Sunday, October 27, 2013
WEEK SEVEN WRITING ABOUT WHAT YOU READ
As you went through the Gladwell reading this week, who stood out in your mind as a Connector, Maven, or Salesman? This person might be someone you see on tv or someone you live near. It may be your best friend, or it may be your sister. Describe the person and elaborate on what makes that person either a Connector, Maven, or Salesman. (It is entirely up to you whether or not you name the person)
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I don't believe I know any Connectors or Mavens. If I do, I don't know that I know them. I do know one Salesman, though, who also happens to be working as a top-selling retail sales consultant at a large cell phone corporation. Sorry in advance for some long and semi-incoherent thoughts and stories used to describe his personality. I don't know any other way to do so. We'll go ahead and call this person Rudy.
ReplyDeleteRudy has an infectious laugh, an irresistible charm, and energy and enthusiasm for days. He jumps right in to everything with an air of positivity (yes, positivity) and confidence that I don't believe I'll ever achieve in my lifetime. He makes jokes that actually kind of insult his customers, but he says them in such a way that the customers end up laughing hysterically at themselves and take no offense. I remember one time he told this story about a girl that came in and wanted to get a replacement cell phone because hers had stopped working. She didn't know what had happened to cause her cell phone to stop working, and she was not technologically competent whatsoever. Rudy took a look at the phone for her and told her that he was sorry and that her insurance would not cover lava damage. He asked her if she had been to the beach lately, and when she responded yes, he told her her phone had come into contact with lava and it could not be covered under her cell phone insurance. After being completely gullible and believing him for a good few minutes, she finally realized he was messing with her for not knowing anything about the inner workings of cell phone technology. Instead of being angry and irritated with him, she laughed hysterically and later called his store and gave his store manager a glowing compliment regarding his amazing employee, Rudy. (This is how simultaneously ridiculous and charming he can be)
Rudy and I have also recently done some photography work together. We had both previously worked separately, but now we realize it's a lot easier to do wedding work together than it is alone. Rudy is an absolute riot to work with. The way he treats clients like they are his best friends is amazing. One moment he is professional and the next he is purposely making an ass out of himself (elaborately diving into bushes trying to get the perfect shot) to get the subjects we are shooting to double over with laughter. He not only captures these people's moments and records them, but he creates this indelible memory of himself in these people's memories of their special day, also. When they think about their special day, they can't not think about him, also.
Another story I remember Rudy telling me was about when he was determined to get a job with a water company. He would drop off the exact same resume at the main office every Friday for about two months in a row. The employees at the front would always say, "We'll let you know if we have any openings, but we're not hiring right now..." He would always respond, "See you next Friday!" with this beaming smile. He ended up getting the job almost two weeks later with absolutely no competition for it.
All in all, Rudy is amazing at selling himself. People end up being trapped in this infectious illusion that he creates, and they imagine that they are purchasing a part of Rudy along with the product or service that he is selling to them. He is this enigma that I can't quite define, but he definitely falls into the category of a Salesman.
Rudy sounds like an awesome guy. If I ever am in need of a wedding photographer, I will definitely try to get in touch with you guys. I also love the story about Rudy dropping off his resume and eventually getting the job. Thanks for sharing, Alexa.
DeleteI believe 'John" is a connector because he is known in several cities as a person that gets things done. If you have a problem he can fix it or knows a person that can get it done. He has connections in the music industry. Musically he is familiar with the artist, the writer, and the public relations part. On the business side, he has personal experience with the publication of the CMA awards program booklet that is distributed to the people that attend the event.
ReplyDeleteJohn has many life experience: from being in the military during the Vietnam war, owning a printing business, working in the construction industry in all capacities, to living the beach life and teaching paddle boarding.
He is eager to help for the sake of helping others. He is a good example of health and fitness, having a good work ethic, and of being a genuine 'safe' person. You can believe him and he is not trying to cheat anyone. His influence spans geography, economic, and many other barriers.
