The Job Nobody Dreams Of

Lessons From The Oil Patch

One of the books I am reading is a new book from Bryan Burrough titled, "The
Big Rich" which is a history of the Texas oil fortunes. This morning while I was reading the profile of Hugh Roy Cullen's early years, it striked me that his experiences are very similar to that of a salesman.

When you are drilling for oil there are always dry holes, just as you don't always close every sale. Cullen could have given up, just like so many salespeople do when they get their own version of a dry hole...being told "no" by a prospect. For months Cullen hit dry hole after dry hole and yet he would come home and tell his wife Lillie that, "tomorrow is another day."

He decided to go back to one of the fields where he and others had repeatedly struck out and figured he would drill deeper this time. This is the same strategy successful salespeople utilize, going back to a prospect who has turned you down in the past and take another crack at getting their business (after all "no" just means "no" today).

Anyone can be an "order taker" and skim the cream off the top in good times. It's no different in the oil business where early wildcatters drilled near where the black gold was seeping near the top.

Cullen continued to drill deeper and found oil where others had given up. He became so successful that in the early 1900s he was probably America's richest man. More than once I have told a prospect who I have repeatedly tried to land as a client that the same tenacity that I am using to initially get their business will be used to keep them as a client.

Just as the oilmen of the early part of the 20th century invested a lot to drill deeper than their competition, the time and energy invested to land a prize client cannot be recouped from a one time sale. Most people give up the first time they encounter rejection. It doesn't matter if you are drilling for oil, trying to get a date with the girl of your dreams or land the sale of a lifetime. The "never give up" attitude will always win out. It worked for the early wildcatters and it works for anyone involved in sales.

Happy Selling!

Update - Why Not Your Own Blog

I logged onto Typepad.com today and saw an ad about blogging and resumes - http://www.typepad.com/tips/professional-tutorial.html 

Given the number of people who have suddenly found themselves in search of a new job, this tutorial is both timely and a great resource.

Happy Selling!

Practice Your Strengths

I recently read an article on personal development that made unbelievable sense to me. We've all been told to work on our weaknesses, the idea being that we become an overall better person. This article throws that theory right out the door!

By spending time working our weaknesses we end up with a lot of strong weaknesses. If we concentrate instead on improving our strengths we have a chance to have a couple areas that we can stand out and shine.

Why is this concept so darn smart? Think about it. If there is something you are good at, it probably means that you enjoy it and have a passion doing it. If there is something that you are weak in, chances are you don't enjoy it much.  

What's the old adage...."Jack of all trades and master of none." Trying to master every skill keeps you average. Being average in today's economy is possible career suicide. Focus on what you love and are best at and then practice those strengths. Make a list of three things that you are brilliant at and do whatever you can to keep improving those skills. Track your progress - http://tinyurl.com/67mf5w - and strive to make yourself a little better each month.

Happy Selling!

Lessons from Peyton Manning

It's not surprising that ESPN ran a segment on quarterback Peyton Manning. It probably is surprising that the segment had nothing to do with his play on the field. Yesterday's "Outside the Lines" - http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3889519 - profiled Manning's hand written letters to recently retired players.

He writes to former players to show his appreciation of how they played the game. The recipients of Manning's letters' are touched, not necessarily by the fact that they heard from Manning, but that he took the time to write a letter. How often do you receive a hand written letter? Exactly!

I wrote about Thank You notes last year - http://tinyurl.com/brrwpq - but a letter of appreciation is even more powerful. I wrote a letter to my father many years ago at Christmas to express my appreciation for all the things that he did for me growing up. I mentioned things from 25 years ago. He said it was the greatest present he ever received.

Find time at least once a month to sit down and write a letter to a friend, family member or business associate and tell them how much you appreciate what they do. I promise they will appreciate it!

Happy Selling!

Why Not Your Own Blog

I think that to be successful in business you need your own blog...but you might be surprised at my reasons why. The world doesn't need another blog...there are undoubtably millions of blogs out in cyberspace but you can use yours to strategically expand your exposure. Writing about the subject you choose won't necessarily make your rich (though it might - stay tuned!) but it can help you in so many othersways.

First a blog helps to establish you as an expert...if you're in print you must be an expert, right! Put a link to your blog in your email signature and you will get people that you correspond with to view your posts. Your blog isn't designed to be an advertisement, instead becoming an important resource for your readers.

Second, a blog forces you to think. Think about what you are going to write; think about researching your topic and think about how you are going to write about your topic. Thinking about what you are going to write forces you to expand your horizons and expose yourself to new topics. Thinking about where to get information about your post forces you to learn something new as you filter through information on that particular subject. Finally, thinking about how you write will force you to learn how to be a better writer.

The big question...what to write. Write about whatever you feel like writing. Offer advice; give your opinion on current events and how it affects your company and your customers. Do an interview with an industry expert. Make a list (Top 10 Trends for Your Industry or 25 Most Popular Uses for Your Product are just two examples). Your stuck for an idea? have guest write a post.

Finally can a blog create a revenue stream? Yes it can happen. Here is a great article how - http://tinyurl.com/25x8vg

There are so many benefits to writing a blog. Make the commitment to start one before the end of the month.

Happy Selling!