The Irreducible209 / Sales122/60TIBs Tom Peters/0607.2006

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The Irreducible209/Sales122/60TIBsTom
Peters/0607.2006
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The Irreducible209
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A frustrated participant at a seminar for
investment bankers in Mauritius listened
impatiently to my explanation of differences of
opinion among me, Mike Porter, Gary Hamel, Jim
Collins, etc. Finally, hed had enough. What, if
anything, he asked, do you believe for sure?
I mumbled something, but his query started
rumbling around in my mind. Three days later,
wandering on a Sunday in London, the idea of the
irreducibles occurred to meand I started
jotting down notes on stuff I do indeed believe
for sure. Before I knew it, a few days later,
the list had grown to 209 items. Hence The
Irreducible209 that follows.Tom Peters
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1. Hare 1, Tortoise 0. (Hare-y times.) 2. Tempo.
(O.O.D.A.) 3. MBWA. 4. Appreciation. (Motivator
1.) (Cant be faked. Good.) 5. Decency. 6.
Hurry. 7. Time out. 8. One matters. 9. Big
change. Short time. (Alt not work.) 10.
Excellence. Always. 11. Passion. Energy. Hustle.
Enthusiasm. Exuberance. (Move mountains. No
alt.) 12. You must care. 13. Emotion. 14. Hard is
soft. (Soft is hard.)
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15. Men. Women. Different. Contend. Connect. 16.
Women. Buy. All. (RU listening?) 17. Quality.
(Mind-blowing. Beyond 6-Sigma.) 18. Re-invent.
Re-pot. (Required.) 19. Jaywalk. 20. Big change.
Small of people. (Always.) 21. Experiment.
Now. 22. Failure. Normal. 23. Most failures,
most success. (Fail. Forward. Fast.) 24.
Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre
successes. 25. Women leaders. (Altered times.)
26. Extremism. (Good business. Bad
politics.) 27. Innovation source. Only. Extreme
irritation. 28. Smile.
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29. You must care. 30. Mentor. (Highest ROI.) 31.
Best roster wins. 32. Wow. (Okay in biz.) 33.
We all have customers. (Biz. Personal.) 34. All
contacts Experiences. 35. Cirque du Soleil.
(Peerless.) 36. Leaders create space for
growth. 37. Quests. (Only.) 38. High aspirations,
high results. (Self-fulfilling
prophecy.) 39. Attitude 1, Skills 0. (Mostly.)
(Attitude 1, Skill 0.3?) 40. Sometimes Skill
1, Attitude 0.1. 41. Must love, not like. 42.
Wegmans. (No excuses. Mere groceries.) 43.
Less than your best. Cheating.
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44. Brand You. (No alt.) 45. Self-sufficiency.
(Biggest LT turn-on.) 46. In the moment. 47. The
moment wins. 48. Tomorrow Never. 49. Action 1,
Plan 0.1. 50. Execution can be a system. 51.
Realism. 52. Own up. Move on. 53.
Accountability. 54. Work hard gt Work smart.
(Mostly.) 55. Feedback. Necessary. Fast. (R.F.A.
in RFA times.) 56. Customers. Listen.
Lead. (Paradox.) 57. On stage. Always. (GW,
FDR, RG Supreme actors.)
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58. Master statistical analysis. 59. Excellence
Set the table. 60. Legacy. (Will it have
mattered?) 61. Great. (Why not?) 62. Radicals
rule. (Think Olympics.) 63. !!! Good. 64. Red
1, Brown 0. (Red times.) 65. Talk. Listen. (Big
2. Master.) 66. Politics. (Normal-inevitable
state of affairs. Master.) 67. Student.
Forever. 68. Why? (Question 1.) 69. Dont
belittle. 70. Respect. 71. All we have this
moment. (Moments matter most?) 72. Now.
(Procrastination. Death.)
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73. Exercise. 74. Paint. (Leader. Portraits of
Excellence.) 75. Best story wins. 76. You must
be the change you wish to see in the
world. 77. Two big ones. Max.
(Priorities.) 78. No I in Team. (I in
Win.) 79. I in Win. (No I in Team.) 80.
Different 1, Better 0. (Better 0.1) 81.
Imitation Mistake. (Learn, from who?) 82.
Choose/battle the right competitor. 83.
Schools. Creativity. Entrepreneurship.
(Not.) 84. MBAs. Creativity. Entrepreneurship.
Leadership. (Not.) 85. Design. Under-rated.
Wildly. (Still.) (Everything.)
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86. You Calendar. (Calendar. Never. Lies.) 87.
Laugh. 88. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.) 89.
