Do You Run Your Business Like The Auto Industry? You’re Probably Closer Than You Think! How the science of influence and persuasion can bail you out

Many of you know that I spent the majority of my “teeth-cutting” years in the auto industry. Working every aspect, from manufacturing, wholesale/distribution and retail gave me a unique perspective while watching the hearings over the past month. Well, I decided that I’d do my part to help the industry get back on their feet. You see, I have a vehicle that has a lease that’s concluding next month. No, I am not willing to pay full-sticker or more to support them, but with the lease expiring a trip to the local dealers was in order.

So off my seven-year old daughter and I headed last week to three dealerships (Note to consumers – Always bring young kids with you. You can leverage them as an exit strategy when you grow tired of the dealer's tactics!) We visited three dealerships and I believe that I’ve stumbled upon what the biggest problem is.

No, and let me be clear about this right from the get go, we were not treated badly or in a “customer unfriendly” manner. There’s already been enough written about that! My experience was a pleasant one. We were eagerly greeted by salesmen at each location and each seemed genuinely happy to see us (There were few/any other customers around). We had relatively little difficulty at each location selecting a vehicle and test-driving them. We even had no issues departing! There were none of the traditional “You can’t leave until you meet my manager” or “If I could get this vehicle to fit in your budget, would you be willing to drive it away today?” conversations (Kind of disappointing, I was ready to rumble and so was my seven-year old!)

Here is the interesting part, and perhaps the part that you can unfortunately relate to… No one followed-up with me to see how they could further assist me! There was no twenty-four hour call to say thank you for coming by, no seventy-two hour call to see where I was at in the purchase decision, no call at all!

So I started thinking, I wonder how many businesses out there meet a prospect and then never follow-up with them if they don’t buy right then and there? Do you behave like that? Worse yet, do the people that work for you behave like that?

The science of influence and persuasion points out two principles that should come to the rescue:

• Consistency – Whatever your follow-up process is with your customers, you need to do it each and every time! Develop your follow-up schedule and stick to it, and make certain that you are measuring the follow-up procedures of your people so that you properly manage their actions. The current economy has caused the length of time between “investigation” and “purchase decision” to lengthen considerably. Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up should be your mantra as the leader!


• Scarcity – When the customers are scarce, you’ve got to find a way to stay in touch with them. The one great thing about the car business is that incentives/loan rates change daily (make that hourly today!) This is exactly the type of information that you want to present to your customers so that you stay “in the loop” front and present with them. Remember, information that is new should be distributed immediately to your customers, not later on… NOW! Information is like fish… it’s best when it’s distributed fresh (no frozen comments here!)
  

As I was writing this, you’re never going to believe what just happened! That’s right, one of the salesman followed-up with me. He was neither “convincing” nor “sharing of information” with his call. He was using the same-old techniques that no longer work in this economy (I’ll let you guess what he said… write me an email at sp@pathosleadershipgroup.com and I’ll send you a copy of my book “The Influential Leader”).

So are you, or your people like the auto industry? If you’d like to make certain, write me an email and we’ll schedule a complimentary coaching session to assess where you, and your organization are at! Keep this in mind, the government probably isn’t going to bail you and your organization out anytime soon!

PS – I don’t know if any of the other salespeople will follow-up with me. Strike that, I definitely know one of them won’t. He never got my information to follow-up! (Your people do get follow-up information right?) Where have you gone Joe Girard?

You've got a Customer Testimonial...So What!?!

I just visited a blog that discusses the use of testimonials on your website (You can read it here Word of Mouth with a Bigger Mouth). So should you, or shouldn't you use a customer's testimonial on your website? Here was my answer to the blog as well as my comments below:

Great post...You are correct when it comes to testimonials and the connection to influencing others through their use!

The principles from the science of influence and persuasion that you are referring to is something I describe in my book (The Influential Leader) as “Social Norm” and it is analogous to a “herding” mentality that is deep-rooted within each of us! Simply put, if we perceive others doing similar, we will follow.

The use of testimonials is a tricky one though…So beware! There is a right way and a wrong way to put testimonials on your website. Often times, it’s best to not have them at all! So what is right and what is wrong? Here are two examples:

“Scott was fantastic!” – TL
“Scott was a driving force in allowing our customers to develop trust in us. As a result, our sales are up 50% in the last quarter!” – Thomas Leonard, Epson Electronics Sales Director

I would encourage people that place testimonials to do the latter example! If I can further assist, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sam Palazzolo, CPLP, MBA

Unfortunately, most who have testimonials don't give enough of the 5W's (Who, What, Where, When and Why) and they certainly don't give the "How" towards their success. Worse still, they give a "confidential" name as to who had such nice words about them!

Don't get me wrong, testimonials are great when used properly. They build trust with people that might not know you. However, when used properly they can be better left "unsaid" if you know what i mean!

Are You a Professional Speaker? You are to Me!

Are you like Cavett?

One of my favorite National Speaker Association “Voices of Experience” (VOE) tracks from the last year was on Cavett Robert and the impact he had on NSA’s organization and membership. You’ve probably heard the same track where everyone has such wonderful things to say about him. There are two thoughts that cross my mind as I recall it…

First, Cavett always sat in the front-row at every presentation he attended and took notes. He would always learn something from whoever was presenting and perhaps most importantly, he’d make a point of meeting the speaker afterward to tell them how he thought that they were the best speaker he’d heard! He didn’t stop paying compliments to those that gave presentations, he’d also tell people that he was having regular conversations with how they should become professional speakers (Legend has it that he’d even say the same to garbage men!) So do you act like Cavett? Who have you told that they speak great and that they should become a professional speaker? I know that my life changed dramatically the day Tim Durkin said something similar to me!

