Neil Senturia is not your typical…well, he’s not your typical anything, at least as far as I can tell from his new book I’m There for You, Baby – The Entrepreneur’s Guide to the Galaxy, Volume 1 (WARNING: affiliate link).  What I can tell you for certain, though, is that Mr. Senturia knows how to tell a story.

I haven’t had this much fun reading a book since I was a kid reading They Shoot Canoes, Don’t They? by Patrick McManus (yep, another affiliate link…sorry, but it’s just easier than logging out of Amazon).  I don’t often laugh out loud when I read business books, but this one had me chuckling, snickering and, occasionally, guffawing (I may have just made that word up…sorry about that).  Even better, I learned a thing or two along the way.

The book is a series of stories built around The Baby Rules, a set of entrepreneurial truisms culled from Senturia’s experiences as a real estate mogul, venture capitalist, Hollywood writer and all around deal-making addict.  But don’t make the mistake of believing everything you read; Rule #109 states “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.”  Senturia’s grasp of the ridiculous, his razor-sharp wit, and his blunt-force-trauma style of truth-telling make for a great read.

One of my favorite lessons, and one that made me stop and think about my own journey, is Rule #19: “Entrepreneurs do not do it for the fame or fortune – they do it for revenge.”   I’ve been thinking about that one ever since I read it; it’s been dogging my steps, haunting my sleep, and generally driving me nuts for weeks.

Because I’m realizing how true it is, at least sometimes.  I find myself driven, sometimes to extreme measures, by a deep desire to prove that I can do it, no matter what anyone says.  The voices in my head, the ones that belong to former teachers and family members and well-meaning friends, telling me to settle down and settle in and settle?  I’ve got a middle finger that would like to speak with you.

And that’s the kind of festering truth that I’m There for You, Baby rips the scab off of.

Thank you, Neil Senturia, for a fantastic book.  And thank you for breaking some shit in my head that needed breaking. Consider me a fan.

When I first got my preview copy of Guy Kawasaki’s “Enchantment” (yes, I got a free copy, and yes, that’s an affiliate link), I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I don’t really know that much about Guy, and I haven’t read any of his other books (sorry Guy).  I knew he was something of a big deal on Twitter and that he was the guy (no pun intended) behind Alltop.com, but that was about it.

In other words, I started “Enchantment” with zero expectations.  I only tell you that so you’ll understand that what I’m about to say isn’t colored by my being a long-time Guy Kawasaki fanboy.

Now that we understand each other, let me just say this: whatever you’re doing, stop now for as long as it takes to jump over to Amazon and buy this book.  Yes, it’s that good.

Guy has distilled the art of getting people to support your cause down to simple, manageable steps.  Whether it’s a business, a charity, a product or an idea, enchantment is the art of rallying not just support but commitment from those you lead or those in the trenches with you.  In Guy’s own words, “if you need to enchant people, you’re doing something meaningful. If you’re doing something meaningful, you need enchantment.”

What’s the difference between enchantment and more traditional methods of persuasion? Simple: rather than feeling like they’ve been manipulated to do what you want them to,  enchanted people feel the same level of devotion to the cause that you do.  In other words, enchantment is how you get others to see your vision, to share it and help you bring it to fruition.

From making your preparations to launching your cause, from crafting a Facebook status update or a post on Twitter, Guy walks you through the process of using both push and pull technologies to create an atmosphere of enchantment that’s hard to resist.

Let me issue this caveat, though: the ideas Guy shares are all common sense, “I knew that” kind of insights.  But please don’t let the fact that the ideas have been around awhile fool you into thinking that they’re common practice.  This book will take you from familiar theories and ideas to practical steps for implementation.  Put these ideas into practice, and watch your tribe grow.

I’m really hoping that you’ll look past the fact that I’m not the world’s greatest book reviewer and give “Enchantment” a shot.  I really believe that the key to success as an entrepreneur or small business person, or even a sales person or blogger, for that matter, is the ability to rally others to your cause, whatever that cause might be.  ”Enchantment” can help you improve your ability to do just that.

But don’t take my word for it: go. Get yourself a copy.  Once you’ve read it, come back here and let me know what you think.

The world needs more enchanters right now; shouldn’t you be one of them?

