53:05
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, business, selling, great, buy, customers, money, sales, point, don, words, dates, talk, sales manager, easy, richest, romancing, win, salespeople, prospect
SPEAKERS
Damon Pistulka, Don Williams
Damon Pistulka 00:05
All right, everyone. Thank you once again for joining us for the faces of business. And with me today, I’ve got Brian Williams and I’m sorry, Don, I caught you right in the middle of getting a drink of water for getting going here. But thanks for being with us today.
Don Williams 00:20
I’m sorry, my face was thirsty, and I needed a drink to get started on, I apologize. And next time, I’ll just stay dry.
Damon Pistulka 00:29
That’s quite alright, because you’re gonna see me drink a lot of water while we do this. Because it’s a we usually have fun in it, you know, when you’re talking, you’re talking you need some water to keep it going. So well, I’m really excited to have you here today, Don, because you know as as many people may know, Don Williams global what you do now to help people really wow their customers and and as you say romance the customer is something I think is, is a needed in the world, but be really cool.
And to hear your story about how you built other businesses and how you’ve been able to, to now follow your passion, showing others how to do this, and how to drive sales, like we were just talking for, before we got on here.
Don Williams 01:16
You know, the thing about driving sales is so I think like, like college football or the Kansas City Chiefs. So you know, their main strategy is score, you know, 50 or 60 points. And, and we’ll play some defense and special teams to I’m not knocking, they have a great defense and great special team. But really, their strategy is let’s just out score. And and if you apply that to business, that just means Hey, let’s go sell more.
And I would argue that if your sales are healthy and growing, you know, that takes care of about half the problems in a business. And, and then with healthy and growing sales, you can afford to fix everything else. Yeah, it’s hard to fix everything when you’re when your pockets are empty. So you’re so I love I love to work on the sales side. I know the other stuff. But I generally enlist a partner on that. I want to work on the sales side.
Damon Pistulka 02:16
That’s for sure. And you know, sales, all sales solves problems, that’s for sure. No doubt. It will create them, it will create them too. I mean, on the other side, it will create them. But when you don’t have enough to sale solve problems, that’s for sure. And and when you’re talking about it, let’s let’s so let’s, let’s first of all, let’s start in your background a little bit. I mean, you’ve been selling for more than a few weeks now. And can you kind of tell us how you figured out that, hey, I like selling stuff. I like helping people find what they need.
Don Williams 02:50
I think that I think Kubrick bring up a good point helping people. So So I’ll start in the beginning. So when I was released from the Mexican jail, and to Juana No, no. Kidding, kidding, kidding. So I started out at 19 as a college student, and and within the first year, I was the top salesman in the country out of 450 sales reps. And then they they did something that worked out really well for him. But it generally doesn’t work out well for a company.
I was the top sales manager. So best numbers, best sales, and also the kind of promoted other sales managers, which you got to ask your question. Are you really leading if you’re not developing other leaders? Yeah. And I’ll argue the answer is No, you’re not. But so they took the best salesman and they promoted me to be a sales manager. And most times that is a bad move.
It is you lose a great salesperson, you get a I’ll just say less great sales manager. And, but it worked out for them. Because within six months, I was the top sales manager out of 14 offices and, and the kind of guy who had the best numbers and the best dollars and promoted other people. And all my life really people have said, Man, you’re a great salesperson. And I’ve always kind of deflected that said, you know, people like to buy from me, and I just let him I don’t I don’t think I ever made anybody do anything. I don’t think even Can I think it’ll make it easy to do something.
But you can’t really make people do anything. And so, in a romancing your customers about, think about the romantic journey. I’m the best husband. I’m the best spouse. I’m the best mate. I’m the best boyfriend. I’m the best partner. Okay, when I’m seeing things from my counterparts point of view, and I’m the best salesman when I see things from my prospects point of view. And that takes you back to, you know, stop selling and start helping and, and if what you’re selling doesn’t help, you know, find something that does go sell that. So, so that that’s kind of the early years after the to Juana jail.
Damon Pistulka 05:21
All right. All right. And I’m sure there are lessons learned there as well. But
Don Williams 05:27
stay out of it to Juana J. Yeah.
Damon Pistulka 05:29
Yeah, yeah, that would be the one. So when you when you’re in doing that, what what did you really think that you were doing that others weren’t doing? Because, you know, obviously, you’re at the top of the class kind of thing and what you were doing so what did you see that the new sales people coming in really didn’t grasp about the selling process that you were able to either instill in them or that you are doing that they weren’t?
