Dear Friends,

Sometimes in life, you can work so hard to achieve something and either loose sight of why you went after it in the first place or even wonder if your efforts were in vain or truly made a difference.  This can range from parenting, mentoring, volunteering or in my case, writing a book that I hoped would touch and inspire the reader to not only achieve their aspirations but to also share their story with others.  The letter below was sent to me by someone that read my book, “What’s Your Sales Story?”   This is the reason why I wrote the book.  I want to thank this individual for sharing their story and I would be honored to have those of you reading this post, read my book and tell me your story as well.

The Story From a Reader

Dear Ja Marr,

I wanted to write you and thank you for being such an influential speaker to not only the kids at the SBA mentoring program but to me as well. I read your inspiring story and can only explain my reaction as deeply moved. I thank you once more for generously giving me your book. I found it comforting that I am not alone in the world of medical sales. Since I am new to medical device sales, I found myself relating to your story quite a bit. I continuously caught myself reliving similar experiences throughout the read. Everything from not taking responsibility of my own territory to letting my ego stop me from asking for the sale. I particularity love your chapter about earning the right to ask for the business. In that chapter I felt I was reading my story not yours. I am shocked at the familiarity of your story and feel truly blessed that I read about your young career before destroying my own. Your book is a crucial guide to every new sales professional, especially those in medical sales. I have read many sales books, even medical device sales guide books and none of them prepare you for the mistakes you will most likely make like your book does. I can safely say your story may have potentially saved my career because of the path I have been leading thus far.

I would love to share my story with you and there is a good chance you will be taken back by the similarities. I have recommended this book to my VP of sales. I do not know how to thank you for sharing such a personal story and opening my eyes to what the sales industry should be about. Before I started with surgical sales my hopes included that my knowledge and accountability would help doctors perform better in surgery thus leading to higher patient satisfaction and surgical results. I wanted my doctors to see me as their consultant rather than their vendor. The pressure for increasing sales numbers changed my perception pretty quickly. I felt none of my managers cared about my expectations for the position, instead the focus was on the bottom line. I lost sight that I could achieve my initial goals and increase numbers in unison. Ultimately, in our business it is about the bottom line. The problem lies with only recognizing this piece and this is where you cause trouble. I appreciate the chapter of your life where it was no longer about the rankings to you and because of that you not only earned success but you earned the number one spot. There is something to be said about that and it is no coincidence you earned respect from your ophthalmologists.

Congratulations to your success, I truly admire you for sharing your struggles in this world of constant judgment. I would love to learn more from you and consider you a mentor. Please feel free to contact me anytime. I would love to attend one of your upcoming programs or events.

To your story,

Ja Marr

We have all heard or used the phrases, “Your glass is half empty” or “Your glass is half full,” to describe if a person is an optimist or a pessimist.  I am someone that has used those phrases very liberally when I would speak to people in my personal and professional life.  If I felt someone was being negative or not seeing the big picture, I would say, “Your glass is half empty.”  If he or she was being positive or optimistic despite the challenges they faced, I would say, “Your glass is half full.”  As a manager, I would often use those terms to assess the mindset of my team.  Of course, the hope being that the operating mindset was one of, “The glass being half full.”

Hungry animals just attack

I was recently talking to someone about the importance of having a positive vs. negative attitude.  At one point in our discussion, he asked me why I was always positive and seemed so upbeat and excited about life, regardless of the challenges or obstacles that I have faced.  He said, “Why does your glass always seem half full?”  Without hesitation, I fired back an answer that surprised me. I said, “So many people get hung up on the verbiage of someone’s glass being half full or half empty.  As far as I am concerned, it does not matter if someone’s glass is half full or half empty if they are thirsty.” A hungry animal does not get hung up on the size of the prey.  They attack small prey with the same ferocity as if it were big game.

Just Drink

As I reflected on the answer I had given him, I tried to figure how I came to that conclusion.  I picked up one of the journals that I have written and the answer soon emerged.  Whenever I described one of my aspirations such as Salesperson of the Year, District Manager of the Year, Winning a Golf Tournament (scrambles only), writing a book or learning to play the piano, I described what one would consider days that my mental glass was half full or half empty as I pursued those aspirations.  Yes, I may have made more progress when I had a positive attitude and my mental glass was half full, but that did not mean that I was completely unproductive or did not make progress when my mental glass was half empty.  Why?  Because regardless of the challenges or obstacles both mentally and physically, I was still very thirsty and willing to drink whatever was in the glass.

