Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Organization Tool

Staying organized is one of the most difficult tasks busy people have. NO, That is NOT my office!

However, I am trying out a new system from accomplice.com

I got the link from a fellow local blogger and business coach, Dan Surface. I am going to try it out for task organization and keep it on a 2 gig USB Drive so that I can plug it into any computer. (My current laptop is having monitor problems and I may need to switch to a different one while this one is being repaired in the future). I also like the fact it is NOT a Microsoft product.

If you try it, let me know what you think.

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A New Month and a New Perspective

A friend of mine retired last year and has never been busier! He has been in this business world since I was a kid and he has a son my age, yet rarely did our age difference make a difference in our friendship or working relationship. As a matter of fact, he is married to a woman that is my age.

They sold their house this summer and have moved to California, where once again he will be working, doing what he loves and enjoying the warm sunshine.

His perspective is new and fresh and yet the past five years that I have known him, he has always had a positive attitude (that was sometimes buried under a bunch of negative circumstances).

If you need a new perspective, you don't have to sell your house, just read and believe some of the following quotes attributed to Zig Ziglar:

Ambition

Your business is never really good or bad "out there" your business is either good or bad right between your own two ears.

The real opportunity for success lies within the person and not in the job.

It is easy to get to the top after you get through the crowd at the bottom.

Success is not a destination, it's a journey.

The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won't work - if you won't.

Motivation is the fuel, necessary to keep the human engine running.

Discipline yourself to do the things you need to do the things you need to do when you need to them, and the day will come when you will be able to do the things you want to do them!

What you get by reaching your destination is not nearly as important as what you will become by reaching your destination.

Motivating gets you going and habit gets you there . Make motivating a habit and you will get there more quickly and have more fun on the trip.

The basic goal-reaching principle is to understand that you go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will be able to see farther.

You are the only one who can use your ability. It is an awesome responsibility.

Ambition, fueled by compassion, wisdom and integrity, is a powerful force for good that will turn the wheels of industry and open the doors of opportunity for you and countless others.

If we don't start, it’s certain we can't arrive.

Obviously, there is little you can learn from doing nothing.

Attitude

Positive thinking will let you use the abilities, training and experience you have.

Positive thinking won't let you do anything but it will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.

We all need a daily check up from the neck up to avoid stinkin 'thinkin' which ultimately leads to hardening of the attitudes.

It’s not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what happens to you.

You cannot tailor make the situations in life, but you can tailor make the attitudes to fit those situations before they arise.

Of all the "attitudes" we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing.

When you choose to be pleasant and positive in the way you treat others, you have also chosen, in most cases, how you are going to be treated others.

You can disagree without being disagreeable.

I've go to say "no" to the good say "yes" to the best.

To respond is positive, to react is negative.

Encouragement

Start your child's day with love and encouragement and end the day the same way.

You already have every characteristic necessary for success if you recognize, claim, develop and use them .

You cannot make it as wandering generality. you must become a meaningful specific.

The best way to raise positive children in a negative world is to have positive parents who love them unconditionally and serve as excellent role models.

You will make a lousy anybody else, but you will be the best “you" can lead someone else.

When someone we love is having difficulty and is giving us a bad time, it's better to explore the cause than to criticize the action.

Take time to be quiet.

Obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off our goals.

The best thing a parent can do for a child his to love his or her spouse.

Your mate doesn't live by bread alone; he or she needs to be "buttered up" from time to time .

Other people and things can stop you temporarily. You're the only one who can do it permanently.

Guidance

If you're sincere, praise is effective. If you're insincere, it's manipulative.

Everybody says they want to be free. Take the train off the tracks and it's free-but it can't go anywhere.

Many marriages would be better if the husband and wife clearly understood that they're on the same side.

The more you express gratitude for what you have the more you will have to express gratitude for.

Kids go where there is excitement. They stay where there is love.

Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully.

It's not the situation, but whether we react (negative) or respond (positive) to the situation that's important.

There's not a lot you can do about the national economy but there is a lot you can do about your personal economy.

Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.

You can finish school, and even make it easy -but you never finish your education, and it's seldom easy.

The best way to make your spouse and children feel secure is not with big deposits in bank account, but with little deposits of thoughtfulness and affection in the "love account."

You've got to be before you can do, and do before you can have.

All of us perform better and more willingly when we know why we're doing what we have been told or asked to do.

Money will buy you a bed, but not a good night's sleep, a house but not a home, a companion but not a friend.

Most x-rated films are advertised as "adult entertainment" for "mature adults," when in reality they are juvenile entertainment for immature and insecure people.

You don't drown by falling in water; you only drown if you stay there.

When you give a man a dole you deny him his dignity, and when you deny him his dignity you rob him his destiny.

Remember, you can earn more money, but when time is spent is gone forever.

Happiness

I"m so optimistic I'd go after Moby Dick in a row boat and take the tartar sauce with me.

Most of us would be upset If we were accused of being "silly" comes from the old English word "seilig" and it's literal definition is "to be blessed , happy, healthy and prosperous."

The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want the most for what you want now.

Be helpful. When you see a person without a smile, Give him yours.

Hope

Our children are our only hope for the future, but we are their only hope for their present and their future.

When you put faith, hope and love together you can raise positive kids in a negative world.

Failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night.

There are seldom, If ever, any hopeless situations, but there are many people who lose hope in the face of some situations.

You cannot solve a problem until you acknowledge that you have one and accept responsibility for solving it.

Character gets you out of bed; commitment moves you to action .Faith, hope, and discipline Enable you to follow through to completion.

The door to a balanced success opens widest on the hinges of hope and encouragement.

Integrity, Character

If standard of living is your major objective, quality of life almost never improves, but if quality of life is your number one objective, your standard of living almost always improves.

If people like you they'll listen to you, but if they trust you they'll do business with you.

Ability can take you the top, but it takes character to keep you there.

The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to his or her commitment to excellence, regardless of his or chosen field of endeavor.

Keep your thinking right And your business will be right.

When a company or an individual compromises one time, whether it's on price or principle, the next compromise is right around the corner .

What you do off the job is determining factor In how far you will go on the job.

You build a successful career, regardless of your field of endeavor, by the dozens of little things you do on and off the job.

When you exercise your freedom to express yourself at the lowest level, you ultimately condemn yourself to live at that level.

With integrity you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt. With fear and guilt removed you are free to be and do your best.

When I discipline myself to eat properly, live morally, exercise regularly, grow mentally and spiritually, and not put any drugs or alcohol in my body, I have given myself the freedom to be at my best, perform at my best, and reap all the rewards that go along with it.

When we do more than we are paid to do, eventually we will be paid more for what we do.

What comes out of your mouth is determined by what goes into your mind.

You can get everything money will buy without a lick of character, but you can't get any of the things money won't buy- happiness ,joy, peace of mind, winning relationships, etc., without character.

Self Image

If you don't like who you are and where you are, don't worry about it because you're not stuck either with who you are or where you are. You can grow. You can change .You can be more than you are.

Some people find fault like there is a reward for it .

Far too many people have no idea of what they can do because all they have been told is what they can't do. They don't know what they want because they don't know what's available for them.

Man was designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.

You were born to win, but to be the winner you were born to be you must plan to win and prepare to win. Then and only then can you legitimately expect to win.

When your image improves, your performance improves.

The greatest single cause of a poor self-image is the absence of unconditional love.

It's not what you know; it's what you use that makes a difference.

Success is not measured by what you do compared to what others do, it is measured by what you do with the ability God gave you.

Before you change your thinking, you have to change what goes into your mind.

You are what you are and where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change what you are and where you are by changing what goes into your mind.

Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember-the only taste of success some people have when they take a bite out of you.

Success

Too many people spend more time planning how to get the job than on how to become productive and successful in that job.

You enhance your chances for success when you understand that your yearning power is more important than your earning power.

The price of success is much lower than the price of failure.

When management and labor (employer and employee) both understand they are all on the same side, then each will prosper more.

