process

Acquiring fresh ideas

I think getting new, valid, and visible ideas requires effort as the creative process requires effort. Frequently, this inventive journey follows a cascade of ideas and thoughts that may seem disconnected and unrelated to the untrained observer. It takes a clear state of mind to see connections suddenly and serendipitously between unrelated concepts. Contact me via e-mail if you are interested in hearing more.

““There are three things that are extremely hard: steel, diamonds, and to know oneself.””
— Benjamin Franklin
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Make them feel comfortable

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Sales involves both a systematic process and interpersonal skills, and effective salesmanship hinges on the art of listening and forming connections with people. The systematic approach entails initial connection, followed by an approach and conversation where you uncover insights about the individual. Understanding this process sets the stage for honing the necessary skills, and I think mastering the art of asking the right questions is pivotal, and this means knowing what to ask and what to avoid. Instead of focusing on oneself, it's crucial to frame questions that encourage individuals to share about themselves, as everyone loves to speak about their own experiences and perspectives.

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The triangle of change

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In general, most individuals and organisations will only change when there is either a massive reward or there’s going to be massive pain, suffering or inconvenience by not changing. The "triangle of change" is a model used to explain the three key elements that need to be present for change to occur successfully in any organisation. The three things that make up the triangle of change are:

  1. Leadership
    Change needs to be led by someone who has a vision and is willing to take action to make that vision a reality. Effective leadership is crucial for creating a sense of urgency, inspiring and motivating people to embrace the change, and providing direction and guidance throughout the process.

  2. Culture
    The culture of an organisation or system plays a crucial role in determining whether change is successful. A positive and supportive culture can create an environment where change is embraced and people are willing to take risks, learn new skills, and adapt to new ways of doing things. On the other hand, a culture that is resistant to change can make it difficult to implement new ideas and initiatives.

  3. Process 

    The third component of the triangle of change is the process, which refers to the steps and actions that need to be taken to bring about the desired change. This involves setting goals, creating a plan, implementing the plan, and measuring progress along the way. Effective processes are essential for ensuring that change is managed in a structured and systematic way, and that everyone is working towards the same goals.

A chain of steps

Utopia is often referred to as a good place that doesn’t exist. There are two things that trigger the buying decision process:
a)    Moving away from pain, or
b)    Moving towards pleasure

I think everything that we do, everything that we buy, every decision that we make in buying anything is driven entirely by how we feel now and how the purchase will make us feel. The buying side decision process goes through five stages:
1.         Realisation that we have a problem (recognition)
2.         Look for alternatives (search)
3.         Quantify what it may do for us (evaluation)
4.         And then start to engage (purchase)
5.         After sale (post-purchase)

“If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you don’t understand it. The best way to learn is to teach. ”
— Professor Feynman

Why before the what

When you really feel an idea and just don’t take “no” for an answer, it doesn’t take much for us to feel good about ourselves. We don’t have to announce it to the world, we just have to begin, and the small journey will have begun.

“I am so grateful for the circumstances that brought me to this place as all these twists and turns have brought me to this destination. Now I have the opportunity to serve other people as well as to help myself fulfil my destiny.”
— Burrellism

Design your process

As salespersons when we are in front of clients if we don’t have a process, I mean a system of doing things via repetition or preparation, then we will stumble. Remember that your process does not have to be rigid. Have you ever left a meeting and then 10 minutes later you say to yourself, “Why didn’t I say this or that?” This is because when you have had time to relax and you are not under pressure, you can evaluate and reflect on what has been said – and boom, you had a better answer.

 

There is a huge difference between preparation and repair. Sales is a preparation or prevention profession, and for some reason we are all sitting around trying to repair stuff. Preparation takes a little bit of work, work which we don’t know for sure whether it will pay off or not, so we are really on a loose limb. Alternatively, we can put in a little bit of work and prevent falling into the trap. There is no doubt that you are going to succeed because you already have because you are reading this blog. Contact me via e-mail for an appointment when you are ready to design your process.

The power of goal setting

According to psychological research, written goals are much more powerful than unwritten ones. I think by writing down goals we start to anticipate how we will achieve those goals and start to build our way power as our brains just does not have enough working memory to do all that without committing the goals to paper.

There are three types of goals: process goals, performance goals and outcome goals. As a former athlete, I think process goals are the most valuable since practising reaching a process goal is demanding and if you fail, it will not be as public as failing to achieve an outcome goal.

“Plans are irrelevant; planning is everything. ”
— Winston Churchill

Head in the clouds

Mind-wandering the enemy of focus because if your mind is wondering then by definition, you are not focusing and vice-versa. According to Wikipedia, mind-wandering could be described as the experience of thoughts not remaining on a single topic for a long period of time, particularly when people are engaged in an attention-demanding task. I think having your head in the clouds and mind-wandering is extremely valuable and essential for creative insights. This is because the creative process demands that you first gather information and focus on the problem, then you really concentrate and then let go.

The annals of science, art and mathematics are full of people who came up with incredible solutions when they were just daydreaming - in the shower, driving a car, sitting on a train or bus, walking the dog, etc. And that’s because during mind-wandering we can make connections between remote elements in a new way that has value. Now if we move into the execution phase, where you put the idea to use, then you must go back into focus.