'ONE-ON-ONE
Shark ReDellent
Humanize your business and selling strategies.
I
n everything from tennis to
tetiets of business. Harvey
Mackay believes in being No.
1. After 30 years of shaping
Mackay Envelope into a $35
million manufacturing company, he
bas dedicated tbe last five years or
so to writing books explaining hov^/
others can acbieve the same kind of
results in tbeir businesses and
careers.
The tbree books be has penned in
tbat lime have sold more than 7 million copies inteinationally. His first
book, tbe pacesetting Swim With the
Sharks Without Bei/iii Eaten Alive.
was one of the few ever in tbe business genre to be awarded a 100,000copy initial press run.
The book deserved that vote of
confidence because it told people
bow to humanize tbeir business and
6 Vol. 2Jo. 2
personalize tbeir selling strategies
to achieve success. Mackay's
insights produced a book tbat put a
beretofore unknown business autbor
on The New York Times bestseller
list for more than a year.
Mackay followed up bis first
bestseller with Beware the Naked
Man Who Offers You His Shirt,
wbieh contained his insights on
career professionalism and is subtitled. Do What You Love, Love What
You Do. Deliver More Than You
Promise.
Mackay has pressed on witb bis
latest best-selling effort,
Sharkproof, a cotnprebensive look
at tbe job market—-bow to tackle it,
bow to beat it, and bow to stay
ahead of it by securing the job you
want and loving and doing tbe work
in that same way. In these job-inse-
cure, recessionary titiies,
"Sharkproof was right on target
witb its release, just as Mackay has
been during his entire careet. His
tiow-fatnous "66" questions are tbe
pacesetting guide in market intelligence for personalizing and bumanizing .selling strategies.
In addition to bis book-publishing activities and signature Mackay
Envelope business. Mackay is an
avid maiatbon runner and a topranked tennis player in bis native
Minnesota. Tireless in bis dedication and energy to bis community,
be was instrumental in spearheading
a seven-year drive to build the
Hubert H. Humpbrey MetroDome
sports facility in downtown Minneapolis.
Tbe energetic entrepreneur is
tiow in the process of launching
"SharkWare." a new contact and
activity management software for
salespeople that incorporates his 66
questions. It's one of 15 busines.ses
outside of Mackay Envelope that he
pursues.
Mackay recently took time to
chat with Markeri/ii^ Manasiemcnt
Contributing Editor Howard
Schlossberg about everything from
SharkWare to Sharkproof to the 66,
and how they all can work for you.
every single person in the United
States who wants to improve. All
they need is a computer, and can
you imagine being in business
today without a computer?
risk-taker. He's a hard driver. He
taught me you don't say "whoah"
when you're in a horse race. I've
copied his style.
I can't say enough good things
about him. He's a humanitarian. He
MM: Harvey, so much of what you gave $25 million to the University
stress is based on learning: the 66,
of Minnesota, the largest single gift
personalization, humanizing. Jobat the time to a public university.
seeking. You practically harp on
His antenna is constantly up. I
these points in your seminars. What wrote the forward for his [upcomhas helped you learn most?
ing] book. He...believes if you stop
Mackay: There are a lot of ways,
growing, you die.
ii
(-• You and your businesses
and you have to try to prioritize
have risen above prospective comthem as you go. I've always tried to
MM: You talk about employees
petitors by giving the sales force
find a mentor...that "old grizzly" in
"looking out windows": visualizing,
insights into prospects" business and the company who will take you
being creative, and generating
personal lives. In today's troubled
under his wing when you're first
ideas. Yet. Corporate Atnerica meaeconomic times, what's your read on starting out. But mentors change
sures productivity so much ofthe
how the 66 questions, or their spirit, over the period of a lifetime. So
time on any criterion but that one.
have been applied by the rest of
I've iiot tnore than one tiientor.
Why don't more companies reward
Corporate America? Does it work
their people lor "looking out winfor everyone?
dows"?
Mackay: 1 get 13,000 letters a year
Mackay:That's the vision. That's
from people who say it performs
ihc leadership. The successful commiracles. I did an article for the Harpanies do it. The ones thai don't,
vard Business Review five years ago
don't go forward.
all about the 66, and there were a
quarter-million requests for that arti1: Your vendors and suppliers,
cle. One company requested 12,000
are they privy to the Mackay 66?
copies for its entire sales force.
Do you keep "66" files on them,
Why doesn't it work for some?
and. if so, how has it benefited them
You have to be able to get along with
and you?
people. Anyone who doesn't get
Mackay: It's very important to
along with people has earned the
have the 66 on vendors. They're
kiss of death. There's also different
partners of yours. We entertain
levels of intensity and focus [on
On-the-job training is important,
them. I want to know about their
applying the 66]. There are thoubut that'll never make it entirely.
wives and kids. 1 want the best
sands of companies where the book
You learn from audio tapes. You
paper supplier. You bet it's impor[Swim With the Sharks...] is compul- learn from books. You learn from
tant.
sory reading. You can't work at
studying. You learn froin important
Mackay Envelope if you don't
people. You learn from magazine
MM: You talk about the "Rolodex
understand the concept.
and newspaper articles. Read them,
of life," keeping a vast network of
underline them, and then read them
business contacts. Why do you
over
and over and over again. I do.
M/M.Tell me about SharkWare.
stress this so much?
because I can't have the same
What's this time and sales manageMackay: The "Rolodex of life" is
speech every time |at seminars and
ment software all about? Why are
the most important [concept] in the
appearances]. But I do talk about
you excited about launching this
language. Everyone you meet
the 66 every time.
new business? What's the target
should go in it. ll'll help you create
market?
opportunities and prepare to win.
Mackay: It's the only total contact
1: You said you have had meti- It's a way to dig your well before
and aclivily management system
tors. Who have some of them been? you're thirsty. Plant and grow peothat's available on the market. It
ple for long-term prosperity. Start a
Who have you learned from?
helps you become very close to
Mackay: My father and my father- Rolodex in your 2()s. Keep your
your customers because the 66 is on in-law. I dedicated Swim With the
antennae up. Be caring—caring is
the software. And, it wili keep you
Sharks to them. I learned a lot from contagious—and 40-50 years later
close to your customers. The street
your net worth (from your Rolodex)
them. Then there's a man named
price is $99. It will be in 3,000
will be up by hundreds of thousands
Curt Carlson [Minneapolis-based
computer stores. ...We're targeting
to millions. tM
Carlson Cos. chairman]. He's a
MARKETING mMMEHJ
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