Dont fold your hands in front of your chest.
Ever. (Never.) 90. Grace. (Works in biz.) 91.
Weird. Wins. (Weird times.) 92. Crazy times.
Crazy orgs. 93. Internet. All. 94. Women.
Boomers-Geezers. Market. All. 95. Passion.
(Repeat. So what?) 96. Energy. (Repeat.
So what?) 97. Hustle. (Repeat. So
what?) 98. Enthusiasm. (Repeat. So what?) 99.
Exuberance. (Repeat. So what?) 100. Smile.
(Repeat. So what?) 101. Care.
(Repeat. So what?)
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102. Simplicity. Redundancy. Resilience. Bloody-
mindedness. Visible optimism. (Success.)
103. Act. (Repeat. So what?) 104.
Appreciate. (Repeat. So what?) 105. Fun. (Biz.
Why not?) 106. Joy. (Biz. Why not?) 107. Sales
Life. 108. Marketing Life. 109. Long-term. Top
line. 110. Great company Creates the most
individual success stories. (RE/MAX) 111.
Talent first, performance byproduct. 112.
Sustained Wow 1, Shareholder value,
0.2 (Product, People.) 113. Commitment, by
invitation only. 114. Creativity, by invitation
only. 115. HR 1. (Ought to.) 116.
Face-to-face. (5K miles, 5 minutes.)
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117. Negotiation. Make all winners. (Save
face.) 118. Grace makes enemies friends. 119.
Network. 120. Invest in relationships. (Think
ROIR. Return On Investment in
Relationships.) 118. Relationship investment.
Forethought. Calendar item.
Intensity. 119. Innovation. Easy. (Hang out
with weird.) 120. Weird Win. (Weird
times.) 121. The bottleneck is at the top
of the bottle. 122. Good Board Weird Board.
(At least, surprising.) 123. No
contention, no progress.
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124. Crucial conversations. Crucial
confrontations. (Study. Learn. Do.) 125. Honest
feedback. 126. Gaspworthy. Yes. 127. Insanely
great. 128. Astonish me. 129. Make it
immortal. 130. Will you remember it in 20
years? 131. No small opportunities.
(Reframe.) 132. One playmate, one playpen
Enough. 133. End run. Sensible. 134. Allies are
there for the finding. 135. Find successes. Build
on successes. (Pos gt Neg. Encourage gt
Fix.) 136. Somebodys doing it today. Find
em. 137. Someone is living 2016 in 2006.
(Find em. Study em.)
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138. Dont benchmark, futuremark.
(2016. Happening. Somewhere.) 139. PMA. It
works. 140. There are no experts. (You are the
expert.) 141. Life is short. 142. Sustained
success. Fat chance. Make today matter.
(Sustained. Ha.) 143. Collaborate. (Networked
world.) 144. Go solo. (Individual. Unit of
Intellectual Capital.) 145. There are no
perfect plans. (Do. Wins.) 146. Plans motivate.
(Right or wrong. Sense of purpose.) 147.
Never rest. 148. Get some sleep. 149. Winning
Embracing paradox. 150. Ambiguity Opportunity.
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151. Resilience. 152. Relentless-ness. 153. None.
Above. Comeuppance. (GM. Sears. U.S.
Steel. DEC.) 154. Be yourself. Period. 155. Never
work with jerks. Including customers.
(Life. Too short.) 156. Under-promise,
over-deliver. 157. Talent. (Powerful word.) 158.
Customer Anyone whose actions affect
your results. 159. Competition stinks. (Seek the
soft spots where you can dominate.) 160.
K.I.S.S./Keep It Simple, Stupid. 161. Beauty.
(Good biz word.) 162. See the beauty in a
hamburger bun. (Go. Ray.)
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163. Own up. Quick. ( Denial. Cancer.)164.
Celebrate. Often.165. 78 people 78 approaches.
(Each. Unique.)166. Weed. Ceaselessly. (Prune.
Stupid. Rules. Non-stop.)167. Get out
of the way. (You The problem.)168. Smile.
Sunny. Optimism. (If it kills you.)169. Flowers.
(Cheery workplace.)170. Enjoy. (Or get the
hell.)171. Be intolerant of sour. (1 Major
pollution)172. No quick trigger on promotion.
(Too important.)173. Evaluation Lots of
study-time.174. Evaluation Life or death to
evaluee.175. 360 evaluation. No fad.176. Exit
when youre done. (Done. Sooner than you
think.)
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177. Today. Now. My Project. Am. Is. I.
Period. 178. Beautiful systems. (Good biz
phrase. Not oxymoron.) 179. Build on
strengths gt Fix weaknesses. 180. To dont To
do. (To dont gt To do ?) 181.
