The Salty Seller

Keep your friends close and your manager closer.

I know that sometimes we think our managers suck. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. I've had managers in the past that I wanted to place under citizen’s arrest for being complete idiots. I've wondered how some even managed to get dressed in the morning? I'm going to guess they had a spread sheet with detailed instructions. Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.

Some managers have no business being where they are. Get over it.

The fact is, they are where they are and we are where we are. There's nothing we can do about that, no matter how much we may want to. What we can do is sell the hell out of our product. When you're out selling, not only do you make more money...you keep your job!

No one has a perfect work environment. If you do, please forward me your hiring manager’s phone number.

If things aren't perfect where you work, I am sure that you have a group of passive protesters lurking around. A sly group, these passive protesters . Do not fret. They are easily identified. At the beginning of the day they will be hanging out around the coffee pot, bitching about their morning commute, the husband, wife, children, even the coffee. More times the not, the complaints about the coffee are completely justified. During the morning meeting they will keep a straight face , but come 9:31, they're the first to give a passionate speech about how poorly everyone is treated, how terrible the corporate structure is, and how life just isn’t fair.

I know this because I've have been that guy. Sometimes rightfully so... Sometimes not.

If you're that guy or girl... Stop. If you're around that guy or girl... Walk away. All they will get you is fired.

Like it or not, we are influenced by the people with whom we surround ourselves. If you’re a golfer, you know exactly what I mean. You will often play to your competition. Meaning if you play with someone better than you, you will play better than normal. If however, you play with someone really bad, odds are you'll end up breaking a club or two.

As for the passive protesters, do you really want to be like them? I’ll go out on a limb and guess you don't. Misery loves company. And her parties suck!

I want to see everyone happy and doing well. I see the miserable people and wish they weren't. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in others." Forget that! Be the change you want to see in YOURSELF!!! If you wallow in your own pity, you’ll become just that… Pitiful.

You know where you want to go. Go there. Don’t let a manager get in your way. Don’t let anyone get in your way. Stand up and be counted.

It’s a cold, cold winter outside. Jobs are tough to come by. If you have one, try and keep it. One sure fire way to do that is to close deals. Sell baby, sell! It’s hard to fire someone that makes you money. Even the worst of managers understands that. Or maybe they don't. Either way, don't waste your time crying about it or writing a blog in a coffee shop. No one cares. Just go sell something.

Pick up the phone.

I received an email yesterday from someone who was sitting about 15 feet from my office. My answer to the question in the email required a yes or no answer. After I sent my reply I wondered why they didn’t just walk over and ask me, or easier yet, just pick up the phone. It took about 10 minutes for them to write the email, send it, have me read it and send a reply. It would have taken 15 seconds or less if they had picked up the phone.

No one can argue that e-mail is a bad thing. It would be detrimental to my current success if I didn’t have it. But should it replace an actual conversation? When should you pick up the phone and call? I guess that depends on each situation and if you really want to talk to the person or not.

It seems like we are becoming a society of non-communicators. Text messaging is replacing phone calls. Online social networks are replacing happy hour. Blogging is replacing coffee pot rants… It’s just easier, I guess. But when did the easy way become the best way?

My Grandfather never sent an e-mail and is one of the most successful people I know of. He never had a cell phone either. How many of us feel like we couldn’t live without our cell phones. I had lunch with a colleague the other day and he never put his iPhone down. Neither did I, but you see where I’m going.

We are afraid that if we are not constantly connected we are going to miss something. We aren’t! If its important, they will leave a message. The next time you are about to send an e-mail to a client, consider calling them instead. They might actually like to hear from you.