September 23rd, 2009 @ 5:30 am
My post about Jay Leno received some interesting pushback. Some people can’t believe that Jay Leno is really and truly a nice guy. They figure that, in order to be successful, he must secretly be a jerk. After all, “nice guys finish last” — right?
I’m curious how many of you believe that this is true. Please vote in the poll, then click on the link beneath the poll for my take on this issue.
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Geoffrey James, Sales Machine
I just wanted to add that the belief that single women prefer to date jerks is total BS. What women like are men who have plenty of self confidence. Some people with self-confidence are jerks. Most aren't. Men who aren't jerks but have plenty of self confidence have no problem getting dates. However, they DO tend to get married rather quickly, leaving the jerks in command of the field, as it were.
lborst
I would say it depends on your definition of success. For me, if I am a jerk to people then my life is not a success, no matter how much money I make. There is a lot more to life than just making money. Having lots of it does not make you a success.
At the end of my life I want to look back and see that I have invested in the lives of people to make their lives better by them having contact with me.
bjwtaylor
I voted 'no' only because the MAJORITY of my employers don't support jerks over nice guys, but if there had been a place for a qualifier, I would have said, "It depends." Has no one been watching the national economic news for the last year??
Whether nice guys finish last depends on the corporate environment for corporate employees and the sales strategies and company policy for commission-based sales reps." In my Fortune 500 bank, it was survival of the most ruthless and high reward for those who knowingly screwed both customers and collegaues alike to maximimize short-term profit. Integrity toward clients was penalized, i.e. "You could have squeezed more out of them. They don't know the law. If they have a dime left, you failed." It was the same in a billion-dollar family-owned business. If you doubt it and think this is just sour grapes on my part or a limited experience, just remember Enron, Tyco, AIG, WorldCom, Lehmann Brothers, Goldman Sachs, . . . the list is endless. How anybody can look at the banking and mortgage industry and tell me that nice guys always finish first is beyond me. The nice guys got fired or at least neutralized, while those who threw their clients' money around with world-class arrogance and nastiness grew rich.
ndlicht1
Isn't it ethics, not nice that matters.
In my seling, I am a viscious competitor. I am, however, absolutely truthful in the way I relate. My reputation is to me quite important and it has allowed me access to people who might have never considered seeing me.
I am not a nice guy because I want to win. I will destroy my competition but I never do it by attacking or demeaning them.
On getting the most that I can from a customer - absolutely however, my long term relationships are paramount so what I sell is needed and justified. There is room for more but that usually comes in time.
'Nice guys" as in forgetting that they have a personal agenda and its not naturally the same as the prospect, do finnish last. Nice is a demeaner, not a successful selling trait.
In sales,I need to be always helping but its all aimed at me achieving my selling objective or account development relationship. I am a nice guy, I am always available to my customers but I'll never give away the farm.
A jerk is seen as such, a worthwhile person to do business with is seen as such. Jerks don't last but they sure do a lot of damage while here.
BJE
"Nice Guys" do not make malicous fun of their guests. Jay Leno humor is all about cutting people down. And as a hetero guy, its offensive to watch him oggle his beautiful female guests and sail sexual inuendo. It gets old.
David Letterman offers compliments, and even flirts on occassion, but he maintains a line of respectful humility.
fmoreno.m2000
#1 <-- amusing
bobchaif
Even a blind squirel will eventually find a nut.
A friend gave me this link.
It is called Final Analysis by Mother Teresa.
If you read it with out prejudging the author, I think she covered the Jerk Postulate as well.
The Final Analysis
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
...Forgive them anyway!
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
...Be kind anyway!
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
...Succeed anyway!
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
...Be honest and frank anyway!
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
...Build anyway!
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
...Be happy anyway!
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
...Do good anyway!
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
...Give the world the best you've got anyway!
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway
http://www.wowzone.com/final.htm
Geoffrey James
Geoffrey James has sold and written hundreds of features, articles and columns for national publications including Wired, Men's Health, Business 2.0, SellingPower, Brand World, Computer Gaming World, CIO, The New York Times and (of course) BNET. He is the author of seven books, including Business Wisdom of the Electronic Elite (translated into seven languages and selected by four book clubs), and The Tao of Programming (widely quoted on the Web as a "canonical book of... more »
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