Interview with Mark Sanborn, author of The Encore Effect

The following interview is a new monthly interview series I will be conducting with leaders and best-selling authors.

For the inaugural month I'm very excited to interview Mark Sanborn, author of The Fred Factor, You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader, and his latest book, The Encore Effect.

The Encore Effect was just released on Sep 2nd, and Mark was gracious enough to share some answers to a few questions I had about the book which I wanted to share with you.

Enjoy. . . . .

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Christopher Scott: What is the basic message of The Encore Effect?

Mark Sanborn: The goal of any remarkable performer is to receive an encore. That means our "audience" (boss, customer, colleague, spouse, etc.) demands more of us and what we do.  The only thing better than getting a customer to come back again is to be so good that the customer demands you come back.

CS: I believe The Encore Effect is your seventh book, but seems to have a slightly different message than the previous six. What motivated you to write a book with this message?

MS: I decided to write a book on how to make any performance—at work or at home—remarkable.  I took the same approach as my previous two books in trying to make a complex process simple and accessible. Seth Godin wrote about making products remarkable; I wanted to give readers a process they could use to make the important performances of their lives remarkable.

CS: I read a story on your blog about your publisher wanting The Encore Effect’s subtitle to read, "How to be remarkable in ‘everything’ you do" but you wanted the book’s subtitle to read, "How to be remarkable in 'anything' you do." Could you explain your reasoning for that?

MS: Not everything we do needs to be remarkable. Trying to make everything remarkable is a form of perfectionism. Filling out a form needs to be done accurately, not remarkably. By identifying the important performances in our lives, we free up time and energy to invest where they’ll provide maximum return.

CS: Often people say, "If you done it, it aint braggin." With that said, could you share a story about a time you had a remarkable performance as an example for our readers?

MS: As a professional speaker I need to know why clients should choose my services. I have learned from feedback from many clients over time that I tailor and personalize my presentation to each organization and audience. To say that I'm very good at doing that, and better than most, isn't bragging; it is part of my value proposition proven by past performance.

CS: In the book you share the six Ps of a remarkable performance: Passion, Preparation, Practice, Perform, Polish, and Pitfalls. Of the six Ps, which do you believe is the most important in creating remarkable performances?

MS: That's like asking which organ is the most important in your body—you need most of them to live a healthy life! All six of the "Ps" are important and work together in the process.

CS: You mention passion as the first P. Do you believe someone can still deliver a remarkable performance if they are not passionate at what they do?

MS: Passion is very important; you can be good without it but it is tough to be truly remarkable if you lack passion. It is the difference between playing all the notes correctly and playing the notes correctly and with passion. The latter is an inspired performance.

CS: In the chapter on Perform you say, "One hallmark of a remarkable performance is authenticity." One of the issues nonprofit leaders face in the area of fundraising is people accusing them of not being authentic. Because we have to build relationships to raise money, sometimes people question our intentions. Any thoughts about this related to fundraising?

MS: We are drawn to authenticity and repelled by a lack of it. Be yourself, but always choose to be your best self so that people know not only what they’re contributing to but also whom they're contributing to. In the book I point out that high performers are never acting and pretending to be who they're not; who they truly are is part of the performance. That's why in the chapter on performance I say, "Be the performance."

CS: In the chapter on Pitfalls you say talk about lethargy and procrastination. Both of these are very common in the nonprofit sector relating to volunteerism. Many people know they want to help out and volunteer, but very few people have the discipline to follow through and make the time. What advice do you have for someone who has wanted to volunteer for a long time, but just hasn't seemed to make it happen yet?

MS: I'll add to the overuse of a tired but true saying: the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For someone who has thought about volunteering that might be as simple as going online and getting the phone number of a place they want to volunteer. The second step is calling and saying, "How can I help" It may not be easy, but it is always simple to get started.

CS: I love when you stated, "No matter how good you become, you can always become better." But, I have had times when I felt very good at what I did, but couldn't seem to improve. Times when I was working hard to improve and become better, but just couldn't seem to take my performance as a leader to the next level. How can someone break through this?

