long Tom Peters

1
longTom PetersEXCELLENCE.
ALWAYS.ONO/Management ForumMadrid/30 November
2006
2
X.AL.EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
3
Excellence can be obtained if you ... care
more than others think is wise ... risk more
than others think is safe ... dream more than
others think is practical ... expect
more than others think is
possible. Source Anon. (Posted _at_ tompeters.com
by K.Sriram, November 27, 2006 117 AM)
4
X.AL.EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
5
The Irreducible209One WordThe Cup
ChallengeThe Sales122 60TIBsTom-A-to,Tom-ah-to

6
3,000,000,0005/42500/900 Americas
god-given right
7
Better By Design A National StrategyNZ
Design Excellence
8
HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA.
HA. HA. HA.
9
I am often asked by would-be entrepreneurs
seeking escape from life within huge corporate
structures, How do I build a small firm for
myself? The answer seems obvious Buy a very
large one and just wait. Paul Ormerod, Why
Most Things Fail Evolution, Extinction and
Economics
10
Ford, GM and Chrysler do not just make cars
expensively they make bad cars expensively.
Investec analyst, International Herald, 0805.06
11
Forbes100 from 1917 to 1987 39 members of the
Class of 17 were alive in 87 18 in 87 F100
18 F100 survivors significantly underperformed
the market just 2 (2), GE Kodak,
outperformed the market from 1917 to
1987.Source Dick Foster Sarah Kaplan,
Creative Destruction Why Companies That Are
Built to Last Underperform the Market
12
Welcome to the Club of Shattered Dreams Of
Koreas Top 100 companies in 1955, only 7 were
still on the list in 2004. The 1997 crisis
destroyed half of Koreas 30 largest
conglomerates.Source KET Issue Report, Kim
Jong Nyun (14.05.2005)
13
SP Stability Ratings
1985 2006Low Risk
41 13 Average Risk 24
14High Risk 35 73Likelihood
of stable long-term earnings growthSource
Fortune (2 October 2006)
14
Flat as a Pancake (Or Worse)WalMart Dell
Intel Home Depot Microsoft GE
15
The last word There is no last word.
16
It is generally much easier to kill an
organization than change it substantially.
Kevin Kelly, Out of Control
17
C.E.O. to C.D.O.
18
TP1 Netscape!Where would you rather have
worked for those 5 years, Netscape or
IBM-HP-Microsoft-Oracle? (Where, 25 years from
now, would you rather to be able to tell
someonee.g., grandchildthat you worked?)
19
HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA.
HA. HA. HA.
20
It is generally much easier to kill an
organization than change it substantially.
Kevin Kelly, Out of Control
21
Message/Implication go for it!C.E.O. to
C.D.O.
22
EXCELLENCE. ALL . YOU. NEED. TO. KNOW.
23
25
24
20-minute rule Craig Johnson/30 yrs
25
One bank is currently claiming to leverage
its global footprint to provide effective
financial solutions for its customers by
providing a gateway to diverse markets. Charles
Handy
26
I assume that it is just saying that it is there
to help its customers wherever they are.
Charles Handy
27
EXCELLENCE. ALL. YOU. NEED. TO. KNOW.
ANYWHERE. ANY MARKET. ANY TIME.
28
Jims Group
29
EXCELLENCE. SIBERIA.
30
Why in the world did you go to Siberia?
31
Raging Success P-SQUARED. C. E-CUBED.
32
People.Product.Clients.Execution.Enthusiasm.E
xcellence.
33
To me business isnt about wearing suits or
pleasing stockholders. Its about being true to
yourself, your ideas and focusing on the
essentials. Richard Branson
34
People.Product.Clients.Execution.Enthusiasm.E
xcellence.Resilience.Relentless. Senility.
35
Excellence1982 The Bedrock Eight
Basics 1. A Bias for Action 2. Close to the
Customer 3. Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4.
Productivity Through People 5. Hands On,
Value-Driven 6. Stick to the Knitting 7. Simple
Form, Lean Staff 8. Simultaneous Loose-Tight
Properties
36
The older I get the less boring the basics
become!
37
EXCELLENCE. INNOVATE. OR. DIE.
38
It is not the strongest of the species that
survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one
most responsive to change. Charles Darwin
39
EXCELLENCE. INNOVATE. ALL. WRONG.
40
I dont believe in economies of scale. You dont
get better by being bigger. You get worse.
Dick Kovacevich/Wells Fargo
41
When asked to name just one big merger that had
lived up to expectations, Leon Cooperman, former
cochairman of Goldman Sachs Investment Policy
Committee, answered Im sure there are
success stories out there, but at this
moment I draw a blank. Mark Sirower, The
Synergy Trap
42
More Than 1 RD spending, last 25
years/USA?
43
GM
44
EXCELLENCE. INNOVATE. ALL. WRONG.
45
The Mess Is the Message! Period!
46
EXCELLENCE. INNOVATE. TACTICS.
47
We become who we hang out with!
48
Innovations Saviors-in-WaitingDisgruntled
CustomersOff-the-Scope CompetitorsRogue
EmployeesFringe SuppliersWayne Burkan, Wide
Angle Vision Beat the Competition by Focusing on
Fringe Competitors, Lost Customers, and Rogue
Employees
49
Measure Strangeness/Portfolio
QualityStaffConsultantsVendorsOut-sourcing
Partners (, Quality)Innovation Alliance
PartnersCustomersCompetitors (who we
benchmark against) Strategic Initiatives
Product Portfolio (LineEx v. Leap)IS/IT
ProjectsHQ LocationLunch MatesLanguageBoard
50
Employees Are there enough weird people in the
lab these days?V. Chmn., pharmaceutical house,
to a lab director
51
Innovation Tool/Source 1 Pissed Off
Person/ People
52
The Bottleneck Is at the Top of the
BottleWhere are you likely to find people
with the least diversity of experience, the
largest investment in the past, and the greatest
reverence for industry dogma At the top!
Gary Hamel/Harvard Business Review
53
futuremark
54
To grow, companies need to break out of a
vicious cycle of competitive benchmarking and
imitation. W. Chan Kim Renée Mauborgne,
Think for Yourself Stop Copying a Rival,
Financial Times/2003
55
How do dominant companies lose their position?
Two-thirds of the time, they pick the wrong
competitor to worry about. Don Listwin, CEO,
Openwave Systems/WSJ
56
try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it.
Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it.
Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. try it. Try it.
Try it. try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it.
Try it.
