Empowering Your Sales – Tom Peters Offers Free E-Book
November 29th, 2009 by David Utts
Tom Peters is offering a early gift to all of us eager to fill our pipelines. In his out of the box style Peters hits us right between the eyes with sound tips that can be easily implemented. Here is a sampling of my favorites:
“Strategy” overrated, simply “doin’ stuff” underrated. See Kelleher and Bossidy: “We have a ‘strategic plan,’ it’s called doing things.”—Herb Kelleher. “Execution is a systematic process of rigorously discussing hows and whats, tenaciously following through, and ensuring accountability.”—Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done. Action has its own logic—ask Genghis Khan, Rommel, COL John Boyd, U.S. Grant, Patton, W.T. Sherman.
IT’S RELATIONSHIPS, STUPID—DEEP AND FROM MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS.
Relationships from within our firm are as important—often more important—as those from outsiderom outside—again broad is as important as deep. Allies—avid supporters!—within and from non-obvious places may be more important than relationships at the Client organization. Goal: an “insanely unfair ‘market share’” of insiders’ time devoted to your projects!
Work incessantly on your “story”—most economic value springs from a good story (think Perrier)! In sensitive public or quasi-public negotiations, a compelling story is of immense value—politics is about the tension among competing stories. (If you don’t believe me, ask Karl Rove or James Carville.) (“Storytelling is the core of culture.”—Branded Nation: The Marketing of Megachurch, College Inc., and Museumworld, James Twitchell)
Call this a corollary to the one above: Become a first-rate Storyteller! (“A key—perhaps the key—to leadership is the effective communication of a story.”—Howard Gardner, Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership)
Don’t waste your time on jerks—it’ll rarely work out in the mid- to long-term.
In public settings in particular, face saving is all. When something changes, allow the other guy to come out looking like a winner, especially if he has lost. (Even if you must accept the egg on your face—he will always remember you!)
If these wet your whistle for more - download Tom’s ebook right here or click book image above. It is well worth a look!