The biggest reward of using the “The Go-Giver” as one of our Bob Burg International Consultant coaching programs is that not only do I get to read the book, I get to devour it (while being mentored by the author), and then I’m priveleged to share it with others. There is true power in knowing your craft well enough to teach it to others.

In a short 30 minute chat with Jerry Kennedy on his Blog Whisperer Radio program it has solidified my belief that business as we’ve known it for the last two decades (more or less, your mileage may vary) is so antiquated that to continue “as it’s always been” is maybe the most deadly thing you can do to your business.

If your business has stagnated over the last 12 months, if it’s slowed down to “just getting by”, or if you have serious concerns if you’ll be in business 12 months from now you can cheer up! Pick up the book and follow along as we discover and APPLY these “Five Laws of Stratospheric Success”.

The first Law, The Law of Value states; “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value that you take in payment”.

You may have heard the phrase giving value misused by the Internet Marketing gurus telling you to give away your “secret sauce” to entice your prospects to buy your product or service. This misses the mark in two ways. 1) As used in the book, giving does not mean giving away – as in free. It simply means to present something, in this case value. 2) value in this context means the relative worth or desirability of a thing to the end user. More to the point it’s about asking yourself the question; “What can I offer that will set me apart – and I mean WAAAAY apart – from my competition and will allow people to want me as the person they choose to do business with?

The answer starts to become apparent in a great blog post by Bob Burg. It says, “…while there are most likely thousands of ways to provide value, they tend to fall under five categories: Excellence, Consistency, Attention, Empathy and Appreciation.”

Near and dear to my heart is appreciation. This is one of the things that cost little or nothing and leaves a lasting impression. Say please and thank you (and mean it). Send Nice to meet you notes – not emails – in a greeting card in your own handwriting. Remember birthdays and, you guessed, it send a card that says Happy Birthday! (If you don’t have a simple and easy-to-use system to do this automatically email me and I’ll share my fun and inexpensive way to do it with you.)

Now that you know that there are five categories that value tends to fall under, how can you take that and apply it to your product and service? Leave your comments in the feedback below. I’d love to here them!

Here’s a good place to mention one of the most important keys to making this law work, and it may be a deal breaker if you can’t commit to it, it’s that you have to give without any emotional attachment to the outcome. Now I know that’s going to sound really wacky to you but that’s how it works… because there is an outcome every time.

Tune in next time for Law #2 “The Law of Compensation”.

“If we’re going to take this walk together, we need to start by facing the same direction.” –Pindar,
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann

As I was reading Chapter 2 in “The Go-Giver“, reviewing the material for one of my Mastermind Groups, I thought “Hey, you didn’t make sure everyone is facing the same direction!” Here’s why it’s important.

Imagine you and and I are standing at a cross-roads. I’m facing North and you’re facing West. I tell you we’re going to take a six month journey and say “Let’s go”. Do you think, after taking the road in front of us for that amount of time, we’d end up in the same location? Nope, not a chance.

We need the same map to arrive at the same destination. Simply put, the book is the map, the directions are each of the “Five Stratospheric Laws”, but they require a secret key to unlock their power.

That secret is “Giving”.

What does “giving” mean to you? Let me know in the comments below.

I’m a few chapters into “Changing the Conversation” by Gary Klaben, who was kind enough to contribute a guest post here yesterday (full disclosure: yes, they did send me a free copy of the book).

The book is great so far, and I’m looking forward to the rest of it, but this paragraph caught my eye and made me want to write a quick post:

“We want a relationship.  A relationship that begins with a conversation well-grounded in authority and trust.  A conversation that is about us.  A conversation that leads to a tailored solution based on our specific needs.  That adds value.  That fulfills a purpose.  We want to be convincingly yet gently pulled to a decision.”

Think about your own experiences as a customer; isn’t that exactly how you want to be treated?  Let me ask you this, though: when was the last time you actually were treated that way?  Chances are pretty good that it stands out in your memory because it doesn’t happen very often.

In fact, we’re so used to the opposite happening that we’ve almost become numb to it.  I find myself almost daily pretending like I’m listening to a salesperson who’s trying to pitch me on some new thing.

It’s a sad state of affairs; I could totally be missing out on the greatest thing ever created, but because the conversation is all about the product and not about me, I tune out.  So do you.  And here’s the really scary part if you’re in sales: so do all the people you’re calling on.