57
We have a strategic plan. Its called doing
things. Herb Kelleher
58
This is so simple it sounds stupid, but it is
amazing how few oil people really understand that
you only find oil if you drill wells. You may
think youre finding it when youre drawing maps
and studying logs, but you have to drill.
Source The Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian
O G wildcatter
59
Experiment fearlesslySource BW0821.06, Type
A Organization Strategies/ How to Hit a Moving
TargetTactic 1
60
We made mistakes, of course. Most of them were
omissions we didnt think of when we initially
wrote the software. We fixed them by doing it
over and over, again and again. We do the same
today. While our competitors are still sucking
their thumbs trying to make the design perfect,
were already on prototype version 5. By the
time our rivals are ready with wires and screws,
we are on version 10. It gets back to planning
versus acting We act from day one others plan
how to planfor months. Bloomberg by Bloomberg
61
READY.FIRE!AIM.Ross Perot (vs Aim! Aim!
Aim! /EDS vs GM/1985)
62
Excellence1982 The Bedrock Eight
Basics 1. A Bias for Action 2. Close to the
Customer 3. Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4.
Productivity Through People 5. Hands On,
Value-Driven 6. Stick to the Knitting 7. Simple
Form, Lean Staff 8. Simultaneous Loose-Tight
Properties
63
Think!vs.do!
64
Action is the foundational key of all success.
Picasso
65
The secret of getting ahead is getting
started. Agatha Christie
66
The secret to having good ideas is to have a lot
of ideas, then throw the bad ones away. Linus
Pauling
67
Intelligent people can always come up with
intelligent reasons to do nothing. Scott Simon
68
tolerate encourage? failure
69
Sams Secret 1!
70
Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre
successes.Phil Daniels, Sydney exec
71
Speed/ Tempo/is-it-Telecom
72
the FedEx Economy headline/New York
Times/10.08.05
73
Any3 Anything/ Anywhere/ Anytime
74
UPS used to be a trucking company with
technology. Now its a technology company with
trucks. Forbes
75
WalMart (!) Katrina
76
Open-source Goldmining! Rob McEwen, CEO,
Goldcorp Inc. Goldcorp Challenge/
575,000 Source Wikinomics How Mass
Collaboration Changes Everything, Don Tapscott
Anthony Williams
77
Mark Gerson a networking wizard who has done
for professional investors something akin to what
Match.com has done for the nations singles. He
hooks up current and former middle managers from
hundreds of companies with professional investors
desperate for an investing edge.
180,000 Source Headline, right column, page
1, Wall Street Journal, 27 November 2006
Seeking an Edge Big Investors Turn to Network of
Informants. Mark Gerson Assembles Web of
Moonlighting Managers.
78
Explosion of Stay at Home ServicesBeacon Hill
Village (gt50 580 per year screened providers,
10 off 35 to take cat and member to
vet)Geriatric care managers (80-200 per hour
Natl Assn of Professional Geriatric Care
Managers)Seniors Safe_at_Home (monitor client
movements such as bathroom, gotten out of bed
BP, sugar levels, data screened by call center,
available via Web to children etc)
79
Power Tools For Power Strategies
80
Productivity!McKesson 2003-2004 Revenue 7B
Employees 500Source USA Today
81
Sysco!
82
Go for the Bold
Bold/Aggressive/ Bold/GameChanger
Bold/Creative Destruction Bold/Cool Supplier
Portfolio Bold/Web Fanaticism
83
ebusiness is about rebuilding the organization
from the ground up. Most companies today are not
built to exploit the Internet. Their business
processes, their approvals, their hierarchies,
the number of people they employ all of that is
wrong for running an ebusiness. Ray Lane,
Kleiner Perkins
84
focus
85
We will not, I repeat not, pretend to be all
things to all people. CEO, Investec (03.06)
86
The Benefits of FOCUSED EXCELLENCE
Shouldice/Hernia Repair 30 min, 1
recurrence. Avg 90 min, 10-15
recurrence.Source Complications, Atul Gawande
87
Private Equity-financed Firm, Best
CaseFocus! Focus! Focus!In a Big
hurryCEO/Top team, skin in the gameCEO,
100 of time on the bizMerit!
Merit!Motivated oversightWorst case Rape
Pillage
88
Focus All Strategy Is Local True competitive
advantages are harder to find and maintain than
people realize. The odds are best in tightly
drawn markets, not big, sprawling ones
Title/ Bruce Greenwald Judd Kahn/HBR09.05
89
bet the farm
90
No Wiggle Room! Incrementalism is
innovations worst enemy. Nicholas
Negroponte
91
I dont intend to be known as the King of
the Tinkerers. CEO, large financial services
company
92
Beware of the tyranny of making Small Changes
to Small Things. Rather, make Big Changes to Big
Things. Roger Enrico, former Chairman,
PepsiCo
93
Five MYTHS About Changing BehaviorCrisis
is a powerful impetus for changeChange is
motivated by fearThe facts will set us
freeSmall, gradual changes are always easier
to make and sustainWe cant change because our
brains become hardwired early in lifeSource
Fast Company/05.2005
94
Conscious measurement
95
Innovation Index How many of your Top 5
Strategic Initiatives/Key Projects score 8 or
higher out of 10 on a Weird/ Profound/
Wow/Game- changer Scale?
96
re-imagine the value added equation
97
55B
98
Big Browns New Bag UPS Aims to Be the Traffic
Manager for Corporate America Headline/BW/2004
99
Up, Up, Up, Up the Value-added Ladder.
100
The Value-added LadderServices/TransactionsM
anufactured Goods/Things Extracted Raw
Materials/Stuff
101
The NEW Value-added LadderGamechanging
Solutions/ Implemented Customer culture change
successServices/TransactionsManufactured
Goods/Things Extracted Raw Materials/Stuff
102
PSF
103
Department Head to Managing Partner, IS
HR, RD, etc. Inc.
104
Are you Rock Stars of the Age of Talent
105
Experiences are as distinct from services as
services are from goods. Joe Pine Jim
Gilmore, The Experience Economy Work Is Theatre
Every Business a Stage
106
Experience Rebel Lifestyle!What we sell is
the ability for a 43-year-old accountant to dress
in black leather, ride through small towns and
have people be afraid of him.Harley exec,
quoted in Results-Based Leadership
107
The NEW Value-added Ladderspellbinding
Experiences Gamechanging SolutionsServicesGoods
Raw Materials
108
Up, Up, Up, Up the Value-added Ladder.
