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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Sales Tweet #36

by Rick Baker
On Sep 6, 2010
Sales Tweet #36 Wow! Labour Day already. I wonder if Ernest Seller has started a plan for meeting his year-end goals.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Now, that was being kind…giving Ernest Seller the benefit of the doubt. Ernest often talks about his great plans about planning. But, really, he never gets around to doing any planning. He says he is always too busy to plan.

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Thought Tweets | Ernest Seller

Sales Tweet #35

by Rick Baker
On Sep 3, 2010
Sales Tweet #35 Today Ernest Seller is wondering if it's OK to wear his favourite white sales shoes after Labour Day.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Ernest Seller. I believe I mentioned Ernest fancies himself to be a fancy dresser. [Yes, that was at Sales Tweet #26] Because he is so fashion conscious, the week before Labour Day is always a distraction for Ernest. He loves shoes. And, he particularly loves his array of white WOW-am-I-dressed-for-sales shoes. But, today he wonders - is it OK to wear them after Labour Day? [Every year he debates this…but he cannot help himself so you can expect to see his lucky white shoes for quite some time.]

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Thought Tweets | Ernest Seller

The Art of Questioning - #1

by Rick Baker
On Sep 2, 2010
…based on Chapter 8 of Bruno Gideon's book Don't Take No for an Answer!
 
Bruno praises the art of questioning:
 
"If you consider the putting of questions you will realize that no other mode of communication lets you express your interest so clearly. You want to know something, you want to test reactions, elicit opinions, criticize, praise, or provoke - communication in its purest form."
 
You can concentrate your persuasive powers through well-thought-out questions. Take, for example, the recruiting process - hiring employees. Most people spend time creating top-quality questions for the interview process. But, few create top-quality questions for the job posting process. I find that puzzling. 
 
Questions can be used to 'influence'. Gideon tells the story of 2 monks, each hoping the Pope would allow them to smoke during prayer time. They both wrote letters to the Pope. The Pope allowed one to smoke but not both.
 
Why only one?
 
Here is how the 2 monks posed their questions:
  • "May I smoke during prayers?"
  • "May I pray while I am smoking?"
Whether the story is true or not, it provides a good example of how the wording of a question can influence the response.
 
Questions can be used to determine the motives of others and determine their sincerity. While I may be understating Gideon's thinking, it appears people who do a good job of listening to your questions (both listening to your words and registering your body language) are illustrating an interest in you, rather than a preoccupation with themselves.  
 
Gideon divides questions into two main groups:
  • Self-contained or closed-ended questions
  • Open-ended questions
Here's a summary of how he describes these two types of questions.
 
Self-contained questions:
  • Purpose: to get simple information - 'Yes' or 'No'
  • Advantage: speed
  • Disadvantage: they constrict the flow of conversation
  • Danger: they can lead to a loss of control
Open-ended questions: these are framed so they can not be answered with 'Yes', 'No', or 'Maybe'.
  • Purpose: to help keep the conversation flowing, show interest in the opposing position, and make use of the information at your disposal
  • Advantage: you don't give up control
  • Disadvantage: you are dependant on the other person's cooperation. If he or she is in a bad mood and gives monosyllabic answers you have nothing to go on. This approach is more time-consuming than asking self-contained questions.
  • Beware: don't embark on a cross-examination. Don't bombard your discussion partner with questions. That would be counterproductive.
Gideon also writes about goal-specific questions, which can be asked in either the open or closed style:
  • Investigative questions: to acquire information and ideas, to help you decided how to proceed
  • Deflecting questions: to redirect the conversation
  • Association questions: to form mental connections
  • Leading questions: to directly influence someone
  • Conversational questions: to fill gaps in the conversation, to encourage the other person, and to set the mood
  • Supplementary questions: to delve deeper or to get around evasive answer

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Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions

Sales Tweet #34

by Rick Baker
On Sep 2, 2010
Sales Tweet #34 When you're late hand the Client $100, to be spent on staff. "A donation to remove your bad habit."
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
First: since tweets have to be so darn concise I didn’t insert the words “$100 of your own money”. But, that’s what I meant. Why would I suggest you give your Client $100 of your own money and tell your Client to spend it on co-workers/staff? 2 reasons: (1) hopefully, that personal $100 consequence would make sure you are rarely, if ever, late for meetings and (2) at least your Client will understand you place a value on his/her time. [You can always say something like: I know you are worth more than this $100 but I am not rich…however, I may be rich some day if I can lick this late-for-meetings problem.]

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Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | Sales | Thought Tweets

Thank You: Celebrating my 100th Waterloo MIN Blog

by Rick Baker
On Sep 1, 2010
Thank You - Waterloo MIN for providing me the opportunity to share my thoughts with people interested in fostering a vibrant local manufacturing community.
 
And Thank You - everyone who has taken the time to read my blogs, rate them, and comment on them.
 
For my 100th MIN blog I am summarizing the highlights of the MIN blogging experiences I have enjoyed over the last year.
 
The Top 3 posts
 
If #visits, ratings & comments are good measurement sticks then here are my Top 3 Blogs:
  1. Changing For The Better: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things #1
  2. 7 Powerful Answers #1
  3. P=2S+O #1
If provoking behind-the-scenes communication and obtaining polarized feedback is a good measurement stick then these would be my Top 3 Blogs:
  1. People Networking…Succeeding in the 21st Century #1
  2. To succeed in Sales I need…
  3. A Contrarian Thought About Creativity
If having fun writing stuff is a good measurement stick then here are the ones I would choose as my Top 3 Blogs:
  1. Don’t put the cart before the horse… - Part 1
  2. Did You Ever Wonder
  3. STOP THE PRESSES!
Some FAQs about my blogs:
 
Q: How do you find the time to write all that stuff?
A: I cut back on watching CSI.
 
Q: Why do you write all that stuff?
A: To share and inspire thinking.
 
Q: What was the funniest thing?
A: Some of the things that didn't make the 'Did You Ever Wonder' short list.
 
Q: What was the biggest surprise?
A: My little Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things video didn't go viral and get me spots on Oprah and Letterman.
 
Q: What's the #1 thing you've learned?
A: The more I write the more I read and the more I read the more I am impressed by skilled authors.

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Community | Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things

Sales Tweet #33

by Rick Baker
On Sep 1, 2010
Sales Tweet #33 Ernest Seller is playing the Sales Genie role: asking Probable Clients to lay 3 wishes on him today.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Now – this could be controversial. Ernest Seller thinks asking Probable Clients to tell him what they want takes him closer to getting the sale done. Some of us think he is dead wrong. We agree - asking questions is a tremendous way to obtain information. On the other hand, the questions need to be well-thought-out. When Ernest gets in his Sales Genie mode and offers to grant 3 wishes he regularly gets himself into trouble…the 3 wishes he receives are: lower price, lower price, and lower price. So, with that confirmed, Ernest gets a little carried away and he goes to his boss and asks for 3 price discounts for each Client.

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Thought Tweets | Ernest Seller

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