The Pierce Marrs Show

The subject of “mirror neurons” has been brought to my attention from several different sources. This has triggered my desire to share this information and I would appreciate your opinion.

According to Mark Goulston in his book Just Listen, mirror neurons, formerly known as “monkey see, monkey do” neurons, act as mirrors that form the basis for human empathy. He adds that they may be one way nature causes us to care about people. He states one example: When monkey #1 watched monkey #2 toss a ball, the brain of the first monkey reacted as if it had tossed the ball itself.

Have you noticed the reaction people have to a sporting event, a dramatic movie or powerful speaker? Many times you will see them mirror emotionally what they are seeing or hearing.

Storytelling is a powerful way to communicate because it allows people to come along for the adventure. Storytellers cause the brains of their listeners or readers to operate in synch with their own. Best selling author and speaker, Andy Andrews, has mastered this craft. He writes books with a powerful message using real and fictional characters.

Jesus also used stories or parables to communicate a message. When asked by his disciples why he used this method, he replied, “Though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand,” Luke 13:10.

If you want to connect with someone emotionally, you must be able to mirror their feelings. To mirror their feelings, you must listen intently.The more accurately you understand, the deeper the connection.

I look forward to hearing your opinion on this subject. You can go to Contact Pierce to leave me your thoughts

Have a great week!

Pierce

You can learn more about Andy at AndyAndrews.com. Also, check out his new podcast, In The Loop with Andy Andrews, for a unique perspective and behind the scenes look into his world.

These are the words spoken to me by a ten year old boy just a few days ago. I assume that he has adopted this phrase to ease the pain when things do not turn out as he hoped. It saddened me a bit to think that he will always play it safe and expect the least out of life.

I sat with him for a while and discussed the flaw in his philosophy. He had just played a basketball game where he scored one basket. I told him I thought he should plan to score five baskets in the next game. Even if he misses his goal of five but makes three baskets, he will have surpassed the prior goal of just one.

Just like many successful people I know, Lesa and I are discussing and writing down our goals for 2012. My friend Dan Miller completes his goals by November 15th of each year. He says if you wait until January 1st, you are already behind.

When we have large dreams and goals, there is always the risk of disappointment. I believe missed goals provide a learning experience and make us stronger in character. I also believe that the successes in our lives overshadow the failures. We must pray, plan and take action.

I have high expectations for the new year. Join me and make it the best ever?

“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from coming up to bat.” ~ Babe Ruth

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. ~ Michael Jordan

“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” ~ Robert Kiyosaki

“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.” ~ Beverly Sills

Have a great week!

Pierce

I recently spoke to a group of insurance agents about tools that can help you hire the right people for your team. I use and train organizations to use the DISC personality system to determine someone’s wiring and how they react to their environment. This system is one tool to help you hire new people and ensure a good fit for that position.

Before I spoke, the leader of the event played a short video of Steve Jobs discussing success. The video was titled Success is a Result of Passion and People Around You. It is only eighty-nine seconds long but contains sound advice on why some people succeed and some do not.

First, Jobs stated that Passion is what keeps you going when things get tough. If you are not passionate about what you are doing, you will quit when it becomes difficult. He says if you do not love it, you will fail.

Second, it is imperative that you be a great talent scout. You need a team of great people around you and know how to recognize them.

I also want to let you know about a new podcast entitled EntreLeadership from the Dave Ramsey organization. It is loaded with great advice on how to run a successful business. You can find it at Itunes or you can go to EntreLeadership Podcast.

Last weeks podcast was titled “When Failure is Caused by Leadership.” The failure of a team member to perform is not always the fault of the individual. Many times the leader did not equip that person to win. Knowing the difference can be vital to an organization.

Have passion, love what you do and know how to find and equip the right people.

Have a great week!

Pierce

P.S. Hiring the wrong people can be costly. Contact me for more information about using the DISC Personality Profile in your organization.

Most people I know are in a hurry. Especially many of the drivers I encounter on the roadways. Unfortunately, our busy schedules force us to always look toward the next task or appointment and leaves little margin for going the extra mile.

When you go the extra mile, you put in more effort than is normally required in order to ensure success.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:41, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” In the context of this time in history, one thousand paces was considered to be one mile. This meant that a Roman soldier who was traveling could compel any Jew to pick up his baggage and carry it for him for one mile or one thousand paces. The Jews were very resentful. They would count to one thousand, and they would never carry it one pace over one thousand paces. They would never go one step beyond what they were compelled.