109
Furniture vs. DreamsWe do not sell furniture
at Domain. We sell dreams. This is accomplished
by addressing the half-formed needs in our
customers heads. By uncovering these needs, we,
in essence, fill in the blanks. We convert
needs into dreams. Sales are the inevitable
result. Judy George, Domain Home Fashions
110
Dream MerchantsIBMUPS
111
The NEW Value-added Ladderdreams come
truespellbinding Experiences Gamechanging
SolutionsServicesGoods Raw Materials
112
totally re-imagine the business around the
two staggering new opportunities
113
women
114
Forget China, India and the Internet Economic
Growth Is Driven by Women. Headline,
Economist, April 15, 2006, Leader, page 14
115
Women are the majority market Fara
Warner/The Power of the Purse
116
She knows more about the Volvo than the
salesman who greets her at the door. But how is
she treated? As if she has a low IQ , is
slightly hard of hearing , and really has no
right to be buying a luxury car and if she
brought a male friend with her, odds are 101
that the clueless salesperson spent most of his
time speaking to him . Selling to Men,
Selling to Women, Jeffery Tobias Halter
117
Selling to men The TRANSACTION ModelSelling to
Women The RELATIONAL ModelSource Selling
to Men, Selling to Women, Jeffery Tobias Halter
118
Women dont buy brands. They join
them.EVEolution
119
Forget China, India and the Internet Economic
Growth Is Driven by Women. Headline,
Economist, April 15, 2006, Leader, page 14
120
One thing is certain Womens rise to power,
which is linked to the increase in wealth per
capita, is happening in all domains and at all
levels of society. Women are no longer content to
provide efficient labor or to be consumers with
rising budgets and more autonomy to spend.
This is just the beginning. The phenomenon will
only grow as girls prove to be more successful
than boys in the school system. For a number of
observers, we have already entered the age of
womenomics, the economy as thought out and
practiced by a woman. Aude Zieseniss de
Thuin, Financial Times, 10.03.2006
121
Since 1970, women have held two out of every
three new jobs created. FT, 10.03.2006
122
boomers-geezers
123
2000-2010 Stats18-44 -155 21(55-64
47)
124
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! People turning 50 today have
more than half of their adult life ahead of
them. Bill Novelli, 50 Igniting a Revolution
to Reinvent America
125
Average of cars purchased per household,
lifetime 13Average of cars bought per
household after the head of household reaches
age 50 7Source Marti Barletta, PrimeTime
Women
126
44-65 New Customer Majority 45 larger
than 18-43 60 larger by 2010Source Ageless
Marketing, David Wolfe Robert Snyder
127
Boomers-Geezers-Womens TrifectaBuy/all
Wealth/all time left/ lots
Eclipse of males/retire-die
128
EXCELLENCE.1966. 2006.
129
4/40
130
De-centralizationexecutionaccountability615a.m
.
131
De-centralizationexecutionaccountability615a.m
.
132
If if feels painful and scarythats real
delegation Caspian Woods, small biz owner
133
De-centralizationexecutionaccountability615a.m
.
134
Execution is the job of the business leader.
Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/ Execution The
Discipline of Getting Things Done
135
Execution is a systematic process of
rigorously discussing hows and whats,
tenaciously following through, and ensuring
accountability. Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
136
De-centralizationexecutionaccountability615a.m
.
137
GE has set a standard of candor. There is no
puffery. There isnt an ounce of denial in the
place. Kevin Sharer, CEO Amgen, on the GE
mystique (Fortune)
138
De-centralizationexecutionaccountability615a.m
.
139
De-centralizationexecutionaccountability615a.m
.
140
EXCELLENCE. BEDROCK.TALENT.
141
Hire very good people!
142
We believe companies can increase their market
cap 50 percent in 3 years. Steve Macadam at
Georgia-Pacific changed 20 of his 40 box plant
managers to put more talented, higher paid
managers in charge. He increased profitability
from 25 million to 80 million in 2 years.
Ed Michaels, War for Talent
143
INVITE THEM TO JOIN US IN A JOURNEY TO EXCELLENCE!
144
In the end, management doesnt change culture.
Management invites the workforce itself to
change the culture. Lou Gerstner
145
The role of the Director is to create a space
where the actor or actress can become more than
theyve ever been before, more than theyve
dreamed of being. Robert Altman, Oscar
acceptance
146
PUT HR AT THE HEAD OF THE HEAD TABLE.
147
A review of Jack and Suzy Welchs Winning claims
there are but two key differentiators that set GE
culture apart from the herd First Separating
financial forecasting and performance
measurement. Performance measurement based, as it
usually is, on budgeting leads to an epidemic of
gaming the system. GEs performance measurement
is divorced from budgetingand instead reflects
how you do relative to your past performance and
relative to competitors performance i.e., its
about how you actually do in the context of what
happened in the real world, not as compared to a
gamed-abstract plan developed last year.
Second Putting HR on a par with finance and
marketing.
148
LIVE FOR TALENT!
149
Our MissionTo develop and manage talentto
apply that talent,throughout the world, for the
benefit of clientsto do so in partnership to
do so with profit.WPP
150
Brand Talent.
151
lt CAPEXgt People!
152
EXCELLENCE. BEDROCK.LEADERSHIP.
153
People want to be part of something larger than
themselves. They want to be part of something
theyre really proud of, that theyll fight for,
sacrifice for , trust. Howard Schultz,
Starbucks (IBD/09.05)
154
I never, ever thought of myself as a
businessman. I was interested in creating
things I would be proud of. Richard Branson
155
Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
156
You must be the change you wish to see in the
world.Gandhi
157
The First step in a dramatic organizational
change program is obviousdramatic personal
change! RG
158
Relentless One of my superstitions had always
been when I started to go anywhere or to do
anything, not to turn back , or stop, until the
thing intended was accomplished. Grant
159
Leaders do people. Period. Anon.
160
PURPOSE.PASSION.Presence.Personal.PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
161
EXCELLE ALWAYS.
162
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.Lists.
163
The Irreducible209One WordThe Cup
ChallengeThe Sales122 60TIBsTom-A-to,Tom-ah-to

164
The Irreducible209
165
A frustrated participant at a seminar for
investment bankers in Mauritius listened
impatiently to my explanation of differences of
opinion among me, Mike Porter, Gary Hamel, Jim
Collins, etc. Finally, hed had enough. What, if
anything, he asked, do you believe for sure?
I mumbled something, but his query started
rumbling around in my mind. Three days later,
wandering on a Sunday in London, the idea of the
irreducibles occurred to meand I started
jotting down notes on stuff I do indeed believe
for sure. Before I knew it, a few days later,
the list had grown to 209 items. Hence The
Irreducible209 that follows.Tom Peters
166
1. Hare 1, Tortoise 0. (Hare-y times.) 2. Tempo.
(O.O.D.A.) 3. MBWA. 4. Appreciation. (Motivator
1.) (Cant be faked. Good.) 5. Decency. 6.
