The Eiffel Tower: An iconic monument and a critical lesson.

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We went to visit the Eiffel tower again. Our fourth visit in five years.

What do you know about the Eiffel Tower?

When it was built it was, to say the least, the most controversial structure of all time. Hundreds protested it, criticized it, campaigned against it, said it was a disgrace to architecture, and predicted it would be the ruination of Paris.

The story is fascinating. You can read about its history on Wikipedia, where I learned, “Some of the protestors eventually changed their minds when the tower was built. Others remained unconvinced. Guy de Maupassant supposedly ate lunch in the Tower’s restaurant every day. When asked why, he answered that it was the one place in Paris where one could not see the structure.”

EPILOG: The tower was built to world acclaim. It’s one of the most impressive structures in the universe. It’s not just stunning to look at, it’s also inspiring to be in its presence. An estimated 10 million visitors a year visit to admire its glory. It is the heart and soul of Paris, France, and it’s the symbol by which the city has been known for more than 100 years.

At the base of his tower there’s an amazing statue to honor Gustave Eiffel. Interesting to note that NONE of the people who criticized him have statues at the base.

How much more wrong could the protesters and critics have been?

Were they trying to build up or tear down? Encourage or discourage? Encourage or disparage? In hindsight, the critics seem contrite, shallow, self-serving, prejudiced, and baseless.

Kind of like today’s critics.

Call it what you will, a naysayer, by any other name, is just that.

  • Is it an opposing point of view, or criticism?
  • Is it a ‘pundit,’ or a critic?
  • Is it ‘commentary,’ or just criticism?
  • Is it an ‘op-ed column,’ or criticism?
  • Is it a ‘panel discussion,’ or criticism?

And what are these people really saying?

  • Are they debating? Or discussing and deciding?
  • Are they blaming ‘it’ or ‘them?’ Or are they offering answers and taking responsibility for the remedy?
  • Do they talk about what they WILL do? Or what someone else DIDN’T do?
  • Did they talk about what didn’t happen, who’s wrong, and why it won’t work? Or did they offer their ideas about what could be?

Do these critics (pundits) ever offer answers, ideas, or recommendations?

Critics try to label the ‘wrong-doers’ into a group for easier identification – unions, teachers, liberals, conservatives, left, right, or in your familiar terms: the competition or the purchasing department.

THINK ABOUT IT: It’s never everyone is it?

And of course, today’s world paints criticism as some sort of pious, politically correct, and necessary element of society. REALITY: People criticize to suit themselves, further their agenda, or even make the sale.

In the late 1800’s, Finnish composer Jean Sibelius said, “Pay no attention to people who criticize. No statue was ever erected to a critic.” And in the late 1960’s, the great Glenn W. Turner added, “But the people they have criticized, many statues have gone up.”

Makes me stop and think. I hope it does the same for you.

Got statue? Or are you just criticizing?

How much of your time is wasted criticizing other people, their ideas, or their thoughts? And how could you be investing that time to build your own monument? Your own Eiffel Tower.

YOUR REAL JOB: Convert your criticism to answers, resolve, solutions, and responsibility. You’ll be thought of as a thinker, make more sales, build stronger relationships, earn a better reputation, be seen as a resource, and be a happier person.

Dale Carnegie, author of the 70-year bestseller, How to Win Friends and Influence People, nailed it in 1915 when he penned his most dominant principle, “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain (and most fools do).”

There should be a law that says all criticism must be followed by a solution, an answer, a resolve, or an idea. That would shut a lot of people up – or at least make them think and see the positive side of things.

FOOTNOTE: Apple just released the much anticipated iPhone 5. The critics lined up to tell you how it ‘falls short’ or ‘disappoints’ or some baloney about speed or connectivity or maps or keyboard. They gave it three and a half stars. Meanwhile Apple, in spite of the jackass critics, has sold ten million phones in the first 30 days for $400 a device. Do that math. I wonder how much critics earn?

Free GitBit: If you’re looking for a change of language to launch your new ‘criticism-free’ lexicon, I’m making available eight pages of positive quotes and ideas from Dale Carnegie. Go to www.gitomer.com, register if you’re a first-time visitor, and enter the words CRITIC in the GitBit box.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

Leadership Inspirations – Pursuing Your Dreams

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“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Walt Disney (1901 – 1966)
American film producer, director, animator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist

Recommended Resource – Building Team Power

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Building Team Power: How to Unleash the Collaborative Genius of Teams for Increased Engagement, Productivity, and Results

by Thomas Kayser

About the Book

Building Team Power by Thomas Kayser examines the structural mechanisms and behavioral traits that combined to create highly collaborative teams. Thomas provides practical, detailed methods for leaders at every level of the organization to foster and enhance the collaboration between team members in six critical areas:

  • Mutual Trust
  • Decision-Making
  • Consensus Building
  • Conflict Management
  • Delegation Effectiveness
  • Team Problem Solving (two scenarios)

Benefits of Using this Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like Building Team Power for its immediately actionable insights into enhancing team collaboration at any level within an organization. We found Thomas’s methods to be deeply insightful, originating from sound academic principle and refined with real world experience during his thirty years at Xerox. Building Team Power is highly prescriptive, complete with process flows and charts that convey to the reader how to implement the team building methods.

