Latest / Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie-A Proverb Per Day Keeps Stinking Thinking At Bay / Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie

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Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie · Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie-A Proverb Per Day Keeps Stinking Thinking At Bay

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  SPEAKER_00: The most dangerous competitor you will ever face isn't a human.
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  SPEAKER_00: In sales,
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  SPEAKER_00: leadership,
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  SPEAKER_00: and the marketplace,
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  we often think our largest competitor is the company two aisles
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  over at the trade
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  SPEAKER_00: show.
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  But for many of us,
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  the real enemy is the status quo,
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  and its parent,
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  the comfort zone monster.
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  SPEAKER_00: Today, our focus is Proverbs 26, because it's the 26th day of the month.
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  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie,
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  SPEAKER_00: where a proverb a day keeps stinking thinking away.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm Ernie Lansford,
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  and my desire is to help you connect biblical wisdom to
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  everyday marketplace
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  SPEAKER_00: decisions,
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  SPEAKER_00: allowing you to build relationships that far outlast any transactions.
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  SPEAKER_00: We work our best to bring timeless biblical truth into the marketplace.
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  Where influence is real,
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  choices are constant,
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  and relationships matter more than results.
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  So pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea or whatever it is that
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  you like to enjoy
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  SPEAKER_00: when you listen to this podcast.
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  SPEAKER_00: Today,
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  SPEAKER_00: I am sharing from Chapter 26 of Marketplace Proverbs Volume 1,
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  SPEAKER_00: A Sales Navigator's Compass to Customer Success Mastery,
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  SPEAKER_00: written by yours truly and co-author John Kluter.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to read two versions of
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  Proverbs 26,
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  verses 25 through 26,
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  from the Message,
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  MSG translation,
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  as well as the NIV.
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  SPEAKER_00: From the MSG,
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  SPEAKER_00: quote,
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  SPEAKER_00: "...your enemy shakes hands and greets you like an old friend,
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  SPEAKER_00: all the while conniving against you.
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  SPEAKER_00: And when they speak warmly to you, don't believe them for a minute.
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  SPEAKER_00: They're just waiting for a chance to rip you off."
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  SPEAKER_00: That's Proverbs 26, 24 through 26 from the message.
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  SPEAKER_00: And the NIV puts it this way.
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  Though their speech is charming,
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  do not believe them,
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  for seven abominations fill their heart.
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  SPEAKER_00: Abominations fill their heart.
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  SPEAKER_00: As Zig Ziglar once said, I paid $1,000 to get my eyes fixed.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now my mouth won't work.
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  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, as we continue...
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  SPEAKER_00: I recently read from Matthew Henry's commentary.
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  He warns us,
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  quote,
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  a wise man will fear the flatterer more than the slanderer.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, in the marketplace, that flatterer doesn't have to be a person.
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  SPEAKER_00: It can be our mindset.
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  SPEAKER_00: I found one of the greatest flatterers in business is the status quo.
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  SPEAKER_00: It whispers, hey, you're doing fine.
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  SPEAKER_00: Why change?
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  SPEAKER_00: Why fix what isn't broken?
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  SPEAKER_00: And if you listen long enough,
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  SPEAKER_00: it will keep us in the same place,
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  SPEAKER_00: allowing opportunities to pass us by.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well, just who is this comfort zone monster?
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  SPEAKER_00: I believe the status quo is the child of the comfort zone.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now,
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  SPEAKER_00: Cambridge Dictionary defines a comfort zone as,
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  SPEAKER_00: quote,
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  a situation in which you feel comfortable in which your ability
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  and determination
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  SPEAKER_00: are not being tested,
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  SPEAKER_00: end quote.
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  SPEAKER_00: I've seen this.
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  SPEAKER_00: I've experienced this firsthand.
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  SPEAKER_00: In my early corporate sales leadership years,
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  SPEAKER_00: I traveled with territory managers to visit customers,
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  SPEAKER_00: and we focused almost exclusively on
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  SPEAKER_00: on existing accounts.
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  SPEAKER_00: Why?
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  SPEAKER_00: Well, because it was easy.
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  SPEAKER_00: It was familiar.
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  SPEAKER_00: It was comfortable.
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  SPEAKER_00: And frankly,
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  I had been taught that from all of the sales managers that
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  traveled with me when I
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  SPEAKER_00: was in a territory as a personal production person,
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  SPEAKER_00: or I affectionately call a payment pounder.
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  The mantra among all of them was,
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  quote,
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  always visit your existing customers,
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  end quote.
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  SPEAKER_00: But, you know, that comfort came with a cost.
