If You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail!
Planning is a very important and easily learned technology. It has often been said that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So true. But a real plan (and I define a good plan as one that gets done,) is not a list of to-do items. It is the creation of your future.
“THE SUCCESS OF ANY EVENT IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE TIMELY PREPARATION.”1
Excerpt from The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale, Chapter 11, PREPARATION, Page 51
1 Hubbard, policy letter "Too Little Too Late"
Do You Have Your Admin Scale?
Sales Gold: Converting Want into Demand, Part II
It’s not what they say, it’s how they feel. A common sales error which leaves fails to escalate from want to demand is misinterpreting the reason given for the real reason for your product or service.
Prospect: “The equipment keeps breaking down; I need something dependable. Salesperson: “Oh, our product is very high quality and never needs repair.” This is “sales noise” and omits probing. What equipment does he have? (vital to know not only in the sales process but for competition intelligence also). Hmmmm…good brand…should not be breaking down. More probing needed. (I never take the first thing the prospect offers as the buying signal or real reason of the need until I dig in and get an emotional reaction: a smile, a realization, a comment that is not in the level of boredom).
“How complicated is it to run the equipment? ” I ask. “How well-trained are your technicians in the operating of the equipment?” “Oh”, he says, their product works great when it is working but like I said, it breaks down….but hey, wait…their training manual is very complicated and it is extremely complicated to operate the equipment too, now that I think of it.” Sales Gold response: “We spent years and a fortune on research and development to ensure that our product was simple to use and easy to train the operators. Let me show you what I mean…..etc. etc.”
Arte Rule: Don’t mistake a comment for the real reason. It is something you DISCOVER. New to you, and ideally new to the prospect.
Do You Have Your Admin Scale?
Sales Gold: Converting Want into Demand, Part I
If you discover a need (and surely you must), you have improved your chances for a sale. But the real Gold is having discovered a need that the client did not previously know he had—and that creates demand.
How is that done? By not falling short on probing. Biggest error: find a need, try to sell it. But is that really the greatest need? Often not.
Arte Rule: Find the REAL need and turn the want into Demand!
Do You Have Your Admin Scale?
What is the Basic Test of All Administrative Solutions?
“There are right ways to handle a group. This is the single fact which most often escapes people attempting to handle groups.
“Also, for every correct solution there can be infinity of wrong solutions. The right way is a narrow trail but strong. The wrong ways are broad but all lead into a bog. This is the basic test of all administrative solutions. DID THEY WORK?”1
1 Hubbard, Organization Executive Course
Do You Have Your Admin Scale?
Goals Are a Luxury Earned Through Production
“While goals are vital, it is so much harder (and less efficient) to judge effectiveness by a person’s verbalized or even written goals than by what that person actually produces. One doesn’t often hear, “Boy, he sure can turn out a good goal.” In fact, too often goals are used as a substitute or excuse for production. Something has to come out the end of the conveyor belt of production and it shouldn’t be good intentions alone.
“Successful people do have very pro-survival goals and purposes. You can see the products of such people around you. But if good intentions actually exist, then they should manifest as valuable final products.”
The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale
Chapter 4, VALUABLE FINAL PRODUCTS, Page 17
Ask Arte: A Question and Answer Period with Arte Maren
Question: When presenting my product or service in the sales process how can I best judge the prospect’s interest level?
Arte Answer: Judging interest level is a step that is done AFTER rapport (a connection would be another way to express it) has been established (without which actual interest could be submerged due to lack of affinity). In the Hubbard management system we refer to it as a “communication line” meaning there is a palpable connection from salesperson to prospect.
There are several steps to be considered BEFORE one is concerned about interest level. In fact, the interest level is CREATED by these earlier steps.
Having established a “comm line”, one must then determine, discover, and remove any barriers which are present due to prior poor experience with your or similar product or service.
Note well: You cannot get a valid interest level in your product or service if the actual/real interest potential is suppressed by a prior negative of some nature (which could be personal experience or negative word of mouth or rumor).
Having cleared the barriers, you may THEN begin to judge interest by determining WHY they might want the product or service AND to what degree. This probing section is where you are interested, not interesting. What is the prospect trying to handle or why do they feel they need your product? And, knowing what your product or service DOES handle, and handles well, search for their needs. How? By KNOWING the “ideal” for their area/industry/product or service within which they deliver. What would it look like if it was operating optimally (see chapter 22 “The Ideal Scene” in my book “The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale” at www.adminscale.net).
When comparing your concept of the optimal condition for the prospects company or activity, you can then determine the area or areas most likely in need of your product as the comparison will reveal a departure from that optimal condition. You will then be able to more easily perceive a potential need and explore it for prospect reaction. And if it is proving fruitful, pursue it deeper with further questioning in the area. The rule here: Possible area of need? Dig Deeper.
