Featured Commentary:
Something about Mary

by Bill Gray, CCSP Staff Writer
May 20, 2004

Ah ha, so there is something about Mary

Now, Mary is a person I know (not her real name, but you know how it goes) Mary is a high powered executive and she likes everyone to know it. In actual fact she is a sales rep doing it tough in a male oriented environment. Now she does well because she is skilled at her job and she backs herself when she's "on the job" Big sales mean big money and she has it all but put her in her "after work" environment and she is a different person. She can't even go out because she is embarrassed to be seen.

I coach her on her business activities. Man, she is good, sell sand to the Arabs or ice to the Eskimos. and she can do it with both hands tied behind her back.

Today, as I drove down from Sydney to Canberra, a three hour drive, she rang and wanted to have a conversation around the subject of emotion and how to "stop" being emotional. Now this was new to me, up to now it had been all business and creating the close. Emotion was something that was taboo as far as her coaching was concerned. She spilled the beans on her life and had a desire to be like Matt, who had his whole life together, was calm confident and in control

Now this was of interest for me as I had just finished a conversation with another rep, Matt, who I also coach from the same company who wishes to base his whole career and life around Mary and her success. He views her life as perfect. She is so together and her skills are complete and she has a fantastic life outside work. Now Matt is the eternal bachelor (as he calls himself) His life is a mess, so he tells me, and his debts outweigh his assets.

Huh? What? Now wait a minute. Two people, two ideas about the other and both are completely at odds with each other. Yet they want to be just like the other person. You see, how we look at others is always is never quite the truth as it isn't us that is living that life. Here we have two people who are wishing to be like the other and yet each of them feels that their own life is a mess.

Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Mate

I actually arrived in Canberra about 2pm after 2 and a half uneventful hours and one very eventful half hour. Canberra is suffering from a few years of drought. A couple of years ago, 500 houses were lost in bush fires that ravaged the city. They are still rebuilding the areas burnt out. Now bush fires are a common occurrence in Australia. As I drove down here, smoke was covering the highway from a bushfire just 100 meters off.

Now the Sydney to Canberra highway is a divided road, two lanes in each direction. Put the car on cruise control and let her rip. As I hit the smoke, I caught sight of a kangaroo bouncing along the edge of the road. Now this guy was about 5 foot sitting on his back legs (for those of you who don't know, that's a pretty big fella) As I emerged from the smoke, the 'roo decided that it would be safer to cross over than to carry on his merry way down the side of the road. Kangaroos aren't known to frequent the highway in the middle of the day but the smoke and fire must have confused this one. So from sitting on cruise control at about 110 kph (60 mph) I hit the brakes only to have the 'roo stop, turn to face me and I watched the eyeballs get closer as I screeched to a halt. We both sat looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity until the next car came flying past
He nonchalantly waltzed off to the side of the road and disappeared into the bush.
I still haven't decided who won the game of chicken but I could have sworn there was a quiet little snigger from the 'roo as he hopped away.

Selling verses Solving

I am up in Canberra as part of the work we do in schools and a couple of universities up this way. Over dinner a couple of the coaches that work for us were discussing the necessity to close the sale and what was a good sales pitch.

It is my belief that if you have to resort to a sales pitch, you are missing the vital ingredient in people, and that is that they want someone to relate to them. If they go into a hardware store, they aren't going in to buy a drill, they are wanting to have their problem solved. The problem, in this case, is they require a hole in a wall to fit a picture hook so they can hang a picture. If you can solve this for them, they will buy.

Think about the things you have bought that haven't solved your problem and the things that have. What did you think of the help you received? People want to be understood and part of a sale is understanding and solving, whatever you sell.

If you can't beat them, compliment them!!!

As a Business Coach, I am often asked what is the best way to run a business? The only honest answer I can find is.. There isn't a "best" way.

You see, my simple definition of a business is:
A business is a set of steps, procedures and operations that enable a person to ply his trade, sell his wares or create his dream.