Regardless of how I felt internally my passion and desire for my aspirations was absolutely relentless. Whether I felt positive, negative or otherwise, my dreams were bigger than a simple “passing” thought of being positive or negative. The energy that people experienced as they observed my drive for achieving my aspirations was not about being positive or negative, it was about being Purposeful.  I call this the Relentless Pursuit of Excellence!

Yes, Tiger Woods

As I focused my research on others that are pursuing Excellence, one example stands above the rest.  In 2008, I had the privilege of attending the US Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego CA.  Thanks again G Force!  We have all heard about how Tiger Woods, once again, beat all odds and won the tournament despite his desperate need to have knee surgery.  Well, I was there.  I saw the look of pain and agony on his face every-time he took a swing.  I was only several yards away and saw how he at times could barely walk as he hobbled down the fairway.  But I also saw something else…he was Purposeful or should I say “Thirsty.” I am sure that both negative and positive thoughts entered his mind over the course of the tournament; however, they were trumped by the overwhelming thought of, “I want to and am going to win no matter what!”

Here is the lesson:  No one wakes up feeling either 100% positive or 100% negative every day.  There are ebbs and flows in everyone’s mentality.  However, what should not change is your desire, purpose and passion for achieving that which you are pursuing. Regardless if your glass is half full or half empty…if you are thirsty, drink every drop!

To your story!

Ja Marr

My father recently told me a story about a man that would bring his lunch to work every day. Each day the man would open his lunch, take out a sandwich, take a bite and complain about how bad it tasted, and how tired he was of eating the same old, boring lunch.

After months of listening to the man complain one of his co-workers finally had enough. He approached him and asked, “If you are so sick of having the same lunch every day, why don’t you ask your wife to make you something different?” Clearly offended by such a suggestion, the man snapped back, “I don’t need to change anything. I make my own damn lunch.”

I was reminded of the lunch story as a result of a recent speaking engagement I delivered for the Medical Service Society (www.medicalservicesociety.org) in San Diego. The theme of my talk centered on the idea that a sales professional’s current mindset and behaviors equate to their current sales results. This theme was applied to the current state of our economy and the affect it is having on sales professionals.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist - or economist - to see that our economy and sales environment has drastically changed in the last 12 months. Businesses of all sizes and a majority of all industries are dealing with an unprecedented level of upheaval. We all know that something needs to change. The real question isn’t whether change is needed, but what kind of change do we need to make in order to achieve sales excellence in today’s environment?

Making career lasting changes starts with acting and thinking differently in order to produce the results we desire. Complaining about your results as the man did with his lunch or worse yet, doing the same old things we have done in the past, while expecting new and improved results, is the definition of insanity. In other words, it is time we pack a different lunch!

Alexis and I at our first father daughter dance.

I was trying to think of ways to start this article, but the words, “I’m Back”  kept playing in my mind.  So I will start by saying that, “I’m Back!” 

What exactly does that mean?  It means that I am back at the place where I spent so many hours thinking and writing; the local coffee shop on an early Saturday morning.  I have not done this routine in at least two months.  Waking up early and going to the local coffee shop (with a book or my personal journal in hand) had been a routine of mine for years.  It is where I wrote the majority of my first book, “What’s Your Sales Story.” 

 I would get up before the family, head to the local coffee shop and read and write until I received a text from my wife letting me know that she and our daughter were awake.  Then I would head home and we would spend family time together the rest of the weekend.  It was such a great feeling to study your life and clear your mind at the end of the week; and then spend time with your loved ones. 

When Life Gets In the Way of…Life

As we all know, however, there are times when life gets in the way of, well…life.  You know those times because we’ve all been there.  We get busy, the pressures of work and life add up and before we know it we’re distracted and often times disconnected from what really matters most.  During these times we tend to stop doing the things that we love to do and focus on all of the “stuff” life throws at us.  While we may make some really good progress on achieving desired outcomes it is not uncommon to confuse activity with accomplishment. 