Don Williams 05:56
So, great question. To me, it always I used to say, I’m a very sincere person. And, you know, sincerity comes from I think the Greek is two words, sin and Sarah. And it was a it was a wax seal put on a vase, that certified that it had not been repaired. Okay, so the state’s way, you know, 1000s of years ago. And so I’ve always been today, I would use the word authentic. I, I am who I am, not who I’m not. And most people like me, and I will offer this to the audience. Most people will like the real you. Yes. On the other hand, they will not like a facade, they will not like a false you. And they won’t even know why. But, but it’s true.
They won’t and and Well, everybody know, everybody won’t. You know, and I mean, I tell my clients until you have a couple haters, you’re not marketing hard enough, you know, because everybody’s not going to, there’s going to be some personality conflicts, but, but that’s okay. You don’t need everybody to love you. You don’t need everybody to trust you. You don’t even need everybody to buy from you. If you if you look at your market, whatever business you’re in, you need a little itty bitty sliver of all of the people who buy what you sell, to buy from you, to provide for you and your family and your business.
And so the vast majority of what everybody does is unsuccessful. But But you don’t have to win every time. You just have to win. You know, enough. And then, you know, one thing I tell clients is this is so if you’re counting what’s your conversion, so I have a consistent stream of qualified leads. And to me in romancing, that’s better day or more dates, you have to have enough dates. Okay. And then you know how you’re converting, that’s being a better dater.
Okay, so once I once I have a consistent stream of qualified leads, or more dates, that I have to become a better date, or to where I win more of those. And, you know, so if you are, it doesn’t really matter what industry you’re in, let’s say you’re an industry, and you legitimately have a two out of 10 conversion. Okay, which many companies do not experience that? Okay, let’s just say you do, you went two out of 10 times, if, if, if with a little bit of smarts, and a lot of heart, we can go from two out of 10 to three out of 10. That’s a 50% lift in revenue. Let me say that again. 50%, left, by closing one more out of 10.
If you do two more out of 10, you have doubled your business. And one of my early businesses way back, I’m six years young way back when my early businesses. I tripled my business in four days. I learned one thing in four days, that we were doing this much business. And immediately thereafter, we were doing this much business. And you know, you see scaling is a real popular word. Yeah. If you search Google, you know, and I mean, it’s it’s a really popular word today. But all scaling is like make it real simple. It’s just How do I multiply my sales? You can figure everything else out. You can get people to help with that. You know, my clients who are all my clients would say this.
We weren’t selling the way we wanted to. We hired on he is painfully expensive and worth every penny. And so, but then when you have the money, you can go figure everything else out. And and even if they’re looking for operational help, or financial help or whatever, I bring somebody else in because all I can do it. I just don’t want to. I just want to help bring the money. Yeah, okay. Help me help you. There was a movie about that. A little different? Oh, no, it’s about the money to money, help me help you. And it can be fun and easy. It doesn’t have to be hard. And you don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night worrying and wondering.
Damon Pistulka 11:03
Yeah, cuz you know, you make it evidently clear with your example there, it you don’t have to talk to more leads, you just have to click if you can convert more leads you’re doing you know, you can increase your business an awful lot. So one of the things that and I’m not good at sales, I’ll just say that right now, I’m not that great at sales.
And if you even just think about why you’re not, why somebody’s not buying for you Why you didn’t make it easy enough so they could buy from you if they wanted to, you know, and work on that making it easier, making it easier to make the decision more clear, you know, what you want to do, you can do a lot as you said, triple your business in four days. Because you don’t really need more leads, you just need to have more of the people that you’re talking to you buy in from you.
Don Williams 11:54
As long as you start out with that consistent stream of qualified leads. Yes, then it’s all about the better dating. If you don’t have the consistent stream, then we need more dates, you know, we need to bump that up. Okay. But But all of that falls on one end, the other or both? Okay. And then I think something people don’t realize is this. I don’t care if you sell Subway sandwiches or submarines to the United States Navy. Your buyer wants it easy, fast and fun. So look at look at your sales process. Is it easy? Is it easy for them?
Is it fast? We live in a world where people have no patience? Yeah, none at all. You know, Amazon, I ordered a ton of stuff today. And, you know, you you type in what you want. You hit click, it brings you up about a bazillion choices. But Amazon’s smart enough to say our choices this. Okay. And you click it. And a couple days later, it’s on your porch. Yeah. Now that’s easy. And that’s fast. I don’t know if it’s fun. But two out of three a bad.
