Patrick Kilner, author of Find Your Six, kicked off our Leadership Seminar series on October 5 with a compelling account of the observations and experiences that led him to look at business relationships in a way that can result in a more fulfilling view of work as well as more rewarding results. Patrick, who has created and led three companies, has been involved in a number of training initiatives for business owners and sales people. He noticed that the “lead generation” approach of energetically searching for people willing to transact with you had led to a culture that viewed business relationships largely as commodities and was draining the joy out of work for all parties involved. (The term “Lead generation” may not be familiar to those not involved in sales—it does not refer to a generation of leaders, but rather to contacting people [generating leads] who are potential customers or clients. This is traditionally achieved by making hundreds of telephone calls until you get a “bite.”) He began to track the historical origin of this practice and discovered that the term “leads,” with reference to business contacts, has become common only within the last 50 or 60 years. Whereas formerly clients relied on the expertise of trusted individuals, all that was needed now was a good script, a phone and a database to swing into action searching for business. This put the world of sales into a position ripe for disruption, which in fact took place thanks to the influx of technology: Online resources gave the consumer access to faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective results. Services such as travel, real estate and law were taken over by tech giants such as Expedia, Zillow, and LegalZoom.
Earlier in Patrick’s career he saw this disruption coming and sought the advice of a trusted friend who had forged a very successful career and whose values Patrick shared and respected. After a lengthy conversation, the friend volunteered to connect him to two individuals who proved to be instrumental in helping Patrick focus his business in the right direction—in other words, they accomplished for him what hours on the phone would have done. This led Patrick to develop the concept of “Find Your Six”. If you find the right half-dozen people, they can help you connect with people with whom you can form lasting relationships and this will generate more—and more rewarding—results than the most energetic attempts to “generate leads.” Patrick has identified three major characteristics of people who should belong in this group of six:
1. Longevity—willingness to spend time with people so that a base of trust has a chance to take root.
2. Implicit trust—possessing qualities that enable others to trust you both economically and in other ways.
3. Total ownership—willingness to take on the burden of responsibilities for others. Patrick’s concept of “Find Your Six,” although it was developed for business owners, can be applied to any career and personal situation as we take a look at what our relationships really mean and whether they are authentic human relationships or convenience-driving connections.
Hear all of this—and much more—from Patrick himself by clicking on a video of his October 5 presentation. Visit his website to learn more about his ideas and to join his free “Challenge.” His book, Find Your Six, is available for purchase on Amazon.