Leaders Do People. (Period.) 182. Leaders enjoy
leading. 183. Serious leadership training
Serious. 184. Priorities. Obvious. (Or
else.) 185. 5 Priorities 0 Priorities.
(3 Priorities 0 Priorities?) 186. People.
First. Last. Always. 187. It. Is. Always. The.
People.
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188. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.)189. Dont
fold your hands in front of your chest.
Ever. (Never.)190. Simplicity. Redundancy.
Resilience. Bloody-mindedness. Visible
optimism. (Success.) (Repeat.)191. Employee
Entrance Guest Entrance.192. Put the
customer SECOND. (Thanks, Hal.)193.
Flowers. (Or did I say that before? No
matter if I did.)194. Big Mergers dont work.
Small acquisitions can/do workif you
dont screw with their energy.
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195. Instinctively head for the front
line. (In all contexts.)196. Success
DDMMPR/"D-squared, M-squared, PR
DramDiff Money-Financial Acumen
Good Marketing Instincts Stellar
People Resilience (The fab five
What. Every. Small. Biz. Needs.) (Big
too.) 197. Core Mechanism (Game-changing
Solutions) PSF (Professional Service
Firm model) Wow! Projects
(Different vs Better) Brand You
(Distinct or Extinct) 198. 2011/2016 has
already happened. Find it.
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199. Kids know kids. Oldies know oldies.
Women know women. (Staff
accordingly.)200. Everybody is my customer.201.
Cosset vendors.202. I want to run a
Housekeeping department. (And you?)203.
The military doesnt follow the military
model. (Initiative Excellence.)204. No such
thing as going to absurd lengths to
serve the Customer. (HSM Lefties.)205. Forget
the customer. All Clients.206. It takes
decades to get over sleights. (So
dont sleight.)207. Dont dumb down. Ever.
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208. NO LESS THAN EXCELLENCE.
EVER.209. EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
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Work In ProgressXXX. One size fits. One. Only.
(Evaluations. Period.)XXX. Teaching.
Individualized. Only. (6 billion people
6 billion learning trajectories.)
(Montessori.)XXX. First impression. Matters.
Shapes all that comes. Hard to overcome.
(Understatement.)XXX. Jerks. Dont work with.
(Life Too short.)XXX. Manage the hell out of
first impressions.XXX. Last impression. Matters.
Dominates memory. Hard to overcome.
(Understatement.)XXX. Manage the hell out of
last impressions.XXX. Plain English.XXX.
K.I.S.S. (450/8.)XXX. 798. 55,000,000,000.
3,000,000,000. 7AM-7PM. 615AM.XXX.
Donnelly Weatherstrip rules.XXX. Managers do
things right. Leaders do the right
thing. NOT.
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GE (more or less)The Sales122 122
Ridiculously Obvious Thoughts About Selling
StuffTom Peters/0402.2006
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This list was first prepared for GE Energy sales
marketing people in January. It started with a
half-dozen items, and grew like Topsy. Possibly,
given its origins, its a little tilted toward
complex, engineering-based sales. In any event,
it makes a perfect companion to The
Irreducibles209. This, too, is effectively a
list of irreducibles.Tom Peters
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1. Strategy overrated, simply doin stuff
underrated. See Kelleher and Bossidy We have a
strategic plan, its 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 logicask Genghis Khan, Rommel, COL John
Boyd, U.S. Grant, Patton, W.T. Sherman. 2. What
are you personally great at? (Key word great.)
Play to strengths! Distinct or Extinct. You
should aim to be outrageously good/B.I.W. at a
niche area (or more). 3. Are you a personality,
a de facto brand in the industry? The Dr Phil
of ... 4. Opportunism (with a little forethought)
mostly wins. (Successful people are the ones who
are good at Plan B.) 5. Little starts can lead
to big wins. Most true winnersthink search
Googlestart as something small. Many big
dealsDisney Pixarcould have been done as
little-er deals if youd had the guts to jump
before the value became obvious.
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6. Non-obvious targets have great potential.
Among many other things, everybody goes after the
obvious ones. Also, the non-obvious are often
good Partners for technology experiments. 7. The
best relationships are often (usually?) not top
to top! (Often the best hungry division GMs
eager to make a mark.) 8. ITS RELATIONSHIPS,
STUPIDDEEP AND FROM MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS. 9. In
any public-sector business, you must become an
avid student of the politics, the incentives
and constraints, mostly non-economic, facing all
of the players. Politicians are usually
incredibly logicalif you (deeply!) understand
the matrix in which they exist. 10. Relationships
from within our firm are as importantoften more
importantas those from outsideagain broad is as
important as deep. Alliesavid 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!