But fortunately I recognized it was time to re-adjust and get back to doing the things that bring peace to my life  and spending time with those that I truly love.  So here I am at the coffee shop, writing, thinking and feeling at peace.  The truth is that I never lost sight of what I loved doing and of course, I always carve out time with my family. But sometimes we need that wake up call that stops us in our tracks and forces us to take action on the things we know we should be doing. The wake up call or as I would prefer to call it, “the inspiration” that woke me up early this morning and brought me back to my place of solace and peace actually happened last night.

A Valentine’s Dance With My Daughter

My daughter and I went to our first father daughter Valentine’s dance at her school.  I cannot tell you how excited I was to go to this dance.  From the time I found out about the dance two weeks ago, I was filled with anticipation.  I thought about the fun we would have, how I would show her how a gentleman is supposed to treat a lady, the pictures and video we would take, the dancing we would do, the conversations we would have, the smiles, the laughter and most importantly, just spending quality time together. 

However, when we walked into the ballroom, my vision of the night was soon replaced by reality.  Five of her classmates seemed to appear out of thin air and were all screaming and running towards us.  When they finally reached us, they all began hugging and telling each other how pretty they looked and how beautiful their dresses were.  Then the words I dreaded to hear were said, “Alexis, let’s go play.”  She looked at me with the look that always makes me melt and said, “Daddy, can I go?”  As much as I wanted to say no, I knew that I had to let her go.   So she was off to the dance floor where an assortment of balloons was ready to be kicked and punched around and I was left standing with my daughter’s coat and our camera in hand.

Watching my daughter with her, “girlfriends” reminded me of the fact that this scene will play itself out more and more as she gets older.  Honestly, I was very sad.  I felt that my dreams of our father daughter dance had been shattered.  That’s when a revelation came over me. 

I thought about my Kaizen Way philosophy of Eliminating Wasteful Thoughts and Behaviors. I realized that I was thinking in a way that was counter-productive to the memories I wanted to have of that evening.  So many times in life, when things don’t work out exactly the way we want them to, we tend to wallow in self pity and stop trying as opposed to finding ways to make the most of the situation.  I went out to the dance floor and found myself in a balloon fight with my daughter and her friends. 

I took out my camera and started flashing pictures and taking video.  We all did dances such as the robot, cabbage patch, running man and jumped around like kids should.  We even did a father daughter skip down the Soul Train line that we created.  When the Jonas Brothers came on, I felt it was time for me to take a break. 

After several minutes, the DJ came on the microphone and announced that it was time for a father daughter slow dance.  Once again, a wasteful thought of, does Alexis want to dance with me crept into my mind.  All of the sudden, I saw her skipping towards me with a smile on her face that I will never forget.  I was standing with two other fathers at the time she reached me.  She grabbed my hand and said “Daddy, I was looking for you.  I want to dance with you.” 

As she lead me to the dance floor, she turned back and said something that I will never forget for the rest of my life, “Daddy, thank you for taking me to the dance.  This is the best night of my life!”

Enjoy the Moment

That night I was reminded of one of the keys to a successful life and career…Enjoy the moment!  Life is moving by so fast and things seldom turn out exactly the way you plan them.  However, if you stay focused on making the best out of any situation and do not allow wasteful thoughts to consume you, you will get the outcome you are looking for.  It may not look or sound like you envisioned it, but believe me, it will be exactly what you need. 

To your Story

From the moment he walked thru the door, I, and everyone else in attendance found ourselves caught in the whirlwind that was Bill Clinton. There was something about him that simply drew you in. I wanted to figure out exactly why he had such an affect on people; so I closely watched his every move. From the way he walked to the way that he looked and talked to people. Almost immediately, the answers to my questions began to surface.

He walked with a confident and knowing disposition. Unlike many other politicians who when campaigning, seem to be in a race to shake the most hands and get thru the crowd as quickly as possible, Bill Clinton stopped and talked to each person as if they were the reason why he came to the event. As he shook each person’s hand, he smiled and connected with them thru listening and finding something in common.

