Friendship

As I age, I tend to be more introspective (is that possible?-LOL). Lately I have been thinking about why I have become drawn back to some of the friendships of my youth. It is somewhat amazing to me how we can pick up after not seeing each other for 50 years and not be the least bit uncomfortable. I think it is because we started out right. No Pretenses. No Prejudices. No Projecting. No Promises. No Promoting. No Procrastinating. No Putting Down. No Posturing. No Pouting. No Promoting. A high school buddy and I have recently had lunch twice in the last few months. He lives in Alabama and me in DE. We are both 68 and Veterans. The 3 hours we have spent together have been invigorating, relaxing and fun.
So I am thinking about this blog just now and wondering how I can relate this to the kind of sales we do in the transportation intermediary business. We generally only meet face to face one time in the relationship and sometimes not even that. We use the telephone and the computer to communicate. When I was actively selling I had great customer relationships with people to whom I rarely spoke. Ironically most of those people are my friends now even though they have moved onto to other things and are no longer customers. Why? Guess what: Look at the NO Ps above. You build solid relationships and everything else will fall into place in your life and your career as well. Just make friends!

I am always searching for creative ways to get my point across. Recently I found this idea: Write an autobiography in just six words. When asked to do this, Pulitzer Prize winner Ernest Hemingway wrote this poignant 6 word autobiography: “For sale: baby shoes, never used.” Imagine the sad story behind those six words.
We have talked about "branding" yourself in previous blogs. Deciding what your most important value is to your customers, prospects and leads and translate that into your personal brand. Then spend the rest of your life enhancing that brand so that it becomes recognizable to every one with whom you deal.
What six-word description would best describe you? Work on that as I believe that will help you toward deciding on your brand. You don't need to get back to me with this as it is for you. However if you would take the time to do so I would be very grateful.
My 6 Words
I like building relationships using humor.
My brand?
"Encourager"
I happen to believe this is one of the the most important foundational steps in building a sales career. You really have to know who you are before you can start figuring out how others perceive you and if you don't know how they perceive you, it is almost impossible to build a relationship.
Do This For You Not Me, Dan

Emily's Lesson

While her parents, one of which is my son, have done a wonderful job in raising my granddaughter, her grandfather, which is me, likes to take opportunities to "coach" her a little bit about life (since I have lived almost twice as long as either of her parents). Emily is an 8 year old third grader and to date my only grandchild. A while back I sent her an email (yes she has a laptop) and asked her three questions.

1. What should you do when school seems boring?
2. What subject or topic really excites you?
3. Do you think how you do in school will make a difference in your life?

You answer these and Pops will send you what he thinks after.

Emily is not one to answer emails too quickly as the reply to this came yesterday, close to one month after I originally sent it to her. I assume by looking at her answers that she gave this a great deal of thought

First I just pretend I like it. Next I like talking about me!!!! And Last I think it will improve my math skills;) bye!!!!!!

My reply was simple:

You have a wonderful attitude about life and an honest self-confidence as well!!! I love you!!

Now you can take what you want from this but this very morning, shortly after I read Emily's email and replied, I read the following in Sales Guru Jeffrey Gitomer's ezine:

I would hope that my grandchildren become salespeople. I would want them to carry on the tradition when Eve sold Adam the apple (all my grandchildren are women). I am beginning their training right now by reinforcing their YES! Attitude and making certain they believe in themselves. These two elements are the most important and the most overlooked aspects of a salesperson's success.