TURTLE an order of reptiles that have a shell of bony plates usually covered with horny shields enclosing the trunk and into which the head, limbs, and tail usually may be withdrawn. The move at a slow, timid pace and are very rarely aggressive.
Does this describe you? Are you a turtle? Do you tend to be meek and timid? Like the turtle, do you pull up inside yourself any time you are challenged?
There is nothing wrong with being cautious, but always avoiding confrontations can hamper your success, both in business and life. Sticking your neck out, just a little, allows you to determine the facts so you can act accordingly. Hiding from reality, retreating any time your comfort zone is nudged only yields missed opportunities. The world is full of all kinds of adventures, information, and opportunity. If you are always hiding inside your shell you are guaranteed to miss out.
It may take some time and patience, as well as practice, to become more daring. Try a little at a time. At a mixer or party talk to the person alone in the corner; they are just as apprehensive as you are. See, you already have something in common. Remember, you are both at the same event so that is something else you have in common.
When all else fails, just ask yourself, “What is the worst possibly thing that can happen if I take this action? The consequences are probably tolerable so you might as well move ahead. You will probably find that reaching out is not that freaky, and can be very rewarding.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
THE PAPER GAME
Have you wondered what you should do with all the old bank records and credit card bills that are jamming your files? Are they really as important as you think they are? Here is a brief primer on what to keep and what you can toss.
As far as your bills are concerned; you may want to hold on to the receipts for specific items for a year or until the warranty has expired. For everything else, once you have checked them against your records and confirmed that they are correct, toss them. I find stapling receipts to the owner’s manuals and putting them away is an easy system. In today’s world if you really need back copies you will find that most of your purchase information will always be available on the net or from the vendor. They are legally accountable to maintain the records of your transactions for a number of years
The IRS can only audit you for three years, unless they are involved in a criminal investigation. For a secure margin of safety you should keep your tax records and justifying receipts for 6 or 7 years. The same goes for expense reports and their records.
Home purchase, improvement, and other investment records should be kept for all the time you own them plus seven years after you dispose of them
Everything else that doesn’t fit into one of these categories can be shredded. You will then have enough room to save a bunch of other papers you don’t really need.
As far as your bills are concerned; you may want to hold on to the receipts for specific items for a year or until the warranty has expired. For everything else, once you have checked them against your records and confirmed that they are correct, toss them. I find stapling receipts to the owner’s manuals and putting them away is an easy system. In today’s world if you really need back copies you will find that most of your purchase information will always be available on the net or from the vendor. They are legally accountable to maintain the records of your transactions for a number of years
The IRS can only audit you for three years, unless they are involved in a criminal investigation. For a secure margin of safety you should keep your tax records and justifying receipts for 6 or 7 years. The same goes for expense reports and their records.
Home purchase, improvement, and other investment records should be kept for all the time you own them plus seven years after you dispose of them
Everything else that doesn’t fit into one of these categories can be shredded. You will then have enough room to save a bunch of other papers you don’t really need.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Why Do You Do What You Do?
In our last issue we discussed the value of assessing your Core Values. This can be a very powerful exercise; just the exercise itself will give you amazing insights into your thinking processes.
The next step in building your foundation is to determine your reasons for doing what you do. Your actions are defined by your Mission Statement. Your Statement tells the world about your goals and purpose. It not only tells your employees and teammates where you are coming from, but a well written mission statement also tells your customers, business partners and others who you are, what, why and how your business will conduct itself.
Mission Statements can also be constructed for your personal development. It would define your ethical standards and how people can expect you to act. The absence of surprises makes your associates much more comfortable.
Your Mission Statement, whether for business or personal conduct, should always be in alignment with your Core Values. For example our Mission Statement is; “help people solve problems, seize opportunities, and by acting fell better about themselves.” This tells people what they can expect when working with us; offering anything less is considered failure.
There should be no limits to your imagination when you are developing your Mission Statement. Reach beyond your current capacities. Your Mission Statement also functions like the rabbit to the greyhound in a race. It will cause you to reach to new levels of hopes, dreams, and achievement. You are trying to grow beyond your current reach and your Mission Statement can be a powerful tool to make that happen.
The next step in building your foundation is to determine your reasons for doing what you do. Your actions are defined by your Mission Statement. Your Statement tells the world about your goals and purpose. It not only tells your employees and teammates where you are coming from, but a well written mission statement also tells your customers, business partners and others who you are, what, why and how your business will conduct itself.
Mission Statements can also be constructed for your personal development. It would define your ethical standards and how people can expect you to act. The absence of surprises makes your associates much more comfortable.
Your Mission Statement, whether for business or personal conduct, should always be in alignment with your Core Values. For example our Mission Statement is; “help people solve problems, seize opportunities, and by acting fell better about themselves.” This tells people what they can expect when working with us; offering anything less is considered failure.
There should be no limits to your imagination when you are developing your Mission Statement. Reach beyond your current capacities. Your Mission Statement also functions like the rabbit to the greyhound in a race. It will cause you to reach to new levels of hopes, dreams, and achievement. You are trying to grow beyond your current reach and your Mission Statement can be a powerful tool to make that happen.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
A goal is a dream with a deadline
Do you have a good map for your future? Whether you are assessing your business or personal relationships; truly understanding your core values is the basis for your map. It is critical that your Core values be written and reviewed on a regular basis. Keeping them in your head defeats the purpose of using them as a tool for growth. They are only dreams if they are not written, reassessed on a regular basis, and used as a learning tool.
Your Core Values should not reflect who you want to be or who you think you are. Those are the job of your Vision and Mission Statements. Core Values represent a searchingly honest assessment of who you really are.