The first time he came up to me, he quickly glanced at my name tag (I only noticed because I was still studying him) and then said, “Ja Marr, thanks for coming. Where are you from?” “San Diego,” I responded. “Great city, people from San Diego tend to be very friendly and relaxed like yourself.” “I really like your suit (he and I were wearing the same colored suit). Let’s take a picture, he said.” There was a professional photographer walking around and as we were taking the picture, he asked me, what college I attended. I told him “Whittier College.” “Some great leaders have come out of Whittier College,” he said; and we spent the next minute or so discussing some of the famous and infamous Whittier Alums; from former President Richard Nixon to, Rhoads Scholar Stan Sanders. As he was walking away, he said, “It was great to meet you Ja Marr.”

I continued to study him as he walked thru the crowd some more. He never waivered from his initial disposition. He gave a 30 minute talk on everything from political issues such as the current presidential race, healthcare, the economy, national security and global issues that affect the US. People hung on his every word. I found myself equally drawn in. Then I became present once again and asked myself, “why is this man having such and affect on people?” The answer was surprisingly simple. First of all, he practically knew each person in attendance due to the way he connected with them from the moment he walked thru the door. Second, as he was speaking, not once did it feel as if he was speaking in a tone that suggested that he was President Clinton and we were not. It honestly felt as if we were having a conversation at a casual dinner. He was doing all of the talking but it felt like we were having a conversation.

After his talk, he walked around some more and ended up right in front of me again. Before I could get a word out he said, “Ja Marr, are you enjoying yourself? I was stunned by the fact that he called me by name. Did he remember it, or did he look at my nametag again? To this day, I don’t know. I said, “Great talk and it was a pleasure meeting you.” Then he said, ‘thank-you. Let’s take another picture.” As we were taking the second picture he said to make sure that I continue to support Whittier College, and he hopes to see me as one of the great leaders that come from that institution.

After he walked around a few more minutes, the secrete service stepped in and whisked him away because he was late for another event. There was a distinct difference in the vibe of the crowd after he left. People were socializing, laughing, exchanging business cards and talking about how great it was to meet Bill Clinton. That was a contrast to the vibe of the crowd before he walked in. Yes, guests were friendly and socialized some, but Bill Clinton made acquaintances and strangers, fell like old friends.

After I met some more people and exchanged a few more business cards, I decided it was time to leave. I was shocked by the scene that awaited me outside. I thought that I had figured out Bill Clinton’s formula during the event, but what I saw outside, after the event was over really gave me clarity. Outside of the home of where the event had taken place, a crowed of curious neighbors had gathered across the street. At first, I signed it off as just a few curious on-lookers; but then something really significant caught my attention.

In the middle of all of the crowed of neighbors and curious on-lookers was…Bill Clinton. He had the same disposition as he had during the event. He smiled, shook hands, looked people in the eye and seemed to talk to each person individually. All of this as the secrete service stood by. I could not help but think to myself, “the 30 guests in attendance each paid $1,000.00 to attend; and here was Bill Clinton treating people that did not attend the event, and paid zero dollars, the same way as those that paid $1000.00! To me, that was the most impressive thing that Bill Clinton did that evening. It reminded me of the age old adage, Treat everyone equally.

As sales people, we often treat our customers and their office staffs differently based on our idea as to how valuable or important each person is based on their title or decision making ability. We often think that it is a waste of time “connecting” with individuals that do not write the checks, or the prescriptions (for those in the pharmaceutical arena). But you must remember, you never know who someone really is or just how important they are or will be one day. Today’s front office secretary could be tomorrow’s office manager. The lady at the front desk could be the physician’s wife. Think about this, the neighbors outside had no expectation that Bill Clinton would take the time to talk to them. They were not invited to the event and did not pay any money to spend time with him. However, they found themselves getting the same treatment that those of us who paid $1,000.00 did. How special did that make them feel! What if you were in their shoes? How would you feel? Regardless of what they felt about Bill Clinton prior to that evening, I promise you that they developed a new respect and fondness towards him.

If you are someone that strives for success in sales and wants to be a perennial top performer, I encourage you to apply the lessons that Bill Clinton taught me about sales.

“Excuse me,” I said to the stewardess. “I would like to order the California Salad.” With a look of dismay and frustration she said, “I need to find out if we still have any salads left.” And with that, she stomped down the aisle way toward the back of the plane. Sure, the beverage cart had come by about 15 minutes earlier, but I was on a cross country flight and had fallen asleep during the initial cart service. The stewardess’ did however give me a menu which means that you don’t have to order exactly at the time they first come by. We still had 3 hours left in the air!

