Recognizing a Rock Star

(Repost from a Selling to Small Business blog to which I contribute.)

In a comment posted to [an earlier] entry, a reader noted that so many "stories are the same". That is so very true, even with rock stars- one more boy from south central LA; one more girl from Topeka, Kansas; one more aged star launching a comeback tour. There isn't story we haven't heard before. I often wonder how many iTunes tracks can actually be sold from singer-songwriters singing soft, halting guitar ballads about love and loneliness. Apparently, the answer is a staggering amount.

There are two very similar reasons. First, people want to hear it. They have an emotional connection to it. They like to hear something that reminds them of their youth, their passion, or their softer side. It reminds them of a part of themselves. Second, there will always be young males and females making the music, because there will always be youth, heartache, and beauty. People will sing about. And because everyone experiences those things, at least some of us will listen to it. See reason number one.

Small business has the same connection with most Americans. It is the American way. Everyone either has done it or would like to do it one day, if only... It is about taking risk, seeking independence, and taking care of your life. When they tell their story to the average American, they get quiet looks of admiration and respect. They are accustomed to this position in life, despite where it has actually gotten them on the totem pole. They have fought the good fight or are still fighting it.

A small business owner may have a similar story to the one you heard yesterday. The fact is that their story has subtle differences from the other. Those differences indicate the most important struggles that the business owner overcame. Despite the similarity of today's story to yesterday's story, that story is very real. It impacted the business owner in dynamic ways and changed who they are. Listen carefully: it IS who they are. A story like that has soul, funk, a bass line and a harmony. It might sound like last year's hit, but it is this year's hit, and more importantly, it is your potential customer's hit. Until you recognize and revere that story, the story of a rock-star, small-business owner, you will never be truly effective at selling to small business. You'll just get lucky sometimes.

If you want to build a relationship with a small business owner, take the time to hear their story. They always love to tell it. If they don't offer it, look around, it is probably on the walls of the small front office. Ask questions about pictures and awards you see. Be impressed. You should be. And then ask the big Hollywood question, "What gave you the idea for this business? How did you get started? Could you tell me how you got this GREAT idea?" Then sit down and let them tell you a story. When they are done, recognize their accomplishments (that they are, indeed, a rock star) and note how impressed you are that they got to this point.

If you have the time in your sales cycle, spend your entire first call listening to the story. Then say "Whoops! Look at the time! I have to go! Mind if I come back next week?" Without even pitching your pitch. I guarantee that when you return next week, they will look at you with more open eyes. They may even ask to hear your story!

The Story of a Rock Star

(Repost from a Selling to Small Business blog to which I contribute.)

In a former life, I was in the music industry. I met the right star at the right time, and my entrepreneurial spirit did the rest. I was a part of an innovative group that developed new versions retro grass roots marketing and distribution. We dabbled in internet distribution before most people knew what the internet was. We had some star power behind us and we had a lot of fun!

To the public, the star is everything. In the industry, the star is simply the leading edge marketing tool. They are the story and the talent that leads consumers to products. Talent is important; the star has to have a great media presence, a great voice, inherent performance compulsions, and a moderate ability to think on their feet. Talent in one area is not hard to find. Talent in all areas is in abundance in every major city. But talent with a great story is rare. These are the stars. They sell products.

I was fortunate to work with one of the best star stories of the last decade. I first met this star before her 20th birthday. She lived in her van, and sang nights at a coffeehouses and bars. She was fortunate enough to get a spot in a San Diego club and was surrounded by some leading talent of the early nineties. She studied them and learned from them. There were more talented people around her, but she was the one to receive a big contract. She had one of the biggest debut albums of all time, with a number of subsequent albums.

There are many aspects to her story that can illustrate the points that I am getting to, but I'll just share one. I attribute a single reason this songwriter became a star. While all the very talented musicians around her spent their time between and after sets, hanging out back stage and drinking (among other things), the teenage girl did something different. She met her fans and really talked to them. She told her story at every show. She positioned herself at the exit and shook every patron's hand. She asked people if they liked her music. She asked people to come back and see her. One of those hands she shook was an executive from Atlantic Records. They came back to see her, and brought a contract.

This is my first contribution to a new Evan Carmichael blog. They are a few analogies I will draw from this story over the next months. The basics are these: Every small business owner is a rock star. Every small owner has a story and some degree of talent. Every small business owner wants you to know their story, not just their "music". Later we'll talk about how every small business owner only wants to sing and tell their story, just like a rock star. If you are going to sell to a rock star, you must understand these things. Finally, we'll talk about how to take this and shape into a sales strategy. We'll talk about how to convince a rock star that you are the best agent. And if you are still reading, we'll talk about how to get a rock star to sell product.

Pensacola: Impact Entrepreneurship in A Small City in a Changing Economy

The 3rd Component of Entrepreneurial Manifestation: Action

In the first article on this site, I wrote "Energy can be defined as four things in this case (and in most cases): time, capital, action, and commitment.... A successful entrepreneurial enterprise needs high levels of all four components. With these investments- and a decent idea- any business can be Manifested."

In start-up, turnaround, and growth phases of business, consistent and progressive action is critical to success. It is about momentum, or the flywheel effect. A little bit of action feeds momentum, which creates more action, which creates more momentum, and so on. Similarly, if action pauses or ceases, the wheel slows and can rapidly come to a stop.

Everyone understands this. There is no need to type a slew of words to describe it over and over. Why then do we let action die? The answer is simple: excuses. Excuses are the enemy of action. Excuses are the antagonist of entrepreneurial ventures. Excuses have the ability to kill a business before it starts.

