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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Sales Tweet #278

by Rick Baker
On Aug 10, 2011
Sales Tweet #278 Knowledge can backfire. Selling has little to do with the technical things you know and/or talk about.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Does this sound familiar? ...As time goes on, you learn more and more about the product/service you sell. Human nature being what it is you cannot resist sharing with prospects all the technical stuff you know. You are brilliant and you want to light up the prospects’ offices. As you do this, you talk too much and you listen too little. You educate the customers. They applaud. But, your Sales fall off. You are all tied up in technical know-how and forgetting how Sales are achieved.

Tags:

Communication: Improving Communication | Sales | Thought Tweets

People Behave like Riders on Elephants on Paths

by Rick Baker
On Aug 9, 2011
Logic faces a life-long battle to control emotions
 
Have you ever ridden an elephant?
 
If not, pretend for a moment you are doing just that. You are sitting about 10 feet above the ground, on the top of an elephant. The elephant is not huge, only about 3,000 pounds. Regardless, when you compare your sizes; that means: the elephant is big and you are small. On average, elephants weigh about 40 times as much as people.
 
So, here you are sitting on top of the biggest creature on land. It has its head down and it is eating some grass. You say giddee up in an effort to cause the elephant to move ahead on the path. The elephant keeps eating the grass. You say giddee up a little louder. The elephant keeps eating the grass. You really raise your voice and holler out giddee up. The elephant keeps eating the grass. You really don’t like to hit animals…so you are tentative about using the switch you were given. But, after a few more hollers you decide to give the elephant a gentle tap with the switch. You yell giddee up and at the same time you swat the elephant with the switch. The elephant keeps eating the grass. You keep doing that routine for a while…all to no avail. The elephant just keeps on eating the grass. You finally give up and turn your mind to thinking, how can I get off this elephant? It’s a long way down to the ground. As you are giving that some thought you notice, out of the corner of your eye, a little movement at the side of the path. You turn your head to focus on it…a little grey mouse. Isn’t that cute, a mouse…way out here in the middle of nowhere. Before that thought has time the settle the earth begins to shake. No wait, it isn’t the earth, it’s the elephant. Then there’s this deafening trumpet sound. Its sound bangs into your ears at the same time the head and trunk of the elephant stretch so far back the trunk conks you square in the forehead. It delivers such a wallop that you end up falling off the elephant and crashing down on the grassy path below. While that’s happening the elephant is running full speed ahead. Through your dizzy fog, you marvel at it…who would have thought an elephant could run so fast.
 
People behave like Riders on Elephants on Paths.
 
That’s a metaphor created by Dr. Jonathan Haidt.
  • The Rider represents our Logical side.
  • The Elephant represents our Emotional side.
  • The Paths represents the Situations we face.
As the story above illustrates:
  • The Rider has little control over the Elephant…like our Logic has little control over our Emotions
  • Situations play a huge role in Elephants behaviour…as do Emotions in people’s behaviour

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Emotions & Feelings @ Work

Sales Tweet #277

by Rick Baker
On Aug 9, 2011
Sales Tweet #277 Again…Ernest Seller left The Boss' office…Ernest had a big smile on his face...
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
The New Guy asked The Boss, "What was that all about?" The Boss, blurted out, "It was about as much as I could take!"

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Ernest Seller | Thought Tweets

Sales Tweet #276

by Rick Baker
On Aug 8, 2011
Sales Tweet #276 Ernest brought his dog ‘Commission’ to the office last week. Ernest said, “Come Commission”. And it did.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
As Ernest left The Boss quipped to Don Trodden, "If he were any smarter, we could teach him to fetch". Don Trodden corrected The Boss, "Ernest’s dog Commission can fetch...I saw him do it earlier today”. The Boss, muttered under his breath, "I was talking about Ernest".

Tags:

Ernest Seller | Thought Tweets

People’s Weaknesses Don’t Build

by Rick Baker
On Aug 5, 2011
Although I have not been able to discover any written confirmation of it, I believe, since the beginning of time, when Man wanted to build something for himself he or she chose the best materials available.
 
If a shelter was desired then a nice rock cave would be favoured over a hole in a tree stump or a lean-to made of tree branches. If a fire was desired then dry sticks would be favoured over wet rocks. Etc.
 
Similarly, our ancient ancestors learned some cave-people were good at some things while other cave-people were good at other things. Over time, for example, some cave-people became makers of arrow heads, some became makers of wheels, some became gathering experts, some became hunters of land animals, and others became hunters of fish.
 
Later, specialization leapt to new technological heights. Some of the cave-people evolved into doctors, engineers, abstract painters, astronauts, and sales folks.
 
While all these changes occurred, people built on strengths and failed when they tried to build on weaknesses.
 
Now, in the 21st Century, we find our education systems and our businesses so developed we occasionally forget the lessons of the past.
 
Particularly, we forget people weaknesses don't build.

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STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success

Sales Tweet #275

by Rick Baker
On Aug 5, 2011
Sales Tweet #275 The Boss gathered all the sales people in the meeting room, got up on his soap box and proclaimed…
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
"Ask not what your company can do for you; ask what you can do for your company."

Tags:

Ernest Seller | Thought Tweets

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