Tom Hopkins
Speaker | Sales Trainer | Author | CE Curriculum Developer | Sales Skills that get Results! 800-528-0446
Selling is the foundation of everything. Nothing in our world happens until something is sold to someone else. That includes ideas, concepts, skills, products, and services. We sell our values to our children. We sell the pest control guy on coming next week instead of today. We sell our skills to our employer and we sell our products and services to customers.
Daniel Mumby "That StartUp Guy"
The first book I ever read on sales, way back in 1985 (I think) was Tom Hopkins book on "How to Master the Art of Selling". And it's still the 2nd best book on the topic. Apologies, Tom, but How to Win friends & influence people pipped you out for #1. Without a customer, you don't have a business, you have a hobby.
Agree, no business. Mission. Faith. Hope. Dreams. You may call all this "hobby", but ask ANY REAL scientist what made them build this world. Customers? No. The fundamental wish to build a better world, SOLVE REAL problems (not making profit which now is in direct opposition).
You business guys always forget one thing: you are BLIND to anyone who can't pay for your stuff. However, perhaps they still have right to exist, or even be happy, have future, etc. don't you think?
By the way, do you have ANY way to allow our children PAY for the resources we now transform to the next cars, phones, blockbuster movies, etc? No? Can they make US pay for the garbage continents on the oceans, the mountains of garbage that we create and they will suffer from? No?
You'd better rethink the role of "selling", and at last be able to see what this total focus on "sell" really creates:
HELL.
Daniel Mumby "That StartUp Guy"
Lorand Kedves mission hope faith don't feed hungry children. Gives them focus & purpose, sure. But my attitude is not that of some robber baron oligarch. In order to give others a hand-up (not a hand out), entrepreneurs must succeed in their ventures, which means customers and new value created around solving real world compelling problems.
Give a mana fish...etc. well how about teaching a village to fish, by bringing a new industry to town & employing people. Let's be honest, the best way to help people out of poverty or over come adversity is not by charity - it's by helping people to find their own way back, and in doing so, many learn to tell the stories that also inspire others.
And I only care about solving real world problems-I have to -I'm not UNICEF- I don't invest in frivolous businesses, or encourage people to build something that doesn't benefit people. Nor do I encourage them to spend their time on something for which their is no paying audience -Because if they were to do that, the opportunity cost to them & the world would be the solving of the next problem that they never actually got to.
I respect that you gave such moderate answer to my offending statement. You are a good person, but you are wrong, time and really rational thinking proves that.
All you said can be covered by an ancient proverb: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". The tragic in this statement is that you can't lead anyone to hell with bad intention: you MUST believe that you are good while you lead them to hell.
You refer to that "teach to fish"... Is it my job to teach you how to make profit: make them hungry and sell them fish?
Do you need safe and efficient transportation? Use trains, buses, taxis. Oh no, dammit. BUY the newest car, it will even drive itself, and run on "clean" (???) electricity! Do you want to be happy with the image in the mirror? Live a full life and get used to aging. Oh no, dammit. Buy clothes, cosmetics, etc. Do you want to communicate? Use any mobile phone. Oh no, dammit, buy my newest phone, it has triple camera. Do you want your documents perfectly formatted and usable after decades? Use TeX, it's free, the author finally PAYED for any found bug in it. Oh no, dammit. Buy the newest Office, now it can flash words.
Or to shoot at a real giant, do you know the World Bank?
It started operation in 1944, I guess I can safely say that it has ultimate business power. Do you perhaps know its motto? It is "yours": "Working for a World Free of Poverty".
OK, again. Started in 1944. Has vast resources. Works against poverty. Result since then?
COMPLETE, TOTAL, GLOBAL, EPIC FAILURE.
Your assumption that you can achieve more than the World Bank can be funded on two options:
- the World Bank is actually an evil organization, and you are strong enough to beat them;
- you are smarter than all the experts they have and/or have more resources.
So, you can reach the aim they failed, with the same thinking. Otherwise you should admit that you follow a path that simply unable to lead to where you think you are going.
If you are interested, I can give you "forgotten" scientific results, exactly explaining and forecasting our current situation and the inevitable consequences. But unlike the Matrix, or any superhero movie: I can't offer you any "magical outside", only a consciously irrational faith. I am a complete failure, don't follow me if you like "business" - but consider my ideas if you do care about future.
