Hans-Peter Beck, an IT veteran, was laid off in 1997, used his German to land a country-manager role, and was later acquired by Microsoft. He argues that business books inspire but don't guarantee success, and that the best principle is simple: deliver value and keep your word.
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Welcome to the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.
Alright everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner. Today I have Hans-Peter Beck with us. He is a best-selling author writing for business development, marketing, and sales professionals in the information technology industry. So welcome to the show, man.
Thank you very much, I'm happy to be here.
Of course, grateful to have you here. We'll jump into the first one. The first question I have for you, Hans, is what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
It must be this one. In the autumn of 1997, I was made redundant. The company I worked for was acquired by another company and my job disappeared. So I considered carefully what I wanted to do next and reached out to people in my network. At one of the interviews that followed, I was asked if I spoke German. I did speak a little German. At least I could get by ordering a beer and a sausage in German. So I answered, yes, I do. And that opened the door. And a few months later, I was offered the position as country manager for this company's subsidiary in Germany, and I moved there with my family. This company was later acquired by Microsoft, and the whole story is the basis of my most recent book. So my message is, don't be afraid to take chances, even when it seems that you are stretching your current skills. I now speak German fluently, and we— and that means my family and I— did have 4 great years in Germany, and it gave me the opportunity to write a book about it.
That is so awesome, man. Thank you for sharing that. Um, the next one I have for you is, what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
I am in and have been in the information technology industry for close to 40 years, and my roles have been in business development, sales, marketing, and management across cultures and geographical borders. If your job is to motivate people, being it customers, employees, business partners, or investors, then look for the value that you and your products can bring them. It's never about you and your product per se. It's always about the value that you can create.
And what's your best, uh, piece of overall business advice, so not necessarily industry specific?
Walk your talk. Treat everyone with respect and deliver on your promise. If you make a commitment, then deliver, irrespective on how when and to whom you make the commitment. That alone will make you stand out from the crowd.
And if you can give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
Be careful with the alcohol. It takes you nowhere. It makes you overconfident and you waste too much time on hangovers. You may have a great time, but it's better to jog an extra mile.
Yeah, I love it. And in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
Exercise and stay fit. You will smile every time you see yourself in the mirror, and all the rest will fall into place just nicely.
And what is the best book that you've read, and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
I read about one book a week, and, and picking just one is, is Very difficult. Also because you remember the most recent ones better than those that you read years back. So I'll pick the best book I have read recently, and it's The Management Myth by Matthew Stewart. The book proves that you cannot become successful by reading about how others became successful. And as most business books make the exact opposite claim, this book is one of a few in line with the book The Halo Effect by Phil Rosenzweig. And it's quite obvious when you think about it. If there was a recipe for success, then all the readers of business books would become successful, but they don't. So the bottom line is, books are great sources of inspiration, but don't expect they will deliver the holy grail even when they promise so. Take what you like, follow your intuition, and try your own stuff. Just remember to enjoy the journey as you move along.
I love it, man. That is a huge lesson. And what is your favorite quote and why?
I love quotes, and my favorite one must be this one: the price is what you pay, the value is what you get. I don't know who said it, but when you internalize that one, you will forever be a better salesperson.
Thank you so much for coming on, Hans. The last question I have for you before we let you go is, where's the best place for people to stay connected with you and and/or find you online?
Just Google my name and you'll find me, and my contact information is on my LinkedIn profile, and I do respond to most emails.
Perfect. Thanks again for hopping on, man.
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