Quote: (01-09-2015 09:31 PM)Fisto Wrote:
I have a question for the OP; how does this sort of situation keep recurring in your life. Have you always been treated as somewhat of an outsider?
Quote: (11-21-2015 12:03 PM)topdog Wrote:
@Fisto: Normally I've been a bright student, even my elementary school principal had me as her protégé. This in turn made other kids envy and hate me. Let's say I'd rather stand out than blend in.
Intelligence and arrogance. One is good and the other can be good if utilized properly which I don't think you are doing.
Quote: (11-21-2015 10:52 PM)topdog Wrote:
They will find my replacement, but they will never be able to replace me.
That is your ego talking. Don't be naive. You are a cog in a machine and they will replace you.
I think you should go into sales. Intelligence, ambition, and a little arrogance will help but your people skills are lacking. You are a lot like many great sales guys
before they learned how to to be great sales guys.
Most great sales guys are arrogant but they know they are arrogant. They are able to manage other people's perception of them because they are self-aware. I don't think you are able to do that yet.
Quote: (04-16-2013 08:34 PM)topdog Wrote:
I am tall, about 6'7"
Quote: (04-18-2013 11:25 PM)topdog Wrote:
I think highly of myself and I show it by behaving highly. I dress sharp, I put quality in my work, so I behave in consequence.
The one thing that jumps off the page in this thread is that you are 6'7". You are very tall, you dress better than your coworkers, you act formally, and you even say "I think highly of myself". The combination of these things suggests that people are intimidated by you and think you are arrogant.
Most people think sales is about talking and convincing but it is really the opposite. It is all about listening and not acting like a stereotypical used car salesman. Building comfort is extremely important in sales just as it is in game but it is twice as important for you because you are 6'7". You say you don't want to blend in but that is exactly what you should be trying to do.
You want your boss and executives to perceive you as ambitious and very confident but you want coworkers and customers to perceive you as relaxed and down to earth.
This is what I would do.
-Dress nicely but not but don't go too far beyond how your coworkers or customers dress.
-Listen to people as much as possible even if you are just pretending to listen. Ask people a lot of open-ended questions and listen. Try to let other people do 75% of the talking. This sounds easy in theory but it isn't so easy to execute.
-Learn about people especially yourself. Improve your self-awareness. Don't worry about learning in advanced sales methodologies. The simpler the better. Read the basics like "How to Win Friends and Influence People" but read it twice, take notes, and work hard to internalize and execute the basic principles.
-Talk briefly about your engineering background when you get into sales and start talking with clients. Tell them you are an engineer and you are just starting out in this "account management" thing.