10 minutes later, I am still in my seat waiting for my salad. Curious about the status of my request, I flagged down another stewardess who happened to be passing by and politely told her that I had ordered a salad about ten minutes ago and wanted to check on the status of it. The only word she uttered to me was, “ok,” and then she went to the back of the plane…the same direction the first stewardess had gone. I remained calm thinking that my salad would be there any second. My stomach started to growl with anticipation and I was getting hungrier by the minute; just imagining that wonderful salad I was about to eat.

12 minutes goes by and still no salad! What is going on? I thought to myself. All I want is a salad. Either they have it or they don’t. I decided to ring the call button; but just as I was reaching up to push it, I heard the voice of a stewardess asking if people wanted coffee. My first thought was…they had all this time to make coffee, but can’t bring me a pre-made salad. At this point, I am beyond famished, and starting to get really upset. But as I normally do, I try and look at the bright side and turn a bad situation into a learning experience. What did I learn? Avoid flying on this airline.

A few minutes later, the stewardess that was passing out coffee, reached my seat and asked me if I wanted coffee. This was the second stewardess that I had flagged down earlier to ask about the status of my salad. It was almost as if she did not recognize me. I asked her again, “I ordered a salad nearly 30 minutes ago. Do you know where it is.? All she said was, “let me check.” And once she was out of coffee, she went back to the back of the plane. A couple of minutes later, she came up to me and said, “Sir, its coming.” Why she did not have it, I don’t know, but nevertheless, I almost jumped for joy with the idea of just eating this salad.

5 minutes later. I decided to look towards the back of the plane. I wish I had not done that, because what I saw nearly made me jump out the window. I saw the original stewardess I had ordered the California salad from, walking down the aisle with a snack tray in her hand, asking the passengers if they wanted cookies, or peanuts. I pinched myself to see if I was dreaming. It hurt, so I was not. She finally made her way to me. She asked me if I wanted cookies or peanuts. I looked around to see if I was on candid camera of MTVs Punked, but when Ashton Kucher did not come out, I knew this was reality.

I must have really mentally checked out for a second, because she asked me again, “Sir, do you want peanuts or cookies?” I said, “No, but I would like my California salad.” Then in a very nonchalant fashion she said, “OH, let me get it for you.” And with that, she went to the back of the plane. At that point, I said forget it, and decided to just go to sleep. I was awakened by a tap on my shoulder and a voice saying, “Sir, it will be $8.00.” as she placed the California salad on my lap. I gave her the money and she just walked away without uttering another word.

All I could think to myself as I ravaged thru my California salad was that this would never have happened on Southwest Airlines!

concert ticket

On July 24^th, my wife and I attended a Lionel Richie concert. Lionel Richie is my all time favorite performer, singer, and songwriter. There is something about his music that truly touches my spirit. One of my life long ambitions was to see him in concert. I guess you could say that it was on my bucket list. One month prior to the concert, I was driving to the airport and noticed a billboard promoting the concert. Since I did not have time to call and buy the tickets myself, I immediately called my brother and asked him to purchase the two best seats he could buy.

For the next few weeks, I was filled with excitement and anticipation for the concert. I would play Lionel Richie songs all day, whether I was in my car or at my house. Songs like, “Sail on, Stuck on you, Three times a Lady, Hello ect”, would play in my head constantly. I could not wait for the night of the concert. However, underlying all of my excitement was one concern. Often times, artists, use concerts as a way to promote their new albums. Would Lionel do the same? Sure his new music is good, but I fell in love with his old music. That is what I wanted to hear; and that is what I paid top dollar to experience.

Concert night! The crowd was abuzz with excitement. Drinks were flowing, people were socializing, and the mood was set. The announcer spoke up and went thru Lionel’s musical achievements which read like a curriculum vitae of a Nobel Prize winner. Then he said the words that everyone wanted to hear, “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Lionel Richie.” The cheers were deafening. So much so that it was hard to hear the song he was singing. It sounded good but a bit unfamiliar. As the noise from the crowd subsided, the song he was singing was loud and clear. Unfortunately, it was not, “Sail On, or Hello or any of the songs I came to hear. It was one of his newer songs. Uh Oh, I thought to myself, my biggest fear is being realized, he is going to sing all of his new songs and promote his latest album. I did not pay to hear this! I sunk in my chair and mentally prepared myself to accept what was happening. I tried to psych myself out by saying that even though he is not going to sing my favorite songs; at least I can say that I saw Lionel Richie in concert. But who was I kidding, I was truly disappointed.

