All posts by Keith Thompson

The thing that sets you apart

Life

There is something different in all of us that sets us apart and makes us unique. Many times, it is the very thing that you most want to change. Let me say that again. The thing that makes you unique is many times the very thing we most want to change (if you could) about yourself. I don’t want to get too spiritual on you here but if you step back and think outside the box, you can recognize Satan at work telling you to change that aspect of your life. See, he knows it is the one thing about you that makes you different and the one thing that will have the greatest impact on your life and those around you.

Case in point, I stutter and I am a salesman. God must have a sense of humor. Ha. The speech thing I have is the aspect I have most wanted to change about my life but it is also the one thing that makes me different and even possibly memorable. I have a dear friend/client who told me the first time I called him, he picked out three words (ha) he understood and formed his response around those three words. Makes me laugh when I think about it. Today, this client has transacted with me many times over the years and is one of my dearest friends. I know I could call him at any time any day.

A few examples of the things about us that we most want to change could be our looks, hair, weight, physical appearance, clothes, education, candace of our speech, accent, the way we think about things, skin color, habits, ticks, your eyes, your hands, your ears etc. etc. and many, many other examples. The truth is that God made you like you are and gave you the personality you have for a purpose. Take me for example, if I was educated, polished, fluent and good looking, maybe I would have been just like many others in my profession and would not have seen his hand in my life like I have.

This is not to say we shouldn’t try and improve our health, habits etc. but it does mean that each of us has a gift that only we have. As hard as it is to believe, out of the 7.5 billion people on earth, there is no one just like you. There are people that are similar but no one exactly like you. Think about that just a minute. God made 7.5 billion people (living today) and made them all different from each other. Why did he do this? Well, I believe it is because he put something unique in each one of us that no one else would have. It is that one thing you possess that is unique to you and allows you to be honest, transparent and engaging when people meet you.

So, as you look at your life and take an inventory, don’t be so quick to want to change who you are because it could very well be the character trait you most need to be what God intended you to be. KT

When you know it’s time to retire

Career, Life

Yesterday, Elaine and I took our granddaughters to a matinee of the new Cars 3D movie. As with all Disney movies it was cute and the girls loved it. It is about a race car driver who seems to have lost his edge and doesn’t want to retire but may be forced to.

In the movie the driver asked one of the older race car drivers when he knew it was time to retire. The old driver said something that made me sit a little straighter in the seat. He said, “the youngsters will let you know.”

I thought about that and realized it is so true. I don’t care what your profession is, there are younger, smarter generations coming behind you that in many cases, can do a better job and relate better to the clients. Especially, if you are in sales, because many times the clients you are trying to sell to are also younger.

I think the magic is knowing and accepting when your influence has begun to drift and when you should move to the next great thing you want to do in your life. It is sad seeing an old leader who clearly no longer has a grasp on the business, but still demands he/she stay in charge. Many companies have failed to be relevant long term because of this one issue.

Don’t get me wrong. Many of today’s inventions come from late bloomers (older people) and many new companies are started by older people. With age generally comes a great deal of wisdom and perspective that younger folks don’t have yet. People under 30 don’t know what a financial downturn looks like (2008 & 2009) and how to prepare for it in advance. So, age does have its perks.

I own a small piece of a social media company and I am continually amazed at how little I understand about what they do. Ha. I go to their offices and see all these young, articulate, polished, educated, smart 20 and 30-year-olds. It is so much fun to see the younger generations work because they are so far ahead of where I was at their age. It simply amazes me.

So, the message. Hold on, but don’t hold on too long. Ha. KT

Swinging for the fence

Career

There are very few things in this life that gives you a sense of accomplishment like trying as hard as you can at something. It doesn’t matter what your line of work is. Simple trying your very best is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences you can have.

We used to go on this camping trip every year to Vogel State Park and the main event every evening was a softball game. There were two guys that were the real players while the rest of us just enjoyed the game. One was Billy Myers and the other was Andy Murdock. The field we played on was maybe 225 feet to the creek and the objective was to hit the ball over the creek because that was an automatic home run. I remember watching Andy bat one night and he swung so hard that he came out of his shoes. It was easily a home run but I also thought, what a great metaphor for selling. The idea of going into a sales pitch and swinging at the ball as hard as you can.

Selling is like being a preacher. The people listening to the sermon (or sale pitch) know if you have prepared or if you are just winging it. It also tells the people listening how much you respect them. If you prepare, it tells them you spent time getting ready because you respect them and you want their approval.

Over the years I have been in many sales pitches. Some I planned well for and others I just winged it. As with all sales, you get hired on some and not hired on others. As I look back over my career I can say with certainly that when I prepared at my best, my percentage of being hired was far greater. I find that even on the occasions where you prepared well and didn’t get hired, you left with the client’s respect and usually got the call the next time he was ready to sell something.

So, like the camping softball games at Vogel, swing the bat as hard as you can (prepare well) and when the ball does go over the creek, it is some of the most rewarding and fulfilling memories you can create. KT

Creating a why

Career, Life

I was in a sales meeting recently that was quite impressive. It was national in scope yet targeted to the local market.

As I listened to leaders speak I was stuck with the thought, if I was asked to speak, what would I present as my thoughts on how to grow the company long term. My answer, find the why. We all know the way and generally know the how, but in my humble opinion, it is the why that propels a person or company forward. I define the why as some organization, charity or area of giving that you can get involved with and support that moves you emotionally.

When I was at my lowest point financially (1990) and was at the point of bankruptcy from the restaurants, I discovered that just making money for the sake of making money did not drive me. I needed something more. I found that giving was healing to my soul and I also found in my daughter’s eyes the desire and drive I needed to make a better life for them and I knew at that time that I needed to lay the foundation for the future of my family. I wanted my daughters to be without need but also to respect the role money plays in our life and the impact of what helping others has on your soul, your personality and your self-esteem.

Without going into too much detail, we started as a family seeing money as a way to help others and be right before God.

So, if I were a speaker at a business conference, I would try as best I could to find the “why” and not just the “how.” Money is good and useful especially when you are paying bills, but money, just for the sake of money or sales goals just for the sake of sales goals, leaves an empty space in our soul that can only be filled by finding a “why” that moves you emotionally. It makes you want to make more money so you can have more to give. It literally changes the viewing lens through which you see the world. KT

Sifting through memories

Family, Life

The other day I was think about how many times at funerals, people attending and the ones that are speaking, must sift through the memories of the deceased to find ones that are good, wholesome and worthy of repeating at the funeral.

Have you ever known a person that lived such an exemplary life that upon their death, the attendees at their funeral didn’t have to sift through the memories of the person to speak respectful of the deceased? Over the years I have attended many funerals but one in particular I remember, because I was attending for the family members, not in memory of the deceased. The deceased was a scoundrel in life and I noticed that at the person’s funeral that not one family member was shedding a tear. What a way to be remembered. The opposite was true of a sweet little lady that introduced me to my wife years ago. Her name was Arlene Estes and to my knowledge, I never heard a bad word spoken about her. She showed me kindness and love at a difficult time in my life when I was a senior in high school. When you think of a Godly woman, she comes to mind.

So, the point of this blog post is that if you are reading this, there is still time to create good memories for those you love and those around you. You could make changes in your life so that on the day you are called home, your loved ones will not have to sift through the memories of your life to pick out a few good ones. KT