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Archive for June, 2007

Procrastination

Jun 30

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Leadership, Negotiation, People!, Personal Development, Planning | No Comments

“Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today.” (My Mother, ever since I can remember.)

Procrastination is like a virus. It creeps up on you slowly, drains you of energy, and is difficult to get rid of if your resistance is low. Procrastination is a close relative of incompetence and a first cousin to inefficiency, which is why their marriage is taboo. These suggestions will help you conquer the virus:

1. Give yourself deadlines. In moderation, pressure motivates. Extreme pressure debilitates. Set appointments, make commitments, write out your goals, and otherwise develop the determination to succeed.

2. Don’t duck the difficult problems. Every day we are faced with both difficult and easy tasks. Tackle the difficult ones first so that you can look forward to the easy ones. If you work on the easy ones first, you might expand the time that they take in order to avoid the difficult ones waiting for you.

Many people put off difficult or large tasks because they appear too huge to tackle in a reasonable period. They feel that if they start and complete the “large” task at one sitting, it will prevent them from accomplishing any of the other tasks they have to do on that day. The answer to this problem is to break all large or difficult tasks into their smaller subparts. Then, you can do each of the subparts of the larger project over a series of days, if appropriate.

3. Don’t let perfectionism paralyze you. This is a problem that many writers have when writing articles or books. They sit with pad and pen in hand waiting for the “right” words to come out. What they are doing is avoiding the process of writing. Be prolific in your activities. You can always go back later and polish those things you are unhappy with. Better yet, you can delegate the polishing to someone else.

Because humans are so susceptible to procrastination, you must work at building up your immunity to it. Effective action is the best medicine.

Tragic Business…

Jun 30

Posted by Steve Gray in Health and Safety Dept, People!, Personal Development, Risk Management | No Comments

In our local paper today we read of a 30 yr old who had taken his life… Sad, and tragic, what made it worse my wife and I had taught this “lad” I remember his boisterousness, his propensity to get in to mischief, his moments of sheer happiness and the odd moment of withdrawl. In the main he was a good kid that went on to pursue a dream in hospitality and became  a head chef in one of our local restaurants after a number of years studying, and travelling overseas. At age 30 it seems too young, but then it happens at many ages.

My thoughts turn to those who had a longer connection with him, as their team leader, boss, mentor, and teacher. Then the company he worked for, how they would be effected by his departure.

What does a company do when someone decides to exit in this way… Were there indicators or signs this was happening? Could they have done anything? Possibly not. What comes next is the effects, the ongoing thoughts that he should be there, that he is not, that he did so much and will be missed, then on to the reality phase of acceptance and moving on.

Question. What would you do? At every phase of the process… What could you say to make things better, to lighten the load, to brighten the moment, to provide support to one and all…

There is no doubt it is a tricky situation and there are people qualified to advise and support better than you or I, however the process starts somewhere. I invite you to say, what if, but say it BEFORE the process kicks in.

What if I could steer people to the right sort of support? What if I could be perceptive to the subtleties of communication that I could see (at least some of) the writing on the wall? What if others had the ability to let me know as the leader of the organisation that things were not okay…? What if I could be strong enough to sit and chat about challenges my people might face personal and professionally? What if I could assist them to build solid foundations in their lives so they could function  effectively and elegantly at higher levels?

For some they lose the way in life through not goal setting enough, for others its about exploring a more open ended approach and being clear of the reestrictions goals might impose. What ever the reason for losing their way we all share some responsibility if we allow ourselves to not be able to act in effective and elegant ways on what is a tragic turn of events for all concerned, near or far.

Applying the Genius of Humor

Jun 29

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Innovation and Creativity, People!, Personal Development | No Comments

The genius of humor obviously pertains to communication, but humor is not just a secondary form of genius. Humor is vital. However, there is a wrong way and a right way to use it.

Here are my suggestions for improving your sense of humor: First, find out what your strong suit is, humor-wise. Ask a friend who will be honest with you. Second, know who you are talking with. Not everybody thinks the same things are funny — and there are a few people who do not think anything is funny, or at least nothing that has been discovered yet. Third, work on your timing. Try out your best lines on your family and your friends — and test bad puns on your enemies! Finally, remember that the best target for humor is yourself. A little self-deprecating humor can go a long way toward making people feel at ease with you.

In short, humor is much more than an icebreaker. When things are good, it can keep egos from becoming inflated. Moreover, when the going is tough, it can be an affirmation of dignity, a declaration of your faith in ultimate success.

The Adventure of Creative Problem-Solving

Jun 29

Posted by Michael Crooks in Innovation and Creativity, Personal Development, Starting out in business, The Marketing Dept | 2 Comments

I racked a fresh shell of 00 Buck into the chamber of my 12-gauge shotgun and drew the weapon to my shoulder. As I took careful aim at the dead tree branch about 30 feet above and 10 feet down range of me, my friend asked, “What are you doing?”

“Creative problem-solving,” I answered.

The smooth squeeze of the trigger was followed by a bellowing thunder, followed by the thud of the branch hitting the ground.

“Problem solved,” I said.

The problem I just solved wasn’t a saw problem. No, I had chainsaws and regular saws. What I didn’t have was a ladder tall enough to reach the branch. If I couldn’t get up there, what could I send up there instead? I thought of creating a bolo where I’d duct tape a couple of rocks to either end of a short rope, tie a longer line in the middle and throw it up there in hopes the line would wrap itself around the branch and I could pull like crazy and break the branch off.

I remembered reading that back in the pirate days they’d shoot bolos out of a cannon to tear down the enemy’s sails and rigging and disable the ship. That’s when it hit me … using buckshot and my shotgun as a cutting tool.