Second, I mentioned that everyone on the VOE had such wonderful things to say about Cavett. Who doesn’t like to hear good things about themselves? I only hope that they shared the same thoughts with him when he was still with us. November 14th is a reminder day for all members of NSA to remember Cavett. I say we celebrate the entire month by telling those we enjoy why they are special people in our lives. Who knows, maybe they’ll want to become members of NSA as well!

Visit our "Affiliates" page to learn how you can become certified with Pathos (www.PathosLeadershipGroup.com). The benefit to speakers, coaches or trainers is that you can compliment your A+ material with the breadth of ours (See all we have to offer on the Training page of the website).

Sam Palazzolo, CPLP
President & Chief Influence Officer
Pathos Leadership Group

Where Have All The Cowboys Gone - Influential Sales and the Economy

Paula Cole asked a few years ago, and it bears repeating during this tough economic period..."Where have all the cowboys gone?" This past weekend, I met one that is worth telling you about.

On Sunday afternoon, my wife and family decided to have a little "family day" that consisted of us going to a few open houses and then visiting a couple of car dealerships. My kids initially resisted, but later loved tearing through the open homes (Sorry realtors!) We like to do this because it is a great learning experience to share with our kids what's really important. We always do a debrief after each home and discuss what they liked, what they didn't like, what we have at our current house, etc.

The highlight of the day was when we went to a few car dealerships. Here in Texas, because of the labor "blue" laws, dealerships can only be open one of the two weekend days. If they're open on Saturday, they must be closed on Sunday and vice-versa. Most chose this pattern, but a few like to "swim upstream" and close on Saturday to be open on Sunday. We chose to visit the ones that were open on Saturday and close on Sunday. Even though I worked in the car business for nearly 16 years, my wife summed it up when she explained to our oldest daughter when she asked "Why are we going there, they look closed?" My wife answered in her usually honest way by saying "This way we won't be bothered by any pushy salesperson!"

That's when we met him...The Cowboy! We visited the Park Place Lexus dealership in Grapevine, Texas expecting to be all alone, browsing the hundreds of new/used vehicles un-bothered. To our surprise, there was one lonely salesperson there to greet us. Now he was not pushy or obstructive to our mission, and many dealers post "inventory takers" at their lots on Sundays. That is to say, many Ford, Chrysler, GM, Hundai, Kia dealers. Here was a Lexus dealership doing the same! I was shocked, amazed and simultaneously horrified by our encounter.

How bad is the economy that a salesperson at the cream of the crop Lexus dealer in the country has to have "inventory takers" on the lot on a Sunday? This dealership won the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award and the State of Texas Quality Award "equivalent" for goodness sake! Our salesperson, David greeted us with a great smile and was dressed casually for the Sunday (Except for the $7,500 watch he was sporting!) He was doing the same thing that other "less than" dealerships have to do to get sales leads.

Here's the bottom line...He was there so that he could sell a car or two in the coming week. He was missing the football games so that he could build his sales leads for the coming week. Was he successful? From the look of his portfolio notepad with all the names he had written down, he was getting the leads. Will they all buy from him? Who knows! But don't miss the point, he was working just as hard, if not harder, to do his job.


What do you do that others won't or aren't willing to do so that you can be the best in your position? Do you want to sell more, even in this economy? Here's an offer for you...The week of November 17th we'll be hosting an "Influential Sales" webinar series. You can read about it at http://www.pathosleadershipgroup.com/. We'll be discussing how you can get the "Influential Edge" to compete and win in today's tough economy. I want you to be a part of this webinar! Send me an email at sp@pathosleadershipgroup.com and I'll invite you to a complimentary overview, or "test drive" on how we perform our webinars for maximum impact!


Sam Palazzolo
President & Chief Influence Officer @ Pathos Leadership Group - Home of the Influential Edge!
Visit us at www.PathosLeadershipGroup.com

Rumors of my Death...

Mark Twain said it, and now it's my opportunity too as well...

"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated"

Imagine my surprise last Friday when I received a Google Alert on my name. Now the surprise shouldn't come from my name being out there in cyberspace (Last month I was published in 40+ periodicals from an article on "Influential Communication"). No, the surprise came because of who had me in their website, the Michigan Obituaries!

I was shocked...I was horrified...I was outraged...But most of all, I was reflective. As I looked at the words that summarized my life, there was so much more that I wanted to accomplish. There was so much more that I wanted to do. There were so many more people that I wanted to help!

OK, OK...It wasn't really my obituary, the name "Palazzolo" while not being that common a name outside the Italian community within the community can be strong in numbers. This weekend I played in a softball tournament (See...I couldn't really be dead, right?) and there was a gentleman that I met whose grandmother was a "Palazzolo"!

I read the obituary half a dozen times and then it sank in for me. I asked myself "What if this was the time to write your obituary? After all, I am getting older and I did pull a hamstring during game 1 of the softball tournament (It left for a really bad hobble/wobble and everyone calling me "Gimpy"...Apparently that was the 8th dwarf that never made it off of the cutting-room floor!)

In our "Influential Storyteller" sessions we look at this deep issue. What would your obituary say? Who would it mention as being left behind? What would be your greatest accomplishments? Where do you live? What were you best known for?