Damon Pistulka 13:13
That’s for sure.
Don Williams 13:14
You know, and if you think you’re number one competition, if you think people aren’t comparing the Amazon buying experience to the buying experience of your product or service, you are fooling yourself. That is exactly the standard they’re holding you to and I don’t care if you sell something that’s consultative and takes a long time. Okay, and and a service not a product. I don’t care that people are comparing you to the gold standard of easy it easy and fast anyway, yeah, of Amazon.
And for some people it is, you know, I would much rather sharp Personally, I would much rather buy on Amazon than go to one store ever. Yes. I just don’t want to go. Okay. And so it’s fun for me to be able to do I mean, I’ve had three cameras, two mics, boom stands. outfitting a whole new studio today. 1000s of dollars of stuff. Okay, today is Tuesday. Today’s Tuesday. It’s all be here Friday. Yeah. Okay. Easy peasy. Is your selling process. Easy peasy. And if it’s not, you’re costing yourself business says For sure. It’s that simple.
Damon Pistulka 14:35
That is for sure. And that’s where you know, when we’re talking with in some of the work we do. We’re working with manufacturers to to adopt e commerce techniques into their business because manufacturers are one of the industry sectors that really got hammered and in the last year and that accelerated the the adoption of some of these more digital techniques to to get them closer with their customers and One of the things that they’re struggling with is, quite honestly, is that was always a face to face thing, right?
It’s always a face to face thing. And what pieces of it? Can you can you make fast and easy for them and still keep the personal interface and the technical interface that you need to do on some of that stuff. But it is interesting how that gold standard is propagating itself. absolutely everywhere. absolutely everywhere.
Don Williams 15:33
I read some place the other day that in 1997, I may have the date wrong, but but 1990 something Jeff Bezos delivered the millionth package, personally, in 1997. And I think, I think it said, it takes two hours of any day to deliver 1 million Amazon packages. So they’re, they’re delivering 12 million packages a day. And, you know, if your sales process if you have to think about, what are we going to do? How are we going to make it happen, Bob? You haven’t thought it through enough. It needs to be so easy, so simple.
So you know, think about an engine, it’s an engine got to have oil, it’s got to be smooth, it’s got to be lubricated. It’s got to be easy. And, you know, most companies that scale have a sales engine. Mm hmm. They can put their foot on the accelerator and things speed up. Okay, it’s in their control. You know, how much business they do. And that, and that’s achievable for everybody in every business. I don’t care if you’re 100%, digital, or 100%, brick and mortar, you know, perfection. I don’t know how to be perfect at anything, but I do know how to improve. And, and that’s where you win the battle is just improve. Mm hmm.
Damon Pistulka 17:15
That is for sure. And I think you’re right, and I actually think knowing both of them, I think selling digitally is harder. And a lot of instances than it is in person because in person we can adapt to the other person’s personality, we can feel the conversation, change the words that we use based on how it’s going. Feel the energy in the room, man with digital. You have none of that.
Don Williams 17:42
It’s just you’ve already said your words. Yes. Yeah. Good. Yeah. So I totally agree. So in my book, romancing your customer, I talked about the communication pyramid, and how at the very top of the pyramid, the richest form of communication, okay, is three and a half feet apart. Nose pointed at nose, knees pointed at knees, eyes on, okay? And a conversation. Because what happens there is I’m getting the audio from your voice live, okay? my paws and my inflection is is more pronounced there than anywhere.
But even more fundamentally than that, my body is, in my mind are emitting energy. Okay, and your body and mind are emitting energy. And as human animals. Our brains are reading everything that’s happening, and making a million decisions a split second, about how I communicate. So that’s the richest form of communication and for complex and or very high value transactions. Always want to get face to face.
Okay, so let’s step one rung down. The next rung for richness and communication is what we’re doing. We’re doing video conferencing. This is stream yard, I think, yeah. Okay. But it could be zoom or FaceTime or Skype or it doesn’t really matter. But video conferencing, I still, I still get the visual feedback. Yeah. Okay. I still get a very rich audio experience. I don’t get that personal energy. I’m missing that. But that’s because you like so where are you sitting today, Damon?
Damon Pistulka 19:47
I mean, my office,
Don Williams 19:49
in your office and your offices in what city?
Damon Pistulka 19:52
Washington.