It’s time to take Gary’s advice and start changing the conversations you have with your prospects and clients.  Like I’ve said a thousand times before, stop talking about your product and start talking about what matters: the person on the other side of the table.

Those who understand that and make those changes sooner rather than later will be the salespeople of the future; those who don’t will be practicing their pitches to each other in the bread line.

Gary Klaben

Today, there is a strong pull between the profit maximizers and the purpose maximizers.  It is not that working on Wall Street or Main Street for large companies is all about profit maximization, or that starting a small business is all about purpose maximization.  It is about the tide turning towards purpose, while maintaining profit.

In Daniel Pink’s recent book, Drive (2010), he identifies and discusses three types of motivation.  Motivation 1.0 is the basic need to survive.  Our hunter-gatherer ancestors spent nearly all their time fulfilling this need.  Motivation 2.0 involves seeking rewards and avoiding punishment.  From the time of antiquity through the 20th century, this was the primary motivator after achieving survival.  Finally, motivation 3.0 seeks internal, intrinsic satisfaction — the fruit of personal freedom, challenge and purpose. What we like to call MVP (meaning, value & purpose).

Ours is a motivation 3.0 world.  The unexpected and unpredictable will increasingly occur.  Change is the only constant.  Continual surprises!  Microsoft’s digital Encarta encyclopedia — a profit maximizer — lost out to tens of thousands of online hobbyists writing and editing topics in Wikipedia’s open-source, interactive encyclopedia without pay — a purpose maximizer.

Surprise!  Wikipedia — now the world’s most popular encyclopedia, with 13 million articles in 260 languages — maxes out on personal motivation, massive value and combined purpose.  How many other industries today are likely candidates for Internet “re-purposing”?

We are at a very important crossroads in history.  Both the developed and developing worlds have a unique opportunity to transition to what makes all of us tick: what is inside of us, who we are, what we dream to be,  what is most important to us, how we want to be remembered.

Before you consider a career upon completing school, before you pursue a new job, before you give up on the unemployment line, consider the current environment.  Literally every citizen in this, the world’s freest country, can start any business with an iPhone or a BlackBerry and a laptop.  Barriers to entry have never been so favorable to the small business owner.

Are you intrinsically energized to achieve your MVP?  Then you stand on the threshold of a most interesting, exciting future.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world, as in being able to remake ourselves.”

Eleanor Roosevelt was quoted, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Carthaginian general Hannibal:  “We will either find a way, or make one!”

Yoda (from Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back):  “Do or do not.  There is no try.”

But success doesn’t come easy and, at the end of any given day, you may not be able to control each outcome.  Certain folks, for various reasons, will always resist change:  Therefore, we need as much enlightenment as possible to guide all of us intelligently and creatively into a bright future.

I’m frequently reminded of Yogi Berra’s admonition:  “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up some place else.”

About the Author

Through a series of chapter “conversations” about client dysfunctions and challenges encountered over 25 years, author and financial advisor, Gary Klaben, seeks to stimulate a new kind of conversation. Time and time again, people have watched helplessly as the family wealth-destruction cycle has gone from “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves” in three generations. His book, Changing the Conversation, seeks to empower readers to begin a journey of self-discovery in order to become masters of money, not slaves to it.

As some of you know, in addition to writing this blog I’m also the co-host of a podcast about sales and sales leadership.  One of the perks of that job is the fact that people send me free books to read and talk about.  I love my job!

This week, I’ve been reading Sharon Drew Morgen‘s book “Dirty Little Secrets: Why Buyers Can’t Buy and Sellers Can’t Sell and What You Can Do About It” in preparation for an episode of the Sales Management 2.0 Podcast that we’ll be recording this weekend.  I’ve gotta say, I’m blown away by the concept of the book.

Sharon Drew (yes, that IS her first name) is out to change the face of sales, and I’m signing on to help her in any way I can (and I’m only on chapter one of the book).  She’s created a system she calls Buying Facilitation, and it’s based on a simple premise, one that readers of this blog have heard before: while salespeople may control the sales process, your prospects control the buying process.  Which of those two processes do you suppose it’s more important to understand?  Well, if you really want to succeed, Sharon Drew says you should be far more concerned about what’s going on in the buyers head.

I’m not going to ramble on too much, mostly because Sharon Drew does such an excellent job of explaining the concept on her own blog.  I’ll defer to her wisdom on the subject and encourage you to a) go read her blog posts and form your own opinions of whether she’s a madwoman or a maven, and b) pick up a copy of “Dirty Little Secrets” to enjoy.

