Do-Over Redux

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Scott Wintrip, PCC

Being wrong chafes the ego yet often leads to a greater right. Nowhere has this been more true in my own life than my failed ten-year marriage that ended in 2007. That decade of futility saw two amazingly stubborn people persist in a relationship that neither wanted to admit was fated from the start. Only when gut-wrenching honesty prevailed was I able to admit that not wanting to be divorced was a terrible reason to remain in an unhealthy and incompatible marriage. I had forgotten one of the greatest lessons of my childhood, that’s its okay to call a do-over when something does not work as I had hoped.

In a little over a month’s time I get to initiate one of the most significant do-overs in my life, thus far, as I marry Holly in New York City’s Central Park. Being fully conscious of the opportunity this do-over represents, I’ve chosen a highly compatible partner who meets the list of needs I have for a quality relationship (for those of you who know me the fact that I had a list for selecting my mate should come as no surprise). This opportunity makes me grateful for my previous mistakes since, without those, I wouldn’t have the insights that have helped me make better choices the second time around.

How can a do-over mindset serve your life and your company? Here are three steps for accessing those do-overs we did as kids:

1. Whether it’s an overly difficult customer generating little to no profit or a relationship filled with drama and strife, accepting the fact that something is not working for you is the first step. Acceptance does not mean you have to like the situation or even your original choice. It merely requires an acknowledgement that the status quo no longer works for you.

Marcus, the CEO for one of my West coast clients, knew he had erred with one of his additions to his leadership team. Rather than wanting to admit he regretted the hire, he kept finding ways to try and fix what was unfixable, especially since this was the third person within two years who failed in the role. The breakthrough moment came when I was able to get Marcus to acknowledge that the hire was a mistake and to accept that nothing was going to change that. As he put it to me, that was the “freeing moment” as he could now move on to step two.

2. Ask yourself what are the possible ways to initiate a do-over. Engage colleagues at the office for work-related do-overs or friends at home for those on the personal side of life.

I am often the sounding board for possibilities, so Marcus bounced different ideas off of me during one of our meetings. Within 20 minutes, he had two workable plans for making a better hire and removing the ineffective executive from his team.

3. When you find a possibility that you believe will work do it, right away. Life is about progress, not perfection. Even if your do-over is less than perfect, better to be headed in a new direction than stuck in the same old rut that you know doesn’t work. Most of the time you’ll find that your do-over creates either a better result or requires just a bit of fine-tuning over time to achieve a significantly improved outcome when compared to the previous set of circumstances.

Marcus hired and onboarded a new leader in under five weeks, calling this the easiest hire he’d ever made. “Amazing what happens when you get over yourself, accept mistakes, and call a do-over,” said Marcus.

Kids are masterful at learning from mistakes as they take risks, make mistakes, yell “do-over,” and then try again. So join me and let the kid in you come out more often as life happens. While I may not convince Holly that I should yell “do-over” as part of my vows, I promise I’ll at least be screaming it in my head.

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Don’t Be Like Obama and Romney

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Scott Wintrip, PCC

Had enough of political pandering? Whether it’s the President, the presumptive Republican nominee, or any of the typical cadre of elected officials, today’s politicians are masterful at telling each audience what they think they want to hear. This people-pleasing mentality may work to bring in contributions but does little to elevate the discussion as to what is truly good for the whole of the country. While frustrating to watch, their examples are illustrative as to how not to communicate with your customers. It takes tremendous courage, for example, to tell someone that, based upon your informed perspective, what they what to achieve will require greater spending or different choices. Your insightful opinion, as another case in point, on errors in their hiring or growth strategy may not be popular, yet, provides input that can make their circumstances better and lessen errors that drain time, energy, and profits.

As politicians keep pandering, you can focus on proselytizing valuable information that will help people and their companies create better outcomes, higher profits, and sustained success. When you do this, financial contributions to your business, in the form of revenues, will flow in freely with no pandering or spin required.

