I was the top IBM salesperson in my branch office but was frustrated. Mike had much more of our leadership’s attention and help than I did.
Mike seemed to struggle to get business and had more than his share of crises in his accounts. Even my boss’s boss visited Mike’s customers to sell for him. Why?
When a new manager position became available … who got promoted? Right … it was Mike!
More than good ideas and good performance are needed. I was still in my nieve 20s, thinking performance was the way to success. Reality did align with my perception. Performance mattered, but so did relationships. I seldom asked for help nor made my boss’s boss feel needed. Mike did both. He was also very friendly and likable.
I want to say I immediately saw the light and changed my ways. The truth is, it took much longer and many more examples to convince me.
The “what” is performance, and the “how” is everything else.
“What do I do when they steal my idea?” is another example. The idea you brought up in last week’s staff meeting was ignored, and Mike brought up the same basic idea this week—and the team loves it.
The “what” is the idea, and the “how” is the delivery and passion for the idea. How do you sell your idea?
Suppose you invented a great food product and placed it in a plain brown bag on the grocery store shelf without pictures or explanation. How well will it sell next to an enticing package next to yours? Not well – right!
To sell your idea, you must communicate how your product benefits others – not put it in a brown paper bag. Think about the other person’s point of view and how your idea will enhance what they want or avoid what they fear.
There are many Mikes in the world. Instead of getting angry, learn from Mike. What made the idea desirable based on how Mike communicated it?