Facts vs. Insights

Whether it's a product, an idea, or yourself that you're selling, it's important to remember the difference between Facts and Insights.  Why?  Speaking about the facts (the features) of your stuff / your idea / you is self-oriented.  You'll be talking about what YOU think is cool.  Talking about insights means that you're more likely to be talking about what the Other thinks is cool.

"Facts are a dime a dozen.  Insights are rare and valuable commodities."
-- Charlie Cook, Marketing For Success

Disclaimer -- the link above is not to anything that I run.  Charlie and I have the same name, but we aren't affiliated in any way.  We've never had a fireside chat with each other.  I receive no compensation or any other benefit from referring to him or his stuff.  Charlie's focus is on helping entrepreneurs and small businesses market themselves successfully.  I refer you to him because his stuff is useful.  The same is true for all of the references I've made in this and other posts on this blog.  I contend that these points are also useful for people in career transitions.

I've observed that in sales, in presenting ideas, and in presenting ourselves, we sometimes try to convince others by helping them understand our logic; we begin the discussion with the Facts.  In Journalism, this is called "burying the lead".  What might happen if we we started with our Insights, instead of burying the lead?  Not only would it be a more compelling presentation, it would be different. It would help us stand out from the crowd.

We start by sharing a golden nugget - our brilliant point.  Then we work to expand that point until the other person has the "Aha!" moment we were shooting for, and then we condense that moment back down to a golden nugget.

Here's an interesting online article I found about burying the lead.  I also recommend the book "Made To Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath (also mentioned in the afore-mentioned article).

Here's a product-centered example.  I hold in my hand a Ticonderoga tri-write HB #2-lead pencil.  This pencil has different features, and perhaps the most distinctive is its triangular shape.  Someone asks me, "Charlie, why do you like that pencil?" and I say "Because it's shaped like a triangle!"  Probably not the most compelling answer.  That's because it's shape is a fact, not an insight.  To get from FACT to INSIGHT, we must ask "Why?" several times  (Why x 3).

--------------------

What's really cool about that pencil?

This pencil has a triangular shape.
Why does that matter?

Well, the shape makes it easier to hold - it's ergonomic.
So what?

The older I get, the harder it is to hold a pencil for an extended period of time.  This is more comfortable, and it doesn't hurt my hand as much.  Also, when I set it down on the table, it doesn't roll around like those round pencils do.
So who would care about that?

It seems to me that older folks and small children - those who may have more difficulty holding a pencil either due to arthritis or small hands, might truly benefit from this shape.  It helps them hold onto the darn thing.  And I'm guessing kids probably aren't troubled by having their pencil roll off of their desk or table, but I know that the older I get, the less happy I am about those things.  If I need a pencil, this is probably what I'm going to choose.  Maybe that makes sense for you too.

OK, now we're getting somewhere.  Now that I have a  idea about the insight (why the fact matters), I can use the Insight to start a conversation, not the fact.  It might sound something like this:

"Charlie, why do you like that pencil?"  And I might respond, "Well for one thing, this distinctive shape keeps it on my table - it's not prone to rolling around!  Also, I find that it's more comfortable in my hand, especially when I'm using it to write for a prolonged period of time.  I've also noticed that children sometimes have difficulty holding their pencils properly, and I find this is easier for my kids to hold onto."

Which answer do you think was more compelling?

-------------------

OK, that was a corny example.  Let's try another.  How about from your resume'.  Take a look at the bullet points you've listed to describe your past experience.  A common format is to list these things as "accomplishments".  As a hiring manager, I interpret accomplishments as Results.  Often what people list as results are simply tasks.  Equally as often these are stated as things that you were required to do for the job.

Unless I'm looking for someone to perform a specific task (like mowing my lawn), I really don't care about the Fact that you performed tasks required for the job.  Yes, basic competencies are required - I need to know that you own the "how" of your job.  But those things are simply your ticket to get into the game.  If you want to play, I need to know you're a player, and that you can deliver results.  I can get anyone to just mow my lawn.  But what I WANT is someone who's going to treat my lawn as if it were their own lawn, and leave me with a "customer delight" experience.  Tell me about THAT!

So, lets use the same formula.  Start by listing the facts, uncover the insights, and then re-frame the bullet so that it truly describes an accomplishment.  For example...

----------------------

What did you do?

I designed, created, and implemented a reporting system.
Why does that matter?

Well, the reporting system had never existed before.  Every now and then there would be an unpleasant surprise and then a frantic 2-day activity would commence to pull together the data and try to explain what had happened.
So what?

A couple of things.  First, the old way usually resulted in a witch hunt.  The group really focused on blame-throwing.  And if you're trying to explain something afterwards, you don't really need to know much.  The goal really needed to be the ability to predict what was going to happen, when.  And then we needed to look at the root causes, else the situation really wasn't going to get better.
Why is that important?

This report was a catalyst for change.  It allowed us to begin charting what was happening over time.  We started to notice trends, a cyclic pattern.  For the first time, the group was able to proactively address issues, before they got to tsunami stage.
So what do you think your resume' should really say about that?

"Crafted a reporting process that moved the team from explanation to prediction, resulting in a 35% increase in performance over 6 months.  The improvements identified as a result of this effort resulted in a savings of approximately $6k per production lot."

Disclaimer -- I'm using this example to show what might be done with this work by adding in some measures which are in this case, totally made up.  Don't embellish, and use numbers that accurately reflect the results from the effort.  Be prepared to back up your reported results with data.  You say you don't have the data?  Is it too late to reach out to former friends and colleagues to flesh out these points?  What's the worst they can say when you ask - No?

----------------

I suggest that Insights are always more compelling than facts.  Perhaps you can give this a try on your own.  Start with your stuff.  Or your idea.  Or your resume'.

