In my business, you encounter successful people, and you encounter unsuccessful people.  If you do this enough, you form theories about what differentiates the two. This particular post was inspired by someone that I was recently asked to mentor.  A friend of mine has a niece that has struggled to find her way in the professional world.  Now in her 30s, she is unemployed, a single mother who isn’t doing well financially, and isn’t happy with her situation.

I agreed to help her a bit.  I would help her write a resume’ that would get interviews, help her with a cover letter, set her up on the major job boards (including LinkedIn), and show her how to quickly and effectively apply for the administrative jobs that she was seeking.  I would NOT refer her to any employers or vouch for her, because this would be an extension of my reputation and credibility.  She was fine with this.  I told her that I’d do this on one condition:  That she devote at least two hours a day to her job search, applying to as many applicable positions as she could.  No problem.

In this short episode, I’ve witnessed the three characteristics that I’m about to discuss with you – in reverse.  By the way, this is not an exhaustive list.  I’ve known many, many very successful people, and they are as diverse as you can imagine – but if you were to draw a Venn diagram of all their characteristics, every one would intersect at these three.

I should also add one other caveat:  By “Successful,” I mean “Successful at life.”  Some of these people make millions every year; others may never top $30,000 in income.  However, they are all happy, self sufficient, a positive influence on those around them, and live lives of consequence.  With those caveats in place, here are the three characteristics:

1. They have strong impulse control.  Look, we all know that there are times when it would be much more fun to just tell the boss off, hit on the pretty secretary, or give someone a wedgie at the company Christmas party.  I’ve been there and had those impulses (well, OK, I’ve given in to one of them but I won’t tell which one). Successful people measure their responses to high-stimulus situations and refrain from indulging in impulses that lead to negative situations.

In this young woman’s case, the reason that she was unemployed was that she showed up five minutes late to work one day.  When the boss reprimanded her for it, she made some comments to the boss that the boss didn’t appreciate -and thus, she was history.

Why was she late?  Because she stopped for cigarettes.  Low impulse control.

2.  They have strong future-time orientation.  Just a note here.  I’m about to get very controversial, at least according to the Google search that I did on this topic.  Apparently there are a lot of cultural and psychological implications to this term.  If you want to read them, go right ahead, but you’ll have to search – I won’t do it for you.

Essentially, by my definition, “Future-time orientation” means “Understanding the implications of today’s acts on tomorrow’s results (positive and negative), and building your activities around your desired results.”  By example, salespeople exhibit strong future-time orientation when they engage in prospecting activities and other funnel-building activities.  Seldom will a prospecting call today result in a sale today (although there are those wonderful times), but a prospecting call today can result in a sale tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year – and successful salespeople work in that direction.

Every successful person I’ve ever known has strong future-time orientation.  They envision where they want to be at a future point in time, then actively work in that direction.  Most unsuccessful people I’ve known do the opposite – they live in the ‘now,’ engage in activities that produce immediate gratification, and to hell with tomorrow.

By the way, “future-time orientation” doesn’t mean living strictly for the future and delaying all gratification.  I like to think that my own life is a mix.  For instance, if I have a speaking engagement in a fun city like Las Vegas or Miami, I’ll give a great speech, I’ll collect names, and segment out those that I want to approach for sales (future-time).  But if I’m in one of those cities, I might also take an extra day in my trip as a ‘fun day’ for me (now orientation).  That’s a mix that works really well for me.

In this young woman’s case, as we were working on her resume’ and profiles, my first real sign of trouble was when she said, “This is really great, Troy….but my problem is that I need income NOW.”  I explained to her that if she didn’t do this, not only would she not have income now, but she wouldn’t next month, either.  In hindsight, she didn’t get it.

3.  They associate with other successful people.  One of the first pieces of advice I gave her was this:  “If you want to be successful at life, associate with other people who are successful at life.”  Remember my definition of “successful at life” above.  From talking to the young woman, I knew that most of her friends didn’t fit that description, and I recommended that she get out to business functions, such as Chamber after-hours meetings, and meet some new people.

Your closest friends and associates will either build you up or break you down.  This is usually a function of their own security with themselves; people who are secure in themselves are not threatened by others’ success.  One of my speaking heroes, Craig Valentine, refers to this as the ‘crabs in a bucket’ syndrome.  If you put crabs in a bucket, they’ll sit there….then sooner or later, one will try to climb out.  And what will the others do?  Well…they’ll reach up and pull that crab back down into the bottom of the bucket.  Are your closest friends crabs?  It’s unfortunate that, as we move toward success, sometimes we do have to eliminate people from our lives that drag us down.  Every successful person I know has done this – and you might, too.

