I learned six things from my conversation with author and sales legend Patrick Tinney on The Sales Life Podcast this week.
1. Adversity will make you. Tinney was born into adversity. Losing his father at age 9, he had to take any job to help his mom stay afloat.
Lesson: No time to bitch and complain; only do. Tinney took his curiosity & creativity into making shit happen throughout his career.
2. Being an underdog is good. Nothing but the upside for underdogs because they have nothing to lose. Being an underdog gives you the flexibility to be bold and go for it all. While others are playing not to lose, underdogs aren't expected to win & end up shocking the world.
3. Stress less. Not stress-free. Stress is a necessary ingredient to success. 2 tips when negotiating:
a. Practice being under-whelmed. Be RFA. Ready for anything. When others try to dig on you, don't act surprised & react. Keep them guessing.
b. Mentally pedal backwards. Think of an old ten-speed bike where you can infinitely pedal backwards. When negotiating, you can give yourself space to think & strategize by spinning your mental pedals backwards. (I use this technique often.)
4. The precious present is where the action's at. Most people are either stuck in the past or predicting their future based on a crappy past. The "precious present" is where all of the opportunities are. Be prepared. Look for the loopholes. Form alliances. Stay present. (See #3)
5. Don't act weak. Even if you have a weak hand, you don't have to act weak. Play it like a poker player. Bluff the shit out of your opponent by embodying your future self. Others will capitalize on your weakness if they sense it. Be neutral-faced. Wink 😉 in the face of fear.
6. Greenify your sales game. Evolve with the changing times. When you're green, you grow; when you're not, you rot.
These are just the highlights. Hear this wide-ranging conversation here.
