Motivation on the Run

The Redhead and I just spent five days with the granddaughter and I learned more lessons on leadership and management. In previous posts, I have focused on the positive traits of a three year-old, but today I want to look at the negative side and how it relates to sales and management.

The Good

There are some traits I want to foster in sales people and managers. In fact, I am a huge proponent of these particular items. They include:

1. asking questions
2. planning and carrying out actions
3. asking deeper questions to uncover motives
4. having fun, while productive
5. being punctual for meetings and appointments.

The Questionable

Now let’s look at how these can go completely wrong, when done the wrong way or at the wrong time. These are a few of the lessons learned after spending five days with a four year-old.

1. Asking the wrong question over and over again will never get the right answer.
2. Doing the wrong thing over and over will never make it right.
3. At some point, the question “why” loses its power.
4. There is a difference in child-like and childish.
5. Not much is funny at 4:41 AM

The first two remind me of the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing again and again while expecting different results.

The Best

Remember, when asking questions, it helps if you ask the right questions. Spend time studying and learning about your prospect, then formulate your questions.

If you do the same thing over and over, and it doesn’t work, step back and decide if you are doing the right thing. You may need to change angles or perspectives.

There is value in asking the same question several times, but wisdom knows when to accept (or reject) the answer and move on. Sometimes you need to rephrase the question to get a different answer. Be intelligent about it.

Something I’ve said for decades, “If it’s not fun, we need to do something else,” fits here. I don’t think work should cause misery. Yes, it can be difficult and includes goals and measures, but life is too short to work in misery. Have some fun, but accomplish great things.

Showing up for a meeting five minutes early is defined as “on-time” and walking in at the precise tick of the clock is “late.” Always be prompt, but don’t call a prospect at 4:41 AM to see “what they’re doing.” It’s not that funny.

Apply a dose of smart when planning a meeting with a prospect. Do your homework, prepare for the meeting, have fun (but don’t over do it), and be on time. These will get you a long ways down the road to success.