Two days after our second session, I emailed the young woman and asked her if she’d put in her two hours.  She replied, “Troy, I haven’t. I’m a mess.  My boyfriend (of five months – Troy’s note) was stopped by the police and he had warrants in four different jurisdictions in Kansas City, so I’m freaking out and trying to get to talk to him.  To be honest, I need money to buy a phone card.  Can I borrow….”  I’m not going to repeat the rest of the story.  No, I didn’t loan her money, and I haven’t responded. It’s pointless.

I do realize that some of you reading this might think ill of me – that I’m mean, or stingy with my time, or even snobbish (when I told this story to one person, she used that term).  Some might think I should continue to try to work with her.  I’m not.  My time is valuable, as is yours, and I choose not to spend it on those who won’t help themselves.

I should also point out that I don’t believe that the three characteristics are “traits.”  Traits cannot be learned or adapted.  They are “characteristics” because they are foundational to our approach to life – and I do believe that they are learned behaviors.  And as such, they are behaviors that you can incorporate into your own approach to your life and your career.

Well, I’m on the horns of a dilemma.  It’s Sunday night, and I’m spending the night in a hotel room, as I do many nights these days.  My hotel isn’t a cheap one; it’s a good one. But there’s one little problem.

The TV doesn’t work.

And by that I mean that it doesn’t turn on.  Not with the remote (which does work, because it lights up), and not by pressing the button on the side of the TV.  It’s kaput.  As Monty Python would say, “This TV is no more.  It is an ex-TV.”  I should point out that I just discovered this fact, as I hadn’t turned on the TV before.

So here I am, in a nice hotel room, probably an hour or an hour and a half before I turn in for the night, with no TV.  I have books and I’m an avid reader, and obviously I have my laptop.  But one of the entertainment sources (really, the only one that the hotel provides) is out of action.  And I’m not happy.

Of course, I could see about rectifying the situation. I could call the front desk and tell them that the TV doesn’t work.  They, then, have two options:

1.  They could move me into a room with a working TV.  I’m not a fan of this option, since I’m already unpacked, relaxed, and again, it’s a short time before I go lights-out.

2.  They could send someone up to check it out, and either fix or replace (most likely) the TV.  I’m not a fan of this option, either.  I’d have to get dressed (perhaps I’m sharing too much at this point), and the rigamarole would take up the last hour and a half of waking time in my room – time that I’ve dedicated to unwinding.

No, I’m going to do without, and then I’ll comment in the morning.  And they’ll ask me why I didn’t call.  So I’ll explain the above reasons, and then I’ll give them a very valuable piece of knowledge.  I’ll tell them what I (and most of their customers) really want:

I want things to work.  I want them to work the first time.  I’m sure they’d have worked to ‘rectify’ the problem.  I don’t want the problem in the first place.

“But, Troy,” you’re thinking, “Things can’t always be perfect.” (Correct.)  “And how could they know that the TV doesn’t work if you don’t tell them?”

I have an answer for this one.  Keep in mind that this is a higher-end hotel, and the room rates reflect that.  It seems to me like it would be 20-30 seconds well spent for the housekeeping staff to quickly turn on the TV in each room for a spot-check when they clean.  I don’t think that little extra is too much to ask at a high-end hotel.

Which brings us to the moral of this story.  Problems are best fixed BEFORE your customer notices and complains.  If you want to improve your customer service and retention, ask yourself this question:  What spot-checks can I make BEFORE my customer interacts with my product or service?  What problems can I catch before it’s a problem for my customer?

Do those things…implement those procedures….and your customers will be happier.

Now, if you’ll excuse me….I guess I’m going to read one of my books.

Due to popular response, I’m presenting this program again on November 14!  If you missed it, you need to be there!

Most companies who exhibit at trade shows don’t get the full benefit out of their investment in time, people, and equipment, and they end up thinking that “trade shows don’t work for me.”  That’s simply not true.  Most companies can grow their sales and profits through trade shows – but doing it right requires a comprehensive sales strategy and approach.  In this 1-1/2 hour program, nationally renowned sales author and expert, Troy Harrison, will show you how to generate the maximum benefit from your trade show investment.  Topics covered include:

Pre-show:

• Planning your sales efforts
• Why dividing and conquering is key to an effective trade show selling strategy
• How many people to bring – and how to deploy them

At the show:

• What people fear the most when they come to your booth – and how to take away their fear
• What to consider for giveaways at your booth (hint: it’s not what you think)
• Making an impression in 15 seconds
• Quick and non-offensive lead qualification
• What to capture and how to capture it
• The two most important questions to ask everyone who stops at your booth
• Evenings: It’s not over when the show closes

Post-show:

• Helping show prospects initiate their buying process
• Your timeline for lead follow up
• Knowing when to say when (and disconnect with unprofitable prospects)

If you’re exhibiting at trade shows, this could be the best 90 minutes of your year!

