Today I attended Oracle's Executive Business Summit in Austin, Texas....and had the pleasure to hear an outstanding presentation by professional speaker and business guru, Garrison Wynn.
Oracle, like many modern businesses, knows that success is about more than just transactional selling. In today's competitive marketplace you must create a community - a NETWORK - with clients, prospects and partners. In that effort, they are reaching out and bringing together executives in local communities and creating the opportunities to share real experiences with those in attendance.
I recently read about Garrison Wynn in Selling Power Magazine, and had heard of his reputation as an entertaining, informative and inspiring speaker. He lived up to the hype, as he literally POPPED onto the stage with an energy level that is rarely seen at 8:30 in the morning in a hotel ballroom.
His presentation, "The Truth About Success - Changing Markets, Changing Times" was full of statistics, anecdotes and other information which had the audience veraciously taking notes. However it was the five years Wynn spent as a professional stand up comedian that made his performance stand out. In addition to the text of his message, he had the room belly laughing for the entire hour.
Some points to ponder:
*Customers do not choose what is the "best" - they select what they are the most comfortable with. If there was an agreed upon "best" everyone would just buy that brand.
*The minute you think you know everything as a leader, you have lost your "wisdom". Remember that everyone has something different to offer.
*There is power in making people feel heard - Everyone desires to have you listen.
*How well you work with people you do not like will show how good you really are.
*It does not matter how smart you are if nobody understands what you are saying.
*Change is not the problem,....Resistance is the problem.
Wynn's messages always rang with the advice of never being too stuck on your own point of view and to be open to the opinions of others (co-workers, clients, prospects, direct reports, etc..). He brilliantly illustrated to the audience the importance of remembering that there are always multiple solutions with:
"There is a woman in Florida who is both a veterinarian and a taxidermist. Her motto is 'Either Way You Are Getting Your Dog Back!'"
I thought the guy in the back of the room was going to tumble from his chair as be laughed in a manner never encountered at corporate events. Everyone walked away from the morning with thoughts to ponder and a smile on their face.
Alas, Oracle scored with their community by not just having a motivational speaker, but in creating a shared experience of delight!!
Have A Great Day.
thom
www.thomsinger.com
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