#greg heeres

If you’re the new leader coming into an organization, how do you keep from messing with the sacred cows? @craigtowens and I discussed this on a recent episode of our leadership podcast.

Efficient with time. Effective with people. 

High performers have specific habits that set them apart and set their sails towards success.

High performance salespeople need to be both efficient and effective. This is not an easy balancing act. In fact, I have witnessed many salespeople lean toward one or the other: very efficient or very effective. 

Efficient implies quick paced and the least wasted time.

Effective indicates making a deep impression, producing intended results and preparedness. 

“Efficiency is doing things right. Effective is doing the right thing.” 

I worked with a salesperson who was very quick—quick to email, quick to answer the call, quick to send off a short response, quick to answer and hang up. But very little connection with the customer. I would describe them as efficient. All by itself, efficiency does not develop a great relationship nor real customer loyalty. It simply produces satisfaction. 

In another instance, I worked with a salesperson who could talk and talk and talk. The relationship was solid because the customer knew the salesperson well, and visa versa. The element here was spending inordinate amounts of time on the phone, in person and in long communications. 

Neither of these approaches are bad, but I am suggesting that you need to be cognizant of both. Being both efficient with your time and effective with your time. 

I was coaching a salesperson (let’s refer to him as Mike) years ago, and he asked a good question: “How do I get the buyer to say ‘yes’ and stop having endless coffee meetings? Already I’ve have five meetings with the same buyer and haven’t gotten a commitment.”

Before I offered any advice I needed to ask him a few questions,  starting with, “How did you first connect and what did you share were the expectations and timetable?” 

He said, “What expectations and timetable?” 

Notice that how he started (lacking rules of engagement) with this coffee drinker was allowing the five coffee meetings. 

Mistakes don’t have to be fatal. 

My friend @gregheeres had a stellar college football career, but his very first play was not very promising. 

Fear causes leaders to look at everything through the worst-case-scenario lens, but hope allows leaders to look through the best-case-scenario lens.

What kind of leader will you be?

On The Craig And Greg Show, @gregheeres asked me who should read “Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Mater.” The short answer is: Any leader who feels trapped by unrealistic metrics of “success.” 

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, and he is quite a story. He attempted to get into political leadership a number of times. His wife, Mary Todd, had health issues. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, in fact he was born into poverty and grew up in a dirt floor, wood cabin. After he became president, he successfully led the U.S. through the American Civil War. He stood up against all sides, and delivered the famous Gettysburg Address. Sadly, he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a left wing democrat against nationalism, patriotism, healing and freedom. 

To this day, he is considered one of the top, if not the top, president ever to serve the U.S.A.

Unlike Honest Abe, I worked with a person who ended up being a prolific con man, a business cheat and a dishonest person to his family, his business partners and his community. One of the most identifiable traits of President Lincoln is his honesty. It seems to be a lost virtue in society today with the media and our government. 

This former partner was such a chameleon that he often forget what he told someone and would tell others something entirely different, based on what he thought you deserved to know or what aspect of the story he determined you needed to know. He definitely lacked a conscience about his fibs, twisted tales, and lies. 

Ironically, we learned to decipher when my former partner would lie because he would start with this sentence, “To be honest with you….” My response to this was, “So you have to tell us when you are sorta telling the truth?”

“If you wish to see the character of a person, give them power.” —Abraham Lincoln

One of the main qualities of great leaders is integrity. It is nearly impossible to have dedicated followers, strong teammates and loyal customers if you lack integrity. Merriam Webster describes integrity as “the adherence to moral and ethical principles with a soundness of moral character and honesty.” 

Paradoxically, if you are out and about and you look back, and none of your associates are with you, then you are merely taking a walk. This would apply to my former partner. He took many walks and no one followed because it was honestly impossible to follow such an unprincipled person. 

One of my favorite book titles is from Patrick Lencioni: Get Naked. The title catches everyone off guard. Almost like they are expecting it to be a similar book genre as 50 Shades Of Gray. No, Get Naked is about a leader being transparent and true to their word.

As a young boy, I enjoyed reading (okay, I preferred to play outside), but when my mom would encourage (oaky, sometimes she insisted) that I settle down and read, I really found the Native American culture interesting. I respected them for their qualities and what they endured. Some of their rituals, traditions, and values really resonated with me, and still do. One of the coolest is their rain dance—so impressive and beautiful! 

In sales, the phrase “a rainmaker” refers to someone who make things happen, someone who has the “it” factor, attracts clients, and is skilled at connecting and networking with others. 

The Top 10 characteristics for a rainmaker:  

Adaptability

Big picture vision 

Genuinely empathetic

Energetic

Growth mindset

Hope dealer

Intellectual 

Networking focused 

Self-aware

Word merchant

From the list above, what characteristics do you believe you possess? 

Some will agree they have over half of them. Some may admit they lack a few of them. I have been asked what it would take to acquire and/or develop more of these characteristics. 

Here are some ways to be more of a rainmaker and less of a rainless cloud:

Free yourself from being stuck in your own ways

Focus on goals not minutia 

Grow a caring heart for others

Rest, exercise, eat well so that you have the energy to make it rain

Observe and ask—this will lead to a growth mindset

Remember that positivity attracts

Read and research to grow your brain (which is a muscle)

Walk across the room to network with others

Windows help you be more aware; a mirror is more vanity

Share content with others, be an encourager, give lots of compliments 

If a rainmaker doesn’t look that familiar to you, here are the habits of being a rainless cloud:

Backstabber

Dishonest

Disloyal

Doubter

Gossip

Negativity

Passive Aggressive

My takeaway for you—If you are in a position to lead, sell, develop business, and network, I implore you to work on making it rain and not just raining on someone else’s parade. 

A tribute to Anne Geddes. 

She is a world famous photographer of babies. She captures the most darling pictures of smiling, cute as all get out babies. These babies have infectious smiles. One can’t help themselves from smiling back at the wonderfully captured pictures of these round-faced cherubs dressed in such cute outfits.

Are you infectious?

Granted in 2020 we experienced a global virus that was very contagious, but the real leadership question is: Are you infectious in a healthy way? What do your associates, teammates, and friends feel when they have spent time with you? What do others experience when interacting with you? What do you motivate them to do and to become? This is the influence you have as a leader. 

Here are the top qualities necessary to be infectious:

1. Approachability 

2. Emotionally stable

3. Body language that is open and inviting

4. Awareness—both of yourself and others on your team  

5. Listening to learn not dictate

6. Consistent principles 

7. Encouraging