If we had one critisism of Building Team Power, it would be that the procedure-like formatting of the methods provided would be impractical to implement in a team setting. That said, we believe the book would make an excellent tool to create management training courses and teamwork checklists and guides.

Building Team Power embodies many of the principles StrategyDriven recommends in building highly aligned and accountable organizations. Additionally, it mirrors many of our decision-making best practices. For these reasons, its academic foundation and real world refinement, and its implementability, Building Team Power is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Management and Leadership Best Practice 4 – Communicate and Explain the Vision

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From birth, we as human beings have an insatiable desire to understand our surroundings. Regardless of one's background, we tend to group and categorize things so to help establish order in our personal world.

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Drill or hole? What are they buying – and what are you selling?

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A guy walks into a hardware store and says to the clerk, “I need a drill.”

Clerk says, “Well, not really. You want to make a hole.”

If you’re in retail and your customer comes in and says, “I need a drill,” or “I want a drill,” or “Where are the drills?” you, the salesperson, begin some response dialog.

REALITY: He didn’t come for a drill. He needs a hole.

Now you may have heard some version of ‘drill-hole’ in your career, but you have never heard what the situation is, how to address the buying motive, how to take control of the sale, how to gain trust, and how to create a vision of “outcome” in the mind of the buyer.

HERE’S THE REAL LESSON: (And it can be applied to ANY sales situation where the buyer is wanting a service or a product and needs your help to “find the right answers and achieve the required or desired outcome.”) If you ask, “What kind of drill are you looking for?” you’re asking an annoying, self-serving, time wasting, price-based question. Zero value to the customer. Wrong direction to close a value sale.

It’s likely the customer has NO IDEA what kind of drill he wants – and you, in your sales brilliance, are gonna point out the “drill aisle” and be done with it. You smile and say, “They’re in the hand tool area over by the wall” or “Here’s what’s on sale.”

NO! This is your opportunity to become an advisor rather than a traffic director. So far you don’t know WHAT KIND OF HOLE THE CUSTOMER NEEDS.

  • How big (what diameter) of a hole are you drilling?
  • What kind of material are you drilling into?
  • How deep is the hole?
  • Are you drilling inside or outside?

If you’re trying to show the customer the 3/8ths inch drill ‘on sale’ and the customer needs a half-inch hole, you’re gonna have an unhappy customer. If you know it’s a half-inch hole through a wooden post, you can recommend the right drill, and also tell them they need a “starter hole” with a smaller drill bit to ensure a perfect outcome.

OK, you get it! Drill – hole – want – need – outcome.

But how does this apply to you and your sales?

Well, it applies to every sale that everyone makes – including yours:

  • I need a filling in my tooth. No, you want to be healthy and pain free.
  • I need copies. No, you want to send a proposal in color that reflects your image and wins the sale.
  • I need a new roof. No, you want to have no leaks, and enjoy quality of life.
  • I need a credit card. No, you don’t have cash, or you don’t want to spend your cash.
  • I need tickets to a concert. No, your favorite group of all time is playing and you have never seen them before. It’s on your bucket list!
  • I need to find a restaurant. No, you need to eat.
  • I need new tires. No, how do you use your car now? How many miles are on your present tires? City or highway driving?
  • I need a flight to New York City. No, why are you going? What will you do after you arrive? Where are you staying?

NOTE WELL: Just because you don’t have what the customer needs, does not mean they no longer need it.

If I call a hotel to book a room and they say, “Sorry, we’re full,” I respond, “Oh, I guess I don’t need a room after all.”

Think past ‘sale’ to ‘genuine need and desired outcome.’

What does the customer need or want to do AFTER the sale is made? And how can you show him or prove to them that you have the answers, and you are the best choice to create the best outcome? A happy ending, if you will.

That’s what the customer is really buying: OUTCOME.

  • It’s not what it is (a perceived need) – a drill.
  • It’s not just what it does – makes a hole.
  • It’s the desired outcome – the result of drilling the hole.

As a salesperson, if you’re looking to successfully sell at your price, build a relationship, and earn a referral, you better stop selling the features and benefits of your product, and look to what happens after the sale – after the customer takes ownership.

GOOD NEWS: If you are able to find (by uncovering and asking for) the desired outcome, and agree that your answer, your solution, or your idea will be the best one – the customer will buy.

GREAT NEWS: When the outcome comes to pass, the customer will tell Facebook what happened.

Want insight on buying motives – to help yourself answer the question What makes me want to buy? Go to www.gitomer.com, register if you’re a first-time visitor, and enter the word EMOTION in the GitBit box.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].