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You’ve Got Nine Seconds

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Scott Wintrip, PCC

If you’re talking in more than nine second soundbites, you’re wasting your words, losing the attention of buyers, and positioning yourself as just another long-winded person trying to make your case. From soundbites on broadcast news to politicians delivering provocative statements to posts on Twitter, we’ve become a society that consumes information in smaller and smaller chunks. According to research at the University of California, the incredible shrinking soundbite has gone from 43 seconds in 1968 to a mere nine seconds today. As a result, when you communicate, especially when selling, you need to choose your words carefully while delivering them with impact, passion, and enthusiasm. Not an easy thing to do, especially when you’re an outgoing person whose default factory programming as a human being is to share your gift for gab.

In many instances, less is more and this is certainly the case when you commit to being masterful in conversation. This starts with a belief that what the customer has to say is always much more important than anything you have to add to the conversation. When you speak, your questions must be provocative enough to evoke a thoughtful and detailed response, and when it’s time for you to comment, it’s at these moments that being a “soundbiter” will have listeners hanging on to your every word, wanting to understand and retain the valuable things you have to say.

Becoming an effective soundbiter begins with three simple steps:

1. Listen to how people communicate in person, on the telephone, and via television and radio. Pay particular attention to those that capture your attention while keeping their comments brief, noticing how they convey their ideas through their selection of words and use of volume, tone, and inflection.

2. Conduct a personal debrief after conversations you have with others. Pick statements you made during the conversation and develop alternative ways you could have made your remarks in more of a provocative soundbite fashion.

For example, in response to a prospect saying they’ve had bad experiences in the past when working with companies like yours, the long-winded response could be:

“I’m so sorry to hear that. I often hear this about our competitors. It’s unfortunate that they give our industry a bad name and a tarnished reputation. I know as a consumer myself that these kinds of previous experiences make me incredibly hesitant to go down that path again. I’m sure if you give us a try you’ll find that we do things differently and, as a result, you’ll change your opinion about the value you can receive.”

The soundbite alternative becomes:

“That’s exactly why you should work with us. Three of our recent new customers had the same complaint and have volunteered to provide references as to how we are different and better than other providers.”

3. Strive for progress, not perfection, by using select conversations as an opportunity to practice saying more with less words. Personal conversations are a safe and easy place to start.

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Simple is Sustainable

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Scott Wintrip, PCC

Politicians in the United States continue to perpetuate highly complex policies that are anything but simple. Taxation, energy policy, and campaign finance reform are just few examples of how masterful Washington is in its propensity towards complexity in governing the country. While there is often talk of simplification, talk has not become results as policies have become more convoluted with each administration. The U.S. tax code alone has expanded to more than 72,000 pages!

Governments are not the sole offenders as businesses of all sizes promote complicated methods and practices. Companies that embrace simple strategies and tactics have proven their ability to achieve sustainable growth and profits. From Southwest Airlines’ mission of “wheels up” that focuses their employees on quick turnarounds of each plane to Zappos empowering their team members to solve customer problems, these companies exemplify the power of simple ideas that promote nonstop growth and perpetual profits.

To assess which aspects of your business model can benefit most from simplification, answer these questions:

1. Do we have a core mission, guiding everything we do, that can be stated in just a few words?

2. Can each key process be distilled down into three or four actionable steps?

3. Are our branding and associated marketing messages simple yet provocative, using words sparingly?

4. Do our salespeople consistently exceed their activity quotas as a result of the simple approach we employ?

Armed with these answers, the simple solution to improving those areas needing attention is to make one small improvement each day. As you do, you’ll more easily sustain these changes as these improvements add up to fully refined process that are simple, sustainable, and contribute to the growth and increased profitability of your firm.

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Sales Brings ‘Em In, Service Keeps ‘Em In

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Scott Wintrip, PCC

The high cost of client acquisition necessitates that the service side of your business do outstanding work not just in delivery, but in retaining and expanding accounts. When the service team takes the lead in keeping and growing current customers, sales is given the freedom to add more new business at brand new clients. Companies that do this grow faster as they retain their core customers while enjoying an influx of new business at new and existing accounts.