Sometimes, creative problem-solving involves looking at an item differently than you normally look at it. The best example of this type of thinking was the old tv show McGyver, who with little more than a ball point pen, a disposable butane lighter and a paper clip could create a rocket capable of taking down a small airplane. In the real world of promotional marketing, employing creative problem-solving may not be quite that exciting but, nevertheless, is just as effective.

For instance, using imprinted plastic flying disks (upside down) as paper plate holders or snack trays. Why spend the money on expensive traffic cones for your bike rally when less expensive, imprinted 7″ orange megaphones will do the trick? How about using coffee mugs as handled flower pots?

A few of our clients keep a supply of their imprinted coffee mugs at the local florist. When they need to send a get-well, sympathy or celebratory flower arrangement, they have the florist create and deliver the arrangement in my client’s mug. The mug remains long after the flowers wither, reminding the recipient of my client’s thoughtfulness. And because there is sentiment involved, the mug is more highly regarded.

You’ve employed creative problem-solving if you’ve ever cut three holes in a 33 gallon trash bag to use as an emergency poncho, or used a piece of cardboard as a dustpan or rolled a piece of paper into a makeshift funnel. I’ve used my pocket comb as an ice scraper, a kazoo (wrap a piece of tissue paper around it), a letter opener and to hold a small nail to keep from whacking my fingers.

Another approach to creative problem-solving is to question why something is done the way it is. I once met with a new client about her annual membership directory. The book had always been saddle stitched, meaning two staples in the middle held the thing together. But this new lady-in-charge didn’t like the fact that the book wouldn’t lay flat when you opened it. She wanted to bind it using comb binding. But that would cost more and they didn’t have the budget.

I asked one simple question that made all the difference. “Does the directory have to be the size that it is?” She thought for a moment and said no. I resized the book to use less pages, which meant less paper, less signatures, less plates, less plate changes, less gathering and collating. The savings went into the more expensive comb binding and we were able to deliver a membership directory that laid flat when you opened it … for the same price as the year before.

My final example of creative problem-solving was used by the criminal element when they went on a wheel-stealing rampage in the parking lot of my father’s auto repair facility. They had a wrench but no jack. So they loosened the lug nuts, took rocks from around the building and blocked up the undercarriage of the cars. Then they simply let the air out of the tires.

Children are some of the best creative problem-solvers in the world, because they don’t know “how things are supposed to be.” They question … they ask why and they ponder. For most people, that ability is taught out of them by the end of grade school through such statements as, “Do as you’re told,” “Follow the rules” and “Color inside the lines”.

The adventure of creative problem-solving is still within you. You just need to let your mind think like a kid again. If you have trouble … go find a little kid to play with.

Socrates – Philosophical Genius

Jun 27

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Excellence!, Innovation and Creativity, Leadership, People!, Personal Development | 6 Comments

“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.” In addition, if you keep doing what you have always done when conditions radically change, you will get a lot less than you have always gotten. How much can you accomplish when you really see things as they are – not with your eyes, but with all your heart and your soul?

The Athenian Greek philosopher Socrates, who lived in the fifth century BC, was able to accomplish his genius by opening his perception to the truth – and you can do the same.

Not much is known about Socrates’ early life, but he seems to have been quite an interesting fellow – interesting, but not exactly likable to the majority of people. He enjoyed calling people’s ideas into question. He enjoyed poking holes in their assumptions. He liked to make waves – and in the end, he paid for it with his life.

After Socrates served in the war between Athens and the rival city-state of Sparta, Socrates worked as a stonemason. He had also inherited a modest fortune from his father, from which he gained freedom to wander the city getting into discussions and arguments.

One of the formative events in Socrates’ life as a philosopher was his visit to the sacred oracle at the city of Delphi. The oracle was actually a priestess of the god Apollo. For a slight fee, the oracle would give advice and answer questions on any topic or problem. The only trouble was, like most fortune-tellers, the oracle would never give a straight yes or no answer. Often the questioner was more confused after consulting with the oracle than before, because of the riddles that the oracle passed of as answers.

In any case, there came a day when Socrates visited the oracle at Delphi. Maybe he paused a moment to look up at the motto that was carved above the door of the oracle’s temple: it read, “Know thyself.” This was certainly the basis of Socrates’ philosophy – and it may even have been the basis of the question that he addressed to the oracle that day. Maybe he said something like, “I want to know myself – but who am I, anyway?”

The exact question that Socrates put to the oracle is not known, but the oracle’s answer to him is very famous. Socrates himself was very shocked to hear it – because the oracle told him, “You are the wisest man in Athens.”

Socrates’ reaction to this is very interesting, and it was really the basis of his method as a philosopher. When the oracle told him he was the wisest man in Athens, Socrates simply did not believe it. Not only was he in disbelief about being the wisest man, but he did not even really believe he knew anything. He saw himself as a kind of blank slate, someone who had a lot of questions, but no real answers.

On the other hand, the oracle was the oracle. This was a god speaking, and when it said something – especially when it said something that seemed fairly straightforward for once – some attention should be paid. Therefore, Socrates decided to take action. He thought about the oracle’s pronouncement in a logical way. He realized that if he was not the wisest man, it must be because there were wiser men than him. So he started thinking of who some of these people might be, and he started dropping in on some of them and getting into some thought-provoking discussions.

On one occasion, for example, Socrates was talking with a very important and successful citizen of Athens, a man renowned for his good deeds and his responsible behavior in all areas of life. So Socrates said to him, “I’m trying to understand what it really means to be a good person, and I thought you might be able to help me out. Do you by any chance consider yourself a good person?” And the man said, “Yes, as a matter of fact I do.” So Socrates said, “Well, why exactly do you think that? What is it that makes you a good person?”

At this point, the man hesitated for a second – because he was not really used to answering these very direct questions about his virtue. So he thought for a minute, and then he said, “Well, I served in the army, and I pay my taxes.”