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Everyone lives by selling something. Robert
Louis Stevenson
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11. Interesting outsiders are essential to
innovative proposal and sales teams. An
exciting sales-proposal team is as important as
a prestigious one. 12. Is the proposal-sales team
weird enoughweirdos come up with the most
interesting, game-changer ideas. Period. 13.
Lunch with at least one weirdo per month. (Goal
always on the prowl for interesting new
stuff.) 14. Gratuitous comment Lunches with good
friends are typically a waste of (professional)
time. 15. Dont short-change (time, money,
depth) the proposal process. Miss one tiny
nuance, one potential incentive that makes my
day for a key Client playerand watch the whole
gig be torpedoed. 16. Sticking with it
sometimes pays, sometimes notit takes a lot of
tries to forge the best path in. Sometimes you
never do, after a literal lifetime. (Ah,
life.) 17. WOMEN ARE SIMPLY BETTER AT
RELATIONSHIPSdont get hung upparticularly in
tech firmson what industries-countries women
cant do. (Or some such bullshit.)
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18. Work incessantly on your storymost
economic value springs from a good story (think
Perrier)! In sensitive public or quasi-public
negotiations, a compelling story is of immense
valuepolitics is about the tension among
competing stories. (If you dont 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) 19. Call this 18A,
or 18 repeat 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) 20. Risk Assessment Risk Management
is more about stories than advanced mathi.e.,
brilliant scenario construction. 21. Good
listeners are good sales people. Period. 22.
Lousy listeners are lousy sales people. Period.
23. GREAT LISTENERS ARE GREAT SALES PEOPLE.
(Listening skills are hard to learn and subject
to immense effort in pursuit of Mastery. A
virtuoso listener is as rare as a virtuoso
cello player.) (If you dont listen, you dont
sell anything.Carolyn Marland/MD/Guardian
Group)
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24. Things that are funny to me (American) are
often-mostly not funny to those in other
cultures. (Humor is as fine-edged as it gets, and
rarely travels.) 25. You dont know Jack Squat
about other peoples culturesespecially if you
are a typically myopic American. (Like me.) 26.
Are you a great interviewer? Its a make or break
skill. (Think Barbara Walters skill at
extracting unwanted truths from pros in
persona-protection ... in front of 10s of
millions of people. 27. Are you a great (not
merely good) presenter? Mastering presentation
skills is a lifes workwith stupendous
payoff. 28. Work like hell on the Big 2
LISTENING/INTERVIEWING, PRESENTING. These are
the essence of sales lifeand usually
picked-up in an amateurish fashion. Mistake!
(Become a professional student of these two
areas, achieve Mastery.) 29. Are you good at
flowers? Think FLOWER POWER! (see Harvey
Mackays Mackay 66what you should know about a
Client e.g., birthdays anniversaries.) (My
flowers budget is out of control. Hooray for
me.) 30. You cant do it allbe clear at what you
are good at, bad at, indifferent at. Hubris
sucks.
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If you dont listen, you dont sell anything.
Carolyn Marland/ Managing Director/ Guardian
Group
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31. The point is not to prove yourself.
(Thats ego-talk.) Let the best person present to
the Clientperhaps a lower level geek.
(Control freaks get their just desserts in the
long haulor sooner.) 32. The numbers will more
or less take care of themselves over the long
haulif the relationship/s is/are solid gold. 33.
The Gold Standard in selling INDISPENSABLE to
the Client. No other goal is worthy. 34. Never
stop growing-broadening-deepening the
relationship. The key to indispensability is to
get the Client more and more and more and
then more imbedded in our web. Hence the
so-called selling process is only the first
step! 35. USE THE WORD WE CONSTANTLY
RELIGIOUSLY! (E.g. Wethe Client meare
going to change the world with this
service.) 36. Dont waste your time on
jerksitll rarely work out in the mid- to
long-term. 37. Genius is walking away from lousy
scores (deals)and accepting the attendant
heat. Big Business is the premier home to Big
Egos overpaying by a factor of 2 to 22 with
billion at stake. (Think Jerry Levin and AOL
Time Warner.)
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38. You havent a clue as to how this situation
will actually play outbe prepared to move fast
in a different direction. 39. Keep your word. 40.
KEEP YOUR WORD. 41. Underpromise (i.e., dont
over-promise i.e., cut yourself a little slack)
even if it costs you businesswinning is a
long-term affair. Over-promising is Sign 1 of a
lack of integrity. You will pay the piper. 42.
