Tag Archive for: breast cancer

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Almost everyone knows someone who’s been afflicted and/or affected by breast cancer. My first experience was in my twenties when my mother learned at an annual doctor’s visit that she had a lump. My brother, my wife, and I were there days later when she got the news confirming that she had breast cancer. I can still see her look of confusion and fear as she said, “Well boys, I have it.” Mom didn’t cry—she just stared at the floor saying nothing. The treatment hadn’t yet started but she was clearly already in pain.

Since then I’ve had four cousins and many friends who have had that same exchange with their doctor. While I wasn’t there for any of those meetings, upon hearing of the diagnosis I remembered that day with our mom and the look on her face.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Today, a very good friend Dana Manciagli, is dealing with her third bout of stage four breast cancer and we’ve been on her Strides team, Dana’s Gladiators, for the past four years. We will walk with her again in the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Seattle this month. Today, I’m asking you to consider two ways to help all those afflicted and to keep more from experiencing this disease.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, during which time I’ll donate 100 percent of the royalties from my book Winning Lifelong Customers with The Five Abilities®. I know there are many unfortunate things happening that are leading to requests for your generosity and this is yet another. In hopes of making it easier for you consider this gift I’ve reduced the price of the Kindle book from $9.99 to $4.99. Due to unforeseen challenges, my publisher can’t reduce the price of the print versions but I will also be donating 100 percent of those royalties during October.

Thank you very much to those who have already purchased the book. Please consider the professionals and students in your life, who might want to make a small gift to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer while also benefitting from the lessons in the book.

Another Way To Exercise Your Generosity

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is an annual 5K walk taking place in Seattle and many other cities, bringing awareness to disease. We’re again walking as Dana’s Wong Way Gladiators and you can click here to directly donate to Making Strides to help them close in on a cure.

Why This Is So Important

Each year nearly 250,000 women are newly diagnosed with breast cancer. An additional 2,500 men are also diagnosed. We’re making strides each year but still over 40,000 women and over 400 men lose the battle. It’s so prominent that everyone reading this probably knows someone who has been affected and/or afflicted.

You’re like me.

    • You know a co-worker who is absent dealing with this disease or caring for a loved one.
    • You’ve watched relatives and close friends struggle with the aftermath of treatment.
    • You’ve been to head shaving parties that signal the start of treatment.
    • YOU WANT THIS TO STOP.

 

No matter how you give or how much, know that we are very appreciative of your generosity and the attention you’re giving to stomping out breast cancer. Thank you very much.

©Rick Wong, The Five Abilities® LLC

Reverse Engineering a Successful Sale

The customer is always right when they describe how they see your value. That was true recently when a client VP said, “With The Five Abilities® you’ve basically reverse engineered a successful sale.”

She’s expanding her business and will be hiring new sales and support staff. She wants to ensure that everyone adopts a customer-focused sales and support culture—The Five Abilities® is her choice. They want additional training and consulting because “The Five Abilities® is something that helps everyone. It’s common sense.”

In my book Winning Lifelong Customers with The Five Abilities® I talk about that reverse engineering process. I led a sales effort that won HP a large project for a new factory automation system at Boeing. It was the largest manufacturing project HP had won that year and I was asked to present a “win report” to US sales leaders.

As with any large sale, we had unique hurdles but that wasn’t what HP’s leaders wanted to know. Our SVP of Global Accounts, wanted to know the generic things we did that others could repeat. “It has to work everywhere.” Specifically, he asked for me to be “clever and catchy” to help others learn our habits.

It was lucky for me because it forced me to reverse engineer that and other wins to determine the key things we did every time. I learned that there are just five things you do that cause people to buy from you.

To address the “clever and catchy” request, I turned those five things into The Five Abilities®.

VISABILITY – Being seen in the right way, by the right people at the right time.

CREDABILITY – Showing superior knowledge about your industry and that of your customers.

VIABILITY – Verifying the needs and readiness of both the seller and buyer.

CAPABILITY – Delivering on the personal reasons people make business decisions.

RELIABILITY – Always being accountable when the unexpected happens.

In my book and consulting, I detail “clever and catchy” ways to successfully act on each of the ABILITIES and I do so in generic ways that you can apply no matter what you sell. As my client executive says, “You’ve basically reverse engineered a successful sale.”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I’m asking everyone to support Making Strides Against Breast Cancer to help many women with early detection and treatment. As an example of how simple The Five Abilities is, here’s why I’m asking you to give to the cause.

VISABILITY – Breast cancer will afflict or affect someone you know, if it hasn’t already.

CREDABILITY – Currently, more than 1 of 8 women will have this disease in their lifetime.

VIABILITY – Helping is easy. Buy my book for as little as $4.99 or give directly to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

CAPABILITY – Like me, you want this to stop. Your friends and family who have suffered or will suffer, need your help.

RELIABILITY – We aren’t responsible for the disease but we are accountable for helping to fight it.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

During the month of October, we’re supporting Breast Cancer Awareness by donating all royalties from book sales to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. My mother, four cousins, and too many friends have been afflicted by this disease and we need to find the cure. I know there are many unfortunate disasters that are calling for your generosity so I’ve reduced the price of the Kindle book from $9.99 to $4.99.

I really appreciate your support of this important cause.

©Rick Wong, The Five Abilities® LLC