Writing our your Core Values is not a test; there are no right or wrong answers. Keep in mind that these answers are not carved in stone. This is a living document. You should do periodic review to be sure you are still on track.
Some of the questions you might ask yourself are:
WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT MYSELF?
How do I see myself; Will I accept compromise and at what level; Do I like
people?
WHAT ARE MY FEARS?
Do I fear failure, do I fear success, Am I a risk taker?
WHAT IS HOLDING ME BACK?
Am I concerned about what others may think; are my fears blocking me?
WHAT IS MY ATTITUDE?
Am I positive or negative; Do I smile and great strangers openly; Is life an adventure?
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO MOVE FORWARD?
What is really getting in my way and stopping my forward progress?
These are just a few of the questions that you might ask yourself. There are probably plenty more. The more information you have, the better tools you can create and the more successful you will be. Absolute and candid honesty is essential to make your Core Value statement a good working tool. Remember, no one is judging you, they may never see your notes, but you will have a much better sense of who you are and what is most important to you.
Do you have a good map for your future? Whether you are assessing your business or personal relationships; truly understanding your core values is the basis for your map. It is critical that your Core values be written and reviewed on a regular basis. Keeping them in your head defeats the purpose of using them as a tool for growth. They are only dreams if they are not written, reassessed on a regular basis, and used as a learning tool.
Your Core Values should not reflect who you want to be or who you think you are. Those are the job of your Vision and Mission Statements. Core Values represent a searchingly honest assessment of who you really are.
Writing our your Core Values is not a test; there are no right or wrong answers. Keep in mind that these answers are not carved in stone. This is a living document. You should do periodic review to be sure you are still on track.
Some of the questions you might ask yourself are:
WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT MYSELF?
How do I see myself; Will I accept compromise and at what level; Do I like
people?
WHAT ARE MY FEARS?
Do I fear failure, do I fear success, Am I a risk taker?
WHAT IS HOLDING ME BACK?
Am I concerned about what others may think; are my fears blocking me?
WHAT IS MY ATTITUDE?
Am I positive or negative; Do I smile and great strangers openly; Is life an adventure?
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO MOVE FORWARD?
What is really getting in my way and stopping my forward progress?
These are just a few of the questions that you might ask yourself. There are probably plenty more. The more information you have, the better tools you can create and the more successful you will be. Absolute and candid honesty is essential to make your Core Value statement a good working tool. Remember, no one is judging you, they may never see your notes, but you will have a much better sense of who you are and what is most important to you.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
No More Complaining
A great article and a super resource. ComplainLess - Just Sell®... it's all about sales®
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Fire Your Customers
Increasing sales may not be good for your business. Are you crazy, you say? Not at all. We often are concerned that we have more customers than ever before but aren't making more money. There is a very easy answer. The solution can be found in an analysis of your customers. There are a certain level of customers or clients that make you money; about 20% and a group of about 10% that are costing you money. These are the one time buyer or the small quantity user. Costs that are amortized across the whole sales process decrease per unit when tied to larger quantities. That means that the 80% of small customers are costing you more than you are making.
You need to analyze your customers to see which group they
each belong to.It is important that you direct your best marketing efforts at the 20% of customers who are improving your bottom line. Your middle group probably tends to be very loyal so special attention is not necessary. The bottom group is the customers that you fire. You can easily reduce your number of un-profitable clients by increasing minimum orders or convenience fees. In time your customer list will contain fewer names, but they will be the most valuable.
You need to analyze your customers to see which group they
each belong to.It is important that you direct your best marketing efforts at the 20% of customers who are improving your bottom line. Your middle group probably tends to be very loyal so special attention is not necessary. The bottom group is the customers that you fire. You can easily reduce your number of un-profitable clients by increasing minimum orders or convenience fees. In time your customer list will contain fewer names, but they will be the most valuable.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Dirty Windows
I was recently strolling thru a local shopping center window shopping. One of the shops was a pet store. I would usually go in to see the critters; this time I didn’t. The windows were very dirty. Not just a few finger prints but real dirt 5” high. It actually made the store look it wasn’t open.
That brought to mind how you present yourselves. Not your personal style, there is a lot of information available about that, but your business style. What do your current, and more importantly your future customers think when they approach your business? Is it welcoming?
The first thing a client will see is the look of the premises; are the gardens well tended, is the signage good, is the parking lot clean. The next thing is your door; if its glass is it clean, if not is the paint fresh and clean. Your lobby or reception area are next; carpets clean, plants healthy, inviting chairs, desks not too cluttered. If you are in retail your customers will want to see clean, well-lit areas, good signage, and an easy to navigate floor plan.
The response may be subliminal, but it will color your relationship. They might just decide that your lack of attention to your environment indicates will be reflected in your work.
If you have had tunnel vision about your work take a minute to look around. Try to see your space as a customer might see it. You need not invest a lot of money for your work space, but a little thought and awareness will definitely be returned in your bottom line.
That brought to mind how you present yourselves. Not your personal style, there is a lot of information available about that, but your business style. What do your current, and more importantly your future customers think when they approach your business? Is it welcoming?
The first thing a client will see is the look of the premises; are the gardens well tended, is the signage good, is the parking lot clean. The next thing is your door; if its glass is it clean, if not is the paint fresh and clean. Your lobby or reception area are next; carpets clean, plants healthy, inviting chairs, desks not too cluttered. If you are in retail your customers will want to see clean, well-lit areas, good signage, and an easy to navigate floor plan.
The response may be subliminal, but it will color your relationship. They might just decide that your lack of attention to your environment indicates will be reflected in your work.
If you have had tunnel vision about your work take a minute to look around. Try to see your space as a customer might see it. You need not invest a lot of money for your work space, but a little thought and awareness will definitely be returned in your bottom line.
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