Don Williams 19:53
What? Yeah, in Washington State. I’m outside of Fort Worth, Texas. We are a long ways away. Yeah. There’s some benefit to The digital, but what we lose is we lose that energy. Then you step down from that, and you go just to audio, you go just a phone, okay? And then phone with with verbal communication, I can still emote and you can still receive emotion. Okay.
But we lose the energy and we lose the visual part. Okay. And then the worst forms of communication period are anything that’s in text, yeah, attacks, a chat, an email, a letter of whatever. And here’s a good example, way back. When dirt was new, I had an office in Little Rock, I think, a lot offices, but I think they were in Little Rock. And I knew they were very busy. I’d called the office, nobody answered. That meant they were helping customers, okay, doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
So, back then, this was in the era of fax machines. So some of you kids won’t even know what that is. Okay, but I took a piece of paper, and I wrote called dawn, and I fax it to the office. About an hour later, the manager great guy, top producer, he calls me He’s like, Oh, I know, you’re upset. And I’m so sorry. But we were so busy. I’m like, why would and I’m really not a person who gets upset very much. I was like, why would you think I was upset? And he said, because I got your fax? And I’m like, Okay. And he said, Well, your fax said called on.
And I was like, oh, it didn’t say that. It said called on. And, and so you got to have written communication, you can’t do contracts for Billy, you can’t do him with the shake. I mean, some of my best customers, I’ve done it with the shake of a hand. But I don’t recommend that to most people. And so in in the, from the book of dawn, romancing your customer, I think the richest form of communication is face to face, then what we’re doing, you know, video conferencing, and the platform is platform agnostic.
As far as that goes, it doesn’t matter. And then audio, and then all the tax. You got to have them, you know, whether it’s a letter or contract or an SMS text, but they’re not very rich. You know? And, and watch, I can show you a lot of salespeople in America that are not hitting their numbers. And you know, their number one excuses. I sent him an email. And I’m like, Big Rip. Yeah, no, I get 300 legitimate emails a day. Okay, don’t have time to deal with them. You want to sell something? Pick up the phone. Mm hmm.
Give them a call. Ask him if you if you can’t get together, Texas pretty open right now, some states aren’t. But early on, during the Great stay home of Wu Han, Corona, whatever pandemic, we did an event where we took some high value prospects. And we had an Italian wine tasting. And we sent flights to their house and did a zoom call. And, you know, guess what? We want some business. And, you know, maybe maybe what you sell is not priced where you can do that. But I bet you could have grubhub bring us up. And and and people will probably sit and talk with you for 30 minutes if you buy lunch. And just not that hard.
Damon Pistulka 23:53
Yeah. Yeah. And that’s what I love about watching, watching the you learning from you is that you, you understand how those subtle things will make a huge difference in the amount of business you get.
Don Williams 24:12
It’s easy, people are going to buy from somebody. Yeah, they are. They’re going to spend all their money in the in the wealthiest country in the world, like 50% of the households cannot put their hands on $1,000. This is pre COVID. Yeah. Now, what that means is this doesn’t mean that they didn’t make it a money just means they spent it. People like to spend money. Money doesn’t really have any value. What I can get for money has value. And whether that’s a ski trip or you know, a Subway sandwich, it doesn’t really matter.
That’s what you know, is valuable to people. And so, since they don’t really even like their money, you just need to give them a reason why they should give it to you and own your product or service. Yeah, it’s as simple as that. And literally, psychologically, people need to buy, not just want to buy, not just loved by psychologically need buy. When you buy something, your brain releases a chemical that releases some dopamine, and you feel good. Okay? When you pull that credit card and you write that check, you put that $100 bill on the table.
You just feel good. And that’s why you have people that are everybody knows somebody who’s a shopaholic, a woman who owns 87 purses, the same brand, or, you know, a guy who has, you know, every golf toy known to man, you know, and, and but they’re not, they’re not owner a holics. You ever met somebody who’s an owner Holic? Yeah. What do you mean? shopaholics?
They’re addicted to the buy, they’re not addicted to the own. Okay, and everybody has a little bit of that. So. So if they’re gonna buy that, I just have to beat my competition. And the good news in that, that’s not that hard. Yeah, cuz your competition, if I was going to rate the customer journey map, how easy fun and simple they make it for people to buy, and how much they Wow, their customers ongoing. I’ll bet on a scale of one to 10, they get about a four. And so, you know, if you live in the world of Wow, if I have one here on my desk, but so I think the concept of wow starts at 11, or scale one to 1010 being the best.
