My mother had an operation last Tuesday. We went to see her on Wednesday and although she was obviously enjoying her drugs, she was doing well. Elaine decided that we were gonna bring her dinner tonight, so we did. She did a great job. A lot of work. Packed in coolers. Worked all day. Drive 100 miles each way to bring dinner to my mother.

OK, so we’re eating and my mother’s phone rings and I answer it. I know the person, so I tease her. Ask her if she has an appointment to speak to my mother. Tell her that we’re eating dinner and would she like to make an appointment to speak to my mother after dinner. She asked if we were staying over, I said, “No. Elaine just wanted to make sure that my mother had a good meal, so she made chicken on the grill, baked potatoes, green beans, corn and strawberry shortcake.” She said, “Well I just finished having filet mignon and lobster.”

Who the hell cares? Why did she call in the first place? Did she call to find out how my mother was or to tell me what she had to eat? I was polite, but I ended the call as quickly as I could. I can also understand if sometimes my mother doesn’t want to hear about what’s happening in this selfish twit’s life.

If she had said something like, “Elaine is very thoughtful to do all that.”, I wouldn’t have anything to write about tonight. How many times do you miss an opportunity to stroke, compliment or otherwise make someone feel good because you just have to talk about yourself?

UPDATE: So, my mother called tonight and said that the caller called the next day and to be fair, the first thing that she said was that it was awful nice of Elaine to do all that. Then she asked if I helped. My mother dutifully responded that I did the dishes.

I know that last night I said that my next post would be about how I choose whom to refer. However, I’m gonna slide this one in first. My blog…My rules.

I was driving to work this morning. Proceeding down Main Street in Holden, I had the green light at Route 31. As I entered the intersection, some idiot made a “right turn on red” right in front of me. I didn’t hit them because the piece of garbage that they were driving would fit in my trunk. They never even looked. Don’t they understand that “I“ have the right of way. Don’t they know that the rule is that they need to stop and look and if no one is coming, then they can make a right turn on red. The short answer is that they probably don’t and if they do, they don’t care because their car isn’t worth squat. They probably have a crappy job. Don’t own a house. Have no future and no hope. (How’s that for exaggeration?) But seriously, I think it’s safe to say that their standards as a driver aren’t as high as mine.

Here’s the analogy. Good drivers have to be even better to protect themselves from the idiots. We have to anticipate, watch, be overly cautious because we never know when some person with a drivers license but no brain is gonna be aiming at us. Why is that allowed to happen?

I’ve spent most of my career watching crappy salespeople lie to their prospects. Use stupid sales tricks that any prospect with a brain can see through. Over promise. Under deliver. Avoid answering questions. Pressure. etc. etc. etc. Every time one of these idiot salespeople is allowed to talk to a prospect, it makes our job more difficult. Have you ever had a prospect tell you that all salespeople lie? I don’t. Do you? It’s those idiots. Have you ever had a prospect doubt that you could deliver on your promises? Where do you think that comes from? All the idiots out their that can’t spell p-r-o-f-e-s-s-i-o-n-a-l   s-a-l-e-s-p-e-r-s-o-n. Let alone be one. The crappy salespeople make us need to be better.

So, if your an idiot driver………..WALK!
If you’re a crappy salesperson………go be crappy at something else.
If you’re struggling with crappy salespeople, send me an email or comment to this post.

Several people have asked when I was going to blog about this article.





Frankly, when Rod Lee asked me if he could interview me for this article, I thought he was kidding. Then, when I realized that he was serious, I was flattered. I knew that I could network, but quite honestly, so can a lot of others. Then, today, I was showing Jeanne Worrick a little about the blogosphere and I came upon Todd Earwood’s post. Todd’s Linked-In profile says he’s a Connector and Serial Entrepreneur who currently is a partner in Jotzel Media & Almost Mediocre. He also has his head on straight regarding networking. Thanks for the mention, Todd.

Well, enough about this. My next post will answer the question, “If I know several people who provide similar solutions or solve similar problems, how do I decide whom to refer?”