Hurry. 7. Time out. 8. One matters. 9. Big
change. Short time. (Alt not work.) 10.
Excellence. Always. 11. Passion. Energy. Hustle.
Enthusiasm. Exuberance. (Move
mountains. No alt.) 12. You must care. 13.
Emotion. 14. Hard is soft. (Soft is hard.)
167
15. Men. Women. Different. Contend. Connect. 16.
Women. Buy. All. (RU listening?) 17. Quality.
(Mind-blowing. Beyond 6-Sigma.) 18. Re-invent.
Re-pot. (Required.) 19. Jaywalk. 20. Big change.
Small of people. (Always.) 21. Experiment.
Now. 22. Failure. Normal. 23. Most failures,
most success. (Fail. Forward. Fast.) 24.
Reward excellent failures. Punish
mediocre successes. 25. Women leaders. (Altered
times.) 26. Extremism. (Good business. Bad
politics.) 27. Innovation source. Only. Extreme
irritation. 28. Smile.
168
29. You must care. 30. Mentor. (Highest ROI.) 31.
Best roster wins. 32. Wow. (Okay in biz.) 33.
We all have customers. (Biz. Personal.) 34. All
contacts Experiences. 35. Cirque du Soleil.
(Peerless.) 36. Leaders create space for
growth. 37. Quests. (Only.) 38. High aspirations,
high results. (Self-fulfilling
prophecy.) 39. Attitude 1, Skills 0. (Mostly.)
(Attitude 1, Skill 0.3?) 40. Sometimes Skill
1, Attitude 0.1. 41. Must love, not like. 42.
Wegmans. (No excuses. Mere groceries.) 43.
Less than your best. Cheating.
169
44. Brand You. (No alt.) 45. Self-sufficiency.
(Biggest LT turn-on.) 46. In the moment. 47. The
moment wins. 48. Tomorrow Never. 49. Action 1,
Plan 0.1. 50. Execution can be a system. 51.
Realism. 52. Own up. Move on. 53.
Accountability. 54. Work hard gt Work smart.
(Mostly.) 55. Feedback. Necessary. Fast. (R.F.A.
in RFA times.) 56. Customers. Listen.
Lead. (Paradox.) 57. On stage. Always. (GW,
FDR, RG Supreme actors.)
170
58. Master statistical analysis. 59. Excellence
Set the table. 60. Legacy. (Will it have
mattered?) 61. Great. (Why not?) 62. Radicals
rule. (Think Olympics.) 63. !!! Good. 64. Red
1, Brown 0. (Red times.) 65. Talk. Listen. (Big
2. Master.) 66. Politics. (Normal-inevitable
state of affairs. Master.) 67. Student.
Forever. 68. Why? (Question 1.) 69. Dont
belittle. 70. Respect. 71. All we have this
moment. (Moments matter most?) 72. Now.
(Procrastination. Death.)
171
73. Exercise. 74. Paint. (Leader. Portraits of
Excellence.) 75. Best story wins. 76. You must
be the change you wish to see in the
world. 77. Two big ones. Max.
(Priorities.) 78. No I in Team. (I in
Win.) 79. I in Win. (No I in Team.) 80.
Different 1, Better 0. (Better 0.1) 81.
Imitation Mistake. (Learn, from who?) 82.
Choose/battle the right competitor. 83.
Schools. Creativity. Entrepreneurship.
(Not.) 84. MBAs. Creativity. Entrepreneurship.
Leadership. (Not.) 85. Design. Under-rated.
Wildly. (Still.) (Everything.)
172
86. You Calendar. (Calendar. Never. Lies.) 87.
Laugh. 88. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.) 89.
Dont fold your hands in front of your chest.
Ever. (Never.) 90. Grace. (Works in biz.) 91.
Weird. Wins. (Weird times.) 92. Crazy times.
Crazy orgs. 93. Internet. All. 94. Women.
Boomers-Geezers. Market. All. 95. Passion.
(Repeat. So what?) 96. Energy. (Repeat.
So what?) 97. Hustle. (Repeat. So
what?) 98. Enthusiasm. (Repeat. So what?) 99.
Exuberance. (Repeat. So what?) 100. Smile.
(Repeat. So what?) 101. Care.
(Repeat. So what?)
173
102. Simplicity. Redundancy. Resilience. Bloody-
mindedness. Visible optimism.
(Success.) 103. Act. (Repeat. So what?) 104.
Appreciate. (Repeat. So what?) 105. Fun. (Biz.
Why not?) 106. Joy. (Biz. Why not?) 107. Sales
Life. 108. Marketing Life. 109. Long-term. Top
line. c.r.o. 110. Great company Creates the
most individual success stories.
(RE/MAX) 111. Talent first, performance
byproduct. 112. Sustained Wow 1, Shareholder
value, 0.2 (Product, People.) 113.
Commitment. by invitation only. 114. Creativity.
by invitation only. 115. HR 1. (Ought to.)
174
116. Face-to-face. (5K miles, 5 minutes.) 117.
Negotiation. Make all winners. (Save
face.) 118. Grace makes enemies friends. 119.
Network. 120. Invest in relationships. (Think
ROIR. Return On Investment in
Relationships.) 118. Relationship investment.
Forethought. Calendar item.
Intensity. 119. Innovation. Easy. (Hang out
with weird.) 120. Weird Win. (Weird
times.) 121. The bottleneck is at the top
of the bottle. 122. Good Board Weird Board.
(At least, surprising.) 123. No
contention, no progress.
175
R.O.I.R.Return On Investment In
Relationships
176
124. Crucial conversations. Crucial
confrontations. (Study. Learn. Do.) 125. Honest
feedback. 126. Gaspworthy. Yes. 127. Insanely
great. 128. Astonish me. 129. Make it
immortal. 130. Will you remember it in 20
years? 131. No small opportunities.
(Reframe.) 132. One playmate, one playpen
Enough. 133. End run. Sensible. 134. Allies are
there for the finding. 135. Find successes. Build
on successes. (Pos gt Neg. Encourage gt
Fix.) 136. Somebodys doing it today. Find
em. 137. Someone is living 2016 in 2006.
(Find em. Study em.)
177
138. Dont benchmark. futuremark. 139.
PMA. It works. (Positive. Mental.
Attitude.) 140. There are no experts. (You are
the expert.) 141. Life is short. 142. Sustained
success. Fat chance. Make today matter.
