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From the Pausch Files
By Charles Martin | April 18, 2008
People will tell you I’m moved by simple messages and even when things are overblown by the media, I usually take some of it as fact. I still am one of the young people who watch the evening news. So what.
I thought the Randy Pausch story was going to be just that – overblown.
Wrong I was.
I just finished his book on audio in the Q and I haveta say, I’ve been moved. I’m moved by the simplicity of the story. I’m moved by the similarities in my own upbringing and Randy’s story has reminded me of the strong and steady principals I learned as a suburban youth. His imminent demise just makes it more important.
I decided that many of his principals, as easy as they are to imagine, are great for business too. I thought I would pass some analogies on to you that link his great words to business and most importantly sales and marketing.
Today, I’ll hit the brick wall theory.
Randy talks about how, in life, when you cannot get past someone, some thing, or some process to get to your desired tresure (a new job, a gal to marry, an upgrade on a plane maybe) this is life’s way of putting a brick wall in front of you to say “Only the ones who want it bad enough will climb this wall”.
I agree. In business, I am the brick breaking guy for lots of my colleagues and clients. I may not be the best brick-breaker, but I truly believe in breaking them down. The grass is always greener on the other side of the wall and I never find disappointment after having broken a wall down. This is all metaphor of course, but you get the idea. The fellow in the Wild Fire post is someone that found success in breaking down walls.
Today a prospect asked for a proposal only to come back an hour later to say that “corporate” had decided, unbeknown to her, to go with another company. I could have said ok, but instead I said “Ok, but can I bid against whomever they chose?” She agreed to give her big bosses a run for their money and accepted my invitation to challenge the status quo.
This is a very simple example, but you have to ask. You have to not take NO for an answer (nicely) and you have to make sure that they speak last — whomever is your wall builder will lose if they speak last.
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