Comments for Grogan Coaching & Consulting

Comment on The Dark Side of Selling by Mike

Mike — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:08:52 +0000

Yes! I think of Selling as Customer Service BEFORE the sale.

Comment on The Dark Side of Selling by Mike

Mike — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:08:02 +0000

Andrew – I completely agree that listening is a key to changing the paradigm. And I like your distinction of listening for self-interest vs. interest in the other.

Comment on The Dark Side of Selling by Andrew Nemiccolo

Andrew Nemiccolo — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:15:18 +0000

Mike,

Buying and selling doesn’t have to be a zero sum game of winners and losers (but it’s often perceived that way). One behavior I’ve observed which reinforces the image of “the dark side of selling,” as you call i,t is not enough listening. Most salespeople, (myself included), have a difficult time of pausing their talk track to ask questions. And even the sales people who do ask questions tend to ask self-focused questions rather than other-focused questions. Sales people who develop habits to overcome this pattern can become amazingly successful, in my experience.

Comment on The Dark Side of Selling by Mike Steinharter

Mike Steinharter — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:05:47 +0000

compelling challenge. Frankly, I view customer service as the ultimate means of selling. If you serve your customer well, demonstrate empathy and attention to his/her needs (not your own, ie sales quota) then customers will work with you. Customer want to be served, not sold to.

Comment on Leggo My Ego by Marly

Marly — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:41:32 +0000

What an interesting post. And very thought provoking. I've been mulling it over since I initially read it. I would like to add something. If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of working for someone with an inflated ego, you maybe should consider cutting your losses and moving on. I have been in this position before and tried my darndest to find creative ways of communicating - deference, directness, making points as questions, etc. If you desire to be anything but an absolute "yes man" then working for a IEL (inflated ego leader) is futile. They are not open to feedback. And in fact, their own IEL tendencies eventually cause them to lash out at everyone around them too.

Just as you mention having trouble coaching IELs, I would suggest working for them is equally troublesome. Curious about yours and others thoughts on this too. Thanks again for the great post!
Marly

Comment on Parents, Planes & Management by Jack Hayhow

Jack Hayhow — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:05:51 +0000

Wonderful insight and a great, tangible model for effective management and leadership. I'm reminded there are lessons all around us, if we're only open and aware.

Comment on (Missing?) Seat at the Table by Richard

Richard — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:45:43 +0000

Great article, Mike.

The three knowledge functions you list are the key to HR (or any other discipline) being "invited to the table." A "support function" like HR, records management, IT, etc. has to know more than its own discipline. It needs to know where that discipline fits and how it can contribute to the success of the organization.

Comment on Tipping the Balance by Michael R. Grogan

Michael R. Grogan — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:55:00 +0000

Kathy M. – Thanks for your note. Bias and prejudice can live deep underground, so I appreciated the chance to examine my own conscious and unconscious thoughts and judgements. I am satisfied that I did not intend any generalized slam against women, and my collection of posts seems to bear this out. For what it’s worth, and just to give you a chance to examine your own prejudices, I live in the midwest but spent most of my life in the Northeast. And my own religious beliefs and practices are pretty eclectic. Few who know me would characterize me as “Christian right.” All that said, I join you in deploring the very real problem of gender-based pay gaps. In one of my first jobs out of college I remember an executive laying off a woman instead of a man because “his family depended on his paycheck.” Unfortunately, this attitude is still with us. Thanks for reading and writing!
Mike Grogan

Comment on Tipping the Balance by Kathy M.

Kathy M. — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:13:00 +0000

Although your comments can ring true from a certain perspective, it was hard for me to read past the first few lines. I was immediately offended by your mid-west and Christian right shift from what started out as a gender-neutral article (“the employee’s value”) to a mid-west slam on women (“than her salary” and “replace her.”) The pronoun use almost appears deliberate. Perhaps Fox News did not report on the gaps in pay between men and women? I think the beginning of your article encourages pay gaps. I would bet that 9 times out of 10 your clients replace the “hers” with “hims,” no matter if they are assets or liabilities.

Comment on Perception Is Reality by Michael R. Grogan

Michael R. Grogan — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:48:00 +0000

Tad – Well said. This is very deep metaphysical insight. Thanks for sharing. MG