In this scenario, Jesus was concerned about the poor attitude of the Jews. By going the extra mile beyond what was demanded showed an uncommon attitude toward the Romans and set them apart from the crowd.

You may work with a boss or customer that is demanding more than you want to give. Maybe you have been doing the minimum required to get the work done. Taking the time to go the extra mile will give you a proper perspective and represent a great attitude to those you come in contact. It will also help you develop a stellar reputation of great customer service.

Going the extra mile is simply doing more than you are asked or expected to do. It will also make you stand out from your competition. Are you doing the minimum required or going the extra mile?

Have a great week!

Pierce

The phrase, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” is credited to St. Ambrose who while in Rome fasted on Saturday and while he was at his home church in Milan, he did not. To observe the practices and traditions of a person or business when visiting is a form of respect and good manners. It is also important in establishing and maintaining good customer relations.

A friend of mine recently cut ties with a vendor because it became too hard to do business with them. It seems that they spoke with technical computer jargon that was difficult to understand. The vendor appeared to make little effort to make the task easier and constantly referred him to other costly resources.

Most people will take the path of least resistance. If you confuse them and place roadblocks in their path, they will simply go somewhere else. I believe it is the responsibility of the business or salesperson to adapt your communication and presentation to your prospective customer. In other words, speak in a language they understand.

Furthermore, it is important to recognize the personality and learning style of a prospect. If you listen closely, they will give you clues to their decision making process. To ignore these clues and forge ahead with a canned script could jeopardize your success. I believe a script should be used as a guide to help you keep your thoughts organized. However, it should never replace making a connection with your prospect.

One caveat. I do not believe one should ignore your own values and morals for the sake of closing a deal. A successful business man advised me when I was young that I should never have to sacrifice my personal values for the sake of doing business. I have been in sales for twenty-nine years and this rule has stood the test of time.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. ~ Winston Churchill

Clear communications gives your business a positive image as efficient, responsive, and friendly. Isn’t that how you want your customers to see you? ~ Cheryl Stephens

Have a great week!

Pierce

Many people regard selling as a less than respectful occupation even though we all engage in the selling process on a daily basis. Unfortunately, most of us have had a negative sales experience. For example: If a salesperson has ever treated you dishonestly or misrepresented a product or would not take no for an answer, this could leave a bad taste in your mouth about the sales profession.

Those of you who are actively running your own business or have chosen sales as your profession understand that it is impossible to succeed without a clear sales process. To engage your prospects and customers in a positive manner, providing solutions and quality with your product and service can be one of the most fulfilling and exciting ways to make a living.

Today’s marketplace is changing and I have the opportunity to coach entrepreneurs who are planning to leave their traditional job to seek self employment. They have an expertise in a particular area and want to market that skill to a prospective audience. When it comes time to develop their sales process, they become concerned about how they will be received by their prospects. Especially when it is time to ask for the money.

Here are few things ask yourself as you develop your sales process:

1. Does your product or service have value? Does it solve a problem and provide a want or need? If so, present it proudly.
2. Is your offering worth the price? If it has value, they will pay for it. Remember that your prospect understands that there is a cost associated with it and they expect to pay.
3. Does your personality fit your selling process? If selling is not a fit for your personality and you do not enjoy it, then you should hire someone to accomplish this part of your business. It cannot be ignored.
4. Do you need help getting started? Do not be afraid to ask for help. Selling is a learned skill and reading and coaching can give you the jump start you need to make your business profitable and enjoyable.

Selling is the life blood of your business and doing it well can make you profitable and give you an excellent reputation. Treat people the way you would like to be treated and over deliver great value and you may find that selling can be fun. I certainly do.

Have a great week!

Pierce

Most people want to be interesting. They want to be thought of as sociable, humorous and a good conversationalist.

Unfortunately, this causes people to talk too much, try to be cool or clever and witty. According to Mark Goulston in his book, Just Listen, they have it backward. If you want to be more interesting, you should be more interested!

Becoming genuinely interested in other people is on Dale Carnegie’s list of six ways to make people like you. This is the simplest way to break the ice with someone you have just met.

The following are some tips to help you master this skill:

1. Avoid insincerity and manipulation. You cannot pretend. You have to be genuine. People will see through your tactics if you are not sincere.
2. Avoid personal issues until you have built trust and rapport. Talk about topics of general interest.
3. Call them by their name.
4. Smile and be positive. It will draw people to you. Most of what people hear is negative.
5. Join in the conversation. If you ONLY ask questions, it will seem like an interrogation. I use the 70/30 rule. I let them talk 70% of the time.
6. Listen intently.