When we clearly understand that there is no superior sex or superior race, we will have opened the door of communication and laid the foundation for building winning relationships with all people in this global world of ours.

The only way to coast is down hill.

Remember there is plenty of room at the top-but not enough to sit down.

Selling is essentially transference of feeling.

If you will pump long enough, hard enough, and enthusiastically enough, sooner or later the effort will bring forth the reward.

You don't "pay the price” for success-you enjoy the benefits of success.

Success is one thing you can't pay for. You buy it on the installment plan and make payments every day.

Ability is important in our quest for success, but dependability is critical.

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Four Easy Steps to Getting More Customers

by Kevin Stirtz

The good news and bad news about marketing is that price and results are not necessarily connected. You can pay the same price for poor results as you would for great results.

The difference is based on what you put into your marketing before you implement.

By planning your marketing well, you can put more quality into it and therefore, get better results out of it.

Here is an easy and effective method to plan your marketing so you can see better results from your marketing without spending more money.

A. Understand your strengths

Ask yourself these questions:

Why do people buy from you?
What do you really do for your customers?
How are you better than your competition?
What special skills or advantages do you have?

The answers to these questions are your competitive advantages. They are what make you stand out from your competition. They may be related to price, location, professional skills, attitude, responsiveness or your own personality.

People buy from you because you do something for them no one else does. Understand this and you've taken the first step to better marketing.

B. Identify your customers (your target market)

To promote your business you should focus on people who value what you do. Your strengths (or competitive advantages) will help you focus on who will most value your service or product.

For example, if your location is a strength then your customers will reflect your location. If high quality is a strength then your customers should appreciate quality.

To get an idea of who your target market is, look at your current customers. Or, look at your profit margins to decide which type of customers to focus on. You might have several target markets because you have several products or services and a variety of strengths.

Bottom line: focus on people who will place a high value on what you can do for them. These people will be your most loyal and profitable customers.

C. Create a meaningful message

The key in successful marketing is to deliver the right message to the right people as often as your budget will allow. So, you need a message that tells your target market why they should do business with you.

Your message should reflect your strengths because those are what you do best. And, your message should be in terms that your target market is interested in.

In other words speak in their language and say what they want to hear.

Example:

You're a Realtor and your strength is that you sell houses fast and your target market is people who want their houses sold fast, then your message might be:

"I sell houses fast!"

And you can give them some details to demonstrate how you sell houses faster than anyone else in town (such as statistics and testimonials).

Another example:

If you are a chiropractor and your strength is that you help get rid of back pain and you help your patients prevent it from coming back, then your target market might be people with chronic back pain who want it to stop, forever.

Your message might be:

"We get rid of back pain now and we prevent it from coming back later."

Your message comes directly from your strengths and your target market. The three work together naturally and simply.

You can have more than one message. Each marketing focus (based on a product or service, a target market and a strength) should have its own message.

To start, just work on one message. Then as you develop a system that works, add others to your marketing system. Don't overwhelm yourself right away by trying to do too much.

D. Deliver your message as often as your budget allows.

Now you have to find and purchase the appropriate delivery vehicles (or media) for your marketing messages.

There are three things to remember as you plan how to deliver your message:

Set a budget for the project.
Get the most exposure possible for that budget.
Focus your exposure on your target group.

Unless your budget is unlimited, you need to choose delivery vehicles that focus your message.

For example, if you have a retail store and you know 90% of your customers live within two miles of your store, then you might focus your message delivery on people who live within two miles of your store. This gives you the ability to repeat your message to them multiple times, putting the power of repetition to work for you.

There are many ways to deliver your message: advertising, direct mail, networking, phone calls or personal visits. Some less direct ways might be to teach classes or offer seminars on topics that relate to your product or service. Other ways might be to sponsor events or offer informational sessions about what you do. Or, you might partner with a nonprofit.

Whatever you do, try to achieve a balanced mix of media when delivering your message. This increases awareness of your business and multiplies the impact of your message.

