Rebel in a Business Suit

I’m conscious that it’s been a while since I posted some new material on the chapters so I have put two more chapters up for your edification recently. I’m not focusing on them being ‘just right’, ‘just yet’, but comments are welcome.

This book is becoming an exploration in thought and I suspect that I’m going to have to bounce this around a little more before it tweaks itself into position.

Ever start something in a blaze of glory and then wonder ‘why?’ - it’s not that I’m struggling with the concept - it’s just about how is all going to come together seamlessly. But then, maybe being r’evolutionary means it doesn’t have to - its all about the provocation, the passion and then the purpose.

I had a meeting this week with a literary agent in London with a view to help with getting the book published eventually. Always useful to get third-party feedback on one’s ideas. While I’m not a big fan of the publisher route - having had a bad experience the first time - I had been looking at web self-publishing the book.

However, the idea of someone working with me to keep me focused and to look at other ways to use the IP around the book would be of great help. Trying to make the time to write is still problematic what with the demands of the practice but doing my best. I have had quite a few articles published in the press around the topic which can be viewed here so I am making head way.

Next challenge is to get the completed R’Evolutionary Selling audio programme series finished, review the chapters written to date and put them up on the site and re-design the primary site www.SeanWeafer.com

I’ve been asked what is the difference between leadership and selling. How are they different? The reality is that, in my view, they are not.

I was interested to learn once that the word for selling derives from a Scandinavian word - ’selje’. This word is meant to mean service. Selling therefore is about ’service’ and how well we do is determined by how well we serve our clients.

For me the leaders of the new age must also serve - they serve our internal customers - our personnel. They must be able to sell the message of the business and it’s vision and quest in order to get the willing co-operation and involvement of their teams.
As a child, my father once told me that ‘a leader never asks someone to do something that they are not willing to do themselves’. The old age of command an control is over.

Both sales and leadership professionals require a huge degree of skill in connecting, involving and engaging with people. The idea of viewing communications training as a ’soft skill’ is antiquated and out of date and voiced now only by those who are being left behind as the people and the organisation changes around them.

Both sales and leadership professionals also need to inspire their ‘clients’ - they must raise the energy within them that encourages people to committ to a course of action.

Service and inspiration. Leadership and selling.

So far so good - the book is continuing apace. Only about 3 chapters left to write now and we’ll be all set. Of course, there is extensive revision to be done on what is there at present but we are working according to plan and should make the April deadline that I’ve set myself.

After revision of the existing chapters I will be placing them on the site within the next week.

Next conversations with literary agents. Originally I wanted to look at publishing the book myself but on reflection (and advice) I have decided I should at least see if there are agents who would like to discuss the project and who can bring their unique skills to bear.

My last book (The Business Coaching revolution 2001) taught me a lot about how the publishing business works and the things one can expect (and not…) from a publishing house. A good agent might make things a little smoother this time.