(Sustained. Ha.) 143. Collaborate. (Networked
world.) 144. Go solo. (Individual. Unit of
Intellectual Capital.) 145. There are no
perfect plans. (Do. Wins.) 146. Plans motivate.
(Right or wrong. Sense of purpose.) 147.
Never rest. 148. Get some sleep. 149. Winning
Embracing paradox. 150. Ambiguity Opportunity.
178
151. Resilience. 152. Relentless-ness. 153. None.
Above. Comeuppance. No.
ultimate. business model. (GM. Sears.
U.S. Steel. DEC.) 154. Be yourself. Period. 155.
Never work with jerks. Including
customers. (Life. Too short.) 156. Under-promise,
over-deliver. 157. Talent. (Powerful word.) 158.
Customer Anyone whose actions affect
your results. 159. Competition stinks. (Seek the
soft spots where you can dominate.) 160.
K.I.S.S./Keep It Simple, Stupid. 161. Beauty.
(Good biz word.) 162. See the beauty in a
hamburger bun. (Go. Ray.)
179
163. Own up. Quick. ( Denial. Cancer.)164.
Celebrate. Often.165. 78 people 78 approaches.
(Each. Unique.)166. Weed. Ceaselessly. (Prune.
Stupid. Rules. Non-stop.)167. Get out
of the way. (You The problem.)168. Smile.
Sunny. Optimism. (If it kills you.)169. Flowers.
(Cheery workplace.)170. Enjoy. (Or get the
hell.)171. Be intolerant of sour. (1 Major
pollution)172. No quick trigger on promotion.
(Too important.)173. Evaluation Lots of
study-time.174. Evaluation Life or death to
evaluee.175. 360 evaluation. No fad.176. Exit
when youre done. (Done. Sooner than you
think.)
180
177. Today. Now. My Project. Am. Is. I.
Period. 178. Beautiful systems. (Good biz
phrase. Not oxymoron.) 179. Build on
strengths gt Fix weaknesses. 180. To dont To
do. (To dont gt To do ?) 181.
Leaders Do People. (Period.) 182. Leaders enjoy
leading. 183. Serious leadership training
Serious. 184. Priorities. Obvious. (Or
else.) 185. 5 Priorities 0 Priorities.
(3 Priorities 0 Priorities?) 186. People.
First. Last. Always. 187. It. Is. Always. The.
People.
181
188. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.)189. Dont
fold your hands in front of your chest.
Ever. (Never.)190. Simplicity. Redundancy.
Resilience. Bloody-mindedness.
Visible optimism. (Success.)
(Repeat.)191. Employee Entrance Guest
Entrance.192. Put the customer SECOND.
(Thanks, Hal.)193. Flowers. (Or did I say
that before? No matter if I did.)194.
Big Mergers dont work. Small
acquisitions can/do workif you dont
screw with their energy.
182
195. Instinctively head for the front
line. (In all contexts.)196. Success
DDMMPR/"D-squared, M-squared, PR
DramDiff Money-Financial Acumen
Good Marketing Instincts
Stellar People Resilience (The fab
five What. Every. Small. Biz. Needs.)
(Big too.) 197. Core Mechanism (Game-changing
Solutions) PSF (Professional Service
Firm model) Wow! Projects
(Different vs Better) Brand You
(Distinct or Extinct) 198. 2011/2016 has
already happened. Find it.
183
199. Kids know kids. Oldies know oldies.
Women know women. (Staff
accordingly.)200. Everybody is my customer.201.
Cosset vendors.202. I want to run a
Housekeeping department. (And you?)203.
The military doesnt follow the military
model. (Initiative Excellence.)204. No such
thing as going to absurd lengths
to serve the Customer. (HSM Lefties.)205.
Forget the customer. All Clients.206. It
takes decades to get over sleights.
(So dont sleight.)207. Dont dumb down.
Ever.
184
208. NO LESS THAN EXCELLENCE.
EVER.209. EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
185
Work In ProgressXXX. One size fits. One. Only.
(Evaluations. Period.)XXX. Teaching.
Individualized. Only. (6 billion people
6 billion learning trajectories.)
(Montessori.)XXX. First impression. Matters.
Shapes all that comes. Hard to overcome.
(Understatement.)XXX. Jerks. Dont work with.
(Life Too short.)XXX. Manage the hell out of
first impressions.XXX. Last impression. Matters.
Dominates memory. Hard to overcome.
(Understatement.)XXX. Manage the hell out of
last impressions.XXX. Plain English.XXX.
K.I.S.S. (450/8.)XXX. 798. 55,000,000,000.
3,000,000,000. 7AM-7PM. 615AM.XXX.
Donnelly Weatherstrip rules.XXX. Managers do
things right. Leaders do the right
thing. NOT.
186
ONE WORD
187
ONE WORD Drill more wells R.F.A. Accountability
Realism Decentralization Execution Action
bias Most mistakes wins 615am Energy Enthusiasm D
ogtPlan ActgtThink BehaviorgtAttitude Passion
188
ONE WORD 5 min/5,000 miles Women Decency Grace I
nnovate or Die Re-imagine Fight irrelevance Just
Do It Care (You Must) Flowers (Say It With) Im
sorry Thank You Insanely Great Silence 2-cent
candy
189
ONE WORD Emotion Intuition Sell O.O.D.A. Integri
ty Weird Appreciate Celebrate Respect Listen Wande
r Calendar rules Calendar doesnt lie To
dont Max priorities 3
190
ONE WORD Gasp-worthy Insanely
great Differentgtbetter Impactgtlongevity Dramatic
Difference Only ones do what we
do Smile 798 7-7-7 Design rules Beautiful
Systems 450/8 VP S.O.U.B. Women buy all Women
lead better
191
ONE WORD MBWA Why? PSF Wow! ! (red) Buy a
Mirror Know thyself Invite Quest Adventure Talent
Brand You Lovemark Experience Dreamketing
192
ONE WORD Boomers-geezers own all 2.6/21 25 25 3,
000,000,000 (900,000,000) 26 minutes 43
hours Perception Is All There Is Enthusiasm The
Ultimate Virus
193
For Starbucks The Cup Challenge Tom
Peters/1107.2006 Potential Quotes for Cups
194
!
195
Enthusiasm! The Ultimate Virus!
196
Re-imagine! Re-do! Re-vise! Re-vo-lu-tion!
197
Passion! Energy! Enthusiasm! Passion!
Energy! Enthusiasm! "Enthusiasm! Enthusiasm!
Enthusiasm!" "Enthusiasm Moves Mountains!"
