Getting Unstuck, by Doug Grady
October 9, 2011 by Doug · Leave a Comment
Getting Unstuck, by Doug Grady
“Poker is a fascinating, wonderful, intricate adventure on the high seas of human nature.” -David A. Daniel
I started playing poker in California in 2004. Some friends of mine started a poker league where I played consistently and learned the game. Eventually I played tournaments and cash games on a regular basis, sometimes at fairly high stakes.
Poker is a game of decisions. In a perfect world, good decisions would always lead to winning and bad decisions would always lead to losing. In reality, because of the element of chance in poker, bad decisions can be rewarded and good decisions can cost you. It is not uncommon to see a very good player lose significant amounts of money in the short run.
Here are a couple of poker terms new players tend to learn very quickly:
stuck (adjective): Losing, usually in a particularly frustrating way, or for a lot of money. -playwinningpoker.com
on tilt (adjective): Upset or frustrated to an extent that causes poor decision making during game play. -pokerzone.com
Whether or not you play poker, I am guessing you have been stuck at one time or another. Being stuck can take the form of a financial setback, a sales slump, a relationship that is not working, or a habit you need to let go of. Getting stuck can be the result of bad decisions, bad luck or a combination of the two. Here lies one of the major challenges in poker and in life. Losing, particularly while making good decisions, can lead a person to make bad decisions (go on tilt). This often compounds the problem, increasing losses exponentially. It goes something like this:
decisions (good or bad)--> bad outcome (stuck) --> tilt--> bad decisions--> worse outcome (more stuck)
“I guess if luck weren't involved I'd win every time." -Phil Hellmuth
In poker, as in life…
- Bad decisions are often punished.
- Good decisions are not always rewarded and can lead to significant losses in the short run.
- Bad decisions + bad luck = stuck.
- Good decisions + bad luck = stuck.
- Being stuck can lead to more bad decisions.
Here are some thoughts on getting unstuck and staying off tilt.
"The deadly sin is to mistake bad play for bad luck." -Ian Fleming
1. Accurate analysis of your strategy is the first step to getting unstuck. Evaluate yourself. Are you stuck because of:
- Bad luck?
- Bad decisions/strategy?
- Combination of both?
Seek the counsel of people you respect to help you with your analysis. Consider hiring a coach.
2. Take yourself out of the picture. One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard in poker was to play as if you had the best player you know looking over your shoulder helping you. When it comes to the critical decisions in your business and in your life, this strategy is available to you at any time.
3. When it comes to bad luck, have a short term memory. Focus on the decision, not the outcome.
4. With regard to decisions, think long term. In poker, as in life, if you continue to make good decisions for long enough, you will win.
Please, leave a comment- I really want to hear from you.
Sales Instinct, by Doug Grady
Sales Instinct, by Doug Grady
From time to time I have found myself watching ESPN’s coverage of the World Series of Poker. It provides an interesting look into human nature. Statistically, roughly 12 million Americans play poker, but only 5% are consistently profitable. Some of these 5% make hundreds of thousands of dollars every year and all they do is play poker. The winner of the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event… $12 million dollars in approximately six and a half days. Now, those of you who understand the game of poker, you know where that money comes from. That’s right, it comes from the losers!
You have to wonder- what are the winners doing that the losers aren’t doing? That’s a great question for your business isn’t it? What does the top 5% of your industry do that the other 95% does not do? If you do what the top 5% does, you too will be successful. The best poker players have what is referred to as “poker instinct”. Poker instinct is the ability to read people and situations; to pick up on verbal and non-verbal hints and clues; to understand basic personality styles, to anticipate tendencies. Based on this read they make better decisions, in other words they alter their communication, and in the long run, if their read is accurate, they make more money. Doyle Brunson, considered to the “Godfather of Poker,” once said, “Being able to read people, understand people, is as important as the mathematical knowledge necessary to weigh pot odds and figure out betting strategy. Poker is a game of people, not cards, and you have to be able to understand and know people.” Reread that last sentence and replace the word “poker” with “sales”, “communication” or “leadership”. Replace “cards” with “services”, “products”, “prices”, “numbers”, or “features.”
In sales, in communication, and in leadership we have instincts. They are very similar to poker instincts. They are your ability to read people and situations, to understand human behavior, to pick up on verbal and non-verbal hints and clues. Based on an effective read you can make better decisions, in other words you can alter your communication. You can become more appropriate, relevant, and specific to the situation and the person you are working with. If your read is on, your communication will be on and in the long run you will make sales you previously would have missed. Let’s start with a basic premise- it’s not about you. There is only one entity which ultimately determines whether or not a sale is made or a commitment is reached and it is not you. It is your potential customer. The speed and manner in which different customers go through these steps varies based on many factors: personality, external influences, culture, even mood of the day. Based on an accurate read you will make better decisions, you will alter your communication and ultimately achieve more sales, more results in a shorter period of time. Here are a few simple strategies to improve your read:
- Do your homework- the simple task of “googling” your prospect before you approach can give you invaluable insight into who they are and what they are all about.
- Become a student of human behavior- study basic personality types and how they communicate.
- Become more flexible in your communication. Try mimicking the voices you hear on the radio and the actors you see on TV and in the movies.
- Ask better questions and become a great listener. Most of us can dramatically improve our listening ability. Be interested not interesting.
- After every presentation ask yourself 2 questions: “What did I do right?” and “What could I have done differently?”
- Get coaching. Find someone you trust and share with this person a challenging communication situation for feedback. Better yet, record a live presentation with a live prospect and watch it with your coach. This can be as enlightening as it is uncomfortable.
Develop your sales instincts, improve your reads, make more sales…
Recommended High Achievers Network programs: Brinkman, Grady, Reaves, Hutson, Weldon, Gundrum
