Tunin’ Out, Tunin’ In
WMMM #066 - This week, I share my perspective on the element of chance.
Jeff Keplar Newsletter June 2, 2024 4 min read
Selling software to enterprises isn’t easy.
Those who are successful get paid handsomely.
What role does luck play in our success?
Have you heard of the saying: “The harder you work, the luckier you get?”
When we look at our peers, what do we see?
Do we see those that exceed quota every year?
Do we see some that appear to be just plain lucky?
Deals seem to fall into their laps.
Orders unexpectedly appear in their Inbox.
This week’s edition of Win More, Make More is a story about three individuals who always appear to have good luck shining their way.
Very Little in Common
Tom, Steve, and Rob all worked with me for an extended period.
That may be one of three things that they have in common.
Another is that their peers felt they were “lucky.”
Money always seemed to find them.
They rarely had an “off year.”
Every year, when territories changed and new quotas were assigned, they did not appear to have been given any advantages compared to their peers.
Yet, at some point in the year, each would have enough opportunity to exceed the objective.
They made lots of money and liked spending it, too.
Karma Chameleon
Like Tom and Steve, Rob possesses the secrets to creating good luck.
Rob is a graduate of the school of bonding and building rapport.
If we establish a good early rapport with our prospect, it stands to reason that, with all other things being equal, we are more likely to win and retain the trust we have built.
People like people who are like themselves.
People like to do business with people whom they like.
Therefore, people like to do business with people who are like themselves.
Rob is masterful at figuring out what his prospect is fundamentally like and quickly adapting his own behavior (language, attitude, pace, interests, etc.) to mirror and match those of the prospect.
Sound disingenuous?
It isn’t at all.
Rob has enjoyed a variety of interests since his youth.
He also likes new experiences and making new friends.
A lot of this technique comes to him naturally.
One must be self-aware and have a highly tuned situational radar to pull this off.
Rob has both.
One of our early sales leaders, Matt, once said Rob was a “face man.”
When I asked Matt what he meant by that, he replied: “A good-looking guy…a pretty face…a face man…he’ll have no trouble getting meetings and winning people’s trust with a face like that.”
Later in my career, I read Cialdini’s book on Influence, where this phenomenon was revealed:
Physical attraction produces a “halo effect”
We tend to see attractive people as intelligent, kind, and honest.
I do not recall an assignment during our working relationship where Rob wasn’t successful.
His ability to “be like” his prospect and be interested in their interests created the “luck” that others saw Rob enjoy.
Mad Scientist
Steve’s secret to creating luck is his commitment to life-long learning.
You read that right.
Upgrade our skills, enhance our knowledge, and gain valuable new experiences perpetually.
Luck is about being in the right place at the right time.
More importantly, it’s about knowing what to do when the opportunity presents itself.
But Steve putting himself in that right place comes back to his life-long learning.
Those who may not know Steve as I do might be surprised to learn that the Steve I know is an intellectual.
He is insatiably curious and eager to learn and know about anything and everything.
This makes Steve interesting to those who encounter him.
Being interested and interesting is a winning formula.
Steve has a deeper knowledge of his account’s business than I witnessed with others.
He also has something of interest to offer to any conversation with a prospect.
Luck always seems to find him, but Steve is responsible for getting himself in precisely the right spot to be found.
Drinks with Tom
Tom is the gold standard for helping people get what they want.
His luck is achieved by combining two of the secrets for creating good luck: relentless networking and providing value to others.
Build strong support networks and circles of influence to help us get ahead.
Success is in the agency of others.
It is often said that it’s not what you know but who you know that makes a difference.
In one way or another, opportunities often come through other people.
Also explained in Cialdini’s book on Influence, The Law of Reciprocity states that when we help others, they will feel more obliged to give us something of value in return.
The value we receive may not arrive directly.
It may come from someone connected to the people we help.
I have seen this play out for Tom as he does not discriminate with whom he helps: family, personal friends, neighbors, co-workers, business acquaintances, and prospects.
It does not have to be complex.
The simple things in life will do.
Need a recommendation for a plumber?
Want to replace your carpeting with hardwood floors?
Looking for an auto mechanic?
Want to take a vacation?
You can count on Tom to have a referral and an informed opinion.
I’ve also witnessed Tom guide someone experiencing a difficult personal situation to a source of help.
Simple or complex, he commits himself to the service of others.
People trust Tom’s opinion and go to him often.
And Tom’s network is substantial.
The odds that luck finds Tom are better than the odds against him.
That Third Thing
The third thing Rob, Steve, and Tom share is pride in their profession.
They all view “sales” as a badge of honor.
They proudly introduced themselves as “sales representative” or “account manager.”
They all possess a nose for finding the money in an account.
None is shy about communicating their role and responsibility to their employer.
They exist to generate revenue, accelerate growth, and create commerce.
And they say so, unashamedly.
Is it odd that this topic is worthy of discussion?
Relatively recent encounters cause me to highlight what I consider an apparent quality for business success.
There appears to be a growing lack of awareness of the value of professional selling.
These three individuals are examples of that value.
They delivered value to their employer an order of magnitude greater than they were compensated.
And they were paid handsomely.
Lessons - The 4 Secrets for Creating Good Luck
1) Commit Ourselves to Life-long Learning.
2) Network Relentlessly.
3) Help People Get What They Want.
4) Be Interested and Interesting.
Thank you for reading.
Jeff
When you think “sales leader,” I hope you think of me.
If you like what you read, please share this with a friend.
I offer my help to sales leaders and their teams.
I possess the skills identified in this article and share them as part of my service.
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