High achievers that ever find themselves content, comfortable, and safe rarely seem to become 800-Pound Gorillas – dominant players in the market they serve.

In fact, if you’re a business owner or leader, recognizing that a change is necessary to allow for stretching and growing is one of the keys to continual success.

Instagram, the photo-sharing company that was just purchased by Facebook for $1 billion, started its corporate life as a virtual “check-in” site, much like a Foursquare with pictures.

Originally called Burbn Inc., Kevin Systrom and his staff started evolving the idea of a mobile app that would let people take photos, customize them, and share them. Had they stuck with their original idea, Instagram wouldn’t exist.

The new buzzword in quick thinking is to pivot. Entrepreneurs are being described as being able to quickly pivot from one idea or concept to another as the opportunity presents itself.

The Wall Street Journal’s recent article on the pivoting concept reveals that investors want to know a company founder’s background — whether they’ve experienced a sudden change of business focus to take advantage of an idea or concept that is borne from their current activity. As they choose to become partners, that kind of resume gets noticed more often — to the tune of 2 1/2 times the capital vs. founders who didn’t change at all.

It’s not good to change too often — the study, done by Startup Genome Compass out of San Francisco, found that if you as a founder changed direction four or more times, you weren’t taken as seriously.

Pivoting is an important option for many. If something isn’t working, it’s really OK in these times to consider abandoning or leveraging what you’ve learned into where the market is headed… and abandon what was.

Those who are average aren’t the ones that are climbing quickly to the top; they’re the ones who are bold enough to analyze the data, make an intelligent decision, and sometimes be brazen enough to act decisively in a new direction.

If the thought scares you to death, you’re not alone. But being open to change should be a prerequisite for anyone in business today.

– Bill Guertin is CEO of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a sales training and consulting shop that works with many teams in the NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball and more to improve ticket sales and service. Check out www.The800PoundGorilla.com for more dirt.

I’ve got a complaint, and I need to know if anyone’s with me on this.

Lately there have been a number of books and special reports written for those who are interested in landing a job in the business end of the sports world. Many of them promise to reveal “insider tips” and how to influence the decisions of those who are interviewing for the positions in sports, as if the process is able to be ‘tricked’ into liking you enough to give you the job.

If you’re after a job in sports, can I do you a favor?

As a person that helps teams interview and choose the best candidates for sports sales jobs, let me save you the cost of these “cure-all” books.  The three things sports sales departments need today are:

-  Candidates who will work hard;

-  who are coachable;

-  and can demonstrate some degree of sales talent.

If you can prove those to whomever you’re looking to work for, you won’t need a special trick from a book; you’re already 90% ahead of the majority of people who are applying.

But here’s the most important part of this: You had better BE a hard worker, BE coachable, and HAVE some degree of sales talent. Professional interviewers are a dime a dozen. What sports teams are really in need of today are people in the sales department who flap their jaws less and actually DO their job more.

If the only reason you want to work in sports is because it’s cool, or because it’s been your lifelong ambition to work for a particular team, do yourself a favor and apply elsewhere.

Start paying attention to the books that will help you succeed in selling, and when you’re ready, you’ll learn how to best sell  yourself in the interview.

Hmm. Now there’s a concept.

– Bill Guertin is CEO of Stadium Gorilla, the sports sales skills development division of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a sales & marketing improvement company based near Chicago. He’s worked with over 50 professional sports teams to help them improve their ticket sales results, and welcomes your questions anytime at bill@The800PoundGorilla.com.

In 2007, the governing body of NASCAR introduced a newly-designed car body for each of the competing vehicles that would be safer, cheaper, and aerodynamically more likely to allow for more competitive racing. They called it the “Car of Tomorrow”, or COT for short.

Fast-forward (no pun intended) to 2012. After several tweaks to the COT style, an entirely new series of car bodies are set to debut in 2013, with different aero designs and body shapes that more closely represent the manufacturers’ street vehicle designs.  So, what are we to call this new 2013 model… the “Car of the Day After Tomorrow”?

NASCAR, being the 800-Pound Gorilla of auto racing, is a savvy organization, and undoubedly already have a name for the new style that will be more time-enduring than the ill-chosen Car of Tomorrow.

Which makes Apple’s announcement of their newest iteration of the iPad even more puzzling.

It’s called the “New iPad”? Not the iPad 2.5? 2s? Mega? No other way to differentiate it?

Really??

What will people call them when they’re selling them on eBay two years from now? “The One That Was New In 2012″?

Apple is the ultimate 800-Pound Gorilla… formidable in size, in a category by themselves, and nearly impossible to compete with.   By many standards, they are the most valuable company on the planet. They’re just plain brilliant, and certainly they didn’t get there by being careless with their product names. So there HAS to be an explanation for this goofiness.

Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior VP of worldwide marketing, was asked that very question. His answer? “We don’t want to be predictable.”

Hmm. Well, Apple, you got me there. New iPad is certainly unpredictable. But it has the foresight that a 5-year-old might have. “Hey, Mikey! We’ve got this new iPad we’re introducing next month. What do you think we should call it?”

And then, of course, underneath it all could be the real reason for the blah-sounding name: to get more people to write and talk about it, therefore generating even more press and chatter about Apple and its products.

(Oh no!  I can’t believe I’ve fallen into their sinister trap!)

– Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a sales improvement consultancy who inspires others to become the dominant players in the markets they serve. Reach out at bill@the800poundgorilla, or learn more at www.the800poundgorilla.com.

Are Radio stations addicted to Rush?

One of the essences of 800-Pound Gorillas – those who command the lion’s share of the available business in a category — is to be truly quotable. Apple’s “magical” pre-release description of the iPad. Donald Trump’s well-known (and well-repeated) slogan, “You’re Fired”.

And then there’s Rush Limbaugh’s not-so-subtle use of the words “slut” and “prostitute” to describe a young law student named Susan Fluke, who testified on behalf of President Obama’s plan to cover birth control on healthcare plans.

With an estimated 15 million listeners, Rush Limbaugh is easily the 800-Pound Gorilla of conservative talk radio. His daily broadcasts are syndicated to nearly 600 radio stations around the U.S., all of whom enjoy a “protected” broadcast bubble. If you’re a Rush affiliate, other stations within a protected range of your signal are typically prohibited from running the same program at the same time, so your listeners and advertisers are protected from an over-diluting of affiliates in a market. (The exception is when a station will run a “re-broadcast”, or a replay of the day’s live program at a later time in the day, in a market with a competitor’s signal.)

The big problem for a radio station manager with carrying Rush Limbaugh is the same problem that makes him such an attractive property to a radio station in the first place: He draws listeners. Good or bad, controversial or not, Rush has a loyal following, and if you carry his show, no one else in your market can.

If a radio station GM or program director considers dropping the program because of a single incident, there’s at least two other stations in the market who are salivating to pick him up on their signals. The protected territory that the station has enjoyed would now become that of their competitor… and for many who carry Rush, it’s their #1 most listened-to slot during the broadcast day.

So… what to do?

Many national advertisers like ProFlowers.com, AccuQuote, Netflix, and Capital One have pulled their ads from Rush’s show. These are the ads that run in every market that the program airs, and those defections don’t hurt the local affiliate. Where it really begins to hurt is when a station’s local advertisers begin to leave — the local hospitals, the area car dealerships, furniture stores, and the like.

With satellite radio gaining ground, online streaming becoming more prevalent, and electronic media gaining in their share of ad revenue, a local broadcaster has few options. Rush is the crack that many stations have come to rely on for their fix of listeners — and there aren’t many alternatives that can pack the kind of listener punch that Rush does.

Two stations — one in Hawaii and another in Pittsfield, Massachusetts — have made the decision to drop Rush based on his insensitive comments.

I commend those general managers for their actions. Sadly, there are a half-dozen other GM’s in their markets who are dancing in their hallways right now… ready to pick up the Rush habit, insensitive comments or not, on behalf of their bottom lines.

– Bill Guertin is a 25-year broadcast radio veteran, and CEO of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a sales consultantcy based in Bourbonnias, IL. His book, “The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market” is available here.

Of all that I receive E-mails, blogs, and occasional rants from online, I look forward to the Monday Morning Memo the most.

It comes from a friend of mine that I met many years ago. We don’t keep in touch regularly, but his influence continues to inspire and guide me.

Roy H. Williams (not the basketball coach in North Carolina, but the ad guy in Texas) has created a quiet, anti-800-Pound Gorilla kind of company that consistently cranks out amazing advertising, life-changing conferences, and salient wisdom. He’s known to many as the Wizard of Ads; Wizard Academy and its related parts are his creation. He’s quick to deflect his accomplishments to the others around him, but it all starts with his wit, demeanor, and gallantry.

He’s the consummate host; step onto the Wizard Academy grounds at any time, and you’re likely to be welcomed with open arms and an open bottle of merlot. Roy’s not your typical man-in-charge; he’s a quiet, pensive type who would rather be nestled in a back room somewhere with a laptop or an engrossing book. But listen to the thousands of people who have been influenced by his work, and you’d hear of a genius whose alchemy of people and ideas is — well, magical.

One of Roy’s fascinations is with the story of Don Quixote, the fabled character from Cervantes’ Man of La Mancha. Not only has Roy become a collector of Cervantes memorabilia, he has run his operation in a very Quixotic way.

