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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Entrepreneurs must know about people strengths

by Rick Baker
On Mar 29, 2011
Some time ago I was hired to help a sales person overcome a sales slump. The fellow had many years of sales experience and success. He had joined a new company and sales were not being made as planned. When I asked how he felt about his situation he said he did not believe he could succeed in his current role. I asked why he stayed in the job. He said he felt obligated to the company that had hired him.
 
I talked with the company executives. They also felt the salesperson would not succeed. I asked why they kept the salesperson. They said they felt the salesperson just might change and succeed. They wanted to give him a full chance.
 
Some weeks later, the sales person was fired.
 
That is a story I have witnessed or been involved directly in many, many times during my career. Sometimes it was a sales person, sometimes it was a Controller, sometimes it was a President…but…the story was essentially the same:
  • A person was struggling in a business role
  • That person knew success was highly unlikely
  • The person’s boss knew the person was struggling
  • The person’s boss believed the person probably would not succeed
  • Somebody thought the person might change
  • Later, maybe in a week or maybe years later, the person was fired
After witnessing that story many times I asked myself, Why?
 
Over time, the answers became clear.
 
One answer is:
 
To excel as an entrepreneur you must know about people strengths.
 
You must know
  • Your own strengths
  • Other people’s strengths
  • How to best use as much of those strengths as possible
That sounds simple enough, but in practice it is not simple.
 
I read a lot of self-help literature.
 
A couple years ago, I read a series of books inspired by the Gallup group, good work called StrengthsFinder.  
 
StrengthsFinder is a system designed to help people identify their talents and build their strengths. You can buy the books and take an on-line assessment. I did that.
 
Then I introduced as many business people as I could to the StrengthsFinder concept. StrengthsFinder may or may not identify your exact themes of talent. However, based on the numerous assessments I have seen it is directionally correct.
 
StrengthsFinder is one tool for self-knowledge…there are many other tools.
 
The point I am trying to make is I have learned people’s strengths are a key to entrepreneurial success. And, you can educate yourself on how to go about understanding your strengths. When a team of people works at learning each person’s individual strengths there is a much greater likelihood goals will be achieved.
 
When work aligns with peoples’ strengths people can be passionate about the work. Passion can focus the work. Passion can reduce stress.
 
These are good things, worth working on.

Tags:

Entrepreneur Thinking | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success

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Sales Tweet #182

by Rick Baker
On Mar 29, 2011
Sales Tweet #182 When you are angry: yell your complaints while in your car…get rid of them before you face your Client.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
No question – this is better than yelling at co-workers and family members, etc. But, WOW, whatever you do, think twice before you search the words ‘scream therapy’ on Google. Like virtually every idea that pops into our minds…you can find volumes of words and videos about it on-line…what an amazing free resource for exploring ideas and thoughts. PS: I don’t advocate scream therapy…just yelling in your car every once in a while.

Tags:

Beyond Business | Thought Tweets

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Sales Tweet #181

by Rick Baker
On Mar 28, 2011
Sales Tweet #181 Mr Kaye says Ernest Seller has a heart of gold – just like a hard-boiled egg…then Mr Kaye goes on…
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
…then Mr Kaye goes on to make it clear he has a severe case of yolk intolerance. But none of this phases Ernest in the slightest. He knows My Kaye has a bizarre sense of humour. You got to learn to like quirky folks when they are your #1 Client.

Tags:

Thought Tweets | Ernest Seller

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Sales Tweet #180

by Rick Baker
On Mar 25, 2011
Sales Tweet #180 Ernest Seller can sell. Last week he persuaded his wife she is too young to own a Rolex.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Ernest Seller is such a smooth-talker. And his saint of a wife must be sooo patient.

Tags:

Thought Tweets | Ernest Seller

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Entrepreneurs must be able to lead change

by Rick Baker
On Mar 24, 2011
When I say, “Entrepreneurs must be able to lead change” I am talking about ‘people change’.
 
You must be able to lead ‘people change’.
 
Start with yourself….understand yourself:
  • Know your strengths
  • Know your weaknesses
  • Learn how your brain operates
  • Know how your logical mind and your emotions interplay
  • Know how different situations will influence your reactions
 
Only when you understand yourself will you have a fighting chance to understand other people.
 
Do not be lazy about it.
 
Do not let your mind trick you.
 
Do not presume you fully understand yourself, even worse, that you understand other people.
 
These skills require long-term effort.
 
There is a metaphor to explain what I am trying to convey here.
 
Dr. Jonathan Haidt wrote a book called ‘The Happiness Hypothesis’.  
 
In that book he describes people’s minds as Riders, on Elephants, walking on Paths.
 
Riders, Elephants, & Paths.
 
The Rider is the logical part of our mind.
 
The Elephant is our emotional part.
 
And the Path is the situation.
 
When logic and emotions disagree…emotions win.
 
Our emotions [the Elephant] ignore our logic [the Rider] and act or react to the situation at hand [the Path].
 
We must understand this interplay between logic, emotions, and situations if we are to make Changes For The Better.

Tags:

Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Entrepreneur Thinking

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Sales Tweet #179

by Rick Baker
On Mar 24, 2011
Sales Tweet #179 Instead of saying "Thank You", prove your gratitude by delivering a Client to your Client.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Is there anything your Client would rather receive than a custom-picked Client? For example, would your Client rather have...a piece of your sales literature?...a phone message where you introduce your new product?...a thank you card?...a gift fruit basket?

Tags:

Sales | Thought Tweets

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