Most people you meet are generally focused on his or herself with their own problems and objectives. When you are able to put your own needs aside and focus on the needs of others, you set yourself apart from the crowd.

Do you want to be interesting? Do you want to be liked? Be interested and do it genuinely. It will make them feel like the most important person in the world.

Have a great week!

Pierce

When you are in business, sometimes things go wrong. A delivery is delayed or arrives damaged or the product or service may not meet the customer’s expectations. It has been my experience that it is not the problem that determines your future with a customer, it has how you handle that problem and make it right.

I recently sat in a conference room with my customer (I will call him Mr. Thomason) seated on my right and a corporate representative for a particular product on my left. Mr. Thomason has been having an abnormal number of product failures.

After I made formal introductions, I asked my customer to describe the issues he has experienced. When he finished, I told the corporate representative how loyal Mr. Thomason has been over the years. I also mentioned his patience and understanding during this trying time.

Mr. Thomason immediately began to tell the corporate representative how he could not be more pleased with how his issues had been handled. He spoke as if the problems he experienced were really no big deal.

Like any good relationship, it takes time to build trust and I have been dealing with Mr. Thomason for several years.

Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, suggests that with each of our relationships, whether professional or personal, we establish “Emotional Bank Accounts”.

To quote Mr. Covey, “We all know what a financial bank account is. We make deposits into it and build up a reserve from which we can make withdrawals when we need to. An Emotional Bank Account is a metaphor that describes the amount of trust that’s been built up in a relationship. Its the feeling of safeness you have with another human being.”

The other side of the coin is that a shortage of deposits and too many withdrawals results in the account being overdrawn and eventually the relationship is too damaged to repair.

I would like to tell you that every customer will be as understanding as Mr. Thomason, however, there will always be people that you cannot please. Strive to do the right thing for your customers. This includes allowing them to voice their issues and be heard, develop a win-win solution and a solid follow-up plan. Their reaction may surprise you.

Have a great week!

Pierce

I have heard it said that if you don’t stand for something…you will fall for anything.

When was the last you were challenged on what you believe or value? I heard business coach Chuck Bowen ask a group of entrepreneurs, “What do you value so much, that if given the choice, you would rather die than violate that principle?” 

Great people and companies have a clear set of core values that form the foundation on which they live their lives, perform work and conduct themselves.

Core Values: A principle that guides a person or organization’s internal conduct as well as it’s relationship with the external world.

Branding expert Jimi Gibson and I recently conducted a three hour class for Free Agent Academy helping entrepreneurs clarify who they are, what they believe and how they should treat their customers. Answering these questions along with a clear set of core values can determine the brand, marketing and sales process of your business.

My good friend, Pastor and writer Jason Cruise, advised me on the importance of speaking and writing on the undeniable truths of life. Truths that will hold up over time, like those found in God’s scriptures.

Core values determine how you treat your family and other people including your customers. Core values also determine how you conduct business or what kind of employee you will be. The face of business is being challenged by the culture and positive values some companies are choosing to adopt.

Your core values permeate every part of your life. Some examples of these principles are integrity, honesty, respect, excellence, family and service.

A mission statement full of cliche’s is fine but your core values will SHOW the world what you truly stand for.

Question: What principles do you value and why? Please leave your comment here.

Have a great week!

Pierce

I was recently asked if our current generation of young people are learning good communication skills. I told her honestly that unless parents teach it at home or they seek these skills on their own, they may not learn how to deal with people.

I believe it is beneficial for everyone to learn how to communicate properly and know how to treat people. Before we start debating how poor the service has become in the world today, we should also consider the lack of appreciation from the patrons that frequent these businesses. I do not believe this should be an excuse for the business to be rude, but how difficult is it to say thank you with a smile to the people that serve us?

How to Win Friends and Influence People listed giving honest and sincere appreciation as a fundamental technique in handling people. You will be surprised how well people respond to your needs if you approach them with a good attitude and a simple, sincere thank you.

Last week a nice lady served me and went beyond the call with a good attitude and made my experience memorable. I thanked her for being so helpful. As I walked away I heard her tell the person working with her, “That was really good to hear.”

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Stearman who creates beautiful bronze sculptors. He is working on a bust of Mr. Cathy, the owner of Chik-fil-a and told me of his experience when he visited the headquarters in Atlanta. Scott was surprised to see the unique collection of cars, art and antique carriages in the building. What surprised him most was the culture and work environment of the employees. He asked Mr. Cathy if he could explain how he had become so successful. Mr. Cathy replied, “I just treat people the way the want to be treated.”

Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31

Have a great week!

Pierce