But I’ll warn you: don’t read the blog or the book unless you’re prepared to have your sales foundation rocked.  I’m not kidding when I say this book is going to be a full-on paradigm shift for a lot of people.

Oh, and I guess there’s a c)…listen to the podcast when it posts up next week over at Sales Management 2.0.  If Sharon Drew turns out to be as much fun as she sounds, this could be one of our best episodes ever.

“That age will be rich indeed when those relics which we call Classics, and the still older and more than classic but even less known Scriptures of the nations, shall have still further accumulated, when the Vaticans shall be filled with Vedas and Zandavestas and Bibles, with Homers and Dantes and Shakespeares, and all the centuries to come shall have successively deposited their trophies in the forum of the world. By such a pile we may hope to scale heaven at last.” – Henry David Thoreau in Walden

I know he wasn’t aware of it at the time, but I’m pretty sure Thoreau was talking about the internet when he wrote those words. We have the greatest repository of information the world has ever seen, right at our fingertips. That said, we should be the best-read generation of all time…but we’re not. A study conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2004 found that fewer than half of American adults read literature for pleasure. Fewer than half!

That’s a stunner, particularly considering the overwhelming evidence that being an avid reader is the one thing that most successful people have in common. Self-education by reading great books is a key to your personal development, which has to come before you can hope to make improvements in other areas of your life.

Understand this: if you want to improve your lot in life, you’re going to have to get in the habit of reading. A lot. Every day. Sorry: the fact that you don’t enjoy reading is entirely irrelevant. You’ll get used to it, and you’ll probably even start to like it after awhile. It may (and probably will) become one of your favorite activities. You’ll begin to wonder what you did all those years before you realized how delightful a good book can be.

And before you start to panic, I’m not one of those wackos advocating that you throw your TV away. I think it’s possible to do both…just not at the same time. Especially for those of you who aren’t accustomed to regular reading, you’re not going to want to start off with Moby Dick or Les Miserables to break yourself in. Try easing into the habit by reading something you know you’ll enjoy, a little at a time. If you’ll just commit to 15 minutes a day before you go to sleep, you’ll make a habit of it before you know it (and probably have more interesting dreams, too).

Once you’ve developed the habit, though, try picking up books that are a little more challenging, something that’s going to push the edges of your mind out just a little bit. Remember, the goal here is growth, so the more a book expands your intellect and forces you to think in new ways, the better. Thoreau nails it when he says that there is no difference “between the illiterateness of my townsman who cannot read at all and the illiterateness of him who has learned to read only what is for children and feeble intellects.” In other words, if what you’re reading doesn’t challenge your mind, you might as well go watch another episode of “Jersey Shore” (Thoreau predicted that, too).

It never ceases to amaze me that so many people neglect (or worse, refuse) to read. We have at our disposal the entire collection of human knowledge to this point in time; Thoreau would have given up his shack in the woods for the privilege to be here. He predicted that this time would come, and he said it would bring us one step closer to heaven.

Of course, that will only be true if we take advantage of our great privilege and develop a passion for reading. So what are you waiting for? What book is first on your list? Leave your current or future reading list in the comments section so we can compare notes.

I had a little time to catch up on some reading last week, and I’ve gotta tell you about two fantastic books that you should make it your goal to read as soon as possible.

The first is Og Mandino’s classic “The Greatest Salesman In the World“, and it’s one of those “life-changing” books (so read at your own peril) filled with “a-ha!” moments and epiphanies.  I’ve been hearing about what a great book this is for years, and it did not disappoint.  Mandino, through a cleverly-written business fable, reveals ten principles that will fundamentally change the way you think about selling.  I was so moved by the “secret” principles revealed, in fact, that I’ll be dedicating a post to each of them in the coming weeks.  If you haven’t read it, grab a copy and prepare to be moved.

The second is one of the “new classics” for business: “Go For No!” by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz.  Richard and Andrea were kind enough to contribute a guest post here last week, and it’s a great introduction to the ideas presented in the book.  ”Go For No!” is another from the business-fable genre, and an incredibly powerful one at that.  It’s based on the idea that the difference between mediocrity and greatness, in sales or anything else, all comes down to the way you deal with hearing “No”.  Sound familiar? Now you know why I’m such a big fan!  Get your copy today, read it immediately, and start putting the idea into practice!

