∞ Rob McBride ∞

We each offer a product or a service daily. Often the product we offer is our capacity to be a better spouse, parent, employer or employee. “A Feast Fit for a King” is particularly relevant for people in sales though each of us “sells” constantly in some way, shape or form.

When is the best time to ask someone to make a decision about our offer?

The most obvious answer is when the recipient has all the information and is predisposed to accept our suggestions.

Suppose we are preparing a Feast Fit for a King for someone special. We go to the supermarket, buy the ingredients for the meal, a nice bottle of wine and candles to create the perfect atmosphere.

While we prepare the meal, we think of all the details. The precise moment to put each course into the oven, the table setting and the music we want to hear. When everything is ready, we sit down at the table with our loved one to enjoy a Feast Fit for a King.

When is the best time to enjoy each succulent bite?

It is in that instant, of course!

Something similar happens when we talk to a client.  We diligently do the following:

Contact the person

Qualify their capacity to buy

Investigate necessities and desires

Present our offering in terms of benefits

Respond to concerns with confidence and conviction

After we have expertly followed each step, we can ask for a decision without fear and without fumbling. While the words are not nearly as important as the intent, we can say, for example, “Let’s get things going; I just need your approval.”

Amazing as it may seem, studies have shown the majority of sales calls end without the salesperson ever asking for the order! At the end of the presentation, the salesperson typically mumbles something like, “What do you think?” to which the person eloquently replies, “Let me think about it, and I’ll call you…”

We know from experience, the promise of “I’ll call you…” is typically an empty promise designed to get rid of salespeople.

What can we do?

Just as the best time to eat a Feast Fit for a King is in this instant, the best time to highlight the benefits of our offer and to ask someone to make a decision is at the same time we have given them all the information they need.

If we put our Feast Fit for a King in the refrigerator and take it out the next day, it may still taste great, although it may never be as good as the moment it was first prepared. Similarly, a person is most likely to make a favorable decision immediately after we have “served” our proposal.

Rather than packing our bags and heading for the nearest exit in defeat, we should do everything possible to urge people to make a decision now and not later. Often, the worst thing we can do is to do nothing at all.

While there are no magic words or secret formulas to achieve our objectives 100% of the time, we can enter into every situation prepared to give our very best with confidence we will achieve our purpose. When we take action and ask people to make a decision, we determine our direction and drive our destiny.

In April, 2005 Lunar Letter, we conducted a survey regarding the following question:

“How do you overcome Fears, Uncertainties and Doubts to be more productive?”

The most frequent response from our readers was to, “Take Action!”

Take action today to empower excellence tomorrow.

@RobMcBride
May 2005

Our lives are a collection of emotions and events which mold us with power and satisfaction or with weakness and discontent. In his book Thinkertoys, Michael Michalko mentions three elements which kill creative energy and control many of our thoughts and actions.

F ears

U ncertainties

D oubts

There are times when Fears, Uncertainties and Doubts play a critical role in our lives. If we are in a situation where a very hungry animal is chasing us in hopes of an easy meal, Fear better kick in to create the adrenaline we need to survive. Today, the animals most likely and capable of “eating us” are other human beings!

While it is important to have a certain degree of fear and precaution for protection, FUDs are most likely emotions which diminish power instead of adding value to our personal development.

For example, a salesperson goes to present a new product to the company’s most valuable customer. She has been chosen because of her capacity to consistently make difficult sales and this sale could be the difference between a successful product launch and complete failure. She is a professional and has a terrific knowledge of her product and the benefits the customer will derive from the purchase. Fears, Uncertainties and Doubts take control as she waits in the reception area for her appointment.

• What if they don’t like the product?
• What if I forget everything I am going to say?
• If I don’t close this sale, I may be fired on the spot!

These emotions create panic. Instead of concentrating on her knowledge and success, she is thrown into the paralysis of analysis. Her marvelous mind which should be focused on the preparation of the last several weeks is now consumed by possible failure.

Our minds are powerful machines which generally obey the instructions we give them thousands of times each day. We say, “Open the door!” and magically our arm and hand coordinate to open the door. All we achieve is directly connected with a thought, action or reaction.

FUDs are frequently the cause of our most trying times. I suggest we Fire the FUDs! Just get rid of them. When Fear, Uncertainty or Doubts enter our mind, we must have the power to replace them with Conviction, Certainty and Confidence.

What’s the alternative? The minutes, hours and days flow like a river on its ever changing course. We can create our direction and destiny with powerful thoughts or diminish desire with FUDs. Let’s firmly grasp the helm of life and enjoy this incredible journey we call life.

@RobMcBride
April 2005

Our ability to recall and retain information is influenced tremendously by the type of communication we utilize and the method we use to follow up on the ideas.  In a recent scientific study, psychologist William Glasser discovered that we retain:

10 % of what we read

20 % of what we hear

30 % of what we see

50 % of what we see & hear

70 % of what we DISCUSS

80 % of what we EXPERIENCE

95 % of what we TEACH

In addition, a Stanford University study established that when a person hears an idea once, 68% is forgotten within 48 hours and more than 90% is forgotten in 30 days.