When Socrates heard this, he was completely stunned. He could not believe what he was hearing. This man was saying that he was a good person because he had been in the army and he paid his taxes – and this person was supposed to be one of the most accomplished citizens of Athens. His heart could be filled with hatred, he could be sneaking around at night setting fires or looking into peoples windows – yet he said he was a good person because he was in the army and he paid his taxes. Obviously, this was someone who had not given much thought to the meaning of good, or maybe even to the meaning of person. However, he seemed quite confident in what he said. He gave the impression that he knew what he was talking about. Yet it was clear to Socrates that he did not know anything. Even more importantly, he did not know that he did not know.

This was the kind of experience that Socrates had repeatedly as he talked to people about important questions and ideas. Repeatedly he found that supposedly smart people were actually quite ignorant – and they were ignorant without even realizing it. And gradually, as if by default, Socrates began to wonder if maybe he really was the wisest man in Athens after all – not because he had a lot of wisdom, which he did not, but because he was at least aware of his ignorance.

Socrates was always quick to question people’s assumptions and to reveal the “sacred cows” in their thinking. He kept this up to the point that the rulers of the city of Athens viewed him as a threat. Eventually he was brought to trial on some trumped up charges and was sentenced to death. Socrates accepted this judgment with complete calm. After all, the rulers were just doing what they usually did, just like he was. As it was written at the temple of Delphi, Socrates knew himself – even if nobody else could honestly say the same.

Let me play the role of Socrates with you for a moment. First, let me play the role of the Delphic oracle. Suppose I was to tell you that you have much, much greater capabilities than you think you have. What would be your response? Would it be genuine disbelief like Socrates? Alternatively, would it be denial – maybe in order to not get out of your comfort zone? You need to move past your assumptions and your inhibitions and maybe you will re-think your own limitations. You have created them yourself, you know – or at least that is what Socrates would tell you.

Your profile tells tales…

Jun 27

Posted by Steve Gray in Leadership, People!, Personal Development, Planning, Risk Management, Starting out in business | No Comments

Is your business profile telling you you are doomed to a life of mediocrity, or that there is hope for the future?

Take a look at the profile (see the PDF attachment Business Profiles) and ask yourself the following.

1. Are you at a clear profile level, or moving between them?

2. Is the profile level totally accurate for your position?

3 Is there anything you can do about it? A YES!

It does not take long to realise there are no hard and fast guidelines about where you stand in the profiles and that they can be starting points to understanding and then growth, should you decide to accept that as an option.

The trouble is many people have no idea of where they stand and fail to do anything to alter their position. Sure there are ‘comfort zones’ people operate in and those that choose to bury their heads in the sand do so at their own peril.

One of the beauties of the profile as a simple system for understanding, is being able to recognize where you are at so you can progress, or at least more fully appreciate your weaknesses so you can focus on developing them into strengths.

The profile levels are not a truly accurate device but they allow us to make sense of our position (at least to some degree) so we can realise our greater potential. If we merely accept our profile position and stay there, is it fair to say we are in a stuck state (one that allows limited if any growth potenial) or are we playing comfort zone games with ourselves and not opening ourselves to the full potential we can become?

I hope your profile position inspires you to look further, do more, be more rather than possibly stagnating. like the old saying says “Use it or lose it”.

It’s A Banner. What’s To Think About?

Jun 27

Posted by Michael Crooks in Innovation and Creativity, Planning, Starting out in business, The Marketing Dept, The Operations Dept | No Comments

I couldn’t help myself. It just sort of slipped out. “Well, Shelly … you’re gonna have to either get a shorter banner or taller kindergarteners.”

A brief moment of silence was broken by her laughter letting me know I hadn’t “blown it” and that she had a sense of humor — something I really like in a client.

“Oh yeah, right,” she said. “If the banner is four feet high the kids will have to hold it above their heads for the whole parade.”

Like most things in life, there are few things to think about when ordering a banner for an event. For starters, if the banner will be carried in a parade, how tall the carriers are in relationship to the height of the banner needs some thought.

How the banner will be used and for how long will dictate the substrate or, the material, of which the banner is made. If the banner is for one-time use such as an indoor press conference or other short-term indoor use a lighter, banner paper that is less expensive is fine. However, if the banner will be used in multiple parades and/or hung up for long-term viewing after use, then you have other things to consider as well.

A heavier, more durable substrate such as a 13oz vinyl banner material is recommended for multiple uses to withstand foldings/rollings and “trunk abuse”. If the banner will be hung in a window, an Ultraviolet (UV) laminate should be considered to prevent fading of the colors.

When a banner is to be used for a parade, we generally engineer horizontal “pole pockets” across the top and bottom. A pole that is roughly two feet longer than the banner is wide is inserted, making a comfortable carrying handle. We recommend PVC pipe as it’s lightweight and inexpensive yet strong enough to offer the support you want.

Sometimes people ask for vertical pole pockets at each end with an opening at the bottom and the pocket sewn shut at the top. The problem with this is that the banner carriers must remain a specific distance apart to keep the banner tight through the whole parade. It’s harder to do than it sounds and can make an otherwise enjoyable parade walk, miserable. The horizontal pockets are much easier to deal with.

The reason for the bottom horizontal pocket is to prevent the wind from blowing the banner either forward or back rendering it unreadable. We’ve found that a length of PCV pipe, that measures the width of the banner, with a couple end caps works great. You fill the pipe with sand, cap the ends and insert it into the bottom pole pocket giving it enough weight to remain stationary even if the wind blows.

If the banner will be hung after a parade, you’ll also want to have it manufactured with grommets that will give you more hanging options. We usually place grommets every two to three feet depending on the banner size. Anything over three feet high we usually put a grommet in the middle of each side as well.

For storage, rolling a banner is preferred to folding when your substrate is vinyl or paper. In cases where you have a digitally printed image on fabric, then folding is fine.

Once again, make sure the banner is short enough that the people carrying it in the parade can hold it about chest high without the bottom of the banner touching the ground.