After he sang his first song, he walked to the edge of the stage, shook hands with people that were lucky enough to get front row seats and said the following, “I can tell that this crowd did not come to hear me sing my new music. You guys want to hear my old school music…when I was with the Commodores. You want to hear my greatest hits don’t you? I probably yelled “YES” louder than anyone in the building. “Alright,” he said, “tonight we are going to sing every single one of my greatest hits.”

The concert was absolutely amazing! He sounded just as good as he does on CDs. He was personable and even signed autographs during the show. Because I literally sang every song, it took my voice two days to recover from being so hoarse. I could not have asked for a better evening.

As salespeople, we are constantly taught the importance of uncovering needs. But often times we either tell our customers what we think they want to hear, which is truly what we think is important or we ignore them when we find out what their needs are. Could Lionel Richie have given a good performance singing his newest music? Yes. Would I have enjoyed the concert? Somewhat. But, by understanding what the people truly wanted and then giving them what they wanted, he has thousands of people saying that that was one of the best nights of their lives as opposed to it was just ok or how disappointing the performance was. The moral of the story is that if you uncover the needs of your customers and then fulfill those needs, you will have people saying how impactful you are vs. just being ok or missing the mark completely.

“What do you mean you can’t find my bag,” I said with obvious frustration coming from my voice.  Due to a meeting that ran late in Arizona, I missed my flight to Oakland and found myself standing at the baggage counter.  “Sir, our policy is that when a bag misses a flight, it is put on the next flight; so your bag should be here in an hour.”  “An hour,” I said, but I am already running late for dinner with one of my customers.  Sir, I’m sorry, but there is nothing we can do about it, you will just have to wait like everyone else,” the agent said with a sarcastic tone.  Those were the last words I wanted to hear as Oakland was the 3rd city I had traveled to in three days.  I wanted so bad to just go to the customer dinner, eat as quickly as possible and then get to my room for some much needed rest.

“I still can’t find my bag,” was what I told the same agent that had helped me the first time.  The first flight after mine had come in and still no bag.  “Sir, hopefully your bag will be on the next flight which should arrive in about an hour.  Or, we can deliver it after 10:00 AM tomorrow.”  Neither option was reasonable.  I had an 8:00AM meeting the next morning, so delivering my bag after 10:00 AM simply would not work.  Secondly, at that point, I had missed the dinner with the customer as the whole missing my original flight and missing bag ordeal had already made me 2 hours late.  I said, “Can you please work with me?  Can we have someone deliver my bag tonight?  I need my clothes and business materials for my 8:00 AM appt.  I don’t care what time tonight you deliver them as long as I get them by 7:00 AM tomorrow morning.”  “Sir, you can either wait for your bag which will hopefully be on the next fight or we can deliver it after 10:00 AM tomorrow.”

In utter frustration, I said, “Please get me your manager.”  He said, “Sir, it won’t make a difference, I have already told you your options.”  “I understand that, I said, but can you please get me your manager.”  “OK, he said, but it will not make a difference.”  And with that, he pranced off through a door behind the counter.  About 10 minutes later, he came walking out with a lady that I assumed to be his manager.  I prepared myself for the scene that was about to go down, because it was so predictable.  I knew that he had already told her that he explained their policies to me and that I was being unreasonable.  In other words, “Boss, I have already done my job.”