Kevin Stirtz has developed a unique concept called "Blow Up Your Business." He speaks to groups of professionals and business owners who want to attract more customers and put more money in their pocket. Kevin can be reached at http://www.KevinStirtz.com or 952-212-4681.

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Top 10 Things Customers Don't Want to Hear

And What You Should Say Instead

by Bill Lampton, Ph.D.

Think back to recent conversations you had while you were shopping. Unfortunately, chances are very good that sales people who talked with you about their product or service used language that either surprised you, bothered you slightly, or infuriated you so much that you vowed not to do business with them again.

Now, think about the words you and those you work with use when you talk with current and potential customers. What are you saying that offends buyers? What should you be saying instead?

Here are ten of the most common language blunders, with the comments you and your people should be making instead:

I "I'm surprised you haven't heard about our product."

Why that's wrong: Sounds condescending, arrogant, and insulting, implying that the prospect is ignorant.

Better statement: "Since you said our product is unfamiliar to you, I'll take a couple of minutes to describe it and answer your questions."

II "That's not my job."

Why that's wrong: Not only do you avoid handling a customer's problem yourself, you offer no solution from anyone.

Better statement: "I know just the person who can help you with that problem, and I'll introduce you to her."

III "Sorry, it's closing time, so I can't talk with you now."

Why that's wrong: Indicates that you work by the clock, not by commitment to customer needs.

Better statement: "As you can see, the store is closing now, but I will be glad to stay around a few minutes until we meet your need."

IV "To schedule delivery, let me see when I'm going to be in your neighborhood next week."

Why that's wrong: Shows that you have your convenience as the decisive factor in scheduling, not the customer's convenience.

Better statement: "Yes, we can deliver this to you next week. What day and time will suit you best?"

V "You're the first person who has complained about our service."

Why that's wrong: Implies that the customer is a grouch and troublemaker, and that your company could not possibly be wrong.

Better statement: "Even though we hear plenty of compliments about our service, we know there's always room for improvement, so I'm grateful that you reported this problem".

VI "Tell me your name again, and what the problem is."

Why that's wrong: Shows that you didn't listen carefully, and this will infuriate a person who is dissatisfied already.

Better statement: "Mr. Adams, as I understood you, your car's air conditioning isn't cooling adequately. Right?"

VII "If you buy this item, you'll help me meet my sales quota for the month."

Why that's wrong: Makes you sound only marginally successful, and reflects that you are using the customer instead of becoming useful for the buyer.

Better statement: "This item has been quite popular this month, and we are hearing good reports from customers who have installed it."

VIII "Walk through that door over there, turn left, take the escalator, and you'll be on the floor where we accept returned merchandise."

Why that's wrong: Many people get confused about directions, and if the customer gets lost, you are adding to her frustration.

Better statement: "Let me tell my manager that I am going to take you to the clerk who can assist you with this returned merchandise."

IX "Gosh, I barely got here--had to drop my dog at the vet, traffic was terrible, and I've got this awful headache."

Why that's wrong: Customers aren't interested in your problems, because they are depending on you to solve their problems.

Better statement: "Good morning, I'm glad to meet you." That's all that you need to say about yourself and how you arrived.

X "That's against our policy."

Why that's wrong: Customers don't want to deal with inflexible bureaucrats, but with sales people who care enough to adjust to unmet needs.

Better statement: "While regulations seem to indicate we can't do this, I believe we can find a way to accommodate your request."

A closing suggestion: Take this list to your next staff or employee meeting. Use the list as a springboard for discussion. Challenge your group to identify other offensive statements, and agree on suitable replacements. Your customers will welcome the refreshingly new climate of courtesy and consideration that permeates your work force.

Bill Lampton, Ph.D., helps organizations improve their communication, motivation, sales and customer service. His speeches, seminars, consulting and coaching share the advice included in his book, The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication-change Your Life! Visit his Web site and sign up for his complimentary monthly newsletter: http://www.ChampionshipCommunication.com. Call Dr. Lampton at 770-534-3425 or 800-393-0114.

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