Your Legacy is Now
Life is not a search for meaning from others, it’s about the creation of meaning for yourself.
For over 30 years Alan Weiss has consulted, coached, and advised everyone from Fortune 500 executives, state governors, non-profit directors, and entrepreneurs to athletes, entertainers, and beauty pageant contestants. That’s quite an assortment of people, and they run into the thousands. Most of them have had what we euphemistically call “means,” and some of them have had a lot more than that. Others have been aspiring and with more ends in sight than means on hand.
Alan Weiss states:
I’ve dealt with esteem (low), narcissism (high), family problems, leadership dysfunctions, insecurities, addictions, and ethical quandaries. And I’ve talked about them through the coronavirus crisis. But don’t get the wrong idea. About 95% of these people have been well-meaning, honest (to the best of their knowledge), and interested in becoming a better person and better professional. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be talking to me.
I found the equivalent of the “runner’s wall” in their journeys, where they must break through the pain and the obstacles and then can keep going with renewed energy and spirit. But runners know how far they must go after the breakthrough, be it another half lap or another five miles. There is a finish line.
I’ve found that people in all positions, even after the “breakthrough,” don’t know where they are in the race, let alone where the finish line is.
They do not know what meaning is for them. They may have money in the bank, good relationships, the admiration of others, and the love of their dogs. But they have no metrics for “What now?” They believe that at the end of life there is a tallying, some metaphysical accountant who totals up their contributions, deducts their bad acts, and creates the (hopefully positive) difference.
That difference, they believe, is their “legacy.”
But the thought that legacy arrives at the end of life is as ridiculous as someone who decides to sell a business and tries to increase its valuation the day prior. Legacy is now. Legacy is daily. Every day we create the next page in our lives, but the question becomes who is writing it and what’s being written. Is someone else creating our legacy? Or are we, ourselves, simply writing the same page repeatedly?
Or do we leave it blank?
Our organic, living legacy is marred and squeezed by huge normative pressures. There is a “threshold” point, at which one’s beliefs and values are overridden by immense peer pressure. Our metrics are forced to change.
In an age of social media, biased press, and bullying, we’ve come to a point where our legacy, ironically, is almost out of our hands.
Yet our “meaning”—our creation of meaning and not a search for some illusive alchemy—creates worth and impact for us and all those with whom we interact.
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Guido Thys
Alan, how does the curve relate to the sales funnel?
Alan Weiss
Which sales funnel? I think the Accelerant Curve is fairly clear in and of itself.
Garry Beavis
Another timely reminder for me Alan!Thanks.
Guido Thys
Alan, the Accelerant Curve is indeed very clear and useful.
I’m only wondering whether it:
– can replace the traditional sales funnel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_funnel) of which many say it is outdated;
– belongs to a different paradigm altogether.
Alan Weiss
I have no idea what the sales funnel is, so I think you can assume it’s really replaceable! I’ve never seen it before, it looks ridiculous, and you shouldn’t be using Wikipedia for sales help!
Guido Thys
I think the (sales) world is ready for your views on how to influence/guide the buying process then.
To my knowledge there isn’t a sales (management) training in the world which isn’t at least partially based upon the sales funnel in one form or another.
Sounds like a huge market opportunity…
Alan Weiss
I’ve built it, they can come or not! I’ve managed national and international sales forces. I’m not in the training business. I’m happy to consult with senior management on what need to be done to improve sales results, and I have.
Dave Gardner
Alan…wonderful explanation!
Guido…The Accelerant Curve is about offerings along a continuum of value. A sales funnel is about predicting transactions for those offerings. The Accelerant Curve might be a bit predictive of where clients might go for additional value, e.g., buy Million Dollar Consulting book, purchase mentor program, etc. What you won’t know is (a) if a person will select additional options on the Accelerant Curve and (b) when they might do it. The point of the Accelerant Curve is to illustrate the need for different offerings at different price points along the curve rather than simply offer a $25 book and a $100,000 consulting project as a means to build a relationship, trust and your brand with a client. The Accelerant Curve is not like a sales funnel at all.
Tim Wilson
Alan,
Which of your new books is discussed in more depth? And if you haven’t written about it do you plan to?
Alan Weiss
Tim, I don’t understand the question.
Tim Wilson
Alan,
My apologies I failed to proof my response. I wanted to know which of your newly published books you go into additional detail on the acceleration curve. I seem to recall you mentioning something about it but just don’t remember which book.
Also if you haven’t written about it in any of your new releases, then do you plan to or will you be putting out a separate booklet that we can purchase? That’s what I was trying to say sorry for the confusion.
Alan Weiss
It’s in the upcoming Million Dollar Speaking and Million Dollar Coaching, and I think it’s in the newest edition of Million Dollar Consulting. It will also be in The Consulting Bible.
Peter McLean
Sad to say, it’s not in Million Dollar Consulting (4th ed). Look forward to it in the new books.
Guido Thys
Dave… thank you for the explanation.
My point is that more and more sales theorists point out that the traditional sales funnel (in which a sales person guides the suspect towards the status of prospect, of first time customer, of repeat buyer, etc.) is being replaced by a process which is controlled by the customer. During this process the customer will first “consume” free products and then gradually work his way up.
Sounds a lot like the Accelerant Curve to me….
Alan Weiss
Sorry. I’ve written about it in quite a few places, some of which are membership sites, Perhaps someone else can help to find it.
Dan Weedin
I’ve seen you give several presentations on The Accelerant Curve and this video is the best and most concise I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing.
Dan
Alan Weiss
I was hysterical using an easel on my driveway in a video, but what the heck!