Back on track with advice for my daughters (Everyone else can listen in if you want to).

Here are two topics that are near and dear to my heart. I want to discuss leadership and sales which are closely related for the context of this blog post.

Let me explain:  As a leader you will have to present ideas to your team and get them to "buy" into your direction or strategy.

Many people might say, “I am the boss. I direct and every one does what I say or they are not part of MY team." This style of management is not sustainable because when the boss is gone, progress will stop. The young managers will try this method and fail.

The veteran manager will "sell" the idea and get the team excited about the direction. When the team is on board the boss is unnecessary. You may be thinking, “Unnecessary, what a terrible plan.” This doesn't make sense to most people, but stop and think about it. How can you take a vacation or even get promoted if your presence is needed for your team to function? Your goal should be to make yourself dispensable.

So now you understand how being a good leader requires sales skills. So from this point forward, I am going to teach you how to be an excellent sale professional.

You are probably thinking, "salesman or woman, yuck!" WRONG -you are thinking of a creep who sells used cars and who is a liar. Unfortunately those people have tainted the sales profession.

The sales pro is interested in one thing: helping their customer. Similarly the leader is focused on one thing: helping his team succeed.

I saw a business card with a cartoon on the back. It showed a king getting ready for battle. His horse was covered with armor. In the distance you could see an army of soldiers with swords. A man approaches the king and says, “The salesman is here to see you."

The king tells the man, “As you can see, I am busy! Tell the salesman I don't have time." The man tells the salesman to go away. BTW: the salesman was selling machine guns!

The moral of the cartoon: Salesmen, the good ones, help.

​Question: Why don't people want to see a salesman? Simple answer: people don't have time to waste.

I remember as a young engineer when I would talk to a salesman, it was always the same drill. “What do you do and how can I help?" Are you kidding me? I have to educate the salesman and then figure out how he can help me? I have enough to do, get out!

Let’s describe a successful sales call. The customer got what was needed. The customer gives you a glowing review and recommends you to another potential customer!  Also, your customer promises you future business. Awesome, right? Let me tell you, in today's business world, this is easier than you may think.

How is this possible?  With the internet, customers have more choices than ever.

The only way to get business is by having the lowest price. That dismal view is accurate for an industry that is a commodity. If you find yourself in the commodity market, my advice is: GET OUT, don't walk, RUN!

What is a commodity? My definition is this, any service that is sold with little value added by you or your company.  Keep your eye on how much value is being added. The moment the customer realizes that you are basically adding to the cost for no reason, you will be done. The scary part of being of “no value” is how quickly word gets around, that is why I said,  RUN.

Let’s continue with the supposition that your product or service is adding value. How can you become awesome at sales?

First step is to find good targets. Make sure that what you have is something they need. It doesn’t matter if they have a favorite supplier, they haven't met you yet!

Next learn about their industry. Become an expert. Your goal is when you sit down with the decision maker you are able to educate him about his industry. You explain trends and what his competition is doing well and what they are struggling with. Then you blow his mind by telling him the problems he is facing and some ideas to correct them.

How do you get all this information? Do your homework. (Google is not the extent of your homework).  Meet with people who are not in management. These workers are not treated to lunch because they don't have purchasing authority. They are ignored by salesmen, but not you, because you know that the workforce knows what is going on. For a $12.99 meal and a closed mouth, you are about to be educated, and perhaps you might even make a friend. You are learning and adding value by doing the research that every executive wishes he had the time to do.

Once you become a source of knowledge, the executive /decision maker will "beg" for your time. Sales become a natural result. You are now an elite sale professional.

Here is an important point: you have to choose an industry. It is impossible to be an expert at all industries.

Why is it easier to have the ideal sales call today? Because most salesmen are lazy! They will not do the homework. Also, some genius manager thought, “Bob is very knowledgeable about our product, he should sell it!” That is a very bad idea.
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This post is full of concepts that will change your life. Remember these keys. Specialize in one or two industries. Do your homework and stay positive!

 I was on a path of giving advice but I'm going to change direction for the blog this time because I have a lot on my mind and thought it may be cathartic to write down some thoughts. 

I am not sure what prompted me to do it, but I watched the video, “Beautiful” that Ashley and her friend made of me.  (You can find it in the video tab if you’re interested.)  As I watched, I hardly recognized the man in the video. The man I saw was strong, up for any challenge that ALS had in store for him. That man made wonderful analogies that would make the "rollercoaster ride" tolerable.  He was almost daring ALS to, as the song says, "hit me with your best shot".  He is so confident because God himself is walking with him.

​ "Oh, young Akhil, you are entering a battlefield that is going test every part of your being but you will not be alone. Unfortunately, everyone that you know and love is also going to have a place in this fight."

Today I feel like I am in a Wes Craven nightmare (“Nightmare on Elm Street” for the uninitiated - a terrifying movie back in its day).  Instead of Freddy Kruger chasing me, I am held hostage by an evil beast.

 In my nightmare, the beast has tied up my family forcing them to helplessly watch as the beast kills me slowly, sadistically cutting off small parts of my body making death becoming my only solace.  

​A more horrific part of the dream is that I see God watching this atrocity unfold, fully able to stop the madness but unwilling. I ask God, "Are you willing to save me?”
The beast laughs as God says to me, "Away from me, I don't know you!"

Then I wake up and realize this really is happening. It is not a dream.  The beast is ALS and it is slowly stripping me of everything.  It is tormenting my family as they watch my degradation wishing for a “normal” life.  

All this is going on while God watches, or so it seems. Well-intentioned people profess they know God and that God loves me but it is hard to feel that right now. That man in the video is on board with that sentiment; however, this man today who has suffered so much since then, wonders. 

Perhaps that is incorrect, I don’t really wonder. I know God loves me but it is hard for me to love Him right now.  In my mind, He is the one holding me captive, in possession of the keys to set me free with a medical or miraculous healing but He refuses to do so.  

Fortunately for me, God seems to be ok with one-sided love at times.  No matter how I may be feeling, He is always there pulling me toward Him and reminding me that He is here. 

​He is ready to receive me with open arms any time that I choose to run to Him and I can rest in His peace.