Jeff Garrison

With People, Fast is Slow, and Slow is Fast

Fast is doing all the talking.  Slow is doing most of the listening.

Fast is probing for information.  Slow is listening to how people feel. 

Fast is telling what you want or what you would like someone to do.  Slow is asking what someone needs or what you can do for them. 

Fast creates angst.  Slow creates ease.

Fast creates insecurity.  Slow creates trust.

Fast is selfish.  Slow is selfless.

In sales, networking, influence, or any other type of relationship, Fast is Slow, and Slow is Fast.

Great Business Software is F.I.R.M. (Part 1 of 4)

Great business software is Frictionless!

Have you seen a scenario similar to this?  Acme Medical Device Company leases a medical testing device to customers and can't match up all the leased devices with customers.  Dozens are "missing in action."

Customers call requesting a device and need it to be shipped out immediately.  The company employee acts heroically.  They calibrate the device, package it, and ship it.  Then they procrastinate recording the device id and the customer it went to because the business software was is cumbersome to use, that things would start to pile up if they took the time to use it.  The employee thinks, "I'll put everything into the system before I go home."

This is not Frictionless.  Even though there is a place inside the system for all the information, the system may "hang" or lock up while people are trying to use it.  Maybe the design requires the user to jump around the system to input information.  Maybe it requires several mandatory steps that don't add value to the process. 

Frictionless is easy to use.  People love frictionless.  In this case, frictionless might mean that when the customer calls, it is easy to create a new customer profile while on the phone with them.  It is easy to select from an electronic inventory list the device that they need and the id number of the device is automatically assigned to their profile.  Furthermore, the sytem allows a shipping label to be printed right from their customer profile simply by clicking a button.  Everything it does it does fast.

For the business owner, CEO, or CFO, the relevance of Frictionless is this.

What is it costing us to not have Frictionless systems?

I Don't Know

As a rookie sales professional, you will be asked many questions for which you do not know the answer.  It happens occasionally to veterans as well.  There are many reasons that you should not avoid the question, guess the answer, or fake it.  The most important of these reasons is that it is not honest.

So how do you handle it?

Since it will happen, have a solid, scripted response.  Here is mine.

"That is a good question.  I don't know the answer, but I will find out and get you the answer as soon as possible.  It might help me to get the right information for you if I undertood specifically specifically why you ask."

People will appreciate your honesty and when you get them the answer to their question in a timely manner, you have done two things.  You have followed through and you have created an opportunity to prospect within a short timeframe.  Both of these things help build trust.

As important as this is, it is the end of the script that has the greatest impact.  You have just given your prospect the floor and asked them to open up and tell you what is on their mind.  They know you are truly listening to understand as opposed to listening to sell.

It is surprising how real people get when they have disengaged their sales defense system, don't you think?

Photo on Flicker by CarbonNYC

Old School Networking + eSchool Networking = High Network Quotient

My first week as an Executive Search Consultant in the insurance industry (nearly a decade ago) I went to a conference in Arizona.  At a break, I introduce myself to the keynote speaker and I told him that I had just begun my career.  We spent about 20 minutes talking in the conference center.

Later he introduced me to the Chief Editor of the magazine that sponsored the conference. 

A few months later I received a call from the Director of the Department of Insurance at a major university who was writing an article about the recruitment and retention of insurance professionals.  The editor of the magazine suggested he give me a call to get some quotes for the piece.

This Director and I were then asked to speak at the next national conference on the topic.  We were brought back for two more years.

At one of these conferences I met a manager from Ohio who gave my card to his VP in Philadelphia who asked me to do some recruiting for one of his RVP's in California, which I did.

A few years later, the universtiy Director introduced me to the VP of a company in Illinois who asked me to recruit a Director.  I called the RVP in California who had since moved to a different company.  He wound up taking the job and moving to Illinois.

I had to hammer the phone, network in person, travel, speak nationally, and do all the traditional marketing to develop this high network quotient.

This was great networking ... Old School!

What is the 2009 version.  Blog from home, twitter, connect on LinkedIn, read others blogs and comment, and along the way meet for coffee.  This means less cold calling, less travel, more quality time with people, more fun, and better results.  This is eSchool networking.

To have a High Network Quotient, master both.

The Takeaway

Who in sales has not wasted a ton of time trying to get a prospect to move?  They won't return phone calls at a certain point or never have time to make that next appointment or they keep producing new excuses for delaying a purchase, and so on.  Here is the problem.  We don't know what the prospect's true intent is.  Are they going to do business with you or not?

So in some cases, TAKING AWAY your solution to their problem to see how the prospect responds may be a great option.  For example, "Mr. Prospect, I have a concern.  We have been unable to get together to move this process forward.  Perhaps the timing is not right and we should revisit things next quarter.  What are your thoughts?"

It can be tough to do this because of the fear that the prospect may actually agree with you.  If they do, you are saving yourself a ton of time.  Your prospect saves face and they may come back to you when things change.  Finally, you can turn your mental energy and focus to finding a prospect that is ready to do business.

On the other hand, they may express their desire to move forward but for some specific concerns that you need to address.  They may also just apologize for the delay and immediately move forward.

Influence: The Reciprocity Rule

As members of the human society, we feel an obligation to repay in kind that which we have recieved.  Someone buys your lunch, you feel obligated to buy it next time. If someone does you an unsolicited favor, you look for ways to pay them back.  This is why we say "much obliged" when someone does something for us.

So, what is one of the most powerful ways to influence others?  Do them a SINCERE kindness.  In business, if you want referrals, give them.  Take the time to get to know other people in the business community and ask them who they want to meet or who their ideal customer is.  Look for ways to make introductions.  Most will appreciate what you have done and will eventually find a way to reciprocate.

Keep in mind two things.  First, the need to reciprocate is very powerful.  Use this influence strategy wisely!  Don't do cheap favors or give poor referrals jus so others will be indebted to you.  People see through that and will repay you in kind.  It is poor for relationships and is disrespectful of people's time.

Second, don't keep score.  Stay focused on giving, not getting.  It has its' own rewards.

To read about this and other rules of influence (which I will blog about in the future), pick up the book Infuence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini