"Thoughts of a Young Gun" Blog Moving to WordPress

I have decided to move my "Young Guns" blog over to Wordpress. I value all of you and would love to have you join me at my new site www.thoughtsofayounggun.wordpress.com

I will be monitoring this site for the next few months so please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Thank you!

iPods don't sell...white headphones do!

Today's entry is going to be short, sweet, and to the point! A few months ago, I was reading a book called Buy*ology by Martin Lindstrom. In his book, Martin talked about the impact that the white headphones had on the sales of Apple's "iPod". He went on to explain, that as people began to see these white headphones, it no longer became a product they wanted...it was a membership. Apple was selling an MP3 player that also offered an exclusive mebership into the "white headphone society".

Even though Apple has done a great job of selling "memberships", they are not the only company that has recognized what they really sell.

You maybe a motorcycle rider or you may even be the one that cringes as the loud "potato-potato" sound flies by you on the highway. The truth is that it doesn't take a Harley owner to recognize the kind of force Harley Davidson is in the world of motorcycle sales. Why is HD so dominant? Why have they grown from a manufacturer to a culture?

It's because Harley Davidson does not sell a motorcycle. They sell t-shirts and decals! Harley Davidson sells a persona...they sell a LIFESTYLE!! I am not saying that HD does not sell a quality product because they do (not to mention I know a number of family members that would come unglued if they heard me bash HD).

So what does this mean? This means that we must not lose sight of what we really sell. My wife, the dietitian, does not sell meal plans and consultations. She sells 10 more years with your grandchildren! She sells the feeling of fitting into your old college jeans!

As a financial advisor, you don't sell opinions on how to allocate our savings or visions of what the future will hold. You sell the comfort of retiring in the country! You sell an Alaskan Cruise for your 50th anniversary!

Now, for the million-dollar question...

What do YOU really sell?

Tricks, Tactics, and Techniques...5 Things Purchasing Professionals Do To Influence YOU!

A little over a year ago I did a month-long research project on the "Purchasing" profession. In that month I interviewed over 25 purchasing professionals, went through numerous online classes, and read every negotiation/purchasing book the national association recommended. When I decided to start this project, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. In this blog I am going to share, with you, a few of the tactics and strategies that purchasing professionals, around the world, use to influence sales professionals!

Some thoughts to consider before we start...

1. This information is not industry specific. I interviewed purchasing professionals from wide range of industries.

2. Not all purchasing professionals fall into these categories. When searching for purchasing professionals to interview, I asked for the toughest, most aggressive purchasing professionals out there. The reason for doing so is so I could illustrate the extreme...which would make everything else a cake walk!


That being said...let's get started!


Who are these "purchasing professionals"?

- They are some of the most intelligent and passionate professionals I have encountered.

- Purchasing professionals live, eat, and breathe negotiating. This is not a hobby for them...it is their life!

- They are some of the most consistent learners I have ever seen. Purchasing professionals are regularly reading, going to workshops, and listening to industry audio programs.

-They are extremely competitive! Almost every individual I interviewed had some history of playing a highly competitive sport. They don't only want to beat us...they want to dominate us!


In the next section we will discuss 3 things...

1. I will illustrate the strategy used....

2. What the purchasing professional hopes to gain by using it...

AND

3. How we, as sales professionals, can defend these tactics!




Price Is Too High - This is one of the most used and most effective strategies used in the purchasing profession. This might as well be an introduction for some PAs. Purchasing professionals sometimes have not even considered the price but they feel it is a great way to start the conversation!


Goal of PA- To get the sales professional out of their comfort zone. The number one goal of a purchasing professional is to identify 3 things... - Will the sales professional break on their price? - How fast will the break? - How far will they break? The more price is addressed or defended...the more power it has in a negotiation!


Our defense- stand our ground. If we break on our price right out of the box, the purchasing professional will say to themselves, "Wow, they are breaking already! If they are dropping the price this fast then they must have some significant room to move!" In response, we can also ask one of these three questions in response... PA Statement - "Mary, I am sorry but you product is too expensive!" Our Answer- 1. "Ok John...help me understand how you evaluate price. Is it cost of ownership or the initial cost? 2. "Compared to what?" (definitely an edgier answer but will let them know we are holding firm) 3. So! It's worth it! (very edgy response...but can be extremely effective in the right scenario)





Nice Guy- This is where a purchasing professional will attempt to create a friendly relationship right off the bat. They may ask about our family, compliment our professionalism, or even ask about our hobbies. They will do whatever they can to get us to like them!


Goal of PA- To get us to let our guard down. It is a very effective tool to get us to compromise our position...because we enjoy working with them. They feel that if we like them then we will be willing to give up a chunk of the margin.


Our defense- Think about our family, our home, our car. Will that individual send our children to college? Will that friend pay our mortgage? We get up each day to tend to our business and that is what we must focus on...our business. If that person has a genuine desire to establish a relationship with us, they will understand our position.





The Guilt Trip- Have you ever made a mistake during a meeting? Have you ever showed up late to an appointment? Quoted a customer the wrong price? Didn't know an answer to a question you should have? Have you ever forgotten to call a prospect back? If we have answered yes to any of these then we have given the purchasing professional a gift. They will take our mistake and use it as leverage in the negotiation.


Goal of PA- To make us feel so bad for our mistake that we are willing to drop the price just to make it up to them. This one is not used as often but, when used, is almost always effective! - Salesperson- I'm sorry...$150 is as low as I can go. - PA- That is as low as you can go?! You showed up 30 minutes late and you are lucky to be sitting in my office right now...and now you are saying $150 is as low as you can go? - Salesperson- I apologize for being late. I guess I can do this for you for $140. (their forgiveness becomes a concession they have given us. Now that they have given us a concession...they want one from us!)


Our defense- Apologize and move on! We will make mistakes and it is crazy for anyone to believe that we will be perfect. That being said, should we give away $10,000 of our company's profit for being 15 minutes late? I don't think so. We must apologize and jump right back into the negotiation...without baggage!





The Nibbler- is when we have come to an agreement, we are about to sign papers, and the purchasing professional says, "You do have a rebate program don't you? Do you give discounts for paying early? Training for our people is included in this price, right?


Goal of PA- is to give us a taste of the sale and drive us to start giving things away. They use this tactic to get us right on the cusp of the sale and begin asking for a few more things. Sales professionals can be much more giving when the salivation begins.


Our defense- When we begin giving things away it can become a slippery slope. Part of the reason this tactic is such a success is because is is almost never recognized, in the heat of the discussion. We must focus on the big picture and not get tempted by the idea of closing a sale. At this point in time we must pause and say, "Are these things important to you? If you would like, we can re-work the contract to make sure that you get everything you want. Would you you like me to begin re-working the contract?"





The WOW!!- If we have a product that is relatively pricey in the industry the purchasing professional may say..." $60,000?!?! WOW!!"


Goal of PA- To get us to begin lowering the price or start giving away concessions. They want us to feel like we are about to get kicked out of the office. This is really just a strategy to get us to question our position...and it is very effective.


Our defense- Stand our ground. We may say something along the lines of, "Yup $60,000 is right. I would sell it for $75k if they would let me." If we are confident in the price of our product they will hear it in our voice. If we second guess the price...so will they!






These are just a few of the many tactics used in the purchasing profession. I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any questions regarding the material.

Jason@aplayersonline.com

A Life Time of Selling

First let me say that there is nothing more exciting than seeing your spouse genuinely enjoy their job. My amazing wife just started her first job and could not be more in love with the company and her team members (She is the new dietitian/nutrition coach for Life Time Fitness in Mansfield, TX). Over the past few weeks we have spent hours talking about creative techniques, tactics, and strategies to help her create a solid client base from the very beginning. Before she ever started working at Life Time Fitness I shared a thought with her that my dad shared with me a few years ago (and a friend of his, Shep Hyken, shared with him years before)...

My dad, being in the speaking industry, was told "its not about doing the deal...its about getting the deal!" What Shep meant by that was that we may be the best speaker, most knowledgeable personal trainer, or most well-educated dietitian in the area but if we can't sell what we do...we'll starve!

After sharing this thought with my wife we quickly drifted into a conversation about what she can do to be the best in her company at "getting the deal". In listening to her rattle off a number of creative ideas I began to realize that most of her ideas involved doing things that fell outside her "billable hour/s" of consultation. What she was really talking about is adding value to something she already considered valuable (being the service she offers). Too many times we feel that our product or service holds all of the value. It is amazing how many times a customer will pull the trigger on a product because of the value we bring to the table.

So how can we bring value to our customers outside of the product and service we provide?

1. High Impact Questions...

To identify need, we must focus on asking high impact questions. High impact questions are questions we ask that help us learn more about our customers and their current situation/predicament. When we learn how to ask effective high impact questions, it can also help us identify a customers "hot-buttons". An example of a high impact question that dietitian could ask would be, "You obviously seem very serious about eating healthier, why is changing your diet so important to you?" In this situation, the client may say, "Well, I bought this red dress last year and can't fit into it anymore. My goal is to be able to wear it to a New Year's party this year." It is questions like this that help us understand what our clients consider to be a "big win"!

2. Build trust and show commitment...

Now that we have been informed of the motivating factors behind our customer's actions, we can focus on reinforcing the feeling of "wearing the red dress to the upcoming New Year's party" and how we will help them get there. When they begin to trust us and associate us with their "big win", that is when we move from being a "sales person" to being a "trusted adviser"! This may come from a short text message to the client saying, "I'm committed to helping you get in the red dress...are you?" What all does this achieve? This not only shows a reciprocated commitment to the goal but it also deepens the relationship. Text messages, at least for now, typically come from close friends and family members. When we start opening up different channels of communication, it builds trust and trust is what leads to long-term relationships.

3. Communicate regularly...

Buyer's Remorse typically comes when there is a large gap between a purchase and when an individual starts experiencing the value of the product/service. If we can close that gap then we can eliminate most buyer's remorse. This theory is one reason why follow-up is so important. This doesn't mean we need to call/text message twice a day but it is vital to stay in contact with our customers on a regular basis. If the only time we call is to sell something then we become associated with a sales person...and being known as a "sales person" will typically eliminate any chance of a long term professional relationship.

"If all we provide is a transaction, we will typically fall short of long-term customer satisfaction!"

Get up you EMPLOYEE!!

I have been married for about a month now and we already have a new addition to our family. Her name is Mango and she is a 7-week old black pug puppy! At 4:15, the morning after her first night, I decided to take her out to go to the restroom and play a little bit. I normally wake up around 4:30, so after I was out there for 15 minutes my "unique" alarm went off on my phone. As I cam e back in from taking Mango outside my wife asked me,

"Is there any way you can change your alarm ring to something other than Led Zeppelin? Not everyone likes to listen to classic rock at 4:30 in the morning. Oh yea...why does your alarm say "GET UP YOU EMPLOYEE!" ?"

Now, while I cannot explain my love for the song "Ramble On" at 4:30 in the morning, I can explain why my alarm reads "Get up you EMPLOYEE!".

When I first started working with our company I asked my dad what he thought it would take for me to be successful at selling what we do. He direct and unusual answer caught me completely off-guard...

"Jason, if you want to be successful then don't act like an EMPLOYEE!"

What? I am an employee of the company but to be successful I need to avoid acting like one? Huh?

My dad did go on to say, " Jason, If you want to be successful then don't act like an EMPLOYEE...act like a BUSINESS OWNER!"

Acting like a business owner has ZERO to do with actually being a business owner. It is merely a decision to run our sales business and approach our territory as a business owner would. Would a business owner show up to the office after everyone else and spend 3 hours a day checking emails? No, they would be attending to current customers and building trust with prospective customers. Would a business owner drive 3 hours to deliver a 5 gallon bucket of paint to a client that only makes up minute percentage of our monthly volume or would they invest time in the client that is regularly placing large orders? They would do what yielded the highest ROI...and I am assuming that is not a 3 hour, small volume "customer service" trek!

While we discuss showing discretion in what we choose to spend our time on, we are not saying that you refuse to work on your quarterly projections because "a business owner doesn't have to do quarterly projections". Even business owners have the numerous house keeping items to take care of. The only difference is that a business owner addresses those items immediately because the longer they stew over it the more time they are spending "not making money"!

So, what does it take to become a "business owner"?

1. Become more introspective...

What could I be doing to become more successful? Where am I losing time in my day? How can I generate more high ROI customers? Which customers of mine am I investing a great deal of time in and gaining very little in return? These are questions we should be asking ourselves on a regular basis.

2. Don't wait for instructions...

There is always something for a business owner to do! Self-management is key to being successful in sales. A true sales professional does not need constant instruction because they know that there is always something that can be done to widen or deepen their business. Business owners are proactive...not reactive!

3. Keep learning...

Business owners treat their business a craft and a craft requires constant attention and regular improvement. Whether it be through books, CDs, podcasts, seminars, or webinars, we must make a commitment to keep learning and growing.

Join us for our August Webinar Series

In roughly 60 days the Rated R 4 Results Team will be launching a subscription-based website, called "Gladiator U", to aid in the success of sales and sales management professionals across the globe. To ensure that our product is world-class we are delivering 6 free webinars over the next 60 days. With the webinars playing a major role in our upcoming website, we wanted to deliver a variety of them for free to you, our prospects and sales experts, to obtain your feedback!

So...how can you help? Sign Up! They are absolutely 100% free, no tricks, nothing up our sleeves and no bait and switch! Can't make the times fit your schedule? No problem! We are going to be recording every webinar and will send you a link to download them and view them at your leisure! All we want is your feedback. What did you like, not like? What works for you and what doesn't work? Bottom line ... when we roll the "Gladiator U" site out in October, we want our webinars to be the best!