"Nothing Matches Enthusiasm as a
'Motivator'!" Technicolor Times Demand
Technicolor Actions Technicolor Times Demand
Technicolor People Wow. Now. Re-imagine! Re-
imagine! Re-do! Re-vise! Re-vo-lu-tion!
198
Excellence. Always.
199
No Less Than Excellence. Ever.
200
No Excellence. no excuse.
201
"Respect!" Leaders Do People.
Period. Credibility. Asset No. 1. Tell the
Truth. Truth Wins. Challenge. Challenge.
Challenge. Two Big Goals. Tops. Focus. Your
Calendar Never Lies Good Story. Good
Leader. Best Story Wins. Live the
Story. Change the World. Accept Nothing Less.
"Dream!" Dream. The Only Worthwhile
Reality. Beware Those Who Agree With You Seek
Dissidents. Nurture Dissidents. Cherish
Dissidents
202
Do.
203
Do.
204
Do.
205
Do. Do.
206
Do. Do. Do.
207
Do. Do. Do.
208
Do.
209
try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it.
Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it.
Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. try it. Try it.
Try it. try it. Try it. Try it. Try it. Try it.
Try it.
210
iMplementation The last 98
211
Do it. Now.
212
start. Now.
213
Most. Relentless. wins.
214
Excellence! Demand Excellence! Demand
Excellence. The Greatest Gift. Excellence,
Lifes Gold Standard Stop Talking! Start
Doing! Execute. Execute. Execute. Good
Execution Beats Good Strategy Agility Trumps
Size "Women make the best bosses!" Women Rule.
Believe It. "You must care!" Listen. Ask.
Why?
215
distinct. Or Extinct.
216
2007. Self-reliance. No option.
217
2007. Excellence. No option.
218
Excellence. Not optional.
219
its a brand you world.
220
Me Too Me Dead
221
Different beats Better. Distinct or
Extinct. Innovate or Die Me Too Me
Dead Talent Time! Best Talent Wins. Best
Roster Wins. Moderation Fails in Immoderate
Times
222
Moderation Fails in Immoderate Times
223
freaks win in freaky times.
224
Seek Dissidents. Nurture Dissidents. Cherish
Dissidents.
225
best talent wins.
226
women best leaders. Women biggest
market. Women control wealth. Women rule.
227
Roir/return on investment in relationships
228
Respect magic.
229
thank you magic.
230
thank you magic potion 1.
231
GE (more or less)The Sales122 122
Ridiculously Obvious Thoughts About Selling
StuffTom Peters/0402.2006
232
This list was first prepared for GE Energy sales
marketing people in January. It started with a
half-dozen items, and grew like Topsy. Possibly,
given its origins, its a little tilted toward
complex, engineering-based sales. In any event,
it makes a perfect companion to The
Irreducibles209. This, too, is effectively a
list of irreducibles.Tom Peters
233
1. Strategy overrated, simply doin stuff
underrated. See Kelleher and Bossidy We have a
strategic plan, its called doing things.Herb
Kelleher. Execution is a systematic process of
rigorously discussing hows and whats, tenaciously
following through, and ensuring accountability.
Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/ Execution The
Discipline of Getting Things Done. Action has its
own logicask Genghis Khan, Rommel, COL John
Boyd, U.S. Grant, Patton, W.T. Sherman. 2. What
are you personally great at? (Key word great.)
Play to strengths! Distinct or Extinct. You
should aim to be outrageously good/B.I.W. at a
niche area (or more). 3. Are you a personality,
a de facto brand in the industry? The Dr Phil
of ... 4. Opportunism (with a little forethought)
mostly wins. (Successful people are the ones who
are good at Plan B.) 5. Little starts can lead
to big wins. Most true winnersthink search
Googlestart as something small. Many big
dealsDisney Pixarcould have been done as
little-er deals if youd had the guts to jump
before the value became obvious.
234
Everyone lives by selling something. Robert
Louis Stevenson
235
6. Non-obvious targets have great potential.
Among many other things, everybody goes after the
obvious ones. Also, the non-obvious are often
good Partners for technology experiments. 7. The
best relationships are often (usually?) not top
to top! (Often the best hungry division GMs
eager to make a mark.) 8. ITS RELATIONSHIPS,
STUPIDDEEP AND FROM MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS. 9. In
any public-sector business, you must become an
avid student of the politics, the incentives
and constraints, mostly non-economic, facing all
of the players. Politicians are usually
incredibly logicalif you (deeply!) understand
the matrix in which they exist. 10. Relationships
from within our firm are as importantoften more
importantas those from outsideagain broad is as
important as deep. Alliesavid supporters!within
and from non-obvious places may be more important
than relationships at the Client organization.
Goal an insanely unfair market share of
insiders time devoted to your projects!
236
C(I)gtC(X)
237
11. Interesting outsiders are essential to
innovative proposal and sales teams. An
exciting sales-proposal team is as important as
a prestigious one. 12. Is the proposal-sales team
weird enoughweirdos come up with the most
interesting, game-changer ideas. Period. 13.
Lunch with at least one weirdo per month. (Goal
always on the prowl for interesting new
stuff.) 14. Gratuitous comment Lunches with good
friends are typically a waste of (professional)
time. 15. Dont short-change (time, money,
depth) the proposal process. Miss one tiny
nuance, one potential incentive that makes my
day for a key Client playerand watch the whole
gig be torpedoed. 16. Sticking with it
sometimes pays, sometimes notit takes a lot of
tries to forge the best path in. Sometimes you
never do, after a literal lifetime. (Ah,
life.) 17. WOMEN ARE SIMPLY BETTER AT
RELATIONSHIPSdont get hung upparticularly in
tech firmson what industries-countries women
cant do. (Or some such bullshit.)
238
18. Work incessantly on your storymost
economic value springs from a good story (think
Perrier)! In sensitive public or quasi-public
negotiations, a compelling story is of immense
valuepolitics is about the tension among
competing stories. (If you dont believe me, ask
Karl Rove or James Carville.) (Storytelling is
the core of culture. Branded Nation The
Marketing of Megachurch, College Inc., and
Museumworld, James Twitchell) 19. Call this 18A,
or 18 repeat Become a first-rate Storyteller!
(A key perhaps the key to leadership is the
effective communication of a story.Howard
Gardner, Leading Minds An Anatomy of
Leadership) 20. Risk Assessment Risk Management
is more about stories than advanced mathi.e.,
brilliant scenario construction. 21. Good
listeners are good sales people. Period. 22.
Lousy listeners are lousy sales people. Period.