Giving a little thought to your application, use and duration of use can produce a functional banner that looks great!

Awareness, Attentiveness and Intuition

Jun 26

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Excellence!, Leadership, People!, Personal Development | No Comments

Awareness refers to a continuously heightened sensitivity to what is going on in both your internal and your external environment. It has two separate but closely related ways of expressing itself. You must be aware of what is outside you — aware of the subtle behaviors of the people around you. In addition, you must be aware of your own reactions and inclinations.

It can be as simple as noticing when someone is getting bored, or tired, or stressed. It is recognizing the right and wrong moments for introducing new ideas. It knows when to speak and not to speak, when to act and not to act. Attentiveness is also the ability to tune into a problem and come up with its essential components. “What’s really going wrong here?” That insight provides the basis for envisioning something that will truly work better.

Attentiveness means you are open to more information coming in through your eyes, your ears, and your sense of touch — as well as your kinesthetic sense. It is better known as intuition, or gut feelings. It is how your muscles and the organs of your body react. Empathy is putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. Intuition gives you access to a person’s feelings when they are mirrored in your own body. For some reason this is especially useful with negative emotions such as fear, sadness, or doubt.

Effective communicators and leaders are good people-watchers. They look for the little signals that reveal what others are thinking or feeling. An especially important key to people watching is eye contact. It may not be a startling revelation, but people’s willingness to make eye contact says a lot about how comfortable they are with themselves and with you.

As you become an educated observer of what is going on around you, you will be able to evaluate your gut reactions from a more informed perspective. You will be able to know the world around you because you know yourself extremely well.

How do you know whether your intuition is right or wrong? Well, if you are often mistaken in your intuitive judgments, it is probably because you are being overly safe and overly protective. It is largely a matter of practice, because fears, wishes, negative thoughts, and ego needs can masquerade as intuition. When your ego is involved, it cancels out the gut. Your intuition will often point out possible problems, but your ego just adds to your problems.

A good way to develop you intuition is to start keeping track of your hunches. Write them down and then see what happens. By monitoring which come true and which do not, you will not only see what your record of accomplishment is, you will learn to recognize how true intuition feels. With practice, you will begin to see how genuinely intuitive feelings carry the most power and conviction. You will learn to recognize your fears and wishes, so you will not confuse them with your actually sixth sense.

There’s a story about a very educated English gentleman visiting a great Buddhist master. The holy man poured a cup of tea for the Englishman and kept pouring and pouring until there was tea all over the floor.

Finally, the Englishman could not sit silently any longer and asked: “Why are you overfilling the cup?” The Buddhist master replied: “This cup is like your head. It is so full of your own thoughts that nothing else will go into it. You must empty yourself first in order to learn anything new from me.”

Attentiveness is a lot like that. In order to be attentive, we need to empty ourselves of other thoughts and set ways of seeing things. When we use our senses to take in all we can about other people, we can much more accurately adjust our behavior to the needs of others. When we are attentive to situations, we have the power to make positive changes for others and ourselves.

How to create raving fans of your business, in 5 easy steps!

Jun 20

Posted by Bren Ryan in Excellence!, Innovation and Creativity, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept, The Operations Dept | 1 Comment

Ok, I admit it. I am a raving fan of one of my suppliers.

I tell my friends and colleagues about them.

I have referred dozens of people to them.

I have used them several times, and plan to use them again.

Ashop Commerce is a leading provider of hosted shopping cart software. They offer a complete solution for merchants to sell online.

I ordered my first Ashop after taking advantage of the 10 day free trial (enough time to set up a fully functioning ecommerce site), shortly after I ordered my second, third, and recently the fourth.

So how has Ashop made such a raving fan of me, and what can we learn from them?

1. AFFORDABILITY – Ashop’s shopping cart software is affordable. They charge enough to make a profit, but they know their market place, and where they fit. They know that although you can get free open source shopping carts, some of us are willing to pay for quality.

Lesson – know your market, and what makes an affordable price. Make a good profit, but offer value to make your product affordable

2. EASE OF USE - Anyone can set up an Ashop shopping cart. A quick look at the testimonial page on Ashop’s site is proof of that.

Lesson – Make it mind numbingly simple to deal with you!

3. CUSTOMER SERVICE Ashop bent over backwards to help me succeed. It’s not just ecommerce software, it’s the full service. The last time you contacted your ISP, did you talk to an answering machine, or a real human?

I have never had a business say to me, “Our customer service is pretty bad” Everyone says they offer great service, but how many actually do?

Lesson – Offer genuine great service. Don’t just pay lip service in a contrived mission statement.

4. BE AN EXPERT - I found Ashop by searching for “Shopping cart software” in Google. Guess who was #1 position in the world?

If I want to create an ecommerce website, I want to be shown how to do it by an SEO expert, right?

Lesson – Your customers want solutions to their problems. An expert will get more business than the amateur, and they charge more!

5. OFFER THE TOTAL SOLUTION - Ashop offer a total package. The shopping cart software is just the start.

Lesson – You can’t be all things to all people, but is there any reason you can’t be all things to your niche?

So, yes I am a raving fan of Ashop Commerce.

What business are you a fan of, and why?

What lessons can you learn from them?

Affordable Ecommerce
Comprehensive web based system
Level the playing field online!
www.ashop.com.au

Working Toward Your Goals

Jun 15

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Excellence!, People!, Personal Development | 2 Comments

Goals are the most important tools you need to accomplish anything, and there are certain steps you can take to complete your goals after you’ve made them. There are certain areas you need to consider while working toward your goals, which will help you succeed:

Define your goal. Your first task is to work out the factors of your goal, then write your goal down, as clearly as possible, and keep it in a prominent location.

Examine obstacles that stand in your way. This is a time to guard against negative assumptions and other self-defeating thoughts. Remember the definition of realistic. An obstacle blocks you only if you let it. You should also write down your innovative ways of overcoming obstacles with your goal.