Nothing in the definition actually talks about you as a person, yet it is you and every person that interacts with you and the people that work in your business, that are the ones that ultimately determine whether the business is successful or not.

Take this website for example. The website itself is just a bunch of code that makes a series of pages. If you type in the domain name you come to the homepage. On the homepage is a series of articles and notices. Down one side there is a menu that enables you to visit various parts of the site.

What makes this website stand out from the crowd? Huh? Take your time, it's an interesting observation to make. You see every website out there in the ether is fits the definition above to a greater or lesser degree.

What makes this website successful is the ability of the owners, administrators, members to relate to each other and the general public that will visit or hear about it.

So there's the trick.. How on earth do you do that? For the most part it's simple.

1/ Create or base the website on an interesting subject

This is self explanatory; my one suggestion is that you base it on something that you are aware of. Just because it sound interesting doesn't mean that you can pull it off. Make sure you know about the subject.

2/ Invite people that you know are interested in the subject to become members or pay a visit. Once you have won over one person, they will tell others if you have taken care of this next point.

3/ Make sure your content is continually updated and news worthy. The content must reflect the needs and desires of the people that visit. They visit because it is interesting, they come back because there is more interesting stuff happening.

4/ Now here's the piece de resistance;

Make sure there are people there, make it alive and be friendly. People loved to be liked, they like to be acknowledged, they love being recognised. They also want to feel safe.. Safe to make mistakes, safe to ask questions that may sound dumb (of course, you and I know that there aren't any dumb questions.. Well maybe one. the one that wasn't asked) so make sure that the people that come feel welcome!!!!

There are two questions anyone should ask themselves who want to have a website and especially a interactive website

1/ What do I want my audience to do as a result of being here?
(e.g. I want them to buy, sell, promote, support..)

2/ How do I want them to feel at the end of this experience so they will do what I want them to?

If you can affect them emotionally, make them feel empowered, then you will be successful. in business, as a webmaster, as a matter of fact, as anyone you damn-well please!!!

Now what about the rest of us that aren't in business, don't want to run a website or don't feel they fit the above?. well there's help for us as well. You see all this applies in our everyday life.

Don't believe me? Well ask yourself this..

How do I feel when someone praises what I have done?
How do I feel when someone mentions that I did something special?

You see, that feeling, that good vibe that happens inside, that thought that makes you smile is the very same action that we can create in others, by asking the two questions.

1/ What do I want my audience to do as a result of being here?
2/ How do I want them to feel at the end of this experience so they will do what I want them to?

.and applying these to what ever situation you have happening, will determine your success. Every one of us can empower people; every one of us can affect others in a positive way by complimenting, acknowledging or recognizing them. Try it and open up a new world where people will do the same to you. just because you are you!!!!

Now business deals with the steps, procedures and operations that enable a person to ply his trade, sell his wares or create his dream. The dream actually starts to become reality when you, as a person, take action. That is the best way to run a business.

There isn't any defined successful way because business doesn't account for the most important aspect and that is that people run businesses every day and people are unpredictable, they don't do the things they feel they should so, they change things that didn't need changing, they take sickies. You see each of us is an individual and that makes us unique. That makes us special and it gives us skills that only we have. So your way of doing something may work for you but it fails miserably when I do it. because I don't have your skill set. Business tries to compensate for that by setting out the steps to follow.

Just a thought

Coca cola has all these different flavors now. vanilla, lime, cherry .

How is it that the real thing needs improving? In 1938 it was the best friend thirst ever had, In 1957 it was a sign of good taste, In 1982 ''''Coke'''' is it, In 1992 Cant beat the real thing, but here we have it being added to. if you cant beat it, then maybe you have to add to it.. Hmmm just a thought!!!

Cheers.. Bill


by Bill Gray aka Blast, ComputerCops Staff Writer

Bill is a Business Coach. Working with Businesses and Organisations to create better environments and to develop and enhance business 'potential', into successful business practices.

Website in the Company of Coaches

Copyright ©Bill Gray All Rights Reserved 2004.