Fuentes Fridays #0007

Hi Friends,

Here is your end-of-the-week insight into what I see going on in the business world, what I’m thinking about, and what I’m learning about. Forward anything that you feel inspired to share.

What I’m Hearing From Sales Leaders/Professionals

This past week I have been coaching sales professionals and CEOs alike in being cautious about “green flags.” There is lots of advice on avoiding and isolating “red flags,” but not many coaches spend time discussing the green ones. They are just as important.

As salespeople, we often assign more value to green flags than they actually have. We hear on calls “I love it,” “this is great,” “wow,” etc.; mentally note it; and then move on. We then recap the meeting with our colleagues or sales leaders and say, “The call went great. They said they loved it. I am confident we will win.”

The problem is that without any context as to why they said these things, it is very hard to understand what impact these reactions will ultimately have on their selection of you. Thus, when we get green flags, we have to go into information-gathering mode. We cannot let the statements stand for themselves. Here are some questions you can ask:

“What do you love about it?”

“How will this impact your business?”

“Who else do you think will have the same reaction?”

“What will this feature make easier for you?”

“How will you specifically use this?”

“How does this compare to what others have shown you?”

What Made Me Laugh

I love hot dogs. Sometimes, I end up with extra buns. A few times, I have considered making hot dog shaped hamburgers. I am glad I didn’t. Somethings are better left to the professionals!

This Week’s 40/20

For every 40 hours of work, I believe you should spend 20 (additional) hours mastering your craft. This is how I spent some of my 20 hours this week.

I have been spending a lot of time studying how great employees/players/etc. can elevate individual teammates to levels of success not previously achieved. The conversation about MJ vs. Lebron started me down the path, and I found an example in a very unlikely place—Saturday Night Live. A few weeks ago, Kristen Wiig returned to host. During her episode, there was a skit where she plays a new girlfriend being introduced to a group of friends at a dinner party. After dinner, the host pulls out a board game and Kristen Wiig’s character refuses to play because she doesn’t want to get “Jumanjied.” Her refusal leads to a massive argument about being Jumanjied. The premise of this skit is ridiculous and, in order for it to work, all of the actors have to completely buy in. Kristen, as the main character in the skit, leads the way and brings everyone with her. Her ability elevates everyone in the scene and turns what could have been a dog into an absurdly funny skit. Here is the link (the action starts 30 seconds in). Enjoy!

Potpourri for 800

Potpourri (shout out Jeopardy!) is a category that covers a variety of topics.

Last week, my son and I debated which sport was the hardest to become the GOAT in. This week, we discussed which one was the easiest. This conversation taught me that my son can sometimes be an idiot. He said tennis. This stems from the fact that he has picked up a racket a few times and been able to hit the ball back when lightly tossed to him. Outside of being dumbfounded by his answer it made me think how many outsiders think that sales is easy. Yes, there really is no barrier to entry for sales, just like you can walk onto a public tennis court anywhere in the US and get started as a tennis “player.” But to be truly great, you have to put in a lot of effort and practice—just like sales. I still have not come up with my answer because I think greatness in any endeavor is a never-ending journey. However, if I had to pick, I would say bags/cornhole. (Is that a sport?)

Quote for My Son

Every day I write a quote for my son. This was my favorite from the week.

“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road; long before I dance under those lights." – Muhammad Ali

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Let me know what you think about this week’s edition of Fuentes Fridays. Which section was your favorite? How can I make this better? Shoot me a message on LinkedIn @willfuentes.

Until next week!

Thanks,