Wintripisms

People always have their pens and paper ready when Scott Wintrip shares his thoughts and ideas. The most provocative of these gems are part of a growing archive called Wintripisms. Many people refer to this list when they need a solution to a problem, desire a motivating thought, or are looking for inspiration for their business or personal life.

WINTRIPISMS ON SALES AND SELLING

• Those who pay the least demand the most.
• Get customers to talk themselves into buying as they always believe themselves. They only sometimes believe you.
• Let the better closer close the deal. That’s always the customer and never the salesperson.
• Curiosity killed the cat but cured the salesperson.
• When choosing customers, pick the best so you can leave the rest.
• Give salespeople enough rope and they will either hang themselves or use it to pull in customers.
• Salespeople have talked a good game for decades about talking less and listening more.
• Just say no isn’t just for drugs. It’s also for low margin business, slow paying customers, and unresponsive and uncooperative people.
• If “Just Do It” is such a great slogan for Nike, then Just Go Sell is an even better one for salespeople.
• Selling is a conspiracy. Buyers believe you’re conspiring against them to make a sale or conspiring with them to meet their needs.
• If your lips are moving you’re not selling. If their lips are moving then you are both hearing how to close the deal.
• You may love your strategies and methodologies, but your clients care about results. So sell what you do, not how you do it.
• Innovate, evolve, or expire. Innovate your value to customers. Evolve core business practices. If you don’t, your market share will expire.
• Never count your deals before they hatch. Instead, focus on keeping your sales funnel flowing and full at all times.
• Value is not what you do or even how you do it. It’s what you achieve for the customer that differentiates you from other providers.
• No matter what a customer promises, when you lower your price they’ll never pay more for the same services. Once you go down, you can’t go back up.
• No is not a permanent condition. It actually stands for “next opportunity.” There is a next opportunity, right now, waiting to say yes.
• Kill the dog and corral the pony when you sell. Dog and pony shows are for animal lovers, not for truly compelling sales interactions.

ON LEADERSHIP

• As a business owner or leader you get to choose what you do, as long as you don’t choose to do everything yourself.
• You can’t short change change.
• What your employees want is not always what they need.
• Good leaders make the hard decisions. Great leaders ensure those decisions become outcomes.
• We often hear about the power of positive thinking. The power of positive words from leaders also has deep impact. Share some today.
• Avoid implementing permanent solutions to temporary problems. It’s a great way to avoid regrets later.
• You can’t motivate others. You can only create opportunities for people to choose passion and hunger. Motivation is an inside job.
• Where there’s a will there’s a way. Your job, as a leader, is to pave the way.
• If leadership is a calling, who’s the caller? Your team, since they’re calling on you to champion, cheer, and challenge them to excel.
• It’s not when you make a mistake, it’s what you do about it that shows your true character, commitment, and capabilities.
• When is the last time you thanked employees for their time, efforts, and contributions to your company? Pay is great; praise is even better.
• Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you’re the one to do it. Delegating more helps you while creating job security for others.
• Pointing out an opportunity for improvement is a demonstration of faith in someone as long as it is done with kindness and compassion.
• Great leaders are never “fixers.” Instead, they facilitate solutions, empowering other people to take responsibility to get the job done.
• Carrot or stick? Both! Beat ‘em with the carrot. Engage employees to push beyond their perceived limits in return for huge rewards.

ON PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL IMPROVEMENT

• Recurring problems teach you what you do not want to learn.
• K.I.S.S. – Keep it short and simple. There’s nothing stupid about that.
• You get to choose your limits versus having to know your limits.
• Human moments, also know as mistakes, are some of the best opportunities to build and deepen relationships.
• There are three types of people – doers, talkers, and dreamers. If you’re a talker or dreamer, time to start doing.
• Want something different? Do something different. What what you’ve got? Do what you’re doing. It’s that simple.
• Talk is cheap. Plans are cheaper. Actions, when backed up with a solid plan and limited talking, are priceless.
• Overwhelm is a solvable problem if you simply focus on getting the important things done instead of getting everything done.
• Just because things have always been done a certain way does not mean that it’s the right way.
• No matter what, keep pedaling. That mountain that seems insurmountable has a downhill slope on the other side.
• Got too much on your plate? Eliminate, delegate, automate, or integrate one or more of your responsibilities.
• It’s common to wear different hats in your job. The problem is that people often leave some of those hats on way too long.
• If you want something different, do something different. You must then keep doing what’s different if you expect it to stick.
• Seven days make one weak, especially if your work and personal life are out of balance during those seven days that make up the week.
• Instead of not sweating the small stuff, just don’t sweat period. When things are not going well remember “this too shall pass.”
• Things happen for a reason. Your job is to discover the reason then apply that to all applicable areas of your life.
• The only thing to fear is not feeling your fear. Your emotions are a barometer of how you’re experiencing the world around you.
• You’re only stuck if you keep yourself stuck.
• Desire is wanting something; commitment is doing it. Desire without commitment disappoints the most important person in your life – you.
• Is taking care of yourself on your job description? If not, how’s that working for you?
• We learn nothing by repeating things we already know. Growth only happens when we get outside our comfort zone and try new things.
• Balance is more about how we live our lives and less what’s in them. Self-care grows our capacity to live and work at our highest potential.

ON COMMUNICATION

• Say little, ask alot.
• It’s not what you say and it’s not what you do. It’s all about what you say and you do.
• The less you say the more attention people will pay.
• Quickest way to someone’s heart is not their stomach. It’s their mouth talking & your ears listening.
• Conflict in communication can be minimized if you share what you saw, heard, or experienced. Giving your perspective can’t be debated.
• Cherish conflicts and disagreements. These are perfect opportunities to show your problem resolution skills and build deeper relationships.
• Say what you mean, just don’t say it mean. What a wonderful way to give honest feedback, informed advice, and be direct with communication.
• Great care must be taken in how much, how loud, and how fast we talk. Too much of any of these can feel like being attacked by word missiles.