I cannot think of any "connectors" or "mavens," but, I can think of someone I know who is a "salesman." I believe that my friend Jose is a great salesman. Jose is a big time salesman at a retail store selling supplements and all health items to better your life, and better your workouts is you are a n individual who goes to the gym. I worked with Jose before and he has been doing this so long that it comes so natural to him the second someone walks into the store. His knowledge on all of the product is mind-blowing and will take your breath away. He knows exactly what anyone needs, depending on what they are trying to better, whether they want to start taking vitamins, to whether they want to gain size while lifting weights as well. Jose is such a vibrant individual who is not afraid to seek out customers, and has this way of knowing exactly what the customer needs, and exactly what the customer wants! He has always been the "life of the party" you could call him, and knows exactly what he wants! I feel that being a "salesman," you must have the personality and be extremely outgoing! I look up to his way of being a "salesman" because he is so successful and is such a go-getter. The connections he is able to make with every customer and their lives makes me want to have those tools as well when working in retail sales. Jose has a personality a lot of people do not have, but wish they could have. I believe the key to being able to sell anything, is you must be able to sell yourself first. He does an amazing job at that.
ReplyDeleteI would like to say that my boss, "Marcus", has a mixture of traits from both a connector and salesman. Having moved and resided in many different cities in California, he has built up a network of friends and associates. However, considering his past "lucrative prospects", whether or not these "connections" can be considered good people is up to speculation, as I can't exactly say that my boss has lived a clean cut life. That aside, whenever he told me stories about his past, he would often start out with "knowing a guy", who also happened to know another guy, and so on. On the salesman aspect, Marcus definitely embodies the spirit of somebody who's aim isn't to sell the product, but to "pitch the idea". Marcus uses quite a bit of body language in order to present himself as not just a salesperson, but somebody with credibility and product knowledge. Generally speaking, whenever he interacts with somebody on the sales floor, he doesn't take "I'm just looking" for an answer; he would then proceed to ask them what brands or styles that they are looking for, and then proceed to provide information on why this particular product shines high above the rest.
ReplyDeleteI would classify my uncle as connector because he is the person that everyone knows. We live in a small town, so unlike Bakersfield, all the people know who he is. My uncle is a very social person, anywhere he goes he finds someone he knows, or meets a new person and begins a conversation. He likes meeting different people and inviting them to his house to introduce him to family and more friends, and of course is always invited to reunions as well. Some people think his a bit weird but I would say he’s a very friendly guy. Because of all the people he knows, he has good connections to a variety of things like job offerings, and help with anything he might need. Everyone knows that if they ever need anything, he is the guy to go too.
ReplyDeleteThe person that stood out to me the most as a salesman is not really a salesman. One of my good friends is an incredible persuasive person. I think she has all the qualities to do so. She is a very charismatic, friendly, funny, sociable, and extremely energetic person. My friend is the type of girl that will talk to anyone, even if she doesn’t know him or her. I like how she’s always thinking of ways to help people in achieving what they want. She has a way of talking to people that is not intimidating by her loudness and energetic personality. From me being her friend, I can personally say that she has a way of persuading people to do things that they might not normally do. I think it’s a good thing because she encourages people to get out of their comfort zones by just talking to them. I’m sure that if she worked as a salesperson she would sale anything!
I know a Connector and a Salesman or saleswoman rather. The connector is my friend Donna. I swear that woman knows everyone and has the perfect job for her networking. She is a fundraiser for Relay for Life and she is also a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. This speaks volumes for her because she isn't even Hispanic. She is so charismatic and happy all the time. She has a way about her that when you speak with her, she can convince you of anything and to donate even your soul if you let her. Donna is the type of person that can connect you with whomever you like and gets things done. Everything about her is amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe Saleswoman is my own mother. She has worked in radio advertisement for the past 20 years. She has always been a top salesperson for the company she works for and at one point she even worked for a major TV network doing the same thing. I have watched her and can honestly say I am amazed at her talent. When she approaches her future clients she makes them feel so at ease and comfortable enough to let her make the decisions on what is best for the product that they have. She is driven and aggressive but in such a way that the person never feels pressured or pushed to do something that they are not comfortable with.
I am happy to say that I am surrounded by many women that are strong role models for their community and leaders. Having worked in advertising myself, I know that being informed at all times on what the “IT” product is and when to push it so that the client reaps the benefits are a huge plus.