What does our August schedule look like?

The August webinar series will address the following subjects...


"From Order Taker to Gladiator" - How Top Sales People Win & Win Big!!

This webinar is designed to address the 4 critical building blocks for outstanding sales performance. In this webinar we will discuss what it is that top sales performers "are & do" that consistently lands them at the top of every sales report

August 11th, 2009, 2:00pm to 3:00pm CST


"Are You Social? - How to Tap Into the Social Media World and Implement it Into Your Business"

Are you retiring in the next 3 months? If not, then you cannot afford to sit out in the world of social media. In this webinar our attendees will learn how to create a presence through systems such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Blogging.

August 18th, 2009, 2:00pm to 3:00pm CST


"A" Players Only! - How Top Sales Managers Build "Hair on Fire" Sales Teams!

This webinar is designed to discuss the skills necessary to build a high performance sales team. Key topic areas for this program include how to get the right people on board from the very beginning, how to develop and manage the team and then how do you keep that talent on board for the long haul.

August 25th, 2009, 2:00pm to 3:00pm CST


Register Now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/724940931


Can't make it to one of the webinars? Like we said ... don't worry! We will be recording each of the webinars in our August series and will be more than happy to send them to you. We look forward to having you join us for this great series. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions at jim@r4ronline.com !

The Ultimate Customer Experience!

Planning a trip to Mexico anytime soon? If so, you have to consider staying at The Royal Playa del Carmen. I have had the pleasure of staying at a number of amazing hotels/resorts from Rio de Janeiro to London...and The Royal Playa del Carmen has claimed the top spot.

This is my opinion, however, the reason for my praise is far more interesting.

Although incredibly beautiful and in a prime location...the reason for my "Top Spot" is their phenomenal staff. From the second we arrived to the moment we left, the staff was ON! As we arrived, we were welcomed by Nancy at the front desk, "Hello. Welcome to The Royal Playa del Carmen. May I get your last name? Mr. Jacobus...and Soon-to-be-Mrs. Jacobus! Congratulations. We are privileged you have chosen us for such a special occasion. You are going to make a beautiful bride!"

While the welcome was very genuine and friendly, it was overshadowed by Nancy's memory. We saw her a number of times of the next few days and each time we saw her it was the same thing, "Hello Mr. Jacobus and Mrs. son-to-be-Jacobus. Are you enjoying yourselves so far? Are you excited for the big day? Please let me know if I can do anything."

How did she do it? How do you remember those kinds of details when you have around 1,000 visitors at a time?

At the beginning I thought it was just a neat quality that Nancy possessed but the more staff members we met, the more I realized that it was the culture of the resort. I HAVE NEVER been to any hotel/resort that was more focused on the "Customer Experience". If I ever had a question of the staff's commitment to their customers, it vanished when we met the entertainment team. This group of young employees was hired to interact with the visitors and encourage them to participate in the overall experience of The Royal. The led water aerobics, sand volleyball, bracelet making, bartending classes, bike rides, kayaking, and contests...but what they really did was make each visitor feel like they were the most important person at the resort.

It was an unbelievable experience to watch this team work. I just couldn't understand what The Royal could have done to create this type of culture...at least until I had a chance to chat with the bartender at our rehearsal dinner. I had a chance to speak with Moises, father of two, and overall amazing guy. I asked him what it was that made the service at The Royal so incredible. Moises simply said, "Mr. Jason, we have everything we could possibly imagine at our fingertips. We have a beautiful hotel, amazing pools, and a great location. We have it all...and when you combine that with a genuine interest in honoring our visitors, it is hard to mess up that bad."

I was completely caught off by his use of the word "honor". I mean, I have heard of respecting customers and being customer focused...but "honoring" the customer?

WOW!

After hearing Moises say that, we decided to request Moises for the reception the next night. Luckily enough, he was added to the reception team. After first giving me a hug, I had never seen an employee work as hard as he did for his 5 hours on duty. He was on point the entire time, as were the other two staff members. It was our special night and you could tell that they knew that. It was simply amazing.

As the night came to a close I saw Moises chatting with his two partners. A few minutes later the other two gentlemen approached me and gave me the most sincere thank you. They eventually went around and thanked each and every attendee. Come to find out, Moises had made nearly $700 in tips that night...and decided to share it with his partners. After I found this out I pulled Moises off to the side and asked him about his decision to share his earnings, "Well Mr. Jason...we are a family here. I love them. I have wife and two girls at home but I am not the only one. They have families too and tonight we will all have a gift to give our families."

I was entranced by how wise Moises was. He gave us a great gift that night but that it was tiny in comparison to the gift he will give his two young girls one day.

Overall, our wedding and vacation at The Royal Playa del Carmen was unbelievable. I will always remember the incredible staff there and will always be in debt to their commitment to make our wedding week perfect.

Click Here to Learn More About The Royal Playa del Carmen

Stop a thief!

I know most of the blogs on this site are mostly driven towards helping each of us become more successful in sales. However, it is also a duty of ours to protect the content that you and your company work so hard to deliver.

Most of you are probably wondering what I am talking about. Well, here is the story...

I recently received an email from a friend of mine saying that couple articles from this blog are being used under another authors name. Knowing that I was the one and only author of these thoughts, I decided to do some investigating of my own. The conclusion...I was one of MANY victims. James Rickman ( http://www.sustainablevirtualbiz.com/ ) has been stealing articles for quite some time now. As I Googled his name I came across a number of articles that he has "authored". I then copied and pasted a sentence/paragraph out of each article and Googled it...11 out of 13 articles came back as being the material of another author (many of them posted on websites such as FastCompany and BusinessWeek). One of the articles was actually stolen from a US News reporter!! I called each of these original authors and asked if they were, in fact, the original authors and each and every one of them confirmed (which would eventually negate James' claim that he was a ghost writer and that is why his articles are posted in a number of locations).

So what is going on? A couple of things...

1. To populate his library of articles and content on his website, James Rickman is stealing articles from a number of sources. He is changing the titles by one or two words and then copy and pasting the remainder of information.

How to protect yourself?

- Copy and paste a line or two from each of your articles and put them in Google Alerts. You will be notified if anyone uses that same line in their material.

2. James Rickman is selling stolen articles to his customers by means of his "ghost-writing" services. It is easy to have a fast tournaround when you copy and paste. One lady we spoke to said she hired James to write 6 articles. It didn't take her long to realize that each one had been stolen.

How to protect yourself?

- Make sure that you hire a credible ghost-writer. If you hire someone that is cheaper than everyone else and can return a 6, 2-page articles in less than a day, we must consider the old saying, "When things seem to good to be true, they normally are!"

Now for the funny part...

In an effort to contact James Rickman, I wrote him an email with all of the links to the stolen articles and links to the original authors. He then sent me an email from his "legal team" that said, and I quote, "was forwarded to legal for review and possible damages -- it is appreciated if you cease and deceased all further communications including online etc --- SVS LLC, Legal Team -- ."