23. GREAT LISTENERS ARE GREAT SALES PEOPLE.
(Listening skills are hard to learn and subject
to immense effort in pursuit of Mastery. A
virtuoso listener is as rare as a virtuoso
cello player.) (If you dont listen, you dont
sell anything.Carolyn Marland/MD/Guardian
Group)
239
24. Things that are funny to me (American) are
often-mostly not funny to those in other
cultures. (Humor is as fine-edged as it gets, and
rarely travels.) 25. You dont know Jack Squat
about other peoples culturesespecially if you
are a typically myopic American. (Like me.) 26.
Are you a great interviewer? Its a make or break
skill. (Think Barbara Walters skill at
extracting unwanted truths from pros in
persona-protection ... in front of 10s of
millions of people. 27. Are you a great (not
merely good) presenter? Mastering presentation
skills is a lifes workwith stupendous
payoff. 28. Work like hell on the Big 2
LISTENING/INTERVIEWING, PRESENTING. These are
the essence of sales lifeand usually
picked-up in an amateurish fashion. Mistake!
(Become a professional student of these two
areas, achieve Mastery.) 29. Are you good at
flowers? Think FLOWER POWER! (see Harvey
Mackays Mackay 66what you should know about a
Client e.g., birthdays anniversaries.) (My
flowers budget is out of control. Hooray for
me.) 30. You cant do it allbe clear at what you
are good at, bad at, indifferent at. Hubris
sucks.
240
FLOWERPOWER
241
31. The point is not to prove yourself.
(Thats ego-talk.) Let the best person present to
the Clientperhaps a lower level geek.
(Control freaks get their just desserts in the
long haulor sooner.) 32. The numbers will more
or less take care of themselves over the long
haulif the relationship/s is/are solid gold. 33.
The Gold Standard in selling INDISPENSABLE to
the Client. No other goal is worthy. 34. Never
stop growing-broadening-deepening the
relationship. The key to indispensability is to
get the Client more and more and more and
then more imbedded in our web. Hence the
so-called selling process is only the first
step! 35. USE THE WORD WE CONSTANTLY
RELIGIOUSLY! (E.g. Wethe Client meare
going to change the world with this
service.) 36. Dont waste your time on
jerksitll rarely work out in the mid- to
long-term. 37. Genius is walking away from lousy
scores (deals)and accepting the attendant
heat. Big Business is the premier home to Big
Egos overpaying by a factor of 2 to 22 with
billion at stake. (Think Jerry Levin and AOL
Time Warner.)
242
If you dont listen, you dont sell anything.
Carolyn Marland/ Managing Director/ Guardian
Group
243
38. You havent a clue as to how this situation
will actually play outbe prepared to move fast
in a different direction. 39. Keep your word. 40.
KEEP YOUR WORD. 41. Underpromise (i.e., dont
over-promise i.e., cut yourself a little slack)
even if it costs you businesswinning is a
long-term affair. Over-promising is Sign 1 of a
lack of integrity. You will pay the piper. 42.
There is such a thing as a good lossif youve
tested something new and developed good
relationships. A half-dozen honorable, ingenious
losses over a two-year period can pave the way
for a Big Victory in a New Space in year 3. 43.
Its a competitive world out there. New,
innovative products are harder to sell than old
stand-bys. Nonetheless, you will be a long-term
star to the extent that you are willing to push
the harder-to-sell-at-the-moment Innovative
Products that cement long-term Client success
(Indispensability!) even if it means a s hit
this quarter. PART OF YOUR JOB TAKE CLIENTS ON
AN ADVENTURE THAT PUTS THEM AHEAD OF THE GAME
CALLED (GAMECHANGINGhopefully) COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE!
244
You can make more friends in two months by
becoming interested in other people than you can
in two years by trying to get other people
interested in you. Dale Carnegie
245
44. Think legacywhat the hell is all this
really about for you and the world? (Tell me,
what is it you plan to do with your one wild and
precious life? Mary Oliver) 45. THERE ARE NO
MODERATES IN THE HISTORY BOOKS! 46. Keep it
simple! (Damn it!) No matter how sophisticated
the product. If you cant explain it in a phrase,
a page, or to your 14-year-old ... you havent
got it right yet. 47. Know more than the next
guy. Homework pays. (of course its obviousbut
in my work it is too often honored in the
breach.) 48. Regardless of project size, winning
or losing invariably hinges on a raft of little
stuff. Little stuff is and always has been
everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!or, one mans
little stuff is another mans 7.6 Richter
deal-breaker. 49. In public settings in
particular, face saving is all. When something
changes, allow the other guy to come out looking
like a winner, especially if he has lost. (Even
if you must accept the egg on your facehe will
always remember you!) 50. Dont hold grudges. (It
is the ultimate in small mindednessand
incredibly wasteful and ineffective. Theres
always tomorrow.)
246
51. ITS ALWAYS THE POLITICSwee
private-sector deal or giant public sector deal.
(Every player, small or large, is angling for
something. Master the calculus of advantage.) 52.
To beat the turnover problem in key Client
posts amidst long negotiations, invest outrageous
amounts of time building a wide deep set of
relationships with mid-level ( lower!!)
plodding careerists. The invisible
careerists are the bedrock upon which repeated
success is built! (My Capitol Hill Axiom Its
the 24-year-old LA who in the end briefs the
Senator right before she goes to the Floor to
vote.) 53. Speaking of she Gender differences
are Enormousdealing with a woman and dealing
with a man are different kettles of fishyou must
become an A student of gender differences.
(E.g. Men are typically more interested in the
short-term score. Women are more interested in
the long-term consequences.) 54. LITTLE PEOPLE
OFTEN HAVE BIG FRIENDS. 55. This is not war, damn
it. All parties can win (or not lose, anyway).
And losing bidders can walk away from a deal with
increased respect for you and your team.
247
56. Never, ever dump on a competitorthe Tom
Watson IBM glory-days mantra. 57. Never forget
the Law of Cousins! In developing nations in
particular, power brokers at all levels are at
least cousins! Consideration for a second cousin
can pay off big time. 58. Speaking of favors,
jail sucks. 59. Work hard beats work smart.
(Mostly.) 60. REPEAT HE/SHE WHO HAS THE
MOST-BEST RELATIONSHIPS WINS. RELATIONSHIPS ARE
THE ESSENCE OF THE WORK OF THE SALESPERSON. THE
HARD ... AND LONG ... WORK OF THE SALESPERSON.
61. Mano v mano hardball is seldom the
answerend runs based and patient multi-level
relationship building via deeper-wider networks
win. 62. If the deal is wired from below, truly
wired, than the so-called big negotiations are
essentially irrelevant. 63. If every quarter is a
little better than the prior quarterthen you
are not taking any serious risks. 64. Phones
beat email.
