Showing posts with label innovation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label innovation. Show all posts
Mark Cuban - Success and Motivation Pt. 2
So my career in Dallas begins. I’m a software salesperson with Your Business Software in Dallas. $18k per year. The first retail software store in Dallas.
I have to sweep the floor and be there to open the store, but that’s not a bad thing. When I tell my future ex-girlfriends that I sell software and am in the computer biz, I’m not going to mention the sweeping the floor part. Plus, I had to wear a suit to work, and the 2-fer madness specials looked good at happy hour after work. Better yet, the store didn’t open till 9:30am, which meant if I had a fun night, I had at least a little time to sleep.
I bet right about now you are questioning where my focus was? Where was my commitment to being the future owner of the Dallas Mavericks? Please. I was stoked I had a good job. I was stoked it was in an industry that could turn into a career. At 24, I was just as stoked that the office was close to where the best happy hours were and that I might finally have more than 20 bucks to spend for a night on the town.
Since I’m talking about partying, I do have to say that my friends and I were very efficient in that area. Beyond living off bar food and happy hours, we literally would agree that none of us would bring more than 20 bucks for a weekend night out. This way we all could pace each other. At least that was the way it was supposed to work, and it did until we figured out the key to having a great night out on the cheap. They key was buying a bottle of cheap, cheap champagne. I can’t even spell the name, but it was a full bottle, and it cost 12 bucks. Tear the label off and as far as anyone knew it was Dom. Each of us would grab one, and sip on it all night. It was far cheaper than buying beers or mixed drinks all night, and we never had to buy a drink for a girl, we just gave them some champagne! Of course the next day was hell, but since when was I responsible enough to care about a hangover…
But I digress. Back to business. As fired up as I was about the job, I was scared. Why? Because I have never worked with an IBM PC in my life. Not a single time, and I’m going to be selling software for it. So what do I do? I do what everyone does: I rationalize. I tell myself that the people walking in the door know as little as I do, so if I just started doing what I told my boss I would do, read the manuals, I would be ahead of the curve. That’s what I did. Every night I would take home a different software manual, and I would read them. Of course the reading was captivating. Peachtree, PFS, DBase, Lotus, Accpac… I couldn’t put them down. Every night I would read some after getting home, no matter how late.
Of course it was easy on the weekends. After drinking that cheap champagne, I wasn’t getting out of bed till about 9pm, so I had tons of time to lie on the floor and read. It worked. Turns out not a lot of people ever bothered to RTFM (read the frickin’ manual), so people started really thinking I knew my stuff. As more people came in, because I knew all the different software packages we offered, I could offer honest comparisons and customers respected that.
Within about 6 months, I was building a clientele and because I had also spent time on the store’s computers learning how to install, configure and run the software, I started having customers ask me to install the software at their offices. That meant I got to charge for consulting help: 25 bucks an hour that I split with the store. That turned into a couple hundred extra bucks per month and growing. I was raking it in, enough that I could move from the Hotel (that was what we called our apartment) where the 6 of us lived, into a 3 bedroom apartment across the street, where instead of 6 of us, there were only 3. Finally, my own bedroom!
I was earning consulting fees. I was getting referrals. I was on the phone cold calling companies to get new business. I even worked out a deal with a local consultant who paid me referral fees, which lead to getting a $1500 check. It was the first time in my adult life that I was able to have more than 1k dollars in the bank.
That was a special moment believe or not, and what did I do to celebrate? Nope…I didn’t buy better champagne. I had these old ratty towels that had holes in them and could stand on their own in the corner, they were so nasty I needed a shower from drying off after a shower…I went out and bought 6 of the fluffiest, plushest towels I could find. I was moving on up in the world. I had the towels. Life was good. Business was good and getting better for me. I was building my customer base, really starting to understand all the technology, and really establishing myself as someone who understood the software. More importantly no, most importantly I realized that I loved working with PCs. I had never done it before. I didn’t know if this was going to be a job that worked for me, or that I would even like and it turns out I was lucky. I loved what I was doing. I was rolling so well, I was even partying less… during the week.