In almost every case when an organization experiences a decline in revenues in a healthy market the problem can be traced to the service side of the operation. Even if the sales function brings in new business, the best the company can hope for is cyclical periods of growth and decline perpetuated until the service team steps fully into its responsibility of keeping clients in the door and on the books of the firm.

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Wimpy Outcomes

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Scott Wintrip, PCC

J. Wellington Wimpy, a character in the long-running comic strip Popeye, often spouted his famous catchphase, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Tuesdays must not exist in Popeye’s world since Wimpy is never illustrated issuing any form of remuneration for the food he consumed. Instead, he is seen using the same tactic over and over again.

Some of your prospects are Wimpy-esque in their attempt to buy from you, issuing assurances of buying more or paying more in the future if you discount their initial purchase. These wasted promises are like Wimpy’s empty pockets, leaving you and that prospective customer without a sustainable relationship that works for both parties.

To avoid these Wimpy outcomes, set your price based upon the contribution you will make to the value your customer is looking to receive. As you do, your client will receive dramatic ROI while you are equitably compensated for your efforts.

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The Need for Speed

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Scott Wintrip, PCC

Agonizing over decisions and the strive for perfection are like a bicyclist attempting to compete in a NASCAR race. You must be nimble in your decision making, decisive in your choices, swift in your actions, and persistent as you follow through to completion. Anything less ensures that your more agile competitors will always have the upper hand, leaving you choking on their exhaust.

For those thinking that you have to get everything “right” or “perfect”, you must remember that those are relative terms that never produce significantly better results. Simply make the best choice in the moment and move on with speed. Any extra effort towards perfection will gain you nothing more than a view from the stands as the competition takes home the prize of the business you were after.

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Cultivating Connectedness

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Scott Wintrip, PCC

This day is one in which you have the opportunity to till the garden of connections in your work and your life. Today you’ll have the opportunity to nurture existing relationships, and like plants, these need to be fed, nourished, and tended to with care to promote their long-term growth.

Some of your connections may have withered away. Those that cannot be restored have served their purpose and should be set aside, creating space for you to plant the seeds of new relationships. You’ll have to plant many seeds as not all of these will spout and grow into something that is sustainable and worthwhile. Those that do need to be added to your routine of feeding, nourishing, and tending; as a grower of great relationships your work is never quite done.

Choose wisely today how you cultivate your connections. This is your garden and your efforts will determine how well fed you, your company, your colleagues, and your family will be in the seasons ahead.

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It’s Not Over ‘Til It’s Over

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Scott Wintrip, PCC

Like him or hate, and there is certainly much of both, US Republican Presidential nominee Newt Gingrich proved that persistence pays after winning the South Carolina primary this past Saturday. Considered all but dead, his campaign now has new life as the contest moves to the state of Florida on January 31st.

Regardless of your feelings for the former Speaker of the House, you can learn from his tenacious example. When you sell you must see every no as getting you that much closer to the next yes. In service and operations you can choose to view every challenge as an opportunity to exceed someone’s expectations. And as a leader your job is to create a strategy, adjust that strategy as needed, and unwaveringly hold true to the course you have charted.

Living your life with unshakeable resolve doesn’t require being a controversial or famous figure. It simply depends on persistence even when the odds seem against you.

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The Present of Presence

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Scott Wintrip, PCC

As I pondered the death of a 19 year-old former classmate of my daughter this past weekend, I was reminded of just how fleeting time and life can be. While goals and aspirations are worthy endeavors, the most meaningful aspect of life is each and every present moment.

This week, your being fully present with every customer, colleague, and individual in your life is the highest level of service you can provide. As you give the present of presence, you’ll be rewarded as well as you hear more, see more, and experience more of the fullness of these interactions. Each person will be positively impacted because of the simple, sustainable, and precious gift of your full attention.

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