The Mentor
I have been blessed with a number of great mentors throughout my career.
I had lunch with one of them today. He is one of the most successful salesmen that I have known. I've always paid attention to what he says and does. When I first started managing a sales team, I asked him what trait he considered most important in sales. "Follow-through," he said without hesitation. He later faxed me several pages on good follow-through from a book that he had read recently. Nice follow-through.
Today I noticed a number of traits that I have found to be common in successful people I have known. I pass them along.
1. Be early. I was 15 minutes early to lunch and he had arrived already and was pleasantly talking with someone. Early in my career, he would invite me to his office for coffee in the morning. When I arrived at 6:30 a.m., he was already there. "How early do you get here?" I used to ask. "Varies," he would reply. I would go by at 6:00 a.m. He was there. 5:30 a.m. He was there. Most successful people I have known are early.
2. Be inclusive. As I mentioned, he was talking to someone when I arrived for lunch. It was a mutual acquaintance and he quickly pulled me into the conversation. He has always taken great pleasure in meeting and connecting people. I have never known him to "hoard" knowledge or contacts. Most successful people I have known are inclusive.
3. Solve problems. I had lunch with my friend because he was seeking my advice in solving a problem. He has always been about solving problems. It happens to be the way he sells as well. He works to help people solve problems by selling. But he has always worked at solving problems. He breaks situations down and works to understand and solve them. Most successful people I have known have been problem solvers.
4. Make people feel important. Our waitress was an important person. People in the parking lot were important people. Not the fake important; the genuine stuff. My current boss always says that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she treats the secretary and the receptionist. Most successful people I have known treat people as important.
5. Speak in common terms. I am amazed by this common denominator among most successful people I have known. Yet how many who strive for success use jargon, clichés and double talk? As my friend and I talked, he explained a few things and I was struck by the use of common language. He sought to make sure that I understood. I am certain that this is another reason that he is so successful at sales. He seeks to make his customers understand through the use of common terms. Most successful people I have know speak in common terms.
6. Be aware of time. I mentioned that he was early. We ordered, then got to the business at hand at the beginning of the lunch, then we discussed other topics. He was aware of the time and wrapped things up at just about one hour without making me feel rushed. Most successful people I have known are very aware of time. They don't waste it.
7. Admire others. During the course of lunch, we talked about a number of other people and he noted positive traits that he admired in them: one person's grasp of details; another's work ethic and another's ability to put people at ease. Perhaps this is an extension of making people feel important, but it is a little deeper. Most successful people I have known notice and admire positive traits in others.
8. Have an agenda. An "agenda" is a good thing. He had an agenda. He needed information and wanted to have lunch. I can remember working with him years ago on a community board and being impressed with how he thought through meetings. Most successful people I have know have an agenda - it may be flexible, but it is an agenda none-the-less.
9. Be prepared. He came to lunch with the information necessary to intelligently discuss his issue. In fact, he had more information than was necessary. He is notoriously prepared. Prepared for meetings, for the day, for life. Most successful people I have known take time to be prepared.
10. Enjoy life. My friend genuinely enjoys life. Problems exist to be solved. Difficulties aren't the end of the world. Frustrations are part of life. I am regularly struck by how much he enjoys life. Most successful people I have known enjoy life.
Simple. I am grateful for my mentors, past and present.
I had lunch with one of them today. He is one of the most successful salesmen that I have known. I've always paid attention to what he says and does. When I first started managing a sales team, I asked him what trait he considered most important in sales. "Follow-through," he said without hesitation. He later faxed me several pages on good follow-through from a book that he had read recently. Nice follow-through.
Today I noticed a number of traits that I have found to be common in successful people I have known. I pass them along.
1. Be early. I was 15 minutes early to lunch and he had arrived already and was pleasantly talking with someone. Early in my career, he would invite me to his office for coffee in the morning. When I arrived at 6:30 a.m., he was already there. "How early do you get here?" I used to ask. "Varies," he would reply. I would go by at 6:00 a.m. He was there. 5:30 a.m. He was there. Most successful people I have known are early.
2. Be inclusive. As I mentioned, he was talking to someone when I arrived for lunch. It was a mutual acquaintance and he quickly pulled me into the conversation. He has always taken great pleasure in meeting and connecting people. I have never known him to "hoard" knowledge or contacts. Most successful people I have known are inclusive.
3. Solve problems. I had lunch with my friend because he was seeking my advice in solving a problem. He has always been about solving problems. It happens to be the way he sells as well. He works to help people solve problems by selling. But he has always worked at solving problems. He breaks situations down and works to understand and solve them. Most successful people I have known have been problem solvers.
4. Make people feel important. Our waitress was an important person. People in the parking lot were important people. Not the fake important; the genuine stuff. My current boss always says that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she treats the secretary and the receptionist. Most successful people I have known treat people as important.
5. Speak in common terms. I am amazed by this common denominator among most successful people I have known. Yet how many who strive for success use jargon, clichés and double talk? As my friend and I talked, he explained a few things and I was struck by the use of common language. He sought to make sure that I understood. I am certain that this is another reason that he is so successful at sales. He seeks to make his customers understand through the use of common terms. Most successful people I have know speak in common terms.
6. Be aware of time. I mentioned that he was early. We ordered, then got to the business at hand at the beginning of the lunch, then we discussed other topics. He was aware of the time and wrapped things up at just about one hour without making me feel rushed. Most successful people I have known are very aware of time. They don't waste it.
7. Admire others. During the course of lunch, we talked about a number of other people and he noted positive traits that he admired in them: one person's grasp of details; another's work ethic and another's ability to put people at ease. Perhaps this is an extension of making people feel important, but it is a little deeper. Most successful people I have known notice and admire positive traits in others.
8. Have an agenda. An "agenda" is a good thing. He had an agenda. He needed information and wanted to have lunch. I can remember working with him years ago on a community board and being impressed with how he thought through meetings. Most successful people I have know have an agenda - it may be flexible, but it is an agenda none-the-less.
9. Be prepared. He came to lunch with the information necessary to intelligently discuss his issue. In fact, he had more information than was necessary. He is notoriously prepared. Prepared for meetings, for the day, for life. Most successful people I have known take time to be prepared.
10. Enjoy life. My friend genuinely enjoys life. Problems exist to be solved. Difficulties aren't the end of the world. Frustrations are part of life. I am regularly struck by how much he enjoys life. Most successful people I have known enjoy life.
Simple. I am grateful for my mentors, past and present.
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