Then one day, about 9 months into my career as a salesperson/consultant, I had a prospect ask if I could come to his office to close a deal. 9am. No problem to me. Problem to my boss, Michael Humecki. Michael didn’t want me to go. I had to open the store. That was my job. We were a retail store, not an outbound sales company. It sounded stupid to me back then too, particularly since I had gone on outbound calls during the day before. I guess he thought I was at lunch.
Decision time. It’s always the little decisions that have the biggest impact. We all have to make that “make or break” call to follow orders or do what you know is right. I followed my first instinct: close the sale. I guess I could have rescheduled the appointment, but I rationalized that you never turn your back on a closed deal. So I called one of my coworkers to come in and open up, and closed the deal. Next day I came in check in hand from a new customer and Michael fired me.
Source: Mark Cuban
I have to sweep the floor and be there to open the store, but that’s not a bad thing. When I tell my future ex-girlfriends that I sell software and am in the computer biz, I’m not going to mention the sweeping the floor part. Plus, I had to wear a suit to work, and the 2-fer madness specials looked good at happy hour after work. Better yet, the store didn’t open till 9:30am, which meant if I had a fun night, I had at least a little time to sleep.
I bet right about now you are questioning where my focus was? Where was my commitment to being the future owner of the Dallas Mavericks? Please. I was stoked I had a good job. I was stoked it was in an industry that could turn into a career. At 24, I was just as stoked that the office was close to where the best happy hours were and that I might finally have more than 20 bucks to spend for a night on the town.
Since I’m talking about partying, I do have to say that my friends and I were very efficient in that area. Beyond living off bar food and happy hours, we literally would agree that none of us would bring more than 20 bucks for a weekend night out. This way we all could pace each other. At least that was the way it was supposed to work, and it did until we figured out the key to having a great night out on the cheap. They key was buying a bottle of cheap, cheap champagne. I can’t even spell the name, but it was a full bottle, and it cost 12 bucks. Tear the label off and as far as anyone knew it was Dom. Each of us would grab one, and sip on it all night. It was far cheaper than buying beers or mixed drinks all night, and we never had to buy a drink for a girl, we just gave them some champagne! Of course the next day was hell, but since when was I responsible enough to care about a hangover…
But I digress. Back to business. As fired up as I was about the job, I was scared. Why? Because I have never worked with an IBM PC in my life. Not a single time, and I’m going to be selling software for it. So what do I do? I do what everyone does: I rationalize. I tell myself that the people walking in the door know as little as I do, so if I just started doing what I told my boss I would do, read the manuals, I would be ahead of the curve. That’s what I did. Every night I would take home a different software manual, and I would read them. Of course the reading was captivating. Peachtree, PFS, DBase, Lotus, Accpac… I couldn’t put them down. Every night I would read some after getting home, no matter how late.
Of course it was easy on the weekends. After drinking that cheap champagne, I wasn’t getting out of bed till about 9pm, so I had tons of time to lie on the floor and read. It worked. Turns out not a lot of people ever bothered to RTFM (read the frickin’ manual), so people started really thinking I knew my stuff. As more people came in, because I knew all the different software packages we offered, I could offer honest comparisons and customers respected that.
Within about 6 months, I was building a clientele and because I had also spent time on the store’s computers learning how to install, configure and run the software, I started having customers ask me to install the software at their offices. That meant I got to charge for consulting help: 25 bucks an hour that I split with the store. That turned into a couple hundred extra bucks per month and growing. I was raking it in, enough that I could move from the Hotel (that was what we called our apartment) where the 6 of us lived, into a 3 bedroom apartment across the street, where instead of 6 of us, there were only 3. Finally, my own bedroom!
I was earning consulting fees. I was getting referrals. I was on the phone cold calling companies to get new business. I even worked out a deal with a local consultant who paid me referral fees, which lead to getting a $1500 check. It was the first time in my adult life that I was able to have more than 1k dollars in the bank.
That was a special moment believe or not, and what did I do to celebrate? Nope…I didn’t buy better champagne. I had these old ratty towels that had holes in them and could stand on their own in the corner, they were so nasty I needed a shower from drying off after a shower…I went out and bought 6 of the fluffiest, plushest towels I could find. I was moving on up in the world. I had the towels. Life was good. Business was good and getting better for me. I was building my customer base, really starting to understand all the technology, and really establishing myself as someone who understood the software. More importantly no, most importantly I realized that I loved working with PCs. I had never done it before. I didn’t know if this was going to be a job that worked for me, or that I would even like and it turns out I was lucky. I loved what I was doing. I was rolling so well, I was even partying less… during the week.