Hey! Hey! We’ve got a new blogger on the scene. You know her as Jeanne Worrick. Now you know her as the owner of Sell Like a Girl.com. Check her out!

As you may know, I meet and interact with a lot of people. Read pages 19 & 21 here for evidence.

Honestly, some of the people that I meet are not experts in their field. They don’t have enough product knowledge, industry knowledge, customer knowledge or market knowledge to ask a good question let alone understand the answer or their prospects actual needs. These people should decide what they want to be when they grow up. Commit to doing whatever it takes. Then go get whatever they need. Follow through and keep at it.

On the other side, I really am lucky to know some true experts. Dave Kurlan, world renowned sales development expert. Steve Groccia, world class banker. Dharmesh Shah, blogger, entrepreneur and software startup guru. Not only will I refer people that need their help to these experts, but they are also the people type of people that I trust to refer me to others that they consider experts in other fields. They understand what “expert” means.

I know what I’m good at. I’m a sales coach and tactical expert. I’m not a landscaper, Steve Crowe does that for me. I’m not a mechanic, Ryan Dodge takes care of my cars. I’m not a financial advisor, Pete Lounsbury does that for me. I have a doctor, a lawyer, a dentist, etc. Get it? I do what I’m good at and I get other people to do what I’m not good at for me or help me do it right.

Then, there are DIY (do-it-yourself) experts. They’re the people that ARE experts at something, but waste their time doing what their not good at,……… typically to save money. I used to try to grow grass. I make way more money in the time that I used to put into lawncare than I pay Steve to do it for me. I used to change my own oil, do my own tune-ups and have greasy fingernails for a week after I did. How much did that cost me? Now I typically schedule a cell call while I wait for Ryan to maintain my car. We all know contractors, web professionals, lawyers, CPA’s, IT gurus, architects, engineers, retail store owners, etc. that are really good at their stuff, but sorely lacking in sales ability. They really think that if they’re friendly, polite, and provide good service, that they’ll be successful.

When I meet one of these folks, and I’m greeted with a business card, a list of features and benefits or some lame attempt to put me in pain, sharp angle or reverse me, or some other transparent “sales trick”, I’ll usually play with them for a while (like cat & mouse) to try to figure out if they’re any good at there stuff. If they’re not, they get one of my “special” business cards and they’re gone. If they are experts at what they do, just crappy salespeople, I’ll typically ask them a few questions to determine if they want to be fixed or they like losing business that they should be getting. If they like mediocrity, I move on. If they’re willing to admit they need help, they become clients. Simple!

Do you know anybody that should be more successful than they are? Use the link at the top of the page to send me their contact info. I’ll call them and let you know what happens.

Elaine and I went out to dinner last night. We’ve been to this place before, but there are so many great places in Kennebunkport, that it’s difficult to become “regulars” anywhere. Fortunately for the restaurateurs (spelling is correct), tourists abound, so if they come once a year, that’s a good job.

Anyway, Elaine mentioned that she wondered if Kate only owned one dress. Kate’s very west coast urban….you know, slender, fit, little black dress, short hair style. Anyway, my response was, you mean Plastic Kate? Elaine replied, “Yes.” She knew exactly what I meant. You know how some people smile and you feel warm, recognized and welcome? Others will smile, but it’s not the same. Their smile says, “Please like me.” or “Please buy from me.” or “This is my work face and I put it on when I’m working. It’s not representative of reality.”

So, here’s the question. Do you know what people think of your work face?

I had a conversation today with Joe Kupstas of Goodfellas. They’re doing a lot of things right. This is another. Joe asked me why I hadn’t posted lately. I replied that I hadn’t been so moved. He’s a great guy. I like being held accountable. Good job, Joe!

Incidentally, the above paragraph doesn’t have anything to do with the title or the subject of the post. I just wanted to give them a little link love.

When do you not have to be responsible?

If you recite the terms to your prospect, but they don’t hear them, are they responsible for not listening hard enough or are your responsible for making sure they heard?

If your prospect lies about their budget, their decision making authority, their interest, or anything else, are they responsible for lying or are you responsible for not uncovering the truth?