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  The more we visited the same customers,
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  the more we risk taking them for granted.
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  SPEAKER_00: And slowly,
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  we became professional visitors instead of business development
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  market expansion
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  SPEAKER_00: specialists.
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  SPEAKER_00: I believe comfort breeds contempt,
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  SPEAKER_00: not necessarily outright dislike,
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  SPEAKER_00: but a dangerous level of assumption.
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  SPEAKER_00: We start thinking, oh, they'll always buy from us.
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  SPEAKER_00: And before long, we stop adding new value.
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  SPEAKER_00: We stop adding deeper significance.
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  Which brings me to the point of talking about transactions
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  versus relationships.
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  SPEAKER_00: You've heard me say many times, relationships always trump transactions.
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  SPEAKER_00: That's true.
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  SPEAKER_00: However, do not misunderstand.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's the transactions that pay the bills.
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  SPEAKER_00: But we cannot deposit a relationship in the bank.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yet, without relationships, we won't have transactions to deposit.
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  SPEAKER_00: Rabbi Daniel Lapin calls transactions certificates of appreciation.
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  SPEAKER_00: I call them celebrations of a mutual commitment.
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  Yep,
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  the comfort zone monster feeds on transaction chasing and not
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  relationship building.
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  SPEAKER_00: It tells us that one more quick deal is all that matters.
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  SPEAKER_00: But in reality,
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  SPEAKER_00: the deeper the relationship,
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  SPEAKER_00: the more consistent and meaningful the transactions become
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  SPEAKER_00: Think on that.
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  Today's customer success code,
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  the status quo is the comfort zone in disguise.
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  SPEAKER_00: Break it before it breaks growth.
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  SPEAKER_00: Let's pray for discernment.
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  SPEAKER_00: Lord Jesus, please.
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  SPEAKER_00: Through your Holy Spirit dwelling in us,
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  give us wisdom and discernment to know when we're feeding the
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  comfort zone monster.
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  Show us the difference between staying in the status quo and
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  stepping into growth
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  SPEAKER_00: opportunities directed by you.
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  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well, I've got some expanded action points for you today.
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  SPEAKER_00: The theme is escaping the comfort zone.
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  SPEAKER_00: Action point number one, identify the status quo.
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  SPEAKER_00: Pick one existing customer and ask yourself,
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  SPEAKER_00: what stayed the same for too long in this relationship?
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  SPEAKER_00: Action point number two, spot the comfort zone.
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  SPEAKER_00: Name one reason you've stayed in that same pattern.
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  SPEAKER_00: Is it convenience?
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  SPEAKER_00: Is it fear of change?
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  SPEAKER_00: Is it overconfidence?
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  SPEAKER_00: Just what is it?
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  SPEAKER_00: Action point number three, value them anew.
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  Write down three ways that this customer brings value to your
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  business beyond transactions.
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  SPEAKER_00: Action point number four is add fresh value.
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  SPEAKER_00: Plan one tangible way to serve them differently this week,
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  SPEAKER_00: a way that you have never done before.
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  SPEAKER_00: Introduce a new idea.
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  SPEAKER_00: Connect them to a new resource or solve an unspoken problem.
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  SPEAKER_00: And action point number five, measure their gain.
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  After adding value,
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  after adding significance,
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  note how it impacts their success.
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  SPEAKER_00: This helps us to see and show the profit of significance-driven service.
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  Thanks for joining me in today's episode of Marketplace
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  Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie.
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  As I share insights from Proverbs to inspire better leadership
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  in the marketplace,
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  SPEAKER_00: better customer success mastery,
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  SPEAKER_00: I want to be clear.
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  SPEAKER_00: My goal is to offer practical applications from my own experience.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm not teaching doctrine.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm committed to staying true to God's word.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I want to avoid the appearance of teaching false doctrine.
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  I'm focusing only on these verses in a manner of how they've
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  guided me in serving
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  SPEAKER_00: my customers with deeper integrity and wisdom.
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  So if you hear me spreading false doctrine,
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  please call me out,
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  ernie at ernie.coach.
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  SPEAKER_00: I truly do appreciate your comments.
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  SPEAKER_00: I speak chapters 6, 24 through 26 from the book of Numbers on you.
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  SPEAKER_00: May the Lord bless you and protect you.
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  SPEAKER_00: May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
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  SPEAKER_00: May the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.
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  SPEAKER_00: If this message encouraged you or inspired you, please share it.
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  SPEAKER_00: And remember, success is temporal.
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  SPEAKER_00: Adding significance to others is infinite.
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  I look forward to meeting with you again on the next episode of
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  Marketplace Proverbs.