Then one day, about 9 months into my career as a salesperson/consultant, I had a prospect ask if I could come to his office to close a deal. 9am. No problem to me. Problem to my boss, Michael Humecki. Michael didn’t want me to go. I had to open the store. That was my job. We were a retail store, not an outbound sales company. It sounded stupid to me back then too, particularly since I had gone on outbound calls during the day before. I guess he thought I was at lunch.
Decision time. It’s always the little decisions that have the biggest impact. We all have to make that “make or break” call to follow orders or do what you know is right. I followed my first instinct: close the sale. I guess I could have rescheduled the appointment, but I rationalized that you never turn your back on a closed deal. So I called one of my coworkers to come in and open up, and closed the deal. Next day I came in check in hand from a new customer and Michael fired me.
Source: Mark Cuban
Do You Zoom?
What sets successful soloists apart? It's a thinking process I call zooming.
After working solo for more than two decades, I recently experienced an "a-ha" about what sets successful soloists apart. I believe it comes down to a single skill -- one that determines business success beyond all others. Is it the ability to sell? One's financial acumen? Surely it must be marketing, you say.
Actually, it's not a sales, marketing or financial skill, although those decidedly are key to creating and maintaining a profitable one-person venture. Rather, it's a meta-skill, part of a mindset that overarches both the activities and the attitudes of a successful soloist. This cognitive ability is a thinking process I call zooming.
Zooming implies several things. There's the appealing thrill of speed, of course -- just ask auto manufacturer Mazda, who has imprinted our brains with the audio brand of that young boy's voice whispering "Zoom, zoom, zoom..." But my notion of zooming embraces more than fast-paced action and response.
Zooming can also point to one's facility to adapt to change. In fact, entrepreneurial gadfly and change agent Seth Godin writes of "zoometry" and the knack to "embrace change without pain." Again, this flexibility is an indispensable talent for soloists -- but not as vital as my definition, I suspect.
Adopt the Power of a Google Map
My concept of zooming centers on the capacity to shift rapidly -- and repeatedly -- between a macro-view and a micro-view of one's business. Think of it as having the power of a Google map: in one instance you're at 30,000 feet, dealing with the long-range vision of your company; the next you're on ground level, addressing daily tasks and deadlines; then -- zoom! -- you're back at 30,000 feet again. This facility for blink-of-the-eye refocusing is crucial for soloists who are often faced with major decisions about the future of their company one minute, then turn and confront the puzzle of which toner cartridge to buy the next.
Reams have been written about the multiple hats that soloists must wear in running a successful one-person business: CEO, marketing director, customer relations, product development manager, IT specialist, janitor, and more. What's been missing, however, is acknowledgement that these hats often need to be slipped on and off in seconds, and repeatedly, throughout the day. Such demands can create an exceptionally stressful environment and diffuse the energy of even the most organized soloist.
Navigating the Zoom
Zooming doesn't need to be chaotic and relentless, however. Here are three ways to help build your zooming skills:
Recognize the reality.
As you craft your weekly, monthly or longer-term goals and projects, increase your awareness of the full range of decisions that will be placed upon you. Many times just increasing your sensitivity to the "height" of the decisions (e.g., ground level, 10,000 feet, 30,000 feet) helps clarify the process and reduces the stress level.
Play to your strengths.
Most soloists are stronger at one end of the zooming spectrum. In my years of advising soloists, I've seen many for whom allocating thousands of dollars for next year's marketing strategy is a piece of cake, while choosing a color for their Web site becomes a thorny problem. Make a frank assessment of your zooming strengths and weaknesses. Are you a big-picture person comfortable with 30,000-foot decisions? Or do you prefer to focus on micro-tasks? Recognize that successful zooming requires both -- and determine how best to enhance your weak side.
Cluster your decisions.
To augment your new-found awareness of zooming, try to cluster your decision making so that you are formulating judgments and choices of similar "heights" concurrently. For example, group ground-level tasks or 30,000-foot strategic decisions at different parts of the day, ideally at a time that coincides with the energy available to tackle them.
