LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Stealing Genius ... For FREE
My long-term client and now Expert In Residence for Producers Club , Sitima Fowler ( co-founder of Iconic IT , a $ 40 million-plus MSP ), said recently to a group of MSPs , “ Whenever Robin was delivering a sales presentation from stage , I know a lot of people would check out , saying they ’ ve already seen her pitch or — WORSE — tune out because it was a sales pitch . I would always TUNE IN and start taking notes because I would learn as much from her when watching her in the process of selling and closing as I learn from her core content .”
When you watch someone who is masterful in what they do , you should get into the habit of taking notes , observing , listening , and learning from what they do . I find that most people go through life with blinders on , uninterested and not curious about genius hiding in plain sight , especially entrepreneurs who ought to have their antennas up 24 / 7 / 365 for a new idea , brilliant model , or novel approach they hadn ’ t considered before .
When I lived in England for a brief period back in ’ 98 , I loved watching the buskers in the street perform for the crowd . If you watched to be more than just entertained , you could see what the great ones did to pull people in and gather a crowd ( because nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd ). One string quartet was particularly popular due to the bass player ’ s highly animated and entertaining antics and facial expressions when playing his instrument . Was he the best bass player I ’ ve ever seen ? If you mean technical performance , I couldn ’ t say , but he was by far the most riveting and entertaining one I ’ ve ever seen . I can still see him playing in my mind today , and I recall learning how to make eye contact with the crowd and pull people in by watching him . I wonder how many other buskers and performers watched him with disinterest or even disdain instead of stealing the genius right in front of them .
At this year ’ s Annual Boot Camp event , we had Emmitt Smith — champion of THREE Super Bowls and the ONLY player to have won Super Bowl MVP , NFL MVP , and NFL Rushing Crown all in the same season . Deservedly inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 , Emmitt is the NFL ’ s alltime leading rusher , amassing 18,355 yards during his 15-season career .
Question-And-Answer Session With Robin And Legendary NFL Hall Of Famer Emmitt Smith At The 2022 IT Sales And Marketing Boot Camp
Founder And CEO , Technology Marketing Toolkit , Inc .
But that ’ s not his only success . He ’ s also chairman of E . Smith Legacy Holdings , a successful real estate development firm recognized as a leading bridge builder in Texas . He ’ s also in the business of BEING Emmitt Smith , with a speaking career that keeps him on the road 2 – 3 times a month , multiple endorsement deals , TV appearances , and even a marketing agency .
I ’ m fortunate to have the opportunity to meet and spend time with someone like Emmitt Smith behind the scenes , where you get a real sense of who they are . This is NOT a guy who just hangs his name on products and leaves the real running of the business to others . Emmitt is a hands-on entrepreneur , salesman , and leader , and he ’ s very INTENTIONAL about everything he does , the exact opposite of unsuccessful people . During his presentation , he talked about preparing for “ Dancing With the Stars ” and how he practiced over 12 hours a day and put multiple projects on hold so he could focus on giving the best performance possible . He was extremely focused and purposeful on winning , which he did .
People who consistently fail their way through life have a lot of “ randomness ” in what they do . They don ’ t , for example , prepare and preplan for every meeting to ensure they get the most out of their time . They show up rushed , often late , and unprepared , are distracted by their phone , and only react to whatever comes up . They aren ’ t deliberate . They ’ re meandering , directionless farts in the wind without an aim , agenda , or purpose .
Not so with Emmitt . He is genuinely the real deal and a genius at work worthy of study — which is why I ’ m also honored to have him on the cover of this month ’ s MSP Success Magazine . To see the question-and-answer session with me and Emmitt , go to MSPSuccessMagazine . com / Emmitt . n
4 | MSPSuccessMagazine . com • VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6