Change This is a site where people post their views or manifestos for others to consider. In the words of the Change This creators, it is a site for optimists.

There are many interesting ideas on the site, it is worth a look. One that caught my eye was by Tom Peters, one of the most prestigious business speakers and writers of our time. In his manifesto ‘111 Ridiculously Obvious Thoughts on Selling’ , Tom provides quick nuggets to digest and consider.

The fundamental tenet which comes through loud and clear is relationships, that you must be maniacal about managing contacts AND out there on the lunatic fringe. Slow and steady is for 5^th place. A few choice points that really captured my eye:

“Everyone lives by selling something”  Robert Lewis Stevenson

“You can’t behave in a calm, rational manner. You’ve got to be out there on the lunatic fringe”    Jack Welch    

(8) IT’S RELATIONSHIPS, STUPID—DEEP AND FROM MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS.

(1)  “Strategy” overrated, simply “doin’ stuff” underrated.

(21)  Good listeners are good sales people.

“If you don’t listen, you don’t sell anything.”   Carolyn Marland, Managing Director, Guardian Group

(27)  Are you a great (not merely “good”) presenter? Mastering presentation skills is a life’s work—with stupendous payoff.

(29) Are you good at flowers? Think: FLOWER POWER! (See Harvey Mackay’s “Mackay 66”— what you should know about a Client; e.g., birthdays & anniversaries.)

(34) Never stop growing-broadening-deepening the relationship. The key to “indispensability” is to get the Client more and more … and more … and then more … imbedded in “our” web. Hence the so-called “selling process” is only the first step!

(59) Work hard beats work smart. (Mostly.)

(66) Be hyper-organized about relationship management—you are in the anthropology business. Study the great pols! Brilliant NRM (network relationship management) is not accidental! It is not catch as catch can. (Football analogies are cute—but deep political understanding pays the private-school tuition.)

(77) It’s never over: While there may be an excellent service activity in your company, the “relationship” belongs to You! Hence the “aftersales” “moments of truth” are at least as—if not more than*—important to the Continuing Relationship as the sale “transaction” itself. (*I vote for “more than.”) You’ll get your biggest “points” with the Client for being an effective after-the-fact go-between with your company.

(95) YOU MUST LOVE THE PRODUCT!

(105) Become a student! Yes, you can study Relationship Building. So, study …

(107) The smartest guy in the room rarely wins—alas, he usually is aware he’s the smartest guy. (And needn’t waste his time on that “soft relationship crap.”