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Find me somebody to... trust.  A better version of yourself. The ladders of wealth creation.
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Hello there:

This has been a trying week.

As I casted my ballot in Pennsylvania, a state that doesn't get much attention in normal times, I could feel the eyes of the world upon me. The generations who came to America before me in search of opportunity in exchange for hard work, and the people everywhere who still see the U.S. as a beacon of hope.

We can all agree that these circumstances aren't normal. But perhaps, like me, you wondered: Could one vote — your vote — swing an entire election? Robert Wiblin has done the math: voting is altruistic. If enough people feel they matter, that changes things. 
 
"Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Wheatley. 

I thought the hardest part was voting... I was in for a surprise.

Somehow, later in the day, I managed to find 6,465 email threads from the years 2011-2016 in the trash. That's five years! Talk about time expanding. Imagine trying to figure out if this was a bad restore of deleted messages or a mistake I made. When in doubt, bet on the mistake.

Lost memories of work and life in one, long thread. Dangerous surgeries and the last emails from a departed parent mixed with logistics and project updates. That was quite a trip.

The silver lining: once I figured out a system to scan and archive, I was able to rise above the single thread. Five years of conversations are a good chunk of feedback. Calendar entires, new introductions, comments and notes: the trends in your life. What were you working on? Who did you meet? Are they still part of your life?
 
You can find out a lot about yourself with that kind of data in hand. Maybe even rediscover the spark that led to your current work.

In the summer of 2015, I was a guest lecturer at the Advanced Digital Marketing program of the Bologna Business School. In my notes about "new brand strategies to connect with tech-savvy customers" I found the three primary domains that are still critical for companies and individuals to master: identity, information, and relationships.

Much has changed in the last four years. And much can change in the next four. But there is one domain where one vote counts: how you're going to live your life. This impacts who you're going to be as a person and in the roles you play or where you're casted in the world.

Last week we talked about finding reliable sources. The question of who to trust applies to all three dimensions of my work. Whether it's technology, communication, or transactions, at some point, we all have to decide who to trust. 

Who can you trust?

My answer was in those five years of correspondence. And I was glad to learn the things I could still work on and improve. One of those things is the lingering dislike for selling myself.

But to sell is human. And that's where we turn after the illustrated intermezzo...

(Next week we'll talk about my biggest mistake and how you can avoid making it.)
 

Being ghosted by a close friend.
by
Chiara Ghigliazza

Website . Instagram

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How to Sell


"We’ve internalized an image of selling drawn from capitalism’s worst moments, which gives rise to a suspicion that selling somehow injures those to whom we sell." That's a cultural stereotype. 

The moral compass of a salesperson isn't fixed, neither is their skill. Selling is all about alignment. I worked with hundreds of salespeople across the world: there is such a thing as good selling.

From the technician at my local appliances store who cuts through the Consumer Reports' ratings with his recommendations (yep, they stand the test of time), to the person who can cut sizable deals, good selling is providing a needed service and product. 
 
Good selling is about acknowledging
the truth of human life.

A story to illustrate.

Laura was a woman producer at a new agency that sold national, regional, and local advertising space: print, billboards, radio, and posters. Digital was still a few years away. Because she was new, her territory was the largest and most distant. The best went to the producers who had proven themselves. 

A wife and mother of three, she still had groceries to pick up, and a house to run. Her high energy was sorely tested on long days spent driving across the region nonstop to call on prospects trained to avoid her.

One day, she called upon a mattress showroom. After announcing her appointment with the owner, the staff disappeared. Laura knew the drill: the sales person can wait. 

She looked around searching for a chair to sit down. There were no chairs in sight. People were meant to try the beds, weren't they? So that's what she did. She perched on one of the beds.

But after a while, her tired body was screaming for rest. Fifteen minutes later, a crowd started forming in front of the store. Everyone talking and standing around. The owner glanced out of the office where he was "busy working" to see what was going on.

Why were all those people there? 

Finally, out he came to see if the staff had inadvertently locked the store's door... 

... And then he saw her.

What everyone was looking at was a woman sleeping peacefully on one of the beds on display. Laura woke up with a start and, without missing a beat, said: "see? I can get you attention and interest." The owner was surprised into talking with her.

Six months after he signed a contract, thanks to the creative input and well-placed media buy, mattress sales were up considerably.

The showroom became a loyal client of the agency, as did many others. Each win following a patient dance with sales-resistant business owners and companies. Each time a new adventure for Laura. She built a book of business in the millions for the agency.

When I asked her what made her so good, she said: "You need to put yourself in their shoes. What's their world like? Then be a supporting character in their lives. Forget 'perfect,' that doesn't connect. Be real. Be trustworthy." Laura understood that you don't sell by sitting in an office, you need to interact with your prospects. She walked the talk, and taught her clients to be more visible.

I've watched her close deals at antiquity shows and apartment showings, in agencies, and in life. She's the reason why I'm such a pragmatic, hands-on strategist. Laura is my mother. 

And yes, a sense of self-deprecating humor does help.

To sell is not only critical, it's also human. We sell all day long. We sell ideas to persuade others—"will you try a yoga class I enjoy so much?" We sell our skills in requests to connect—here are some ideas to do better in that department—and when we apply for jobs. 

Here's a philosophical meditation on how to sell I've treasured, complete with an advert for the dignity of manual labor... in a Chuch. In closing, if I'm selling anything with this letter, what I'm selling you is a better version of yourself
 
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Product


When we think about products, we often overlook services. You can package services as products. See where they fit in the ladders of wealth creation. Many of my services started as something I showed someone how to do.
  • Make things happen by making things.
  • Build products and cut down on the need to sell expertise.
  • Launch and iterate.

Marketing 


Marketing is all about finding the people who are looking for what you have and connecting with them. How you win:
  • Create more opportunities for others.
  • You're only competing with yourself.
  • See your brand as a network.

Media


Companies are still struggling with the idea that you build a network of people by building a network of media. People are the point. They were right after all, it was all about the conversation. 
Was this a buck worth of sustenance? Hit the button below to show your gratitude.

Grazie mille.
 

Don't look back in anger. 
You can't change what happened,
you have to make peace with it. 
And the sooner you do it the better
."

- Mario Calabresi
Journalist





Narrative clarity: the importance of scope
 

The Transparency Sale explains why unexpected honesty works

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Grazie mille,
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