There is such a thing as a good lossif youve
tested something new and developed good
relationships. A half-dozen honorable, ingenious
losses over a two-year period can pave the way
for a Big Victory in a New Space in year 3. 43.
Its a competitive world out there. New,
innovative products are harder to sell than old
stand-bys. Nonetheless, you will be a long-term
star to the extent that you are willing to push
the harder-to-sell-at-the-moment Innovative
Products that cement long-term Client success
(Indispensability!) even if it means a s hit
this quarter. PART OF YOUR JOB TAKE CLIENTS ON
AN ADVENTURE THAT PUTS THEM AHEAD OF THE GAME
CALLED (GAMECHANGINGhopefully) COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE!
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44. Think legacywhat the hell is all this
really about for you and the world? (Tell me,
what is it you plan to do with your one wild and
precious life? Mary Oliver) 45. THERE ARE NO
MODERATES IN THE HISTORY BOOKS! 46. Keep it
simple! (Damn it!) No matter how sophisticated
the product. If you cant explain it in a phrase,
a page, or to your 14-year-old ... you havent
got it right yet. 47. Know more than the next
guy. Homework pays. (of course its obviousbut
in my work it is too often honored in the
breach.) 48. Regardless of project size, winning
or losing invariably hinges on a raft of little
stuff. Little stuff is and always has been
everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!or, one mans
little stuff is another mans 7.6 Richter
deal-breaker. 49. 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 facehe will
always remember you!) 50. Dont hold grudges. (It
is the ultimate in small mindednessand
incredibly wasteful and ineffective. Theres
always tomorrow.)
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51. ITS ALWAYS THE POLITICSwee
private-sector deal or giant public sector deal.
(Every player, small or large, is angling for
something. Master the calculus of advantage.) 52.
To beat the turnover problem in key Client
posts amidst long negotiations, invest outrageous
amounts of time building a wide deep set of
relationships with mid-level ( lower!!)
plodding careerists. The invisible
careerists are the bedrock upon which repeated
success is built! (My Capitol Hill Axiom Its
the 24-year-old LA who in the end briefs the
Senator right before she goes to the Floor to
vote.) 53. Speaking of she Gender differences
are Enormousdealing with a woman and dealing
with a man are different kettles of fishyou must
become an A student of gender differences.
(E.g. Men are typically more interested in the
short-term score. Women are more interested in
the long-term consequences.) 54. LITTLE PEOPLE
OFTEN HAVE BIG FRIENDS. 55. This is not war, damn
it. All parties can win (or not lose, anyway).
And losing bidders can walk away from a deal with
increased respect for you and your team.
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56. Never, ever dump on a competitorthe Tom
Watson IBM glory-days mantra. 57. Never forget
the Law of Cousins! In developing nations in
particular, power brokers at all levels are at
least cousins! Consideration for a second cousin
can pay off big time. 58. Speaking of favors,
jail sucks. 59. Work hard beats work smart.
(Mostly.) 60. REPEAT HE/SHE WHO HAS THE
MOST-BEST RELATIONSHIPS WINS. RELATIONSHIPS ARE
THE ESSENCE OF THE WORK OF THE SALESPERSON. THE
HARD ... AND LONG ... WORK OF THE SALESPERSON.
61. Mano v mano hardball is seldom the
answerend runs based and patient multi-level
relationship building via deeper-wider networks
win. 62. If the deal is wired from below, truly
wired, than the so-called big negotiations are
essentially irrelevant. 63. If every quarter is a
little better than the prior quarterthen you
are not taking any serious risks. 64. Phones
beat email.
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Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm. Samuel
Taylor Coleridge
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65. A THREE-MINUTE CALL TODAY CAN AVOID A
GAME-LOSER OF A FIASCO NEXT MONTH. There was
always a time when a little thing could have been
addressed that headed off a subsequent big thing.
As to avoiding that call, didnt someone say,
Pride goeth before the fall? 66. Be
hyper-organized about relationship managementyou
are in the anthropology business. Study the great
pols! Brilliant NRM (network relationship
management) is not accidental! It is not
catch-as-catch can. (Football analogies are
cutebut deep political understanding pays the
private-school tuition.) 67. Obsess on ROIR
(Return On Investment In Relationships). 68.
THANK YOU NOTES Worlds highest-return
investment!! 69. The way to anyones heart Doing
a nice thing for their kid. (But, gawd, does this
take a gentle touch.) 70. Scoring off other
people is stupid. Winners are always in the
business of creating the maximum of
winnersamong adversaries at least as much as
among partners. 71. Your colleagues successes
are your successes. Period. (Trust me, my
greatest personal successfinancially as well as
artisticallyhas been creating a bigger pond in
which everyone wins, even if my market share is
down.)