If your salesperson makes excuses about not keeping their commitments to number of calls or other behavior, who is responsible for what?

If your salesperson doesn’t close a piece of business, is it their responsibility to take responsibility for not getting the business, or is it your responsibility to debrief until you find out why?

If your business fails, whether it’s the idea, the economy, finances, luck, whatever, who is responsible?

Remember the overnight delivery service commercial that started with a business owner saying, “If we don’t get this delivered first thing in the morning, we’ll be out of business.” and ends showing cutrate delivery service showing up at the door that has an Out of Business sign tacked to it. Who is responsible, the person wanting the delivery on time or the person ignoring or not hearing the request?

Answer Key: You are always responsible. You are responsible for making sure they heard. You are responsible to uncover the truth. You are responsible to hold your salespeople accountable. It is your responsibility to debrief until you find out why. You are responsible. The person needing the on time delivery is responsible.

Think about a major league pitcher that gives up a home run. You think he’s trying to pin blame on the batter for being a good hitter? He’s talking to himself. He knows who made the mistake. He knows who’s responsible.

Think about the batter that strikes out. If it’s a called third strike, he reminds himself that with two strikes, you’ve got to be swinging if it’s close. If it’s a swinging third strike, he’s not cursing the pitcher for throwing a good pitch, he’s “coaching” himself, saying,”…eye on the ball.”

Think about the batter that tries to argue with the umpire about calling strikes and balls. Is he wasting his time? Might he get thrown out of the game. He’s responsible to hit the ball.

Here’s the short answer. You are responsible and the responsible person is typically the person that’s in control.

Last Wednesday, I was booked to take Delta flight #5414 from BWI to Logan at 6:50 PM. I arrived at the airport, went through security, and went to the gate. Everything appeared OK, so I went to the bar for an amber bock and a caesar salad. Back to the gate. There’s a long line at the desk. There’s a Delta guy behind the desk that looks very stressed.

Event #1.) The Delta guy speaks into his microphone and out over the public address system. “To all passengers bound for Cincinnati, Boston, and JFK. Weather has arrived in Baltimore and no flights are going anywhere, anytime soon.” It’s impossible to write this with all the tonality and struggle that this guy had in his voice. I looked over and the expression on his face was the same expression that I’ve seen on funeral directors’ faces and doctors’ faces when they have very bad news. Anybody looking at him would have seen that he was feeling the pain.

Event #2.) He adds, “Those of you who were planning on making connections in Cincinnati should go back out to the ticket counters. They have more help out there and they’ll be able to re-book your flights much more efficiently than we’ll be able to here.

I went and ordered another Amber Bock thinking I don’t like being delayed, but at least I’m going home and I don’t have to worry about re-booking connections. One thing that might be pertinent is that the evening before, there were tornadoes in the Baltimore area and my flight in was delayed three hours. I figured that I was gonna be there for a while.

Event #3.) After my second beer, I went back to hang out at the gate. There was still a long line. About 15th in line, there was a guy that I had noticed in the bar. He was talking too loud on his cell phone about some kid who had had his brain fried by some medical person and it should be worth millions. Anyway, this pompous ass was about 15th in line and some lady on crutches was allowed to be second in line. He went up and told her that there was a line and everybody in front of him asked him if he could see the crutches, and then suggested that he get back in line. I love it when the multitudes rise up against self-important morons like him.

Event #4.) As I watch, the Delta guy looks out the window (High tech, huh?). Then he makes a call. Then he announces, “Those of you bound for Boston on flight #5414, please stand by. It appears that your plane is arriving. I’ll be checking with the flight crew as soon as they land to find out how long before they’re ready to go again”. He goes away, comes back few minutes later and announces, “Passengers on flight #5414, we’re getting you another pilot. Plan on boarding in about 10 minutes and leaving about 10 minutes after that”. And that is what happened.

Event #5.) The pilot announces that once we get airborne, flight time to Boston will be 1 hour and 3 minutes. That we are on one of the few flights leaving because we’re going North. Nothing is going West or South because of the weather. It might be a little bumpy while we get to altitude and until we get clear of the weather, but after that it would be a smooth flight into Boston. There were NO bumps. This was one of the smoothest flights that I’ve ever been on. The flight attendant was so personable that she made me feel like I was sitting in her living room.

