Inspire ME Friday: College Sophomore Exudes Skip, Fire Twinkle

"As Father's Day approaches it should be no surprise that some of the most important qualities for being an effective dad can be especially useful when leading a team or an organization." 

Good Morning Folks,

I connected with a young man on LinkedIn and was so impressed with his profile and the spirt it exudes, I asked his permission to share it with you. Jamie writes...

"I am an extremely passionate student and colleague who strives to not only push myself but push others to a common goal. I love working in teams and groups and figuring out solutions to problems we find along the way. I have great communication skills and am extremely creative. I have worked with so many amazing and inspirational people who have given me the knowledge and skill set to achieve any goal I set my mind too. I love entertainment and entertaining others. Something that differentiates me from a lot of people is that when I am passionate about something, I do everything in my power to make sure it succeeds. No matter what obstacles are in my way, if I love something and am passionate about it, I will find a way to make sure it is a success."  

An acronym for the word passion that I live by is:

• People don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it

• Always believe in everything you do

• Show how much you care about the product or company 

• Success in a business or task starts with being passionate about it

• Identify others who seem just as passionate and come together

• Once you find a passion, follow it and pursue it, others will gravitate to you for it

• Never work just for a paycheck, always do it because it’s something you love

Now there's a young man who knows where he wants to go and has the passion and purpose to fuel his journey. Thanks for sharing, Jamie!

Finally I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Father's day and a joyous celebration on Sunday. In a GREAT read on LinkedIn "Why awesome dads often make great leaders," its author, Founder, cloud software leader Roderick Morris, makes the point:

"It should be no surprise that some of the most important qualities for being an effective dad can be especially useful when leading a team or an organization. During this year’s NBA Finals, we saw leaders on both sides of the court who also showed themselves to be dedicated, enthusiastic fathers. If you’re a dad and a leader, being mindful about common traits that great dads and great leaders share can make you more effective in both parts of your life." 

"The applicability in team leadership is straightforward. The most effective leaders embrace the diverse and differentiated strengths that different team members bring to a situation. If you reflect on the leaders you have worked with who you admire most, those men and women probably recognized and cultivated your strengths. Going through the experience of being a father can help build your ability to do this for others." 

"Every father is accountable for their own impact on their family, regardless of whatever baggage they may bring from their own childhood. Steph Curry and LeBron James are both dedicated fathers, but they came from very different backgrounds. James famously exemplifies the sort of transitional character who “breaks the mold” learned by their father’s example." 

"Likewise, every leadership situation is new. The context of a team and its challenges is always changing. If you’re a dad in a new leadership position at work, don’t just reflect on the lessons from your past professional experiences. Be mindful of the times when you brought greatness to your role as a father: through strength, warmth, and trust. These gifts of fatherhood are universal."

Cheers to all the Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers and Daughters that support their FSO-employed spouses in allowing them to give their best for us every day for which I will be eternally grateful.

Love what you do and have fun doing it!

Have a GREAT WEEKEND!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

..............................................................

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, 

the mind can achieve." 

– Dr. Napoleon Hill

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Inspire ME Friday: The Best Leaders Are Those Who Are Likable

"Enjoy and be grateful for all that you have. It is gratitude that gives us the best reasons not to complain."

Good Morning Folks,

On some level, most of us want to be liked. Even if you work to maintain an appropriate distance from your team or employees, the more that people like you and want to emulate you, the more engaged they will be as team members. The best leaders are those who are genuinely liked.

Here are 10 things that likable people consistently do. None of them will compromise your credibility or authority as a leader--so give them a try and see what happens.

1. Listen without interrupting.
Become a great listener. That means no butting in, no rushing along, no asking questions until the speaker is done. Listen not to frame your own rebuttal but rather to genuinely understand.

2. Smile without smirking.
Smiling and warmth make others around you feel good. It seems simplistic, but smiling is a lost skill of sorts. Master it and you'll stand out.

3. Speak without dictating.
Speak and share your thoughts and ideas, but treat such conversations as a two-way street. Your voice and your wisdom have value, but set them forth in a way that respects the voice and wisdom of others in true dialogue.

4. Give without receiving.
As the adage says, we make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give. Don't keep score; give with a genuine heart, because it makes you happy.

5. Enjoy without complaining.
Enjoy and be grateful for all that you have. It is gratitude that gives us the best reasons not to complain.

6. Trust without wavering.
Trust, someone once said, is like an eraser--it gets smaller and smaller every time you have to use it. When we can offer others our sincere word and they know they can trust us, that's no small thing. Consistently doing what you've said you would do, and not doing what you've said you won't do, earns you a huge amount of trust.

7. Promise without forgetting.
People with good intentions make promises; people with great character keep them. Keeping promises should be your highest priority--because when you give your word, there is no room to forget. Keep your promises.

8. Forgive without punishing.
I believe there are two kinds of forgiveness: the kind that also gives the other person a chance, and the kind that forgives but still compels you to move on without that person. Either should be used wisely, and neither should be about punishment. The healthy way to forgive is whatever works best for you without punishing the other person.

9. Be honest without deceiving.
The people we like the best are those who are honest, who follow their convictions and speak their truth. We like people who act on their beliefs. They may not always win, but you know what they stand for.

10. Be positive without reservation.
Negative, angry people drag down everyone around them. Work on maintaining a positive attitude at work and in life. Make an effort to look for opportunities and solutions instead of barriers and problems. Whatever the situation, focus on what can be done.

11. Get Personal
Be genuinely interested in your client. Humans want to feel you care about them. This can be done through asking open ended questions about them and their families.

12. Give to Get
There have been many books written on the rule of reciprocity. The thing you need to know, is giving your clients small gifts makes them feel you care about them. It also makes them feel you listen to what they tell you.

