Every now and then I watch Undercover Boss, and the show is getting ever more formulaic.  If I could talk to the producers, I have a few questions:

Question 1:  Why no “undercovering” with the salespeople?

Question 2:  What about the other employees?

See, these episodes always end up following the same formula.  Here’s the basic recipe:

• The “Undercover Boss” goes to work at remote locations of his/her company.
• The “UB” does the lowest jobs on the food chain; production, janitorial, etc.
• The “UB” invariably works with people who have sob stories.  Single parents tend to top the list, but it seems that everyone has a story.  This isn’t meant to put down the people working at those jobs.  Some of them (Julie at UniFirst Oklahoma was very impressive to me) are very sharp and capable people, but none live what we might think of as a complete life without significant trauma.
• The “UB” resolves to make changes to make life easier for the people he worked with.  Some of those changes are good, smart management (better communication of benefits to employees), some are a little more questionable (softening of attendance and tardy policies).  The “UB’s” quest at this point is to not appear hard-hearted to a national TV audience.
• At the close of the show, the “UB” reveals himself to the employees he worked with, and then makes some sort of special individual gesture to reward them and help them overcome their particular economic issues.
• Everyone applauds, there’s some crying, and everyone feels better.

It’s a great TV show, but of course, the company still has to open for business on Monday morning, and I always wonder what the repercussions of the “UB’s” special rewards are.  Let’s look back at my questions, and I’ll present my own answers.

Question 1:  Why no “undercovering” with the salespeople?

I think there’s one big reason for this, and it has to do with the evocation of sympathy for the workers that is such a big part of the show.  Salespeople, by their very nature, are probably perceived as less sympathetic than a production worker, and may be less prone to the type of individual issues that are the meat of the show.  After all, salespeople dress nicely for work, who would believe that they have issues?  It’s too bad, though; I think the show would be very illuminating if the “boss” were to shadow real live salespeople.  I guess that will have to wait until I produce my own show, huh?

Question 2:  What about the other employees?

This is probably the bigger issue to live with.  The company profiled tonight – Unifirst – has over 10,000 employees.  That leaves roughly 9,995 employees that may be just as deserving of special treatment, just as challenged economically, and just as hard working as the people given (tonight) college money, cash to see relatives, a trip to the Super Bowl, and a Hawaiian honeymoon, among other things.  It’s not illogical that some of those people are going to go into work tomorrow morning thinking, “Hey, what about me?”  I wouldn’t want to be one of the plant managers that would have to deal with that issue for the next few weeks.

As always, neat show, but one that ends up being more like a game show crossed with an episode of “Oprah” than anything else.

Corp! Magazine has just published my own take on Social Media and Prospecting.  

If you want the definition of “Hands On,” the Ascuaga family in Reno can help.

As I write this, I’m returning from a training program that was held at John Ascuaga’s Nugget casino in Reno, Nevada.  When the program was booked, I thought that it was interesting that the owner personalized the name; unlike Steve Wynn or Donald Trump, John Ascuaga isn’t exactly a household name.  While I was there, I figured it out.  The management of the hotel is very personalized with Mr. Ascuaga and his family.  I was told that it was likely that John himself would stop in during our meeting and introduce himself and check on how things were going.  This didn’t happen; however, his son (the General Manager) did do so.

To make a long story short, I can definitely recommend the Nugget for business or personal travel.  The rooms were clean, comfortable, and large; the food was excellent and at least as good as the best food I’ve had in Vegas, and the meeting program was run efficiently and well.  I hope to return in the future.

I’ve been quoted in a great article on The Ladders!  Link inside.

Awhile back, I was interviewed for an article on resume’ cover letters for TheLadders.com, a site dedicated to job search help.  Since, in my opinion, jobseeking and selling are two parts of the same thing, I thought it appropriate to link that article here.  Click here to read the article.

Another sports-to-selling analogy comes to life!

Well, last night was chapter 1,079 in my life as a long-suffering Royals fan; a heartbreaking loss to Detroit, 3-1.  But at least I got something out of it.  Here’s the situation:  Rookie Danny Duffy pitched a very nice start, 6 innings, 2 runs.  Going into the bottom of the ninth, Royals were down 3-1, with Alex Gordon and Billy Butler making the first two outs.  With two out and nobody on and Detroit’s closer on the mound, Eric Hosmer drew a walk.  And then Detroit made a choice that could have cost them the game.