To get started, make a list of the features of your stuff, your idea, or your history.  Ask yourself the question, "What's really cool about..." or "What do I think is most important for them to know about..."

For each item on the list, use Why x 3.  The way it usually sounds when I do it is:

• Why does that matter?
• So what?
• Who would anyone care about that?
• And why is that important?

Once you've got the insights identified, remember to lead with those things, not the facts.  Here's how you might do it.  "You know, there are probably only 2 or 3 reasons anyone would want to choose this instead of that.  And those reasons are..."  Or, "The most important thing I can share about this experience is blah, and that's because..."

Here's an image that I hope will help you put all of this together:

Facts Vs. Insights

Give it a try with a trusted friend or colleague and feel free to comment on this post, so that I can learn how it worked for you.  As I write this, I'm reminded that I need to inspect my own writing on this blog, to make sure I'm not burying the lead.  How am I doing?  Did this article "do" anything for you?  Looking forward to reading your comments.  Be well, and have a great day!

Service = Cause, Relationship (and the Order) = Effect

Joe Schmuckatelly and I were making sales calls together -- actually, he was making them, I was observing.  During pre-call planning for one of his visits, Joe identified the prospect's relationship with an existing vendor as a potential problem that might prevent the prospect from moving forward with Joe's company.  He decided to put the elephant on the table during the visit.  The interaction went something like this:

"Mr. Prospect, I understand that you've done a lot of business in the past with Mr. X, and it's my perception that you have a pretty strong relationship.  All things being equal, is it true that Mr. X is going to be your preferred vendor for this project?"

Joe's intent was to listen closely to the answer and respond appropriately.  Joe truly had no idea where this would go, but he suspected that it would at least provide an opportunity to ask what would have to happen to make it more likely for Mr. Prospect to move forward with Joe, a "how can I improve my odds" kind of discussion.  To Joe's surprise, Mr. Prospect responded...

"Relationship?!?  Who gives a crap about the relationship?!?  Either I get what I need from you or I don't!  The reason you're here is Mr. X's company has been dropping the ball!  Oh yeah," he said with a smile, "you've got some pretty cool stuff too."

When I speak with my friends and colleagues who are in the position of dealing with salespeople on an ongoing basis, I hear similar comments.  As a general rule, relationship helps with information sharing, openness, and trust, but Service is the root of the order.

An orchard is a useful metaphor for this point.  The orchard represents your territory.  Each tree (account) has many branches (suspects, prospects, and customers), some of which bear more fruit (orders) than others.  Service is the healthy, well fertilized soil.  Relationship-Building Activities are the water.  Provide one without the other, and the harvest (and the tree) will suffer.  The Law of the Harvest is that you Reap what you Sow.  So it is in sales.

There is a potential problem with metaphors - they can easily be misunderstood by the casual reader.  In this case, notice that I defined the water as Relationship-Building Activities and not as The Relationship.  This is important.  Relationship is an outcome.  Relationship-Building Activities are something that you Practice.  The relationship you have with your prospects and customers is the result of Conscious and Genuine, Relationship-Building Activities - and that's something you have 100% control of.

There are other factors that affect Relationship, such as Results and Perceptions and Culture.  Relationship (the outcome) is the result of some things you can control (such as your service and the degree to which you Consciously Practice relationship-building skills) and some things that you can't control (such as other people, world events that conspire to upset your carefully laid plans, and the perception of the persons and organizations that you are serving).  Focus on what you can control and you'll drive improved outcomes Over The Long Run (but don't expect to bat 1.000).

Some people, it seems, are convinced that a good relationship will lead to a sale (read that as Cause and Effect).  "They'll buy from me because I have worked hard to make them like me."  I think that this is a chicken and egg problem.  For example, if you think about it you'll realize that a chicken is just an egg's way of making another egg.  What, you see a problem with this statement?  So it is in sales.

If Service is what really leads to the order, then why care about the Relationship?  Because relationship is also important, it's just that you don't have 100% control over Relationship, the outcome (because it takes two to Tango), and a Relationship takes time to develop.

In my humble opinion, you should focus your attention on Providing Excellent Service and on Being Trustworthy -- both lead to improved relationship Over The Long Run.

If your prospect or customer truly has the interests of the organization he serves at heart, then a good relationship won't guarantee a sale.  On the other hand, excellent service might.  Haven't you ever purchased an inferior product due to superior service?

Beware:  Excellent Service with poor Relationship Skills can lead to low Trust; think about the result of a minor mistake with a low-trust account.  On the other hand, Excellent Service with Excellent Relationship Skills can lead to higher Trust, which translates into Forgiveness for the small errors that can happen in this complex world.

Not sure what to do to improve your service?  Take a quick read of the books titled, "Achieve Sales Excellence" by Howard Stevens and Theodore Kinni (HR Chally Group) and "Exceptional Selling" by Jeff Thull.  Also, when is the last time you made a Service Call?  The Sales Engine can help.

The Sales Engine

Not sure what to do to improve your relationship skills?  Take a quick read of the books titled, "People Skills" by Robert Bolton; "The Trusted Advisor" by Maister, Green, and Galford; "Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play" by Mahan Khalsa and Randy Illig (Covey's Sales Performance Group); "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen M.R. Covey; and "Swim With The Sharks..." by Harvey Mackay.  Also, invest some time studying real-life examples.  But the most important part here is to Practice what you are studying here with conscious intent -- turn off the automatic pilot.

A coach can help.  Got one?  Get one.  Period.

Plan-Do-Learn Ain't P-D-C-A

Recently an old friend read my blog post about Plan-Do-Learn.  His observation?  "This is the PDCA cycle!"