Here’s an example of a huge amateur mistake: Prospect tells you they need the product or service because they are “not very good at explaining the product” and the salesperson then proceeds to explain how their product or service totally handles that and here is why…blah, blah, blah. When, in fact, through digging deeper for exactly WHAT troubles they have in “explaining the product” you may well discover that they have very poor communication skills as the real difficulty. Another possibility is they, in fact, don’t think the product or service is actually that valuable (real event in my sales career more than once). And there can be other possibilities such as they do know how to present but someone in their environment is invalidating their abilities.
So, how do you know if your prospect has interest? By determining, through the 3 steps indicated above, the most important reason for their purchasing your product or service—from their viewpoint—and THEN explaining why and how your product or service handles THAT.
When you provide the solution to a problem that the prospect knows he has but has not been able to handle, you are in positive buying attitude on the part of the prospect. When you discover A NEED THAT THE PROSPECT DID NOT KNOW THAT THEY HAD, WHICH IS CONTRIBUTING T,O OR ACTUALLY CAUSING THE UNDERLYING SITUATION WHICH THEY ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT, you are Golden. Done Deal. Wrap it up and take the order.
What about the “Close?” Oh, that? That comes NATURALLY and effortlessly when having done the above. It is simply Natural Law.
Arte Maren has 40 years experience in sales and administration and is the author of The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale. For more information: www.adminscale.net He can also be reached at artemaren@gmail.com.
Copyright © ArteMaren, 2012. All Rights Reserved.
Do You Have Your Admin Scale? www.adminscale.net
Providing Superlative Service
A positive attitude on sales is important too.
Selling has a bad reputation. It’s come to mean, in some cases, “forcing something on someone that they don’t want and can’t afford.” That’s not selling. Selling has been a major force in the creation of American society. It’s been a vital link between the producer and the consumer. And the derivation of the word “sell” comes from an old English word sellen, which means “to get, deliver.” It’s the ability to place your product into the hands of the consumer on a rapid basis.
The whole cycle of a product and exchange can be viewed in relation to communication.
Excerpt from The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale, Chapter 7 Superlative Service, Page 32.
The Natural Laws of Management: Delegate Does Not Mean Dump
It is supremely important that the executive concentrates on those activities that only he or she can do from his or her vantage point.
The effective action to ensure this occurrence on 
any regular basis is often short-circuited, made expedient. Functions that indeed do belong outside of the executive office, more profitably done elsewhere, are not formally delegated but unceremoniously dumped.
A “function dump” might well be defined as: passing off a function to another without having insured by direct observation or other means that the individual receiving the function not only fully understands its purpose and value, but in fact has demonstrated his or her ability to actually accomplish the function.
But, you say, “this takes time. It is so much easier to simply dump it”. I’m reminded of the old saying, “You can pay me now or you can pay me later”. You are going to put in the delegation training time and it is best to do it before you start, rather than after you have begun delegating–only to find that it is necessary to redo much of what you have passed on.
An executive conundrum to consider— why is it we never have the time to do it right, but we always find the time to do it over?
Arte Maren, Author of The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale
Pat Clouden Remarks on The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale
Pat is CEO of Consumer Energy Solutions, one of the top energy sales companies in the USA. He talks about how he has found the book The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale an invaluable tool.
How Does Selling Relate to Exchange?
Although the book is all about management alignment technology, I have provided quite a bit of information on the subject of sales (since I am celebrating my 50th year since my first sales experience-and I have been selling ever since). This excerpt is the start of the viewpoint that selling has gotten a bad reputation due to the fact that it is not observed or perceived even by the salesperson as a win-win affair. And it is….and the sale is made, to the degree that it is. (Those who go out exchange with their customer, soon no longer are in the sales industry as it becomes less and less “fun” (yes, providing a needed item or service is FUN) and more laborious (can I hear “Death of a Salesman” anyone?).
“Selling has a bad reputation. It’s come to mean, in some cases, “forcing something on someone that they don’t want and can’t afford.” That’s not selling. Selling has been a major force in the creation of American society. It’s been a vital link between the producer and the consumer. And the derivation of the word “sell” comes from an old English word sellen, which means “to get, deliver.” It’s the ability to place your product into the hands of the consumer on a rapid basis.
Excerpt from The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale, Chapter 7, Page 32
Chapter 2, Natural Law: About Standard Administration
Standard administration is a collection of truths. An excellent working definition for truth is “that which works. And that which works most broadly to that which it is applied.”7
If what you are using is not working, it is relatively untrue. Policies and procedures are the basic truths or guiding principles. Company and personal stability depends upon having such written “laws” available and known to all concerned.
The continuance of an organization and its leaders can be said to be entirely dependent upon the skill, training and integrity of those who handle the administrative lines, details and contacts of the group.
