Are You Losing Sales Because Of Your First Impressions?

Well, it happened again… I got a voicemail this morning from a prospective customer that wanted to discuss executive coaching with me. The gentleman spoke clearly, and was even so kind as to do the three actions I request in my voicemail (What… you don’t make a similar request for three items in your voicemail? Let me guess, you’re still saying “You’ve reached (Your Name), sorry I’m not in to speak with you, but please leave me your name, number and a brief message and I’ll return your call as soon as I can. Have a nice day!” You’re missing sales is you do…Send me an email and I’ll send you an article titled “Sales Saving Voicemail Scripts”).

I took good notes from the message he left and reached for the phone to return his call. That’s when it happened… Let’s just say that her name was Lola (Sing along with me, “Oh my Lola, la la la la Lola!”) Lola was not having a good day, it was apparent over the phone in the first three seconds of our conversation. That’s all it took for me to get the wrong mental picture of her, this prospect and his business! So I wonder, are you losing sales because of your first impression? In other words, are the people that are on your front line representative of you and your operation, or are they totally misleading in the wrong way? The following then is a list of 5 techniques you can “review” with your “first impression” staff so that the right impression is left every time!

Technique #1 – Smile – You can hear how someone feels through the phone! So if you are answering the phone with a frown on your face… smile. You might not be on candid camera (i.e., Punked!), but your customers will certainly feel the warmth.

Technique #2 – Serve – Why are you there? You are there to serve others, otherwise you should be in a backroom office with no phone in sight and far from the customers. If you are in the front of the customer experience line, you’ve got to have a serve mentality.

Technique #3 – Refresh – We all get in a bad mood… we’re human! However, when the phone rings or a customer walks in the front door, it is “Showtime” for those frontline employees. So adopt a “Showtime” mentality, but see if you can’t carry that mentality over when no customers are present!

Technique #4 – Clear – Clear the thoughts of workers that you can identify as struggling. It’s natural to want to help, so lend a hand and help them out. I think this is called teamwork or something…

Technique #5 – Get Real! – If you have associates that are not interested in putting your best foot forward, you’ve got to part company with them. There is only so much training and development that you can offer someone. If you notice that nothing is sticking from these sessions, part company with dignity!

I hope that these five techniques will allow you to stop losing sales because of those bad first impressions! If you’ve got other ideas, send me an email at info@pathosleadershipgroup.com .

Sam Palazzolo
Pathos Leadership Group – Home of the Influential Edge!
www.pathosleadershipgroup.com

Is Cold Calling the Success Key to Sales?

Pathos Leadership Group – Home of the Influential Edge!

Is Cold Calling the Key to Sales Success?
6 Strategies to Make Cold Calling an Effective Part of Sales
By Sam Palazzolo, MBA, CPLP

Another day, another dollar! If you’re like most sales professionals today, you’ve hit the wall regarding locating, identifying, prospecting, selling and delivering to new prospective customers. So what can you do? All of the “Sales Gurus” would tell you that cold calling is a total waste of your time! Why one even goes so far as to say that there is nothing that adds less value to a sales professional’s day than attempting to perform cold calls. I disagree! If your current customers are not referring you to new business (Problem in and of itself addressed in a later article) and you need new sales, you’d better be cold calling and reaching out to new prospective customers!

In this document I will share with you six tips, techniques, and tricks that you can implement into your sales process when you have run out of prospective candidates and need to cold call. After all, we only know so many people and so many people know us, right? We need to break outside of that “circle of friends” or contacts to increase our sales volumes… Here then are six tips to cold calling:

TIP #1 : Proper ID
Properly identifying your target industry and prospective candidates within the organization structure for customer-hood is crucial to your success. If you are targeting potential customers that cannot or won’t write a check for your product or service, then I would have to agree with the so-called Sales Gurus and say that you are wasting your time! Here is an example… I got an e-mail from Joe who is a Sales Pro in Cleveland, Ohio. Joe writes that his customer base has dried up and that he is cold calling prospective candidates within the same industry with little to no success. I picked up the phone and I called Joe. The first question out of my mouth was “Joe, before you even tell me what your cold calling script is, would you mind sharing with me the industry you are targeting, and tell me a little bit about the prospective customers there in?” Joe replied that he was targeting the manufacturing industry and furthermore that they were in a certain dollar annual sales revenue/number of employees range. Sounds like a solid plan, from Joe’s perspective. Unfortunately from my perspective, no one in this industry segment was purchasing now or were they purchasing within the previous 12 months! This revelation to Joe allowed him to see that he was fishing in the wrong pond. There simply were no fish present in the lake that he was fishing in!

Make certain you properly identify your prospects and whether or not they can buy.

Tip #2: Proper Script Please
In order for cold calling to be effective you need to develop the most high impact cold calling script that you can. “What does it look like?” you might ask. The high impact cold calling scripts that we utilize here at Pathos Leadership Group in our Business Development Operation for clients across the country consists of the following eight key characteristics:

• Introductory Statement


• Nice Tone


• Who Are You


• Why Are You Calling


• Get To The Point


• What Are The Benefits?


• “Who Have You Helped” Testimonials


• What Do You Want?

This simple formula for creating a cold calling script has left many a person on the other end doing exactly what we hoped to achieve, set an appointment! Unfortunately, most cold callers are hoping for dramatically different results than what can realistically be expected (i.e., Sell a product/service). So let’s get real before we even pick up the phone!

Make certain you’ve got the proper script which drives towards realistic results please.

Tip #3: Working with The Gatekeeper
There are several techniques that one can use to successfully work with the dreaded Gatekeeper. There job is to keep you out, and remember that your job is to get in! You have four choices, you can either navigate around the side (Left or right) or go up and over or below them (Joe would argue there are actually five, that they could stop you! Poor Joe…) However, nothing, let me repeat that, nothing is as important as forming an ally relationship with the Gatekeeper! One of the key characteristics identified in step number two (Proper Script Please) was that of being a nice.