I would have to say that I definitely know someone who is a good mixture between a maven and a salesman. This person who I would name "Josh" is very much knowledgeable in so many realms of retail whether it be beauty to style to coffee. When he is talking to customers he can instantly make connections and sell them exactly what they are looking for even if they did not know it themselves. There has been several times where he would be selling coffee or mugs, and the conversation would then jump to makeup and how they should look into certain products or a new way to applying their makeup, what they need to buy next, and instantly convince the consumers that they need to buy it now, that it is something that they truly need in their life. It is amazing to see his enthusiasm in selling products and helping out the consumers in any field of retail. This definitely takes skill as I have tried his same approach and it does not work the same for me. He is incredibly trustworthy and relatable which I think consumers find appealing.
ReplyDeleteSomeone who I know that is a “salesman” would be Alex I believe he is great salesman, he is a car sales man at an auto dealer. When I was in search for a new car I went to almost every dealer in town and some sales man were not to motivated to be liking their job or to sell a car. But once I went into the dealership where Alex works he suddenly approached my mother and I he introduced himself, asked what kind of car we were looking for and what price range. He took his time to show us every car and he explained detail by detail of every car. He was very nice and generous and you could tell that he had personality and that he enjoys his job. What I liked about Alex was that he didn’t pressured you to buy just any car he made sure to find what you are looking for and to keeps his clients satisfied. His attitude and his passion for his job is what make him a great person. I was very impressed by Alex because he knows a little too much about cars and other salesman don’t know much they have to be asking other co workers for questions but not Alex.
ReplyDeleteI know one person who is a connector and it is my friend John. John can make friends with anyone. Ont time John and I went to the mall and about every two minutes he stopped to say hello to someone he knew. John is a very friendly person who is not shy about starting a conversation with a complete stranger. I am a bit of a maven. Whenever I make a big purchase I do a lot of research. I always attempt to be well informed before going to the store. I seek out stored ads before they are released so I know which store is having a good sale. Before my parents bought a new television I researched the advantages and disadvantages of the different technology. In the end I was able to find a great television in their price range. I do not know any sales men or saleswoman. I can not think of anyone in my life who can talk me into buying something.
ReplyDeleteI believe that I am a connector. After thinking about it for a little bit I realized how many different people I known and how many different connections I have brought to people. After being stuck with a particular set group of friends during the first part of my life, I grew away from them for reasons mentioned in my blog and began a new path of meeting as many new people as I could and having an infinite amount of friends. Since I have started this way of life, I have been called a matchmaker as I have brought many couples together just by saying “hey I have a friend that I thing you would really like.” I quite enjoy associating with a great number of people, however my girlfriend thinks it’s a bit much to keep up with all the different friends I have, as I am always getting invited to different events and get togethers. I cannot say that I know any Mavens except for maybe my aunt who is always trying to find the best deal and always alerting the family of deals and sales. However she does not possess the trait of having to gain a constant knowledge like the book says a Maven does. I have not met many Salesmen either, however I recently had an internship at an insurance company and spent some time with an older insurance broker, who I believe was a real Salesman, in the nature of his job and in the meaning of how the book describes a Salesmen. I remember talking to him for hours at a time and afterward looking at things differently, for the point of view that he had, they he somehow stuck into my mind. I once spoke with him for over an hour as he attempted to persuade me to be an insurance broker. Before the conversation I had no interest at all in being an insurance broker, I felt it was a risky job based on commissions that would be highly stressful. However, after the speaking with him I was sold. I had a totally different perspective on becoming an insurance broker, and actually wanted to do it. I remember going home and telling my girlfriend, “I think I want to be an insurance broker.” She was in shock after hearing me speak so negatively toward the subject before. However somehow this man was able to persuade me and go against what I first believed. Afterward, while thinking about the conversation I could not help but keep saying, “wow he really sold me.” Just the way he spoke with such enthusiasm blew me away. I honestly believe that this man could persuade anyone into changing something they once believed into a different belief.