Just as I suspected, she said, “Sir, John has already explained your situation to me.  I understand your situation, but you only have two options at this point; wait for the next flight or have us deliver your bags after 10:00 AM tomorrow.  That is the best we can do.”  The only thing that kept me from blowing up was the fact that she had a pleasant demeanor about her.  There was no sarcasm in her voice, unlike the original agent that helped me.  Controlling my emotions, I said, “With all due respect, you do not understand my situation.”  Yes, I did miss my original flight which was my fault.  However, my bag should have been on the next flight which it was not.  I missed a very important dinner with a customer of mine as a result.  In addition, if my bag is not on the next flight, I don’t know what I am going to do because my meeting materials, clothes and everything else I need is in my bag.  It is already 10:30 PM and there are no stores open for me to buy clothes for tomorrow.  In addition, my meeting starts before any stores open tomorrow so I will not be able to buy clothes in the morning.  On top of all that, I forgot my cell phone charger at home so my battery is dead.  Because of that, I was not able to call my customer and tell him that I would not be able to meet him for dinner; so he thinks that I stood him up.  I am beyond tired because I have been traveling every week and this is my third city this week.  I was hoping to get in, have dinner and get some much needed sleep tonight.  Instead, here I am at the airport at 10:30 at night waiting for my bag to arrive.  Do you still think you understand my situation?”  What transpired next completely surprised me.

She said, “Mr. Brown, thank-you for telling me your full story.  If I were in your shoes, I would be feeling the same way that you do right now.  I am so sorry that we have been so focused on what we can’t do as opposed to what we can do for you. I am supposed to get off work in 15 minutes, but I will stay until the last two flights come in…and when you bag arrives, I will personally deliver them to your hotel since our baggage courier may not be available.  I want you to go to your hotel and get some rest for your meeting tomorrow morning.  I will personally take care of your bags.”  Then she gave me a travel voucher for my inconvenience and even offered to call my client the next morning and explain that it was Southwest’s fault that I missed the dinner.”  I looked her straight in the eye and said, “Thank-you for listening to me and understanding my situation.  I know that my options are limited, but it just feels good to know that you are working with me on solutions as opposed to what you can’t do.”  We both decided to wait for the next flight to come in and then make a decision on exactly how my bag would get to my hotel if it were no on that flight.

Over the next 30 minutes as I waited for that flight, she kept communicating with me.  Instead of going back to her office, she spent the majority of her time talking to me; continuing to offer her support and assistance.  In addition, we engaged in a discussion about the work that I do and our families and backgrounds.  Then she excused herself to make a phone call.  Five minutes later, she was back standing next to me.  She said that she had to call her husband and kids to let them know that she was going to be late.  Understanding her situation, I said, “If you need to go home to be with your family, I can just wait for my bags.”  She replied, “Mr. Brown, I appreciate that but, it is not just my job but my pleasure to help customers.  I am committed to helping you and enjoy doing so.  So I am not going to rest until we resolve your issue.”

The next flight came in and we were very happy to find out that my bag was on that flight.  It was kind of weird but she actually gave me a hug and was genuinely as happy as I was to see my bags on the carousel.  As I was in the taxi cab driving to my hotel, I thought about my experience that evening.  First, I was reminded of all of the good experiences I have had with Southwest airlines and secondly, it reminded me of our role as sales and service professionals.  At the end of the day, we all react to and form our perspectives and mindsets based on the experiences that we have and not so much the products we use.  We use certain products because of the emotional experience and feelings they give us.  For example, I can fly any airline that I want, but I tend to go with SW airlines because the vast majority of my experiences have been positive.  When I think of SW airlines, my emotions are positive and because we all want to avoid pain and seek pleasure- I go with the option that I feel will be the most pleasurable and least painful.

This is no different for your customers, clients and prospects.  Remember, they all have numerous choices as to where and who they buy from.  The difference comes down to whom they have had or feel they will have the best experience with.  Sell the experience your customer will have with you!  You want them, just as I am doing, to rave about the interaction they had with you…and they will keep coming back to you and tell others about!

On Friday November 14, at the beautiful OC Pavilion, my family and I celebrated the release of my first book, “What’s Your Sales Story?”.  With over 100 people in attendance, that included family, friends, colleagues and business partners, the evening was as much about the launch of a new chapter in my life and career, as it was a celebration of my book’s release.

During my talk, that Friday evening, while I discussed my journey in writing the book and how it relates to sales professionals and managers, I challenged the audience to discover their internal fires.  What is it that is burning inside them to achieve?  Instead of focusing on thoughts that are keeping them away from heir aspirations, such as “How” it will be achieved, I urged them to focus on the “Why”.   Who is it in your life that you want to set an example for?  Who is it in your life that you want to leave a legacy for? 