Wow, starts at 11. And goes on to in infinity. Okay, and if you want to deliver wow experiences to your customers, it’s about this simple. Just decide, I want to hear my customers say, wow. And your brain, the reticular activator in your brain, that part of your brain that when when you hear or think of something for the first time, all of a sudden, it becomes front of mind and your brains working on how to make it happen, whether you are or not.
Yep, it will start doing that. And you’ll start looking for ways how can I make this experience with this customer knock their socks off? And you know what, most of the time it doesn’t cost any money. It’s just I want to deliver a phenomenal experience where when you’re done, you say, wow, I love him. And I want to buy a lot from him and I want to keep him around. Okay, and I want to introduce him to my friends. Okay, and if he’s single to my girlfriend, and I’m not okay, but but that kind of experience. And it’s not that hard. If you decide. That’s what you want to do.
Damon Pistulka 28:05
Yeah, yeah. Yep. That’s for sure. Because if you can get if you can get those, those people pass a point of they’re just happy with you, too. They’re ecstatic with what you’ve helped them by, or the what’s the feeling you’ve created with them? It’s a whole different experience and in what they’re,
Don Williams 28:25
I think you’ll see the magic.
Damon Pistulka 28:28
Yeah.
Don Williams 28:30
If you deliver experiences to that level, you will see the magic. You’ll be like, I don’t know why we’re selling so much more. We just are. I’m grateful and thankful. And I’m going to knock their socks off. I’m going to be I think it was Milton Hershey. So Hershey. Yep. Chocolate Hershey, Pennsylvania. Okay. And I think he said something like this. This is not exact quote. I know too many quotes are kind of no too many quotes. Maybe. But something like this. deliver the best quality. That’ll be our advertising. Yeah, brilliant. Yeah. That is the best quality. That’ll be our advertising.
Damon Pistulka 29:16
Yeah. Yeah, that is the best quality is the best advertising.
Don Williams 29:21
No doubt. No doubt. I work a lot with what I call scientists. Pharmacists, physicians, engineers have a long list of engineer clients. And and so people that are very high IQ, I mean, literally are scientists, okay? But maybe they’re a little lower EQ. Their emotional quotient is not as high as their intellectual quotient. And you know, the thing is, people buy emotionally. They don’t buy logically.
They don’t buy intellectually. And so if I feel Good about you, I can buy from you. And then before I do buy, I have to pass up my my brain and my brain. If it’s, you know, nonsensical, if it’s stupid, my brain will say Rico, you may not buy. But as long as it’s not nonsensical, as long as it has a shred of credibility, my brain will say, Oh, no, sounds pretty good to me. Okay, heart, if you like it, I’m okay with it. Okay, and people will buy. And so, you know, whether you need more dates, or better dates, or both, it’s pretty simple. Just get to work on it, just improve it.
Damon Pistulka 30:43
You’re right, the equation is, is simple, when you look at it that way, a
Don Williams 30:48
lot of people make things way. And I did this for most of my life, you know, I like to think of myself as intelligent, and to play all the angles and to play chest play four or five moves out. But at some point, you get the paralysis of analysis. You know, you’re looking at things so hard, you just don’t ever do anything. And so failure is actually your friend. Yeah, you know, you can’t grow, you can’t learn, you can’t win, you know, if you don’t fail, and then the, you know, the disclaimer, there is don’t fail huge.
You know, don’t bet the farm every day. Okay? fail. Fast, fail often fail small, you know, and, and then when you’re better at, you know, getting out of your comfort zone and doing things that you’re not comfortable, you know, and you see how it works out, you know, you can increase your, your partly you can increase your wage or you can increase what’s at risk?
Damon Pistulka 31:57
Yeah. Well, and you know, you said something, there is fail fast, but don’t fail big. And I think that’s a lot of newer salespeople, and I how I did it a lot when I was new is you don’t go for a decision, or don’t get to that decision point. Because you don’t want to get to know you want to keep going okay, okay, maybe, you know, just talking around it, talking around and talking around it.
Well, getting to that decision point with whoever you’re talking to, if you’ve if you’ve done the right things up to it, there is a natural time when it is time to do to decide is this is this going to be something or not. And a lot of people don’t do that in the sales process, because they’re afraid of the know. And you end up wasting tons of time as salespeople by not just going to the decision point when it’s appropriate. And then accepting the decision because some you win some you lose, now we’re gonna move on. But if I don’t ever get to that decision point, you waste a ton of time,
Don Williams 32:59
you waste a ton of time, and it’s so it’s so frustrating. So I can’t help it, you know, the romancing book was in my mind, you know, for years and years. At some point. You as the young and I know, romance comes in a lot of flavors. I’m six years old and came from Kansas. So understand my point of view, okay, but at some point, you have to kiss the girl, yes, or let her go. And in selling, at some point, you have to ask for the sale.