His most recent Monday Morning Memo (www.mondaymorningmemo.com) revealed why Don Quixote’s character has resonated with him throughout his career and his business model. Roy said this:

“I love Don Quixote because:

1. he saw beauty where others did not.
(In the eyes of others, his Lady Dulcinea was a common village girl.)

2. he saw adventure where others did not.
(“What giants?” said Sancho Panza…)

3. he was utterly committed to his quest.
(Quixote never gave up, never backed down. He was willing to suffer hardship for what he believed.)”

Can you answer those three questions today?

Are you able to see beauty where others might not?

Do you approach each day as an adventure, even when the mundane tasks of the day may not give the appearance of a mighty quest?

Have you committed completely to what you stand for and believe?

My friend Roy helps others find their quest in life. He helped me find mine many years ago, and I’m grateful for it.

If you’re in a leadership position, how are you helping others find their quest?

And if you’re in need of a quest, where will you turn to find yours?

P.S. You can check out Roy’s work at www.wizardofads.com.

– Bill Guertin is a Quixotic CEO of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a company who tilts at the windmills of sales organizations each day to help them overcome their enemies of negative cash flow, poor sales performance, and anemic attitudes. Learn more at www.The800PoundGorilla.com.

Way to go, Sparky... you got the first appointment. Don't leave without securing the NEXT appointment!

Jeffrey was on a roll.

The meeting was going well. He had lots of great notes, asked the right questions, and Janet, his prospect, seemed genuinely interested in the process of discovery. After 20 minutes of Q&A, it seemed like there was a fit between Jeffrey’s product and Janet’s company’s needs.

“Well, I think I have everything I need, Janet. I’ll be coming back with a few suggestions for you to consider. Thank you for your time, and I’ll give you a call when I have everything together to set up our next meeting.”

Here’s the problem: As challenging as making contact with people is today, Jeffrey could have saved himself a ton of time and phone-tag by simply setting the date and time of the follow-up meeting with Janet right then and there in her office!

It seems so obvious, but many salespeople fail to deliver on this one simple element of successful salesmanship. Setting the next appointment does several things:

- The prospect can mentally compartmentalize specifically when you’ll be back, and can adjust their thinking about the opportunity to when they’ll be picking up the conversation

- They know exactly how much time they have to confer with others about the opportunity before the sales rep will be back

- They can make decisions about other meetings around the time you’ve scheduled, so that your time slot is protected

- They have more confidence in you as a sales professional that’s not going to waste their time

- You’ve put yourself on a deadline, and now will work to meet that deadline vs. allowing other things to get in the way and potentially postpone the deal.

When possible, always take a moment at the end of a positive meeting to set the next date/time that you’ll be getting together. The dominant players in your business — the 800-pound gorillas — do it every single day. It’s not only polite and professional… it’s good business.

– Bill Guertin is Chief Enthusiasm Officer of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a sales skills development company whose mission is to “inspire great companies to become dominant companies”. Learn more at www.The800PoundGorilla.com.

Great. Another new social media tool that everyone’s clamoring about.

First, a looong time ago, I had to adopt to E-mail. Then MySpace. Then Facebook became all the rage, even though it was virtually the same as MySpace. LinkedIn became Facebook for business, so I was all over that. Then it was Twitter. I never had time for coffee before any of this came about, and now I’m brewing as I’m tweeting in-between texts.

And NOW I’m supposed to create a scrapbook online too?

Look… I consider myself a forward-thinking person. I watch the trends, see where the flow is going, and decide what’s for me. But I can’t see running off to the newest shiny object before I’ve figured out what these five other shiny objects mean to me and my life.

That’s part of the problem, of course. Deciding which shiny objects to ignore and which to spend time on.

There were predictions made 50 years ago that the population of today (2012) would have more leisure time than ever before. With the advent of machines doing all the work and thinking for us, that we would have more time to vacation, play golf, or do whatever we wanted to do than with any other generation in human history.

I now know where all that time is going for most of us.

I think I’ll go play a round of golf instead.

- Bill Guertin is a sales expert, author, speaker, and CEO of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a sales training and consulting company near Chicago. He’s an average golfer (probably because of all the time he spends on social media now), a father of three, and a grandfather of the most adorable 14-month-old girl on the planet. Reach out to him at bill@the800poundgorilla.com.

800-Pound Gorillas are do-ers. They get up in the morning eager to seize the day, make things happen, take a few licks, get back up, try a different direction, and succeed.

As 800-Pound Gorilla sales professionals-in-training, all of us need to be aware of when we get into the habit of using “kinda just”y language in our conversations with prospects.

“Hi, Jim, this is Bill Guertin with ABC. I kinda just wanted to reach out…”

Kinda-just is NOT self-assured.

