Alan Weiss’s Monday Morning Memo® – 05/06/2024
My German Shepherd, Royce, has learned to open the gate leading from the pool to the front of the house by standing on his back legs (he’s taller than my wife when he does this) and pulling down on the top of the gate while pulling it toward him with his front paws.
In the mornings, when I like to do all my writing, he bends down under my left arm and raises his head to take my hand off the keys, repeatedly, until I feed him and Coco. At Dunkin’ Donuts he sticks his head out the rear window and barks at the staff, until they provide dog treats. If they don’t have treats that day, they give him and Coco ham or bacon. (I share the bacon.) Royce is sedulous about such things.
Many of you have dog stories like this, and all of you (I hope) can appreciate such experiences. Maya Angelou has said, “You train animals, but you educate people.” I’m not so sure.
I’ve been coaching others, formally and informally, since 1972. I know how to help people who want to be helped. The reason I’m where I am today (and you’re reading this) is that my success rate is extremely high—as, I’m sure, many of yours are. And when someone can’t be helped because of illness or emotional issues, I know how to tell, have the academic background to inform my responses, and have helped scores of people over the years to successfully deal with clinical depression, relationship problems, and other issues.
It’s the people who don’t want to be helped whom we need to recognize early on. These are people who protect themselves against any vulnerability made public. They don’t want to change behaviors or beliefs, and they are almost always deeply insecure. They camouflage this with passive-aggressive behavior and sophistry. (“You do it this way, why can’t I?” “This would never work for me.”)
You can’t help people who don’t want to be helped. It’s not your fault. Your intent is good but you’re not Superman and there are no more phone booths to change in, anyway. So I’m letting you off the hook. Help those who gladly and graciously accept the advice, and don’t blame yourself—with clients, friends, or (especially) family—who won’t. Royce has readily learned to fetch a ball, jump into the truck, and bark at all strangers on the property. But he has no intention of catching a frisbee, despite his predecessor’s affinity for it, so I’m not going to try to coach him further in that pursuit.
And I leave you with a line I wish I had written, from humorist George Ade: “Don’t pity the martyrs, they love the work.”
If you have time to be with a dog, and the dog is smart, you come to understand the dog, and the dog understands you. They’re not hard to train. But they have to be smart, and you have to spend time with them. It’s like coaching. I was a better coach when I had smart players. —Bud Grant
The mediocre mentor tells. The good mentor explains. The superior mentor demonstrates. The greatest mentors inspire! –Lucia Ballas Traynor
Don’t try to emulate me or any other person who’s successful. Instead, find the traits that led to our successes and make them your own. —Alan Weiss
Thought Leadership 2024
I’m hosting a tenth Thought Leadership Conference, and our first such session post-pandemic, in Delray, Florida area on September 10-12, 2024. This will probably be the last such “live” event of its kind since my future plans are to create a quarterly Zoom subscription for this endeavor in 2025 and beyond. We will focus on:
• The No Normal® of the workplace and how to market and succeed in continually turbulent times. • What the impending US presidential election will mean for professional services. • How to create weekly, relevant, dramatic IP. • Staying ahead of the innovation curve using your own past and continuing “body of work.” • Passive, global income generation—creation and sustainability. • Options for successful use of discretionary time. • Financial realities and metrics for safety and security (and prudent risk). • Topics raised in the prep work sent to participants.
We will have the fabulous leadership expert and wit, Lou Heckler, with us for the entire session. My newest book, Building Dynamic Communities: creating an evergreen client ecosystem, to be released later this year, will be personalized as my gift to you when it’s available, and the morning of the third day of the 2.5-day event will be optional and included in the fee. I’ll be “riffing” on that day on politics, society, education, personal wealth, and so forth.
The fee is $15,000, which includes rooms, breakfasts, lunches, and a cocktail reception. Finally, if you attend this session you may join the quarterly Zoom sessions next year for free, a $2,000 value.