Perhaps the most important area discussed during this "Science of Influence" looks at leadership discussion is the most difficult for participants to grasp. It brings about tears during each and every session. The emotional impact is P-O-W-E-R-F-U-L (POWERFUL). Here's the "tear-jerker" question...

What legacy are you leaving behind?

Take a moment today...Look at the obituaries in your local paper and say a prayer for the families and friends who have lost a loved one. Then think of what if that was your name staring back at you from the black+white print? If it was written today, would you be happy with what it said? If it was written ten years from now, would you be even more pleased? What legacy did you leave behind? The issue of "legacy" is it that heart and sole of being an Influential Leader!

If you'd like more information on our "Influential Storyteller" or any of our other programs, please drop me a line at info@pathosleadershipgroup.com. We have sessions scheduled regularly through webinars, or we'd love to come to you/your organization!

SP

So What's Your Title? - How the Science of Influence Effects You!

I received an email today...Not that big of a deal right? You probably did too! I read the message, but noticed something unusual that I wanted to bring to your attention. It was the "title" underneath the person's name that stood out...Here it is:

Peer Assistance and Leadership and Link Crew Sponsor Communication Applications, Psychology, Sociology Gallup Strengths: Self-Assurance, Focus, Learner, Relator, Ideation

You are probably asking the same question I asked myself..."What?" I'd ask each of us to look at our signature that gets sent out on each and every email that we send and reflect "What does this say about me?" or more importantly "Do I have a call to action that I want the person receiving my email to perform?"

A few years ago I had the experience of attending a workshop where all we did was develop our signature lines. I never realized the importance of that workshop until today! This one email signature strikes me as both odd and overly-informative simultaneously.

Now I know what some of you are going to say "Why do you care?" The reason I care is that in our Influential Communication workshop we discuss the accuracy of how every-little aspect of our public/private persona is multiplied by 10x when put into a non-verbal format. The reason being that we as human beings tend to "Dr. Phil" each and every email/text message/website that we encounter and analyze them six different ways 'til Sunday! What comes across as perhaps an "insiders Rosetta stone" turns into an outsiders puzzle. We often times are left guessing, and when it comes to "guessing" we generally do not guess correctly!

So what does your email signature line say to everyone, both insiders and outsiders? I'll bet you'll look at making a modification after reading this!

If you'd like more information on our upcoming Influential Communication session, please send me an email at info@pathosleadershipgroup.com... I'll be looking for your signature line!

Sam Palazzolo
President & Chief Influence Officer
Pathos Leadership Group
http://www.pathosleadershipgroup.com/

Look Who Was Listening to Mr. Influence?

Earlier in the week I had a great time presenting to the TRMA (Telecommunications Risk Management Association) at their annual meeting in Alexandria, Virginia. I gave a keynote presentation on "Influential Customer Retention" and the people were really appreciative. I got one of my favorite quotes from an audience participant saying "My only regret is that we didn't have enough time together - - I want more!" I love talking about the Science of Influence, and in particular how using the study can advance your business leadership position. This one was no different. I made a claim during the presentation, that if you put to use the Science of Influence you'll have the opportunity to use it to your advantage on even the most skeptical of clients, your kids!

So what did I do yesterday? You guessed it...I spoke to a group of High School Students here in Dallas, Texas. Our topic was a splinter of Communication, one of the 10 Critical Skills I identified in "The Influential Leader", that being effective listening. The group was awesome and we had a good time. We identified several interesting ways in which they perform "Visual Listening", perfect if you are trying to sell to, or just plain communicate with this Generation Z group! If you'd like more information, please send me an email at sp@pathosleadershipgroup.com.

Next week is the last week to enroll in the "Influential Leader" webinar series which begins October 14th and runs for 10 consecutive weeks. During each week, we'll cover one of the 10 critical skills identified in "The Influential Leader". Each week, there will be a one-hour webinar on Tuesday that will overview the weeks topic (Perfect for the Chief Executive, Company President or Business Owner to see how they want to position the material in their organization.) On Thursday of the week there will be a four-hour workshop (Perfect for the Key Leaders in the organization.) If you want more information on this, please email me at info@pathosleadershipgroup.com.

What Can a Hurricane Do For You?

Hurricanes are all the rage these days, and not in a good way for those in their way! As I watched Gustav take aim on the Louisiana coast the other week and Ike bear down on the Texas coast this week, I thought of the hurricane that has become synonymous with me and Pathos Leadership Group.

Four years ago on September 12th, 2004, a hurricane named Ivan was ripping through the warm waters of the Carribean. A category 3 hurricane, it was big and bad enough to consider a threat to all in its path. I was oblivious to it! After all, I lived in Dallas/Fort Worth, which is far enough inland to not have to worry about too many hurricanes. Unfortunately, I wasn't in land-locked DFW at the time.

A month earlier (August), I was chosen by my employer to host a recognition trip to Cancun, Mexico for 200 sales leaders. I'd helped structure the trip, how the candidates would qualify and even announced the winners. Usually, that's where my participation ended...Always the bridesmaid and never the bride. I rarely got to go on these recognition trips, which was really disappointing because they were always in great locations (NCAA Final 4 of the Men's Basketball Tournament, the Super Bowl, the NCAA Football National Championship, etc). This time, I petitioned and politicked hard to get on this trip to Mexico. I had never been to Mexico and these trips were first class all the way, so I worked to get on the "invite" list. NOTE: My mother always said be careful what you ask for! Your mother too? Small world...I should have listened.