Excuses can kill action very subtly and quietly. For example, we have to wait on X before we can proceed with Y. Seems pretty straight forward. Things happen in progression, right? No. Milestones may happen in progression. But tasks leading to milestones may often happen concurrently. Let's take an example.

Bob is ready to open his bakery, but the outside needs painting. The painters are delayed by two weeks (aren't they always?). Bob doesn't want to open the store before the storefront is ready. He can list 6 reasons why he shouldn't. 5 are very good reasons, but they are all excuses. Bob can open the shop today. Sure, people might be leery of entering a store with peeling paint. Sure, Bob will have to set up a protective covering to shield customers as they enter. Sure, he will have to set up extra ventilation in the front of the store so that customers can smell the bread. But he will be moving forward. And when the painters finally finish, his sparkling new store front will already be open, will have a few customers, and will be ready for a Grand Opening fiesta.

This is an exceedingly simple example with many holes. But more complex examples involving agents and lawyers are the same. The question is, "What CAN I DO to keep momentum rolling?" Look for housekeeping tasks: strategic plans, business plans, accounting systems. Operational planning has dozens of tasks that can be revisited at any time. Marketing research can be done at anytime (and should be). Strategic relationships can be fostered.

At the end of every day, ask yourself, "What did I do today to grow my business? How did I feed the flywheel today?" Because if you didn't feed it, it is slowing to a stop. And no excuse is good enough to let that happen.

Pensacola Company Creates Technology That Could Impact Global Energy Supply

PENSACOLA, Fla., August 31, 2007: New technology being developed by a Pensacola company could advance the way oil is moved from the Gulf of Mexico and other ultra-deepwater fields around the world. DeepGulf, Inc. has created innovative technology collectively known as J-Flex – which enables access for the first time beyond the traditional ultra deep offshore frontier of oil and gas pipeline operation.

There are only two options for transporting oil from offshore wells to shore: tankers or pipelines. The floating production and storage facilities associated with shuttle tankers are very costly, with well-known, potentially disastrous environmental impact. Pipelines require much less infrastructure, present far less risk, and have substantially less potential environmental impact. DeepGulf projects do not involve traditional surface “rigs”, and are more than 100 nautical miles offshore, ensuring the safety and beauty of the Gulf Coast’s environmental resources.

Pipelines are thus the preferred solution and are the only means of transportation used from the Gulf of Mexico’s operational deepwater fields to the US mainland, for the time being. Until now, pipelines are limited by the industry’s capability to lay large pipelines in waters deeper than 8,000 feet of water.

DeepGulf’s new J-Flex system means a large number of ultra deep wells are now accessible and no longer remain an untapped energy resource. DeepGulf’s technology makes it economical and safe to develop even the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico and around the world.
DeepGulf’s inventors have laid some of the deepest pipelines in the world, designing and building 3 of the 7 existing J-Lay systems in the world. This experience contributed to the development of the J-Flex system. J-Flex capabilities offer critical technical and financial advantages. This will ensure that the Gulf of Mexico’s remains one of the world’s premier oil and gas basins.

“DeepGulf's ability to lay very large pipelines in ultra-deep water will reignite interest in the untapped ultra-deep leased blocks in the deepest part of the Gulf. Not only will the J-Flex system lay much bigger pipe in deeper water than our competitors, it will also lay it faster, completing projects with more economic efficiency. J-Flex innovations will spur many emerging efficiencies in the construction of ultra-deep offshore oil and gas pipelines. Deep Gulf will be at the center of that development", said Chairman Rus Howard, referring to the J-Flex ability to lay a 36" pipe in 12,000 feet of water. “DeepGulf is already fielding inquiries from major oil companies and ultra-deep field contractors in the Gulf of Mexico and other locations around the world. It is clear that ultra-deep is where the action is in offshore construction, and DeepGulf’s J-Flex technology will play an important role in the world’s energy supply”.

For more information about DeepGulf, Inc. please visit http://www.deep-gulf.com/ .

The 2nd Component of Entrepreneurial Manifestation: Time

In the first article on this site, I wrote "Energy can be defined as four things in this case (and in most cases): time, money, action, and commitment.... A successful entrepreneurial enterprise needs high levels of all four components. With these investments- and a decent idea- any business can be Manifested."

Let's talk about time. Time is the one thing that is finite. We can't make more of it. We can make more time available by a variety of time a management methods or simply by paying others to do things for you, hence "freeing" your time. We can not, however, add more time to the overall pool. Time is perhaps the only real direct, flexible expense.

The hard truth in entrepreneurship is also that you may not be able to pay someone else to do what you do. Someone with your expertise may be exceedingly difficult to find. Once you find that person, they may not be able to make the logical leaps you have to get to the right ideas. Or keep those idea secret may be part of your intellectual property. Once you solve all those problems, you could find that another person simply does not fit well in the scenario- they are the wrong person for that "seat on the bus".

Entrepreneurship will take time, and a ton of it. To best ensure the success of the venture, key personnel must be able to commit to the venture full-time. They must clear their time of other things to create as much "free time" as possible. This free time is then "occupied" by the new venture. This takes on a number of strategic advantages. First, the key personnel will not be distracted by other things. This is very important to maximize productivity within the chronological parameters. Second, you will be able to commit the most actual production time within a set quantity of hours. In other words, you will get the most work out of the most time by your key personnel. This moves the venture along as quickly as possible, which is often critical to its success. We will talk more about this when we talk about "action" in the next article.

A talk about investing time energy would not be complete without a discussion of money. Time inevitably costs money. If key personnel are worried about how their mortgage is going to be paid, they can not maximize productivity. And they must be rewarded for their innovation. Reward can be delayed with stock options, and even some salaries can be deferred, but an understanding of compensation must be agreed upon early to ensure that time can be absolutely focused on success.