For those of you who are not familiar with PDCA (plan-do-check-act, aka the Deming cycle, the Shewhart cycle, and/or plan-do-study-act), it is a Quality and Continuous Improvement process.  Plan for changes to bring about an improvement; Do changes on a small scale; CHECK to see if the changes are working; and ACT to get the greatest benefit from these changes on a large scale.  Stated simply, PDCA is about making controlled changes with the goal of getting better results.  It's good science.

My friend wasn't the first person to make a link between Plan-Do-Learn and PDCA, and I'm certain that he won't be the last.  While I can appreciate why he (and others) might think that there is a link, this post is an attempt to explain why Plan-Do-Learn is NOT the same as the PDCA cycle.

So what and who cares?  Well, if you know something about PDCA and make the rapid assumption that "this is the same as that", your mind closes and you stop learning.  I'm certainly OK with examining the two things side-by-side; look for relationships, test the hypothesis that they are the same.  Again, that's the purpose of this post.

So let's start with PDCA -- it helps you make deliberate changes to a process that is not producing the results you desire.  It's about applying scientific method rather than using the "Easter-egg hunt" approach (hey, there might be an egg over here... Nope.  Over there?  Nope.  How about over here?  Nope...).  Those of you who know something about Troubleshooting will understand.

In contrast, Plan-Do-Learn describes a Discipline.  It's not just for changes, it's something that you always do.  It's not about scientific method, it's about Being Effective.

OK, those of you who know something about PDCA are probably exclaiming (some of you loudly) that PDCA is an ongoing process (as in continuous improvement).  But before you jump on me with your hob-nail boots, let me suggest that the focus of PDCA is on problems, and the goal of PDCA is to make controlled changes (improvements) first in one thing, and then another, and then another until your process is producing the results that you desire.  In other words, there is a specific beginning (your process isn't producing what you want) and a specific end (your process is producing what you want) where you switch from PDCA to process monitoring (typically using statistical process control).

It is not my intent to say that PDCA is a bad thing. It's a GREAT thing. But it's not the SAME thing as Plan-Do-Learn. Apply PDCA where it makes sense (such as knowing what your sales process is).

Plan-Do-Learn was inspired by my observation that the BEST salespeople consistently engage in some form of SIMPLE pre-call planning (and other forms of preparation, such as practice and rehearsal) before the sales visit, they are willing to do what makes sense during the sales visit (including asking "stupid" questions or throwing out their plan if the situation has changed), and they consistently invest time to learn from their experiences (and to prepare for the future) after the visit.

Note the emphasis on Practical Action before, during, and after.

If you're learning about Plan-Do-Learn for the first time, it's entirely accurate to embrace it from the PDCA perspective, because you're making a change.  But in my opinion, that's where the comparison must end.

Here are four ways of looking at the differences between PDCA and Plan-Do-Learn:

1) PDCA is about using the scientific method when treating a Diseased Process.  Diagnose before you prescribe (prevent malpractice), and then follow through so that you're sure the prescription is giving the desired results!

In contrast, Plan-Do-Learn comes from the study of Healthy Salespeople - people who are consistently producing results in good times AND bad.  These people practice A Way Of Being that produces the results that they want Over The Long Run.  In this way, Plan-Do-Learn has roots in Neuro-Linguistic-Programming (NLP) in that effective communicators practice the discipline of K-F-C:  Know what you want; Find out if you're getting it; If you're not getting what you want, Change what you're doing until you get what you want.

-----

2) PDCA is about Treatment.  Plan-Do-Learn is about Prevention.

As an example, lets look at the parallel to Time Management.  You may be familiar with Covey's 4 Quadrants (urgent vs. important).  Q1 is about crisis management (everything is Urgent and Important).  Q2 is the sweet spot - prevention (Focusing on important things on a consistent basis, avoiding crises through prior planning).  Q3 and Q4 are right out - clearly you're in trouble if you're spending time on the unimportant things.

PDCA is something you do to get out of Q1. Plan-Do-Learn is a Q2 activity that will help keep you out of Q1 (as well as Q3 and Q4).

-----

3) Plan-Do-Learn has deep roots in the works of Stephen R. Covey.  Those of you who have read and practice "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" may have a better understanding of this.  Habits 1-3 are about personal effectiveness:  begin with the end in mind; be proactive; put first things first.  Plan-Do-Learn is the Discipline that allows us to put these Habits into Practice.

Discipline.  Habit.  Practice.  Powerful words chosen with clear, deliberate intent.  Words worth reflecting on.

-----

4) PDCA is about mowing the lawn.  Plan-Do-Learn is about keeping the lawn healthy and green (which sometimes requires mowing).

-----

The amateur fisherman will catch a fish every now and then, but he doesn't really understand why what he is doing works some of the time but not all of the time.  He isn't choosing a response based on deep knowledge, he's getting lucky.  When he catches a fish, he gets excited.  When he doesn't, he gets depressed.  He has no real idea of what results he's getting on average so he doesn't know how to tell the difference between good and bad days.

In contrast, the professional has a purpose in mind.  He knows what he's doing and why.  Because he's not perfect and because things change over time, he still makes mistakes (no one, and I mean NO ONE, bats a thousand).  The professional consciously learns from every situation, and he adds that learning to his Personal Encyclopedia which continues to grow over time.

The intent of Plan-Do-Learn is to create an island of constancy in a sea of change.  Every situation is different.  Situations can also change, sometimes scary-quick.  Strategies lose their effectiveness; what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow or today.  Plan-Do-Learn is a philosophy, a way of being, a discipline of applying 3 Situational Practices before, during, and after interactions with human beings. Most human interactions I've experienced aren't clean or scientific. They're gritty, messy, and intensly personal. It takes Presence to navigate this sea with Purpose.

