The Old Red Shirt

It's red. It's a pullover. It never needs ironing. I can throw it on and do what needs to be done. I use it for lounging around watching television or for reading a book in my favorite chair. It doesn't matter if I spill on it cause it's already stained. I can do yard work in it or indoor projects. It's great for raking leaves or trimming branches or sawing wood. I've even dared painting while wearing it. (There's a eggshell white stain on the back of the left arm for proof.) It may be cliche, but it's still true. That's how cliches become cliche.

After going to my closet for years (y-e-a-r-s) to find my favorite red microfiber waiting for me as a default fashion item, I couldn't find it. Carefully I moved every hanger thinking that perhaps I had overlooked it. I emptied out the laundry hamper. I looked in every drawer. This particular day required my comfortable red shirt. There was too much to do that had to be done and this shirt reassured me that I could get it all done. Why doesn't Google have a solution for this?

My wife is my GPS for things I can't find. But I could not find her. Someone needs to invent a GPS to find GPS devices. A mild panic started to seize me but before giving in I hurried to the laundry room. The red shirt was not in the washing machine. It wasn't in the dryer.

OK, I was out of options. The clock was ticking and I had to get my chores done. Not finding my shirt was not helping me.

Don't lecture me that it's just a shirt and that I have other perfectly good stained worn shirts to wear. This is psychological. It ventures into an area of my mind where reason is suspended. That same area of the brain that I rely on when deciding whether to go for the next slice of pizza or not.

Change is not comfortable. 
Change is not comfortable especially when it comes to changing the way we've always done things around here. We've always done sales like this. We've always handled customers this way. We've always marketed to these people. We've been at this for y-e-a-r-s so don't think we don't know what we're doing.

Top performers in any area of life know the value of change. They are comfortable with change. They are comfortable with being uncomfortable. And as a result these top performers are always willing to take another look at being more effective, more efficient, more productive, more profitable and more strategic. Change is about optimization.

Just back away from the red shirt.
In order to leave behind the way-we've-always-done-it mindset and embrace change for a better tomorrow, you need to frequently ask yourself questions like these:

• What is the best use of my time, talent, and treasure?
• What resources am I not utilizing to its fullest potential?
• How can I maximize output (returns) and minimize input?
• What strategies will give me supersized results?
• What processes are underperforming?
• What relationships can I better leverage?
• What other business can provide me with best practices that I can implement?
• What opportunities am I missing?
• What customer feedback should I be addressing first?

"That shirt is gone."
My wife got tired of seeing it and gave it to Good Will. She won't tell me which one. I now have a blue and gray plaid button down with a fleece lining. It fits better. She says I look better. That in itself is a big improvement. Maybe change is not the monster I thought it was.

"Now let's go take a second look at your closet."

Somehow I know that there is a lesson in here for my business.

______________________

Which one of your employees has an idea of how a process can be improved? How will you find out?

What no-cost solution can you implement to increase customer retention?

Who do you know that can keep you focused on key questions that result in business improvement?

Send me an email: A.Furst@theGrowthCoach.com

The Magic Bullet

Growing up on the east coast I never missed the New York State Fair. One of the highlights for me were the "Billy Mays" (R.I.P.) in the consumer building. These professionals had a way of making the ordinary sound extraordinary. "It's not just a rag to clean up spills; it's Miracle Rag!" "This is no ordinary knife. You never sharpen this knife. It cuts through concrete and can still slice a tomato."

I loved listening to these professionals. I was not alone either. People bought stuff all day long and crowds just kept stepping in a little closer to make more room. These professionals were the forerunners of today's infomercials and even the multi-billion dollar advertising machine The Shopping Network.

Learn How to Make Millions!

You've seen the full page ads in the newspaper: Attend a one-day seminar and learn the secrets of how to be successful beyond your wildest dreams. Retire early! Drive luxurious cars! Live in a mansion! Hear from our experts how they tapped into secret power and discovered untold wealth and prosperity.

With all due respect, seriously? Why do we keep taking the bait that there is a secret?

Business owners often say to me, "We need an expert in our business. Only a successfull expert can tell us the one thing we aren't doing that's keeping us from the next level of success."