When we landed in Cancun it was beautiful...Blue sky above, 90* temperature, 15 mph trade wind...Break out the Coppertone! 10 hours later the recognition dinner was in full swing with lots of dancing, drinking and whooping it up! Then the meeting planner approached me and looked terrible. Her hair was normally all spiked up and crazy looking. Now, with sweat dripping off the ends of her hair, she looked like a member of the Beattles who had just run a marathon! I asked her what was up and with panic filled eyes she told me "Hurricane Ivan is coming right at us! There's a 90% probability that it will be a direct hit on the peninsula of Cancun." I'll never forget that moment or the next one. Because the next moment I looked over at the table of VIP company executives. They were having a similar conversation with the senior executive. At the conclusion of his remarks, they all got up from their seats. From across the room, one looked directly at me, he even pointed to me to make certain that we'd made eye contact, and then he gave me the thumbs up. All of them then left the ballroom together and in a hurry.

I asked one of the other company rep's what are we doing? He told me that the executives were all getting on the G5 and heading back to Texas. I told him "Great, I haven't even unpacked my bags up in my room. Where are we meeting...In the lobby in 10 minutes?" He informed me that we weren't going anywhere, the executives were leaving...NOT US!

At that moment a range of emotions and thoughts went through my head. I felt betrayed and mad that the executives were leaving us behind. I was scared that I'd never see my Dad, Mom, wife and kids again. The hotel manager tried to reassure us that they had enough food and water for 14 days in the event of a direct hit. Unfortunately, if there was a direct hit everyone would be evacuated to the airport. There, they only had enough food and water for the thousands of people that would show up for 48 hours!

I went back to my room and called my Dad. He knew I was there and he was an avid weather watcher. He told me that the storm was coming right for me. He knew that I was in trouble. I put on the performance of a lifetime and told him and my Mom that I was OK and everything would work out. I had similar conversations with my wife and kids. After both conversations I hung up the phone and cried. I then dropped to my knees and prayed. I prayed for a way out. I prayed that I'd see my Dad again. I prayed that I'd see my family. Surely this isn't where it was supposed to end for me is it?

Right then and there I received a sign. It was more like a directive. The thought went through my head saying "If you get out of here, you've got to get out of here!" I had always said that I wanted my own business again. I had always loved the leadership topics. Right then and there I said to myself and God that if I get out of this alive, I am going to start my own company and do what I want to do. Four years ago today, the building blocks of what Pathos Leadership Group (http://www.pathosleadershipgroup.com/) were formed!

There have been three "flash points" in my life. Hurricane Ivan was one of them! So what can a hurricane do for you? If you're like me, everything! It can help you align what you've always said that you were going to do and get you to do it. In writing this, most of you will never feel the effects of a hurricane. Hopefully, you'll never feel the betrayal I experienced. Do you need a hurricane-like I experienced to change your thoughts and change your life? You decide...

The "Science of Influence", Barack Obama & The Democratic National Convention

A client called me yesterday to ask me a question about the Democratic National Convention that is currently taking place in Denver. Just when you thought the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing couldn't be topped! He couldn't escape the press covereage, even though he tried! Here was his question, "The press is covering every aspect of the convention (Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton even Barack Obama's Wife and Kids (Michelle Obama + Malia Ann and Natasha), but where is Barack?"

Those of you who know the "Science of Influence" know that the Democratic National Committee has a lot to win this election year. They also have a lot to lose! Those behind the scenes, like Obama campaign manager David Plouffe know exactly what makes you and I "tick".

Why you don't see Barack Obama front and center initially at the Democratic National Convention is because of the "Science of Influence" principle of "Scarcity". As a society, we are hard-wired to want what there is little of, or what is scarce! David Plouffe and the rest of the Democratic Leadership know that if they flooded the convention with Barack Obama we would tune-out and potentially turn-off! My client remembered the story I told during one of my seminars about Eddie Murphy and Ritz Crackers. The "scarcity" scenario dictates whether you love them or see them as part of the scenary!

Let me go on record as saying that I am neither pro nor con regarding the Democratic Party, Barack Obama, his wife and kids, even the Clintons! There are plenty of blogs you can go to where they'll tell you exactly who to vote for (That's the "Science of Influence" principle of "Authority" at play). Instead, I'll encourage you to watch the convention and see if you can discover what "Science of Influence" principles are in action! It will make the event much more enjoyable, unless you're just watching for the firewords!

I've Seen The Future and It Looks Like This Guy!

A guy walks into a coffee bar with a laptop, guitar, video camera and a cigar...

That's either the beginning of a really bad joke or what the Influential Tecky would take advantage of! (See http://www.pathosleadershipgroup.com/ for more information on the Influential Leader) I know how much you enjoy my jokes, even though I know they're funny! Obviously the answer is what the Influential Tecky would take advantage of, and it was an awesome experience for me to tell you about.

Many of you know that last year I had an "Attractor Factor" with Dr. Joe Vitale (http://www.mrfire.com/) from "The Secret" fame. Well, as fate would take me, I was introduced to Pat O'Bryan late last year. Pat wrote the book on internet marketing and entrepreneurship called "Your Portable Empire" (That's him in the picture...He looks pretty stressed out huh?). The theory behind the book is that if you get good at Technology (Hello Influential Tecky!), you can really set up home-base where ever you want and be where ever you want to be and still make a living. Simple, straight forward, and well worth the read (Find out more about Pat at his website http://www.patobryan.com/ ).