W.I.I.F.M. What’s in it for me? Why do you want to achieve the goal? What kind of payoff is motivating you?

Plan your action. You need to carefully list the steps you will take to bring you closer to your goal. The smaller the increments the easier they will be to accomplish. There is a German proverb that says, “He who begins too much accomplishes little.” As the American Dental Association is fond of saying, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”

Project a target date for your goal. State your deadline range, such as, “between March 15 and April 1.” Think carefully about the amount of time you need. Too little time will increase the pressure and frustrate you. Too much time may reduce your drive.

Know how you’ll measure your success. Goals should be described in terms of the final outcome of an activity rather than as the activity. This is part of being specific. Instead of saying “I will be running more in four to six months,” you could say “I’ll be running three miles instead of two miles in four to six months.” How will you measure this? Probably by having one-third more blisters on your feet.

The Power of Storytelling

Jun 14

Posted by Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero in The Customer Service Dept, The Marketing Dept, The Sales Dept | No Comments

I’ll never forget the day I decided to quit my stable $50,000 a year job. Candy, the older assistant who really ran the company, had the radio on in her office. (She actually bossed me around sort of like the Meryl Streep character in “The Devil Wears Prada”. But most of the time she tolerated me. And today she actually invited me to listen in.) The news was blasting the unfolding details about the Columbine tragedy. It was unthinkable. Horrific. I jumped on the Internet and began following the story of two social outcasts plotting out an evil plan to kill their fellow students and teachers. I was especially upset because I had two young sons in elementary school while I was stuck behind a desk, unable to leave.

See when my boys, Justin and Chase, were first born in 1990 and 1992, I was a stay-at-home mom. We spent everyday reading, going to parks, visiting museums – just hanging out together. It was terrific. But with my divorce in the mid 1990s, I was forced to go to work each day, leaving them in the YMCA after school care program. I realize I’m not alone – a lot of parents have to do work outside the home to make ends meet. But my oldest son had a serious case of ADD and emotional immaturity. I was warned by two of his preschool teachers that he was a child who REALLY needed his mother or he could self-destruct…like those kids at Columbine.

That was the day I realized I couldn’t continue being away from my kids anymore. I had to find an escape. It took some research and a leap of faith before I pulled together enough courage to quit and become a full-time writer. It wasn’t a straight path to success but that is the story of why Red Hot Copy was born.

Stories are wickedly effective in getting attention. They work in conversation. And they work like gangbusters in copy. Why?

  1. Stories boost credibility. In order to tell a good story, you had better know your stuff. When your expertise is illustrated in a story you are more believable.
  2. Stories spark emotional connection. We buy from an emotional state of mind, not a logical one. And dry facts seldom get us worked into an emotional lather the way stories do.
  3. Stories can explore the pain of a problem. If you’re looking to paint the picture of suffering and agony in order to contrast how you or your service can be the solution, nothing does it better than a juicy story.
  4. Stories make the prospect trust you. Whenever we hear a story, by nature we look for connections to our own lives (after all, it truly IS all about “me”). That relating slashes the timeframe for bonding. And we all do business with those we know, like and trust.
  5. Stories bust through sales resistance.  Nobody likes to be sold to. But we don’t mind kicking back and listening to (or reading) a story. You’re much more likely to keep the prospect’s attention by telling a story than hitting him or her over the head with hype.

So for your own story inspiration, pay attention to little events that happen to you. Get in the habit of writing them down every day in a notebook you dedicate just to stories. (Type them if you like but it’s been proven there is a connection between writing things out by hand and brain stimulation.) Don’t edit at first. Just get it all out there.

Over time, you will start getting more concise. The point is to create a habit. It will take a little practice at first, but the payoff is huge.

The Four Styles – Acting on the Golden Rule

Jun 12

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Excellence!, Human Resource Management, Leadership, People!, Personal Development, Risk Management | 3 Comments

With the natural differences among the four behavioral types in mind, pretend that you want to give four people 15-20 minutes to make three simple decisions:

1. Where the next meeting will take place
2. When it will happen
3. The theme of the meeting

Quite by accident, your group consists of one Relater, one Thinker, one Director, and one Socializer who all believe in practicing The Golden Rule. Do you think they’ll get the job done? Perhaps, or perhaps not, depending on how each responds to one another in handling the simple task. Let’s see why this may not work out.

As they walk into the room, the Director typically speaks first. “Here’s my plan…

The Socializer says, “Hey! Who died and left you boss?”

The Thinker says, “You know there seems to be more here than meets the eye. We might want to consider some other relevant issues and break into sub-committees to explore them.”

The Relater smiles and says, “We may not get this done if we don’t work as a team like we have before.”

If you think that I’m stacking the deck, consider putting all four of one behavioral type into the room to make those decisions. They’d get the job done, wouldn’t they? Not if they follow the Golden Rule verbatim!

What do you call it when you send four Directors into the same room? War!

Or four Thinkers? Paralysis by analysis!

And four Relaters? Nothing! They sit around smiling at each other: “You go first.” “No, why don’t you go first. By the way, how’s the family?”

When four Socializers walk out, try asking them if they’ve gotten the job done. “Get what done?” They’ve had a party and instead come out with 10 new jokes and stories.

I may be exaggerating to make a point, but in some cases, not by much. Directors tend to have the assertiveness and leadership initiative to get tasks started. They may then delegate to others for follow-through, enabling the Dominant Directors to start still other new projects that interest them more.

Thinkers typically are motivated by their planning and organizational tendencies. If we want a task done precisely, find a Thinker. Of the four types, they’re the most motivated to be correct — the quality-control experts.

Relaters have persistence and people-to-people strengths — patience, follow-through, and responsiveness. When we have a problem, we may choose to go to a sympathetic-appearing Steady Relater because he or she listens, empathizes, and reacts to our feelings.

