Results, Benefits, Advantages. Outcomes

One of the interesting things about practice and preparation is that it actually drives prosperity, and profit. 

So I really work with my clients on an ongoing basis with the significance of intelligent, valuable repetition. And I tell them that repetition and reinforcement is what eventually drives internalization and internalization is what drives execution. So we have just begun the NFL season. 

So I love also watching Canadian football because it's so wide open. So whether it's Canadian football, or whether it's football here in the States, here's the key thing they have in common. We always hear this word and that is reps. We talked about during training camp of reps for the quarterback for the running backs for the offensive or defensive line for the wide receivers, George, it's no different in business. 

And when I work with my clients, I often encourage them on a regular basis to engage in intelligent repetition. Because that on going process of really working on a specific skill, or an attitude or a behaviour is what drives results. And as an athlete, I learned that the value of taking lots of swings and the batting cages, taking lots of ground balls. But if you'd like I can even share a very early story communications related about the significance of repetition and practice. Please tell us so people often ask me about persistence and perseverance and they make an assumption. 

The assumption is Hey, Jeff, we've heard you speak and we know that You are trained as an attorney, although I do not practice law than an attorney since 1982. Thankfully, never practice the day of the law in my life, which for me was the right decision. And the backgrounds also broadcasting as you alluded to both radio and TV here in Chicago. Yet what happened is with respect to my speaking, is that in the beginning, and I'm talking first grade, I couldn't do it, George, I had a speech impediment. 

So I often share this story with people because it shows the fact that I'm human, and I'm vulnerable. And that's very important for communicator is to be vulnerable and relatable. 

So when I was in first grade, I was asked by my teacher, Donna Northrup, to please stand and like all the other kids to utter two words, and the words were listen, and rabbit. So to the best of my ability, I stood, and I said those two words confidently and proudly, and I said Wison and Webbot. And everybody, waffed, George, and I didn't know why. So I would repeat, those words, again, even louder, I said listen and wabbit. And once again, everybody with even louder. So I went home tired, and depressed and frustrated. And I said to my parents, my teacher, Miss Northrup is quazy. She claims that I need speech correction weapons, she's wrong, and I'm going to prove it. So for the next two and a half to three years, I had to work on a skill that I didn't have. And eventually, I was able to enunciate, and articulate and communicate. 

And that little boy who couldn't speak, eventually grew up to become an attorney, and a hall of fame speaker, and a best selling author and a TV and radio broadcaster. 

So I tell people, George, hey, if I could overcome my perceived difficulties, if you think you can, if you think you can't, you're right. And that's the significance of skills, attitude and behaviour over time, people as you and I both know, look for the quick hit the magic bullet, it does not happen. I often tell clients, the only place where success precedes work is the dictionary.

 

That must have been painful for you as a great one student. When you're speaking today, do memories of that pain come back to you?

Well, what's interesting is that looking back on it, and even at the time, it was never a painful experience. 

Now here's why it was positioned so that it was an opportunity to excel at something in Donna Northrop, my first grade teacher knew that I had natural communication skills at a very young age, but she knew I had to overcome this obstacle. So here's what enabled me to do. The campus that I grew up on is the Lincoln wood community. So Lincoln was a northern suburb of Chicago, it literally shares a common border, we're the first suburb north. So that's where I grew up as a child. So we had all the campuses for kindergarten through second grade one building, third grade through fifth grade, another building and six through eighth grade, another building, those three buildings were on this large campus. So I got to leave for my first grade class with my best friend Mark list. To this day, still my best mate. 

We went through grammar school, high school, college law school together travelled Europe, best man at my wedding, and he does all my intellectual property work, Mark and I would leave class go to the other building for the third through fifth graders. And we got to escape three times a week. And then we'd return. So it was really an opportunity to do something that was enjoyable. So I never really looked at it as a painful experience, Don Northrop passed away several years ago, but I always stayed in touch with her. And I actually went with Donna to a Chicago Cubs game. It's one of the most memorable moments in my life was to spend that time with who I call this gorgeous redhead and a story about Donna and I actually appears at our website. So Donna changed my life in a positive way. And I actually acknowledge her in one of my books peak your profits in the first edition. Now it's the fifth edition, because Donna really changed my life because she believed in me. 