Tuesday night I was invited to meet with Pat. Now even though we're both in Texas, Pat lives down in the hill country (Wimberley, TX) and I live in the DFW Metroplex (Keller, TX), so there is about 250 miles between us. With gas being nearly $4/gallon, I wasn't scared of the "fill-up fee" of driving there. However, I don't have the time right now! And this is where Pat has filled the gap by finding http://www.justin.tv/ and creating his own television channel at http://www.portableempire.tv/ .

The broadcast was filled with Pat playing his guitar, drinking coffee, holding a cigar and talking to the audience of nearly 70 people about what he was up to. There was a chat feature where he could interact with us ("If what you're doing isn't working STOP doing it!" he told one person), and we could interact with each other! The hour was filled with great questions/answers on how to be successful on the net and more than one technical "opportunity" or challenge, but still a great time was had by all. I remember my family's first color television. An awesome day for the Palazzolo family and that's what this day reminded me of. I can still see my Dad adjusting the rabbit ears to pull in that reception...Good times!

My challenge to you is this...In "The Influential Leader" I talk about how technology is coming at us faster and more furious than ever before, and that we must truly be Masters of it in order to be influential. Watching Pat from Wimberley reminded me of how far we've come, and scared the you know what out of me regarding where we're going! It ought to do the same for you. So what are you doing today that is going to allow you to Master technology? Is it dusting off that Microsoft Office coursebook that brought us together for the first time? Are you going to search the net today for how you can become more influential? Are you going to write yourself an action plan on how you can stop wasting 15 minutes a day on nothing and start doing something technology related to make you better?

This weekend is an exciting time for me...It marks the launch of 2 new websites where I will serve those that want to get the "Influential Edge" working for them! One site (The "Influence Revolution" at http://www.influencerevolution.com/ ) is dedicated to reviewing the content of "The Influential Leader" where we'll work through the 10 Critical Skills identified to make you more successful. Here's the best part, there will be no travel for you or for me! No $4/gallon of gas being burned driving to/from the session, no being out of the office for the day, and no wasting of your time! What's in it for me...No planes/trains/automobiles and no phone calls from little girls asking "Daddy, when are you coming home?". We're going to be doing all of our training online via WebEx (http://www.pathosleadershipgroup.webex.com/). Real simple, real straight forward, real good! If you've got time to sit in on the "live" session, great! If you can't spare the hour at whatever time we're launching, great! Why "great"? Every session will be recorded so you can receive the information at your convenience, or participate in something termed "Virtual Training" or "Training on Demand".The other site (http://www.gotinfluence.com/) is dedicated to coaching. This business came out of nowhere for me last year when I had people approach me on taking them to their next level! I had a participant throw me the "Got Influence?" tagline to me similar to the "Got Milk?" campaign and well, it just made perfect sense to me to explore this deeper. I joined the International Coach Federation and began developing my skills as a coach to make certain I can provide 30x my clients investment in value. It's worked so far, and good news must get around because I was approached by Vistage International (www.vistage.com) to start Fort Worth, Texas' first Chief Executive membership group!

I'll be running limited introductory offers during the month of June and I hope you are fortunate to get one of the slots to work with me in these new endeavors...It's going to be awesome!

Who knows where this will lead us? I am dedicated to providing the best tools possible through the most comfortable medium for you! Who knows, someday you may be tuning in to watch Pat and I broadcasting live from a coffee house in Wimberley, Texas together!

Sam Palazzolo Speaker Video

Here is a look at my newest Speaker Video...Check it out!

Can You Influence Trust?

Today I was fortunate enough to sit-in on a conference call with Stephen M.R. Covey who wrote “The Speed of Trust”. His call was on the topic of trust and he asked participants to forward on to him a question regarding the difficulties they face in implementing trust into their daily lives (Both personal and professional).

Stephen brought up a great topic right off the bat. He said that one of the things that he’s noticed since publishing the book is that there has been so much “ripe” headlines that challenged trust. With the foreclosure market going crazy, gas prices hitting new highs, executives receiving record compensation levels, etc… there is no shortage of examples from which to choose! What’s a poor agent of trust to do? What all of this negative press leads to is a tremendous amount of distrust. Worse yet, people being people actually reciprocate this lack of trust towards others first and foremost! This leads to a downward spiral of trust. We don’t even give people the benefit of the doubt, we look at them with downward trust eyes.

This made Mr. Influence think…”Could there be a lesson from the ‘Science of Influence’ at work here?” Guess what, there is! Trust as you know, is the capstone skill you must possess for success in order to become an “Influential Leader” (Check out the book…You’ll love it!). If everyone is in a position of distrust and we are giving it right back to them, then we actually have two of the principles at play…Reciprocation and Social Norm.

How does the “Influential Leader” break away from the pack and make headway in a world that’s gone sans-trust? First they will have to initiate the giving of trust to the other party. Why? Because without giving trust first, nothing will happen. But what if I do not receive trust in return? You might not! Which is why the second point is strict measurement/evaluation. The “Influential Leader” must measure the return amount of trust. Now this isn’t to say measure it to the point of “keeping score” on a severity level. Instead, just measure whether the other party returned anything at all! Regardless of the size of the trust returned (Big or Small gesture), just say that you received trust. The evaluation of trust involves determining sooner rather than later if any trust was returned. Why? Because if none was returned, then continued deposits of trust may not be in your best interest (But certainly in the other party’s best interest…Just like they’d like it!).

