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100 things
May 31, 2008

Why no Blob entry for a couple of weeks? Because I’ve had nothing to say and no time to say it. No Blob is better than bad Blob.

Anywho, I am writing from somewhere over North Texas on my way to Long Beach, then San Jose and finally bedding down for the night in Sal Luis Obispo. The guy next to me on my Jet Blue (GREAT airline!) flight doesn’t even sit down before he starts complaining (there’s a point to this, Roberto, take a pill). There’s more room on other airlines. The seats are too hard. There’s no in-flight magazine. Blah, blah, blah. What a whiner this guy is! Over the course of the trip (“I didn’t bring my laptop so I have nothing to do”), I find out that he is flying to LB for a job interview and then flying home to Boston tonight. Readers of Eckhardt Toole’s A New Earth would recognize this as a pain-body waking up. I ask what line of work he is in and he replies, “Sales.”

Sales? SALES? This wanker is a sales rep? Dude, where’s the positive attitude? Where’s the glass-is-half-full optimism? Apparently, he’d been laid off from his previous job two weeks ago (oh man, did I get an earful on THAT story!) and was headed out to speak with the competition.

To help (and to keep myself amused), I recommended that he make a list of the 100 things he loves about this job as if he already has it. I told him to picture what it would be like to be in this position and think about the cool things that it makes possible. Actually, it was my Marketing Director’s idea and I did the exercise with amazing results. It changes attitudes and puts a positive spin on everything.

Let me give some examples of how it works:
Mr. Pissy : “I used to fly nothing but First Class and eat in the finest restaurants.”
Item # 1—My new job makes me appreciate just how good I had it and how much I took for granted. I am working hard to get back into First Class (literally and figuratively)
Mr. Pissy: “I flew internationally. Now it will only domestic.”
Item #2—With my new job, I fly less so don’t have those long recoveries and can spend more time with my kids.
Mr. Pissy: “I took that company from $1MM to $75MM and this is the thanks I get.”
Item #3—My new job gives me an opportunity to build a new success story.

Get it? See, here’s the thing: Everyone is the hero of their own story. It is so much easier to be negative than to be positive. But I’d bet if you asked my new BFF he’d deny being at ALL negative. He’d probably say that he was the most upbeat person he knows. Do you think the interviewer he is meeting will agree? Me neither.

Okay, Roberto, here’s my point just so you don’t think I am wasting your time: Your customers can hear every emotion you have. In a bad mood? Just get cut off on the road? Lose a big bid? Your tone gives everything away. Sales is a difficult job and you are crazy busy and the competition is under cutting your prices and no one will call you back and your best customer just left you for a 2% savings and…

…and NO ONE CARES! Quit your complaining. Sit down and make a list. Now. Right now. You will see just how good you have things and suddenly obstacles become challenges to be overcome. You positive outlook will permeate through everything you do and your customers will pick up the difference in your voice.
People like doing business with positive, successful people. Be that guy.

Posted by Bill Farquharson on May 31, 2008 | Comments (1)