Focusing on the “Why” will bring a sense of calm over you, eliminating the worry and overwhelm as to “How” your dreams will be achieved.  That calm will bring about an unbreakable confidence and commitment that will guide you through your journey.  Achieving perennial success in life and in your career will transpire faster than you can imagine. Believe me, I know.

8 Years In the Making

The process of developing and launching What’s Your Sales Story? was eight years in the making. That journey was not without its fair share of challenges. 

For quite some time I was completely focused on “How” do I write a book rather than the “Why”.  I had never written a book before and found myself overwhelmed by all of the work and time required to do it.  I’ll be honest, there were times where I wondered if I was doing the right thing and even questioned my worthiness of writing a book.  Frustrated and disillusioned, I stopped writing in mid-2007.

A few months after I had stopped writing the book, I was in the process of getting ready to go out on Halloween with my daughter, Alexis.  Shutting off my computer I found myself looking at a photo of my daughter the day she was born.  And then I hear Alexis call out from the doorway to my office, “Daddy, look at me!”.  I turned from that photo to see Alexis dressed in her Super Girl costume.  In the blink of an eye I was vividly reminded just how quickly my little girl was growing up. 

As we prepared to leave and go trick or treating I found myself thinking how five years had passed since my daughter came into this world and here I was, not only still ‘thinking” about writing my book, but a few months earlier I had simply given up on it. 

I recalled the words my mom shared with me when I was 13 years old after I had asked her why she and my dad sacrificed so much for me and my brothers.  She simply said that, “the role of a parent is to ensure that their children’s lives are better than their own.” 

That Halloween evening marked a major turning point in my life.  I no longer troubled myself with the “How” behind writing my book. Instead, I shifted my focus to “Why” should I write the book.  Leaving a legacy for my daughter became my personal “Why”. It was my inspiration.  From that point on, there was not a day that went by that I did not work on my book.   Whenever I got tired or my creative juices did not flow, I would look at the photo of my daughter’s first moments in this world and I would suddenly be re-energized and the creative juices flowed.  Driven by my “Why”, my efforts were rewarded and less than a year later the book was finished

What Is Your Why?

Through it all I had the unwavering support of my wife and daughter as well as family, friends and colleagues.  All of them provided support, guidance and inspired me to continue breathing life into my vision.

Today, What’s Your Sales Story? is poised to realign how sales professionals prepare themselves and how they see their customers.  According to many sales professionals, authors, sales trainers and corporate executives who have read the book, it is “the book MISSING from every training room across America.”

In short, What’s Your Sales Story? is unlike any book you have ever read on sales. You won’t find any clichéd sales strategies or out dated techniques.  Instead, what you will discover is a new form of sales education I refer to as Reality Based Sales. No theories or generic examples. What you will read is 100% reality.

For me, the reality of the book’s completion and the next chapter in my life is a result of switching my focus from “How” to “Why”. 

Now the question is for you to discover what is your “Why”?

I am often asked what separates the average salesperson from the perennial sales performer. My answer is always the same. Perennial sales performer know, understand and fully utilize their stories to engage, communicate and connect with their customers. Average salespeople do not.

Of course, this answer isn’t always easily understood at first. The surprised and sometimes skeptical expressions quickly go away, however, as I remind others not only just how often we all use stories in our personal and professional lives, but how easy sales becomes when stories are properly used and understood.

Stories, though, are not just important to sales success. Stories are the very fabric that runs through all human interactions, framing our perspective of the world we live in.

Stories uplift our spirit and stir our emotions. They awaken our soul and breathe hope into despair. Stories shape and define entire cultures. They teach and provide perspective. They build companies and grow careers. And nothing ever gets sold without a story being told.

Stories are at the core of our genetic makeup. Throughout history stories have been used to teach, entertain, honor spiritual beliefs, settle disputes, express love and they have been used to sell. Take for example the story of David and Goliath or the Boy Who Cried Wolf. They contain universal themes and messages that can be applied to any culture or situation.

According to the Kalahari Bushmen, recognized as the oldest living culture on earth, a person’s story is viewed as his most treasured resource. From our birth to our passing, stories serve as the backbone of our existence, both personally and professionally.

When it comes to selling, just as in life, everyone has a story behind what drives them. What’s your story?