How are Your “Herding Cats” skills?

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If you could follow a group of outstanding salespeople and presenters over a long period of time, you would discover practices common to them all. These would likely range from small behaviors, like how they greet someone ,to broader skills, like how they link features to value in presentations. But, what would their “herding cats” behaviors be?

This “Herding cats” phrase comes from an article by NY Times columnist David Brooks, writing about Doug Lemov, Managing Director of Teach Like a Champion. Lemov studies excellent teachers, as measured by student achievement, to determine the common behaviors of outstanding educators. It turns out that the most successful teacher was previously unheralded and that her key success skills were small, largely “invisible” ones.

“In part,” writes Brooks, “Lemov is talking about the skill of ‘herding cats.’ The master of cat herding senses when attention is about to wander, knows how fast to move a diverse group, senses the rhythm between lecturing and class participation, varies the emotional tone. This is a performance skill that surely is relevant beyond education.”

Herding Cats in Sales, Demos, & Presentations

Brooks is right. These sensitivity and situational skills extend way beyond the classroom. They are critical in selling, presenting, marriage, parenting, negotiating, consulting, managing, leading, etc.

In sales and presenting, “herding cats” includes

Being really present with , and responsive to, prospects and clients: listening, focus, attention
Having the courage to ask questions for clarity, understanding , and inconsistencies
Being sufficiently mindful and flexible to respond to both listener interest and fatigue
Reading and responding to another person’s time and information preferences, and
Using language that resonates with listeners: words, phrases, metaphors, & analogies

Final Thought

Technology makes us more efficient and productive and that is certainly good. It would be hard to find too many people who want to go back to electric typewriters and white-out . But technology cannot replace those invisible “herding cats” skills that build relationships and smooth the way to long-term business. Developing these “herding skills” is a must for anyone whose success depends on influence and persuasion.

Anne Miller

Make What You Say Pay!

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