Farming - stress therapy at its best

Four years ago my wife and I bought our first farm in the Philippines.

Since then we have expanded to approximately 30 hectares of land where we grow coconuts, bananas, and a wide variety of tropical fruits. We also keep bees from which we harvest honey. We breed very large New Zealand goats and we also have a chicken farm.

The next project will involve the conversion of 50 heactares of rice fields into Tilapia fish ponds.

This all started as a pet project to do something different from our normal roles of Country Manager Saudi for a technology/consulting firm (me) and dentistry (my wife).

We soon realized that we loved what we were doing. First of all we loved it because it was apparent to us that the world is fast running out of food and that a) there is good money to be made in smart, targetted farming (important because we still have the reality of raising a child and putting her through school), and b) it gave us an opportunity to provide food at very reasonable prices to those in the Philippines who could not afford good quality nutritious food.

But the real kicker was that although we worked very, very hard we both discovered that farming was a major stress reliever from our "real" jobs. Yes, there was the physical aspect of it. But more importantly we felt that finally we were doing something that mattered. We were dealing with Mother Earth and we were giving back. Our lives were no longer just about money.

The world is changing. The financial crisis we are living through has shown us that none of our "real" jobs are safe any longer.

Maybe this is a good time to re-evaluate how we can make money and also help others and in the process find happiness, peace and contentment.

Fatherhood...our responsibilities to our kids

I became a dad at age 52 - it was not planned!

My wife and I loved our freedom, our ability to go anywhere, anytime, no baggage.

Then along came Zara.

I do not care what anyone says about the negatives of rearing a child. In my mind, nothing, but nothing, beats the feeling you experience when your child looks up at you and smiles, or when your child holds your hand whilst watching TV, or when she falls asleep on your chest.

I cannot understand how human beings could ever harm a child let alone ignore the plight of children around the world who are without parents, food, medicines, shelter, or safety.

It is our responsibility as members of Group Earth to take care of all children in the world. They are innocent and look to us for protection, education, and guidance.

I love my daughter. But my wife and I are committed to helping children whenever and wherever we can. We do not do this because we are bleeding heart, donation seeking goodie goodies. We do it because we believe that it is the responsibility of all adults on this planet to look after the generation that follows us.

We brought them into the world, it is our duty to care for them (whether they are ours biologically or not).

Look into a child's face. You see the face of an innocent human who sees the world without bias, greed, or any form of agenda. Children simply want to be happy. They have a lot to teach us.

Maybe by helping our children and those less fortunate than our own we can find the meaning in our own lives that often eludes us.

Motivation

It is just so easy to put off to tomorrow, or the next day, or the next month...

Problem is that in the back of your head there is that little bit of guilt about not having done something, as well as the anxiety associated with knowing that there is an unfinished item on your TO DO list.

So just do it! It feels bloody great to tick off an item as "done".

Sometimes I would rather lay in front of the TV than write in this blog.

But I committed to myself that I would write everyday. So even though I am not in the mood sometimes and I really just do not want to write I "force" myself to do it.  Now here's the real clincher: it feels soooo good when you've done it. Not just because it is "out of the way" but because by doing it you realize why you decided to do it in the first place...you simply like doing it.

We get easily distracted. It takes no effort to be lazy and do nothing. And one day you wake up and 20 years have passed and you are still doing nothing.

Even the things you love take an effort to do sometimes. It doesn't mean we like them any less, simply that we are human.

Live life, do what needs to be done, and do it now - putting it off will only make you miserable and deprive you of the joy of having done something you love to do.

Life is too short to let laziness win.

Selling when you don't think you are selling...

Whether it is correct practice or not people inevitably ask you what you do for a living and who you work for.

As of that moment, whether you are in a social or work environment, you and your company are being judged by your actions. As of that moment you are selling yourself and your company (and by inference, your company's products and reputation).

Now you may argue that this is not fair, not right, and it doesn't happen. Well i hate to shock you but it doesn't matter whether it is fair or right, and it does happen!

But no-one at the gathering has anything or will ever have anything to do with my company. Mmmmmm....maybe.

But after 54 years on planet earth I never fail to be shocked and surprised when I learn that "a" knows "b", who knows "c", who happens to be someone you end up presenting your product to 6 months down the track - what a bummer if you acted like an idiot in front of "a". 

So whether you know it, like it, or simply refuse to accept it, you are always selling. Even if "it never happens", what have you lost? You've simply acted "on your best behavior" (there, no use of the "sales" word).

Being forewarned is being forearmed...or, better to be safe than sorry.

a change in attitude is better than taking pills

I wrote in an earlier blog about my epiphany - the "light bulb" moment that changed my life.

Reflecting on that event I have come to a number of conclusions:

• being positive made me feel better about myself
• feeling better about myself got me to start exercising and feeling healthier
• i started performing better at work
• i took up hobbies that I had been putting off, ignoring, not doing anything about: photography, blogging, writing, starting my own businesses
• this made me feel even better about myself
• which made me see the world in a different, less dark, light
• which in turn made me happy

This is only one man's experience but I think that the lesson is don't put off to tomorrow all those dreams and plans that you have left in the "ideas to be acted on one day" cupboard.

There is no downside, only upside.

It beats wasting time in front of the TV.

And it feels great to feel great.

Creativity

All my life I was jealous of creative people. Creative people were those who wrote or played beautiful music, painted, sculpted, penned books or poetry, made movies.