ReplyDeleteI think the person that stood out is my husband as a connector. He has a great personality who anyone can get along with. In his line of work he travels a lot and gets to know many different people. With his type of personality he is definitely considered a ‘people person’. He has the ability to be able to meet someone and just talk to them as though he has known them for a long time. It’s incredible really how he is great with others. He reaches out to others, helps anyone he can, would drop a task to help someone out or just be there as a shoulder. He is kind and respectful. When I go to a place with him I notice that everywhere we go there is always someone he says hi to or stops them and has a short conversation. I think he got that from his dad. His dad is also considered a connector. When you talk to his dad it is almost hard to just say hello and walk away. It usually always ends up in a 15-20 minute conversation that starts with one subject and ends with another. When we know we need to go over to his dads house we always make a plan to walk in and try to sneak in and sneak out if we can because we know if he starts to talk we won’t be leaving for a long time. One subject always leads to another. He is also one that can get along with just about anyone and has such a great personality.
ReplyDeleteThe person I thought of when reading each of these categories was an old co-worker, who I still talk to and consider a friend. His name is Junior Dadivas. Now, we don't spend much time, and it's been a long time, past 5 years seen we have seen each other face to face, but he is someone I would consider a connector. He is from Guam and knew many people while living there most of his life. He knew people on the streets to millionare's with the black american express card. On top of that he had many friends in Japan and frequented there on a yearly basis and the Phlilipines. He is what I call a people person. He has worked for various companies, and each one led him to someone else. He became close with the VP of a large wine company while we worked together at a hotel, and with his background of being a wine enthusiast, he was able to stretch more connections up and down california, always traveling and selling. He now works for Halliburton. His range of people are so vast, yet, he is able to keep himself in the middle. I cannot distinctively classify him as a certain type or favors a specific type of person. One minute he is talking to a stranger, next he will have their number and contact info. He just seems like a person with a huge black book, if so to say. The other person I thought of was an economic professor from BC. He was a Maven to me. Knew when and what to buy ahead of time. Thanks to him, I bought a TV for about 1650 including tax versus 2299 plus tax all thanks to him and his expertise of looking at the market, and seasons, and whats happening. I was a little off put and almost bought my tv, even with a 100 discount, but I waited and when he said the time was about right within the next week or so, i went to circuit city within that week and sure enough the tv I wanted was waaay cheap, and bought it. Then as he said, in a certain time frame it had bounced back up. All thanks to knowing the market and seeing a trend.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend that I work with that I will call "Darcy". She is definitely a connector, everywhere we go she knows someone. From day one at my job, she approached me and struck up a conversation. She is very smart and articulate in the way she speaks. If I have any issues or needs, she knows someone to ask for more information. We went out to eat recently at Luigi's, downtown, and an older man came up to say hi. She later told us that she only knows him from the waiting room in the Chiropractors office. He had told her his life story in the few times she had seen him there. Everywhere we go together, there seems to be some random person she knows from anywhere she has been. I had a medical issue and she introduced me to a person that had been through the same thing. She finds a way to connect with anyone and I find that to be a great personality trait.
ReplyDelete"Darcy" sounds really cool, Nycole. Connectors are cool for shy people (like me) because they introduce themselves to everyone. They go out of their way to make friends. Nice post.
DeleteThis is kind of funny because I see myself in all three because as the connector I know a lot of people and I am not shy to get to know anyone, I am outgoing, great sense of humor and personality. I get along with about anyone. As for the salesman, I do work at a shoe store, so I can relate to Hush Puppies there are actually a few pairs I want online that I shop from, but when helping customers at work I can sell, sell, sell. So I know what it takes to be a salesman when it comes to numbers. In addition, I know fashion very well so I know a lot of brands and I am very upfront about things when it comes to being opinionated and if it fits well, how to style, what to accessorize etc. As for being a maven, I love to learn new facts, aspects on life, anything that I can expand my knowledge I love to tell other people because there is no point of not learning, if you cannot share right?
