Steve Yastrow

The economy is a mess. Is your business?

I address the headline’s question in today’s newsletter -  Dealing with a harsh economy: The Window and the Mirror.

The newsletter’s premise is simple: Is the current economic crisis an excuse to hide or a call to action?  Are you looking “out the window” for the reasons you can’t succeed, or looking “in the mirror” to focus on the things you can control?

Of course, what happens out the window matters.  But the real issue is how you will deal with it.

I was talking with my friend Miguel Latronica about the concept of the Window and the Mirror the other day. Today he sent me this picture, which captures the concept beautifully:

Miguel took this picture looking into the mirror in his laundry room, which sits opposite a large window.  He sees himself and the world outside the window reflected together.

What happens outside the window is real, but by looking in the mirror to see it, you can’t use it as an excuse.  You can only help but see yourself, and be challenged to think about the actions you can take to help yourself.

Please have a look at the newsletter, and share your comments below.  Are you ready to look in the mirror?

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Posted in Wisdom from everyday life | 4 Comments »

Joni’s back … at this very moment

One of my favorite lessons from writing We and studying customer relationships is that the best wisdom for business often comes from everyday life. A few weeks ago I wrote a post describing an inspiration from listening to a Joni Mitchell song when I was in Europe. Today, Joni’s plain wisdom inspired me once again.

Just now, at 33,000 feet on the way from Atlanta to Chicago, I was listening to her song Chelsea Morning and heard one of my favorite passages:

Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning and the first thing that I knew,
There was milk and toast and honey, and a bowl of oranges, too.
The sun poured in like butterscotch, and stuck to all my senses,
Won’t you stay, we’ll put on the day, and talk in present tenses?

One of the key components of a relationship-building encounter is that you and your customer need to both be fully present, engaged in the present moment. As I wrote in this recent post on tompeters.com, one of the easiest ways to kill a sales conversation is to be focused on the next step in the sales process, ignoring the opportunity to create an encounter RIGHT NOW, in the present moment.

When Joni wakes up into her Chelsea morning, she is fully engaged in the “what’s happening now.” What does she want to do? Talk in present tenses.

That’s profound. Even while you are in a discussion with your customer planning the future, or recapping the past, be sure that you are in the spirit of the present tense.

When you are engaged in dialogue with your customer, think, “Won’t you stay, we’ll put on the day, and talk in present tenses?”

Wow. Thanks again, Joni.

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Posted in Customer Encounters, Wisdom from everyday life | 2 Comments »