The primary challenge in learning is to take action on the ideas in order to solidify the impact on our personal and professional development.  It is common to read a book, listen to somebody or participate in an event and then fail to instill the ideas by following up adequately.

I have created a training technique establishing concrete parameters to solidify learning.  I call it “Retensive Learning.”  The program starts by focusing on specific behavior which we want to modify or reinforce.  We then use periodic modules to stimulate and encourage participants to discuss, experiment with and teach each of the tools learned.

“Retensive Learning” intensifies the learning process by firmly establishing desired behaviors.  We thus successfully embed effective routines and habits in the daily lives of individuals.

There are books, conferences and workshops which introduce incredible ideas for a better way of life.  Without specific programmed follow up, the ideas fall by the wayside.  “Retensive Learning” institutes a plan of action which initiates a precise powerful way to create compelling behavioral change.

@RobMcBride
March 2005

Companies, like people, must Bounce back from challenging situations if they want to remain in business. It is imperative to rise and roar after falling or failing in order to soar with the eagles.

With his powerful, eloquent voice, Martin Luther King Jr. said:

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Similarly, the ultimate measure of a company is its capacity to Bounce back from difficult circumstances. Frequently, corporate cycles are very similar to those of a bouncing ball; they pass through periods of expansion, recession and recuperation.

While these stages are normally well defined and there are economic factors which exert influence, it is possible to positively influence these cycles to prolong those which are most favorable and Bounce back more rapidly from those which are negative. Diminishing the time when a company is at the bottom of a Bounce enhances profitability and increases employee satisfaction.

To achieve a more effective Corporate Bounce the following are fundamental:

• A plan with Vision, Mission and Objective and a method of measuring adherence to those principles.
• A plan which consists not only of words but also a definite course of action
• A system which rewards innovation and doesn’t inhibit creativity
• A compensation system which rewards outstanding employees
• A hierarchy which streamlines the decision making process
• A willingness to recognize weaknesses and limitations
• An atmosphere promoting action and innovation
• An organization which leverages its strengths
• An environment without fear of criticism

We can say, “Sounds good in theory, but what about putting it into practice?” Decisions which positively influence a company normally come from owners and managers. It is also true that an idea which can make a tremendous difference between remaining in the depths of doldrums or brilliant Bounce can come from any level in the organization and at any time.

For these ideas to flow freely, it is essential to create an environment where people have confidence to express their creativity. Companies successfully implementing these strategies create an atmosphere conducive to Bouncing back and are those which change, innovate and actualize today, to be champions tomorrow

∞ Rob McBride ∞

LL I 21

Our ability to “Bounce Back” and move forward is an attribute which provides confidence and security to face life’s most challenging situations. The analogy of a bouncing ball rebounding in spite of adversity is a powerful metaphor as is the resiliency of a sponge. While the physical characteristics of a bouncing ball and a sponge are very different, there are noteworthy similarities.

A sponge after being twisted and tortured returns to its original state. While there is a definite limit to the abuse it can take, the sponge is resilient and “Bounces Back” to its initial form. We can learn much from the sponge both in its natural state in the ocean and its commercial state with which we are more familiar.

The living sponge we find in the ocean regenerates itself when cut from its base for
commercial use. The treated sponge we buy in the store is remarkable in its ability to store water (information) and to return to its original state (Bounce Back) after being used and abused. When we face our challenges as if we were a sponge, we encounter new found significance in the most trying times of our lives.

“Resilience” is “The property of a material that enables it to resume its original shape or position after being bent, stretched, or compressed; elasticity.” This is the essence of the sponge. Our capacity to return to our, “original state,” after being bent, stretched and twisted by the dynamic cycles of life is a worthy goal, while our ability to improve and learn through these challenges is ideal.

Those who achieve impressive feats in life are those who have the ability to look at problems as challenges and who are not afraid of failure. Failure is neither good nor bad, it simply is. Some of the most incredible discoveries have been the result of tremendous failures and harsh criticism.

A positive attitude, focus, flexibility, organization and initiative are characteristics which allow us to have the resilience of a sponge to Bounce Back from any situation which arises.

• A positive attitude drives us to see problems as challenges
• Intense focus permits us to continue on the right track
• Flexibility creates a myriad of appealing alternatives
• Organization facilitates the direction our destiny
• Initiative compels us in the direction we desire

Success is not an accident, rather it is the result of the decisions we make daily. When we become aware of the way in which we see the world and, specifically, how we view our own trials and tribulations, we embark on a journey which illuminates the beauty of each stride in this incredible adventure we call life.

∞ Rob McBride ∞

LL I 20