Barry Maher's
Filling the Glass Newsletter Speaking of Real World Tactics and Reality-Based Motivation May, 2005 Vol. 5 Issue 5
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this Issue
Feature article: "Money, Motivation, Success and Who?"
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Hello
Everyone:
This month’s article is a lesson I picked up from a bored 10 year old, and
it's one I keep trying to pound into my own head. When I wrote the work/life
balance section of Filling the Glass, for example, I was working 12 to 14
hour days on a start up company and writing on weekends.
Very balanced. As Weiler's Law says,
"Nothing is impossible for those that don't have to do it themselves."
Speaking of work, a huge percentage
of my speaking business comes from personal referrals, and we always try to show
our appreciation. And from now on, if you recommend me to someone, please
let us know. If that recommendation results in an engagement, you'll
receive not only our most sincere thanks but inscribed copies of ALL of the
following:
The
audio CD, Strategies and Stories.
My most popular syndicated radio spots.
The same holds true if you simply provide us with a lead to an individual or
organization that ends up booking me. As an additional thank you for those who
chose to pursue it, once your leads or referrals generate three bookings, I'll
do a one hour keynote for your organization or any business or organization you
choose without charging any speaking fee at all.
What's more, past recommendations
that we know about or can verify will count towards the three. Contact Steve
Wilson for
details.
Now for those of you who enjoy
contests, my friend Dick Larkin's Yellow Page Commando newsletter is currently
conducting an ad design contest. He'd love to have your vote on the best ad of
the 25 or so entries he's received. Some are excellent. Some are . . . less
excellent.
Enjoy this month's article: "Money,
Motivation, Success
and You?"
All the Best, Barry
Money, Motivation, Success and Who?
By Barry
Maher
It
was 7:30 on a Saturday morning, and I was setting up to do the opening keynote
for the conference. For some reason—I
have no idea why—the
sound man thought his ten year old daughter would enjoy my presentation. He'd
brought her with him to work.
Watching her father wiring this and
plugging in that, the girl was soon as bored as only a ten year old can
be.Eventually, she sauntered over to me.
"So who are you?" she demanded.
"I’m Barry Maher."
Overwhelmingly unimpressed, she
asked, "And who the heck is Barry Maher?"
"I’m the speaker."
"Is that a big deal?"
I laughed. "Not apparently to you."
"Not if all you do is speak. Everyone
speaks. Even my little brother speaks, and he’s an idiot." Sighing dismissively,
she spun and walked away, in search of something—anything—more
interesting.
"And who are you?" I don't want to
get particularly philosophical here, but obviously that's the most basic
question we all face. So who are you? Aside from
being CEO of Amalgamated Amalgamates, that is. If your self worth is dependent
upon your work, I would suspect you might be heading for a fall, sooner or—at
the very least—-later,
when retirement comes. There's more to you than what you do for a living. Or at
least there should be.
I’m not my job and neither are you.
No matter how successful or how unsuccessful we might be at those jobs. We all
know some big career successes who are very unsuccessful people. And some who
are very unhappy. None of us should be surprised that there are some very
successful and very happy people—great
friends, loving spouses, wonderful role models for their children—who
have never cashed a big paycheck.
"His picture hangs on every wall,"
one self-described peon said of the company's chairman of the board. "His name
is invoked in reverential tones. But aside from making himself very rich, what
does he really do for the world? Besides making it safe for one more set of
unnecessary, environmentally devastating, energy wasting products."
"He's helping to perpetuate a lot of
jobs," I answered. "Yours included."
"He is. But judging by the happiness
the people around here seem to be getting from those jobs, they may not be
eulogizing him at his funeral for that."
Tip: If you’re not impressed by your own career thus far, you might still
be better off than you would be if you were successful by the standard
definition of success. Especially if that's not really your definition.
A friend of mine once said of his
business partner, "He's given up his life in the single-minded pursuit of
wealth. And now, wealth is all he has. So he obsesses about losing it. Since he
never had a life, he has no idea of what to do with his money, even if he had
time to enjoy it, which he doesn't because he's so accustomed to the treadmill
he can't even imagine getting off. Of course, the beautiful thing about the
pursuit of money is that you've never got enough. So he keeps on chasing it,
simply because he as no idea of what else to do with his life."
I like money is much as anyone, more
than many. And a big title impresses. (It especially impresses small minds,
those we're least interested in impressing). But we should never forget, this is
business: quid pro quo. We always have to measure the value of what we're
getting against the value of what we're giving up.
Who are you? And who do you really
want to be?
I do get your newsletter, and read it promptly. Whatever you are doing is
working, as not everything sent in mass gets through the Tribune e-mail filters.
Of course, some spam does, and not the stuff I need!
We still refer often to your words of wisdom from last summer. In fact, we just
did some role playing again today. Thank you for the training you did last year,
and keep the newsletters coming.
Jan Jakubik
Sales Training Manager
Patuxent Directories
Laurel, MD 20707
Thanks, Jan. I don't know about "words of wisdom" but you
and your people worked hard at getting the most out of that training. I'm glad
it paid off.
Best,
Barry
Dear Barry,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the exceptional job you did
on the training for our admissions reps. Everyone has told me that it was one of
the most informative and entertaining training sessions they have experienced. I
will be sure to call you the next time our admissions team is in need of
insightful and humorous sales advice. Thanks again.
John Pechota
Director of Marketing
International Institute of The Americas
What John didn't mention is that this training was done
on an incentive cruise. It's hard not to be entertaining under those
circumstances. A lot of companies don't realize how well a team like John's can
focus and how much they can learn on an incentive trip, especially with the
right mix of trip, entertainment, exercises, interactivity and fun.
Incentive trip speaking and training can be more difficult, but it can also
generate outstanding results. (Not to mention the outstanding result for the
speaker who gets to go along on the trip.) Thanks for having me there, John. And
thanks for giving me a chance to work with your very impressive team.
Best,
Barry
Book
Barry Maher to speak at your next event.
"Innovative,
informative, entertaining and inspiring" says MeetingsWest magazine.
Topics Include:
Filling
the Glass: Real World Tactics for Increasing Productivity AND Job
Satisfaction
Effective
Communication for Leadership
Advanced
Techniques and Motivation for Sales Pros
Speaking
of Motivation
Selling
Yourself, Your Ideas, Your Vision, Even Your Products: Even for Those Who
Hate to Sell
Find
out more about Barry's
highly-acclaimed book, Filling the Glass.
" The informed Ezine Publisher's choice...! "
Ezine Heaven -- Helping you to STAND OUT from
the crowd and STAY AHEAD of your competition. http://www.emasters.info/ezineheaven.htm
For smaller meeting
budgets, Steve Wilson also delivers most of Barry Maher's presentations and
trainings. Call toll free 1-866-243-8062 for information.
