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• People Skills
• What's Your Sales I.Q.?
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People Skills
They Open Doors and Close Deals
by Jerry Hocutt

“People skills.  General David Petraeus has them.”  Tim Russert, host of NBC’s Meet the Press, on the four-star general leading the war in Iraq.

Warriors need people skills just like sales and customer service people?  What are people skills anyway?  How do they help you “win the war”, whether it’s with a mortal enemy or the customer you’re trying to sway?  Who has them?  How did they get them?  Are they skills that you can teach?  Are you born with them?  Who do you know who has them?  Who doesn’t? 

SuperRich, politicos, and dugout dictators
What’s the advantage of people skills?  Fame?  Fortune?  Political gain?  Winning?   How about Donald “What’s Going on with That Hair” Trump?  Does he have people skills?  And Oprah?  Both are rich and famous.  Compare Dick Cheney (R-Who Cares?) v. Barack Obama.  Who do you trust?  Who inspires you?  What about firebrand Lou Pinella (manager of the Chicago Cubs) and Joe Torre of the N.Y. Yankees? 

Why would Tim Russert even bring it up?  Why are people skills important?  Whether these famous people have them or not (and they’re doing just fine either way), why are we told we’ll never make it in sales unless we have them? 

Hearts and minds
Russert highlighted General Petraeus’ people skills during a discussion of the latest surge in Iraq.  The consensus is that this general is needed at this stage of the war because he is empathetic, knows how to build rapport, and can instill trust.  (Yet still pull the trigger when needed.)

“We need to have someone who can win their hearts and minds.”  We need someone with people skills. 

That’s what separates salespeople from Donald Trump.  He’s a billionaire with leverage who can force others to surrender to his whims.  That’s what separates salespeople from Dick Cheney who has a zip line to the Oval Office and can “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.”  That’s what separates Lou Pinella whose team has no choice.  They must obey.  These people don’t need people skills for their jobs.  They don’t need to win hearts and minds.  They’re not affected by polls.  They don’t care what others think.  What’s the difference?  Dictators dictate.  Salespeople persuade. 

General Tommy Franks was the general for winning the war.  General Petraeus is the general for winning the peace.  Salespeople are bridge builders like Petraeus.  (Yes, you can build bridges and be a fighter at the same time.)  Unlike Trump, Cheney, and Pinella who can use force to get their way, our customers get to choose their money’s winners. 

Mad Money
Saw a triple-shot, caffeine-high interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer of Mad Money on Tim Russert’s Saturday afternoon book review show.  I didn’t know much about Cramer, except for seeing a few short segments he’s done on the Today Show.  He’s too way-off-the-chart-Type-A-Heart-Attack-Waiting-to-Happen for me.  But watching the interview, he kind of grows on you.  I think I might actually like the guy.

Russert asked Cramer why he was so successful his first year as a broker at Goldman Sachs when he made $700,000 (1984 dollars).

“Because I made 33 cold calls each and every day.  Religiously.”  (Gotta love him already.)

“You?  Cold calls?” Russert asked. 

“Never missed a day,” Cramer proudly proclaimed.

Russert asked Cramer how he turned a cold call into a sale.  Cramer shared his secret. 

“Show me what you own, and I’ll tell you if it’s right,” Cramer would tell his prospects.  “If it wasn’t good, I’d suggest a couple of stocks he should track in the financials for the next month. After thirty days I’d follow-up and ask what he thought about my picks.  Because I was always right, I’d get my appointments and sales.” 

Cold calling and getting his foot in the door with his stock-watch approach won hearts and minds.  How about that?  A supersonic Type-A with people skills.  I’m impressed.

Not every job requires people skills, but our profession seems to be one of them.  “People do business with people they like and trust.”  People skills.  They open doors and close deals.

If you’re selling without them, you aren’t selling.

What's Your Sales I.Q?
What Your Handwriting
Says About You
by Jerry Hocutt

As the CEO, you’re looking for a candidate to be president of your company and ask for several handwriting examples.  Give yourself 10 points for each correct answer.

Question 1: The candidate doesn’t necessarily need to have “people skills” as much as being brilliant, living in the present, and loving physical activity.  These characteristics can be seen in: (a) the leftward slant of her writing; (b) no slant (all characters straight up and down); or (c) the rightward slant of her letters?

Question 2: Looking at the candidate’s writing you notice that her characters are small.  Is she: (a) brilliant; (b) illiterate; or (c) frustrated?

Question 3: The candidate for the presidency you want has to be highly energetic and thrive on opposition.  Such indications can be found in: (a) heavy pressure in the writing; (b) light pressure; or (c) inconsistent pressure (alternating between heavy and light)?

For answers click here>>

Every Vote Counts
“We in America do not have government by the majority.  We have government by the majority who participate.” – Thomas Jefferson

You’re Fired!
“Disney has the best casting.  If he doesn’t like an actor he just tears him up.” – Alfred Hitchcock

www.idiot.com
“One of the problems the Internet has introduced is that in the electronic village all the village idiots have Internet access.” – Peter Nelson

Mouse?
“When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?” – George Carlin