Aim High

(FIRST DRAFT - the below has yet to be Proofed & edited)

The Biggest mistake that both people and businesses make is to not aim high with their goals. I have a couple of short scenarios that might help make my point of how not aiming high can, at the very least, delay success.

Business Scenario:
In 1977, two brothers and I started a collection agency. We had all been debt collectors for a couple of different collection agencies – while the eldest (actually a foster brother) had been quite successful as a branch manager at a few National agencies – but more recently had owned a small agency with another partner who he couldn’t get along with. We were barely cranking out a living collecting on hot checks and picking up rental furniture, and all of us had another job to supplement our incomes. I remember asking the eldest brother why we weren’t going after the big clients like American Express and large bankcard centers – and he told me that we could never expect to have clients like that.

A few years later, I’d left the agency to work in the computer industry and attend college at night. The older brother was bought out by my younger brother, a close friend was brought in to handle the marketing and given 11% of the agency, and I was brought back to handle the operations (management, administration, and automation) and given 38% of the agency. We decided then that we’d aim high and go after the big clients with the attitude that we deserved them, and that they needed us. While I sold my interest in 1986, today that agency is the largest privately owned agency in the World; employing hundreds of people, bringing tens of millions in collections each month, and earning over $1,000,000 in profit per month. Had the three of us not agreed to aim high – the agency might still be collecting local bad checks and the owners starving. Once we set goals that others scoffed at and then planned for it – it no longer was us holding the business back.

Personal Scenario:
In 1980, while taking that little leave of absence spoken of in the last scenario, I was selling small business computers during the day and going to a community college at night for Business Management.

Prior to working as a salesman for this computer company, I’d worked as a service technician – first for a mailroom equipment company, and then for a computer CRT and printer company. As a technician, I saw the salesmen strutting like roasters while the techs were treated like chickens. They were paid many times what we earned – but they always depended on us do the technical demonstrations of the equipment they never learned to operate – while they acted like Herb from WKRP in Cincinnati trying to close the deals. I decided that I could easily do what they did, and that if you couldn’t beat them – join them.

I went to a small one-man employment agency in my small city looking for him to find me a sales position. While he wasn’t impressed with my credentials (or ability to pay a fee), he was impressed with my enthusiasm. He told me that he really didn’t have anything for me – but knew a man who owned a small store in Rochester, NY, which sold small business computers to walk-in traffic. They didn’t do any outside sales – just retail.

An interview was scheduled with the owner, Doug Layman. When I arrived for the interview, Doug briefly scanned over my resume, and then told me that he didn’t need another service technician – interview over. I told him that I was looking for a sales position – and no longer wanted to be a technician. His response was that he didn’t take chances with salesmen without prior experience or a marketing degree.

I offered to work “risk-free” on full commission – without any salary or draw. That got his attention, and a deal was struck to where I’d make 8% of my gross sales – paid 45 days after month ended to reverse the returns. One check per month – and no guarantee.

Fast forward a year and I’m the second best salesman (with regards to monthly sales and commissions) of the four – and earning $5,000+- a month in straight commissions. One day I’m giving a demonstration of an application. I was a little excited and thus louder than I should have been. After the customer had ordered a system from me and had left the store, Doug (who was a fairly reserved and quiet man) called me into his office and scolded me about being so loud. Also in the office was Steve Gallagher, who was the best salesman (with regards to knowledge, sales, and earnings), or more accurately the unofficial sales manager.

When Doug left, Steve asked to speak with me. Now Steve came from old money and was a Harvard MBA who liked to hang out at the Yacht Club and sip wine. He had always treated me as beer drinking trailer trash – so I figured he was going to really rub my nose in it. However, to my surprise he told me to ignore what Doug had just said, and to continue selling the way I sold. He felt like my excitement was effective with the prospects – and creating sales that a dry demonstration wouldn’t be able to close. Steve said that he’d wish he could exchange his product knowledge for my enthusiasm – as it he felt I was more effective.

In a moment, never to be repeated, Steve and I had a heart to heart talk about life. We talked of goals, and he told me that he had the ultimate goal of hitting $100,000 a year in earnings. I was flabbergasted (and I guess naïve) and told him that no one makes that kind of money. He responded that people do indeed make that kind of money and I could too, if I wanted it bad enough to plan for it.

Putting it Together:
In this same period of time – perhaps even the same week – the second half of the formula required to encourage me to “Aim High” occurred. I was a Viet Nam Era Veteran going to the local community college at night on the GI Bill plan that was specific to Viet Nam Era vets. At the time, the plan would have the VA send us $377 a month to go to college full time. We’d have to pay our tuition and books out of that – but it still left plenty, more than a part-time job. Most colleges then had a “wink-wink” system where they’d split each class with a break – but it wouldn’t be in the middle or the class. The instructor would take roll call and then immediately call for the break. Ten minutes later you would notice that the class was missing all of its Vets.