Those who choose Deliberate Practice have learned how to stay in the Learning Zone.  They consciously choose to prevent the automatic pilot from turning on.  They work hard at it, because it's not easy to turn off the automatic pilot, or to prevent it from turning on all by itself.  Plan-Do-Learn isn't easy.  But it is worth doing.  The good news is that the first 100 times are the hardest.  A coach can help.  Got one?  Get one.  Period.

4 Ways To Look At Your Process

Joe Schmuckatelly gave me a call about a situation he was facing with an important prospect -- he was pretty frustrated and asked for my help with pre-call planning.  Joe knew that he had to put the elephant on the table, but he wasn't sure how to go about it in this Specific Selling Situation.  Because of the importance of this situation to Joe, we decided to invest some additional time on Step 1 of the Outcome Based Thinking process, "What's the situation?".

Joe had already invested a significant chunk of his selling time with this prospect to uncover needs, and had presented a solution to meet those needs that was within the prospect's budget.  Joe was convinced that he hadn't engaged in Premature Presentation and that he'd worked well with the prospect at all phases of the sales process, but the answer continued to be "no decision -- yet".  Joe couldn't understand why the process wasn't moving forward.

Joe was feeling significant pressure to close this sale.  Joe had arranged to quote a discount pricing guarantee contingent on quantities which was approved by sales management.  At the time, Joe had expressed a high degree of confidence that this pricing would secure the business.  A couple of months had passed since his presentation and now some embarrassing questions were being asked.  Not only was Joe under pressure to make his numbers, his judgment was being questioned and he felt that his credibility and reputation were on the line.

It became clear through the discussion that the pressure Joe was feeling might affect his behavior during the call.  We agreed on the need to focus on what we could control, and moved on to steps 2 through 4 of the Outcome Based Thinking process -- what are you hoping to achieve, what is the other hoping to achieve, and what might win-win look like?

I encouraged Joe to take a step back from the situation.  We started with a review of the basics -- where were we in 'the process'?  Although it seemed obvious on first glance (close the sale), Joe had learned in training that there are at least four ways to look at your Sales Process: as a list, as a flowchart, in what/how/why format, and as a radar diagram.  Because we needed a diagnostic tool that would help him examine his situation more closely in the context of his process, we decided that the radar diagram would be most helpful.

Assuming you're not familiar with these 4 Ways To Look At Your Process, a brief overview follows:

1. A list of steps helps you to name and understand the purpose of each step.
2. A flowchart helps you to understand where sequence is and is not important, and also to see how the process will respond to the ebb and flow of a real situation.
3. The what/how/why format helps you to learn the specifics of how to execute each step and to see the "Commander's Intent" that lies behind each step.
4. A radar diagram helps you to see where you are now, in this Specific Selling Situation, so that you can determine what you should be doing in order to move "the process" forward.

We used Joe's understanding of his Sales Process to create a Radar Diagram.  From the picture below, you can see that steps 1 through 5 contribute to step 6 (note the arrows leading from the outside edge to the inside edge).  During training Joe had learned to use this tool to answer the question, "Am I ready to present?"

**Note that I'm not suggesting this is the sales process to use, it's simply the process that Joe was using in the moment.**

Since he had already presented, I asked Joe to rate where he thought he was at that moment on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being on the outside edge and 10 on the inside edge).  His self-rating looked something like the picture below (see marks in green).  Additional discussion about steps 1, 2, and 5 led us to believe that perhaps his position was not as strong as he had thought in these areas (see additional marks in blue).  From here we were able to craft an approach that we both agreed would be most likely to succeed.

A large part of Joe's strategy required him to put the elephant on the table, and the process above brought some clarity to where and how he needed to do it.  He felt that he needed to emphasize making it safe ("…there's probably something about this process that I don't understand…" and "…the last thing I'd want is for you to feel hesitant about sharing bad news with me… no is OK"), making it equal by sharing his needs and being prepared to share a Positive No ("…my team is hoping for clarity, we promised pricing based on quantities, we need to forecast production to continue these pricing guarantees..."), and discovering more about the decision process (share what he doesn't know or understand, and ask for clarity).

How Did It Work Out?

Later that week I got another phone call from Joe.  He was pretty happy about the results of the planning exercise.  The process was unstuck, and Joe learned some things from the prospect that he needed to know about the situation.  The prospect shared that he had an internal battle to win, and felt that he was close to winning it.  It turns out that a sister company produced a product that was similar to the product that Joe was selling, but that product wasn't working well in the specific application that Joe was selling to.  The prospect had done all of the analysis about what was working (and what wasn't), but was required to go through a lengthy and complicated internal process to justify the departure from what was perceived to be a standard internal solution.  The prospect asked for more time and shared his timeline, which helped take some pressure off of Joe.  Eventually (after a few more weeks), Joe got the sale.

During the Learn discussion, Joe shared that The Radar Diagram was most helpful to him in this situation as it helped him to Get Specific about what part of the elephant to put on the table.  Joe shared that the pressure he was feeling could easily have caused him to violate his own process by expressing his own needs more than the prospect's needs.  The pre-call plan helped him stay true to his process (and to his prospect's needs).

In reflection, Joe decided that perhaps he didn't know as much about what was happening at the account as he thought he did, and crafted some follow-up actions to rectify the situation (Treatment).  We also discussed ways of noticing this type of problem before it got big (real-time indicators) and discussed how to prevent it (Prevention).  Finally, we agreed that while this degree of pre-call planning isn't always necessary, some degree of pre-call planning is ALWAYS necessary.

Some key lessons from this situation might be:

Practice the discipline of Plan-Do-Learn. Set as much time as is needed, but Keep It Simple -- avoid Analysis Paralysis. Diagnostic tools can help. So can a coach. Got one? Get one. Period.

Know your sales process, make sure it's in control, but let the Specific Selling Situation drive your process. Develop a clear "Commander's Intent" for the situation; plan and prepare accordingly.