248
Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm. Samuel
Taylor Coleridge
249
65. A THREE-MINUTE CALL TODAY CAN AVOID A
GAME-LOSER OF A FIASCO NEXT MONTH. There was
always a time when a little thing could have been
addressed that headed off a subsequent big thing.
As to avoiding that call, didnt someone say,
Pride goeth before the fall? 66. Be
hyper-organized about relationship managementyou
are in the anthropology business. Study the great
pols! Brilliant NRM (network relationship
management) is not accidental! It is not
catch-as-catch can. (Football analogies are
cutebut deep political understanding pays the
private-school tuition.) 67. Obsess on ROIR
(Return On Investment In Relationships). 68.
THANK YOU NOTES Worlds highest-return
investment!! 69. The way to anyones heart Doing
a nice thing for their kid. (But, gawd, does this
take a gentle touch.) 70. Scoring off other
people is stupid. Winners are always in the
business of creating the maximum of
winnersamong adversaries at least as much as
among partners. 71. Your colleagues successes
are your successes. Period. (Trust me, my
greatest personal successfinancially as well as
artisticallyhas been creating a bigger pond in
which everyone wins, even if my market share is
down.)
250
72. Lend a helping hand, especially when you
dont have the time. E.g. share relationshipsthe
more you give away the more you get in return
(just like they say in church). 73. Listen up
It was much later that I realized Dads secret.
He gained respect by giving it. He talked and
listened to the fourth-grade kids in Spring
Valley who shined shoes the same way he talked
and listened to a bishop or a college president.
He was seriously interested in who you were and
what you had to say. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot,
Respect. (I.e., Respect is Cool.) 74. Mentoring
is a thrilland the practical payoff is enormous.
The best mentors have the whole world working its
buns off for them! 75. Hire for enthusiasm.
Promote for enthusiasm. Cherish enthusiasm.
REMOVE NON-ENTHUSIASTSTHEY ARE CANCERS.
(Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.Samuel
Taylor Coleridge. A man without a smiling face
must not open a shop.Chinese Proverb.) 76. ITS
ALWAYS YOUR PROBLEMyou sold it to them.
251
77. Its never over While there may be an
excellent service activity in your company, the
relationship belongs to You! Hence the
aftersales moments of truth are at least
asif not more than--important to the Continuing
Relationship as the sale transaction itself.
(I vote for more than.) Youll get your
biggest points with the Client for being an
effective after-the-fact go-between with your
company. 78. Dont get too hung up on systems
integrationfirst foremost, the individual
bits have got to work. 79. For Gods sake dont
over promise on systems integrationits nigh
on impossible to deliver. 80. On the other hand
winners clamber Up the Value-added Ladder, and
offer ever so much more than mere product. ALL
SUCCESSFUL SALES PEOPLE ARE IN THE SOLUTIONS
BUSINESSno matter how jargony that may sound.
252
81. Systems / Solutions selling means
grappling directly with culture change in
Client organizations. (The business of selling
is not just about matching viable solutions to
the customers that require them. Its equally
about managing the change process the customer
will need to go through to implement the solution
and achieve the value promised by the
solutionJeff Thull, The Prime Solution Close
the Value Gap, Increase Margins, and Win the
Complex Sale) 82. Shit happens. Thats what they
pay you for. 83. This is not a GE or Ben
Jerrys saleit is a Joe Jones/Jane Jones sale.
YOU ARE THE BRAND THE CLIENT BUYSespecially
over the long haul. 84. Duh You make money, the
company makes moneyon repeat business. 85.
Masteryes, youthe PR Game. Word of Mouth is
not accidental! You want Word of Mouth? Make it
happen! 86. GOAL 1 MAKE YOUR CLIENT A HEROYOU
ARE NOT THERE TO GET CREDIT. (Taking credit is
for egomaniacs. And losers.) 87. Decent
margins, over the mid- to long-term, are a
product of better relationships, not better
negotiating skill. (Mostly.)
253
You cant behave in a calm, rational manner.
Youve got to be out there on the lunatic
fringe. Jack Welch
254
88. In the immortal words of ex-GE Vice Chairman
Larry Bossidy, more or less, Realism rocks.
(Bullshit artist and great salesperson,
contrary to conventional wisdom, are Diametric
Opposites. Truthteller and Great Salesperson is
more like it.) 89. Be the first to tell the
Client bad news (e.g., slipped delivery) his
intelligence sources will tell him fastyou want
to be there first with your story and to enhance
your rep as Truthteller! 90. Work like hell to
get a reputation as a valued industry expert, to
become an industry resource. 91. Work the Trade
Association angle for all its worthit may take a
decade to pay offe.g., when you become an
officer or are on an important panel or testify
Before Congress. 92. PAY YOUR DUES IN THE CLIENT
ORG AND IN YOUR OWN ORG! 93. Its all bloody
tactics. 94. You must ... LOVE .... the product!
(Period.) 95. YOU MUST LOVE THE PRODUCT! 96.
Dont over-schedule. Running late is
inexcusable at any level of seniority it is the
ultimate mark of self-importance mixed with
contempt.
255
97. Women are better salespeople. (See
Addendum.) 98. Women alone understand Women. 99.
Actually, Women by and large understand Men
better than Men understand Men. 100.Women
purchasers buy Stories and recommendations. 101.
Women take longer to become Loyal purchasers, but
then stay Loyal. 102. Men buy Stats. 103. Men
decide fast, but are fickle. 104. Men Women are
VERY, VERY Different. 105. Women buy most
things. Consumer. Increasingly, professional
goods and services. 106. Womens Market is
Opportunity 1. 107. Boomers. Many, many. Lots
lots lots of . 108. Boomers-Geezers are
very different purchasers than those in other
categories.
256
Women Rock as Salespersons (From Item
97.) And the answers are? TAKE THIS QUICK
QUIZ Who manages more things at once? Who puts
more effort into their appearance? Who usually
takes care of the details? Who finds it easier
to meet new people? Who asks more questions in
a conversation? Who is a better listener?
Who has more interest in communication skills?
Who is more inclined to get involved? Who
encourages harmony and agreement? Who has
better intuition? Who works with a longer to
do list? Who enjoys a recap to the days
events? Who is better at keeping in touch with
others?Source Selling Is a Womans Game 15
Powerful Reasons Why Women Can Outsell Men, Nicki
Joy Susan Kane-Benson
257
109. It takes time to get to know people.
(DUH.) 110. The very idea of efficiency in
relationship development is ... STUPID. 111. MBWA
(still) rules. 11