So can you influence trust? The answer, YES! Remember, the “Influential Leader” gives first, gives often, but measures/manages who receives trust and how often to make certain that it is going to the right people!

Influential Legacy?

What is your legacy? Really, what are you leaving behind for those you love to remember you by?

A year ago today my Father, Sam Palazzolo, passed away after what can only be described as a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Dementia for several years. The last years of his life were not indicative at all of his life’s legacy or the influence he had while here. He was a single individual who touched many with the “love” that oozed from his being.

I spent the last year performing keynote addresses, seminars/workshops/webinars and coaching one-to-one around the country/internationally. I always made a point to introduce his favorite statue, a James Fraser bronze titled “End of the Trail”. To my Father this bronze represented how he wanted to “go out”, or his legacy as he saw things. The bronze represents a rendering of a despondent Indian and his forlorn horse, an enormous hit at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, that has come to symbolize the decline of Native Americans, "a moving parable of a losing people," as the sculptor put it. I was fortunate enough to view it in Oklahoma City (http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org).

From my Father’s perspective the statue represented giving life your all. He used to tell me when all is said and done, that he wanted to be remembered by everyone as someone who gave it all he had. He wasn’t the fastest individual; didn’t believe that he was the smartest; but did believe in himself and that he had the persistence to be the best!

The result of giving everything he had touched many. To know him was to love him, because he loved you! That was his greatest legacy, LOVE.

In remembering his spirit today, I’d ask you to reach out to those you love and tell them that you love them. Amazing things will happen for you when you do…Some old-doors will probably shut (My Father would say that they probably should have shut a long time ago!). Some new-doors will open, and it is these new doors that you will find the most peace/harmony in walking through.

So what is your legacy? Drop me a note at spalazzolo@pathosleadershipgroup.com and let me know.

Thank you for all the love and support you have shown me and my family over the last year. I can’t tell you how much comfort your warm thoughts and prayers have done!

Sam P.

The Influential Decision Maker!

Who gets the worm? Why the early bird, of course!

Who gets the business? Stay tuned...

This week marked another "fork in the road" opportunity for me. It was "man versus machine" time at the Palazzolo house. No, not me versus my computers! Instead, it was me versus my lawn mower. Yes, while most North Texans have already mowed their yards weekly for the last month, I have adopted a new "organic" approach and let my yard grow. Grow that is until I got a postcard from the home owners association requesting I take a "less than organic" approach. I'll spare the granola comments I spewed from my mouth upon receipt of said postcard for now!

Out to the garage I went to fire up old Toro. Last year, after 12 years of ownership I finally had him tuned-up. $95 later (I paid only $65 for him) I was guaranteed that "He'll run just like new!". I didn't purchase him new, so I assumed he'd run better than the sputtering/choking machine I'd experienced. Well, he did run great. He ran great that first time out of the shop. The rest of the season he was plagued with what I can only call "premature completion anxiety" for which I am certain there is a pill! The poor old-boy could barely finish the lawn without stalling 4-5 times...He was pathetic for a 15 year old! Well here was his opportunity to redeem himself after taking the Winter off. One pull (potato), two pulls (potato), three pulls (potato), four pulls (potato)...This could go on and on and on...because it did! Some twenty pulls later I decided that poor old Toro had seen his best days. My shoulder on the other hand would take some serious icing down by my massage therapist "Ms. Coors"!

Fortunately we have great neighbors who are lazy and don't cut their own lawns. My wife actually talked with several at an event known as "Bunco" or "Bunko" or however you spell it or drink it or whatever they do at those get togethers. These ladies in attendance were happy to recommend their own "crew" to her. I got their numbers the next morning and began to call. I left messages for all of them and asked them to come on down to my house and view the yard and give me an estimate. This might have been a sign that I did not get a single one of them on the phone! Guess what? Not one of them returned my phone calls! Business must be good this time of year in North Texas, so I did what any "organic" grower would do...I waited for the crew that handles my next door neighbor and approached them!

These guys were real good. They could have told me it was $100 per cutting and I would have said "Ok"! Fortunately they didn't and after a couple of go-'rounds we got to a price point that was mutually agreeable.

Here's the moral of the story...Business today does not always go to the best. I have no doubt in my mind that the crews recommended by the ladies of bunco/bunko may do a better job than the crew I ultimately hired. Unfortunately I'll never find out! Why? Because business today go's to the quick! The crew that I was able to have quick access to got the job. You will get more business than your counterparts if you are simply quicker than them. John Maxwell in his book "Talent is Never Enough" says this is true if you don't belive me!

Think quick, act quick, be quick. Jack be Nimble, Jack be Cashing Checks!

PS - I still have not received a call from any other lawn crew...Maybe they drove by and noticed my "organic" experience was no more!

The Influential Coach - Vistage VI

Are You “Getting Real”?

I just completed a week-long training session in San Diego, California…It has got to be one of my favorite places on Earth! Six days with 22 of the best coaches in the country (No Mom…I didn’t count me!). The seminar focus was on how to be the best coach possible. Let me rephrase that…the BEST Coach you can be! It was an awesome experience and there were several times when I was driven to tears. Why?

The focal point of the week was spent on what I’ll call “Getting Real”. What exactly is “Getting Real”? This is the concept that Susan Scott tackles in her A1 book titled “Fierce Conversations”. Here’s the concept…Most conversations are either superficial, superfluous, non-value added, fake, crappy, avoiding the real issue, beating around the bush, miss the mark, etc. Why? Here comes the BIG Ah Hah for the week…There is pain associated with finding the truth, or “Getting Real”!