Socializers are natural entertainers who thrive on involvement with people. They also love to start things, but often don’t finish them. In fact, they may pick up three balls; throw them in the air, and yell, “Catch!” Emotional, enthusiastic, optimistic, and friendly, Socializers usually pep up an otherwise dull environment.

Know Your Customers – the 80/20 Rule

Jun 12

Posted by Jenny Stilwell in Planning, Risk Management, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept | 1 Comment

We all know our customers. We know their names and their businesses, and we often know something about their lives outside of work. Usually we have lists of who our customers are. However, what many small business owners usually don’t know is what’s happening in the mix of their customer base.

When you analyse your customer base, and you should, you need to identify the following indicators:

  • What are the broad customer categories by dollar spend – eg: up to $1,000 per annum, $1001-$3,000 etc. You will obviously select categories which have more meaning to your business.
  • What is the average customer dollar spend by category, and how do they compare
  • Overall, which customers generate most of your revenue – eg: the top 20% may generate 80% of your turnover, or close to that, or your top 10 customers may generate 80% of your revenue. The objective here is to identify those customers which are vital to your business in terms of revenue.
  • What products or services are your customers buying? All, some, a mix? Is it changing?
  • Is the average dollar spend by category increasing or declining over previous periods?
  • Which customers have been active (purchasing) over the longest period of time?
  • Which customers have become inactive (not spending) and why?

When you’ve identified this information, you need to look at what you’ve discovered:

  • Who are the most valuable customers?
  • How many customers add little value, or cost money to service?
  • What is the profile of the preferred high value customers?
  • What products or services are not really selling? Which are selling well?
  • What is the risk identified by your 80/20 analysis? Do you have all or most of your eggs in one or just a few customer baskets?
  • If you were to lose any high value customers, you know what the impact to your business would be.

What actions can you take from there?

  • Make sure your most valuable customers are well looked after and serviced.
  • Revisit your product or service range and make changes where necessary (delete items from your range, look at developing new products, proactively promote some products or services more than others, etc.)
  • Assess the structure of your sales team – you may have a direct sales team (or advisors, or consultants, or technicians, or whatever is appropriate to your business) manage the top customers on a one on one basis, you may have a set number of your team sharing the management of the next tier of customers, and you may consider a telesales or telemarketing person or team to manage all of the small customers. They may also be managed via a website interface, for example.
  • Now that you know the profile of your preferred type of customer, you need to ensure that you focus on this profile when attracting new customers. This will spread the risk of having most of your revenue generated by just a few customers, and will build your business in the right direction.
  • Finally, don’t forget about building the value of your customers: ask them what they think, what they want, what they may want to see changed, and what else you can do for them. Now you have them, and you know them well, build on that to build your business.

Nurturing creativity…..

Jun 10

Posted by Bren Ryan in Human Resource Management, Innovation and Creativity, People!, Personal Development, The Board Room, The Operations Dept | 1 Comment

Well, I guess not much got done that afternoon, but I bet there is never any bad ideas there…. Read the rest of this entry »

Apathy is a Major Social Problem — But Who Cares?

Jun 5

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Human Resource Management, Leadership, People! | No Comments

Actually, it is — and we all should care because it’s enthusiasm, not apathy, that makes the world go ’round. John Wesley, the famous founder of Methodism, was asked how he was able to attract such crowds when he preached. He replied, “I just set myself on fire and people will come from miles to watch me burn.”

Being enthusiastic isn’t merely talking energetically and gesturing wildly about your passion. It can take a quieter path. Maybe your enthusiasm is revealed by the earnestness and persistence with which you seek to get others involved. Maybe it’s shown by your strength of commitment, your refusal to become discouraged. Maybe it’s that spark in your eye, or that warm smile, and the unmistakable genuineness that emanates from you as you explain, again and again, your mission.

3 Pillars of a Healthy Business

Jun 5

Posted by Jenny Stilwell in Planning, Risk Management, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Marketing Dept | No Comments

We all need to focus on three key pillars for success: marketing our businesses to build clients and income; management practices and procedures to establish the framework for our business as it grows; and mentoring support to keep us on the right track, and provide different levels of support as our business grows.

1. Marketing to Build Your Business

The following table provides a checklist of fundamental activities you can either do yourself, or outsource to a specialist provider. If you work with other small businesses, these services need not cost you a lot. Get creative and look at providing your services in exchange for their services, or even payment terms in instalments over a period of time.

Remember to do what you’re good at, let other people focus on what they do best, and if you can’t afford them, wait until you can.

Always have an objective or an intended outcome for your marketing, otherwise it will have no focus and minimal results.

Marketing Options and their Objectives

Opt 1: Speaking engagements (Conference, special interest group, radio, business groups)

Doing it/Plan to do

    The more ‘doing it’ the better! If not, then plan quickly & do it!

Objectives:

    • Raise your profile in target market
    • Establish your expertise

Opt 2: Direct marketing

Objectives:

    • Present an offer & call to action
    • Raise awareness of your product/service
    • Educate/inform
    • Generate leads

Opt 3: PR

Objectives:

    • Raise profile
    • Create awareness
    • Establish expertise & credibility

Opt 4: Exhibitions & conferences

Objectives:

    • Establish positioning in market
    • Educate
    • Network – identify opportunities
    • Showcase products to captive target market
    • Establish credibility if speaking at conference
    • Generate sales leads

Opt 5: Industry & business publications – submit articles

Objectives:

    • Establish credibility & expertise within target market
    • Position yourself as specialist
    • Raise profile
    • Generate enquiries

Opt 6: Telesales/telemarketing

Objectives:

    • Prospecting for new business
    • Build leads
    • Customer service

MARKETING TOOLS
• Case studies – explains the client problem or need, and your solution
• Testimonials – statements of endorsement from satisfied clients
• Press releases – use them to send to media, or to customers or placed on web site
• Award entries/winning awards – winning awards sets you apart
• Newsletters – printed or electronic; write them yourself or ask for contributions
• Company profile – also a ‘credentials’ document to establish your credibility
• Website – make it work for you
• Brochures – try not to change these too often (requires time and $$), but don’t let them date
• Video/CD presentations – particularly if you are in the creative field

Start marketing now and don’t stop!