“THE BEST GUARANTEE OF STABILITY IS ADMINISTRATIVE SKILL.”8
7 “Truth” (definition), Hubbard, Modern Management Technology Defined.
8 Hubbard, “Stability,” Policy Letter of 20 September 1969, Organization Executive Course.
The Administrative Scale of Importance, Chapter 1
“The Admin Scale is used by executives in small businesses, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, by artists, homemakers and athletes. In fact, a U.S. government study utilized this tool to plan the water sanitation system of a developing country.
“The Admin Scale is vital technology for greater productivity, better coordination and achieving group agreement.”
Shaun Kirk Testimonial on His Success Using The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale
Shaun Kirk, Co-Founder and President of Measurable Solutions, talks about his success using the book The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale, by Arte Maren.
Click HERE to go to The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale YouTube Channel.
Success and Valuable Final Products
“Successful people do have very pro-survival goals and purposes. You can see the products of such people around you. But if good intentions actually exist, then they should manifest as valuable final products.”
Excerpt from The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale, Chapter 4: VALUABLE FINAL PRODUCTS
The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale, Chapter 3, SOLUTIONS
This demand for any solution “right now,” regardless of workability, comes about from what L. Ron Hubbard identified as ‘Answer Hunger’:
“An unfinished cycle of communication generates what might be called ‘answer hunger.’ When an individual has, for a very long period of time, consistently waited for answers which did not arrive–any sort of answer, from anywhere, will be pulled in to him, by him, as an effort to remedy his scarcity for answers.”1
In fact, Mr. Hubbard isolated this ‘answer hunger’ phenomenon as the cause of rumor, in The Law of the Omitted Data:
“WHERE THERE IS NO DATA AVAILABLE, PEOPLE WILL INVENT IT.“2
1 HUBBARD, “Communication”, chapter of Dianetics 55, page 107.
2 HUBBARD, “How to Handle Black Propaganda”, Policy Letter of 21 November 1972, Public Relations Series 18, Organization Executive Course.
Common Question: What is the Difference Between a Goal and a Purpose?
Look at it this way: The road is Purpose, leading towards a Goal.
As L. Ron Hubbard points out, a Goal is “the prime intention”, and a Purpose is “The survival route chosen by an individual, a species, or a unit of matter or energy in the accomplishment of its goal.”
Purpose is how you have chosen to accomplish the goal. The goal is the ultimate destination, with the purpose being the road you have taken to accomplish the arrival.
For instance, some have the goal of “Improving the health of people so that they experience a better quality of life”, and there are many methods and “roads” to accomplish this: Nutritionist, Chiropractor, Counselor, etc.
When determining a purpose or goal with a client, I will often ask, ”So if that is accomplished or done, what do you then have?” If I can go no further without getting into the ludicrous or way far out, I know that I have a goal in hand.
If you take the above as an example, a step up from “Improving the health of people so that they experience a higher or better quality of life”, would lead us to nowhere. But, if the goal had been stated as “Providing effective nutrition data to clients”, it would easily yield to the next step up: ”Better quality of life”.
This, therefore, indicates that “Providing effective nutrition data to clients” is not a goal, but a purpose, leading to a higher purpose, so to speak.
Happy Trails.
A Message from Patrick Valtin, International Speaker and Trainer
Patrick V. Valtin, International speaker, trainer, entrepreneur and author of New Era Selling: How to Win Bigger Sales in Saturated, Overly Competitive Markets
A Note from Joy Gendusa, Award-Winning Marketing Executive
“This book is phenomenal! I hate to brag…but I have such a wonderful life and it is ALIGNED! And the data in your book IS the data I applied to have the great life I have–in my business, my marriage, as a parent and just as me–having time to do what I enjoy. I know this is rough for folks–juggling all the different aspects of life and making it all work, so I hope a ton of people buy, read and apply what you have written in The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale.”
Joy Gendusa, Founder/CEO, Postcardmania
What Are “Natural Laws”?
“The Natural Laws of Management: The Admin Scale”
Chapter 2 “NATURAL LAW” – Page 9
“Basic administrative truths exist. We could call such truths ‘natural laws’. If one knows the laws, one has an advantage. The ancient samurai warrior believed that by knowing one thing, you could know many things. The one thing to know is the law.
“If you find that there is a non-optimum business or life situation, then there must be a violation of some law. So what do you do? You look up the law, you review the law and then you apply the correct solution and handle the situation, standardly.
“IF ONE KNOWS THE TECH OF HOW TO DO SOMETHING AND CAN DO IT, AND USES IT, HE CANNOT BE THE ADVERSE EFFECT OF IT.”
L. Ron Hubbard, “Your Post and Life”, Policy Letter of 30 January 1983, Organization Executive Course