This probably never happens to you…You need to have a conversation about something, but you avoid having it. If you have the guts, you do have it, but you miss the mark regarding what the conversation is all about or should be about. The issue for the most part go’s unresolved…Regardless of how small, sooner or later this issue becomes HUGE and you are miserable. Here’s an analogy…A frog that gets placed in boiling water jumps out. Why? The frog senses the temperature difference (HOT!) and doesn’t want any part of it so it jumps out of the boiling water before becoming frog soup. On the other hand, a frog that is placed in a pot of water at tap temperature that then gets the heat turned on gets cooked! Why? The frog didn’t sense the temperature change and its fate or destiny was determined…One order of frog soup coming right up!

Consider that frog in the second example to be the issue that never gets resolved because we lack the courage to “Get Real” and have the fierce conversation…We’re frog soup!
So what kind of conversations are you avoiding in business? What conversations are you avoiding in your personal life? Which are the ones that will lead you to become soup like our green friend?

Here’s the plan…write me an email at spalazzolo@pathosleadershipgroup.com and tell me what your conversation is that you are going to hold to help you “Get Real” as well as the date you commit to having it. How will I help? I’ll email you on the date you say you are going to “Get Real” and have the fierce conversation. Why? If I don’t keep you honest and “inspect what we expect” you and I both know what’s going to happen…NOTHING!

Come on…Let’s “Get Real”!

New England – Don’t Like The Way Things Are Going?

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue…Ok, I got the Italian reference out of the gates quickly today! In 1620, the Pilgrims landed on North American soil in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. During my New England trip I got to visit this town and take in the sights. As I stood at Plymouth Rock it was mesmerizing. Ok, it was absolutely terrible weather for sightseeing! But one of the things I love most about travelling the country performing the “Influential Leader” series is learning about the area’s history. On this day though, history-schmistory…The thoughts racing through my head were pre-empted by “What if…”. So I thought to myself there in that brutally cold March day with the gray clouds above and the rain/ice pellets blowing sideways into me…”I wonder if the Pilgrims were happy with where they landed?”.

I know that you can say that they didn’t know any better, right? I mean, they were pursuing the very freedoms from which they were persecuted for back home. That’s one of the reasons why they left in the first place. I’ll give them that…It’s a very compelling reason at that! So with the weather being the weather and all, I couldn’t help but think “If they had only caught a different trade wind or coastal current I could be standing in sunny and warm 80* temperatures in Plymouth, Florida”!

I read a book on the plane ride home by Timothy Koegel called “The Exceptional Presenter” (You can visit Tim at http://www.theexceptionalpresenter.com/ ). I am always looking to “flex” my Influential Leader mind and even though I hadn’t heard of Tim the title caught my eye so I picked it up. Reading the book proved to be some of my best spent time of the entire trip! One of the thoughts that he pursues is that you must exercise daily to see long term results. In other words, if you make minor modifications to your course today, you will reap huge benefits from that original modification years down the road. Want big results? Do a little each day that works towards those results.

Tim’s thoughts on changing course is kind of similar to our Pilgrims! If only they had caught one of those trade winds or currents, their future would have been forever changed. Deep Thought: Not only would their futures have been different, but so would our present!

Here’s the message…If you are unhappy with the current place you are in, then you need to do the things daily which will lead to long-term success. Don’t think that you can “flip the switch” down the road and make it happen. You’ve got to start now and stick to it. This will take discipline. This will take courage. This will require you to become an “Influential Leader”.
I told this during one of my Influential Leader sessions. A lady raised her hand and told me that the official term for the weather I experienced is “Raw”! Did I mention that I left my coat in Texas…

New England - The "Rock"!

The last two weeks travels brought me to another Sam Palazzolo first…The New England states! There are several highlights to the trip, and several lowlights! Over the next several weeks I’ll write about them all. One of the high’s was going and visiting Plymouth, Massachusetts…Home of the Plymouth Rock.

I couldn’t help but stare at this iconic masterpiece that stands for so much. Imagine being there in 1620 with the Pilgrims as they set foot on land. If it was a day like mine, it was gray, cloudy one with an occasional misting rain that blew sideways in the bitterly cold 33* weather (Wind chill temperature=27*…Sam’s coat=Still in Texas!). Imagine the hopes and dreams of those involved that would get them to set out on a boat the size of most average houses today. Imagine the long, long, long journey across the Atlantic. Imagine what greeted them in Plymouth…Nothing. Nothing or was it Everything? I mean, today I can barely travel without a great cup of coffee in the morning, noon and night (Insert Starbucks plug here!). You know that the coffee generation is in full swing when people give you directions by telling you “You’ll drive a mile, take a right at the Starbucks and …”.

As I sat there and stared at this rock, I asked myself “What were they thinking?” and “What are you thinking not bringing a coat?” Perhaps their thoughts back then can give us some insight as to how we should think today. If your thought patterns are driving you to give everything that you have up in order to go for something you believe in is better, then you’ve arrived at the Rock with me that afternoon. I remember reading a quote from Tom Peters back in 1995 when he was saying “If you’re not pushing hard enough to get fired, you’re not pushing hard enough”. There weren’t any Pilgrims during my visit that weren’t made of cement or metal (i.e., Statues)! Who can blame them with the weather and all? If there had been, I bet we could have found out some pretty deep “Influential Leader” qualities. Qualities that would lead an individual to truly influence their future. Qualities that lead individuals to change the course of their future, and in so doing change history as we know it.