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72. Lend a helping hand, especially when you
dont have the time. E.g. share relationshipsthe
more you give away the more you get in return
(just like they say in church). 73. Listen up
It was much later that I realized Dads secret.
He gained respect by giving it. He talked and
listened to the fourth-grade kids in Spring
Valley who shined shoes the same way he talked
and listened to a bishop or a college president.
He was seriously interested in who you were and
what you had to say. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot,
Respect. (I.e., Respect is Cool.) 74. Mentoring
is a thrilland the practical payoff is enormous.
The best mentors have the whole world working its
buns off for them! 75. Hire for enthusiasm.
Promote for enthusiasm. Cherish enthusiasm.
REMOVE NON-ENTHUSIASTSTHEY ARE CANCERS.
(Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.Samuel
Taylor Coleridge. A man without a smiling face
must not open a shop.Chinese Proverb.) 76. ITS
ALWAYS YOUR PROBLEMyou sold it to them.
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77. Its never over While there may be an
excellent service activity in your company, the
relationship belongs to You! Hence the
aftersales moments of truth are at least
asif not more than--important to the Continuing
Relationship as the sale transaction itself.
(I vote for more than.) Youll get your
biggest points with the Client for being an
effective after-the-fact go-between with your
company. 78. Dont get too hung up on systems
integrationfirst foremost, the individual
bits have got to work. 79. For Gods sake dont
over promise on systems integrationits nigh
on impossible to deliver. 80. On the other hand
winners clamber Up the Value-added Ladder, and
offer ever so much more than mere product. ALL
SUCCESSFUL SALES PEOPLE ARE IN THE SOLUTIONS
BUSINESSno matter how jargony that may sound.
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81. Systems / Solutions selling means
grappling directly with culture change in
Client organizations. (The business of selling
is not just about matching viable solutions to
the customers that require them. Its equally
about managing the change process the customer
will need to go through to implement the solution
and achieve the value promised by the
solutionJeff Thull, The Prime Solution Close
the Value Gap, Increase Margins, and Win the
Complex Sale) 82. Shit happens. Thats what they
pay you for. 83. This is not a GE or Ben
Jerrys saleit is a Joe Jones/Jane Jones sale.
YOU ARE THE BRAND THE CLIENT BUYSespecially
over the long haul. 84. Duh You make money, the
company makes moneyon repeat business. 85.
Masteryes, youthe PR Game. Word of Mouth is
not accidental! You want Word of Mouth? Make it
happen! 86. GOAL 1 MAKE YOUR CLIENT A HEROYOU
ARE NOT THERE TO GET CREDIT. (Taking credit is
for egomaniacs. And losers.) 87. Decent
margins, over the mid- to long-term, are a
product of better relationships, not better
negotiating skill. (Mostly.)
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You cant behave in a calm, rational manner.
Youve got to be out there on the lunatic
fringe. Jack Welch
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88. In the immortal words of ex-GE Vice Chairman
Larry Bossidy, more or less, Realism rocks.
(Bullshit artist and great salesperson,
contrary to conventional wisdom, are Diametric
Opposites. Truthteller and Great Salesperson is
more like it.) 89. Be the first to tell the
Client bad news (e.g., slipped delivery) his
intelligence sources will tell him fastyou want
to be there first with your story and to enhance
your rep as Truthteller! 90. Work like hell to
get a reputation as a valued industry expert, to
become an industry resource. 91. Work the Trade
Association angle for all its worthit may take a
decade to pay offe.g., when you become an
officer or are on an important panel or testify
Before Congress. 92. PAY YOUR DUES IN THE CLIENT
ORG AND IN YOUR OWN ORG! 93. Its all bloody
tactics. 94. You must ... LOVE .... the product!
(Period.) 95. YOU MUST LOVE THE PRODUCT! 96.
Dont over-schedule. Running late is
inexcusable at any level of seniority it is the
ultimate mark of self-importance mixed with
contempt.
44
97. Women are better salespeople. (See
Addendum.) 98. Women alone understand Women. 99.
Actually, Women by and large understand Men
better than Men understand Men. 100.Women
purchasers buy Stories and recommendations. 101.
Women take longer to become Loyal purchasers, but
then stay Loyal. 102. Men buy Stats. 103. Men
decide fast, but are fickle. 104. Men Women are
VERY, VERY Different. 105. Women buy most
things. Consumer. Increasingly, professional
goods and services. 106. Womens Market is
Opportunity 1. 107. Boomers. Many, many. Lots
lots lots of . 108. Boomers-Geezers are
very different purchasers than those in other
categories.