Aren’t events 1, 2, 4 and 5 great examples of managing expectations? Mr. Delta guy could have told us that he hoped the delay would be short or that he’d let us know as soon as he could, instead he said, “anytime soon”. He under-promised so he could over-deliver. When he suggested that people go back to the ticket counter, half the people in line left. His tonality and body language throughout the “ordeal” made all of his “prospects” realize that he was feeling way more pressure than they were, but that he wasn’t giving up and he was gonna get us all through it. Shifting gears a little: How many times do you make your customers ask you for a progress report? He saw a plane coming. Verified what it was and gave us (and everybody else) hope that we were progressing. He gave us (all) info as soon as he got it. Never over-promising, but always keeping us up to the moment.

This series of events could have tested my patience, but Mr. Delta guy (I should have gotten his name.) made it seem as though he was more concerned about my well-being than any problems that might have been on his desk at the moment.

Finally, any experienced traveller would have expected a bumpy flight with thunderstorms in the area, especially on a 50 seat plane. The pilot stating the obvious, but informing us that it should be short lived was masterful. I’m sure that everybody was thinking, “Anybody can get through a few bumps”.

One more thing. You want to be arrogant, self-important, out-spoken, and strong? You want to appear to be in control, successful when everyone else is feeling oppressed? Re-read #3.

So, tonight, I’m at the Worcester Chamber of Commerce Business after Hours. It’s an annual event. Here’s my post from last years’s event. Interestingly, a lot of the people that attended last year did not this year. Christine Miller was there in all her ambassadorial splendor. Linda Cohan and I were doing some leap frogging. My old friend Mr. Sunshine showed up fashionably late as did the Goodfellas. (Careful what you say!)

It was a good time!

But, for me, the highlight of the evening was when a very well known, very visible, very slick, high profile, super smooth sales-type hot shot says, “Some night, I’m gonna comment all over your blog. You wanna hear stories, I’ve got stories.”

At first, I’m taken aback! This guy reads my blog? He’s easily one of the most recognized faces in the Worcester area. Always impeccably dressed. Groomed perfectly. You shake his hand and you feel the urge to buy. This guy reads my blog? Get out!

Then he tells me a story. I love stories. He’s brand new, just out of college, first job. Been busting his tail to close a big deal with a national company. Really big deal with a really recognizable prospect. OK, so he schedules a closing meeting and his manager wants to come “help”. The two of them are on the call, my friend gives the price and closes. Prospect says that the solution is perfect and if my friend matches a competitor’s price, he’ll get the business. My friend says, “No.”, but the sales manager starts to cave. My friend overrides his boss (remember, first job out of college), shows the prospect the holes in the soles of his shoes and says something like, “I’m the one that identified your problems. I’m the one that wore out these shoes finding the perfect solution for you. Don’t you think that I’m gonna service you better than some Bozo that came along and beat my price on my solution?” The prospect replied, “Match the price, you’ve got the business.” They dragged my friend out to the car, kicking and screaming, while his manager matched the price.

What’s the point? The point is that I’m flattered that somebody that will stand up to a “big shot” prospect like that……….Somebody that will stand up to his boss like that………Somebody that strong…reads my blog.

As you may have noticed, I’m kind of a sales junkie. I’m always “on”.  I’m always doing it, ready to do it, talking about it, reading about it, thinking about it. One of my subscriptions is to SalesQuotes. Here’s a sampling.

“Never mistake motion for action.”

“You know what luck is? Luck is believing you’re lucky, that’s all.”

“Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.”

“Learn your lines.”

And this one arrived today.

“Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.”

Did you find yourself thinking about any of these as you read them? I’ve found that it’s a good way to start the day. Just Sell always credits the person that they’re quoting and sometimes that’s part of it. For instance, can you match the quote to the person being quoted. Here are the people. Ernest Hemingway, Marlon Brando, Arthur Conan Doyle, Al Pacino, and Coco Chanel.