Let it all Hang out

Let it all hang out

               

                After the Les Brown event in the Pharr Event Center I felt something. I am going to give credit to the Lord, Ona Brown, Terrance Leftridge and Chis’Mere Mallard. Something about the way Ona puts together her father’s message caused my breakthrough. I started thinking about all of the times in the boxing ring, SEAL Training, being shot at in Panama, in sales and when had success in business. Every single time I threw caution to the wind and let it all hang out. Many times, looking back I didn’t use the perfect technique or strategy but I overwhelmed the situation with intensity.  

                In every case I spent a period of time learning or being taught my skill, I would attempt to be as perfect as I could and I would fail. I would get tired of failing and then I would pour my all into it with the most aggressive intensity I had in me and with the skills I had developed it would prevail. It might not have been the prettiest but it would be effective. In many cases I would just overwhelm them.

                As I am writing this I am imagining Anthony Suggs Sr. reading this and laughing. Volume and intensity can be very effective. Even God can’t steer a parked car but you would be amazed at how good he is at maneuvering when you stand on the gas.

                In sales I have said things to people that should have blown them out but they ended up doing business with me and from that point on we were always on the same page. It was the Navy SEAL way of laying out what was to be expected. It is different than “The proper expectations”. That would mean giving them a chance to make a choice. The choice sometimes is “Are you in or are you out?” It doesn’t work for everyone but you will know in about a second if it does or not.

                I remember when coach John Hunter the Navy Boxing coach, when I walked up to him asking “Can I work out?” I meant “Could I hit the heavy bag” and he said “Who do you want to spar?” I got excited and said “Can I use your gloves?” I went six rounds with Sean Fletcher, Renaldo and Thorton and I held my own pretty good. Their light weight has recently got out of the Navy and I filled his slot. What is it they say “Luck is when opportunity and preparedness meet”? I am thinking about Les Brown’s story of how he got on the radio.

                When I fought Anthony Suggs Sr., right after he won the number one slot in the 1988 Olympic Trials, knocking out Kennedy McKinney, the first punch he hit me with sent me to my knees. I got back up and I had no other choice but to throw caution to the wind and give Tony everything I had and that is what he got! Tony, I hope you appreciate it?!

                When I got into sales, one of my first jobs as venture capital broker the manager gave me a stack of leads and a script and said “There is a desk and a phone” I looked at that phone like it was a warm cow pie. I didn’t want to touch it but I thought “They can’t shoot me through the phone” I started smiling and dialing. All I got paid was a $10.00 an hour draw on commission for the first three months but then I talked to a guy who followed the script. He had $30,000 in CDs that he wasn’t happy with the returns, I asked him if he and his wife made joint investment decisions and he said “No!” That didn’t bother me, I didn’t talk to my wife either. I wasn’t closing my own deals, Joel Topia the manager did the follow up call. Joel had a voice and tone like Carlton the doorman. The next day he came by my desk and dropped the client’s folder on it and said “He is not interested” I thought there might have been a personality conflict so I called the guy back.

                I asked “Did you have a problem with Joel?” He said “No” I asked him “What Happened?” He said “My wife said I can’t” I said “Didn’t you tell me that you make all of the investment decisions?” and he said “Yes” and replied “You lied to me!” That got his attention and everyone in the office. I quoted him verbatim what he said to me and he agreed that he did say those things and then I said “What you need to do is move your zipper around to the front and do this deal” He didn’t like that. Everyone in the office was shocked. I told them “What? He lied to me. I am going to call him every day until he either changes his number or commits” and I did.

After about two weeks he put his wife on the phone and she explained to me that those CDs were hers that her mother left her. I said “Oh I understand, this is venture capital, it is not for the faint of heart. This is for a player, someone who is looking to beef up their portfolio and they have enough where with all that if they lose $10,000 it’s like sticking their finger in a glass of water and taking it out but if this does as well as we think it is going to do it can mean the difference of whether they are driving a motor or a motor coach in their retirement. I tell you what, if you know someone like that and they participate I will let you in for half a unit” She referred me to her boss, he invested $30,000 and she did $5,000. That is when I learned to go for the referrals. I closed 60% of all of the referrals given to me.

The company changed projects and things slowed down and I started looking and I answered an ad for a debt management consultant. It was group interview and they were combining a mortgage refinance with debt management and consumer credit counseling strategies and because of all of the books I had been reading for my own personal finances I could understand what they were doing. They promised a $50.00 bonus for every signed loan application and check for an appraisal that I turned in and I needed $600.00 to pay my rent. My first commitment was from this attorney who was very arrogant. He gave me the run around I went to his house and he wanted me to give him all of the terms and interest rate. He was about 6’ 6” tall and I just looked at him and told him as directly as I could “I can’t give you the answers without pulling your credit, getting an appraisal and going over your financials to see if you qualify” He went inside and after a couple of minutes handed me his last three years tax returns, bank statements and all of his bills. I told him I need a check for $350.00. He got the check book and wrote me out a check.

He didn’t commit to the financing but because I had gotten him to commit as far as giving me what I was asking for, I was fearless. I turned in twelve applications that month, paid my rent and ten of those loans funded. I made $7,500.00 in commission that month and they made me the manager. You’ve got to be Hungry! Every single time I have had a breakthrough was right at the point where I had to push back and when I did the door opened.

Terrance Leftridge told me that I needed to have Chis’Mere Mallard mentor me. Chis’Mere, I am ready!