Although continually zooming from high-level to mundane decisions and back again may be both mentally and physically draining, the sense of accomplishment you'll feel from checking off both the miniscule and the titanic from your To-Do list can be invigorating. With practice, you'll be zooming as effortlessly as Google's servers allow us to switch between macro and micro landscapes -- and the map you'll be charting points the way to your solo business success.
Source: Terri Lonier
After working solo for more than two decades, I recently experienced an "a-ha" about what sets successful soloists apart. I believe it comes down to a single skill -- one that determines business success beyond all others. Is it the ability to sell? One's financial acumen? Surely it must be marketing, you say.
Actually, it's not a sales, marketing or financial skill, although those decidedly are key to creating and maintaining a profitable one-person venture. Rather, it's a meta-skill, part of a mindset that overarches both the activities and the attitudes of a successful soloist. This cognitive ability is a thinking process I call zooming.
Zooming implies several things. There's the appealing thrill of speed, of course -- just ask auto manufacturer Mazda, who has imprinted our brains with the audio brand of that young boy's voice whispering "Zoom, zoom, zoom..." But my notion of zooming embraces more than fast-paced action and response.
Zooming can also point to one's facility to adapt to change. In fact, entrepreneurial gadfly and change agent Seth Godin writes of "zoometry" and the knack to "embrace change without pain." Again, this flexibility is an indispensable talent for soloists -- but not as vital as my definition, I suspect.
Adopt the Power of a Google Map
My concept of zooming centers on the capacity to shift rapidly -- and repeatedly -- between a macro-view and a micro-view of one's business. Think of it as having the power of a Google map: in one instance you're at 30,000 feet, dealing with the long-range vision of your company; the next you're on ground level, addressing daily tasks and deadlines; then -- zoom! -- you're back at 30,000 feet again. This facility for blink-of-the-eye refocusing is crucial for soloists who are often faced with major decisions about the future of their company one minute, then turn and confront the puzzle of which toner cartridge to buy the next.
Reams have been written about the multiple hats that soloists must wear in running a successful one-person business: CEO, marketing director, customer relations, product development manager, IT specialist, janitor, and more. What's been missing, however, is acknowledgement that these hats often need to be slipped on and off in seconds, and repeatedly, throughout the day. Such demands can create an exceptionally stressful environment and diffuse the energy of even the most organized soloist.
Navigating the Zoom
Zooming doesn't need to be chaotic and relentless, however. Here are three ways to help build your zooming skills:
Recognize the reality.
As you craft your weekly, monthly or longer-term goals and projects, increase your awareness of the full range of decisions that will be placed upon you. Many times just increasing your sensitivity to the "height" of the decisions (e.g., ground level, 10,000 feet, 30,000 feet) helps clarify the process and reduces the stress level.
Play to your strengths.
Most soloists are stronger at one end of the zooming spectrum. In my years of advising soloists, I've seen many for whom allocating thousands of dollars for next year's marketing strategy is a piece of cake, while choosing a color for their Web site becomes a thorny problem. Make a frank assessment of your zooming strengths and weaknesses. Are you a big-picture person comfortable with 30,000-foot decisions? Or do you prefer to focus on micro-tasks? Recognize that successful zooming requires both -- and determine how best to enhance your weak side.
Cluster your decisions.
To augment your new-found awareness of zooming, try to cluster your decision making so that you are formulating judgments and choices of similar "heights" concurrently. For example, group ground-level tasks or 30,000-foot strategic decisions at different parts of the day, ideally at a time that coincides with the energy available to tackle them.
Although continually zooming from high-level to mundane decisions and back again may be both mentally and physically draining, the sense of accomplishment you'll feel from checking off both the miniscule and the titanic from your To-Do list can be invigorating. With practice, you'll be zooming as effortlessly as Google's servers allow us to switch between macro and micro landscapes -- and the map you'll be charting points the way to your solo business success.
Source: Terri Lonier
Lessons From Business Masters Pt. 4
“It's customers that made Dell great in the first place, and if we're smart enough and quick enough to listen to customer needs, we'll succeed.” – Michael Dell
“I like thinking big. If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.” – Donald Trump
"The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow." - Rupert Murdoch
Lessons From Business Masters Pt. 3
“Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.” – John D. Rockefeller
“You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new.” – Steve Jobs
“The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand
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