You would think an individual that was part of his legal team would know that it is called "cease and desist".

p.s. Here is an article that takes a more entertaining approach to stopping plagiarism...sounds like fun to me!!!

http://www.conversationmarketing.com/2008/10/stop-plagiarism-in-3-easy-steps.htm

Are you on YouTube?

Do you know how to make a coke bomb?

No? Click Here To See It On YouTube

Have you ever seen the amazing story of "Team Hoyt"?

No? Click Here to See It On YouTube


Ok...So we all know that YouTube is a melting pot of inspiring, hilarious, and breathtaking videos from across the globe, but does it bring any value to us as sales professionals?

Of course it does!

What exactly is YouTube?

YouTube is a FREE video sharing website that allows individuals to upload and share videos to a mass audience!

So has the bell gone off yet?

YouTube can be one of the best platforms on the planet to market who you are and what you do!!!

Here are two different approaches to marketing on YouTube...

Click Here to Watch the "Will it Blend? iPhone" Video on YouTube

Story Behind "Will It Blend?" -

BlendTec developed a very powerful new blender and one day some of the developers were testing its durability by putting various items in the blender and turning them to dust. Luckily, one of the BlendTec leaders was walking by as they were determining "Will it blend?" and decided that they needed the rest of the world to see what he had just seen. Now there is a "Will It Blend?" series on YouTube where they test marbles, canned food, money clips, hockey pucks, and so on. Oh yea...the video you just watched has been viewed over 7 million times and sales at Blendtec have gone through the roof!


Now on to a video that takes a different approach to marketing...

Click Here to Watch a "Weird Kid Start a Huge Dance Party" on YouTube

Story Behind "Weird kid Starts Huge Dance Party"-

In watching this video you may have been asking yourself...how in the world is this a marketing piece? You may have also asked yourself, as thousands have, "who is that band in the background?" The answer is "Santigold"...and they are the ones that hired the kid to start a dance party and the camera man to catch it all on film. This video has been posted under a number of titles and on a number of similar sites. After this video was posted the group's sales went through the roof. The way they were able to accomplish this is by having group members initiate conversation in the comment board by asking, "Who is this band? they are awesome!!" It didn't take long for people to start learning more about "Santigold".


So what is the lesson here?

That YouTube can be a great resource to market what we do! We can make it a big production (Will it Blend?) or we can create something all natural and raw (Weird Kid Starts Huge Dance Party)!

How to Create Your Own YouTube "Commercial"

1. Identify your company's/product's/service's value proposition. What is it that you do better than any other company out there?

2. Get creative! How can we communicate our value to the audience? (demo, interview, answering popular questions, positive customer reviews, etc)

3. Be real and raw!!! Obviously BlendTec poured a few dollars into their "Will it Blend?" series, but that was more out of want than necessity. What if that same guy was just sitting in the middle of a mall as he turned these everyday items into "smoke"? It would still have a huge impact! People become hesitant when they know they are being marketed to so the more real and raw we can be, the better.

4. Push the video! You can send a mass email pushing the video or just add the link to your email signature. Just think how fast you could drive people to your video if you were on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn...wink, wink!


Marketing your product or service through YouTube is not for everyone but if you can clearly communicate your product's value visually and you are not utilizing YouTube...you are cheating yourself!

Are we losing control...or gaining it?

As I have mentioned on a number of occasions, I am huge fan of reading. While you won't catch me buried in a Harry "Potter" book or swooning over the "Twilight" series, you are almost certain to find me plowing through a business book late at night. Now, I have been an avid reader for many years but I have to say that I have NEVER seen so many great books come out as I have in the past year! I mean...it is unbelievable!

I recently plowed through Barnes and Noble in search of the latest in Social Media trends and theories. Needless to say, I found plenty of good resources. One of the books a picked up was the Bestselling book by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff "Groundswell"!

I am only a few chapters in but I believe this will be one my "Top 10 of 2009". In reading the first few chapters I came across the story of Kevin Rose (Founder of Digg.com). Digg.com gives you the opportunity to search the internet and "digg" a variety of articles...both on websites and blogs. On Digg's homepage you can view a list of top-stories that people are "digging" throughout the day. Kevin Rose believed he had a fortress for a website until "Rudd-O" decided to write a blog releasing some valuable information. Rud-O wrote a blog releasing a code that allowed the technically advanced readers to make copies of the "uncopyable" DVDs on the market. Within a day over 15,000 Digg members voted for Rudd-O's post. As a results of all the "digging" the story made it on the homepage of Digg.com for the world to see. Needless to say, the movie industry was lesss than thrilled. They put in an order to have the link removed. Even though Digg.com did not break any laws, Kevin rose decided to remove the link in order to escape any unnecessary legal action. Rose removed the link and reponded with a post of his own, informing the "Diggers" of the situation. The only problem is...Rose can't control the information posted on other websites/blogs. Within a day the "Digger Mob" located the encryption and posted it on nearly 100 blogs. By the end of the day that number had climbed to over 3,100.

Lesson: "Lawyers and entrepreneurs aren't the most powerful force on the internet. People are. And people, empowered by technology, won't always go along." - Groundswell

So, how do we gain control when it is obvious that control is the "mystical unicorn" of the internet?

We learn how to use the "crowd" to our benefit! Here are a few ways to do so...

1. Stay involved!

- Google your name. Google your company's name. Do your best to identify your reputation within the social media circle. If you recognize that your reputation is "sub-par"...engage the commentator and seek answers. Every time an individual posts a negative article about us, it tarnishes our brand. If we seek out these individuals and inquire as to how we can be of better service, we have the ability to turn an angry mob into our personal marketing department.

2. Be proactive!

- Start blogging! Don't just wait to respond, begin sharing info and creating a following of your own. This is not only for blogs...we must create a presence on sites such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

3. Be active and current!

- Having a blog that is not current or irrelevant is worse than not having one at all. Individuals read blogs because it is a regular flow of pertinant information. If we haven't updated our blog in 6 months and the last story is not relevant to today...our following will deteriorate.

How good do you want to be?

In writing these articles, I want to provoke thought...I want to deliver ideas in a way that drives each of us to become more introspective! The neat thing is that it also gives me an opportunity to share some personal stories along the way.

In each of our lives, we approach events that have the ability to impact us forever! In about a month I will be face-to-face with one of these moments, as I will be saying "I do" to the love of my life in Playa del Carmen, Mexico! To say the least, I am an incredibly lucky man! One of my friends said it best when he said, "The three of you should be very happy together! You, Her, and her seeing-eye-dog!"


Now some of you may be asking yourselves, "Is he going to sit here and tell us all about HIS life or is actually going to give us something to take home?"


The fact is, while this wedding is a once in a lifetime event, it is the result of a process I have used a number of times throughout my life.

I have shared this process with friends that are in relationships, college students who are looking to make better grades, and sales professionals that are looking to have a record-breaking year!