I’m excited to announce that I have been selected to speak at the PPAI Expo in 2015, in Las Vegas!  This is the biggest single event in the Promotional Products industry, and I’m looking forward to being a big part of it.  On Monday, January 12, I’ll be presenting the following programs:

8 AM – 9 PM:  Ask the Right Questions to Win More Sales

10:40 AM – Noon:  Troubleshooting and Coaching Sales Performance

The PPAI Expo will run from January 11 through January 15, at the Mandalay Bay Expo Center in Las Vegas, NV.  For more information, please visit expo.ppai.org.

I will be presenting TWO great programs at the AIMED Fall Conference in Chicago on September 30!  I’ll be presenting a session on Power Interviewing, and one on Onboarding, both designed to help you get more out of your hires!  If you’re in the mailing and office equipment industries, you need to be there!  For more information, visit:  http://www.aimedweb.org/template.cfm?page=217

I have been privileged to know many great speakers.  One of the very best I’ve ever seen is Patricia Fripp.  She’s a legend in the business – the first female president of the National Speakers’ Association and an inductee into the NSA Hall of Fame.  I admire her greatly, and so I’m sure you can imagine how I felt when she said this about me as a speaker:

“I have listened to, studied, and coached hundreds of professional speakers and trainers. Troy Harrison is one of the most engaging content expert speakers I have seen in action. If you are looking for a knowledgeable and entertaining speaker Troy needs to be on the top of your list. Your audience will be glad you did.” 

Thank you so much, Patricia!  If you’d like to take her advice, Contact Me here.

I love getting comments from happy clients!  Here’s what Johanna Ames, president of Ames Linen in Cortland, NY, had to say:

“Troy Harrison played an instrumental role in helping us to develop and manage our Sales Program. His approach is realistic and based in industry experience and, unlike many consultants with whom we have worked over the years, he delivered on his promises!”

Thank you, Johanna!  If you’d like my help, just contact me today.

I had a fun experience a few days ago.  I was interviewed for a podcast on Motorcarmarketing.com.  Ashley reached out to me after reading some articles that I’d written for Dealer Marketing Magazine, the trade magazine for auto dealers.  It was a great conversation that, as Ashley said, “gave great value to the owner of any car dealership.”  You can listen here.

If you’re looking for a guide to “how not to do it” when it comes to cold calling, a real-life call can help.

I’ve maintained for a long time that cold calling can be a good, predictable way to bring on new business -and that there’s very little downside to it other than the fact that most salespeople don’t like to do it.

I may have to revise that – at least the part concerning the downside.  I am now very much anti-Sage.  You know, Sage, the accounting people?  They have been blowing up my phone with cold calls.  Each one is worse than the last.  In fact, if you’re dedicated to making the worst possible cold calls, here’s a step by step guide.

1. Use an auto-dialer.  I HATE auto dialers.  And you always know when they’re in use because of that little hesitation betwee answering the phone and hearing someone – perhaps surprised at getting an actual vlice – picks up and begins the call.  Nothing says “I don’t care about this call enough to dial the phone myself” like an auto-dialer.

2.  The “person who” call.  I’ve said many times that the “person who” call is a sales killer.  This one was.  “May I speak to the person who handles your accounts payable?”  As the President, CEO, Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, and Accounts Payable Dude of Troy Harrison and Associates, that tells me that they didn’t even take a second to figure out who they were calling.

3.  English as a fourth language.  I’m going to offend some people here.  Sorry, folks, but it’s true.  I have nothing against those who are from other places and learn our language.  But – If I can’t understand you, I’m not going to buy from you.  I could barely understand the person who called.

4.  Hang up when the script isn’t followed.  I attempted to say, “Stop for a second.  I’m not a prospect for you.  Please take me off your call list.”  By the time I got to “for a,” the line went dead.  That’s just plain rude.  This is where I go from being an inappropriate customer call to being, frankly, pissed off at having my time wasted and then being treated rudely.

5.  Repeat – again and again.  Now you can send your customer into orbit.  Having denied them the opportunity to politely request that they be taken off your list, simply call them back – again and again and again and again.  I only wish I were kidding; I’ve received at least two calls a day for the last week and a half.  And never once have I been able to finish the request to be taken off their list.  Worse, they constantly change up the number they’re calling from, so they call faster than I can block the numbers in my phone.

Really, this is absolutely the worst teleprospecting effort that I’ve ever seen or been the victim of.  And my overriding impression is that if this is how awful Sage is when they’re trying to get your business, how bad will they be when they have it?

Moral of the story:  If the above five points are part of your teleprospecting program, STOP.  CHANGE.  DO SOMETHING ELSE.