Listen to understand, don’t listen to reply. Don’t just wait for your turn to speak. That’s why the best conversations go with the flow. Sure, there may be some go-to questions that refer to if the conversation hits a lull, but if you only ask what’s on your question sheet, your talk will seem more like an interrogation instead of a conversation.
Author: cbarney.45
Having a team to go far
I’ve always enjoyed the quote, “if it is to be, it’s up to me.” This implies that if you want something done, you have to take action to put yourself in the position to get it. YOU have the power to change your life. It may take a while, and it may never come to fruition, but it will NEVER happen if you don’t do something about it. But this quote is very self-centered and, in my eyes, incomplete.
Recently, I read one of Gary Keller’s books and he modifies the quote slightly to, “If I want it to be, it starts with me.” At first, I didn’t think anything of it. It is changed a little from the initial quote, but I attributed the change more to an accidental misquote – almost like how the message always seems to change just a little from person-to-person when playing a game of telephone. But after giving it more thought, they really are different ideas. With Gary’s quote, it still says that if you want something to happen, you have to be the catalyst of change. I agree with this. But what Gary’s quote implies is that change only starts with you. If you have big enough goals, you’ll never be able to do everything by yourself. You’ll need to build a team around you.
This brings me to the last quote of the day, an African proverb, which states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” You can move very quickly if you’re working alone because you don’t have to take time to try to influence others why your idea is best for the company. You can pivot at a moment’s notice when you’re working alone, not bogged down with bureaucracy. But you will eventually reach your capacity, whether it’s your time, financial, emotional, physical, mental, etc. We all have limits as individuals, but if you construct a team to “fill the gaps” where you are weak, you can prevail over those limitations! If you have a team of all stars to help overcome your capacities, you can achieve huge goals that you never could have by yourself.
So, instead of trying to be a superhero, doing everything yourself, work to build a team around you to reach the really lofty goals. It will eventually save you time and frustration, and if you enjoy their company, you will have some fun along the way.
Solving problems – selling services, not products
When selling, remember that you’re selling a solution to someone’s problems. Your solution will change over time, depending on who you’re serving and what new changes or improvements are made available. You should always be open to changing the physical product that you are currently selling or else be at risk of becoming a dinosaur and going extinct.
For example, Kodak had the ability to create digital photos back in the 1970s, but they did nothing with it. They thought that their product was physical photographs. But, in reality, their product was creating a way for people to store and share their memories. Whether that was with a printed photo or digital photo didn’t matter. But because they were so tied to their ways, Kodak went from being the dominant force in capturing memories to declaring bankruptcy in 2012.
Your solution should not be about a specific product. It’s about the service. Eventually someone will have a better product or a newer product. Eventually they may even sell that product at a lower price. It is up to you to provide the service that solves their problem. Sell service, not products.
Working hard and feeling connected – the keys to happiness
We were made to work hard and to live in a community setting. Money may not bring us happiness, but connectivity with others and productivity will.
Think about it…people win the lottery and are still depressed. But when you have an amazing support group (friends, family, people in your social groups at the gym, at church, or in a club, etc.) AND you are getting things done, you are usually very happy.
I love the feeling of being tired from working hard. It helps me feel like I earned a break to sit down and watch tv or even to do nothing. I can do whatever I want and feel no sense of guilt after a long day’s work.
Money is a good thing. I’m not trying to downplay it. But it should not be our only focus. If you focus instead on growing the depth of your relationships with others and being productive in the most important aspects of your life, you will feel much more fulfilled than if you’re just chasing the next big paycheck. (By the way, if you’re happy, productive, and motivated, you’ll probably be a better employee or boss, which can lead to more money anyways…it’s ironic because once you stop chasing it, that’s when it will come to you easier than ever.)
Building a strong reputation
The best way to be financially compensated is to listen to someone (or a group of people), understand their concerns/problems/issues/pains, find a way to solve their problems, clearly communicate how you plan on helping them, then go out and do it. Bonus points (a.k.a. referrals and/or raises) if you are able to outperform what you told them you would do. You exceed expectations by completing the job quicker, costing them less money, earning them more money, causing them less headaches/frustration than they were expecting, etc.
It’s important to emphasize that you actually fix their problem though. If you can’t exceed expectations, you better at lease meet expectations by getting them what you “sold them” on…It doesn’t matter if you can sell them on your services if you can’t perform. You will only get that one sale and they’ll never be a repeat customer or refer you to their friends. They might even leave you a negative review online or worse, if you fail to perform your obligations in a contract, sue you for breach of contract.
Work on building a strong reputation and it will pay off tenfold in the long run. If you’re motivated by earning the best reputation, where when people hear your name they think of you as a good person with a strong work ethic and an expert in their field, the financial payoff will eventually come. But if you are only in it for the money, people will see through you and you will actually be hurting your long term situation.