KFC - know what you want, find out if you're getting it and, if not, change what you're doing until you get what you want.  If you're not clear on your goals, use your diagnostic tools (e.g., a Radar Diagram and The Sales Engine) to determine where you are and where you should be going in this situation.

Elephant is the breakfast of Sales Champions. It's amazing what happens when you share what you're feeling and/or what you don't know but would like to find out (and why) with the other person. Elephant is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to learn when you put it on the table. If you can exercise the discipline to close your mouth, open your ears, and listen with your eyes, you'll almost always learn or confirm something *useful* and/or *new* about what's happening from the other person's perspective.

Treatment ain't prevention.  The Learn phase of the Plan-Do-Learn cycle helps you to identify (1) where things might not have gone according to plan [making an addition to your Personal Encyclopedia] and (2) how to notice and prevent this type of situation in the future.

Do you have a situation you'd like to share? How might a Radar Diagram help you with pre-call planning? Look forward to reading your comments.

What's your intent?

Yesterday I noticed a post on one of the Linked In Groups I follow.  The exact content of the post doesn't really matter here, but I can tell you that the person who made it was trying to start a dialogue.  He asked, "If [stimulus] happens, is it OK to [response]?"

This is a Situational Dilemma.  Situational Dilemma's are sometimes used in the context of an employment interview, but they also describe what many salespeople have in their minds when they attend (or intend to attend) sales training events.  Unlike an interview (where we're interested in evaluating the other person's thought process and style), sales people are facing their own personal Situational Dilemma's day in and day out with Suspects, Prospects, and Customers.  They are hoping for treatment (i.e., they want advice).  Unfortunately, most sales training is about prevention, and Treatment Ain't Prevention.

So back to the post.  "Given this stimulus, is this response appropriate?"  My immediate reaction to this person's post was to say, "I don't know, what was your intent?"

There are at least a couple of reasons for this question.   First, intent is much more important than technique because your intent is the reason you're doing a thing.  Your intent will drive HOW you do "it", and HOW you do "it" will affect the other person's experience in the moment.  They may not remember exactly what you said or did, but they will always remember how they felt.

Second, you must recognize that "Communication is the result you achieve, regardless of your intent".  Said differently, technique still matters.   It's possible to have pure intent and yet have a horrible outcome because your technique (think delivery, timing, and style) is poor.  If you're not consciously aware of your intent in a situation (in other words, if your automatic pilot is ON), then you're more likely to Act (say and do) and/or Behave in ways that aren't consistent with your goals.

So, let's pretend that YOU are faced with a Situational Dilemma. How do you Apply these little kernels of wisdom?  The key is to make sure that your automatic pilot is turned OFF.  Outcome Based Thinking is one of the best tools for this purpose.  This simple planning process helps you to be proactive, focusing on action that is appropriate for the situation.  Let the situation drive your process, not the other way around.

If you'd like to learn more about these concepts, read Stephen R. Covey's work, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"; specifically, the section on the space between stimulus and response.  Also, there is no doubt that there are times when it helps to have someone else listening in as you work through the Outcome Based Thinking process -- a coach can help.  Got one?  Get one.  Period.

Some final thoughts.  It's been said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for different results.  Before you can get new results, you must realize that you are already getting results -- they just aren't the results that you want.   The only way you'll get new results is by doing new things.  The good news is that the first 100 times are the hardest!

The automatic pilot is not suited for doing new things, it's purpose is to do old things in an 'automatic', non-thinking way.  While there are times that the automatic pilot can serve us, it's absolutely THE WRONG TOOL FOR THE JOB if your goal is to become a master at your craft.  Show me a master, and I'll show you a person who knows exactly what he or she is doing and why they are doing it.  Nothing that the master does is by accident.  Masters are very good at keeping the automatic pilot OFF.

A process can help.  Practice the discipline of Plan-Do-Learn.  Use Outcome Based Thinking.  Need some help?  Feel free to give me a shout on Linked In.  Be well.

Is your [sales and/or planning] process in control?

Do you have a formal sales process? My observation is that while many organizations do not (63% as reported by one survey), most individuals that I have contact with (I estimate 4 in 5) state that they both have and follow a consistent sales or planning process. However, when asked to document their process, 4 out of 5 are unable to go beyond general statements such as, "I build a relationship with my customers and that's why they buy from me".

If you can't effectively describe your process, then it's going to be hard to describe to yourself or to someone else where you are, where you should be, and how you're going to get and keep on track. That means it will be hard to keep your process in control, and that means that you're more likely to have inconsistent results.

How do you determine your process? First draw a basic diagram - inputs leads to process leads to outputs. Then ask yourself some questions about your actions (what you say and do). For example, HOW do you build a relationship? WHAT specifically do you do and say, HOW and WHEN do you do and say those things, and in what order (think SEQUENCE), such that a relationship is built?

• The actions of the suspect/prospect/customer provide real-time indicators to tell you if things are moving the in the right direction.
• The momentum of the project gives you leading indicators to tell you if things are moving in the right direction.
• The end result gives you lagging indicators to tell you if things were moving in the right direction.

Make note of all of these indicators as they will be your best teacher about what's working and what's not in YOUR specific situation.

Relationship is NOT your process -- don't confuse the ends with the means. The outcome "relationship" is the result of specific actions made by you and by the organization that you serve (make no mistake, you own both categories). While relationship alone may not win the sale, it will increase the probability that you'll get the information you need to drive right decisions (for both parties) in the moment.

"Process control" is a term that is typically applied to industrial processes, but the concept can be applied to any process where the purpose is to produce repeatable results.

Controlling your process means controlling the things that you can control. Once you have identified what those things are, you take steps to consciously design your process with clear intent (turning the automatic pilot OFF), and then make sure you're consistently following it. From there it's all K-F-C, which stands for:

1. K = know what you want.
2. F = find out, are you getting what you want?  If you're not getting what you want, then...
3. C = change what you're doing until you get what you want.