ReplyDeleteBut if I had to choose between friends and family or people I just know then I would say that...My friend Paige would be a Maven because she is very smart, knowledgable, and very patient when it comes to helping others who do not understand a concept. In addition, she is also becoming a special ed teacher. So this is why I chose her. As for the connector, I have my friend Scott who know a lot of people and has taught me a lot about life. He has told me repetitive, it's not about what you know, it's about WHO you know. And I find that very interesting because when I got offered certain jobs, I told him about it and he told me I that he could help me get in, especially with becoming a flight attendant because he knew people. In addition, he is also self employed so that also helps in his advantage. Now for the salesman, I thought about this very long but I found one person who I know very well...and this person is also self employed but I could not have chosen anyone better than my friend Todd who has sold stuff to Katy Perry, Hugh Jackman, and a few other celebrities. Also selling to a lot of other clients out of town and in town. I have learned a lot from him as well because he has told me before that you do not need a business degree to start a business and that you have to be determined to do what you love. Which I found very interesting because I do want to start a swim line before I start my clothing company. So this wraps it all up, for who I chose to be the connector, maven and salesman. Hope you all enjoyed.
I know a salesman who is a realtor agent. She helped one of my relatives buy a house. She was very good at what she did and she had back to back awards in her office to prove it. She was very good at getting things done quickly and accurately. She worked hard to provide buyers all the information they needed and explaining the complexities of home buying. She was especially good and making sure my relative understood the documents she was signing. She also made sure that my relative would be getting the best deal for the home. She represented my relative while dealing with the lender, the builder and anyone else involved to make sure that the the home was built correctly and for the price my relative wanted. This realtor made my relative very comfortable and excited about buying a home. She was also very kind and charismatic. She really made you feel that she was looking out for your best interest.
ReplyDeleteThere’s only one person that came to mind as I went through the assigned readings: my friend Bassam. He relates closely with connector, being that he interacts with people easily and has a great sense of humor/personality.
ReplyDeleteBassam also relates to salemen because he can sale you your own shoes. Ha ha.
Bassam and I will soon be on the same team with an investment group here in Kern County. He started off in sales, then real estate, and then worked his way up to investments.
While Bassam was a real estate agent, he was in the process of selling a 1 million dollar home off the coast of Los Angeles. The potential buyer was an old school car enthusiast. Bassam exhausted all his techniques until he went back to the basics.
Bassam told the old man that there was one part of the home he did not see from the inside, which was the back guest house that included a two car garage.
The old man agreed to go check it out . . . when the old man got there he was shocked!
There was a ’67 Mustang Fastback, it was basically taken apart and looks very ugly, but a car enthusiast would not have the same perspective.
“Does this come with the house?” the old man jokingly asked.
No, this actually belongs to the previous owner, the garage will be cleared out in two days, Bassam added (this car was bought by Bassam and towed into the garage).
In short, he ended up selling the home because of the car, and Bassam closed a one-million dollar deal, taking home 3%.
Salesmen and connector tie closely with him!
I feel like almost everyone knows a Salesman. For that reason, I'm going to leave the Salesmen I know out of this post. My best friend is a Connector. She connects with many people on a deep and meaningful level. I think the main thing that makes her a connector is that she understands people. Their motives and attitudes are easily seen and understood by her and because of this she draws people to her. She also makes friends/acquaintances easily with other connectors, which is pretty typical of connectors in general. Interestingly enough, my best friend's husband is a Maven. He absorbs information, is great at giving out information in an easily understood way, and is always caught up on what the next greatest technological advances are. They are a kind of power couple among our friends because the Connector understands people and the Maven is highly informed on most other things.
ReplyDeleteMy boss is a salesperson, a connector, and a maven. We work for a tutoring program. He easily sells the program to others and makes them want to be a part of it. That's how we get our numbers. He is also a connector. When the program needs something he usually knows someone that knows someone that will do the work for a cheap price. He is also a maven. He is very intelligent and absorbs information like a sponge. He always knows the right things to say and the right things to do.
ReplyDeleteI am in a local sorority here in campus. We are currently undergoing rush. In this process we seek out potential members who will make a great addition to our chapter. In doing so we submit them to a six week long process in which they are to meet certain requirements and show us how interested they are in crossing over. I feel that they are trying to convince us how worthy they are of joining; therefore, I feel that they are similar to salesmen.
ReplyDelete