Lessons From My Dad....

Saturday Morning usings w/ Joey Gilkey - 12/28/2019

Over the Christmas holiday, my wife and I (and 11-week old golden retriever puppy) got to spend some really sweet time with my folks.

And it always amazes me...

My dad is one of the most impressive people I know.

Every time that I get around my dad and talk shop, I feel like I get a schooling in Sales 401.

You see, my dad has been doing this for decades.

He is the leading National Sales Director for The Home Depot.

I won't talk about specifics but he alone is responsible for tens upon tens upon tens (you get the picture) of millions of dollars in sales every year for his company.

I used to ask questions about processes, technology, sales techniques, etc that he uses to enable his success in sales...

I've learned my lesson.

It's never about the tools...

the technology...

the processes...

or sales techniques and methodologies.

This is where so many of us fall short when it comes to landing massive deals with our dream clients.

Do you want to know my dad's secret?

Of course you do.

Ok.

Here it is...

The secret...

??

It's empathy.

No, I don't mean the buzzword that everyone uses so loosely (GaryVee). I mean true empathy.

The kind you can't scale.

The kind that says, "I'm going to do everything I possibly can to put myself in your shoes to better understand the things that make you tick or keep you up at night so that I can go back with that information and offer you something truly beneficial... even if that something beneficial is something that I don't gain from monetarily."

You have to understand... my dad has been the #1 producer for The Home Depot for over a decade straight.

He's seen tactics come and go, year after year, and yet... no tactic or technology has outperformed building the relationship and being empathetic.

Not only does he get the dream clients he wants, but he also keeps them. (Fun fact: did you know that a 5% increase in retention in most industries can yield a 20-100% increase in profit? Think about that.)

I wish you could hear what he does for his clients. It blows me away... which is saying something because I think that my company does amazing things and I still walk away inspired.

So why do we keep searching for that "secret sauce?"

Why do we keep trying to eliminate the human side of business?

That's a question that I want you to really wrestle through.

... and after you've wrestled through it, I want 2 things from you:

1. Share what you came up with & what you want to do to change it? (Comment Below)
2. Tag someone else in this post who will benefit from this. (Share on your feed or tag them in the comments section)

Now go inject some humanity back into your business.

-JG

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