A process is like a recipe. If you use the right ingredients, mix them up the right way, and bake them at the right temperature for the right amount of time, you'll be more likely to get Grandma's Cookies.

What happens if your process isn't in control?

• If you change the ingredients, the cookies probably won't taste the same.
• If you change the way that the ingredients are combined, you may also change the consistency of the cookies.
• If you change the temperature of the oven or the time that the cookie's are baked... well, you get the picture.

Process Control is about turning the automatic pilot OFF and paying attention to what you're doing, how you're doing it, and when you're doing it. I guarantee that you won't find a master chef who claims to be able to "just throw things together" in the kitchen. Deliberate Practice is hard work, but like anything, with practice it gets easier. The good news is that the first 100 times are the hardest and that's when you need to be most vigilant. A coach can help.

So whether it's a recipe, or a sales process, or a planning process, if you can't accurately describe the inputs or the recipe, you're going to have a problem getting repeatable results. Oh sure, sometimes you'll get it right. We call that luck. If you want control, then you must apply discipline.

A few notes on the "C" part of the K-F-C formula.

• Don't try to change everything all at once. Change one thing at a time (hopefully over several trials) and note the effect that the change had on your results.
• Don't confuse bad timing, style, or technique with bad process.
• Don't try to practice when it's "show time", practice before the event (no one wants to pay for a bad performance).
• Keep a journal so that you can learn over time. In short, practice the discipline of Plan-Do-Learn.

If you subscribe to The Pareto Principle, then you will agree that there are a small number of things that will have a large impact on your outcomes. I and many others have found that pre-call planning is one of those things. If you don't have a formal pre-call planning process, might I suggest one? You can read more about Outcome Based Thinking at this post.

So that we're clear, when I say "control", I don't mean control over another person. Attempting to exert control over a person or the outcome of a situation will lead to frustration (for both of you) and it also leads to failure over the long run. Instead, we're talking about controlling the things that you can control, what Covey calls "the area of direct control" and "the area of indirect control".

If you're interested in learning more about Covey's circles and the areas of direct and indirect control, you might take a look at "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and other related books, or perhaps you might speak to a coach who is already familiar with these topics. Got one? Get one. Period.

If all you have is a hammer...

I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new when I say that there's been a literal explosion of "stuff" on the world-wide web.  Some of it is good, some of it is bad, and some of it is ugly.  What's useful and what's not?  I'm hoping that this post provides you with a practical answer that you can use TODAY.

To put it in perspective, those of us who have been around for a while remember a world without computers -- I remember my first hard drive (which I installed myself).  20 Mega-Bytes!  "There's no way I can fill this up!"  Big and heavy as a brick.  Yeah.  I also remember what it was like to write a training manual before all of these tools existed.  Took lots of time and lots of people.  Today it's possible for one person to do the same thing that just 15 years ago required a TEAM, some expensive hardware, and many many hours.

So let's get practical.  I'm going to list and describe some tools that can help you communicate with suspects, prospective customers (aka prospects), customers, your sales team, trainees, you name it!  These tools are simple, powerful, and FREE (yeah, that's right, F-R-E-E).  Some of them have more powerful cousins that you'll have to pay for.  Think of it as getting a free sample and taking it for a test drive before you buy (a good example for the rest of us).

THESE ARE TOOLS THAT WILL HELP YOU TO HELP OTHERS.

For each of the tools I'm sharing, I'm giving you a link, but you should also be able to find a good link at the left hand side of my blog (see Links Of Interest).  I've clearly identified them as TOOLS to make them easier to identify.

Oh, and a disclaimer, because pobody's nerfect -- this information was accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time I created the post.  If there is new info, a change, or if you discover a detail that I omitted, please feel free to respond to this post.

And now for the Meat and 'Taters!

A List Of Tools:

1. Lecturescribe -- This is a powerful tool for creating multiple whiteboard screens and capturing live onscreen video & audio for the purpose of training or presenting.  Outputs the file as a *.swf (flash) file, so you need to know what to do with the file once you have it.  I play it in a web browser, no problem once you have the flash player plugins installed.  The developer of this tool corresponded with me recently - there seems to be a lag problem when using it with Windows 7, but it works great on earlier versions (previously used it on Windows XP).  You'll probably want a pen tablet, I'm using a "Bamboo-Fun" from Wacom.
2. Box.net -- This is a file-sharing utility.  I first saw it in use on Linked In and have added it to my profile.  I've also created a private collaboration folder (controlled access) for use by me and a couple of project team members (think file sharing).  Very powerful and easy to use.
3. Jing -- I've just started using this tool, which was created by the same folks who created Snagit and Camtasia (powerful screen capture tools).  Jing works with screencast.com so you can create files and save them for use and reference online.  COOL.  I also recommend Snagit and Camtasia, but note that they are NOT free.
4. Classic Whiteboard -- This little tool is most useful when used with some type of pen tablet (again, I'm using a Bamboo tablet by Wacom).  It's literally a whiteboard!  You'll develop good hand-eye coordination with practice.
5. Big Time -- Wonderful little "break" or "exercise" timer.  I also used it to keep track of how long the oven was on the other day...
6. Tiny URL's --You know those humongous URL's you get sometimes?  Well, this shortens 'em up.
7. Open Office -- It's just what it sounds like.  An open alternative (think complement) to microsoft office.
8. Audacity --  A simple audio creation and editing tool.  I've used it for editing podcasts.  A couple of people have asked me to record coaching discussions so they can listen to them on their mp3 player of choice.  Files can be exported in a variety of formats.