Being nice? It is a given that we will be nice to the person whom we are attempting to reach (in the event that we ultimately do reach them!) However, I am always amazed when I listen in to recorded cold calling attempts when I hear that the cold caller is “not so nice” to the Gatekeeper! This leaves little doubt in my mind regarding why it is that so many cold callers are unsuccessful in their efforts and attempts today! If you are going to be nice to the prospective customer, then you had best be nice to the Gatekeeper of that prospective customer. It just makes sense!

In order to work effectively with the Gatekeeper, play nice!

Tip #4: Voice Mail Strategies
There is a school of thought out there by the Sales Gurus that says not to leave voicemails when cold calling. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Guess what the Sales Gurus staff does when they reach out to prospective customers that they want to do business with? Lean in, here is the secret… They leave voicemails when cold calling! Now you may be thinking, “Well Sam, if I was a Sales Guru I would leave voicemails too because I would expect people to return my phone calls.” I’ll give you that! Being a Sales Guru has many advantages and this just may be one of them from many people’s perspective. However, from my perspective cold calling is a “level playing field” for all to operate on. While those Sales Gurus may have the name recognition that you desire, there is nothing that says that a prospective client will return their phone call any quicker over yours! What they may have that you don’t is a compelling reason in to return your phone call.

Give your prospective customers a reason to return your cold calls.

Tip #5: Consistency
The difference between below, or average sales and exceptional, or outstanding sales levels is caused primarily by your performance in the “consistency” arena. Most sales professionals attempt to perform one process or one procedure on day one. Those same sales professionals attempt to perform a different sales process, or procedure on day two and a third on day three. In other words they have no consistency when it comes to their “game plan.” They rely instead on their sales managers “Program of the Month” or “Good to Great Idea of the Day” to move them towards greater sales success. Don’t fall victim to the temptation of straying from the path in front of you. You must remain consistent and you must see the process through. What may turn out to be a decrease in productivity and profitability may in the end results in your success!

Be consistent for exceptional sales results.

Tip #6: Seek Help
I run into sales professionals all the time who ask me how it is that I know what it is that I know. I tell them it’s because I have failed far more often than they have. I always make a point of saying “Ask me how I know an idea won’t work or perhaps needs to be fine tuned, it’s because I’ve attempted it!” I say this not to brag, but instead to show that I am humble and that sometimes our best learning opportunities come from failure. Salespeople, always the skeptical bunch, often follow that up with a secondary question something like “Well if you fail so much, how come you are so successful?” The answer is simple, I was fortunate to have a great coach that took interest in my development and my income in that order. I learned the value of successful sales coaching and training early on and I would not be where I am today had I not had someone mentor me. If you think that I am above reproach when it comes to coaching and training, I continue to believe that I will never know it all and as I write this article today I have just completed an e-learning session with SalesForce.com on “Successful Sales Productivity, Efficiency, and Cooperation.”

Contact a Sales Coach to move your game to the next level!

Summary
I am convinced that there is no way that you will succeed in sales unless cold calling is a part of your process. While I do agree with the Sales Gurus when they say that referrals are a “better” way to get customers, what if you don’t have any? You’ve got to start somewhere! The six tips, techniques, and tricks identified above are the key to successful sales cold calling.

Copyright © 2009 Pathos Leadership Group. All Rights Reserved

Got Influence? You’re either an “InfluencerR” or you’re being “InfluenceD”! Take the “Influential Leader Inventory” at www.GotInfluence.com and see where you rank against other leaders who have the “Influential Edge!” Sam Palazzolo, MBA, CPLP is the author of “The Influential Leader: 10 Critical Skills You MUST Possess For Success” as well as “Influential Sales: How to Achieve Selling Supremacy in the New Economy!” As President and Chief Influence Officer at Pathos Leadership Group, Sam conducts Influential Keynotes, Workshops, Webinars and one-on-one Coaching. Discover more at www.PathosLeadershipGroup.com, e-mail sp@pathosleadershipgroup.com or call 817-605-1942.

Types of Business Coaching

Kris Koonar writes an excellent post on the types of Business Coaching available today! View it here... http://stepstosuccessmadesimple.com/blog/types-of-business-coaching.php

In our Executive Coaching practice here at Pathos Leadership Group, we touch all of the items mentioned. There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding what a coach will and won't do... Our answer is simple: "If you wan't to get the 'Influential Edge!' we've got to first and foremost determine what you want. From there, it's all hard work and effort!" In other words, there is no shortcut/magic pill which you can take to get to where "success" lives.

To schedule a Complimentary Coaching session send me an email (sp@pathosleadershipgroup.com) today... It will be the best 20 minutes you spend!

Sam Palazzolo, MBA, CPLP
Pathos Leadership Group

Is Executive Coaching Dead in this New Economy?

I often get asked "Is Executive Coaching dead in this New Economy?" My answer is the same that I give to my clients that seek excellence... "Only if you suck!" Executives right now need coaching more than ever, even if they got some of that TARP money in their pockets (Come to think of it, they might be exactly who needs coaching!)

If you think executive coaching is dead, read this great article from some chaps in the UK: http://www.businesszone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=196078&d=1095&h=1097&f=1096&dateformat=%25o-%25B-%25Y

Let me put the article in a different light... One of my clients asked me the other day "Sam... When will I no longer need you?" I told him "About 15 minutes after you pass-away!" Send me an email at sp@pathosleadershipgroup.com if you'd like a "Complimentary Coaching Session" with me... It will be the best 20 minutes you spend this year!

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!

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/

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!

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 - 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!