I was pretty serious about trying to climb out of the poverty I’d grown up in – and took these classes pretty serious. At the same time that Steve had convinced me that I should also have the goal of $100,000 a year – I had a business professor by the name of Dr. Canale. Dr. Canale had been a self-made success as a businessman, and now into his 70s wanted to give back by teaching others. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone sharper than Dr. Canale. One day he pulls me aside and tells me that he respects the fact that unlike the other Vets -- I was taking his class serious. He was pretty irritated that good seats were being taken for only 10 minutes a class in this sham. I responded with saying that I had big goals – and that one was to hit $100,000 a year in earnings. Dr. Canale claimed to be impressed with my goals and enthusiasm, and suggested four books to read that would help. Those books were Dress for Success, Up the Organization, In Search of Excellence, and the One Minute Manager. All of these books were then required reading for a Business Degree.

Those books were a great help in both learning techniques that would pay off for me, while also pumping me up to use those techniques. Much of what I learned from those books, and a few other books, I try to condense in this book – but please read them also. In the book, In Search of Excellence, I learned quite a bit about goals and “Aiming High”. You will find more detail on that topic elsewhere in this book, however there’s one more point that is related to this topic – and that is about people who will never aim high with goals and formulating a plan to achieve those goals.

On the section in this book about setting goals, you will learn that I believe that you should always have three goals. They are an Immediate Goal, a Mid-Range Goal, and a Long-Range Goal. These goals are moving targets and can be related to wealth, family, happiness, health or other achievements – and again, this is explained in more detail elsewhere in the book.

Anyway, shortly after studying the concepts of goals – I set my three. My best friend then and now still, is Lou. Lou and I are as different as night and day – but as close as brothers. While I live to work – he works to live. He is a smart man who prepares tax returns. Three months a year he busts his ass, while nine months a year he kicks back. Lou doesn’t require much money to live on or be happy with – so this all works well for him. Anyway, I made the mistake of once telling Lou that I had the goal of making $100,000 a year in earnings – and I thought he was going to die laughing at me. I’m actually glad he did, as it pushed me all the more to hit my goal. Once I saw the concept of three goals worked – I’ve never looked back.

There is a topic in this book about Nepotism – and reading it will give you an understanding of how I feel about that situation. Anyway, I love my father, but he’s never exactly been what you’d call a financial success. I have three younger brothers, three younger sisters, and an older foster brother. We grew up in sheer poverty, and I hated every moment of it and the ridicule we received. We were not in poverty because my father was lazy – as he often worked 18 hours a day 7 days a week. The problem was that he never aimed high or had a plan – and those three jobs at any one time paid slightly better than minimum wage.

About 1984, I was back at the collection agency with my brother and another partner. We were hustling pretty hard and things were starting to happen. Along the way I hired my father as sort of a combination salesman for the smaller clients and gofer, as he was having employment problems. He stayed at that job for about a dozen years – until he retired.

One day my father mentions that his mind reels over hearing conversations my brother and I have – speaking of money (collected and remitted to clients) in the hundreds of thousands. Further in the conversation, I mentioned something to the effect that 6-digits are really nothing, because I have a Mid-Range Goal of a net worth of a million dollars. He starts to beam of pride for the goal (much like when your four-year-old son tells you he’ll be an astronaut) – then proceeds to tell me that my goal is most likely too lofty – and something to the effect that he’d hate to see me set myself up for disappointment when I don’t hit it.

Point here is to not let anyone’s comments affect your “Aiming High”. Most people don’t aim high – and hopefully you want something a little better. I think my father was the last person I divulged one of my three goals to. While I feel like my track record would have more people as believers instead of doubters now – why bother involving others with your goals.

Now having those goals without putting together and acting on a reasonable plan to achieve those goals, will just make you a dreamer. I once had a brother-in-law who was a dreamer. He felt by just having the dream and saying it over and over – it would come true, as if magic Genie was going to grant it to him. He did nothing about his dreams – and 20 years later he is unemployed and has something like seven kids with five different wives – and pays no child support. I’m very thankful my sister saw through him within a year of marrying him – and spared herself and son.

In a nutshell, “Aim High” and then put together reasonable plans for hitting those goals. Components to putting together that plan are found in the other topics all through this book. A good plan uses what you’ve learned from all of those topics – plus has some flexibility to make adjustments.