45
109. It takes time to get to know people.
(DUH.) 110. The very idea of efficiency in
relationship development is ... STUPID. 111. MBWA
(still) rules. 112. Preparing the soil is the
first 98 percent. (Or more.) 113. WORK THE
PHONES! 114. Rule 5K-5M 5K miles for a 5-Minute
meeting often makes sense. (Yes, often.) (Even
with constrained travel budgets.) (Thanks,
super-agent Mark McCormack.) 115. Become a
student! Study great salespeople! (Including
Presidents.) (Natural is a little bit truebut
then Naturals are always the ones who study
hardeste.g., Jerry Rice.) 116. Become a
student! Yes, you can study Relationship
Building. So, study 117. Beware
complexifiers and complicators. (Truly smart
people ... Simplify things.)
46
118. The smartest guy in the room rarely
winsalas, he usually is aware hes the
smartest guy. (And neednt waste his time on that
soft relationship crap.) 119. Be kind. It
works. 120. Be especially kind when there are
screw-ups. (Theres plenty of time later to
Play the Great Accountability Game.) 121.
Presidents never tire of being treated like
Presidents. 122. Luck matters. So Good luck!
47
ADDENDUM Women Rock as Salespersons (From Item
98.) And the answers are? TAKE THIS QUICK
QUIZ Who manages more things at once? Who puts
more effort into their appearance? Who usually
takes care of the details? Who finds it easier
to meet new people? Who asks more questions in
a conversation? Who is a better listener?
Who has more interest in communication skills?
Who is more inclined to get involved? Who
encourages harmony and agreement? Who has
better intuition? Who works with a longer to
do list? Who enjoys a recap to the days
events? Who is better at keeping in touch with
others?Source Selling Is a Womans Game 15
Powerful Reasons Why Women Can Outsell Men, Nicki
Joy Susan Kane-Benson
48
Bonus
49
Stating the Obvious THE PROBLEM IS RARELY THE
PROBLEM.
50
THE PROBLEM IS RARELY/NEVER THE PROBLEM. THE
RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM INVARIABLY ENDS UP BEING
THE REAL PROBLEM. Watergate, M Stewart, 90
of scandals And PERCEPTION IS ALL THERE IS!

51
OFTEN AS NOT/MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THE UNDERLYING
PROBLEM IS IN FACT NOT MUCH OF A PROBLEM.

52
PERCEPTION IS ALL THERE IS. PERIOD. From
Whole Foods to IBM to the corner deli

53
POWER WORDS!Im sorry.
54
Relationships (of all varieties) THERE ONCE WAS
A TIME WHEN A THREE-MINUTE PHONE CALL WOULD HAVE
AVOIDED SETTING OFF THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL THAT
RESULTED IN A COMPLETE RUPTURE.

55
Stating the Obvious MORE POWER WORDS/IDEAS
56
Thank You!
57
MBWA5,000 miles for a 5-minute face-to-face
meeting (courtesy super-agent Mark McCormack)
58
Say it with FLOWERS
59
POWER IDEAS!You must care.General Melvin Zais
60
Toms 60TIBsTIB This I Believe
61
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
62
1. TECHNICOLOR RULES! (Passion Moves
Mountains!)
63
2. Audacity Matters!
64
3. Revolution Now!
65
4. Question Authority! ( Hire
Disrespectful People.)
66
5. Disorganization Wins! (LOVE THE
MESS!)
67
6. Think 3M Markets Matter Most. ONLY EXTREME
COMPETITION STAVES OFF STALENESS. (You can take
the boy out of Silicon Valley, but you cant take
Silicon Valley out of the boy!)
68
7. Three Hearty Cheers for Weirdos. (Bill Gates,
Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Scott McNealy, Craig
Venter et al.)
69
8. Message 2006 Technology Change
(Info-sciences, Biosciences) Is in Its Infancy!
(WE AINT SEE NOTHIN YET!)
70
9. Everything Is Up For Grabs! Volatility Is Thy
Name! (Forever Ever. Amen.) RE-INVENT OR
DIE!
71
10. Big Stinks. (Mostly.) (VERY Mostly.)
72
11. Permanence Is a Snare a Delusion.
(Forget Built to Last. Its Yesterdays
Idea.) (Try Built for Impact.)
73
12. Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) Is VDS/
Very Dangerous Stuff.
74
13. DESTRUCTION RULES!
75
14. Forget It! (Learning Easy. Forgetting
Nigh on Impossible.)