2. Management Practices & Procedures

Make sure you address each of the following key areas as your business grows, otherwise it will become extremely difficult to manage once you have staff, more customers to manage, higher revenue and profit targets, and more priorities to manage and set.

Sales

  • A top priority for any business in growth mode. Face to face selling, telemarketing, sales through agents or distributors will build your network, generate leads, and ultimately result in revenue. Sell, sell, sell!
  • If you don’t feel comfortable selling, then pair up with someone who does. It may be a business partner, or commission agent, contract salesperson, or telesales organisation.
  • Track your sales efforts and follow up. If people are interested in your products or services, or want more information, or are expecting you to call them back, then do so. A lost opportunity is just that, but it is also bad for your reputation as a professional.
  • Make sure you can deliver.
  • Use templates for your database, for tracking sales, doing forecasts, and reporting weekly sales activity for a team. If it’s organised it’s easier to manage.

Marketing

  • Refer to point 1 of this article.
  • Use templates, record your marketing activities, record outcomes to measure effectiveness.
  • Use document templates where you can, and develop a schedule of activities for the year ahead.
  • Have a well thought through plan. Prioritise and stay focused!

Goals & planning

  • Know what your big picture is.
  • Have a vision of where you’re going and where you want to be.
  • Set realistic, memorable and achievable goals
  • Break down the big picture into achievable components – the next week, month etc
  • Follow up and track your performance – if you don’t achieve your goals, what are you doing?

People management

  • Get it right from the beginning.
  • Recruitment is critical in attracting and retaining the right people. Pay attention to the process.
  • Have an induction program for new people. Don’t just let them try and work it all out for themselves. Help them become productive quickly. That makes everyone happy.
  • Manage their performance and their development. Provide performance reviews, and appropriate development training when required. Provide feedback. Encourage and support.

Systems & Processes

  • Document your processes wherever possible.
  • This doesn’t happen overnight but it is an extremely worthwhile exercise. It helps organise the business, makes it operate more efficiently, and makes it easier for you to start removing yourself from day to day operations as the business grows.
  • Start anywhere, such as HR for example – how you recruit, induct, review and manage your staff can all be systemised and documented for easy reference by you and by your staff.
  • A well-organised business has more value to potential buyers, investors, business partners. It’s also easier to work in!

3. Mentoring for Support

Last, but not least, is the Mentoring pillar. Business mentoring from an individual or a group, formal or informal, is invaluable. A business mentor or mentoring program can:

  • keep you on track
  • help you through the rough times
  • demand that you celebrate your successes, however large or small
  • provide another point of view
  • challenge your approach
  • share experience
  • help you to reach new heights with your business
  • provide support and encouragement
  • most importantly make you feel that you’re not alone, and that you have someone else to talk to about your business when you need it.

Marketing facilitates growth, management provides a solid foundation to build on, and mentoring fires your enthusiasm and encourages your development.

What is stopping you?

Better Idea Generation Look Beyond The First Right Idea

Jun 3

Posted by Michael Crooks in Innovation and Creativity, Starting out in business, The Marketing Dept, The Sales Dept | 3 Comments

I walked into the office of my Chiropractor/Acupuncturist and signed in. There on the desk were three pens. One looked like a syringe, another was a crooked pen and the third looked like a bone.

“What are these,” I asked, knowing full well they were pens.

“They’re pens,” the doctor replied. ” I’m trying to decide which one to promote my practice with. What do you think?

It took me a minute to respond. I was dismayed that someone was trying to sell him such cliché’ ideas. Who ever this someone was, had little understanding of the good doctor or his practice. I was also a little irritated that he hadn’t called me in the first place.

“Let me guess,” I said, holding up the syringe pen. “Our patients love it when we needle them.”

“Yeah,” he blurted out in amazement.

I held up the crooked pen and said, “We’ll get you back on the straight and narrow.”

“Well, yeah,” he exclaimed.

I picked up the bone-shaped pen and said, “The imprint involves the phrase no bones about it.”

The doctor came to the sudden realization that the ideas he thought were so clever only moments before, were neither clever or original.

“You’re always talking about blood flow, energy flow and balance, that’s your message.” I said. “So when it comes to your promotional marketing, why is your message suddenly bones, needles and crookedness?”

I told him if he wanted ideas that supported his message and what he was really about, we’d have to look beyond the obvious.

Too often people stop after the first idea they develop when searching for creative ideas to promote their business, event or brand. And while the first idea may indeed make sense, these ideas are usually cliché and tired. But by digging deeper, better promotional marketing ideas can be discovered. The key in this case is to focus not on the “tools of the trade” such as needles and bones, but to focus on the philosophy of the doctor: balance and flow.

Several promotional marketing ideas came to mind. Imprinted mugs and imprinted packets of tea with multiple tea bags inside. Patients could think of the doctor numerous times when they enjoy the tea. And, he can always offer them more tea bags on return visits, reminding patients to share with a friend.

Mugs make great sense for doctors and other medical professionals. They serve as a nice handout to first-time patients. But often their real promotional marketing value becomes evident when a few mugs are stored at the local florist. When the doctor learns of a patient illness, an arrangement is created and delivered in the doctor’s imprinted mug. This also works great for congratulatory events.

As far as pens go, there are pens that contain a liquid with a custom float inside. As the liquid flows back and forth, the logo or some other icon flows back and forth as well. A blood flow or energy flow message is now appropriate.