Or just let them go. Yes, it’s that simple. And, you know, my good friend Nick Kuzmich, number one Facebook guy in the world. You know, he tells about sex with strangers. And he said so many people in digital, you know, they don’t do anything to invest in the relationship. And so literally, it’s like they’re asking to have sex with strangers, and then they’re shocked that it doesn’t work.
Yeah, ya know, and if you stop selling, and you start helping, you’ll learn what people need. You’ll learn how your product or service can benefit them, you’ll be able to accurately execute how your product will benefit them. And, and then you just have to win the economic argument. Okay? Because because there’s going to be money involved, okay? I mean, I’m kissing you or you’re letting me go, what’s the deal? Okay. And you won’t win every time. But you don’t have to win. Remember what we talked about. You have to win every time. You just have to win when you need to win.
And, you know, if you sell financial services in the state of Washington, you know, there’s probably 10 million households That are prospects for what you do. You don’t have to make 10 million sales. You don’t have to make a million sales. You don’t have to make 100,000 You don’t even have to make 10,000 need 100 quality clients. And so it’s just the world is a big place. It is okay. You know, if you if your apple or Microsoft, you know, they roughly own 50% of the market each have a big market. You know, Bill Gates vision was a personal computer and every home, they never wavered from that.
And in most of the developed world, that vision has come to fruition. Now they’re not all Microsoft computers have a mirando. Okay, but doesn’t matter. Okay, that was his vision. He wasn’t successful. He didn’t get a Microsoft computer in every house. Hmm. You don’t have to be. Don’t have to hit that goal. Okay, the goal he hit, you know, he set aside a bazillion dollars for charity. Yeah, no, I mean, and I’m not a bazillion. But it’s been a long time. So I read the number a huge number.
Damon Pistulka 36:26
It’s it’s a lot of millions. So yeah, yeah.
Don Williams 36:31
Well, billions. Really.
36:33
Yeah. Yeah. I
Don Williams 36:34
mean, bigger than the gross domestic product of most countries on the planet. Yes. You know, and, and he only got about half of his goal. So you can feel sorry for him? Send Bill $1 tell dawn, tell bill, Don said send you $1 because you only got about half your goal? Yeah, yeah, sure. Sure. For bill.
Damon Pistulka 36:53
Yeah, but it but uh, you’re right, though, when you talk about it, and people do, it’s like don’t ever live or die on the one deal that you win or lose, it’s, it’s making sure that that you understand that I’ve got this many opportunities. And if I continue to improve, improve the way that I’m selling and making it easier and faster and more fun, you will eventually get to that, that win rate that gets you to where you need to be if you’ve got the right amount of date, or environmental opportunities for dates, as you said, and it is a game like that. And I still the thing that’s really amazed me because I’ve got a bit of gray hair as well.
And I I remember the days when we were still you know, it was phone book selling in some of the places or the people that you knew, or, or when I was selling manufacturing kind of things it was in the what the heck was it, it was a manufacturer’s guide, or something that we would go through and you know, look to see manufacturers, right, so. So in the 90s, when I was in, in the southeast, and we were selling molded products, it was literally that way. And you know, I’m still amazed today that people worry about competition, because there is far more to worry about inside of your business and looking in the mirror.
In most in most cases. Now when you’re looking at Microsoft or somebody like you’re talking about that has the vast majority of the market share may be a little different. But then there is to the to the competitor across the street, and people are at that still just blows me away. Well, I don’t want to do that. Because my competitor might see that. And the truth be known your competitors, and I’m probably thinking about it, even if they saw it, they were like, Oh, that’s nice and rock right down the street and do whatever they’re gonna do the same day anyway.
Don Williams 38:52
They’re probably waking up at two o’clock in the morning worrying about their own deal. And so, here’s the funny thing about marketing. And so I’ve had clients over the years that they had a great marketing campaign, and they were killing it. I’m like, Okay, so let’s double it. They’re like, Yeah, no, my competition, we’ll find out. Like, oh, I’m like, Okay, well think about this a second. We can we can double triple quadruple quintuple your business or we can choose to keep it where it’s at. They’re still gonna find out might might take them a little longer, but they’re still going to find out and every great marketing campaign ever.