1. We must ask ourselves, "How good do I want to be?"

This is not a question our boss, spouse, or kids can answer for us! This is a question we must answer for ourselves! Do I want to be average? Do I want to be good? Or...Do I want to be the BEST?! There are plenty of people out there that are perfectly fine with being average and there is nothing wrong with that. However, being average is a matter of choice...not a matter of ability! We were all given the tools to be extraordinary!

What if I do want to be the best?


2. Become clear on what it will take to become the best!

There is no better way to do this than to identify an individual that has a experienced a great deal of success in the industry and ask them, "What did it take for you to get to where you are today?" It is impossible for us to really know what it will take but the best road map we can follow is that of someone who has been there!


3. Make the decision, "Am I willing to do what it takes?"

This is typically where separation begins! "Well, I want to be the best sales person in our company! But, you mean I have to get to work an hour earlier than everyone else?" Some call it making excuses...I call it the "Meatloaf Mentality" after Meatloaf's 1993 hit song "I'd Do Anything for Love" (but I won't do that). It is really a simple progression...

I want to be the BEST!

I know what it takes to be the BEST!

Am I willing to do what it takes to be BEST?

"The difference between winners and losers is that winners are willing to pay a price that losers won't pay!" - Jim Jacobus, CSP


4. Identify mentor that is flying at 30,000 ft and one
that is flying at 10 ft!

"What are you talking about Jason?"

We must have one mentor that is just around the corner from us and one that is miles down the road!

ex. For my relationship with Caitlyn, I meet with one young man that has been married 3 years and I meet with another guy that has been married for 30. The "newlywed" can still remember how he felt when they were trying to hash out there finances and the "veteran" helps me keep things in perspective. It is about addressing the "now" yet thinking about what "will be"! From a professional perspective, we must identify the individual that is where we want to be in a year and the one that is where we want to be in 10 years!


If each of us can be honest with ourselves as we move through this process, there is no limit to what we can accomplish both personally and professionally!


p.s. Thank you to all of you that have played a role in my relationship with Caitlyn. If it is true that we are only as good as our friends, then I have a great deal to look forward to in life!

To Text or Not to Text...That is the Question!

LinkedIn, text messaging, Twitter, Smartphones, Facebook...

Where do these fit in my business?

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of speaking with a group about integrating "new technology" with what they are currently doing. As I walked into the room it was easy to see why I was there. Half of the group had been in business for 20+ years and the other half had only been out of college for a few years. As I introduced myself to the group, I asked them "At the end of the day, what would you like to get out of our time together?" The answer was predictable...

"Jason...over the past few months we have discussed a number of ways to reach out to our client base and we keep hearing words such as "social networking" and "text messaging". Now, I grew up following the basic framework for networking and it has worked very well for me throughout the years. At the same time, our younger team members are saying that we should be on Twitter and LinkedIn. Which way do you think is the most effective way to connect with clients?"

My answer to them was, we must utilize BOTH!

This is not an "either/or" scenario. The basic structure for networking and building relationships is not sacrificed for the implementation of the "new stuff"!

When it comes to reaching out to clients and staying connected with them, we must search for what they respond best to...not what we feel is the most effective. Yesterday, I was following up with a number of individuals and I used nearly every system possible. I sent a text message to one gentleman, I "Facebooked" a lady that I spoke with the day before, I responded to another customer via email, and called a friend of mine regarding an interview we had that afternoon. The reason I didn't just send an email to each of them is because I had identified the most effective way to communicate with them, as individuals. The fact is, that as individuals, we all have our preferences and to be relevant we must identify what our customer's preferences are. To identify these preferences we simply ask, "What is the best way to get in touch with you?" This question not only allows us to become more effective in our communication but it also makes us more credible. After asking that question I will also follow up by searching for them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The reason we do this is to make as many connections as possible. If we are friends with a prospective client on Facebook, connected with them on LinkedIn, and following them on Twitter we will beat out the competitor that is simply emailing them.

A while back we were doing a program and we had an experienced sales manager ask, "Texting is so unprofessional! I would never text a customer! What could you possible gain by doing something so impersonal?" As my dad was in the front of the room, he called on me to offer my feedback "Jason, everything else being equal, if you were trying to decide between working with a sales rep that text messages you and one that only wants to talk on the phone...which one would you choose?" I quickly responded with "the one that text messages me, without a doubt!" On the same note, I did a program for a group of college seniors and I was talking about the impact awareness can have in the interviewing process. As I was encouraging them to become aware of what is in the interviewer's office, I used the example of looking for stationary. If an interviewer has stationary in their office then that means they probably place great emphasis on hand-written notes. So, when you get home write them a hand-written thank you note to show your appreciation for their time. Before I could finish my sentence, a young man chimed in and asked "Jason, why can't we just shoot them an email saying thanks?!" While respecting the young man's curiosity I said, "While an email may be appropriate, it may not be the most effective way to say thank you! If we want to be successful we must be outwardly focused....we must identify their hot-buttons" The biggest inter-generational struggle we face, as a population, is being able to adapt to those different than us! As a young sales professional, when I am selling to a more experienced veteran I must adapt to them. Every thing we do that illustrates our differences will be reasons for the sale to come to an end.

In sales, we may be neck and neck with a competitor. We sell the same product, at the same price, and we both offer similar perks. The only difference is that our competitor will only talk business on the phone, yet we are willing to use text messaging and LinkedIn if that is what the customer responds to. In this scenario...Who do you think wins the deal?

The exciting thing about sales is that no two situations are the same. One day we may be selling to a VP of Sales that has been in the industry for 35 years and the next day we may be selling to a 24 year-old purchasing agent. The key to being successful in such a diverse industry is to carry as many tools in the bag as we can...and own each and every one of them!

Who's going to win, a professional golfer with 14 clubs in their bag or an amatuer carrying one club that they hit really well?



I encourage all of us to have the following tools in our arsenal...

- Text Messaging
- Smartphone or PDA (emailing purposes)
- LinkedIn Account
- Facebook Account
- Twitter Account

Hiring "Young Gun" Sales Pros!

What should I look for if I want to hire the "Young Guns" of the selling world?

This is a question I saw posted on LinkedIn this morning and, given the numerous responses, I figured I would chime in with my own thoughts. After reading some of the thoughts I realized that some of us are trying to start on the roof before laying the foundation!

When I graduated from college I looked back at my education and was blessed to have been exposed to so many lessons but the one thing that I was most proud of is my ability to recognize potential in young people. In 3 years as a campus leader I had the privilege to interview over 1,000 college students for a number of positions. I made horrible hiring decisions and I made great ones...but as many of us know, we learn just as much from hitting a ball in the water as we do hitting one down the middle (thanks Dave)!

Some of you may be asking yourselves...

"This guy is talking about college! Do these principles carry any weight in the "real world"?"

Absolutely!!

These 5 Principles have only become more important as I immerse myself in the world of professional selling!

So...

Here are the "BIG 5"...


