Phil M. Jones, a renowned sales expert and author of Exactly What to Say
Effective Political Communication:
- Great communicators meet the moment where it’s at—creating order in chaos or vice versa.
- The worst time to decide what to say is in the moment itself. Mastering moments and understanding your audience are crucial.
Navigating Difficult Conversations:
- Avoid giving advice during tense conversations. Instead, be curious and neutral, exploring the foundation of others’ beliefs.
- Use questions to understand rather than confront, which can lead to shared understanding and reduce conflict.
Aligning Team Priorities:
- Find a North Star that everyone in the team can rally around. Acceptance, ownership, and responsibility are key to achieving alignment.
- Use empathetic questioning to bridge gaps between different departments and understand their challenges.
Phil’s Business Approach:
- Phil started early in business, selling his lunch in school to buy cafeteria meals, showcasing his knack for identifying and solving problems.
- He emphasizes the value of connecting people with needs to those who have solutions, acting as a “translator” between stakeholders.
- His focus is on creating win-win situations where everyone involved gains value.
Overcoming Challenges:
- Rejection is often not personal; it’s about the situation or timing. Learn to detach and maintain optimism.
- Expect adversity as a part of life. Anticipation reduces the shock, making tough situations easier to handle.
Phil’s Defining Moment:
- During a difficult period, Phil wrote a poem ending with “Success is all my fault,” taking full responsibility for his outcomes, which empowered him to control what he could change.
Entering the U.S. Market
- Moving from the UK to the U.S. required humility and a fresh approach, learning the new “field of play.”
- Phil highlights the importance of building relationships with established players and being willing to start from scratch to understand cultural differences.
Quickfire Round
- Phil shares personal favorites like Ted Lasso (TV show), Rocky (movie), and Ed Sheeran (musician).
- If he could live anywhere, he’d choose Singapore, and his career alternative would be an architect.
- His billboard message: “The worst time to think about the thing you’re going to say is in the moment where you’re saying it.”
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