Stretching is also an important part of a Chiropractic therapy regime. So an exercise band might fill the bill.

Then I thought of bandannas. Bandannas are being used creatively in a broad range of venues. Festivals, communities and businesses are printing maps, schedules and take out menus on them. Along that line, a Chiropractor or Acupuncturist can imprint a map of the body on a bandanna. The map could show how and where an imbalance creates pain. Or I could show acupuncture points and to what part of the body those points relate.

Thinking creatively is something that can be learned.

There are two books I discovered early in my career that have been especially helpful in generating new and better ideas for my clients. The books, both by Roger von Oech, are, “A Whack On The Side Of The Head” and “A Kick In The Seat of The Pants”.

As for the Chiropractor? We co-branded a body-map themed bandanna with other businesses such as a fitness center, a drug store and a massage therapist to offset the higher cost of the item.

Perfect! Creative, relevant, useful and affordable promotional marketing.

7 Surefire Tips to Make Your Order Page Work Harder

Jun 2

Posted by Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero in IT Dept, People!, Planning, Risk Management, The Customer Service Dept, The Marketing Dept, The Sales Dept | 1 Comment

So your prospect, Mary, is sitting at the computer reading your compelling sales letter. She’s convinced she needs your product. So she clicks on the order link, with her credit card next to the mouse. She’s taken to the order page. What she sees next makes her change her mind and click away. Can you prevent bail out at the crucial moment of ordering? You betcha!

Here are 7 surefire tips to make your order page work harder for you…

1. Check marks the spot. Add a check box with a big, bold “Yes! I’ll take it! I understand I get blah, blah, blah.” For extra impact, consider adding a red border around the box so it stands out.

2.  Repeat yourself. Remove all doubt about what the prospect gets for her moolah. List all bonuses and the guarantee (if there is one). Include directions on when and how the product will arrive. Hold her by the hand and take all the mystery out of the order.

3. Be kind. Remind. We all want to feel like we made a great choice. You already know how cool your product is. Let her know it too. Something as simple as, “You’ve made a smart decision. Imagine how much your life will improve with this widget.”

4. They like you! They really like you! The order page is a natural place for a stellar testimonial. As my friend Jonathan Mizel (one of the original Internet marketing pioneers) told me, “It’s not over until they actually order.” Consider adding audio as well. www.redhotaudio.com Studies show it adds a human element to your testimonials.

5. Type the easy stuff first. Psychologically the credit card fields should be at the bottom of the page after the prospect’s name and address. Once she starts typing, the sales resistance goes down and the buy in begins. (Note: One Shopping Cart does this by default.) www.clickstartcart.com/

6. Give ‘em options. Some people are still nervous to reveal their credit card info online. If you don’t have alternate methods of ordering like by fax or phone, you could be leaving a lot of money on the table. Marty Foley (http://www.convertmoretraffic.net) suggests you reassure your prospect that your security (SSL) has “bullet-proof encryption”.

7. Wait! Don’t leave! We all hate pop ups (and many are blocked). But they work. if the prospect clicks away, why not add a pop up box with another offer, like the downloadable version at a cheaper price? After all, she’s leaving anyway. What do you have to lose? Tom Antion does this masterfully at www.wedding-toasts.org. (By the way, for an unblockable pop up ad, I recommend the one I’m currently using on my website by Ad Impact at www.red-hot-copy.com/recommends/popup).

These improvements should take less than 30 minutes to put in place so there really is no excuse for putting them off. Tiny tweaks to your copy go a long way toward improving your sales. Never stop improving.

How People Learn

Jun 2

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Excellence!, Human Resource Management, Leadership, People!, Personal Development | No Comments

“The longest journey on earth begins with a single step.”
(Anonymous)

Can you remember when you first learned how to drive a car? Before you learned how, you were in the Ignorance stage. You didn’t know how to drive the car and you didn’t even know why you didn’t know how to drive it.

When you first went out with an instructor to learn how to drive, you arrived at the Phase 2: Awareness. You still couldn’t drive, but because of your new awareness of the automobile and its parts, you were consciously aware of why you couldn’t drive. You may have felt overwhelmed by the tasks before you, but when these tasks were broken down one by one, they weren’t so awesome after all. They became attainable. Step by step, familiarity replaced fear.

With some additional practice and guidance, you were able to become competent in driving the car through recognition of what you had to do. However, you had to be consciously aware of what you were doing with all of the mechanical aspects of the car as well as with your body. You had to be consciously aware of turning on your blinker signals well before you executed a turn. You had to remember to monitor the traffic behind you in your rearview mirror. You kept both hands on the wheel and noted your car’s position relative to the centerline road divider. You were consciously aware of all of these things as you competently drove. This third phase is the hardest stage – the one in which your people may want to give up. This is the Practice stage. People tend to feel uncomfortable when they goof, but this is an integral part of Phase 3. Human beings experience stress when they implement new behaviors, especially when they perform them imperfectly.

In Phase 3, you must realize that you’ll want to revert to the older, more comfortable behaviors, even if those behaviors are less productive. At this phase, you must realize it’s alright to make mistakes. In fact, it’s necessary so you can improve through practice, practice and more practice.

Returning to the car example, think of the last time that you drove. Were you consciously aware of all of the actions that I just mentioned above? Of course not! Most of us, after driving awhile, progress to a level of Habitual Performance. This is the level where we can do something well and don’t even have to think about the steps. They come “naturally” because they’ve been so well practiced that they’ve shifted to automatic pilot. This final stage, Phase 4, is when practice results in assimilation and habitual performance; where your productivity increases beyond its previous level and reaches a new and higher plateau.

This four-phase model for success can help you break out of the rut most of us dig for ourselves. By experiencing success and encouragement at each level, change can be exciting instead of intimidating. The bottom line is this: skills and attitudes will both improve by taking one step at a time.

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