They chose not to defend the stolen base against Hosmer; i.e. the first baseman didn’t hold Hosmer on first and the catcher didn’t throw when Hosmer advanced to second.  No big deal, right?  That run doesn’t matter – theoretically – because the tying run (at the plate in the person of Jeff Francoeur) was behind Hosmer.  So, Hosmer took second, on what is called “Defensive indifference.”  Francoeur then hits a sharp grounder to Detroit shortstop Jhonny (yes, I spelled that correctly) Peralta.  Hosmer crosses in front of Peralta, which appeared to distract Peralta enough for the shortstop to bobble the ball.  Francoeur is safe at first.

Then, Francoeur steals second.  Suddenly, the Royals have the tying run in scoring position – and none of it would have happened had Hosmer not taken second.  Had Detroit defended the base against Hosmer, it’s unlikely that he would have attempted to steal – not with the tying run at the plate and two out in the ninth inning.  Because of one instance of Defensive Indifference, Detroit now faced a situation where a sharp single tied a game that had looked very safe.

Of course, because this is the Royals, Mike Moustakas flied out to left, and ended the game.  But that’s not the point.

I see “Sales Indifference” every day.  Salespeople who go in to meet a customer with no objective, no idea, no game plan, and no real way to make a profit out of the call – just going through the motions.  That’s “Sales Indifference.”  Even one call like that can be enough to lose a customer; do it often enough and your customers will leave in droves.

So, do YOU play to win on every call, or could the scorer call “Sales Indifference” on you?

Once in awhile, a business book comes from an unlikely source and makes a big impact.  I have a feeling that this is one such book.

If your very life depended on your business decisions, would you make different decisions than you do? If your subordinates might choose to eliminate you, not only professionally but completely, would you treat them differently? These are some of the questions that employees of one of America’s oldest businesses have to deal with every day. I’m talking of course, about the Mafia – La Cosa Nostra, the Outfit, the Syndicate, whatever you want to call it, it’s the confederation of primarily Italian organized crime families. It was also Louis Ferrante’s employer for a number of years. After going to prison, Ferrante chose to exit the Mafia, and enter the world of “legitimate” business.

The Mafia has fascinated America for decades and has had hundreds of books written about it. However, not one of those books has ever focused on the lessons that the Mafia can teach normal businessmen, until now. Ferrante’s “Mob Rules – What the Mafia Can Teach the Legitimate Businessman” is the first book to apply Mafia management practices to the challenges that businessmen and women face every day – and it’s an extremely effective one.

Behind the violence and crime, the Mafia has been home to numerous incredibly effective businessmen and managers of people, and Ferrante’s time with the organization exposed him to their knowledge and techniques, which he dissects in 88 short chapters. The book is written in small bites with powerful take-aways, and is separated into lessons at three levels: Soldier (employee), Capo (middle management), and Don (boss). At each level there are lessons which can help you maximize your role, most of which are illustrated by Mob stories that run the gamut from the frightening to the hilarious. It’s also very much an in-your-face book with some rough language; those with tender ears and eyes might not apply. The lessons are hard, the examples punchy, and the apologies few – but while Ferrante might ruffle some feathers, he’s exposing you to ways to make money and better your career.

The best bank to put your faith in? The Bank of Favors, according to Ferrante. The power of networking comes through hard and often. History purists might cringe at the comparisons between the leadership styles of George Washington and “Lucky” Luciano – but by the end of the chapter, they’ll find themselves wondering, as Ferrante does, if Luciano studied Washington and sought to emulate his style. The material isn’t just about the Mafia, either; Ferrante draws inspiration from sources as diverse as the ancient Greeks and Romans.

The section for employees provides a lot of great advice about actually working for a living, particularly in our “work as self esteem therapy” world.  The middle management chapters show that the Mafia has just as much corporate politics as any Fortune 500 company, and how to surf those waters.  The “Boss” section has great lessons for leaders both in assertiveness and humility. And there are numerous great examples for those who want to learn how to make great, profitable deals that keep all parties happy.

Meyer Lansky once said of the Mafia, “We’re bigger than U.S. Steel.”  They didn’t get that way by being dummies, and Lansky was perhaps the greatest businessman of all.  This book allows you to learn from the experiences of Lansky, Luciano, Gambino, Capone, and others – and apply those lessons to careers that carry far less personal risk.

Overall, this is definitely a Recommended Read. The short chapters and the liberal use of anecdotes make it an easy read; the lessons taught and the implications for your career make it impactful. Behind the Mob cover is one very serious and effective business book.

New Video posted on my YouTube Channel: The Three Types of Salespeople

New Video on YouTube

New video on YouTube – Sales Management Coaching Basics, from the BTA’s Fall Colors Retreat in Waynesville, NC!  http://youtu.be/aTxr19DrdKQ

Recently, I was interviewed on BlogTalk Radio by Connie Kadansky.  It was an excellent conversation, and there are some great insights into the changing world of selling.