5. "Business Owner" Mentality

Being an employee is a state of mind! When we work with large sales forces this is one of the first topics we discuss. We encourage each sales professional to approach their customers, their territory, and their business as if they were the owner of the company. Too many times we run into sales professionals that get to work at 8 and leave at 5, while only doing what they are asked to do. The truth is, that may be enough to keep your job but it should not be enough to keep your pride! As a sales professional, we are suppose to make decisions like a "business owner"! We confront dilemmas like a "business owner"! And most importantly, we put in the time and commitment that a "business owner" would!

This week, ask yourself "What would a business owner do?"


4. Continuous Learner

We are always moving! We are either moving forward or falling behind. When looking to hire ANYONE we must identify an individuals desire to learn! To grow! To improve! Too many times we encounter sales professionals that are doing the same thing today that they were doing 15 years ago. We are not going to reach success today by doing what worked yesterday! To compete today we must stay ahead of the curve and we do that by learning new skills. If you want to have some fun...ask your stagnant sales professional, "What books are you currently reading?" You will have your answer right there! A true pro is ALWAYS polishing their craft!


3. Interpersonal Skills

While cliche, this one is even more important in an economy like this. We must hire sales professionals that ADD value to our product/service...not detract from it! I had been going to a men's clothing store for the past 4 years but recently made a switch to a new one because while one store focuses on interpersonal skills, the other could not even spell "relationship". While I am only one customer...I am getting married (buying suits for the wedding) and I have sent a number of my friends over there to get their wedding attire! That one "detail" cost one company thousands of dollars while the other store has more business than they know what to do with.

If we struggle to generate relationships, we will struggle to pay the bills!


2. Resiliency

I once heard my dad tell a sales manager, he was working with, "If you hire a sales professional with low levels of resiliency you are committing management malpractice!" Sales is a tough profession and if we do not hire "tough" sales people, we will either face low sales or a high turnover (maybe both)!

We must find sales people that have the mentality...

"Some will...some won't...so what...Who's Next?!"


1. Personal Accountability

We define personal accountability as "I do what I say I am going to do...because I said I would!" You know...I have noticed that individuals with low levels of personal accountability are always the ones who are "stuck in traffic" and are late "because someone else..."! Sales professionals do what they say they are going to do because they do not know any other way. They are committed to doing what it takes to keep their word and even if they are not responsible for the mistake...they take responsibility for making it right!



In this blog I communicated 5 principles that impact the success of young sales professionals but I think if you take a close look at the "Big 5" you will see its impact in other areas of business...and life!

The Optimistic Realist!

I blame it on Michael J. Fox! I am sitting here at 2 a.m. writing this blog because I cannot seem to get my mind to shut off. A few hours ago I was flipping through the channels and saw a special coming on about Michael J. Fox and his adventures to locate triumphant stories of hope!

While I do enjoy writing about sales strategies and tactics I feel that this blog must be focused on something bigger. We are in a tough economic time right now but we have a CHOICE of how we view our current situation! We will touch on this in a little bit but, for now, we will dip back into the show...

Michael J. Fox's hour-long show had me captivated the entire time. Throughout his many adventures you could see the symptoms of Parkinson's fighting within, yet Michael J. Fox views this world as a blessing. As an OPPORTUNITY!

Now, I am going to go out on a limb and say that this economy, while tough, is not the worst thing that could happen! It is not losing a child, it is not cancer, it is not PARKINSON'S!

So, while so many are blinded by the economic struggles upon us, how does Michael J. Fox see the world in such a promising light?

Is he blind to reality?

Is he in denial about his condition?

The answer is NO!

Michael J. Fox knows exactly what he is up against! He knows the reality of his disease and the hold that it will eventually place on him!

So what is so special about people like Michael J. Fox? How do some fight through the pain and focus on their purpose?

The reason they remain so positive is they do not see optimism and realism as being an "either, or" scenario!

We do not have to sacrifice living in reality for choosing to be optimistic. Optimism is not believing that the world is perfect and everything is all smiles and happiness.

Optimism is being able to see all situations in their entirety and while acknowledging the good and the bad, we choose to focus on the positive!

Michael J. Fox battles the pain and anguish that consumes him at times but he also realizes that this disease has given him the platform to impact millions of people! His pain and courage gives him the strength to comfort others. He has become an advocate of LIVING!

So what does this have to do with our professional lives?

To answer that I would like to share a short story with you and ask you a couple of questions...

In Michael J. Fox's adventures he made a trip to Bhutan. During his visit to Bhutan he was informed that Bhutan had something called the GNH...the Gross National Happiness! Bhutan believes that happiness is important in the success of a culture. While interviewing the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Michael J. Fox asked him "How do you drive happiness and hope throughout a culture?" The Prime Minister said, "We focus on the individual first. If an individual is happy then that happiness flows into their family, which is spread throughout the community, which impacts a city, which changes a culture!"

Wow! What a piece of wisdom?!

So let me ask you...

What would it mean to those around us if we made it a point to become more optimistic?

What would it mean to our organization if we focused on the opportunities in the market place and not this economic "crisis"?

Do you think that we have a better chance of selling more if we have a promising mentallity or if we appear defeated?

Could our approach to adversity change the dynamic of our family? Our company? Our industry? Our COUNTRY?



If you would like to buy Michael J. Fox's book "Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist" Click Here

The Foundation of FACEBOOK!

"Facebook me!" has become the closing line of billions of conversations over the past few years. We have seen a website grab the attention of the world in a way that was previously unheard of. But what is so special about Facebook? What is it that, Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg knew that would lead him to create one of the most dominant websites of this decade?

A while back Mark was speaking at an event where he was asked the million dollar question,

"How did you build a community of over 200 million active users?"

As the question was asked the attendees pushed to the front of their seats with pens in hand, just ready to write down the secret "Facebook Formula".

But Mark caught everyone off guard when he said he never built a community of 200 million. Mark explained to the group that...

"We don't build communities! They already exist!"

What mark did was identify a community that already existed and helped them become more efficient in what they were looking to accomplish, which was connecting with others!

So how can we use this model in our business?

We must ask ourselves 3 questions...


1. Which community are we focused on working with?

(ex. kids, CEOs, etc)

2. What is it this group would like to accomplish?

(ex. sell products, share pictures, etc)

3. How can we help them become more efficient in what they are looking to achieve?

To give you an opportunity to see how one company would answer this series of questions we will look into the online meeting provider www.GoToWebinar.com!


1. Which community are we focused on working with?


- GTW Answer -

Anyone that holds meeting for personal or professional use.


2. What is it this group would like to accomplish?


- GTW Answer -

Be able to hold meeting without having to travel or even leave their office.


3. How can we help them become more efficient in what they are looking to do?


- GTW Answer -

Create a website that allows people to join for a meeting in the comfort of their office or home by allowing them to connect through the computer. We will take care of the visual by allowing each party to view the presenter's computer screen and we will address the audio component by allowing each person to talk through a microphone or headset. We have created a cost efficient and time efficient meeting by developing the "virtual meeting".


