I used to be very interested in politics and the whole political process. Having followed presidential politcs for decades, I have at times taken both sides. There was a time when both parties, Republican and Democrat had a lot to offer. Things have changed.
Is it true that all Democrats are liberal and all Republicas are conservative? Can I be conservative on moral issues and liberal on social issues? Can I care about the poor and still be pro-life? The answer is an undeniable YES. I really don't have to choose all of the policies of one party or the other. I don't have to agree with some issues of one party and need to defend that party overall.
I used to be very interested in presidential politics. It is no longer interesting. I will choose to believe and support whatever beliefs that I choose without regard to party lines. America is still a great country. I hope that we can get back to the two-party system that chose to serve the needs of all Americans. It is no longer interesting.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Advice for selling ... advice for life
Author, Jaynie L. Smith has written a very helpful book on selling titled Relevant Selling. She advises all sales entities to know what their customers want and like about what the seller is selling. In other words, a sales organization should know which values that their customers percieve to be the most valuable.
Smith advises companies to do blind surveys to their customers to learn what values are most valued. This is great advice because a sales person can promote and highlight certain attributes of their product or service offering without even knowing whether the customer thinks that those attributes are important.
For example, a travel agent could advertise and promote the fact that they have received awards for their work. On the other hand, their customers may be most interested in the experience of the agents and the commission rate. So, they really don't care about the awards. A roofer may brag that they only carry the highest quality materials, while the prospects may be most concerned about pricing and mostly interested in middle-range materials. It helps to know what the customer values and wants.
The same is true in every aspect of life. In order to nurture any relationship, it helps to know what your family, friends, and acquaintances really value and want. What good is it if you are funny when everyone wants friendly? What good is it if you are rich and eveyone wants compassionate? It helps to know what others value.
Smith advises companies to do blind surveys to their customers to learn what values are most valued. This is great advice because a sales person can promote and highlight certain attributes of their product or service offering without even knowing whether the customer thinks that those attributes are important.
For example, a travel agent could advertise and promote the fact that they have received awards for their work. On the other hand, their customers may be most interested in the experience of the agents and the commission rate. So, they really don't care about the awards. A roofer may brag that they only carry the highest quality materials, while the prospects may be most concerned about pricing and mostly interested in middle-range materials. It helps to know what the customer values and wants.
The same is true in every aspect of life. In order to nurture any relationship, it helps to know what your family, friends, and acquaintances really value and want. What good is it if you are funny when everyone wants friendly? What good is it if you are rich and eveyone wants compassionate? It helps to know what others value.
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