What are you doing? What are you actually doing to influence your future? Are you leading yourself to be something better? Are you pushing hard to get fired? Are you changing the course of history for yourself and others? If not, be more like a Pilgrim!

Here is how the story ends…Now a rock in any other town is simply called a rock. But not this one, this is the “Plymouth Rock” we’re talking about. Sean Connery and I met later that evening at a pub to discuss the Rock as it’s known locally and…

What FedEx Kinkos Could Learn From The Marriott?

I had a conference a few weeks ago in San Francisco, CA...Ahh NOCAL! I love that part of the country. There just seems to be something there that sets me at ease...Perhaps its the people, perhaps the food, perhaps the drink (Perhaps a combination of all the above?).

Regardless, we had a great stay in Sonoma at one of the Marriott's properties (http://www.marriott.com/) and something special happened. Not only did the staff upon check-in invite my wife and I to a wine tasting that evening, but when they found out that it was her birthday they sent to our room an assortment of chocolates (My wife's favorite even!). It was an awesome experience and I couldn't thank the staff enough for their hospitality.

And now, the 360* turn...

I am preparing to go out on the road for two weeks to support my new book, "The Influential Leader". I prepare a one-page summary handout for those that join me for my presentations which I send over to FedEx Kinkos (www.fedex.com/us/officeprint/main/). I've done this for the past 4 years and it usually is a piece of cake. I upload my Adobe file (Much more reliable than trying to determine if my fonts will come through in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel or whatever). I then drop by the location (10 blocks from my house) a few hours later (They usually call me within a 2 hour window to let me know the job is done) and I am all set.

This time, my job could not be done to my specifications. They tried calling (I was giving a keynote, so I did not get their message until later in the day). When I called to check on the status (I was planning on going over to the store to pick-up my order), they couldn't really tell me what was wrong, something like the "cutter" wasn't working? I don't know all the FedEx Kinkos lingo, so I was a little lost. So I asked "Well what are you recommending?" which I didn't think was unreasonable. I had already paid for the job that now was not completed and they couldn't do the job (That much I was able to make out of the conversation).

They asked me to call another Kinkos to see if they could do it. They were even going to be nice enough to tell me which ones they recommended for the job. I didn't get it and I still don't? I told them that I was unwilling to contact another location and that they should do it for me...Then they should send over my files for production...Then upon completion, I'd like a call letting me know this. They said that I'd have to wait for the person that called and left a message on my machine!

About a half hour later the person that contacted me and left me a message called to say that she couldn't do the work. I explained to her that it would have been nice if she could have called me earlier (The window which I needed the product had long since passed!). She basically told me the same information as the previous unhelpful associate. I explained to her that that was not going to cut the mustard and on and on we went.

I finally picked up my material at 9:00pm that night at a location that is nearly 20 miles from my house (Versus the 10 blocks!). I got home and looked at the copies and they were all screwed-up! This morning I called and talked with a great/friendly associate that promised to get my jobs resubmitted and done properly. She went back and forth between me and the store to insure that the job would be done right. The only down-side to this was that (1) I would have to make the 20 mile treck back to the store, (2) it's put me way behind in the other tasks I need to knock out before going out of town and (3) this phone conversation with all the back-and-forth took 40 minutes!

The Marriott during our evenings provided a turn-down service in which they would leave my wife and I a special note..."Happy Birthday", "We're So Happy You're Here", "Please Join Us For a Welcome Reception Tonight"...Those cards and those times seem like ancient history (It was only 2 weeks ago!). Needless to say, the process has left me deeply influenced. I am considering a new provider for my copy needs...But my hotel will stay the same. I almost can't wait to get to one this week!

Can You Be Influential On LinkedIn?

LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) is one of those "virtual networking" opportunities. You have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world in your profession or in totally different ones and "network" with each other (Who knows what type of projects may come your way?).

The process of setting up ones profile and sending invitations to people for them to join your network seems harmless. But I had a question posed to me..."Can You Be Influential On LinkedIn?" I started wondering, as you probably wonder, is LinkedIn like second life? Is it really cool to be there but not a lot of money is being made? Exactly what type of influence can you have there?

You can view my profile by visiting www.linkedin.com/in/spalazzolo/

Please let me know your thoughts, or you can visit my website www.pathosleadershipgroup.com and get a FREE chapter from our new book, The Influential Leader.

Why Influence Matters?

Over the next several days I will be posting comments/questions from a recent client engagement on my latest book, "The Influential Leader: 10 Critical Skills You Must Possess for Success!".

But before we do that, let's throw this one out to you. A client recently asked me if there was anything they could do to get people to "like" them better? So what do you do to get more people to like you, versus dislike you?

Some interesting conversations were had regarding:

•Physical Attractiveness
•Similarity
•Compliments
•Contact & Cooperation

But I'd like to know your thoughts...please drop me a line at spalazzolo@pathosleadershipgroup.com and I'll email you a summary of the results later in the week. You can always visit me online at www.pathosleadershipgroup.com, where I manage Pathos Leadership Group LLC. I often get asked, "What do you do?", well...we help organizations and their individuals master the "Science of Influence" so that they can become more efficient and make more money. If you've ever wondered why you did the same actions as a coworker and yet they got more recognition/rewards, then we're the guys to call!