There are a lot of tools out there, and this is only a small sampling.  I recommend these because they work.  Period.  Speaking of tools, I highly recommend you take a look at Tom Kuhlmann's excellent blog on rapid e-learning.  His newsletters are full of useful stuff -- great way to learn more about how to use tools like powerpoint and Articulate in a more effective way!

Because I'd like to give you a Free Sample of what it would be like to work with me, and also to show you how you might use these tools yourself, I've created and imbedded the html code for a video that I created using two of the above tools -- Jing and Classic Whiteboard.  Enjoy -- and yes, your feedback is appreciated and welcome.



Here's another sample made with Lecturescribe.  Notice the diffferent look and feel.



Different tools are appropriate for different jobs.  Some tools are most effective when they are combined with others.  When you add tools to your toolbox over time, learn how and why to use 'em, and Practice until you are proficient, you become more effective.  Over time, your deliberate practice will help you become efficient.

Effectiveness first, Efficiency second -- it does not serve you (or anyone else) to be efficient at ineffective things, and you can't be efficient if you don't practice.  Period.

If you want to learn more about this concept, read some of Stephen R. Covey's stuff on "the 7 habits" and/or "the clock and the compass".  Or talk to your coach.  Got one?  Get one.  Period.

P.S.  If you have another tool that you think is worth mention, please also describe why & how you have personally used it, as well as a brief explanation of how it benefited the person you were working with or for.  Thanks for helping to keep this post focused on USE-ABLE.

Treatment Ain't Prevention

Joe Schmuckatelly carries a load of boxes to the top of his basement stairs. His foot barely catches the edge of the first step and so he trips, tumbles to the bottom of the stairs... and breaks his arm.

Joe's wife (bless her) drives him to the Hospital Emergency Room. He visits with the attending Resident who tells Joe that bone density is important as a way of preventing this type of break. The Doctor writes him a scrip for calcium, and starts to turn away.

Joe speaks sharply, obviously he's in pain, "Wait a minute Doc, my arm is still broken!" The Doctor nods his head and tells Joe that good muscle tone is also important to prevent this sort of thing from happening -- he orders physical therapy and starts to turn away. Joe, frustrated now says, "But Doc, my arm is still broken!"

You get the picture?

Clearly Joe needs some treatment -- he needs to have his immediate problem fixed; the broken arm must be set and put into a cast. He wants to stop hurting. While the prevention steps are important, he needs to heal before the physical therapy can be started, and the calcium treatments will take time before they show an effect.

But Prevention is still important and if Joe doesn't take steps to fix the underlying challenges, he could face another, more serious break in the future. Joe's care should include a mix of both Treatment AND Prevention. In other words...

Treatment First. Prevention Second. Both are important.

I've noticed that the same type of story often plays out in sales training. The trainer (or book) starts by describing the problem (you broke your arm) and then describes that the best thing for you to do is to prevent that problem from happening in the first place! "Obvious" you think.

And that's the problem. It seems so obvious. The challenge is that when you're in the middle of your day, dealing with multiple prospects in different situations, your Automatic Pilot tends to turn on. It's human nature -- it's how our brains work. If we are to be successful in our efforts of applying Best Practices (the stuff that's already been proven to work for the situations we find ourselves in), then we must FIGHT to keep the Automatic Pilot Turned OFF!

Stephen R. Covey talks about it this way -- "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In those choices lie our growth and our happiness."

Turn Off The Automatic Pilot. OK, that's easy to say, but how do you DO it? The answer lies in The Plan-Do-Learn Cycle. Make a conscious choice to set aside time for Planning before your sales visit, and for Learning after your sales visit. How much time should you set aside? As Little As Possible. Avoid Analysis-Paralysis and Ready-Fire-Aim (one is not an excuse for the other).

Use a consistent, SIMPLE process, and don't change it for at least 100 times. Let the situation drive your process -- and Do Not try to force every situation to fit into your process. Be flexible, agile, adaptable.

You WILL make mistakes. The challenge is that you probably won't begin to notice them on your own until you've done it for about 20 times; you CAN accelerate your learning by getting a coach. Got one? Get one. Period.

The Plan-Do-Learn Cycle

Recently I was working with Joe Schmuckatelly on Prospecting Calls.  Through previous discussions, Joe and I agreed that an effective pre-call planning process might help him to make significant improvements in the effectiveness of his calls.  Joe is a process expert who understands the role and importance of planning related to business issues.  Over the course of our meeting, Joe realized that he wasn't applying what he knows about planning to his own sales visits.

To help Joe see what he was missing (and where he was missing it), I shared the Plan-Do-Learn cycle.  On the outside chance that it might help you too, take a peek at the picture below...

Because several of my previous posts have focused on the planning process, it's probably appropriate for me to help you see where Plan-Do-Learn fits in the overall picture.  Here's the lay of the land:

• The Plan-Do-Learn Cycle is the basic approach used for all sales visits.  I'm convinced that all successful business people (and salespeople) use some form of this approach, whether they realize it or not.  Some industries and disciplines go further by institutionalizing the process (e.g., plan-do-study-act).
• Outcome Based Thinking is the Planning process.  Effective communicators use this process, whether they realize it or not.
• The Sales Engine helps you get clear on what your goals should be for a given situation.  This sales model was created by studying reality for salespeople who strive for repeat business over time.  Take it for a test drive and see if it fits your selling situation.

Simply stated, you Plan before the sales visit, because once you're in it, it's too late to plan or to prepare.  When planning, focus on your intent and let the situation drive your process.  Use a consistent planning process and make it a conscious, thoughtful event (turn off the automatic pilot).  Plans should be as simple as possible -- avoid analysis-paralysis and ready-fire-aim (one is not a valid excuse for the other).

When you're in the DO phase, you focus on BE-ing fully present, knowing that in every situation there is an element of control and an element of surprise.  Sometimes it's appropriate to throw out your plan while retaining a clear sense of purpose (intent).