For some people it is natural to be fun, upbeat and interesting. For others they have to work at it. Nobody likes a stiff serious individual. When dealing with clients remember to smile and laugh. Keeps the conversation fun and interesting.

Thanks to Lolly Daskal for our Friday dose of inspiration and to you, for listening.

Love what you do and have fun doing it!

Have a GREAT WEEKEND!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

..............................................................

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, 

the mind can achieve." 

– Dr. Napoleon Hill

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** Lolly Daskal is the president and CEO of Lead From Within, a global consultancy that specializes in leadership and entrepreneurial development. Daskal's programs galvanize clients into achieving their best, helping them accelerate and deliver on their professional goals and business objectives. Trust Across America has identified Daskal as a Top 100 Thought Leader in Trustworthy Business Behavior. This piece first appeared in INC.

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Throwback Thursday: Selling Like A Mad Man: Being Don Draper

"You can't sell something you don't believe in yourself, and you can't sell it to someone who doesn't buy into your process. You have to want it to get it, and you have to have absolute confidence in what you're pitching."

Good Morning Folks,

Mad Men's Don Draper is a "get its, get it". Thanks to Oren Klaff's brilliant book, Pitch Anything, I am now a bigger fan. If you have not yet read Pitch Anything, I highly recommend you do so.

What follows, inspired by Pitch Anything, is an excellent illustration of not only how to play to win, but how to avoid the “Slow No”.  Sales people tend to forget that one of the most important attributes to their trade is not to sell, but to first qualify and disqualify prospects. Not everyone is meant to be a fit. Listening, understanding, and then eventually selling are the keys to a mutually rewarding customer partnership. 

As a fan of Mad Men, I realize Don Draper’s style is harsh, but if you are not bold and willing to have a deliberate “adult conversation” with your prospects and customers, then you are wasting precious time that should be directed toward believers.

==> The traits that make Don Draper successful include:

• An insatiable desire to win.

• Solid business acumen.

• Ability to take action.

• A rare ability to see what others will never see. 

I have met many "Don Drapers" in my career. Companies with ten to twenty salespeople are lucky if they have one on their sales team.

I thought I'd ask other top sales executives I know what they think are the top qualities one should look for when interviewing candidates for a sales position. Here they told me in no particular order.

• Aptitude: The one not often mentioned  is aptitude. After all we all want someone who can understand the product mix. Their aptitude needs also to extend to comprehending the various types of businesses/situations your customers are in, or how else will they be able to properly uncover needs.

• Listening: God created us with 2 ears and one mouth, to listen with as much as we talk. Qualifying and disqualifying the client are important. As a sales rep, the top priority is get more possible background situation of customer at very beginning, so he who is not good at listening and only preaches the specs, the company and/or  the price to a potential customer mostly will end their chances right there. Because, we are not led in our selling by selling "products and services" but more around the experience of what we offer, understanding the client and what story they are telling to their clients. Then how we can help them with that specifically. 

• Determination: You can't sell something you don't believe in yourself, and you can't sell it to someone who doesn't buy into your process. You have to want it to get it, and you have to have absolute confidence in what you're pitching. Your attitude has to be "We know what we offer is top shelf, and if you can't see that, then it's you that's missing out" rather than getting desperate for a sale---clients can smell that from a mile away. The successful sales person takes the word no as the beginning of the sales cycle and is even more determined each time they hit an obstacle 

• Resilient: A successful professional sales person can only have success if they are resilient. There are far more No's than Yes's out there. Every time you don't get the sale, you have to keep the positive attitude to move on.

• Cultural Fit: As a first step, I'm always looking for fit rather than skill set. Can they thrive in an environment like ours… high activity and direct feedback? You can train an employee to have the desired/necessary skill set - you can not train an employee to fit into the culture of your organization.

• Entrepreneurial Spirit: I look for someone who will take ownership. I look for a "fit as well" in my last hire I did this and it has been a great success. Passion. 

• Adaptability: In today's competitive environment of rapid innovation, flexibility is essential. Aptitude and attitude are also key trait

• Likeable: What comes to mind is someone who is "likable". Likeable is someone who relates, listens, identifies needs and can speak in the language of the client. Someone who is funny and has a great spirit

Don Draper had those qualities suggested as well. He looked the part and you could trust that.

There was always something in his eyes-- when he got inspired you could feel that and you knew you were on good hands no matter what he was selling.

Some of those traits are hard to discover in interviews. You must get the interviewee to tell stories. You can't determine that just by asking them to sell you a pen. Because, in sales, if you have all of the other qualities but can't listen, can't understand the customers pains before running your mouth, you will always put your foot in it.

Here are a few clips of Don Draper in action. Have a look at magical works of wisdom from the godfather of closing:

==> Don Draper Sales Pitch

==> Don Draper wants: All of it

==> Position Yourself. Nothing Is Free.

==> Mad Men - Jantzen Meeting

I love these clips. They really do work in a Sun Tzu "Art of War" kind of shorthand for summing up the essence of Don Draper.

Don is confident in his ability, vision, and capacity. Professionally, Don is strictly take-no-prisoners. He can clearly see where his clients need to go and how he will get them there. Don is a storyteller. 

Thanks to Chris Young Founder and Thought Leader, The Rainmaker Group, Inc for inspiring this post with his. Says Chris: "The Rainmaker Group uses an advanced "Moneyball Approach" to help Clients select "wolf class" salespeople that scare the hell out of the competition." Now that's exactly what Don Draper would say if he was pitching Chris' business. lol

I want take this opportunity to thank you for what you do every day to make FSO GREAT!

If know of someone who would enjoy working for or with FSO please do not keep us a secret.


Have a Personal, Passionate & Productive Day!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here