““If you want people to thrive and be at their best, it’s simple – create the conditions for belonging.””
No leads = No sales = No income
Sugar coating things and pretending problems will just go away on their own is nice, but it’s not something we do in my network. As entrepreneurs we are used to wearing different hats, for example, sales, marketing, operations and finance, etc. and we use CRM tools to help us mange our sales processes. Your number one goal in sales is to make your customer as successful as possible and as long as your motivation is to help the customers win, you will always win in sales.
I recently watched Susan Cain’s “The Power of Introverts” Ted Talk and was reminded about what a nightmare it must be for a shy person when working with outbound sales. Constantly making excuses to avoid making that call or sending that e-mail. It must be hard to continuously have your sales pipeline full of new opportunities when reaching out to strangers is hard for you. This does not mean that introverts are not good salespersons, as I have found that introverts are better listeners than extroverts. Contact me via e-mail for sales training and workshops.
To express yourself, you have to know yourself!
Reflecting on moments that shaped his life, actor Ethan Hawke examines how courageous expression promotes healing and connection with one another -- and invites you to discover your own unabashed creativity. "There is no path till you walk it," he says.
It's OK to take off your cloak
I watched Glennon Doyle Menton’s “Lessons from a Mental Hospital” TED Talk last week, where she described her journey through anorexia, alcoholism and drugs to not being afraid of her feelings anymore. The talk ended with Glennon telling audience about an e-mail she received…”it's braver to be Clark Kent than it is to be Superman”. Powerful! I guess all superhero stories are a form of escapism and they allow us to imagine what we might do with the ability to fly and the courage that comes from being bulletproof. I think the best superhero stories also explore what it is to be human and our relationship with power.
The majority of humans don’t really want to be liars and withholders, they are just afraid to be real. I wonder why so few people tell the hard truth about themselves, their lives and their struggles? Is it because we are taught from an early age that it’s not safe to share the realness of our challenges? Is it because we are scared of being judged or is it because previous experience has taught us that honesty allows us to be scarred, alienated or rejected when we open up?
One of my close friends likes to speak about being authentic, I prefer to use the word, consistent. We may differ on the words but neither of us are afraid of the uncensored truth. We don’t have to walk in another man’s shoes to feel his pain! Due to my upbringing, training and conditioning I have the ability to sit in oneness with another who is in the deepest pain and find love and connection.
Stroke of genius
Honest storytelling is compelling and it appeals to our emotions. When I hear a good story I feel myself becoming part of the story. I think that it’s really difficult to tell a good story when you are trying to please everyone. It’s a risk to tell a story that is going to offend some people, it’s not just the facts that you remember, it’s the stories.
Watch the video about Jill Bolte Taylor’s massive stroke, she share an amazing story. Jill is a brain scientist, and watched as her brain functions (motion, speech and self-awareness) shut down one by one and used her experience as a research opportunity.
Love Is A Dirty Word In Business
For many, love is a dirty word in business. Bringing love into the workplace, it’s platonic, but it’s there. I love these people and I am going to support them doing great work and we are going to do this together. According to Richard Branson, “Customers should not be first, employees should be first because if you take care of your employees, your employees will take care of your customers.”
Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so!
Having a deep purpose to the why we do things, it’s not just a job, it’s not just a salary. I understand that these things are so important and people get caught up in working for organizations because they have obligations - but there is a choice about picking something that you are passionate about. And then the human connection, recognizing your own humility - I think Brené Brown’s The Power of Vulnerability Ted Talk from 2010 sums it up quite nicely.