Somebody ripped off somebody with more money and more tools. said, Man that campaign a Damon is rockin, okay, let’s and it’s copyrighted. So we’ll change this, which Yeah, we’ll do this. And we’ll do that. And then we got 100 times more money than Damon and so we will blast the mark. it. Okay, so the lesson there is this, if you got something that works you have positive our eye. You’re making money. Hey, people, listen, there’s only two reasons for any activity in a business only to either it helps bring money in. Or it keeps money from going out. If you’re doing something that doesn’t fall in those two pillars.
40:32
Stop it.
Damon Pistulka 40:34
Yeah. Cuz that’s
Don Williams 40:35
the whole purpose of business is like a shark. A shark does a couple of things. it swims. It eats. That’s about it. Yeah. Okay, a business. Okay, I’m gonna say no, bring your heart. Okay, I wrote the romancing book, I’m believer in heart. But two things, bring dollars in keep dollars from leaving. That’s it, but doesn’t fit under one of those two. Stop doing it.
Damon Pistulka 41:06
Yeah, that’s, that is succinct. And, and they are wise words, that’s for sure.
Don Williams 41:15
Because each of them at Harvard Business School, but they should.
Damon Pistulka 41:18
They should. That’s for sure. And like we said, we’re talking about it a while ago here is is that I think that if you do help your people in the business focus on that, and really understand it’s that simple. It’s that simple. It doesn’t matter if I’m the truck driver, on the executive VP, or if I’m the person that that’s doing the janitorial work in the business. You all can do things that help those two things that make the company better.
Don Williams 41:51
Everybody’s on the sales team. Everybody’s on the service team. It’s all about customers. Mm hmm. It’s all about the customer all the time.
Damon Pistulka 42:01
That’s for sure. That’s for sure. So the man that teaches people how to while their customer, what are the top couple things that you’ve ever seen? Someone do to while their customer?
Don Williams 42:19
Here’s number one, here’s the number one failing, I see. Okay, so if I want something from your business, and so I call you I do a form submission, I do a live chat. If I want something from your business, maybe it’s just an answer to a question. But if I want that, here’s the question. When do I want it? Well, the answer is I wanted it at least one second, before I asked you for it.
Because I have a thought that I wanted it. And then I took an action to go get what I wanted. So here’s the number one failing I see is that companies, their bizdev team, their customer care team, they follow up on those requests. lackadaisically when they get time when they’re done talking to Suzy at the desk next door. Okay, and you’re like so so let me explain to you the psychology.
When I want information about an inground swimming pool, or a new car, or financial planner, or sales trainer, or anything. Most people in America and I’ve clients all over the world, but let’s just talk about America, most people in America, they’re gonna reach out to two or three or four potential outlets for information. Yep. You know, the stats say they’re 70% odds of which company? They’ll do the business with? Do you know which company it is?
Damon Pistulka 44:10
First one to respond.
Don Williams 44:12
The first one they talk to? Yes. Not just respond, talk, you just send an email. See my previous comment about you send an email yet a grip? Okay. They do. 70% of people will do business with the first company. They speak. Words, use your words. So, you know, I’m a grandfather at this point when my sons were in high school. They’re 33 and 25. Now, you know, and they would ask a girl for a date and they would do that on text.
And I was like, Look, look, look, I know I’m old skirt. And I know I can’t possibly know anything. But let me just tell you. Okay, on the woman thing, I probably know a little more than you do. At 16 and I was like, if you really want To do well pick up the phone, call the girl. Okay? And think about the competition thing. So the competition is sending texts. Here’s a guy who pick up the phone. So apply that to your business. Okay?
Answer that response immediately. Or that was a thank you. Thank you for calling me. How can I serve you? Because it’s all about you. Exactly, how can I help you? And then shut up and listen to what they have to say, practice active listening. So active listening is not listening to reply. Active listening is listening to understand. Okay, and when I understand what you want, I can best position my product or service and the articulation of that product or service towards going to be appealing to you. And it’s just so the number one thing is be timely. Okay, and the and the closer you can get that go back to Amazon.
Okay, I bought three video cameras to Mike’s whole another studios whole nother studio setup today. took me about two minutes to buy to find everything, put it in the cart, had to change the ship to address and ownership to me. Want to ship to the location. Okay, two minutes, huh? Okay, if it’s not that easy, fun and simple. I suggest you work on getting it to be that easy, fun and simple. Yeah. Yeah. So time is number one. And most companies fail horribly at that. Yeah, you know, they’ll talk with a co worker before they’ll talk to a prospect should never, ever happen.