So, are you spending your time building communities that already exist...or are you helping existing communities become more efficient?

What's New?

If there is one commonality I have noticed in the world of success, it is that successful people are life-long learners! I have had the privilege to interview hundreds of very successful individuals and one question I always ask is, "What books/CDs/podcasts/learning systems do you recommend?"

So, in the spirit of my "favorite question" I will give you a few of my favorite books of 2009. While many of these books were not written in 2009 I encourage you to read them before 2009 comes to a close!

My Top 10 Favorite Books of 2009

Predictably Irrational: by Dan Ariely

- In Dan's book Predictably Irrational you will begin to see why irrational behavior can become predictable. Dan injects the business world with a dose of behavioral psychology. Beware: This book will mess you up! After reading this book I began to realize that logic is not as prevalent as we may think. It is a a great book and will keep you thinking for months to come.

Click Here to Buy "Predictably Irrational" from Amazon.com



Buy-ology: by Martin Lindstrom

Coca Cola and white headphones! Martin Lindstrom addresses the dominance of certain companies and products in a way I have never heard before. Martin also takes a scientific approach to why we are attracted to one product/company and not another. If you are focused on the branding and marketing of your product...you will LOVE this book!

Click Here to Buy "Buy-ology" from Amazon.com



The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life: by Alice Schroeder

How can you make a billion dollars fixing pinball machines? Ask Warren Buffett! In The Snowball you will be submerged into the life of one of the world's greatest success stories. Alice Schroeder will walk you through the life of Warren Buffett and will illustrate how he went from selling golf balls to buying private planes. While it is a pretty long read (over 800 pages), it was worth worth every second.

Click Here to Buy "The Snowball" from Amazon.com



Grown up Digital: by Don Tapscott

Are you a forward-thinker? Do you have kids that fall into Gen X or Gen Y? Do you manage a cast of young professionals? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions then this book is a MUST! Being a young professional myself, I can say that Don is "right on" with his writing! This is a roadmap to mastering the "Net Generation"

Click Here to Buy "Grown Up digital" from Amazon.com



Negotiation Genius: by Malhotra & Bazerman

One of the best negotiation books I have ever read (and I have read a lot!). This book provides tactics AND reason all in one enjoyable read. The book is very well written and illustates the "what to do" and "why to do it" of negotiating. If you negotiate in your profession and you don't read this book...you are leaving money on the table!

Click Here to Buy "Negotiation Genius" from Amazon.com



Wooden On Leadership: John Wooden

It doesn't matter if you are the GM of a Honda dealership or the CEO of an oil company...this book will apply to you. John Wooden, who is one of the most dominant leaders of all time, gives you a genuine account of what it took for him to win and win big! I highlighted more in this book than I did in my college chemistry book. It is an amazing book and would probably be in my Top 5 favorites of all-time!

Click Here to Buy "Wooden on Leadership" from Amazon.com



What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis

My most recent read. I picked this book up at the airport last week and read it in 2 days. If you blog or Tweet or do ANYTHING around the internet then you must read Jeff's book. Jeff walks through some of the internet's most dominant companies and communicates why they have been so powerful. In What Would Google Do? Jarvis will show you how to approach your "community" in the same way Google, facebook, and Craig's List does. One of the best books of the year!

Click Here to Buy "What Would google Do?" from Amazon.com



Outliers: by Malcolm Gladwell

Success doesn't occur in a vacuum. There are many things that play into the success of a team or individual. In Malcom's book Outliers, he discusses the many different variables that create an opportunity for success. I have read all of Malcom's books and this one may be his best one yet. It is almost scary how creative this guy is!

Click Here to Buy "Outliers" from Amazon.com



Flight of the Buffalo: by Belasko & Stayer

One of the best leadership books ever written. In Flight of the Buffalo the authors compare the leadership style of buffalo and that of geese. It is an intriguing comparison that will hit home with anyone in a position of leadership. Are you in a company that you hope will continue to prosper when you are gone? If so, this book is for you.

Click Here to Buy "Flight of the Buffalo" from Amazon.com



Josh Hamilton: Beyond Belief: by Hamilton & Keown

I save this book for last because it hit me the hardest! Josh Hamilton (outfielder for the Texas Rangers) tells his very emotional story in one of the best books I have ever read. If you are a man or woman of faith then you cannot pass this book up. Josh tells his story of alcohol and drug abuse in a genuine fashion. He also shares his thoughts on what it took for him to rise from the streets to the cleats! You may want to start reading this one on a Saturday morning because you won't be able to put it down! It is truly an inspirational story!

Click here to buy "Beyond Belief" from Amazon.com


Enjoy!

What do we really sell?

How can I hold on to my margins when I keep getting beat out in this "price war"?

This question was a question I saw posted on LinkedIn this past weekend. While a predictable question, the responses were surprising. In reading over 60 comments, almost all of them were an attempt to console versus offering direction. It wasn't a forum for advice...it was a support group. In fact, most of these individuals said they were encountering the same obstacles and were struggling to figure out what to do. Many of the ailing authors were extremely frustrated that "price" was their only leverage. The answers mostly came from individuals that felt their product was a commodity and "when all you offer is a commodity their is no way to secure your margin!".

It was very apparent, after observing this post for a few days, that the majority of these individuals felt they had lost all control because "selling has become all about price." The unfortunate issue is that many of us never consider our personal value proposition or the company's value proposition as part of the equation.

Too many times we let the product take the spotlight and we believe that the product will sell itself. If this was true then sales organizations would not spend near as much money on their sales professionals. After all, if it was just about price or the product would sell itself then we could just train monkeys to walk in and deliver the proposal. The reason companies invest a great deal of time and money in their sales force is because they recognize that the sales person can drastically impact the value of a product or service.

In times like this we must become clear on why what we, personally, bring to the table and what our company adds to the deal. When we struggle to identify the differentiating factors within our product we must focus on identifying what makes up our personal and company value propositions.

When we go into a sales call we are selling three things...

- Our product/service
- Our company
- Our personal services/relationship

The key to gaining ground when selling these three elements is to identify which ones we have an edge in and which ones we don't. If we acknowledge that our product is the same as our competitor's then we must focus on selling ourselves and our company's position in the industry.

ex.

"Susan, from what I have heard you say, you are really focused on expanding your business and eventually want to take it world-wide. You also mentioned that you are tired of having 10 different contacts within one company. The fact is, all of the companies involved are offering the same great product. However, we are the only world-wide solvent company in the area. When you do expand, we will be able to address your needs from Chicago to Tokyo. That being said, I will also be your only contact within our company. If we need to involve another department, I will do the running around so you don't have to."

As you see in the example above, the sales professional focused on the areas in which they had an edge and they did their best to exploit them. While the sales person in the story did not have an advantage in the product, they illustrated their personal and company's value proposition in a way that addressed the customer's needs. When we begin selling three elements and not one...we are not as easily impacted by factors outside of our control. This 3-tooled arsenal gives us the ability to sell in any and every situation.