It never occurred to me that photography was just as creative, just as much an art. Anyone could take a photo, right? Just point and click and bingo, a picture. So how in heaven's name could that be creative?

Well, the answer to that question is obvious if you take the time to look at the photographs being published by photographers, both professional and amateur. Visit Fotopedia and see how people see the world thrrough the lens of a camera. The images are breathtaking, awesome, beautiful, inspiring.

Photography most definitely is an art. Perhaps we all have an element of creativity in us, we simply have to look for it.

Shocked, stunned, and not a little bit amazed...

I had an epiphany!

I actually had to look up the word in the dictionary to confirm that "an epiphany" is what I had actually experienced.

Basically it is an emotional/pyschological kick in the head resulting in an "awakening" of sorts.

Without delving into the details, in the middle of a conversation with my boss it dawned on me that I was a "glass half empty" person, and it shocked me!

At 54, it occurred to me that I had spent the vast majority of my life believing the worst. If I knew someone was talking about me then it has to be a bad thing. If I caught a cold then it had to be the beginnings of pneumonia. Chest pains, rather than being caused by stressed muscles, were an indication of a soon-to-be heart attack.

Life is simply too short to waste. Yes it throws out constant challenges. Yes many of the people in the world are struggling, hungry, under siege from illness, war, and financial hardship. And yes maybe smiling won't contribute to a solution to these challenges.

Bit it won't harm! And in a best case scenario it might actually help us all think more clearly about how to solve some of our real or perceived problems.

Laughter really is the best medicine. Smiling and being positive in the face of adversity can help. And maybe, just maybe, the problem we face, or think we face, is not quite as large or dark as we think.

Attitude & Persistence

What makes a good salesperson?

Not an easy one to answer. In fact I could probably come up with a whole list of items (it's late so today I'll spare you the ramblings :-))

In my humble opinion there are two characteristics that differentiate the ordinary from the extraordinary salesperson.

The extraordinary salesperson has the "right" attitude.

He or she remains positive regardless of what is thrown at them. They have their ups and downs but they soon get over these hurdles and get on with things.

They are relentless. They do not stop, give up, feel sorry for themselves, or put off to tomorrow what can be done today. Does this make them superhuman? Not at all! It makes them professional salespeople - they desire, more than want, to succeed. This persistence will help them eventually handle any objections or challenges thrown at them.

Now do not get me wrong. I am not describing some superhuman ogre who is tactless and pushy. Having the right attitude and being persistent are just two characteristics of being professional.

Salespeople face challenges and problems each and every day. It goes with the territory. They can also come up with a million reasons a day why it is easier to simply throw in the towel and give up.

But the extraordinary ones keep that smile, are passionately convinced of their capability to succeed, and keep on keeping on.

Get out of the office

People want to do business with people.

Technology has made the majority of salespeople lazy. It has also allowed them to indulge their fears of rejection.

If you want to make a sale then you have to phone and/or meet the prospect.

This may be the 21st Century with all the asssociated 21st Century technologically advanced communications tools but they should not be used to replace the basic skills of face to face communication.

The tools may have advanced in capability but people are still the same. They want to look into the eyes and hear the voice of the person who is selling them a product. Evolution has engrained in us the need to communicate physically and verbally.

Use emails to confirm future meetings and summarize past ones. Use emails to send relevant documentation.

A propsecting phone call will be much more effective than a prospecting email (or heaven forbid, sms). Of course verbal rejection is far more difficult and embarrassing then electronic rejection - a very compelling reason indeed for salespeople to hide behond technology.

The question we as salespeople need to ask ourselves is whether our desire to make a sale outweighs our fear of rejection. Not having to be verbally rejected is not much compensation for not making money.

Use techology. Use it though to enhance rather than replace.

Talking is not selling

Too many salespeople equate with talking (or, more appropriately, preaching).

The most successful salespeople spend the bulk of their time asking well researched questions and then listening intently to the answers.

What they end up with is a profile of their sales prospect. Most importantly, listening enables the salesperson to build up a "needs" profile. What are my prospect's hot buttons? What are his or her problems? In what order does my prospect think they need to be addressed? Is my prospect a real prospect or simply fishing for information? Does he or she have money to spend on my solution? Are they in a position to make a decison or do they have to refer to someone else? What is the potential timeline for a decision? What benefits are they seeking from a solution? Why?

Now the salesperson is in a position to be able to sell.

The key is not to sell what YOU think the prospect wants. The key is to sell what the PROSPECT thinks he wants. A Ferrari salesperson would, I imagine, be highly tempted to sell the high performance aspects of his product. His potential buyer on the other hand may only be looking at a Ferrari to be able to show off and boost his ego in front of his colleagues and peers with a name brand sports car. Selling performance to this prospect may very well result in a lost sale.

In "the old days" we used to hear time and time again the adage "the customer is always right". Well in the 21st century nothing has changed.

Prospects want to talk. They want to tell you their problems. (They also want you to believe that they have the money to make a purchase now and they and only they are the final decison makers - this is where the qulaification skills of the salesperson need to be utilized (but more about qualification in another blog post)).

So instead of barging in like a bull in a china shop the salesperson would be wise in taking advantage of the prospect's willingness to share information. because this knowledge will provide the salesperson with the power to be able to target the prospect's hot spots and, all things being equal, close the sale, and close it faster and with less fuss.

In the selling game knowledge truly is power. And this knowledge can only be gained if the salesperson talks less and listens more.