MS: George Leonard is his classic book Mastery pointed out something that has been very helpful to me over the years: improvement happens in plateaus and increases, not in a steady upward sloping line. That means that you get better and then stay at that level for awhile, even while practicing and polishing. Don't be discouraged by the plateau as it is part of the process. Take heart in knowing that plateaus almost always precede performance improvements.

CS: For a young person who is just starting in their career, what do you believe should be the first step to developing a remarkable performance?

MS: Study the best performers in your field, the established practitioners as well as the leading edge and innovative newcomers. Understand where your craft is coming from and where it is headed.

CS: After reading The Encore Effect I believe there is a connection between remarkable performances and a leader's ability to get people to act. What are your thoughts on that?

MS: The only thing more remarkable than improving your own performance is helping another improve his or her performance. The goal of remarkable performance is to become a remarkable person and I believe leadership is always about helping others to become better.

CS: Since reading your book I have "2LU" written on my computer monitor and meeting notes. Could you explain "2LU" to our readers?

MS: Everybody talks about reaching "the next level." That means there is little competitive advantage in improving only as much as everyone else. I suggest "two levels up" or 2LU as a way of reminding yourself to aim higher than your competition.

CS: Are you currently working on your next book? If so, what will be the message and when should we see it on a bookshelf?

MS: I'm not officially working on the next book but I know what it will be about. If your readers want to access my new ideas first, they can visit www.marksanborn.com where they can read my blog and sign up for our free monthly ezines. Of course I really encourage everyone to visit www.TheEncoreEffect.com where they can learn even more about this how to be a remarkable performer.

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Below are some additional links to interviews and articles where you can learn more about The Encore Effect book.

Go here to listen to a 10 minute interview with Mark.

A very popular resource for leaders, Leadership Now blogged about the book here.

Another reader shared his personal experience after reading the book.

Anna Farmery conducted a great two part audio interview with Mark which can be listened to here and here.

Update on 9.24.2008 - Mike Dellosso says The Encore Effect caught his "fancy" and he decided to write a personal review.

Update on 9.26.2008 - I found this unique review of Mark's book with him answering some faith based questions which were very interesting.

Update on 9.28.2008 - Jessica Travis, a professional book reviewer compared The Encore Effect to the highly popular and best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life. Any book mentioned in same sentence as The Purpose Driven Life is always worth a read.

Update on 9.28.2008 - Randy & Kelly give testimony that The Encore Effect is a great book to carry around with you to read quick bits of information when you might only have a few extra minutes.

Update on 9.29.2008 - Katrina is offering to give away a free copy of The Encore Effect.

Update on 10.5.2008 - A lengthy review has is here that talks about how The Encore Effect mirrors The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Update on 10.19.2008 - Patricia Fripp talks about her brother who is written about in the book.

Update on 10.20.2008 - Tom Suddes gives a short and sweet testimony. A very unique review was also written here.

Update on 10.25.2008 - Trevor Harrison gave a great review on his blog.

Update on 11.5.2008 - A lengthy review of the book has been posted on the Leadership Coaching News blog.

Comments

[David Santistevan]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the mention of my blog. Look forward to reading yours as well.

[Randy]

Thank's Chris. Great interview. I'm waiting for my next Amazon delivery. Mark S. says "a journey of 1000 miles begins with a step". I have always said "you can eat the elephant one bite at a time". Aloha.

[Christopher Scott]

David & Randy,

Thanks for reading and following the blog.

Be sure to pick up a copy of Mark's book if you have the opportunity. It's well worth the read.

[Tina]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for the link, and glad you enjoyed the interview. Appreciated your interview with Mark and reading through some of your thoughts here.

[Christopher Scott]

Tina-

Thanks for commenting and share your experience in reading The Encore Effect.

Glad you enjoyed the interview and hope you were able to learn a few things from the interview that were not in the book.