76
15. Innovation Is Easy Hang Out with Freaks.
(Employees, Board Members, Customers,
Suppliers, Alliance Partners, Consultants.)
77
16. Boring Begets Boring. (Cool Begets Cool.)
78
17. Think Portfolio. (Were All V.C.s.)
79
18. Perception Is All There Is. (Insiders
ALWAYS overestimate the Radicalism of What
Theyre Up To.)
80
19. Action ALWAYS Takes Precedence. Think
R.F!A./Ready. Fire! Aim. (REWARD SUCCESS. REWARD
FAILURE. PUNISH INACTION.)
81
20. He Who Makes Tests the Quickest Coolest
Prototypes Reigns!
82
21. Haste Makes Waste. (SO GO WASTE!)
83
22. Screwups are the Mark of Excellence.
(Do It Right the First Time Is a Very Stupi
Idea.)
84
23. Play Hard! Play Now! (Cherish Play!)
85
24. TALENT TIME! (He/She Who Has the Best
Roster Rules!)
86
25. Re-do Education. Totally. (FOSTER
CREATIVITY NOT UNIFORMITY.) (THE NOISIEST
CLASSROOM WINS.)
87
26. Diversitys Hour Is Now!
88
27. SHE Is the Best Leader!
89
28. MARKETING MANTRA Embrace the BIG THREE
Demographics. (1) SHE is the Customer. (For
everything.) (2) Rapidly Aging Boomers Have
ALL THE MONEY. (3) Green Matters. (TRILLIONS OF
Are at Stake.) (NOBODY Gets It.) (Mere
Programs Will Not Suffice.)
90
29. Re-boot Healthcare. (UNDERSTATEMENT.)
91
30. WHAT ARE WE SELLING? Experiences
Solutions gt Quality Satisfaction. (The
Traditional Value-added Equation Is Being Set
on Its Ear.)
92
31. DESIGN New Seat of the Soul.
93
32. Branding Is for EVERYONE. He Who Has the
BEST STORY Takes Home the Marbles.
94
33. DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE Only Difference.
95
34. WORDS/Language Matters a Lot. (E.g. Three
Hearty Cheers for Wow!)
96
35. WHAT MATTERS IS STUFF THAT MATTERS. (Query
1 Are You Proud of It?)
97
36. eALL. (IS/IT Half-way No Way.)
98
37. DREAM Big! DREAM Enormous! DREAM
Gargantuan! (These Are XXX Times.)
99
38. THINK MIKE! (Michelangelo The greatest
danger for most of us is not that our aim is too
high and we miss it, but that it is too low and
we reach it.)
100
39. There Is Only ONE BIG ISSUE (Crappy)
Cross-functional Communication.
101
40. Stop Doing Dumb Stuff. (SYSTEMATIZE THE
PROCESS OF UN-DUMBING.)
102
41. Beautiful Systems Are BEAUTIFUL.
103
42. The WHITE-COLLAR REVOLUTION Will Devour
Everything in Its Path.
104
43. Take Charge of Your Destiny! BrandYou
Moment! DISTINCT OR EXTINCT!
105
44. Powerlessness Is a State of Mind! Think
King. Gandhi. DeGaulle.
106
45. Pursue Adventure in Every Task.
107
46. EXCELLENCE Is a State of Mind. (Excellence
Takes a Minute.) (No Bull.)
108
47. SHOW UP! (If You Care, Youre There.)
109
48. YOUR CALENDAR KNOWS ALL. (You Calendar.)
(Mind Your TO DONT List.)
110
49. LIFE IS SALES. (The Rest Is Details.)
111
50. Boss Mantra 1 I DONT KNOW. (I Dont
Know Permission to Explore.)
112
51. Management Role 1 GET OUT OF THE WAY. (Clear
the Way.) (Manager Hurdle Removal
Professional.)
113
52. Epitaph from Hell He Woulda Done Some
Truly Cool Stuff But His Boss Wouldnt Let
Him.
114
53. Change Takes However Long You Think It
Takes. (Eschew Incrementalism.)
115
54. Respect! (Rule 1 Dont Belittle!)
116
55. Thank You Trumps All!
117
56. Integrity Matters! Integrity
Credibility. (Dennis K. Is a Jerk.)
118
57. SOFT IS HARD. HARD IS SOFT. (Numbers Are
Soft. People Are Not.)
119
58. Try Sunny! (Sunny Begets Sunny. Gloomy
Begets Gloomy.)
120
59. DISPENSE ENTHUSIASM!
121
60. FUN Is Not a 4-Letter Word. So, too
JOY. (And GRACE.)
122
The End.
123
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.