They’ll talk with somebody on the phone, leave somebody in front of them waiting, should never ever happen. You know, you do triage. So I can talk to my girlfriend, my teammate or a prospect. Remember, it’s all about the customer prospects or pre customers, customers or customers. Okay, my girlfriend and my teammate are never going to be customers. And so the pecking order would be prospect. teammate, girlfriend, it is, after all a business. We’re trying to bring money in and keep money from going out. Okay, and so when we wear those glasses, we know what to do.
47:53
Yeah.
Damon Pistulka 47:55
That’s great. That’s great. You know that I I still I giggle when I hear you say bring money in or keep money from going out it I mean, that it’s, it’s it’s so, so eloquent. And so great to be able to use those words in that in that fashion. And just to explain what we need to be doing in business. And when you when you explain the hierarchy of who we should be talking to. You’re exactly right. Because people instead of who they should be talking to you like you said the prospect the co worker, the girlfriend, they talked to who it’s the most comfortable?
Don Williams 48:30
Exactly? Yeah. Yeah. So so you have to have time to talk about comfort zone physics.
Damon Pistulka 48:38
Yeah. Let’s talk about it grew up. We’re good.
Don Williams 48:40
Yeah, it’d be great for some physics. Here you go. Take your thumbs, put them together, take your fingers, put them together. This is your comfort zone. Yeah, it’s nice and comfortable in there. That’s where my lazy boy is. That’s where my favorite truck is. That’s where that’s where all my stuff is. I like it there. And I’m comfortable. So the problem with that, is this all the good stuff is outside the circle?
Damon Pistulka 49:03
Yeah.
Don Williams 49:04
Okay. And so I have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Okay, and here’s what I find. When I exit my comfort zone. When I step out of that circle. here’s here’s comfort zone, physics people, your comfort zone grows.
Damon Pistulka 49:20
That is for sure. And
Don Williams 49:21
then I get out the next time and my comfort zone grows. And then I get the next time and my comfort zone grows. And at a certain point, you’re like, how can I get out of my comfort zone today? How can I do something that scares the heck out of me today, okay, and what you’ll find, so I think I’m probably gonna butcher this great piece of philosophy. You’re far better, far stronger, and far smarter than you think far better, stronger and smarter than you think. I love that. And I think that’s true of all human beings. Because we all have a little imposter syndrome, we all have a little doubt. Okay, now you know who that philosopher was?
50:10
No.
Don Williams 50:12
Winnie the Pooh. That’s great. One of my others is Dr. Zeus. Okay. And so life, and business and family can be pretty simple to be productive. So, I’m not saying don’t, you know, try and try all the new stuff. I’m just saying, if you want to win, concentrate on the important pieces, and everything else will take care of itself.
Damon Pistulka 50:49
This is true. This is true. Don, that I mean that you ended it right there so so eloquently that this is this is I think this is a great stopping point, you know, and I’m so appreciative to be able to have you come and talk with us here today. I do shoot you, you dropped a lot of great knowledge. And I hope the people listening enjoyed it half as much as I did, because man, every time I talk to you, I just I I get a kick out of it. First of all, and because of the the, the simple way that you explain complex things that people need to understand. And your attitude towards wowing customers and business and stuff is so, so refreshing. So if people want to get a hold of you, Don, what’s the best way to do that?
Don Williams 51:41
Send smoke signals to Fort Worth, Texas, and I’ll watch the western sky. No, no, no, don’t do that. Don’t do that. So, so I met Damon online.
51:51
Yes.
Don Williams 51:52
And so we’re online initiated relationship, I think on LinkedIn yet, maybe with the other platforms? I don’t know. And so I’m everywhere online, but my website is Don Williams global.com. And that’s the easiest way to reach me. My email is really complicated. It’s dawn at dawn Williams global.com. There you go. And and I think you should talk to people the way they want to talk. So call me email me send me a smoke signal. I’m all about doing it from your point of view, and and helping you hit your goals. That’s what fills my spirit and soul.
Damon Pistulka 52:37
Awesome. Awesome. Well, thank you so much today, Don. And if you hadn’t heard we have Don Williams with us here today on the phases with business. And I’m Damon Pistulka from rags your way and we’re just glad to be able to, to allow Don and us to have this conversation and share it with everyone. Thanks for joining us today and we will see you again soon.
53:00
Thank you Bye.