Be sure to check back here tomorrow for the first part of the new Og Mandino inspired series: “10 Secrets To Becoming the Greatest Salesperson In the World”.

One of my favorite things in life is a good book, and one of my favorite authors is Dean Koontz.

I first started reading Koontz novels about 4 years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since.   For my money, he’s one of the best fiction writers alive today.  His books are incredibly entertaining ,and they always make me think about things I hadn’t considered or offer a new perspective on  life and death and being human.

What I never expected, though, was to write a blog post about the sales lessons I’ve learned from Mr. Koontz, but here it is.

#1 – It’s all about the story

Whatever else you might say about Koontz, there’s one thing no one can deny: the man can tell a story.  His books are at the same time thrilling and profound, but the parts that make you think are wrapped up in stories that are so compelling, it’s very likely you’re going to lose a few hours sleep.  More than once I’ve been so engrossed in a Koontz story that I’ve lost all sense of time and missed an entire night of sleep (Intensity was one such tale…read it at your peril).

Are the stories you share with your customers so compelling that they lose track of time and are surprised when they realize you’ve been chatting for an hour?  Or are they bored with your canned pitch 30 seconds into your presentations?  It’s a question worth considering, because your ability to engage your customers with great stories will directly correlate to your success as a salesperson.

One caution about stories, though: the goal should always be to move the ball forward.  When Koontz goes on a tangent, you can be sure that it has a purpose and will eventually be woven into the overall theme of the story.  Too often, salespeople tell stories that have no point and that have no correlation to the theme of their presentations.  Avoid those kind of stories.  No one enjoys them but you.

#2 – Being human means being flawed…deal with it

If there’s one thing I love about Koontz more than anything else, it’s that his “heroes” are all flawed, ordinary people, dealing with seemingly impossible circumstances.  They don’t have all the answers, and rarely do they make it through unscathed.  A Koontz protagonist is typically someone you can identify with.

I’ve talked before in this blog about the need for humility, and I think this drives that point home.  Being human means you’re going to make mistakes.  You’re going to screw up, and chances are pretty good it’ll happen again before the week is over.  And that’s OK.  Screwing up makes you human; it’s how you react to screwing up that determines the kind of person you are.

Do you take ownership of your mistakes?  Do you freely acknowledge your mistakes and humbly apologize to customers when things go wrong?  Or are you quick to point the finger, pass the buck, and play the blame game?  Your customers (at least the good ones) will appreciate your honesty and humility in admitting your mistakes.

#3 – The bad guys never give up

Usually a combination of superhuman and dangerously psychotic, Koontz’ bad guys are persistent, to say the least.  Just when you think the hero has them beat, you realize there are at least 40 pages left in the book and that the bad guy is definitely going to come back.

The “bad” guys in your own story (i.e., your competition) are every bit as relentless as Koontz’ antagonists.  They never sleep.  They are on the clock 24 x 7, looking for a weakness they can exploit.  OK…that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but a little paranoia can be a good thing.  The trick to staying one step ahead of the competition is the same one that Koontz’ heroes employ: just keep moving forward.  Don’t give up.  If you hang in there long enough, you can win.

Remember, a successful sales career is a marathon, not a sprint.

#4 – Respect the intelligence of your audience

While Koontz’ books aren’t considered “great literature” by many critics, they’re not exactly fluff, either.  Words like “ululating” and  ”sussurant” are always cropping up, forcing me to reach for the dictionary.  And that makes me feel like Koontz respects me as a reader.  He’s willing to challenge me, and he doesn’t talk down to me.  I get the sense that he believes I’m an intelligent person.

Is that how your customers feel?  Do you respect their intelligence and business savvy?  Or do you have a tendency to talk down to them, telling them what’s best for them?

I’m amazed at how many salespeople take this approach.  I’d like to point out that the business owner they are talking to was intelligent enough to build a business, whereas the salesperson still works for someone else.  Not that there’s anything wrong with working for someone else; just that they might want to show a little respect for someone who is out doing it on their own.

No matter how right you think you are or how good of a match your product is for them, you don’t ever have the right to treat your customer like a dummy when they disagree with you.

Koontz is a great author, and I love that I can get this kind of education while reading a great book.  What have your favorite authors taught you about business?