Get Excited or GET OUT!

I am going to start off this post in a different way...

I will start by warning all of you, who are reading this, that this post may cause you a few sleepless nights! In this post I will challenge each of us to become more introspective toward our lives and our professions.


Now that I have addressed that...let's get started!

In my last post I made the comparison between fishing a sales. This post will take on a much greater topic!


A little over two years ago, as I was preparing for my final exams, I got a phone call from my Dad...


"Hey Bud"

- "What's goin on Dad?"

"Well I have good news and bad news for you"

- "Ok....go ahead"

"We I am in the hospital...but I am ok."


That morning, as my dad was getting ready to catch a flight, he started having severe chest pains. When my step mom asked if my Dad needed to go to the hospital my Dad gave her an overwhelming YES! For my dad to risk missing a flight to get checked out, she knew that something was seriously wrong! Being a nurse, she didn't take any chances and drove my dad to the emergency room immediately.

As they began performing some tests on my dad the nurse "attempted" to give my dad something for the pain. My dad quickly jumped in and said...


"If at all possible, I would like to avoid taking anything. I have a flight here in a bit and I really need to make it"


The nurse did not argue but she did return with the doctor...


"Mr. Jacobus...the nurse said you didn't want anything for the pain."

- "Well I have a flight here in a few hours and I would really like to catch it if I can"

"Mr. Jacobus...Sorry to be so blunt but you are not going home today! You are not going home tomorrow! You probably won't be going home this week! You have a bilateral pulmonary embolism!"

- "Is that serious?"

"Well Mr. Jacobus...IF you had made it to the airport....and IF you had made it on the airplane...I can GUARANTEE you would not have made it off!"


As I was hearing this story I began to realize...I was probably less than a couple of hours from losing my father, my mentor, and my best friend!



Over the next few days they treated him for his PE and eventually released him from the hospital. As my dad rested at home he received a phone call from one of our family members. It would be a call that would re-emphasize my dad's belief that "life is too short"...


"I just wanted to check in on you and make sure everything was going ok. Are you feeling better?"

- "I am. Just trying to heal up right now. I will probably be off my feet for a couple of days."

"Well Jim, I guess this is a pretty good sign that you need to slow down!"

- "Slow down?!?! I think it is a sign that I need to speed up! There are still a ton of things I want to accomplish and I was only a few hours away from never having that opportunity! I will never slow down...and do you know why? Because life is too short!"


That was turning point in my dad's life...and in mine! That day taught me a lot about life, work, and relationships.

A few months later my dad and my step mom started their marriage ministry and began pursuing many of the dreams they put off. It also drove me to ask myself, "What do you really want to do? What is that that you could not imagine NOT doing?

It was the ultimate awakening for me!


Jason...Why this topic? Why now?


Over the past few months a number of people have lost their jobs or taken pay cuts. While unfortunate, it reveals our true passion by removing money from the equation. It also allows us to ask ourselves...


Do I really enjoy what I am doing?

Is this really what I feel called to pursue?

If this was my last day, week, month, or year on Earth...would I want to spend that time in this office?


My guess is that there would be some of us that are right where we need to be. We wake up excited to go to work. We feel that we are leaving our mark on this globe and we couldn't imagine doing anything else.

But...

I would say that there are probably more individuals out there who dream about doing something else. We may have jumped into a job without any passion or lost it somewhere along the way. If this is you I encourage you to ask yourself a few questions...


If I hit the lottery tomorrow, would I stay where I am?

What would I do if money, power, recognition, and/or pride was not an issue?

What am I teaching my children by pursuing something that I am not passionate about?


3 Reasons We Should "Get Excited or GET OUT!"


1. Life is too short. One thing that is certain is that life is uncertain. We don't know how long we have so we must find something we love to do and give it everything we have!

2. We will never reach our potential if we are not passionate about what we do. Passion is what keeps us working and pushing when things get tough (ex this economy).

3. It is the greatest gift we could ever give our kids. I am not a parent but the greatest gift my parents have given me is to show me what a passionate professional can accomplish!



Are you passionate about what you are doing?

If you experienced what my dad experienced, how would that change your career path?




I hope this post has encouraged you to "Get Excited or GET OUT!"

Do you only fish when the weather is nice?

Yesterday, as I was getting off the plane in Corpus Christi, Texas I was struck with disappointment! We were planning on leaving the airport and heading straight to the marina to go fishing...but the weather was horrible. Windy, rainy, and chilly! Not exactly what I had hoped for. As we made the 30 minute drive back to Rockport my dad asked me, "Well bud, you wanna give it a try? You never know what is going to happen. All I can say is that are chances of catching fish only increase if we give it a go!"

That was all I needed to give him the thumbs up!

As we jumped onto our boat I looked around...only 3 cars in the parking lot (normally filled with 100 cars).

What were we doing?

The weather is not good and the chances of catching fish are slim to none. Why are we going to go out there in these conditions...just to waste our time?

As we puttered out of the marina we were both second guessing our decision to go out. We had no idea that our decision would pay off in just a few short minutes!

We eventually made our way to our first stop and shut the boat down. I decided to start with a top-water (a lure that floats...always one of my favorites because you can see the fish attack it).

It was only a few minutes, and a few casts later, that I would learn a great lesson.

On my 3rd cast my lure exploded. It was one of the biggest hits I had ever seen! As I began to fight the fish I could tell that this was a BIG fish. After a few minutes of watching the fish distance itself from our boat, I began to gain some ground.

The fish was only 30 yards away now!

Now 15!

I could almost see it!

As the fish came up to the boat and I could finally see it, I quickly realized that it was the biggest speckled trout I had ever caught!

The 30" monster (a giant in the world of speckled trout) was quickly scooped up by my "net man" (my dad).

Catching this kind of fish...when the conditions are this bad! What are the chances?

more like...

Catching this kind of fish...when the conditions are this bad! What is the lesson?


Do you "give it a go" when the conditions are bad?

Now, I am not going to sit here and tell you that the conditions are great in the economy right now...because they are not! What I will say, is that shutting down and not "fishing" is not going to help our chances.

There are a number of individuals out there that believe the effort is not worth it because the economy "won't allow us to be successful"!

I mean, "what are the chances of bagging an elephant in a time like this?"


The conditions may not be great but there are a few things this "monster fish" taught me about fishing when the economy is sub-par...


1. We will never know unless we "give it a go!"


2. Opportunities surface in bad times. We were able to fish wherever we wanted to because there weren't any other boats on the water. A rough patch in the economy can occasionally take our competitors out of the game!


3. When we decide to give it a go...and it works...that type of success feels so much better. We recognized the challenge, we battled anyway, and we came away triumphant! It also gives us the strength and drive to endure it in the future because we tell ourselves, "You know, it was like this the last time...and I bagged that huge account! Today could be another one of those days! I won't know unless I give it a try"


4. Most importantly...We go out in "bad weather" because that is what a professional does!


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