Jeffrey Gitomer, International Man of Wisdom

Curitiba, Brasil: that is where I was when I realized how blessed I am in my professional life.

Sitting in the breakfast area of the Full Jazz Hotel, I was enjoying the pleasant breeze of a Brazilian morning, noshing on the brightest of fruit, drinking the heaviest of coffees, and listening to the laughter of Jeffrey.

It was our last morning of a five-day trip to Curitiba, where Jeffrey had addressed an international audience of 450 adoring fans. He was happy, content, and in his element.

We were spending the morning working, reflecting on what the past days experiences had taught us, and laughing, because when you are with Jeffrey, laughing is the one constant.

And then it happened. In the quiet after-math of our laughter, the wisdom of my boss, mentor, and friend, emerged. He paused and his tone lowered and he taught me. He transformed from the public figure that most only know him as, to the gentle, wise soul, I so frequently get to see. And in that moment, he took the perfect opportunity to do what only he can do, teach me about me and about who I can become.

You see that is what great mentors do. They teach. They encourage. They share. They enlighten. And they share with you their wisdom and their laughter so that when it seeps into the deepest depths of your soul, you learn.

I am blessed. I have had these fleeting moments of mentorship enough in my three and a half years of working with Jeffrey, that I gobble them up with excitement when they occur. They are my Gitomer Gold Nuggets that I treasure, reflect on, and keep for future use. They have molded me into a believer that I am destined to be more than what I set out for myself to achieve. 

Jeffrey is not a conventional boss by any means. But he has mastered the two elements that allow his people to flourish around him, encouragement and clarifying teaching moments.

Jeffrey writes and speaks on the lost secret of leadership: encouragement. As an employee who has been on the receiving end of leader encouragement, I can testify for him that this is one of his best principles. He encourages me to do more, be better, and try harder. And he does so, with a genuine grace, that the only valid response is a smile, heightened self-esteem, and positive energy. When leaders encourage their people, they will have happier employees producing more.

But more than encouraging me, he takes the time to enlighten me about myself. It’s quite brilliant if you think about it. He is teaching me about how to be better by talking with me, about me. Who doesn’t want to hear someone talk about them (positively)? Jeffrey is a wise observer, who notices the smallest of details, that if slightly shifted, it could change something from good to best. These clarifying teaching moments go something like this:

• We are conversing about something related to him, his company (Buy Gitomer), his writing, his speaking, or his family. Then he will soften and tell me to “take a note.”

• Jeffrey will ask me a question, about me.

• As I answer, he will listen intently.

• Then the magic comes…he tells me his answer. And it’s the best present he can give me. It’s his experience, knowledge, wisdom, and humor all wrapped up with a bow of love. And he gives it to me, unselfishly so that I can unwrap it and use it to make myself a better version of who he already knows I will become.

This is the Jeffrey Gitomer I know.

The Jeffrey Gitomer I work for.

The Jeffrey Gitomer I respect.

The Jeffrey Gitomer I admire.

The Jeffrey Gitomer I soak up.

The Jeffrey Gitomer I learn from.

And the Jeffrey Gitomer I laugh with.

His words always encourage, always protect, and always push me to see what he already sees. And all the while, take note: we never lack laughter or learning.

View a photo album of our trip on my Sales Barista Facebook Page.

I’m your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?

Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email at hirestephanie@gitomer.com or by calling 704-333-1112.

Replacement Refs: There’s a Flag on the Play

Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the NFL, had his phone number tweeted by Wisconsin State Senator, Jon Erpenbach on Monday night after the most controversial touchdown call ever determined the outcome of the Packers-Seahawks game. Did you catch that? TWEETED!

After receiving 70,000 direct phone calls and nearly 300,000 angry #MNF tweets, the NFL referee lockout ended. Ironic? Coincidence? I think not. The social media platform allowed customers of the NFL to be heard, and that they were. Chirp Chirp Mr. Goodell.

Wait, there's a yellow flag on the field!

"Illegal forward pass, Offense, 48 game penalty. Replay second down."

Let me break it down for you:

Illegal forward pass - Moving forward with un-prepared replacement referees.

Offense - NFL.

48 game penalty - Games played under the rule of the replacement refs.

Let me break it down for you further.

The NFL hired 135 replacement referees. These guys may have worked in college, high school, or Pop Warner football games. A few were even from the Lingerie League, one of which was fired, bless his heart.

In August, these men were no more ready than I was to referee at the professional level. They were amateurs. And the NFL didn't invest the time or money to properly train them. Shame on you, NFL!

Forty-eight games and one horrific call later, they are finally off the field (and collecting a check for week 4), leaving a lesson in how to run the business of backups.

Here is how you can learn from the NFL's penalty play:

1. Make a Plan B. Things happen. People leave. Computers crash. Money disappears. Contracts fall through. Things happen. One of the major business failures is to not have a Plan B. Elizabeth, the producer of Sales Caffeine, humors our office in regards to executing a Plan B. My favorite line from her, "God Forbid, I get hit by a bus! We need someone else that knows how to do my job." She's right. This is Sales Caffeine Issue #569, which means it has ran for 569 Tuesday's straight. Do you think we aren't going to have a backup plan to ensure the streak doesn't end? What's your backup plan? Do you have people in place to pick up the pieces, to substitute in, and to be the replacement?

2. Invest in proper training. And once you do have the Plan B in place, you have to allow for proper training. The NFL didn't invest in adequately training these refs to be true replacements. A real replacement would have been able to perform at nearly the same level as their predecessor. They would know the rulebook, the penalties, and how to turn their microphone's on without hesitation. Instead, we saw game after game with dazed and confused black and white shirts. All these guys needed was a little TLC; training, leading, and communicating.

3. Support the replacements. Executing your Plan B requires that you support the replacements, whole-heartedly. They may stumble, make bad calls, and cause you to be bombarded with angry tweets and phone calls, but your job, as a leader, is to stand behind your Plan B and your people. Some of you may think I'm batty for saying this after the touchdown call the replacement refs made against Green Bay on Monday night. Well, Green Bay had another bad call on Sunday when running back Sproles clearly fumbled but was instead ruled down by contact. Um, down by contact my rear! Even the "best" will make mistakes.

When you have to implement your Plan B and put a replacement in the game, remember these three things; it's your decision, it's your game, and it's your reputation. Manage accordingly. The time will come for replacements. Are you ready?

I’m your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?

Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email at hirestephanie@gitomer.com or by calling 704-333-1112.