Mark Potter: Self Reflection

Here's a great excerpt from a recent CANVAS Notes piece:

"Take a little time to reflect on yourself during the selling season. Ask yourself the tough questions about what you are doing and what you can improve upon. Once we take a look at ourselves, I am sure we will see areas we can do better. Then we can focus on others and start making real progress. It isn’t easy, but it is so much more fulfilling. I believe that great salespeople are as selfish as the rest. However, great salespeople operate in a selfless manner each and every day." - Mark Potter

Mark Potter: Be An Original

Another thoughtful post by Canvas Publisher Mark Potter.  Be sure to follow him on Twitter @markricepotter.

I was driving up to Nashville last week to visit with a client and attend a conference.  On the ride up, I was jamming to some classic rock.  I'm talking about iconic bands like Led Zeppelin, The Stones, AC/DC, and Journey.  I swear I sounded just like Steve Perry when I was singing "Just a small town boy...Living in South Detroit". 

As other drivers chuckled at this 40-something acting like a complete dork, I couldn't help wonder what made these bands iconic.  They have stood the test of time. In fact, many of the kids today know the words better than I do and wear t-shirts with the bands’ logo on the front.

So, what gives?  Why have these bands become iconic? I can't think of any band in the last 10 years that has become more than a passing thought.  My opinion is that there was and continues to be an aura around groups like Led Zeppelin.  People talk about seeing them in concert like it was an event that changed their lives.  Millions of us never saw them and have to picture what it was like in our minds.  There was mystery to the group and we actually had to use our imagination to think about how cool they really were.

Seeing them in concert or hearing their songs conjures up images that become bigger in our mind than they may have actually been.  Think about it, there was a time when someone could tell a story and embellish it with some half-truths to make it a bit more entertaining.   Today, people can't take those liberties.  The ability to validate facts at a moment's notice doesn't allow a little creative leeway.

The immediacy of the Internet and all of the corresponding media has diluted our imagination, while simultaneously killing the mystery of who we are.  The great rock bands of yesteryear may just be great because of the lack of exposure they received and the mystery that the absence creates.  Today, the fact that even the most meaningless piece of information receives constant and immediate exposure makes them less and less interesting.

Take back your mystique.  Just because everyone else is doing something, doesn't mean we have to. 
Stop tweeting every 10 minutes.  It is boring and generic.  In contrast, why not try to be an original?  Rather than pumping out social drivel and creating a tune that becomes played, why not say something when you have something relevant to say?  Stay true to who you are and keep some of it for yourself.  That is what is cool.  That is being an original.

Advice from Mark Potter's "Grammie"

CANVAS Magazine Publisher Mark Potter recently shared the following in his newsletter. It strikes a real emotional chord and hope you all enjoy it.

I have always been very blessed to have some wonderful people in my life. I have been surrounded with a smart, supportive, and ambitious group. One of the people, who not only supported me, but continues to provide inspiration is my late grandmother.

Like most grandmothers, my Grammie tried to instill the best values in me. Often times, she would write me little notes or letters encouraging me and educating me about the world. She had some great perspective from her travels across the globe and her unwavering faith.

I kept her letters and recently happened to read one from when I was thirteen years old. The bulk of the letter was devoted to her pride in me, but one particular excerpt really hit home. She was encouraging me to work hard and said that "It is easy to be less than good,” She continued, "It is hard to your best."

The insight from my little Grandmother should strike chord with us all. Whether you are selling print, managing a business, or trying to make changes, there is no substitute for hard work. It is much easier to be less than good! It takes guts to be great.

Our economy and, more specifically, our industry demand the best of us. There will be no room for mediocrity and coasting. Things won't just return to a level of comfort that we became accustomed to. That isn't what life is about. We need to work feverishly to be our best and realize our potential. If you don't believe me, just take it from my Grammie.

Why You Should Never Doubt Mark Potter

CANVAS Magazine Publisher Mark Potter recently shared the following in his newsletter. It's a great story that I hope you take the time read.

Last week, our company had the opportunity to support a local football team, Stephenson High School, and help raise money for their program. Specifically, we created a game day program for the lower income school that was playing Parkview, a perennial powerhouse from a much more affluent area. As we walked into the game, which was played in a small college stadium, it was explicitly clear which side was which.

We watched the game, with every intention of leaving at halftime so I could get my daughter to bed at a decent hour. However, I noticed that the Stephenson group was not selling the programs to the best of their ability. I even heard three cheerleaders, who were charged with selling, say something like “OMG, nobody’s going to buy a program”.

I took my salesperson over to the booster lead. I said, “Has anyone tried to sell programs on the Parkview side? Their roster is inside and I am sure they might give us a couple of bucks for that.” She looked at me quizzically and started to chuckle. She called her friends over and said something like “This fella here thinks he can sell our programs on the Parkview side?” They seemed to have difficulty catching their breath from laughing so hard. One woman said to me “Nobody will buy a program from you over there.” She was still laughing when she added, “And I’m not letting you in here when you come back with your tail between your legs!”

Game on! I took my daughter by the hand, grabbed a stack of programs and we made our way to the other side. When I got there, I received more resistance and sarcasm. However, they let me in for 10 minutes to try and sell Stephenson programs to the Parkview faithfuls. Ten minutes later, I was out of programs and my daughter was holding a wad of cash.

I had carved my way through the stands, holding the programs high in the air and enthusiastically letting everyone know that this was what they needed at this time. Their roster was in the program and they could now identify the kids by jersey number. Interestingly enough, when one fan bought a program, another one jumped on the bandwagon. The dominos fell and suddenly I was the one laughing.

When I returned to the Stephenson side, I couldn’t help but strut my way back to the booster table. With their jaws on the ground, I threw down the wad of cash and repeatedly said “Never doubt me”. They gave me and my daughter big hugs and wanted to know how I did it. I simply stated that “Enthusiasm and confidence come from a belief in your product and yourself.”

Anyone who doesn’t want to hold up their product high in the air and claim that it is the best--- will fail. The greatest salespeople and the greatest brands in the world, take the time to tell everyone about how much they believe in their offering. They are constantly selling or advertising their wares because they know you cannot be bashful about something you believe in. If you don’t scream it at the mountaintops, then you simply don’t believe in what you have to offer. That is the truth and never doubt me!