Every one of us slides into language modes that give others the impression that we’re unsure, apologetic, or tentative in our approach. Other words that we sometimes get into the habit of using might be:

“Were you thinking about…?”

“Have you checked out…?”

“Is that something you’d be interested in?”

“Um… y’know… I mean… “

As a general rule, people want to do business with others who are self-assured in a way that they themselves would like to emulate. As Jeb Blount so eloquently put it in the title of his book, People Buy You in addition to the product or service you represent… and the language you choose to use is part of the “you” package.

This is not pushy, intimidating, or slick. It’s being comfortable with the language of forward motion, rather than of indecision.

“Here’s the reason I’m calling…”

“What have you done along the lines of…?

“Has ___ been a concern of yours?”

“Let’s each do this…”

“I’d like to schedule a follow-up so that…”

These are the word choices of the dominant players in the market you serve. Adopt them, and more like them, and you’ll be on your way to becoming the 800-Pound Gorilla of your industry.

– Bill Guertin is Chief Enthusiasm Officer (CEO) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a sales/marketing consultant group that works with companies and individuals to help them become the dominant players in the markets they serve. Clients include many of the ticket sales departments of professional sports teams in the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, and more. Reach out at bill@The800PoundGorilla.com with your comments and suggestions.

There has been a big debate in the sales field about leaving voice mail messages for those who don’t answer their phones on a sales call. Some say it’s a mistake; you can’t sell in a voice mail, so you shouldn’t try. Others believe that a message is another positive touchpoint in a string of touchpoints on the way to the sale.

I believe voice mail is a very useful tool, because you’re leaving an impression using the warmth and expression of your own voice. People can tell a lot by listening to your voice, and may very well make a decision to call you back because of how you sound.

Here’s something to consider: If you were auditioning for “American Sales Idol” using only your voice mail message as your entry, what would the judges say?

Think about how many voice mails your customer hears each day, and then re-tool your message to make sure they remember yours.

I used to think that every argument had a simple solution. One side is right, the other is obviously misguided and unreasonably wrong. All that’s needed is a little bit of applied reasoning, and the other side will come around.

So how do you explain the current national budget challenge here in the US, and how could we have avoided this big mess?

“As long as we have some Republican lawmakers who feel more enthralled with a pledge they took to a Republican lobbyist than they do to a pledge to the country to solve the problems, this is going to be hard to do,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington), co-chair of the special Congressional budget deficit committee, on CNN’s “State of the Union” program on 11/20/11.

“Unfortunately, what we haven’t seen in these talks from the other side is any Democrats willing to put a proposal on the table that actually solves the problem,” countered the other co-chair, Republican Jeb Hensarling of Texas.

The White House is trying to taze somebody to get them to move, but each side is apparently unwilling to give. “Avoiding accountability and kicking the can down the road is how Washington got into this deficit problem in the first place,” said Amy Brundage, a White House spokesperson. “So Congress needs to do its job here and make the kind of tough choices to live within its means that American families make every day.”

When we in our daily lives put off tough decisions — ignoring an overdue bill, putting off a trip to the doctor, waiting to start that retirement savings account — the pain of those decisions is rarely felt right away. To blame others’ inactions for a current problem doesn’t make the current problem any better.

One of the rules for becoming an 800-Pound Gorilla – a company or an individual that achieves dominance in their category and becomes next to impossible to compete against – is that they’re not afraid to do what others won’t. It’s easy to pawn off a tough problem to someone else; it’s smarter to address the problems early on and suffer the short-term pain than to sweep them under the rug until they grow to momumental proportions.

By admitting mistakes early on (i.e., Netflix), apologizing for things that go wrong and fixing them (i.e., Toyota), and taking the high road early vs. staying quiet and hoping it never comes up (vs. the Penn State football tragedy), 800-Pound Gorillas avoid B-I-G problems by making sure they never get to the B-I-G stage in the firs place. The pain is suffered in a controllable way. You take your own lumps, you let people know how you’re going to fix it, and the damage is minimized.

What “small” problem are you wrestling with right now that will most certainly rear its ugly head at some point in the future if it goes unaddressed? Is it financing? Cash flow? Declining consumer interest? Marketing trends? Is it your career growth or direction? Retirement options? Personal issues?

As witnessed by the federal government, the NBA, and many other entities embroiled in last-gasp negotiations, waiting for a resolution to happen by itself only makes the pain of resolution worse.

What is it you may need to address today in order to be more dominant and in control of your own destiny tomorrow?

Let me know what you decide to do.  The first step in moving forward is sometimes telling someone else that you’re going to do it.

– Bill Guertin is a speaker, author, and CEO of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a unique company that helps others improve their sales and service skills through dynamic learning programs.  Check out his book, The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales, or say hello to him on Twitter.