different points of emphasis. But the sales process always has a path it follows. I engage business owners in discussion about these essential aspects of the sales process to help keep them on track to grow their businesses.

When a business owner stays true to the process, increased sales are guaranteed.

The Trial Close is a very important diagnostic tool that can help you determine where a prospective client stands. Due to the nature of the Trial Close, it can be used at almost any point in the sales process. It will guage the level of interest and commitment, identify issues that need to be addressed or concerns that a person may have, provide needed information, or it can produce an agreement that moves to the final step - closing the deal.

A key distinction between the Trial Close and the actual Close is the distinction between asking for a prospective client's opinion and asking for their decision.

Some examples of questions used in a Trial Close include . . .

• Is this what you had in mind?
• Based on what we have discussed so far, does it make sense for us to move to the next step?
• Considering the different options we have discussed so far, which one best satisfies your needs?
• We have identified what you are looking for, I have showed you how our company can meet that need; is there something more you need to know before moving forward?
• What is most important to you about our service?
• Tell me what you think about our guarantee.

Garnering a prospective client's opinions helps you to address the right issues and put forth a solution that genuinely meets their needs.

The purpose of the Trial Close is to help you determine when to close the deal. We all like those times when the signals are so strong that we go right to making the sale. But if you are not utilizing the Trial Close you may be alienating a prospective client and never close the deal. Alternatively you may close too late and risk "boring your prospect to tears" and overstay your welcome.

Are you wanting to close more deals? Using the Trial Close will help you to identify your prospective client's wants, needs and desires so that you can offer tailored solutions.

Splitting Hairs

Every business I have ever owned (four to date) has always been service oriented. In my first business I provided creative services, in the second I provided homecare services, in the third (current) a marketing enhancement service and in the fourth (also current) business coaching services.

With the exception of the first business I found myself considering the question of how to refer to the people or entities that used the services I provided. I know, I know; it sounds like I had too much time on my hands to give it serious thought. The question was particularly poignant when I owned the homecare agency. The elderly people that we provided services for were too valuable in my mind to be reduced to common terminology like "customer," "consumer," or "client." Professionally we referred to these wonderful people as clients. But in my heart they were always much more.

Maybe that's because I am passionate about what I do. I'm not a "job" owner. I am a business owner and my businesses reflect who I am and what I am about in life.

I digress. Back to splitting hairs ...

The dictionary makes a subtle difference between the words customer, consumer and client. In some ways they all blur together. But it seems to me that a customer is transaction based. A person may go through the check out but never consume a product because she is just a "customer." The consumer is pretty obviously a user through and through. A consumer may or may not be the one who is actually paying for services; hence not a literal customer. Then the client is that individual or entity that uses the advice or services of a professional. There is the sense of ongoing reliance on a service.

It's all up for debate and the differences certainly are not a hill to die on as one of my colleagues would say.

The important underlying point goes to your understanding of who is purchasing what you offer. How you perceive them affects how you approach them . . . and ultimately how the money goes from their wallet into yours.

If you are in a service-based business then it is imperative to evaluate carefully the importance of relationship and how it strengthens your business objectives.

If your business is based on a deliverable product, then the transaction becomes the pinnacle of the relationship. You are obliged to make the transaction process a positive experience.

No matter which way your business bends, when was the last time you gave it serious thought and intentionality? When was the last time you really cared?

The Power of a Story

I like a good story. And I really enjoy a good storyteller.

If an author is a good storyteller, I will not put down his book until I finish it.

If the screen writer weaves a good tale, I will be living the parts portrayed by the actors.

If a speaker has some good yarns up his sleeve, he's got me wanting more when he's done.

Just a few weeks ago I was packing up my trade show booth after a Business Expo. My feet were tired from standing for hours and I was hungry. I wanted to get home, sit in front of the television and decompress.

I was putting my brochures into a box when an elderly gentleman walked up to me balancing a plate of food and brochures. "Young man, would you mind if I sat in one of your chairs?" he asked nodding with his head toward the chairs behind my table.

"No problem. I'd be glad to help." I reached and unstacked a chair thinking to myself that home just got a few more minutes away. I should not complain about the opportunity to show kindness -- it's a lost grace -- so I sucked it up, smiled, and set a chair down for my guest.

"Thank you." he said and parked himself down with a genuine smile.

"So, what brings you to the expo?" It did surprise me that this octogenarian would be roaming among the booths of businesses who were targeting young, vibrant, growing businesses.

He glanced up at my table and said, "The Growth Coach. What's that all about?"

"I work with small business owners helping them to stay focused and achieve success and balance in life." It rolled off my tongue like Homer Simpson falling down a mountainside. "But you look like you've got quite a story to tell. I'd like to hear it." I pulled up a chair prepared to listen. It felt good to get off my feet.

For the next 45 minutes I sat in the presence of greatness. This gentleman had started his own business "in the garage" and built it to multi-millions. He told how he had sold it to an international company. He spoke of his inventions. He told me how he was one of the first ever to employ commission-only salespeople. He wove into his biography the names of successful business people, some of who I also knew from previous business ventures. He told me about his family.

I had to know more and so I asked, "What do you do now?"

His eyebrows lifted up high and his steel gray eyes penetrated mine as if to determine if I really truly wanted to know. I did. With a passion coming from deep within he told me how excited he gets when he is surrounded by young people who want to do business. He meets with students in college and forms think tanks. They brainstorm ideas and business plans and then in some cases he funds them. "I want to give back and this is how I do it."

By this time all the other vendors had packed up and left. The hotel staff was taking down curtains and railings, stacking up chairs and vacuuming. I hadn't noticed till now and said, "It looks like they want us out of here."

"I guess so. No one has time to listen any more. But you did. I never got the chance to learn about the Growth Coach."

"The pleasure was truly mine. Thank you for telling me your story. Maybe we will meet again." He reached out his hand and shook mine. There was a moment there that I felt like I was touching a generation of business greatness. I did not want to lose it. I wished my heart could snap a picture of this conversation.

Turns out, I did get a photo of a different kind.

Annette Simmons is the author of The Story Factor. She believes that telling a story is the best way to persuade and motivate people. One of her contentions is that we are so bombarded with data and statistics that we no longer trust them. "People want to believe what a leader has to say, to have faith. It is faith that moves mountains, not facts." Simmons defends that it is the well told story that connects in such a way so as to inspire and influence.

What is your story?