And belief is also very important, as you will know George to be an effective communicator. And it starts with self belief. So for me, it really wasn't painful. It was enjoyable because it's something that I love at an early age and really shaped my entire career. And I had no idea until someone who was interviewing me asked me about that. So they said that one experience really said In Motion your career and I went yeah, how come? I never thought of that until you asked me the question. So for me, not painful, actually significant, meaningful, memorable.

Jeff, there's a powerful example of how a teacher how a person in your life can have a tremendous effect on on the students in the class. Absolutely. And because I wonder how many people remember the name of their first grade teacher, but yet, you remember because she had such an impact? And who would think that grade one could be so pivotable. So pivotable in your life, but obviously it clearly was? Now as a child, I understand you experienced other communication, joys and challenges. One of them has something to do with that concert, you were obviously you were a guitarist, one of them has something do the concert that you attended in Chicago, tell us about that.

So I'll tell you a very quick story, because it actually has got a communications message about an intended message at the end of the story. Alright, so let's turn back the hands of time, George. So imagine if you will, it's 1964 and 1964. I am eight, my older sister, Linda is 12. My parents drop us off at the Chicago Amphitheatre, South Side of Chicago, they drop us off at 7pm. And say they will pick us up four hours later at 11pm. And to repeat, George, I am eight. My sister is 12. Parents drop us off at seven will pick us up at 11. Four hours later, today, my parents would still actually be in jail for child abandonment. But this is the 1960s who were my sister and I going to see four guys from Liverpool. The Beatles. So my sister Linda and I actually saw the Beatles perform in Chicago in 1964. Let's skip ahead to 1978 in 1978, Mark lists who I alluded to earlier, who I went to speech collection Westerns with Mark and I best buddies, we're now travelling Europe, eight weeks, 22 bucks a day, we find ourselves George in the south of France in Monaco at the Loews Casino. I turned to mark and another guy who we're travelling with at the time who just met in Europe, but he tagged along with us a guy by the name of Cosmos, Andy, not his real name, the name that we gave him. I cannot tell you what his real name is. I've got no clue. But he was Cosmo Andy. So I turned to Cosmo Andy and I turned to Mark and I say, Hey, you see that dude who's sitting at the bar? 

They go, yeah. I said, That's Ringo Starr. Is it? No, it's not. I said, I'm telling you. That's Ringo Starr, they said, Well, how do you know I said, Well, I'm a Beatles fan. I saw him in concert at the age of eight. I have followed their career. And I'm a disc jockey for both high school and college. And then obviously, the professional work that I eventually did. But I said, I know Ringo Starr Plus, he lives in Monaco. No taxes. I said, I need to go chat with Ringo Starr go, you can't do that. I go Why, what's the big deal? What's the element of embarrassment? If it's not him? It's not him? Who cares? So that's an important question to ask yourself often, and that is what's the risk of doing nothing? What's the risk of doing nothing? So I start to walk toward Ringo Starr. 

And as I'm approaching him, he turns and looks at me from a distance of about 15 to 20 feet away. And he's already got George this dismissive look like, get away. Don't bother me doesn't say anything. But his message is loud and clear. So I say to myself, Okay, what would the typical fan do typical fail ago? Excuse me? Are you Ringo Starr? So I say to myself, be unique. So I craft a question in those next few feet. So now when I get close to him, he turns and this is exactly what I said to Ringo Starr, in that summer of 1978. I said, Excuse me. 

Has anyone ever told you that you've got a remarkable resemblance to Richard Starkey. 

And as you know, that's his real name. And he says to me, well, mate, I am Richard Starkey. Why don't you sit down and join me? I sit down and now have this 10 to 15 minute conversation with Ringo Starr. I tell him about Cosmo Andy and Mark being nonbelievers. He finds this hysterical now after about 10 Minutes, Mark and Cosmo Andy George realise this is really Ringo Starr. So they start to come closer to us an attempt to break this circle of trust that I've created with Ringo. Eventually, as they get closer and are about three feet away, so helped me. This is what Ringo Starr says. He looks at Mark and COSMOTE. And looks at me, looks at Mark and Cosmos looks at me, looks at Mark and Cosmos looks at me. And then wrinkle star actually says the following George, it Jeff tell me of these the two idiots.

So to this ay is a story that Mark and I always talk about, because he Ringo Starr conveyed his intended message. And I conveyed my intended message by asking him a question that he did not expect. And that's actually a skill. That's one of the things that I work on with clients is the ability to ask really good questions or what I call power probes. So it avoids doing with customers and prospects or clients data dumps. Instead you ask intelligent questions.