Philosophy

When it came time to learn how to ride a bicycle, how many of you went to Bicycle 101 before taking off on your first venture?  You can Google ‘how to ride a bicycle’ today and find lots of information but back in my day you got on the bike and rolled the dice. I doubt it is different for folks today. Even with Internet links or good advice from parents or loved ones, you don’t really know the ‘how-to’ of cycling until you get on and shove off. Once you’ve paid your dues, then and only then do you know how to ride a bicycle. It is no longer ‘explicit’ information on a written page or computer screen. What you have now is tacit knowing. You have experience.

These are difficult times we’re going through. As is true for all economic downturns, fear and uncertainty creep into our lives. In the time it took to write this article, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fell 100 points. What we’re experiencing today is not unprecedented. I went through Black Monday (October 19, 1987) as a stock broker. The DJIA fell 508 points. Stock markets around the world plummeted. It was a terrible bloodletting.

First I want to wish you a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2008. I also hope you had a good holiday season. If it was a time of difficulty, as it is for some, know that you are in my thoughts as well. Life marches on holiday or not.

I also want to thank you for taking the time and making the effort to subscribe to The Producers Spotlight. After 18 years of owning a business that required driving to and from an office, I am in the process of transforming the entire business to the digital world. The ‘Spotlight’ is the first step.

I’ve focused recently on the importance of changing the legacy that the sales profession, in whatever form it has taken, has passed down to us. I was going to shift gears a bit this week but after a recent conversation with an upper level manager about training materials and sales philosophy, I’m going to give it one more shot. Keep in mind this person was not an employee of an obscure company holding onto the last of the old-school sales ideologies. He was in a promient and influencial position in a leading corporation. The teachings of the old school are alive and well. This corporation is propagating the same techniques and tactics to their producers that brought us the legacy I’ve spoken about in the last few articles. It is the one where sales people are some of the most avoided and disliked of all professional people. I’ve borrowed a piece from You Tube to illustrate my point. I’ve provided a link to it in this article. Someone once said a picture is worth a thousand words. This is so very true about this video as well.

What does it mean to be a 21st Century Producer?

The pace of life in the 21st century is making it increasing difficult for most of us to keep up. More energy and effort is required from each of us to meet the complexities and demands of a rapidly changing world. Change of this magnitude breeds uncertainty. From uncertainty comes a deeper need for security.

Steve Kloyda founded Telemasters, Inc. in 1990. Since 1990 Steve has listened to and analyzed more than 25,000 sales and customer service calls. Applying the knowledge gathered, he created The Telemasters System™, a unique process for achieving superior results on the telephone. This process has been designed to transform the outcome of each telephone call. Steve began his sales career in 1980 as a stockbroker.

Early in my business life, I was fortunate to meet someone who not only believed in me and inspired me, but also provided me with wisdom that guides me to the present day. His name was Tom Vanyo, and I’ll never forget what he said to me in 1980: “Steve, improve yourself daily.” He deeply impressed upon me the value of personal development and continued learning.