Register here, please: https://alanweiss.com/
In the Buyer’s Office I’ve been asked to elaborate on the extremely popular “In the Buyer’s Office” videos on a regular basis. So I’m going to stop whining about doing it, and do it. I’m offering a 1.5-day, live session in Rhode Island during which everyone will get the chance to sell to the buyer and to be the buyer. You may record this if you like. You’ll learn how to, and apply how to:
- Open the meeting gracefully and move quickly to your objective.
- Handle distractions.
- Overcome objections.
- Reframe and pivot the conversation.
- Create trust, find key issues, create conceptual agreement, and “pour cement.”
- Create a resultant proposal with over an 80% probability of acceptance of options 2 or 3.
For those of you who can’t travel or are afraid of TSA, I’m offering the same experience (as much as possible) virtually over the course of three mornings. All of this will be recorded for distribution. https://alanweis
Building Dynamic Communities I’ve been asked for years how people can replicate my worldwide community, which is operating 24/7 virtually and in real time. Is it solely possible with entrepreneurs and the “retail” market, or can it be done with corporate clients and executives?
These communities (don’t confuse them with “tribes” which are exclusionary) provide huge business development benefits:
- Evangelism among members to engage more thoroughly
- The Chain Reaction of Attraction® which creates exponential growth when community members themselves attract others
- A laboratory to test ideas and allow others to suggest ideas
- High profile as THE expert and THE thought leader
- “Guaranteed” subscription to new offerings and projects to create immediate critical mass and success
- Instant marketing with zero investment
- Smooth progression form virtual interactions (e.g., internet-based) to real-time experiences (e.g., conferences, symposia, and so forth)
- Impressive creation of high quality marketing lists (a good return on most lists is considered 2%, my lists generate 10%)
- Powerful brand building and brand extension
- Value accruing to you even when you are not present because members wouldn’t know each other without you
- Immediate tests of new IP
- May 15-16, 1.5 days, at my place! $5,000 Includes my hosting dinner and 60 days of support. https://alanweiss.com
/store/quick-pay/
Million Dollar Consulting® for the World: I’ve provided 14 modules with videos from me, from your colleagues globally, slides, and text. They include everything from launch to self-esteem, proposals to fees, closing business to creating a brand. No upsells! It’s only $115. What do you think about a 10,000:1 ROI? We have over 500 people from 47 countries. https://milliondoll
Million Dollar Consulting® for the World ADVANCED: The new program contains over 60 videos and has 15 modules focusing on what to do in the buyer’s office, overcoming crises, financial planning, and much, much more. https://alanweiss.com/gr
Sentient Strategy Certification: My new book on the topic (above) has been released, so this is an ideal time to market Sentient Strategy. Write me to apply, join over 70 people certified in six countries. One-time fee of $12,000, includes 90 days of my support, free admission to all future certifications, and admission to a private web board with other Sentient facilitators. In a recent program a participant sold a $100,000 strategy program within 48 hours. Write me at [email protected]
Special Coaching: NOTE: I’ve reinstated my inexpensive, limited coaching program I last used during Covid because I’ve found people who need help right now growing their practices. I’ve offered it to past coaching participants, but I can handle several more people at this point. Five calls at your desire: review proposals, prepare for meetings, create passive income, etc. $2,024. You simply have to use them before the end of the year, 30 minutes each. Should pay for itself 20 times over. You can write to discuss ([email protected]) or sign up by paying here: https://alanweiss.com/st
Another Book Sprint: Want to join me for my Book Sprint? In 60 days complete a proposal for an agent or an acquisitions editor (or the outline and marketing plan for a self-published book). We have an 80%+ “hit rate” for obtaining book contracts, complete with my introductions. The schedule is flexible and I’ll create one around the first people to register. The fee is $4,500—we meet weekly by Zoom with assignments in between and a common Drop Box to review each other’s work. Write me at [email protected].