And finally, the Learn phase takes place after the sales visit, and you should take care to focus in three areas:  (1) What were the lagging, leading, and real-time indicators in the call, (2) what could be done to treat the issue you find yourself in, and (3) what could be done to prevent the issue from coming up in the first place?

Joe had two challenges to overcome in understanding this model.  First, what are examples of lagging, leading, and real-time indicators for a sales visit?  Second, what is the difference between planning and preparing, and why does that matter?  This is a great learning exercise.  How would you address these two issues?  Take a moment or three and jot down your ideas in your sales journal.  If you don't have your journal, no worries -- grab that scrap of newspaper over there and jot down your thoughts.  You can tape it into your journal later tonight.  I won't expand on these issues in this post as Joe still owes me a homework assignment, but I will give you a couple of hints:

• For the first problem (examples of indicators), think about a baseball game.  What are the indicators that tell you if you're winning the game?  Now apply that to your most recent sales visit.  Do you see a pattern?
• Thinking about that same visit, were you adequately prepared?  Was there something you wished you had invested more time in preparing for?  Did you have a plan?  Did your planning process help you to prepare?

Have you set aside time for planning?  In my experience, most situations don't require a large amount of planning, but you should set aside between 3 and 10 minutes to work through your planning process.

Have you set aside time for learning?  I recommend 3 to 5 minutes at the end of each sales visit to jot down the important points; you can add more later in the day (make sure to spend Selling time actually Selling).  The major benefits of the Learn phase are that it helps you to prepare for your next visit with this suspect / prospect / customer, it helps you to differentiate between treatment and prevention, and it helps you make another entry in your personal Encyclopedia.

Always be prepared.  Know the difference between planning and preparation and then apply what you know.  Use the planning process to help you see where additional preparation is required.  If in the last few hours before your meeting you realize that you're not fully prepared, do the other person and yourself a favor -- reschedule the meeting.  Begin with the end in mind.  Be prepared.  Be.  Period.

What is your "Commander's Intent"?

This week I've been revisiting one of my favorite books, "Made To Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath.  If you haven't read it, this book is about why some ideas survive and others die and was inspired, at least in part, by Malcolm Gladwell's book, "The Tipping Point".  The brothers Heath suggest that sticky ideas share 6 common traits -- they are:

1. Simple,
2. Unexpected,
3. Concrete,
4. Credentialed, and
5. Emotional
6. Stories

(Note the acronym of SUCCESs)

I highly recommend both books to anyone who is interested in effective written and oral communication in sales and in training.  The books "Influencer" and "Switch" are effective follow-on books.  If you'd like to know why I think so, please feel free to leave a comment or drop me a note asking for more information.  Enjoy!

Interestingly enough, the authors start their discussion of "Simple" with a concept known as The Commander's Intent, which is the US Army's approach to a common problem -- once you're in contact with the enemy, your plans often turn out to be useless.  Why?  Your opponent may respond to your tactics in ways that you didn't (or weren't able to) predict.  Unexpected things happen -- equipment may break, the weather may change, or a key asset may be destroyed in battle.  There are some things that you just can't control.

"More armies fail because they put all their emphasis into creating a plan that becomes useless ten minutes into the battle."

The Heath brothers go on to suggest that the Army's challenge is akin to writing instructions for a friend to play chess on your behalf.  You may know a lot about the rules of chess, and you may know a lot about your friend and the opponent, but if you try to write move-by-move instructions, you'll fail.  You can't possibly foresee more than a few moves.  The first time that the opponent makes a surprise move, your friend is going to have to throw out the plan and rely on his or her own instincts.

It turns out that the Army has learned that The Act Of Planning is more useful than the plan itself.  The planning process forces people to think through the right issues.  And, you guessed it, the key to an effective planning process is The Commander's Intent (CI).

"CI is a crisp, plain-talk statement that appears at the top of every order, specifying the plan's goal, the desired end-state of an operation."  At high levels (think strategy), the CI might be more abstract.  At lower levels (think tactics), the CI will be much more concrete.  Either way, the CI never specifies so much detail that it risks being rendered obsolete by unpredictable events.

"You can lose the ability to execute the original plan, but you never lose the responsibility of executing the intent."

An effective CI statement might start with "My intent is..."

I love that statement -- what is your INTENT?  Stephen R. Covey talks about this in his book, "The 8th Habit" in the section titled "7 levels of initiative or self-empowerment".  Declaring your intent is an effective way of preparing yourself to control what you can control.

Back to "Made To Stick", the book goes on to describe that, "The Combat Maneuver Training Center, the unit in charge of military simulations, recommends that officers arrive at the Commander's Intent by asking themselves two questions:"

• "If we do nothing else during tomorrow's mission, we must __________."
• "The single, most important thing that we must do tomorrow is __________."

Note how this correlates to step #2 of the Outcome Based Thinking Process.  Also note that The Sales Engine was developed to help people answer this question.

Much of what I've written suggests the idea of combat, and you should be cautious about applying the idea of combat to sales or to training.  Your prospects and / or students are NOT the enemy.  It's not about win-lose, lose-win, or lose-lose.  It's also not about sitting on the sideline -- you're not the referee.  It's about being IN it; you only win when they win, and that's what win-win is about.  Period.

If you'd like to understand more about what collaboration is about, take a look at the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (The TKI) and/or study the writings of authors such as Stephen R. Covey (habits 4 through 6).  If you have challenges with BE-ing Assertive, take a look at Robert Bolton's book, "People Skills" (see the section on the submissive-assertive-aggressive continuum).

Or, instead of doing all of this reading, you might just talk to someone who has already done that, so you can learn from that person what works and what doesn't.  That would be your Coach.  Got one?  Get one.  Period.