Gerry Tietz opened the meeting with the Pledge and an invocation.
 
Gerry said that Paul is still getting his pacemaker dialed in but is doing quite well since his surgery. Paul expects to be back with us soon.
 
Gerry also asked us to reserve September 13th at 4:30PM for a Rotary Visioning Event. All members are requested to attend this important planning meeting. The meeting will be held at the New Brighton Community Center. Please note that this meeting will be in lieu of our regular noon meeting.
 
George Winiecki needs your help with the hotdog feed at the end of the Stockyard Days Parade. Please be there (south of the Dairy Queen on Old 8) by 5:00PM to get a parking spot. The parade should be over by around 8:30.
 
John Risdall introduced his friend, Roseville Rotarian Don Salverda.
 
Cindy Carlson reported that fundraising commitments are in place for our matching grant proposal for education of Syrian refugee children. The grant proposal will be submitted to the District Grants Committee this month.
 
Todd Kruse expects to have three guests next week, so please help Todd to make them feel welcome.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the CPY Golf Ball Drop was a big success. 750 golf balls were dropped from a crane and the winner won $1250! CPY made $4,000 on the event.
 
Jason Slama was among several August birthdays but he got to celebrate all by himself today. See photo above.
 
Chef George left a couple of chafing dishes at our recent fundraiser and didn't want them back, so Gerry auctioned them off for $25. Bev Aplikowski was the high (and perhaps only) bidder.
 
Our scheduled speaker was unable to appear, but he was kind enough to arrange a replacement and Gerry introduced Scott Plum from the Minnesota Sales Institute. Minnesota Sales Institute works with salespeople who need to learn, change and grow to adapt to the marketplace.
 
Many people think of a salesperson as someone who twists your arm to get you to do something you don't want to do and, if asked, most people would not identify themselves as a salesperson. Scott's definition of a salesperson makes "sales" seem much less shady, and in fact, would define everyone who would influence another's opinions or actions. Scott described the three steps to sales conversations as follows:
1.  Creating Interest - Often thought of as "prospecting", this step is really about identifying potential wants and needs. Scott recommends open ended or multiple choice questions to discover how you might fit with the client. Scott recommends avoiding any pre-conceptions about the client's needs and to offer to "work with" the client rather than "help" the client.
2.  Making an Impact on the Experience - Carefully phrased questions can further identify the client's needs. Scott used the following example: Ask the client; "Are looking for the lowest price or the best value?"  Scott recommended never talking about solutions until you have identified the problems.
3.  Influencing the Outcome - Commonly referred to as "The Close", this step could take many forms, but common to each is the goal of causing a change in the client's behavior. In short, you want a commitment to working with the client or, at least, a commitment to continue to talk. Scott recommended asking the following question; "On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate our conversation today?" If the answer is "seven", respond with; "That's pretty good, but what would it take to get it to a ten"?
Scott described accountability as the single greatest roadblock for success in sales. Salespeople often blame outside influences and other people for their lack of success. Success in sales requires the adoption of the P.I.C. concept.  P.I.C. stands for "Pilot In Charge" and refers to an airplane pilot's absolute responsibility for every aspect of a flight. If a salesperson has this level of accountability, success is virtually assured. Scott's book, "Taking Off Into The Wind", elaborates on accountability in sales.  John, Gerry and Scott are pictured below.