Our parents raised me and my siblings with healthy doses of emotional intelligence, courtesy and self-awareness. With more than 50+ years of marriage behind them (and counting) they've regularly displayed courtesy and respect toward each other during all of this time. At least in front of us while we were kids.
I can still hear my dad saying: "Its not what you say, but how you say it", and "They can take away your money, your wealth and even take your freedom and put you in jail but they can't take away your character or integrity unless you let them."
I also remember my dad talking with me when I was a boy that times had changed then, from when he was growing up, and people no longer acted with courtesy the way they used to when he was my age (at that time).
Funny thing is, I now sometimes finding myself in the same situation, saying the same thing to some of today's younger generation. Go figure.
Self-awareness and courtesy seemed to be central themes in the stories he shared. To this day, my dad is my integrity litmus test.
Fast forward today, I find myself sometimes thinking some kids/people today don't have the same manners and self awareness we had when I was growing up.
Many of the things we learn (and don't learn) while growing up influence how we develop as we become adults.
My dad was a successful salesman during his sales career by any metric. He sold services. Life insurance. An intangible.
People trusted him, and still do, and over the years he's also become my litmus test for the numerous EMS/ODM business development and sales/marketing people I meet in industry on a regularly basis.
So, with part of the early history in the house I grew up in revealed above for all here to see, I offer below 3 ways any EMS provider sales person can become more effective.
1.) Return phone calls/emails in a timely manner. On a number of dinner occasions, I've recommended OEM executives contact specific sales contacts internal tier-1 and -2 EMS providers, yet calls and emails would take days (weeks) for a reply. Sometimes no reply at all. One program had MCOGs worth more than US$45 million. It eventually went to -----. (I was told they returned the call, and returned emails, the same day)
A WSJ.com article about email timeliness spoke directly to me when I read it and nudged me to post on the topic.
"People reply to their close friends, on average, within seven hours of getting the email, the data show. Professional contacts take a bit more time: We don't hit send for nearly 11 hours. But the biggest difference came when the scientists looked at those people we barely know. On average, it took us 50 hours to reply. In other words, there's a surprisingly easy way to figure out how you feel about someone—just count the hours before you hit the "reply" button."
On the surface, one would think its common sense (I do) the amount of time it takes to respond to someone's message is directly proportional to how important the other person is. Some people just don't have this type of self-awareness, or courtesy. Read more here:
2.) If you say you're going to do something, do it. If you later find out you won't be able to do it, give advance notice before your committed date-of-execution arrives.
Manage against surprises. (This becomes a whole different lesson in emotional intelligence when EMS business development promises something to the customer without first confirming capabilities/schedules with EMS manufacturing/operations)
3.) Dont' walk into a breakfast meeting with a mobile phone stuck to your ear. You know who you are and we know you like to feel important.
Better yet, turn your mobile off before your meeting begins and tell the others (literally) at the meeting you're doing so because they are important and you don't want any interruptions.
Send a clear message telling everyone present they're top-of-mind to you and you value they're time as much as you value your time.