The Magic Bullet?

Tapping into the minds of sales professionals (that do not disappear after the fair is over) you can learn that there are certain verifiable truths to sales and marketing. They are proven in every industry and they are ageless. Here are some sales "secrets" that rise to the top in successful businesses:

• Relationship. Don't underestimate the power of knowing someone.
• Service. It really isn't about you. It's about your customer.
• Attitude. The power of thinking is indisputably positive.
• Persistency. Never, never, never give up.
• Value. Not what it's worth to you; what is it worth to someone else?
• Recognition. Identity in a crowd.
• Passion. Knowledge that is persuasive, committed and magnetic.

These axioms are not magic. What they require is simply clarity of thought and an action plan that you stick to. (On a side note: If you would like to send me a check for $999 I can send you a laminated copy. I will also send you a set of CDs that feature me talking enthusiastically about each one of these unveiled secrets. And if you act today I will throw in a beautiful walnut frame to display your copy of Secrets Unveiled on the wall of your office. Your colleagues will be envious . . .)

Seriously. Read the biographies of entrepreneurs and successful sales people. Get close enough to listen to their stories. The same truths will be told again and again. It's not magic. It's just the way things are.

Now if only an individual could break away from activity to gain clarity of thought and develop a workable action plan . . .
__________________________
When was the last time you took a thoughtful look at your sales methods?
Which tried and true sales axiom needs to be addressed in your business?

Send me an email: A.Furst@theGrowthCoach.com

What was I thinking?

Standing backwards on the edge of a cliff deep in the Mexican jungle I could feel my chest rise and fall in anticipation of what waited behind me. Breath blew across my lips and I wondered if it were possible to mount a little wind turbine under my nose to generate electricity. What a great idea for people with sleep apnea. Instead of having to plug in a machine, I could invent the world’s first self-powered breathing aid.

“Tres . . .”

Sweat normally reserved for my forehead, underarms and neck sprouted from the palms holding nylon rope. I wondered how fast a body my size would fall. I mentally calculated which bones I could break and still get back home to work. Legs were expendable. I needed arms and fingers for the keyboard.

“Dos . . .”

Jaime’s voice interrupted my processing. I know what comes after dos. My heart reminded me with an extra large push of blood through the chambers somewhere deep inside. What do they tell you? Don’t look down? I looked up. The sky was blue with a smattering of white clouds. I wonder what it’s like to fly?

“Uno.”

Before Jaime’s tongue touched the roof of his mouth to pronounce the n, his calloused hand forcefully pushed me on the sternum and my feet suddenly had no ground underneath them. I was airborne with a limp rope technically wrapped around me. Still looking up I saw Jaime walk away without a second glance. I was on my own. What did he tell me to do next?

Day Two of starting your own business feels like rappelling. Each day’s activities come so fast and you have react quickly to stay in control. The phone rings—could be money waiting for you. An order comes in—prove yourself and deliver. The first invoice goes out—just how do you use Quickbooks? The phone doesn’t ring—time to get the word out. The first hire interviews—I-9s, background checks, tax withholding.

Two years later your business is now your job. It’s not quite as comfortable as the ratty flannel shirt you’ve worn since college, but it’s not stiff like a new pair of leather shoes either. You report to you. You make it happen and if you don’t make it happen, it doesn’t happen. The feeling of exhilaration you experienced over 700 days ago has long since metastasized into daily activity.

Your accountant gives you the news about what you owe in taxes. On the drive home your mental calculator starts tabulating the information. You worked how hard for how much money? You need to get away for a break. The mental calculator quickly adds up how much money you won’t be able to bill if you don’t show up at work. You decide to rent a DVD instead. The Bahamas will just have to wait.

Rappelling down the side of owning a small business quickly loses the initial exhilaration and fast becomes daily. Stop. Look where you came from. Look where you need to get to. You have to finish well if you don’t want to break your bones. Assess. Move forward with a clear goal in mind and an intentional technique to ensure desired results. Start having more fun in your business.

_______________________

Why did you go into business?

If going into business did not achieve your dreams, what happened?

What are you going to do to get back on track?